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Erntezeit-17-2493
"How can this be…? Inside here it feels warm, while outside the temperatures keep dropping by the day," said Katarin, her eyes wide, much like many of her witches, all surprised by the air of the place. I was watching the progress of the seed selection.
"It is a greenhouse. It maintains light and the optimal conditions for the plants. Thorek, tell me, how goes the seed selection?" I asked while examining a few strains of wheat and barley already ready for harvest.
"I think I've done a good job, honestly," answered the dawi as he opened his notebook, covered in khazalid script. "Let's see… strain four: thirty kernels. Strain five: thirty-three. Strain six: thirty-two. Strain seven: thirty-six. Strain eight: thirty-seven. Strain nine, the current one, forty-one kernels. I've taken care to choose the best seeds, the ones that seemed most promising, and I think I've made considerable progress for the little time I had. No doubt that with patience, in two hundred years of selection, you'll have great grains and abundant harvests," said Thorek, with the calm and perspective only a dwarf could have.
"And the barley?" I asked while writing into my little book.
"It varies between twenty and twenty-four kernels. I've not managed to push it further, though I've taken care in selecting the best seeds. It seems not enough yet, but with perseverance we shall improve the results," he said, stroking his long beard.
"Good. This year you will stop the genetic selection. Produce enough seeds for the next sowing. We'll keep the barley and the best wheat seeds from this harvest, and with that we'll try to supply as much grain as possible to the new farms," I instructed firmly.
"Are you sure? If I continue at this pace, I'll soon reach the goal you set of fifty-five kernels. To stop now would be counterproductive. We need only keep working hard," said Thorek.
"Yes, I am sure, Thorek. Even a small increase is considerable when scaled up. Those gains could mean immediate aid," I answered while writing down all the seed values.
"Wait… wait… this grow food in winter?" asked Katarin, her eyes wide.
"Yes, of course it produces food. Although, for now, I use it mainly as an agricultural study ground. Here I can select the best seeds. Do you have the data on carrots and potatoes, Thorek? I want to see if we should prepare large amounts of those seeds too," I said, turning toward the dawi.
"Kislev needs this… thousands of greenhouses, thousands in each province of Kislev. With that, the attacks against the Empire would end forever," said Katarin with a wide smile. It was rare to see her like that… too rare.
"No," Thorek and I answered at the same time, making her smile vanish.
"Why not? This could change Kislev forever. Our land is harsh, hard to work… if it could be made productive, it would save thousands from hunger," insisted Katarin.
"These are runes of our clan and allied clans," grumbled Thorek, frowning. "We will not sell our runes to umgi we do not know. You may have friendship with our dawongi, but our craft and our runes are not sold to your kind… besides, who will maintain them to ensure they function as they must?"
"Do you know how costly it is to produce one of these? Even if you had dawi willing to aid you, do you know how expensive it would be to build one in Kislev? First you'd have to assess the ground, see how thick the glass panels must be, the feasibility of water supply, the work of sealing everything… it will be complex and take much time. And for now I need the dawi runesmiths fulfilling the orders of unique armors and weapons I've demanded, so I cannot divert their work to this," I answered, walking out of the greenhouse to oversee the others.
"Come now, Albrecht, this is vital for Kislev… it could change the nation completely… strip much power from the boyars," said Katarin.
"My hands are tied, Katarin. I've invested much already to now invest more in Kislev and see all my work flowing away there… at the very least I need half a decade to recover my investments in agriculture, and I will not invest in lowering the price of food. That would be like shooting myself in the foot," I answered firmly.
"Tsh…" muttered one of the ice witches as she watched us, and Katarin seemed to calm down, for at least she understood some of my reasons. After all, besides being a patriot of Kislev, she was a stateswoman.
"Very well, all in order for now. Thorek, I entrust you with the production of seeds. We must see them spread as much as possible in my lands," I said, closing the book as we began our return to Reinsfeld.
We finally boarded the train and rode back to the city, where for now all the work was taking place in the fields. Many were at work, harvesting the generous crops of my lands, for everything indicated it would be a new record harvest. The fields were full of life, while all labored to complete the tasks as swiftly as possible.
"Finally, payday… and it is no small thing to deliver wages to so many at once," I said with a smile while watching the harvests.
"How many people work for you?" asked Katarin, looking at me seriously.
"All those you see. All the peasants work for me. You can imagine my annual cost, and why I need such reserves of gold and silver," I answered.
"All of them? Are you mad? How much gold do you spend on this?" replied Katarin, her eyes wide as plates.
"I pay each peasant one silver shilling a day. That is around two hundred and fifty thousand souls, not counting the new Bretonnians, who will not be paid until next year, nor the industrial workers, who earn double though they are fewer. In total, a little over four hundred thousand golden crowns, about five million crowns a year," I said, making quick calculations.
"You… you spend five million crowns on that?" murmured Katarin, clutching her head.
"Yes. But the harvest sells, on average, for triple what is invested, so it is a safe investment. And consider I have nearly a million Bretonnians working without pay yet. This year should be excellent for agricultural income, selling food across the Empire. The real profit lies in transforming it into beer, in bakeries, or in livestock. Warhorses sell well, as do the herds of cattle, pigs, and sheep we raise on my lands. So the investment is usually tripled or quadrupled, depending on how volatile the imperial food market is. And I have heard Kislev would be more than interested in buying grain," I replied with a smile.
"As long as you sell it at a fair price and don't play the tricks some imperial merchants commit by selling spoiled grain, there should be no problem with you being the one to sell to Kislev," said Katarin, still showing some irritation over the matter of the greenhouses.
"Of course… very well. Thorek, I leave the rest to you. Make sure to have seeds ready for as many of my estates as possible next year. I'll need plenty of supplies for the next campaign in Karaz Ankor," I ordered, turning to the dawi.
"Of course, dawongi. Nothing fills me with greater pride than knowing my work aids the liberation of more Karaks for the dawi," Thorek replied with enthusiasm before returning to his task.
I still had much to do. I had neglected my duties for almost a year, and though the dawi had taken care of most of the heavy labor, there remained matters requiring my personal approval and which could not be delegated. Requests from trade cities to lower tariffs, contracts for the use of my trains across the Empire to reduce merchants' costs… it seemed several towns were financing their merchants through collective bargaining mechanisms to compete more effectively.
All this demanded intensive review and, of course, could not be delegated. I faced confinement among papers, conversations with ambassadors, and the assessment of treaties to decide whether they benefited me or not.
But there was something even more important. I had ordered the first recruitment among the graduates of Sigmar's schools, selecting youths of fifteen just out of them. For years they had been trained in the use of swords, axes, hammers, and firearms. Now, at last, they were ready to form part of a specialized force. It was a small contingent compared to the total number of graduates from my lands near Reinsfeld, but it represented the beginning of a different army, trained for this purpose.
Those chosen by the Cult of Sigmar as possible members of the Silver Hammer were the ones I fixed my eyes upon. They had been shown the truth about the daemons and the gods of Chaos—only the basics, yet enough to shatter a weak mind. To know that truth and endure it made them far stronger, tempered for battles to come. And, of course, it made them the best candidates to fight daemons.
I was certain this would become my new elite force: a unit dedicated solely to battling the creatures of Chaos that hid within the Empire's borders.
It was not long before we boarded the train back to Reinsfeld. Our immediate destination was the fortress-bank under my ownership, which was overflowing with activity. Not only were merchants and artisans requesting loans; hundreds of workers were hauling sacks and chests filled with freshly minted gold and silver coins.
In the square, behind the castle and Reinsfeld's administrative center, two hundred young men awaited me, those who had accepted my offer. A smaller group than I had expected, for I had calculated at least five hundred. But many had preferred to join the witch-hunters, or simply to pursue a civilian life.
"So, what are we doing here?" asked Katarin, intrigued at the sight of the youths lined in formation.
"New recruits… your best future friends. Each of them is more resistant than most to the temptation of the daemons. And, in the future, they'll receive a dwarven ring against corruption. They'll be a bulwark, not only for the Empire but for Kislev as well," I replied, gesturing orders with my hand.
My men began unloading the dawi crates and, one after another, stacked great quantities of runic steel before the young men. They were ordered to find armor of their size, aided by veterans from my host who adjusted straps and plates until each piece fit as well as possible. Runic mail coats, full suits of reinforced plate, helmets inscribed with runes… each of those lads received gear worth thousands of golden crowns, as if the pieces had been custom-forged. Yet this was only the beginning: a force renewed year after year, in constant expansion, destined to spread across the Empire.
"I don't understand how you pay for all this at the same time," said Katarin, tilting her head in disbelief.
"My reserves. Helping the dawi pays very well. And right now I have reserves secured for two more years," I answered with a smile as I entered the bank.
"How? You've not sold anything yet. Where did you get so much gold and silver for your coffers? Are you transmuting lead?" Katarin whispered, raising a brow.
"No, I'm not a fool. That would unleash savage inflation. This is little enough, as long as I keep it under control," I replied calmly.
"Then where did you get it?" she pressed, following me into the bank, watching as my men unloaded chest after chest brimming with gold and silver coins.
"I had a conversation with the leader of the Imperial Bank Council. He was a clever man, full of grand ideas. So I requested a great loan from the bank… and he agreed," I said with a smile.
"Weren't you the leader of the council?" Katarin asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
"Ah, yes… I forgot to mention that detail. Yes, it was me. So I granted myself a loan of several million imperial crowns… at an interest of zero percent, eh? Ha, ha." I laughed while she shook her head.
"Come now, this funds the future campaigns," I added, watching as more and more chests of coins were carried in.
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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.
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