Chapter 62 62: good results

------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------- Brauzeit 15th ,2488 IC My meeting with the Cult of Shallya was as well received as the one with the Cult of Sigmar. Although they weren't particularly enthusiastic about the idea of teaching young people to fight, they were excited about the prospect of everyone learning basic wound care and healing techniques, as well as recognizing medicinal plants and processing them into tonics and remedies. That, they found inspiring. I proposed that their priests could teach as much as they wanted about healing, as long as they supported the project with either personnel or funds. The leading priestess of the local cult, without hesitation, sent letters to Altdorf. Some time later, we received formal approval. After the five days Otto had mentioned, a construction crew arrived, made up of minor architects he had hired. I wanted to take advantage of the winter to launch every possible building project and, at the same time, provide work for my people during those difficult months. During that same period, several priests of Sigmar arrived as well, including none other than the Arch Lector of Reikland. Fortunately, I was out patrolling the roads after a report of bandits, so his visit—brief and without pomp—went largely unnoticed. I only learned of it because he had left me an invitation to visit him in Altdorf, intending to reward me for my actions over the past few months. According to my men, far from being offended by my absence, the Arch Lector was quite pleased to hear that I was fulfilling my duties as a noble in service to the Empire. Even if they offered me all the gold in the world, I wouldn't set foot in the heart of Sigmarite faith—but it's good to know they think highly of me. Apparently, my "visions" have been deemed genuine by both the local priest and the regional lector. So I have the support of the lower ranks... and now the higher ones too. The real surprise was discovering that the priest of Sigmar in my town had been promoted to Lector. The cult had negotiated directly with the Emperor for Reinsfeld to cease being just a village and officially attain city status. This brought with it several rights: The right to establish official markets. The right to erect its own wall. The right to form an urban militia. Authorization to found guilds... although I saw that last one more as a punishment. Frankly, I don't need guilds trying to use their control over production to force privileges. But the most important of all was the right to self-govern. From now on, I had full freedom to create or abolish taxes at will, without needing permission from the Elector Count. If I wanted to lower tax rates to attract more trade, it was entirely up to me. And no one could object. I thanked the Cult of Sigmar wholeheartedly for all of this. But the best part was that they didn't stop at words. They sent material donations to the project: twenty young priests, freshly out of training—who wouldn't detect a magical signal even if it struck them in the face—and nearly five thousand crowns in direct contributions. They were also considering building a larger temple to house all the new priests. I had gained much more than I imagined from the simple act of asking a favor from an old priest...Sorry—Lector. Now, Lector of the City of Reinsfeld. Nearly eight hundred of Otto's men began mobilizing toward a relatively open area near the western road of Reinsfeld, quite close to my castle. The work to level the ground and connect that part of the city to the sewer system had already begun. Meanwhile, the minor architects were tasked only with supervising house construction, and another five hundred laborers joined the effort. The construction of the new building would cost approximately six thousand crowns, so with the Cult of Sigmar's donation of nearly five thousand, the project was practically covered. I was grateful for this, as I wouldn't have to bear the full cost myself. Each day I watched the worksite take shape rapidly. They marked the area, set down stakes, and began raising the foundations of a building meant to stand the test of time and house a great number of young Imperials. I waited for the harvest to officially end before making the public announcement that all children between six and fourteen years of age were now required to attend this school. As expected, the news caused unrest among some parents—they would lose their working-age children, who helped both at home and in the fields. Some would even lose several children to this new policy. But at least for now, with the harvest completed, the immediate need for child labor was minimal, which softened the blow for many families. When plowing season came, things would be different. That's why I planned to further expand the distribution of horses and heavy plows to all my peasants. With that, I hoped to reduce the dependence on child labor for the next agricultural cycle. It was better to announce the good news little by little, at the most opportune moment, to improve public reception. Give them bread, and make them forget you're also the one who beat them with the stick. As for Rutger... I had asked him to change the market where the pigment was being sold. His complaint was immediate. He had a buyer network already established in Altdorf, built over months of effort—even when he had nothing to offer them. Switching to Nuln didn't please him at all: the trip was longer, the travel time doubled, and there was no guarantee it would be equally profitable. There was even the possibility that not everything would sell. But I needed to divert attention from the Gold College. If the gold wizards insisted on pressing the matter of the pigment, it was better to shift their gaze elsewhere. I also gave Rutger an additional task: if possible, to recruit apprentice blacksmiths in Nuln, as well as glassblowers interested in opening workshops in my territory. I also asked him to look for apprentices who might wish to be sponsored by a noble to settle here. While Hieronymus and I were working to prepare a significant quantity of pigment, the laboratory bell suddenly rang with urgency, breaking our focus. We were both manipulating the pigment using the Lore of Chamon. "What's going on now? I thought your servants didn't bother you when you were working here," said Hieronymus as he manipulated several items in the laboratory using his magic. "It must be important. I made it clear I don't like to be interrupted," I replied, removing the safety goggles and the activated charcoal cloth from my face as I watched the bell continue to ring insistently. I took off the rest of my safety gear and approached the lower door of the tower, where I kept my laboratory. I opened the steel hatch. "What?" I asked, annoyed, as I saw the eyes of the guard who wouldn't stop ringing the bell. "My lord... one of our riders spotted a large force of heavily armed men heading toward us on the road. According to the scout, they carried no banners, but they were armed: halberds, longswords... greatswords." "Shit," I muttered, beginning to grow nervous. "Call all available men. We need to intercept them while they're still on the road. We can't wait." As fast as I could, I began putting on all my combat gear, including the runic chainmail. Though it still fit a bit loosely, it wasn't like the first time I had worn it; I realized how much I had grown in the past few months. While putting on the armor, I noticed the breastplate was now a little tight. Without wasting time, I grabbed a steel ingot and, using my magical abilities, melted the armor, integrated the extra metal, and then reformed it to its original shape—this time larger. It fit my torso perfectly, snug like a second skin. A luxury unthinkable for any soldier: being able to reshape your armor daily, just by willing it. As soon as I finished equipping myself, now fully used to the weight of the chainmail that once hung loose on me, I headed for the castle stables. There, I found my men-at-arms already prepared. We mounted up quickly, ready to face whoever was approaching. Everything pointed to the von Kesselheim not waiting—they wanted to strike first, fast and hard. I had to respond in kind: kill as many as possible with my magic, send a clear message that my generation would not be trifled with... and, if possible, wipe them out completely. We left the castle, and nearly a thousand more men joined us—either nearby or off-duty at the time. We began marching directly toward the western road, organizing our formation as we moved. Once we were far enough from the town, I activated my magic. I immediately sensed a large number of human presences approaching. Many wore armor, and nearly all carried swords, halberds, and crossbows. Some even bore massive greatswords. Most likely, it was a force sent by the von Kesselheim, funded with all the gold they still had left. I was already beginning to think about what spells I would use to kill them all without my own men realizing I was a magic user. We kept marching toward the group, tension building, until finally we came face to face. They were led by men wielding greatswords. I was about to melt their armor onto their bodies, but seeing their hesitation as we approached—some even seemed nervous—I began to suspect I might have misjudged the situation. I rode out of formation on my horse and gave the comet salute with my fingers. "Blessings of Sigmar," I said loudly. "Blessings of Sigmar, Baron," replied one of the greatsword-wielding men. "May I ask why such a large armed force is standing at the gates of my city?" I asked, carefully observing the contingent. Imperial soldiers. Veterans, judging by the scars. "Did you not invite us, Baron?" the greatsword replied in a calm tone. "That's what our captain told us... that the son of the former captain of the Greatswords of Carroburg was willing to hire all the veterans from the state regiments who wanted to settle in his lands. And here we are. Seems like our arrival wasn't exactly well received... ha ha," he added with a broad grin, spreading his arms theatrically. "Oh... I see," I answered, swallowing my pride at having made a fool of myself. "I thought you were political rivals. I apologize for the reception... How many are you?" "Ten from the Greatswords of Carroburg," the veteran answered. "Roughly five hundred swordsmen, two hundred halberdiers, eight hundred spearmen, and four hundred crossbowmen. A few days ago, after the harvest ended, the Prince of Reikland—Emperor Luitpold—terminated our contract with the state regiments. Many of us who served honorably kept our weapons as part of retirement." "I understand... I certainly left the invitation open for all of you to come to my lands. I didn't expect all of you to be discharged at once. Still, I'll be glad to receive you in my city. Although I wasn't planning to hire more soldiers until next year, I have a new post ready for you all," I said, riding closer. "We're all ears, Baron," replied the greatsword, planting his weapon into the earth and leaning on it with one hand on the pommel. "Clearly, you—the Greatswords of Carroburg—will serve as my personal guard. As for the rest, I'd like to incorporate them into the Reinsfeld militia. Recently, the city received imperial permission to organize a citizen militia, independent from my personal forces. I need a unit dedicated exclusively to Reinsfeld's defense. If you're interested... you're all hired as of now," I said with a smile. The greatsword turned and looked at the rest of the group. "See? Told you he'd work fast," he said with satisfaction. The group responded with smiles and nods. "Then allow me to guide you back to the city, which will be your new home. I'll do everything in my power to ensure you have housing as soon as possible," I assured them with genuine enthusiasm. Being able to recruit so many veterans from the state regiments was an unexpected blessing. "My lord Baron," said the veteran, catching my attention as we prepared to march. "Our families stayed behind. We didn't want them to spend the winter in the snow while we built homes. Will there be any trouble when they arrive, after the thaw?" "Of course not. The more, the merrier," I replied with a sincere smile. ------------------------------ 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. -------------------------------