Chapter 413: Craftsman
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
With the political situation temporarily calm, Simon devoted most of his time to working with Bjorn.
Their goal was simple but ambitious—to reorganize Brambleford’s industries and lay the foundation for a complete industrial system.
Brambleford could no longer rely on individual workshops producing isolated goods.
If Simon wanted technology to keep advancing, the territory needed industries capable of supplying everything those technologies required. metals, tools, machinery, weapons, ships, construction materials, and countless other necessities.
It was not enough to have brilliant craftsmen.
There had to be an organized system behind them.
For that reason, Simon and Bjorn spent these days reorganizing existing workshops, separating different trades, establishing production standards, and determining which industries needed immediate expansion.
It was only the first step.
But it was the step that would allow Brambleford’s industry to grow without collapsing under its own weight. And just as the basic framework was beginning to take shape, good news arrived from dew dock.
Percival had returned from Prince Valeric’s Domain.
With him came three hundred large merchant ships, two hundred medium merchant ships, and twenty thousand craftsmen.
The fleet was so enormous that the Dew Dock had become crowded with ships.
But that wasn’t all.
The following day, another thirteen thousand craftsmen arrived from the imperial court under the supervision of Gareth.
When Simon arrived at the dock, he immediately saw Maxwell standing among the arriving officials.
The moment Maxwell spotted him, a familiar grin appeared on his face.
"Congratulations, Your Highness. Today really is a day worthy of celebration."
He repeatedly cupped his hands toward Prince Simon.
Simon stared at him for a moment.
Then he raised an eyebrow.
"Maxwell! What are you doing here?"
Before Maxwell could answer, his father stepped forward.
"Your Highness, this time I brought my son with me."
He glanced at Maxwell before continuing.
"I hope Your Highness will personally guide him."
Simon immediately understood. Then he smiled.
"Supervisor Gareth, you’re being too polite. Maxwell and I have known each other since childhood. Teaching him is hardly something worth mentioning."
Gareth shook his head.
"Your Highness is too modest."
His expression became serious.
"You are already renowned throughout the empire, while my son is still an insignificant figure"
"My family has always valued craftsmanship. I know Your Highness places even greater importance on it, so I decided to send him here."
He sighed.
"If he remains in the empire, the best he can hope for is spending his entire life trapped in some minor official position like his father. It would be better for him to come to Brambleford and learn from Your Highness, and perhaps become useful to you."
Maxwell scratched his head.
"Father, you make it sound like I’m completely useless."
Gareth glared at him.
Seeing this, Maxwell immediately shut his mouth.
Simon couldn’t help laughing.
He understood exactly what Gareth was doing. The man wasn’t merely sending his son to Brambleford.
He was sending the Robben family with him.
Maxwell was already one of Simon’s sworn brothers, and their relationship had been tested many times. The Secret Service had also investigated him thoroughly. There was no reason for Simon to doubt his loyalty.
More importantly, Maxwell had grown up around craftsmen.
His father, Gareth Robben, was responsible for managing much of the empire’s handicraft industry. In modern terms, his position was roughly equivalent to a minister overseeing industry.
Maxwell had naturally absorbed much of that knowledge. That made him particularly useful now.
Simon was preparing to establish a formal industrial administration in Brambleford. Such an organization would eventually be responsible for industrial planning, production standards, supervision, technological development, and coordination between different trades. And Maxwell had exactly the kind of background he needed.
"Supervisor Gareth," Simon called out, "you don’t need to worry, Maxwell and I have always been close. So he, is welcome to stay in Brambleford.
Gareth smiled.
Maxwell immediately turned toward his father with a smug expression.
"See! I told you His Highness wouldn’t refuse."
Hearing this, Gareth’s smile disappeared.
"Don’t be a foolish child."
He pointed a finger at his son.
"For the fact that you are in Brambleford, devote yourself to serving His Highness. No more fooling around."
Maxwell expression became solemn.
"Understood."
Simon watched the exchange silently.
He understood the deeper meaning behind Gareth’s decision. The Robben family had now established a direct connection with Brambleford.
Today it was shipbuilding. Tomorrow, perhaps other industries will follow. And Simon intended to make full use of that connection.
He had already received word from Baker that the Emperor would continue to support him just as he had once supported Prince Gerad. That meant Simon could gradually draw more of the empire’s craftsmen, industrial knowledge, and resources toward Brambleford.
His territory was already developing into something completely different from an ordinary domain.
It was becoming a center of production.
A place where craftsmen could gather, new technologies could be developed, and industries could grow together.
Simon turned his attention toward the docks.
Ships stretched across the water as far as he could see. Craftsmen were constantly coming ashore, carrying tools, equipment, and personal belongings.
"Your Highness," Gareth said, "besides the craftsmen, I also brought many of the tools used in the imperial shipyards."
"This should save you the trouble of rebuilding everything from scratch."
He pointed toward several crates being unloaded.
"These craftsmen are the core workers of the shipyards. Many of them can independently construct large merchant ships. Once they receive the proper blueprints, they should be able to begin work immediately."
Simon nodded with satisfaction.
Having someone inside the imperial system was indeed convenient. And Gareth had clearly prepared everything carefully.
"Thank you, Supervisor Gareth."
Simon said, as he looked toward the countless craftsmen.
"With these men and the twenty thousand craftsmen from Prince Valeric, I can establish three large shipyards immediately."
The shipbuilding industry in Brambleford had previously been constrained by a lack of skilled labor. That problem had now been solved.
Harlan Voss already commanded more than ten thousand craftsmen and workers. With the new arrivals added to them, Brambleford’s shipbuilding capacity would increase dramatically. And if everything went according to plan, the territory could eventually produce more than sixty warships every year.
And if the shipyards focused primarily on third-level warships, production could be pushed even higher.
Simon’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Twenty large warships a year. That was enough to change the balance of power at sea. The three men boarded one of the large merchant ships.
Since hundreds of vessels had arrived together, they had been divided into several groups.
The first group had arrived the previous day. This was the second.
As Maxwell stepped onto the deck, he looked around with obvious curiosity.
"This ship is enormous."
He walked toward the railing and looked down at the water.
"It must be at least seventy feet long."
"Large merchant ships sometimes arrive in the empire but most of them are only around fifty feet."
Simon smiled.
"These are sea-going vessels."
"They need larger hulls to withstand the winds and waves of the open ocean."
Maxwell’s eyes widened.
"Sea-going vessels?"
He suddenly understood.
"So that’s why Your Highness needed so many shipbuilders."
His grin slowly returned.
"Could it be that you really intend to drive the Dutch out of the sea?"
He laughed.
"If you actually defeat them, I wonder what expression Prince Valeric will have."
Simon glanced at him. He neither confirmed nor denied it. There was no point hiding the truth from Maxwell now.
Sooner or later, everyone in Brambleford would know.
While they were talking, footsteps sounded behind them.
Percival approached.
"My Lord, the first group of craftsmen has boarded."
He pointed toward the ships waiting along the shore.
"Should we depart for Ashenford?"
Simon nodded.
The order quickly spread. Many of the craftsmen who had just disembarked were transferred onto other ships.
Simon had deliberately arranged things this way.
The craftsmen had come from different places, and if too many workers from the same shipyard were sent to the same location, it could create problems later. But by mixing them, the knowledge and experience of different shipyards would also be distributed among Brambleford’s new facilities.
Fifty large merchant ships slowly separated from the dock. Their sails rose one after another. The wind caught them.
One ship.
Then another.
Soon, the entire fleet began moving toward Ashenford.
There, Harlan would take charge of the craftsmen and establish the second, third, and fourth shipyards. Watching the fleet disappear into the distance, Simon’s expression became increasingly satisfied.
The foundation was finally coming together.
One shipyard had been expanded.
Three more would soon rise.
And once they began producing warships on a large scale, Brambleford would no longer have to fear being challenged at sea.
Simon turned back toward the father and son.
"Supervisor, you’ve traveled a long way, Since you’re here, why don’t You and Maxwell stay in Brambleford for a few days?"
"I’ll have someone show you around the city."
Gareth smiled.
"Then we’ll trouble Your Highness."
However, Maxwell was already looking toward the distant city with curiosity.
For him, Brambleford was no longer simply another territory. It was the place where his future would begin.
Simon watched the two of them leave with the officials.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Maxwell arrival was only a small matter compared with the thousands of craftsmen now pouring into Brambleford.
But to Simon, it represented something much more important.
The empire’s craftsmen were beginning to come here. And once enough people gathered in Brambleford, prosperity would naturally follow.
And when all of them were connected into one system, Brambleford would finally possess the foundation Simon had been waiting for. The next step is an upgrade in his system.