Chapter 71 71: the nation calls

------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------- Nachexen-,8-Pfugzeit-14,2489 IC With the arrival of the witch hunters, who had begun patrolling the city regularly once the site for their future barracks was chosen, I had already moved all my laboratory to the fortress I had commissioned the dawi to build. In just three months of work, the fortress was still under construction, but what really mattered was already ready: the underground laboratory carved into the rock. All the rooms had already been excavated, the spaces defined, and the dawi were working on placing the metal walls according to my specifications. These walls were made of several layers of dwarven metals with security runes, runes of silence, concealment, and blocking, to prevent any demon from sensing the presence of the laboratory. At least that part was already operational. The rune smith had worked tirelessly to complete the core of the protection system as soon as possible, as they wanted to start generating income as soon as possible. That's why, when I arrived with Hieronymus, we were warmly welcomed, even before the entire construction was completed. We began installing the laboratory with the help of the dawi, expanding what had previously been done between just two people to a much larger scale, thanks to the number of hands available. Many of the dwarves sent by Duran were eager to see me work and learn the process of producing smokeless powder. So, for several days, while we set up the equipment, I began teaching them how to produce nitrocellulose. Once all the artisans had learned to work with the acids and mastered the complete process, we used all the cotton stores I had saved. In just two days, we produced tons of smokeless powder. As much as I wanted to start with the production of cordite, the part of the laboratory dedicated to that process was still not finished. The special runes required to maintain stable temperatures and reduce the risk of spontaneous ignition were missing, so for now, I settled for those huge reserves of powder. As we had agreed, we delivered the smokeless powder to the dawi, who took responsibility for transporting it to all the known dwarf settlements. They would try to sell it to other clans. If we were lucky, this would make me immensely rich. But we didn't stop there. We reached another agreement to help me produce pigments for sale in the human cities. I doubt the dawi would be interested in clothing dyes, as many preferred their traditional methods. Still, I taught them how to produce blue, orange, yellow, and red dyes. As long as we didn't have access to cotton from Araby, this would allow us to maintain a constant production of tradeable goods, since these pigments required more common resources. I didn't plan to flood the market, but I did want to generate steady income for my coffers. In exchange, the dawi would receive 30% of the profits for their labor. It was no longer necessary for Hieronymus or me to handle everything; we had over a hundred dwarves happy to perfect their craft, acquiring knowledge that would allow them to safely and profitably produce chemical dyes. So, when Rutger passed near the new mining town for the first time—since the notice reached him when he went to the castle and found no one—he brought the usual twelve thousand crowns we earned every week selling our products. He arrived quite upset that he had to travel several more hours just to load his carts, but his mood changed completely when he saw what I had prepared. Instead of the usual five kilograms of pigment I handed him weekly, this time I gave him nearly fifty kilograms, of all colors. Of course, the blue pigment was still the most expensive. This would allow me not only to target the noble market but also the bourgeois. Rutger, with a barely concealed smile, filled his carts with jars of pigment and happily set off to Nuln to sell them for me. The gold I earned that week was entirely spent on recruiting more men. I wanted to expand my personal forces to three thousand, leaving the local militia solely in charge of Reinsfeld's protection. My troops, on the other hand, would be used to continue gaining prestige as the great cleanser of the Grey Mountains... and even for a possible journey to the Drakwald forest to take advantage of the rewards offered by Elector Count Boris Todbringer for beastman hunting. So, I recruited another fifteen hundred men. Although, clearly, almost all of them were migrants. There were no more Reikland men of combat age who weren't fully dedicated to farming or craftsmanship. Only those who had come from other provinces remained... and I couldn't resist. Their physical build was evidently superior—taller and stronger than the average Reiklander. Qualities very useful for war. During that last month, while everything was being prepared for the harvest work, I carried out the recruitment and, at the same time, executed a key political act: I gained the favor of the parents of the young men who hadn't yet sent their children to my school, which continued to grow as more classrooms were finished. While we selected the new recruits, I began distributing heavy steel plows to all the families who wanted them, using the steel produced in my forges. I didn't give them the horses, of course. That kept everyone eating out of my hand, as I was the only one still with all the available draft horses in the region. So, every peasant family received one of these heavy plows and could use my horses to help with the hard work of plowing the land. It would now be much easier for them, even without the help of their children for all the extra work. With new pikes, freshly forged armor, and newly assembled mail shirts, we immediately began training. But this time, we did it with a different approach: physical training that, at the same time, would help the city. With three thousand soldiers at my disposal, we began digging irrigation channels, connecting all the possible farmlands to the river that descended from the Grey Mountains. We had the help of one of Otto's minor architects, as much of the house construction work had slowed down: now everyone had a home. But soon, everything would become complicated again. The migrants kept arriving. We dug tunnels, reinforced them with bricks and mortar, and extended them throughout my territory. On many occasions, when the peasants noticed what we were doing, they joined in, knowing that in the end, it would mean less effort for irrigation throughout the rest of the year. In this way, I continued to use my army as an infrastructure construction force. We helped the village constantly, extending irrigation channels for miles, always under the architect's supervision. The weapon of choice this time were the muskets. I had many in reserve, and my armorers were already producing five muskets a day. Thanks to this, the number of musketeers in my pike formations grew considerably, beginning to resemble a true Spanish tercio: pikes at the front, halberds on the flanks, musketeers ready to disperse and return to the safety of the pikes. All that was left was more training, so that, when we took them to the battlefield, they would show themselves as the professional force I was forming. A couple of months more, and I would have a fully armed army. With that, I could finally go hunt beastmen. The days passed with relative tranquility. The migrants kept arriving, increasingly attracted by the safety offered by my domain and the growing merchant city that now rivaled the Imperial promises. During this time, for the first time in years, I allowed myself to enjoy my noble status. Not having to work in the afternoons and nights preparing pigments, I took possession of the kitchen in the castle and prepared some dishes I missed: fried potatoes, and a good hamburger made with the best meat from a freshly sacrificed cow. It was the first time I stopped eating simple foods. I always tried to set an example and rarely ate better than my soldiers... except for my soup pills. Those were usually made with spices that could cost a soldier his monthly wage, but it was the only thing I allowed myself to splurge on. Well, and my runic weapons and armor... that would be generations of some soldiers' wages, honestly. It was one of those nights, while I generously ate a burger with cheese that had just finished aging, when visitors arrived. "My lord, excuse the intrusion, but a knight claiming to serve General Magnus Von Abresicht has come to deliver a message to you in person," said one of my men-at-arms. I wiped my mouth. "Let him in," I said, wiping a bit where I had been eating and making myself presentable. It didn't take long before a knight fully armored with plate entered. He walked in and stared at me. "Baron Albrecht von Reinsfeld, General Magnus Von Abresicht demands your presence at his war camp on the outskirts of Helmgart immediately. I also present that he requests you to come under his service by imperial decree, delivering the men who, by law, must enter the Imperial army... and he requests, extraordinarily, that you bring all of your personal guard in consideration of something you already know," said the knight. "What's happening? Are we at war? Or is there a rebellion?" I asked, wondering what was going on for a general to summon the forces of nobles who were supposed to serve in the Imperial army. "I don't know, baron... all I know is I was sent to deliver the message, so with your permission, I'll take my leave," said the knight, bowing and leaving the room. "Oh damn... and I owe him a favor for the permit to produce weapons... this comes at a terrible time. My men are somewhat green, although they have a lot of experience with the musket, so it's not so terrible," I said while changing rooms. But with the problem with the Kesselheim active, if I leave my lands with little protection, it would be the perfect time for them to take advantage of the fact that my lands are unprotected... but if I don't go, I'll look like someone untrustworthy... that would kill me politically, where every deal could be called into question by refusing to fulfill a favor I owed to an Imperial general, one of the most influential politicians within the Empire. "I have nearly two thousand militiamen, veterans of the state regiments... that should be enough to scare the Kesselheim... but I don't have walls... they could come at night and try to burn the city... I'll have to ask my apprentice for a favor if anything happens," I said, taking paper and quill. So I sent a letter to Hieronymus about what had happened, asking him to please, in case my men notice any presence of the Kesselheim, act in secret to try to prevent them from attacking: by turning their armors into lead or rusting all their equipment, something my wizard master could do. We should only hide Hieronymus for a few weeks, maybe months, in the fortress the dwarves are building for me, and that should be enough. Since I wouldn't be in the city, they shouldn't suspect me. If Hieronymus does it using his Golden Order mask, they shouldn't realize he's my financial advisor. With the letter ready and sent to the wizard, I began preparing my men for whatever the Emperor and his general wanted to do. "Damn... it was cheaper to bribe than owe a favor," I cursed as I prepared my armor. ------------------------------ 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. -------------------------------