Chapter 17: Carpenter’s Pride
The morning air over Oakridge carried the sharp scent of fresh-cut pine.
Only a few days earlier, the riverbank had looked abandoned. Rotten boards had surrounded the old mill, weeds had grown through the maintenance platform, and most villagers passed the place without giving it more than a glance. Now the same stretch of river was crowded with people.
Axes rose and fell beyond the worksite where approved timber from House Kael’s woodland had begun arriving by cart. Men and women cleared away decayed boards while others sorted what could still be salvaged. Rope hung from temporary braces around the damaged wheel, and piles of iron fittings waited near the village blacksmith’s tools.
Even the children had found work.
Lily had organized the younger ones into what she proudly called the safe group after catching two boys attempting to drag a beam that weighed more than both of them combined. Now they collected loose nails, carried lengths of rope, sorted wooden pegs, brought cups of water to the workers, and removed stones from the paths.
Oakridge sounded different.
Hammers struck wood. Saws rasped through timber. People argued over measurements, laughed when someone made a mistake, and called for extra hands whenever another rotten section was removed from the mill.
The wheel still did not turn.
The work had barely begun.
Yet the village already felt less defeated.
Kael stood beneath the shade of an old oak tree with a notebook in one hand. He had spent part of the previous day carrying timber and helping clear debris, but this morning he had deliberately stepped farther back from the physical work.
Every few minutes, he wrote something down.
Lily eventually wandered over and leaned just far enough to see the page.
Those aren’t measurements
Kael moved the notebook slightly.
You’re spying on your prince
I’m standing beside you
Very advanced espionage
Lily ignored him and looked again.
You’re writing people’s names
Kael nodded.
I am
I thought you were supposed to be planning the mill
Bram and Tomas are planning the mill with people who know more about mills than I do
Lily looked toward the worksite.
Then what are you doing?
Kael turned the notebook so she could see more clearly.
Several names had been written beneath short observations.
Edrin — wagon repairs, knows wheel hubs
Maela — boat timber experience, strong joints
Corvin — good with iron fittings, blacksmith’s assistant
Hessa — organizes food and supplies without being asked
Tomas Pell — mill operation, river knowledge
Lily read silently.
Kael tapped the page.
If I rebuild one mill, Oakridge gets one working mill
That’s the point, isn’t it?
Part of it
He looked toward the workers.
But if Blackwood has people who can learn how to build and repair mills, bridges, houses, storehouses, workshops, and roads, then we stop waiting for every broken thing to require someone from Aurelia
Lily’s expression slowly changed.
You’re looking for people to teach
And people capable of teaching them
She glanced toward the worksite.
You think that far ahead about everything?
Kael laughed.
Absolutely not
Lily smiled.
Good. I was starting to feel inadequate
I’m mostly learning to think one problem ahead before the next five arrive
That sounded much closer to the truth.
Kael looked toward the names again.
His previous life had taught him enough to understand that buildings did not maintain themselves and institutions did not survive because one talented person happened to exist. Blackwood needed skilled people, but more importantly, it needed ways for those skills to survive beyond a single lifetime.
A bridge could be built once.
A bridge builder could teach dozens more.
The second mattered far longer.
A booming voice suddenly cut through the worksite.
Stop!
Several workers froze.
Not that beam
A younger man carrying one end of a freshly cut support looked confused.
What’s wrong with it?
Everything will be wrong with it if you put it there
An elderly carpenter moved toward him with the impatient stride of someone whose age had reduced his speed without touching his authority.
His hair and beard were almost entirely white. His back had bent slightly with time, and one knee clearly bothered him whenever he stepped across uneven ground, but none of that diminished the force of his presence.
He pointed toward the beam.
Set it down
The workers obeyed immediately.
Not because he wore noble colors.
Not because anyone had ordered them to listen.
Because everyone on the riverbank apparently knew who he was.
The old man crouched beside the beam and struck it twice with the handle of a small hammer.
Thump.
He shifted several inches and struck again.
Thunk.
His face soured.
Too wet
The younger worker frowned.
It’s straight
I didn’t say it wasn’t straight
Then why can’t we use it?
The carpenter handed him the hammer.
Hit here
The young man obeyed.
Thunk.
Now hit there
Thump.
The worker looked between the two spots.
I don’t hear much difference
Exactly
The carpenter took the hammer back.
Which is why you’re carrying beams and I’m telling you where they go
A few workers laughed.
The younger man sighed.
How can you hear that?
Sixty years of making mistakes with wood
The answer quieted him more effectively than arrogance would have.
The old carpenter pointed toward a shaded stack.
Move that beam out of direct sun. Turn it tomorrow. If you put wet timber into the main support and trap it there, it’ll shrink unevenly and you’ll be rebuilding this wheel before I’m dead
One of the older workers called from behind him.
At your age, that’s not much of a guarantee
The carpenter turned.
Keep talking and I’ll make sure you rebuild it today
Laughter spread along the riverbank.
Kael watched with immediate interest.
He leaned toward Edwin.
That’s Rowan?
Edwin followed his gaze.
Master Rowan
The carpenter I’ve been asking you to find for two days
The same
You could have mentioned he’d already arrived
Edwin’s expression remained perfectly calm.
I wanted to see how long it took you to notice the man everyone was obeying
Kael gave him a flat look.
You’re becoming worse than Bram
A dangerous accusation
Kael looked back toward Rowan.
How much of Oakridge did he build?
A significant portion. Several houses, the older chapel repairs, parts of the western bridge, barns throughout the surrounding farms
Edwin paused.
And this mill
Kael turned.
He built the mill?
Helped. Rowan was around twenty when the original wheel and later support structures were completed. He worked beneath older craftsmen then
That explained why Rowan moved around the worksite as though the mill were an old friend whose injuries offended him personally.
Kael closed his notebook.
Time to meet him properly
Master Rowan was inspecting a replacement brace when Kael approached.
He ran his fingers over the grain, checked one end, then looked down its length before speaking to the worker beside him.
Better
The younger man visibly relaxed.
Rowan pointed toward the other side.
Now plane that edge again
You said it was better
Better isn’t finished
The worker muttered something under his breath.
Rowan’s eyes narrowed.
Want to say it louder?
No, Master Rowan
Wise boy
Kael smiled.
Master Rowan
The carpenter turned.
His gaze moved over Kael once.
Not with surprise.
Evaluation.
So you’re him
Kael raised an eyebrow.
That’s becoming a common greeting
The Tenth Prince
Kael nodded.
Kael is fine while we’re standing in mud
Rowan’s eyes moved toward his clothes, then toward the sword calluses and old scars across Kael’s hands.
Not carpenter’s hands
Kael looked down.
No
Sword hands
Mostly
Rowan grunted.
At least you don’t pretend otherwise
Lily, standing several paces away, looked faintly horrified at the carpenter’s tone.
Edwin looked completely unsurprised.
Kael smiled.
I was told you’re Blackwood’s best carpenter
Who told you that?
Edwin
Rowan looked past Kael.
He’s old enough to know better
Edwin inclined his head.
And yet I said it
Rowan muttered under his breath.
Kael liked him immediately.
Not because Rowan was disrespectful.
Because the man clearly had no interest in wasting time pretending competence required flattery.
Kael looked toward the mill.
You helped build it
Rowan’s expression changed.
A long time ago
How old were you?
Twenty-one
Edwin said twenty
Edwin lies when it improves a story
I round
Rowan snorted.
Kael looked back toward the old structure.
Then you know it better than anyone here
I know what it used to be
That’s probably more useful
Rowan resumed examining the brace.
Kael waited.
After several seconds, he asked the question that had bothered him since learning Rowan still lived in Blackwood.
Why didn’t you rebuild it earlier?
Rowan’s hands stopped.
The worksite continued around them, but something in his posture became harder.
I tried
Kael said nothing.
Rowan appreciated that enough to continue.
When the axle first cracked, I inspected it with Tomas’s father. We drew plans. Listed materials. Estimated labor
He looked toward the river.
Sent everything to Halwen’s office
What happened?
Rejected
Why?
Cost
Rowan laughed once without humor.
So I revised it. Reduced the timber requirement. Offered to reuse parts I didn’t trust because that was apparently better than letting the entire thing die
Kael frowned.
Rejected again?
No answer that time
Rowan finally looked at him.
So I went to the administrative office myself
And?
They told me Oakridge’s milling output no longer justified the repair
Kael stared.
The mill wasn’t producing because it was broken
Rowan’s mouth twisted.
You see the problem faster than they did
Kael doubted that was true.
More likely, whoever made the decision understood perfectly and simply found it easier to let the village absorb the loss.
Rowan continued.
I offered my labor for nothing. Several men here offered theirs. Tomas’s father offered to repay the timber over time through milling revenue
He looked toward the broken gears stacked beside the building.
Didn’t matter
The old man’s voice remained steady, but there was something beneath it that Kael recognized.
Not rage.
Something older.
The exhaustion of watching years of work become useless because the people with authority to approve a repair had never bothered to stand beside the river.
I built pieces of this village for most of my life, Rowan said. Houses. Barns. Bridges. Roofs. Shops. Then people stopped asking for new things. They started asking how to keep broken things alive another winter
Kael looked around.
Why did you stop taking apprentices?
Rowan laughed bitterly.
Who was I supposed to teach?
He pointed toward the village.
My sons left Blackwood years ago because there wasn’t enough work. Two apprentices became farmers. Another joined a merchant caravan. You can’t teach carpentry to boys when their families need them harvesting grain every season and nobody is building anything
Kael understood.
Blackwood had not merely lost infrastructure.
It had lost the systems that produced the people who maintained infrastructure.
That was more dangerous.
Kael looked toward the younger workers surrounding the mill.
What if there was work again?
Rowan studied him.
There is always work
Then let me say it differently
Kael stepped closer.
What if Blackwood began training people to do it?
Rowan’s eyes narrowed.
Training them how?
Carpentry. Masonry. Mill repair. Bridge construction. Eventually road work, drainage, housing, public buildings
Rowan stared at him.
You’re talking about apprentices
At first
And after that?
Kael looked across the riverbank.
A workshop where people actually learn trades instead of waiting for someone talented to die before realizing nobody knows what he knew
That answer kept Rowan silent.
Kael continued.
If you rebuild this mill yourself, Oakridge gets its mill back
Rowan nodded slowly.
If you teach five people how to rebuild one, Blackwood gets five people capable of solving the next problem
Rowan’s gaze sharpened.
Five apprentices don’t make five masters
No
Kael smiled faintly.
They make five beginners
Good
The answer came so quickly that Kael almost laughed.
Rowan pointed toward him.
Anyone who tells you a few months of training makes a master is either a fool or selling something
Agreed
It takes years
Then we’ll spend years
Rowan stared.
Kael meant it.
That seemed to bother the old man more than an exaggerated promise would have.
Years?
Why not?
Because nobles don’t think in years when craftsmen are involved. They want a roof by winter, a bridge by spring, and a cheap worker before either one starts
Kael looked toward the mill.
Then perhaps they’ve been planning badly
Rowan folded his arms.
And you’re different?
I don’t know yet
That answer surprised him.
Kael continued before Rowan could respond.
I’ve owned Blackwood for a few days. If I start telling you I’m a different kind of lord before I’ve done anything, you should probably walk away
Rowan’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
Kael nodded toward the worksite.
Judge me after the mill turns
The carpenter looked at him for a long moment.
Then he laughed.
Not loudly.
Not mockingly.
A short, rough sound.
That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said
Kael smiled.
I’ll take it
The conversation had begun attracting attention.
Tomas stood nearby pretending to examine the old blueprint.
Lily had stopped organizing supplies.
Several younger workers had become increasingly inefficient because they were listening rather than working.
Rowan noticed first.
If you’re going to eavesdrop, at least keep your hands moving
Everyone suddenly became very busy.
Kael laughed.
Then he asked another question.
Would you teach them?
Rowan’s amusement disappeared.
Who?
Kael gestured toward the worksite.
Anyone worth teaching
The old carpenter looked around.
At the younger men carrying timber.
The woman who had repaired boats.
The farmer who knew joints from his father.
The blacksmith’s assistant checking iron.
Even some of the children carrying wooden pegs.
Rowan’s expression became distant.
I thought that part of my life was finished
Why?
Because I’m seventy-one
That’s not an answer
Rowan gave him an irritated look.
It is when your knees are seventy-one too
Kael waited.
Rowan eventually sighed.
My sons have lives elsewhere. My apprentices left because Blackwood stopped needing craftsmen faster than craftsmen stopped needing work. I assumed whatever I knew would disappear with me
He looked toward the river.
That’s how things go
Kael shook his head.
Only if we let them
Rowan’s gaze returned to him.
You really intend to pay apprentices?
If House Kael can afford wages, yes. If we can’t afford full wages immediately, then food, housing, tools, and structured work until the territory’s revenue improves. But I’m not asking families to lose labor for years and pretend learning doesn’t cost them anything
Edwin looked toward Kael.
That will require a budget
I know
A workshop
Eventually
Tools
Yes
Materials
Yes, Edwin
Rowan looked between them.
You haven’t planned any of this
Not properly
And you’re offering it anyway?
I’m asking whether it’s worth planning
That distinction mattered.
Rowan considered it.
Very much
Then help me plan it
The old carpenter stared at Kael’s face.
Not the System.
Not House Kael’s title.
The person.
What exactly do you want from me?
Kael answered carefully.
I don’t want you repairing every broken building in Blackwood until you die exhausted
Rowan’s mouth twitched.
That’s comforting
I want you to help us build people who can repair them after you’re gone
Silence settled between them.
Kael continued.
Not just carpenters either. Eventually I want craftsmen training craftsmen. Blacksmiths teaching apprentices. Masons teaching stonework. Builders who understand drainage instead of putting a road wherever it’s easiest. People who can maintain mills, bridges, homes, workshops, public baths, wells, storage buildings
Rowan’s eyes narrowed at public baths but he did not interrupt.
Kael extended his hand.
I want you to help create the first proper craftsmen’s workshop in Blackwood
Rowan looked at the offered hand.
I’m not calling it the greatest school of craftsmen in the Empire before it has a roof
Kael laughed.
Fair
I’m serious
So am I
Rowan lifted his gaze.
Start small
A workshop
Apprentices we can actually feed
Agreed
Projects that matter instead of monuments for nobles
Definitely agreed
And nobody becomes a master because your System—
Rowan stopped.
Kael’s expression did not change, but internally his attention sharpened.
The old man corrected himself naturally.
Because your household needs impressive titles
Kael relaxed.
No fake masters
Good
Rowan looked toward the mill again.
Then toward the younger workers watching from every possible angle without admitting it.
His weathered hand finally closed around Kael’s.
I’ll teach them
Kael gripped firmly.
Not for me
Rowan’s eyes narrowed.
Don’t ruin the moment
Kael smiled.
Wouldn’t dream of it
Rowan released his hand.
The System appeared.
[Significant Retainer Candidate identified]
Master Rowan
Age: 71
Profession: Master Carpenter
Special Trait: Living Legacy
Evaluation: Exceptional instructor potential
A second notice followed.
[House Development Opportunity: Craftsmen’s Workshop]
[Requirements incomplete]
Suitable location
Tools
Materials
Apprentice support
Master instructor
Kael read the final line.
[Master instructor candidate: Rowan — willing]
No instant twenty-percent construction bonus appeared.
No magical workshop materialized.
Good.
If House Kael wanted the benefits of Rowan’s knowledge, they would have to build something capable of preserving it.
Exactly as it should be.
Kael dismissed the notification.
Rowan’s first act after agreeing to teach was to insult nearly everyone on the worksite.
You
He pointed toward the younger worker from earlier.
What’s your name?
Cale
Cale what?
Cale Fenner
Rowan shoved the hammer into his hands.
You’ve spent all morning carrying timber. Tomorrow you’re learning how to judge moisture properly
Cale blinked.
Me?
Unless there’s another Cale Fenner standing behind you
No, Master Rowan
Good
He pointed toward the woman who had repaired boats.
Maela. You’ve got better hands for curved work than half these men. You’re helping Tomas with the wheel frame
Maela raised an eyebrow.
You noticed?
I have eyes
Then Rowan turned toward two teenagers.
You two stop competing over who can lift more. Strength is useful. Stupidity ruins lumber
One of the boys muttered.
I won though
Rowan stared.
Congratulations. You’re the strongest idiot here
The entire riverbank erupted in laughter.
Even Kael had to look away.
This was apparently what Blackwood had been missing.
Not merely expertise.
Someone willing to make expertise contagious.
Lily returned to Kael’s side.
You were right
About?
The names
Kael opened his notebook again.
Rowan was already creating new ones worth writing down.
They worked until late afternoon.
No major reconstruction began yet. Rowan refused to let enthusiasm outrun preparation.
The old mill was measured again.
Tomas’s father’s blueprint was compared against its current condition.
Damaged components were catalogued.
Timber was sorted by intended use and moisture.
The blacksmith prepared a list of iron fittings that needed replacement.
Rowan also sent two men back toward Oakridge to find surviving tools from his old workshop.
By sunset, the mill looked more dismantled than repaired.
Tomas stared at it.
Somehow it looks worse
Rowan stood beside him.
That’s because we’re finally removing the parts everyone pretended were still usable
Kael nodded.
That sounds familiar
Rowan looked toward him.
Don’t turn carpentry into politics
Too late
Rowan groaned.
Edwin joined Kael as the workers began heading home.
You realize what happened today
Kael closed his notebook.
We removed rotten boards
Edwin gave him a look.
Master Rowan agreed to serve as an instructor beneath House Kael
Serve is probably too strong
He accepted your proposal
To teach
Exactly
Kael watched Rowan arguing with Cale about how to store tools.
Edwin continued.
That matters
I know
Rowan’s name carries weight across these villages. Not noble weight. Something more useful here
Trust
Edwin nodded.
People know what he’s built. They’ve lived inside houses he repaired. Crossed bridges he worked on. Used this mill
Kael thought about it.
Then we don’t waste that
No
Edwin looked toward the workers.
And we should be careful not to turn every skilled person you meet into a formal retainer simply because the System wants categories filled
Kael looked sharply at him.
Edwin knew nothing about the System.
The old steward continued without noticing.
A House can smother people beneath titles if it moves too quickly
Kael relaxed.
You’re right
Rowan did not need a ceremonial position today.
He needed lumber, tools, apprentices, and meaningful work.
Titles could come later.
Perhaps.
Several miles away, a rider watched Oakridge from a wooded ridge.
The observer had arrived expecting another report about the mill.
Instead, he watched Master Rowan remain beside Kael until sunset.
That was worth more than construction progress.
Nearly every older resident of Blackwood knew Rowan’s name. The carpenter had never possessed land or a noble title, but generations had slept beneath roofs he built and crossed structures he repaired.
Now he was teaching again.
The observer lowered his spyglass and wrote carefully.
Master Rowan has agreed to train local apprentices under House Kael’s restoration effort. Prince Kael appears to be organizing skilled residents into permanent local capability rather than relying solely on outside labor
He considered the next sentence.
The more dramatic version came easily.
The prince is gathering founders.
He did not write it.
That was interpretation.
Instead, he wrote what Halwen actually needed to know.
Villager participation continues increasing. House Kael’s influence is becoming personal rather than merely legal
That was more dangerous than a dramatic sentence anyway.
The observer closed the report and mounted.
Five days remained before Baron Cedric Halwen was expected at Blackwood Manor.
Behind the rider, Oakridge’s mill still stood broken beside the river.
But Master Rowan was teaching again.
And for Blackwood, that might eventually matter more than the wheel itself.