Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 408

I understood the craftsman’s dissatisfaction. He probably thought I was insulting the profession by paying a child.

Of course, I pay the craftsmen much more, but I didn’t mind letting him misunderstand for a bit—just so he could properly understand our company’s philosophy. 

So I continued my explanation. “I’m a former adventurer. The woman over there, who manages the workshop, is also a former adventurer. This workshop was founded to improve the lives of adventurers, making shoes as their tools. That’s why we make shoes for adventurers. But at the same time, we also want to improve the lives of the people who work here. That’s why we pay everyone a wage. The only standard of evaluation is how much you contribute to shoemaking. Children who help the craftsmen, and the craftsmen who make the shoes—they’re judged by the same standard.”

“If I were to work here, would I have to work like a child?”

The craftsman asked hesitantly. He was probably wondering if he’d have to start out with menial labor, even with his skills.

I understood the concern. So I began explaining the general career path of a craftsman here.

“In this workshop, all artisans start as apprentices. They try out various tasks to see where they have the most aptitude. Then they’re assigned their first job—initially as assistants. After some time, they become able to work independently. Once they’ve mastered that job at a certain speed and quality, they’re given a second assignment, again as an assistant. To be hired permanently, we want you to be able to handle at least two processes.”

This part was a little more complex, so I spoke slowly, checking for their understanding as I went.

“You’re probably wondering what happens after that. There are two main career paths in this company. One is to develop technical skills—to master increasingly complex tasks in shoemaking. That’s the artisan route. The other is to become a manager, someone who oversees the workflow and progress of each process. In this workshop, there are more than 20 steps involved in making a single pair of shoes. A manager ensures that materials are where they need to be, that each person is present and working, and that intermediate inventory isn’t building up unnecessarily. It’s your job to keep everything flowing.”

“I… I’ve never heard of a manager in a shoemaking workshop…”

A natural reaction. For a small workshop, such a role would never be needed. But for us, it’s the most in-demand position due to the factory’s rapid expansion.

“Right. If I were to compare it to castle construction, the manager is like the site foreman. If you become a foreman here, your wages will go up even more. Do you understand what I’m saying now? In other words, if you work in this factory, you can become a minor foreman—a leader responsible for over twenty craftsmen.”

“Can outsiders like us really become something like that?”

“Yes, it’s possible—once you master the necessary tasks, of course.”

“Will we be able to make the Cardinal’s Shoes?”

“Ah, right. I forgot to explain. The Cardinal’s Shoes are made almost exactly the same way as the adventurer shoes. So, there’s no one here who specializes only in that.”

“Oh… I see…”

Some of the craftsmen visibly slumped. They had probably imagined that the Cardinal’s Shoes were made by a single, elite craftsman. 

But they weren’t.