Road To The Crown 230 Gathering The Supplies

"Move those boxes out of the way, we need to load the reaper guns on the s.h.i.+ps!"

With Jan's help finally granted, reaching back to the mining town wasn't a problem at all. Freeing me from the burden of coming up with some kind of believable lie that could be used to explain why he did let me through on himself, Governor only asked me to set the entire area for the production of weaponry.

Yet as much as I would want it to happen, without the proper source of the gunpowder to provide the ammunition for all those weapons, they would be nothing more than just a fancy and expensive sticks!

"Sir, we will only get to finish a handful of those guns you ordered before the scheduled departure. Wouldn't it be better to just focus on the things we got used to making?"

It was true that nearly half of the resources that were previously intended for the repet.i.tive rifles of mine had to be moved over to the makes.h.i.+ft a.s.sembly line where the new generation of the reaper guns was in making,

"It doesn't matter. We still need those reaper guns, and their a.s.sembly line to produce them for the other armies. Even if we don't get to use them, others will."

While the matter regarding the potential payment for all the guns that my place would provide was never settled as it would require me to meet with all the interested parties in the first place, as long as my other businesses would be properly protected, I could even just wave my hand and ignore all the losses. At this point, rather than worrying about the money, I had to make sure that the country would remain intact for me to slowly take it over!

"Are you really sure it's okay?"

Turning my head to the side, I saw Elia looking at the entire proceedings with worry. With how considerably early in the night we still were, packing all the stuff on the boats shouldn't be that hard, yet actually moving all the way back to the Tarnowian trading centre through the night would be a bit challenging. 

"We don't really have any other choice, do we?"

With how it was already an entire day since we received the message about the siege of Tarnow, if we dared to waste even more time, then rather than saving it from the ruin, we could very well arrive on the place only to see it burning down!

"I know this but still… It won't be like it happened with Peter… We will be going against the major powers int the entire country while being branded as the traitors ourselves! Wouldn't it be wiser to just head for the capital?"

As much as I would like to just do what Elia advised me now, with the possibility of the entire attack being orchestrated by yet another man from the future, I couldn't allow them to get their hands on my beer and steam machines. 

Even without proper technical upbringing or the system of mine, just by knowing the principle at which the steam engine operated, turning its power into money would only require some time and attention to be done. If they were to manage to get their hands on the finished products, back developing it would only speed up this process, making them even tougher opponents in the future!

Yet what worried me the most, was how clever the entire ploy was constructed. Using the time when I was away to convince my greatest supporter of my guilt… If my enemy could time this kind of action so perfectly, then the chances were that he already made sure to secure his bottom in case I would go to the capital to protest!

"Trust me, I wish to believe that doing so would yield any results. But in our current situation, as we were attacked with force if we fail to respond in the same way, what would become of our reputation? Even if we would be in the right in stopping ourselves from coming to our people rescue, what would happen to Tarnow after it would get burned down? How long it would take to rebuild its power and wealth?"

Despite how the heavy investments oriented around the mined products were the most important part of my current powerbase, the importance of the Tarnowian beer couldn't be undermined. With how most of its breweries were located near the castle, the chances were that they managed to salvage most of their expensive stuff back behind the fortifications, yet just the break in the supply chain would already heavily influence the market price of the beer!

As much as happy I was with how popular this idea of beer turned out to be, by cutting me from the money it generated, Ostros effectively put me on the clock before all my money would run out!

That's why, while talking with Jan, I asked him for a paper and something to write. With just a few strokes of my hand, I made sure that as soon as the siege on the city and castle alike would be lifted, all the rights to oversee the castle during the time before my judgment would come, would rest in Jan's hands!

This was the only reason to make sure that the market chain that provided my investments with money wouldn't be stopped. After all, no matter how loyal my workers were, they keep their faith in me due to how generous I was. The moment the money would stop flowing their way, I could very well just take all the gold that I had on me and attempt to start over somewhere else!

"So no matter what, we are going for a war…"

Hearing my words, that was the only reaction that Elia could have. As much as the two of us were fed up with all sorts of pointless conflicts, as the situation with Peter proved, forced into the current situation, we wouldn't shy away from the gauntlet thrown our way!

"Yes. After all, as soon as we mop up the enemies from around Tarnow, we will be going on the trip to the east!"