If it was up to Max he would have jumped right into new innovations instead of focusing on what he believed to be relics of the past.
Despite that, he made sure that these relics that he was recreating in this new world were not plagued by the drawbacks of the past.
Less time was spent on testing and research and more time was spent on production.
Women had now joined the workforce and surprisingly there was little pushback.
The brewery was filled with them and they were very careful in the production and storage of the product.
About ninety five women applied to join the militia only forty managed to stay after the first week .
By the thirteenth week , these women were no longer delicate flowers but a wild thorn bush with blooming roses. A mixture of beauty and strength.
Those women who met the criteria for promotion to Sergeant were granted the position and unless they proved incompetent their position would remain valid.
Risk of vices like sexual assault was at the lowest, what man would risk castration just for few minutes of pleasure.
As for the towns income, their only export was the alcoholic beverages that they sold, mainly vodka , beer and fortified wine and luckily enough it brought in a substantial amount of money and was being sold across many towns and cities in the western duchy.
Everyday barrels containing these products made their way to other towns and the high demand made the cost to still rise exponentially. Within a month, beer the most stable of their products had become the staple drink in different tarverns, vodka were for those who wanted to dare themselves to the extreme but fortified wine, with only fifty bottles a month they were coveted by nobles and wealthy merchants.
There was already whiskey waiting to be sold but he needed to age them for at least six months.
The money was coming in but what he needed most was population to work on the several projects that he was going to embark on.
This was the first objective assigned to the department of external affairs (DEA). Special agent Angus, the newly appointed director of the DEA was assigned this task.
" I need rumors to be spread, nothing substantial but I need word to be spread that Valum is ripe with job opportunities.
Weather they have magic or not, weather they have an education or not we will be welcoming whoever wishes to work here. "
Angus was skeptical, " My Lord do we really wish to recruit people so openly with no regard for the nobility? "
" You disapprove? "
" I have no doubt that your intentions are good but the other lords and nobles might see it as a challenge of their authority and might retaliate in some unexpected ways. "
" Then what do you suggest? " Max asked .
" We could buy slaves we.... "
" .... No,
Special agent Angus, how could you suggest that I trade a fellow human beings in a way that I would trade a goat or cow.
To see a fellow human as commodity is a truly despicable act deserving of death. "
Max replied then immediately it clicked. He picked up a quil and some paper and some paper and started drafting a letter.
When he was done he covered it in wax and stamped his seal on it.
" Since you say we should be straightforward, deliver this letter to the Duke. " Max said handing Angus the letter.
Two days later Angus and the other agents of the DEA left for the western capital city of Caligula.
Maximilian immediately sent out a decree for a mandatory registration of all Valum residents.
This will enable for him to differentiate between the residents and the newcomers, accurate tracking and distribution of materials.
They were going to employ a crude identification method, a light steel card with the individuals name and i.d number stamped on it.
It wasn't fool proof but there were ways to counter the problems.
....
Two days after the DEA agents arrived in Caligula they finally received audience with the Duke.
Anders and another agent came with him while the third stayed back so he could escape in case of emergency.
The two agents were dressed not in their usual plate armor but in simple shirts, coats and trousers.
" Ah the traitors return at last. " One of the knights in the great hall said as the agents walked in .
The agents couldn't help but shake their heads at the ignorance, Valum wasn't what it was few months ago.
" Greetings your grace, we represent Lord Scorpia's department of external affairs and our Lord has asked us to deliver this to you. " Agent Angus said as his partner presented a small well crafted box.
Inside it was a large bottle made of crystal glass, it contained whiskey aged for only one month but had been infused with a fruity flavor.
Then there was the letter ;
To His Grace, Duke Alexander Caligula, Lord of the Territory of Caligula,
From Maximilian Scorpia, Lord of Valum and a devoted servant of the Crown,
Greetings and Intent
May the grace of Providence shine upon your noble house, and may this missive find your Grace in excellent health and spirit.
I write to you, not on a matter of courtly petition, but one of mutual economic benefit that promises to strengthen the bonds between our houses. It has come to my attention that a number of your esteemed subjects—men and women of honest toil who constitute the very backbone of the realm—currently find themselves without sufficient employment within the esteemed borders of Caligula.
My own fledgling territory, the Lordship of Valum, is presently engaged in significant projects of development and expansion, creating an immediate and substantial need for able hands and skilled workers.
The Proposal: A Strategic Investment
I humbly request your Grace's generous permission to allow a pre-determined number of these currently unemployed citizens of Caligula to travel to Valum for a fixed term of paid labor.
This is not a matter of depletion, but rather an opportunity for your Grace to transform a period of economic quietude into a strategic and profitable asset for the House of Caligula.
Immediate and Future Advantages for Your Grace
By granting this permission, Duke Alexander Caligula stands to gain considerable political influence, economic stability, and enhanced security:
1. Economic Returns and Ducal Revenue
This endeavor provides an immediate financial gain, transforming an idle populace into a source of wealth for your treasury.
Direct Taxation: We propose that a percentage—say, one-tenth of all wages earned by your citizens in Valum—be remitted directly back to the Ducal coffers of Caligula as a 'tribute of labor' or a 'safe-passage' tax. This establishes a new, stable stream of income flowing into your treasury without your having to spend a single farthing.
Reduced Burden: You will immediately alleviate the drain on your local charity and administrative resources currently expended in sustaining a large number of unemployed citizens.
2. Peace, Order, and Political Stability
A community with work is a community at peace. Your Grace will be lauded for this act of foresight.
Preventing Restlessness: Idleness breeds unrest and provides fertile ground for agitation and discontent. By providing productive work elsewhere, you immediately increase the tranquility and security within your own cities and villages. Your watchmen will be less burdened, and your local magistrates will enjoy a period of calm.
A Reputation for Compassion: Your Grace will be hailed as a benevolent and wise ruler who provided opportunity for his people when local necessity dictated otherwise. This reinforces their loyalty and admiration for the House of Caligula.
3. Long-Term Skill and Wealth Enhancement
The citizens who depart Caligula will not return as they left.
Enhanced Labor Pool: Upon the completion of their term, your subjects will return to Caligula with new skills, practical experience, and a pocket full of coin. They will be better equipped to enrich your own economy, start businesses, and contribute to the growth of your ducal lands for decades to come.
A Loyal & Wealthy Populace: They return as grateful, successful citizens, having seen the care of their true Lord, Duke Caligula, for their welfare.
Your Grace, I am eager to formally discuss the precise terms—the number of hands, the nature of the compensation, and the agreeable tax structure—at your earliest convenience. This is a venture designed entirely for mutual profitability, ensuring the greater prosperity of both Valum and, most critically, your noble territory of Caligula.
I await your most gracious reply and remain, as ever, dedicated to the peace and flourishing of the realm.
Humbly and Faithfully Yours,
Maximilian Scorpia
Lord of Valum