A different expression than I was expecting was visible on the faces of Adishri and Bhima.
Adishri was smiling a bit, but most of her expression was that of relief.
Bhima just shook his head slightly and then thanked me.
I thought that my actions would have made them happy, considering the harshness with which the supervisor and their previous employers had been treating them. Seeing them like this I raised my concern to them. Their answer showed me how I was still not able to sync with the people and customs of this era.
Bhima was the one who explained this time around.
He told that seeing my fair nature up till now it was expected that I would feel sympathy towards the needy and underprivileged and would surely try to better the lives of the workers, but the blatant shift of power that I had tried to create would mostly backfire on me. The consequences would not be overly drastic considering that I was the prince, but I will surely take upon unnecessary trouble, ridicule and ire of people behind the supervisor.
He explained how he has lived as a worker for almost twenty years now and in these decades, he had had the pleasure of working for all kinds of employers.
Yes, most of them were the same and they the treated workers poorly, but there were some, far and in between, who were fair and just. When these employers tried to improve the conditions under which the workers worked for them, there were always consequences to both the employer and the workers.
Most of the time the employers would be suppressed by either might or politics. The workers were beaten and threatened.
He explained that he understood very well that me being the sole prince of the kingdom cannot be threatened by those people, but the same cannot be said of each and every worker.
I spoke with undeniable authority in my voice that the workers under me would not have any problems.
To this he clarified that, he was assured that the safety of those in the camp was not the one he was questioning. He, like many others in the camp, had family or friends that were working in different groups throughout the kingdom and this gave the leverage back to the supervisors and their backers to maintain the leash around them.
If they were unable to harm them due to my presence here, then they will target their family and friends as a warning.
This reasoning placed me in a dilemma on how to proceed forward. I was contemplating on whether I should have a talk with my father to ensure the safety of workers, but I understood that this was unreasonable and impractical.
My dilemma was solved by Adishri.
She reasoned that the transition of power that I wished to create can be gradual instead of sudden.
I asked her to elaborate.
She explained that instead of taking the supervisors powers I should directly use my authority to speak with his superior and formulate a deal such that they leave the workforce on their own while still getting a portion of the revenue.
If, right now I was providing them with a hundred percent than I should make a deal in a way that I will need to give thirty to forty percent while everything starting from that point on until the completion of project, regarding the workers, will be placed directly under my supervision. This will result in them gaining the money and at the same time discarding the burden to monitor and care for the workforce.
After this is implemented, I could then divide the authority between her and Bhima. This will minimize the tension and loss while maximizing the efficiency.
I was surely more impressed with Adishri.
I thanked both of them and asked them to return and explain to the workers, to the best of their ability, how starting from tomorrow they will be under the direct supervision of the prince and both of them will be the acting representatives.
I also asked them to be bold in front of me and present their views and concerns to maintain a good balance among the workforce.
After they left, I asked the captain to take my letter to the king while sending the supervisor inside.
I had written to the king on how I had settled well and the work would be starting the next day and how I would require to be on site for the rest of the month to ensure that the project is stable, before I could return to the palace to meet him. I also urged him to purchase coal from the neighbouring kingdoms and traders. I did not give a distinct reasoning and decided to wait for his response on how to explain him.
After the captain left, the supervisor entered. He bowed politely while awaiting my instructions.
I informed him that he is to return to his supervisor with my letter and money I was giving and return back with his answer at the earliest possible time.
He too left.
I was finally done for the day. All that remained was to wait for the responses of both my responses and begin the work starting tomorrow.
The workers were already equipped with basic digging and building tools. The elephants and other animals had arrived and I had sent the instructions for building the large metal rolling pins. The work would start tomorrow at the earliest and by the time the digging is completed they would be ready for levelling.
The merchant who was assigned to me was already instructed to start acquiring large quantities of coal from all available avenues.
The construction of temporary furnaces along the path would also start its construction tomorrow.
I had decided to divide the hundred- and twenty-kilometre distance between the capital and the next biggest village, to be worked initially into blocks of a kilometre each while steadily increasing the distance as the workers get accustomed to the process.
The next morning both the responses reached my residence.
My father asked me to take care and that he too will trust me and acquire coal with the authority of the kingdom. He wrote that he will believe in me and give me support and that I do not require to be burdened by other trivial matters.
The senior of the supervisor had responded that he will respect my wishes and pray for my success. From the letter I understood that he has accepted the bribe and was happy with the exchange I had proposed.
With the small stuff out of the way it was finally time to begin the project.