Chapter 113 113: Trading Center

----------------------------- If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know. Leave a comment; support is always appreciated. I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see. ------------------------------- Erntezeit-16-31,2490 IC I had enough funds to keep increasing my income and continue the exponential growth I had achieved through years of hard work, prestige, and calculated risks. My gold reserves were overflowing, my granaries nearly bursting, and it was time to put that surplus to work, transforming it into new sources of wealth. Nothing and no one would stand in my way—not even the Kesselheims. If it weren't for the constant vigilance of the witch hunters, I would have taken care of them personally already. But that was a matter for tomorrow. What mattered now was creating more businesses to monopolize and sell. After spending some time with my griffon—who had grown finicky of late, refusing to eat dead meat and demanding live prey that squealed—I secured a rabbit, which he tore apart with beak and talons. Only a few months had passed since he hatched, yet he already showed the hunger and hunting instinct of a much larger beast. Back to work, the most logical step was to take advantage of the grain surplus. With granaries full, I held the power to dictate policies that would shape the region's economy. One option was to lower bread prices to placate the people, but that required caution: many families baked their own bread, and bakeries—few though they were—remained popular. Distributing flour directly could ruin bakers, but subsidizing them by providing flour at low cost would guarantee cheap bread without harming their profits. Either path required calculation and control. Beyond bread, there was another far more profitable path: alcohol. With so much wheat and barley on hand, and skilled dawi artisans nearby, establishing large-scale distilleries and breweries was an opportunity too good to miss. The risks were minimal: no dangerous sorcery, no lethal substances—just fermenting grains and distilling spirits. All it required was organization and resources. Within a week, a group of peasants-turned-apprentices were working at new stills, guided by a proud dawi who never missed the chance to boast about the superiority of his race's beer. Arrogant as he was, his advice ensured the process ran smoothly from the start. Meanwhile, in my laboratory, I ordered the underground sections expanded. There, with the help of the dwarves, we began working on more advanced methods: distilling pure alcohol. Dangerous to handle, but extremely useful. At high concentrations it served as a solvent; at lower ones, as an indispensable disinfectant for hospitals and military campaigns. Thus, part of my grain surplus was funneled into mass production of beer and spirits, while hundreds of peasants labored at the mills. Silos overflowed with freshly processed flour, and yet we kept producing more. But this was only a small seed for the future. My conversations with Durán's dawi clan revolved around two grand projects. The first: steamships for the Reik, creating my own trade fleet. Rutger would have welcomed this—after all, having merchants selling in local markets was one thing, but owning a company that could transport massive cargoes across cities was another entirely. Yet those talks died quickly. Durán estimated at least five years before the first ship could even touch the Reik. Entire facilities, docks, and shipyards had to be built before a single hull was assembled. A long-term dream. The second project, however, bore more immediate promise: a railway between my cities. The journey from Reinsfeld to my laboratory was three hours on foot, or one on horseback, but by train... mere minutes. Far less ambitious than building a dawi ironclad, and thus the engineers viewed it favorably. With enough steel and patience, it was entirely feasible. Between my own forges and the dwarves' ever-expanding foundries within the mountains—of which, in theory, I was owed a share of production—the project was fully within reach. If successful, I would sit at the heart of Imperial trade. The Reik was humanity's lifeline, and shipowners lined their pockets moving goods from market to market. But ships had limits: cargo capacity, speed, dependence on the river. A train, however, could move colossal amounts of goods in record time, at prices that would crush the competition. I could almost taste the strategy: open railway routes from my lands to Altdorf, and perhaps extend them to Marienburg and beyond. By offering transport so cheaply that river merchants collapsed, I could wage an economic war—silent, devastating. Once their fleets were gone, I would raise prices and consolidate myself as the sole provider of an essential service. It was a bold plan, breaking with mercantile tradition. But if it worked... I would become the richest and most influential man in the Empire. All depended, however, on the dawi. Whether they would share their knowledge or not. My own experience with engines was limited to military vehicles and emergency repairs. Building a locomotive capable of hauling tons of cargo along rails was another matter entirely. For that, I relied completely on them. "Then... I need the railway line to pass through my laboratory and extend directly to Merxheim. From there, a secondary track should branch off toward Reinsfeld. And from Reinsfeld, I want to explore the possibility of stretching it to Altdorf and linking that same line to Marienburg. Of course, I don't yet have the permits for that... but I'm confident I'll be able to negotiate them before construction begins," I said, showing the maps to the dawi engineers gathered around Durán. The dwarves began speaking in Khazalid among themselves. I could see the unease on many faces: those engineers who had worked in my laboratories smiled with confidence, but those unfamiliar with me looked tense and wary. "Dawongi... this is complicated, truly. Never before has such a creation of this scale been entrusted to the umgi. We know you can be trusted and would never try to claim dawi technology as your own... but I worry about other umgi. What will happen when this marvel leaves your lands? Who guarantees it won't fall into the wrong hands?" Durán asked gravely. "Clearly, it will be protected as what it is: a marvel of technology. I will assign my best men to guard both the rails and the trains. And once this industry takes off, the Emperor himself will secure it legally. This will be far too vital to the Empire to leave unprotected," I answered firmly. "Indeed..." said one of Durán's clan engineers. "But you also know these machines require constant maintenance, repairs, adjustments... and no umgi could handle that, nor could we teach them. So dozens of dawi will need to work in these facilities permanently.of course, provided allied clans are the ones to supply the workers." "That won't be a problem, on the contrary. It's my intention for this project to be shared. I know I'm asking something enormous in exchange for little, which is why I want to include it in our gunpowder agreement. The profits this enterprise produces will be divided in the same proportion. I will handle permits, security, and absorb any losses, while you ensure it all functions as what it is: a dawi masterpiece," I replied without hesitation. Durán let out a heavy sigh. "There is something else that troubles us, dawongi..." one of his engineers said after glancing at their lord. "We want to ask what has happened with the profits from gunpowder in the Empire. Months have passed without news of our rightful share. We know we owe you much, but we cannot allow our clan's honor to be doubted." "Oh, yes... the gunpowder," I said calmly. "I'm afraid I haven't sold any yet, my friends. I know it sounds strange, but it's the truth. Unlike you, who trust the loyalty of your clans, among the umgi greed is always lurking. They would soon try to steal the formula, or use political influence to force me to sell it cheaply—or worse, give it away for scraps. So I've spent this time securing political favors, weaving alliances with Imperial institutions. Soon I'll guarantee nothing will go wrong and sales will begin... and when that day comes, there will be no shortage of gold for you, as you deserve." "That eases my mind, dawongi... I almost thought you were trying to deceive us," Durán said, finally relaxing. "I would never dare break our pacts, friends of the mountains. Our alliance and cooperation are vital for both of us to prosper. Umgi and dawi need one another to survive in these dark times, where an enemy lurks in every shadow. Now, more than ever, we must trust each other. I would sooner endure the most unimaginable torture than betray your trust," I replied solemnly. "Thank you, dawongi. It calms me greatly to hear that. I suppose you all see now what kind of umgi our ally is: a true friend," said Durán, looking at the other dwarves. "That is why I insisted you consider him, and why we must resolve this matter as soon as possible." The dawi began speaking in Khazalid again, but this time jovially, even smiling, instead of the tension that had dominated at the start. The discussion grew intense with calculations and technical remarks, but ended in agreement: the clans would help carry out the railway enterprise. Within hours, a group of engineers were already spreading out blueprints, designing locomotives, wagons, and evaluating the most viable terrain to fulfill my intentions as faithfully as possible. Their speed surprised me, though I soon understood why: during my absence, more clans had arrived in the mountains, increasing the dwarven population and, with it, the capacity of their forges. I returned then to my usual tasks, overseeing my bank, which was practically finished—only minor decorations remained. But as I pondered whom to entrust with managing the loans, I was astonished to discover the dawi had already begun laying rails on the leveled ground, advancing over considerable stretches. It was clear: my plans could wait no longer. If I wanted this to work as I envisioned, I had to travel to Altdorf and speak directly with the Emperor. It would not be a matter of favors—experience had taught me those are far too costly—but of paying the price necessary to secure the lands and permits. Still, with some luck, I might obtain them relatively cheaply if the Emperor needed more funds for the electors' bribes or the Bretonnian campaign. ----------------------------- If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know. Leave a comment; support is always appreciated. I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see. -------------------------------