"How many blacksmiths are there?" Aaron quickly got the answer.
"57 people, but most of them are apprentices who only know how to forge."
"What about their families?"
"Probably around three hundred people," answered the Squadron Leader.
Aaron said, "Take them all, leave no one behind. Tell the blacksmiths that they are now slaves of the River Valley King, and they'd better behave and not make things difficult for us. If anyone resists, tie them up."
Roman needed these skilled craftsmen as well as those scholars who could read and write.
The market town had developed from the prosperity of craftsmen and commerce, making it more complex than a typical village, with more social classes and harder to manage.
Aaron implemented military control as soon as possible.
