The stabilization of the aquaculture system and the successful integration of the two hundred newcomers provided Kael with a unique, resource-rich window. For the first time, he possessed a labor surplus that was not immediately consumed by the desperate search for calories. However, the Duke's failed economic blockade would inevitably lead to more direct intervention. Kael recognized that the next phase of survival was not biological, but structural: he had to transform a population of five hundred literate laborers into a standardized, equipped, and disciplined defense force.
Kael initiated the creation of the Armament Standard, a systematic plan to utilize the Iron Works for the mass production of high-quality, uniform defensive equipment. He understood that a small, well-equipped force using standardized tactics and tools could overcome a larger, disorganized feudal levy. The focus was not on the artistry of the blade, but on the reliability of the system.
Kael summoned Hektor to the central forge of the Iron Works. The facility was now operating at a sustained high temperature, fueled by the optimized kiln and the steady supply of refined ash briquettes. Kael presented a series of simplified, geometric blueprints for a new class of weaponry and armor. These designs prioritized ease of manufacture, structural durability, and interchangeability of parts.
The primary offensive weapon was the Standardized Crossbow. Kael moved away from the complex, artisanal longbows of the southern marches, which required years of training to master. Instead, he designed a heavy-draw crossbow with a simplified, drop-forged iron trigger mechanism. The bows themselves were constructed from laminated layers of local resilient timber, reinforced with high-grade coastal iron plates at the stress points. . The bolts were to be produced in thousands, each featuring a uniform weight and an iron tip forged to a specific aerodynamic profile. By standardizing the draw weight and the projectile mass, Kael ensured that any citizen-soldier could be trained to achieve predictable accuracy within a matter of days.
The defensive equipment followed the same logic of industrial efficiency. Kael rejected the idea of full plate armor, which was too resource-intensive and restrictive for his mobile labor-force. Instead, he implemented the Standardized Brigandine. This consisted of a heavy, treated leather vest reinforced with dozens of small, overlapping high-grade iron plates riveted internally. The plates were produced using a simple drop-hammer at the Iron Works, ensuring each was identical in thickness and curvature. This provided excellent protection against arrows and glancing blows while remaining light enough for a worker to wear during a full shift at the kiln or in the fields.
Hektor looked at the designs, his soot-stained face reflecting a deep understanding of the shift. "It isn't just about making weapons, my lord," Hektor noted, tracing the lines of the trigger housing. "It's about making a factory for them. If one trigger breaks, I can pull another from a crate and it will fit. We aren't smithing; we are manufacturing."
Kael nodded. "Customization is a liability in a siege. Reliability is our primary asset. We will produce five hundred units of brigandine and two hundred heavy crossbows. Every citizen will have a designated kit, a designated station, and a documented maintenance schedule for their gear."
To manage the massive increase in iron consumption, Kael redirected the newly trained mining teams to the northern rocky outcrops he had identified during the Mapping Project. Using standardized iron picks and wedges produced in the Iron Works, they began extracting low-grade local ore to supplement the coastal imports. While the local ore was less pure, the optimized kiln was capable of refining it sufficiently for use in non-critical components like armor plates and bolt tips, preserving the high-grade coastal iron for the precision trigger mechanisms and the primary crossbow springs.
The training of the five hundred citizens was integrated into the daily labor cycle. Kael established the Defensive Shift. For two hours at the end of every work cycle, groups of fifty citizens were put through a rigorous, documented training regimen. They were taught to operate the standardized crossbows, to move in disciplined formations, and to execute rapid-deployment drills to the bastions. The literacy program once again proved its value; the citizens were able to read the tactical instruction cards Kael had developed, ensuring that commands were understood and executed without the need for a large, specialized officer corps.
The psychological impact of the Armament Standard was as significant as its physical protection. The population, once a collection of starving refugees and weary survivors, now saw themselves as an equipped, organized force. The clatter of iron plates being riveted and the rhythmic thrum of crossbows being tested in the village square replaced the sounds of desperation. They were no longer waiting for the Duke's next move; they were preparing to meet it.
Steward Elms tracked the progress with his usual meticulousness. The cost of the Armament Standard was high—diverting nearly sixty percent of the barony's iron output and twenty percent of the total labor hours. However, Kael's math showed that the investment in deterrence was more cost-effective than the total loss of the barony's assets in a successful raid. By creating a standardized, citizen-based defense force, Kael was making the cost of an invasion higher than any potential profit the Duke could hope to seize.