Wulfrik smiled and nodded, not at all surprised by Barrett's reaction.
With this revolutionary production method of "assembly line operations," as long as raw materials and personnel were sufficient, the armory's production capacity could increase not just fivefold, but ten times, even dozens of times without any problem.
However, the iron mine wasn't officially operational yet, and recruiting craftsmen and training apprentices would also take time, so increasing production capacity fivefold in the short term was already the maximum possible.
Any more than that just wouldn't be realistic.
But Wulfrik wasn't in a rush anyway—the family didn't have any major conflicts going on right now.
Everything he was doing was just preparation for the future.
In Wulfrik's vision, the future armory would be upgraded to a military factory. What they had now was just small-scale stuff.
His goals went way beyond this.
"Barrett, starting now, the armory will implement a piece-rate reward system."
"Piece-rate reward system?"
Barrett looked confused when he heard this.
Wulfrik explained: "Yes, giving appropriate rewards based on the amount of equipment the craftsmen complete."
"This will not only motivate them, but also further improve production efficiency."
Barrett's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he nodded repeatedly: "Young master Wulfrik, this is really a great idea!"
"With a system like this, the craftsmen will definitely work even harder."
"But to prevent craftsmen from pursuing quantity at the expense of quality, we also need to implement an accountability system."
"Classify all craftsmen and apprentices by skill level and give them numbers."
"From now on, every piece of equipment produced, at every step of the process, needs to have the maker's number engraved on it. If quality problems come up, we can quickly trace it back to the individual and impose appropriate punishment."
What Wulfrik was implementing was borrowed from the "marking craftsmen's names on objects" system from the Roman Empire in his previous life.
Supposedly, the weapons used by Roman legions all had the names of the craftsmen who made them stamped on them. If quality problems came up, they could track down responsibility based on the craftsman's name on the weapon, and in serious cases, heads would roll.
That's why weapons produced under strict accountability systems were so reliable.
"Young master Wulfrik, you're a genius! With a system like this, both the armory's production efficiency and product quality will improve dramatically!" Barrett said excitedly.
Wulfrik smiled and nodded, his assessment of Barrett rising a few notches.
Though this armory steward had initially shown some reluctance, once he understood Wulfrik's plan, he could quickly transform that understanding into actionable force. He was a rare management talent.
Next, Wulfrik waved his hand, signaling for everyone else to leave, then whispered instructions to Barrett: "There's one more thing. I need you to gather a few craftsmen with high loyalty to the family to secretly develop a new type of weapon."
When Barrett heard this, his expression became serious. He realized that the "new weapon" young master Wulfrik mentioned was definitely no ordinary thing.
"A new weapon? Young master Wulfrik, please tell me, what kind of weapon is it?"
Barrett asked in a low voice, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and anticipation.
Wulfrik pulled a piece of paper from his jacket and handed it to Barrett.
This was a structural diagram of a "crossbow" that he'd drawn earlier based on memories from his previous life.
Compared to bows, "crossbows" didn't require long-term training to master and were very effortless to use.
Plus, "crossbows" were less affected by wind, had higher accuracy, and stronger penetrating power.
In his previous life, various ancient civilizations had used crossbows effectively in warfare, with some achieving remarkable military success through superior weapons technology.
You could say that the "crossbow" was a weapon capable of changing the entire nature of warfare.
"Crossbows" came in several types: hand crossbows suitable for individual combat, foot-operated crossbows suitable for large-scale army operations, and bed crossbows with tremendous power that could pierce heavy armor.
There were also single-shot and repeating versions in terms of firing methods.
What Wulfrik gave Barrett was a diagram of an improved single-shot hand crossbow suitable for infantry needs.
This type of crossbow could easily tear through cloth armor within three hundred meters and pierce ordinary light armor within two hundred meters.
Wulfrik said slowly: "It's called a 'crossbow.' It can shoot arrows like a bow, but doesn't require continuous force to pull the string."
"Even new recruits can master it with simple training..."
Next, Wulfrik gave Barrett a detailed description of how the "crossbow" worked.
After listening to Wulfrik's explanation, Barrett took the blueprint, his hands trembling slightly.
Barrett wasn't just the armory steward—he was also a veteran craftsman himself.
So he clearly understood just how amazing the potential was of the weapon depicted on this blueprint.
Barrett's voice was hoarse with excitement: "Young master Wulfrik, the design of this weapon completely revolutionizes the traditional concept of bows and arrows!"
Barrett's finger gently traced the key components on the blueprint: "This trigger mechanism is so ingenious! And this windlass design... Young master, how did you think of this?"
"That's not important."
Wulfrik avoided the question.
"What's important is whether it can be manufactured in a short time?"
Barrett took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down: "Young master, I need some time to study the blueprint."
"Fine, you pick some of the most loyal craftsmen and set up a separate underground workshop."
"All participants' family members will be 'invited' to stay at the castle."
Behind the gentle phrasing was a naked threat.
Barrett nodded solemnly: "I understand, young master. I'll personally select the most reliable craftsmen."
A cold light flashed in Wulfrik's eyes: "Remember, anyone who leaks information dies. Including you."
"Also, I need you to consider several issues during development: how to increase firing rate, how to simplify the manufacturing process, how to adapt to large-scale production."
Barrett quickly noted down these requirements, his eyes sparkling with excitement: "Young master, once this weapon succeeds, our army's combat effectiveness will increase several times over!"
Wulfrik smiled meaningfully: "This is just the beginning. You need to develop a working prototype in the shortest possible time."
"Yes, young master!"
Barrett straightened up. "I'll personally supervise every step of the process."
Wulfrik took a final look around the warehouse: "Starting tomorrow, I'll send specialists to help you expand the workshop."
"Young master Wulfrik, rest assured, I'll definitely manage the armory well according to your requirements and get production capacity up!" Barrett solemnly promised.
Wulfrik nodded with satisfaction and patted Barrett on the shoulder: "I trust you. The armory is in your hands."
After that, Wulfrik made another inspection tour of the armory.
When he left the armory, the sun was already setting.
Wulfrik stood at the castle's highest point, looking at the lights gradually coming on in the distance, his thoughts already flying much further.
Assembly lines were just the beginning. Once Black Mountain iron mine went into production, he wanted to try blast furnace steelmaking.
After the crossbow troops were formed, he could develop repeating mechanisms.
Even...
Those siege weapons that only existed in his previous life's memories.
This world's medieval military landscape was destined to be completely overturned.
Wulfrik could already see the future: the Sowerbright family's silver eagle banners flying high across the Aethervancia Continent.
And it would all begin from this armory where the furnace fires never died.