Tyranny of Steel

As the War for Austrian independence began and the soldiers marched to war, the overwhelming majority of Austrians were relatively unphased by the conflict at their borders. They were confident enough in their new King and his Armies to defend their lands; after all, he had driven Bavaria's previous incursion from Austria's borders so rapidly.

Now Berengar's army was more significant than ever, and the last few years of peace saw a massive military buildup in internal fortifications and garrisons. Despite Austria's neighbors being at war, it had never made its way into the citizens' daily lives, at least not since Berengar rose to power.

As such, in the district of Kufstein, one man, in particular, was enjoying his daily life. The farming innovations that he had helped Berengar implement early on had paid off in the long run. His farm was now fully mechanized by Berengar's machinery, and it was among the first to do so.

As such, he and his large family could operate thousands of acres of farmland by themselves. Gunther had used the wealth he gained from Berengar's innovations to purchase more and more farmland. To the point where he was not only growing agricultural products but also a large amount of hemp.

Hemp had become an essential resource in Berengar's newly established Kingdom of Austria; it was a versatile material that could be used in many aspects of daily life, including building resources and paper.

Due to environmental concerns over implementing the Industrial Revolutions several centuries earlier than in his previous life, Berengar had begun to slowly implement sustainable materials, such as hemp concrete, hemp paper, hemp clothing, and many other innovative uses for the fibrous material.

As far as hemp wood goes, Berengar would have to wait until he had access to soybeans, as the material used an eco-friendly soy-based adhesive to glue the plant fibers together in the form of hardwood. Otherwise, he would have already begun experimenting with the wood-alternative in the form of sailing vessels.

Due to the demand for the fibrous material, Gunther had become quite wealthy, and he was currently within the City of Kufstein's new expanded industrial district negotiating with a representative of Berengar's government for the right to lease a plot of land in Kufstein owned by Berengar for the purpose of opening a hemp-based paper factory.

With the King away at war, the task fell to a knight's son known as Ingbert, who Berengar had previously used to establish a case against Lambert after the boy had attempted to assassinate Berengar on multiple occasions.

Since the Kitzbühel Border War, Ingbert has taken a step back from military affairs and focused on financial matters regarding Berengar's government. After being captured by the Baron of Kitzbühel and fearing for his life, the cowardly knight's son decided to return to civil affairs.

Though his talent as an engineer was garbage, his knowledge of financial affairs proved to be the proper place for him in life, and as such, Berengar tasked him with leasing portions of his land to would-be business owners.

At the moment, Ingbert and Gunther were meeting at the plot of land that Gunther wished to lease from Berengar. The two men were gazing around the large tract of land that was sufficient to fit a 5,000 sq ft warehouse.

After inspecting the plot for some time, Gunther smiled and nodded at Ingbert, who observed his actions; as he did so, he boldly declared his intent.

"I will take it; how much is the rent?"

Ingbert calculated the value based on the square feet of the property and then smiled before revealing five fingers. When he did so, Gunther was surprised at first and had to confirm his thoughts.

"five Thalers?"

Ingbert began to laugh; he continued doing so for several minutes before shaking his head and responding with a stoic expression.

"five Guldens."

Gunther gasped as he heard this news, five Guldens was no small sum for monthly rent, but when he thought about the prime real estate and the fact that it was one of the few plots left in Kufstein that could accommodate the factory that he desired to build, the farmer ultimately agreed to the price stated.

"Deal."

With this, Gunther reached into a pouch he had brought with him and pulled out five golden coins, each one of them bearing the visage of Berengar on one side, with his coat of arms on the other. With this transaction completed, Ingbert smiled before informing Gunther of the terms for his lease.

"Fees are due on the first of the month; since you are leasing industrial territory, the factory has to fulfill environmental regulations; during its construction process, a government advisor will be assigned to you at your expense to make sure everything is up to code.

After everything checks out, you will be permitted to purchase the land at a discount after five years of successful development. Are these terms acceptable?"

Gunther was already aware of the terms for leasing the property from Berengar. As such, he nodded his head in approval; afterward, Ingbert handed over a ledger before confirming the agreement.

"Sign here, and you will be able to begin construction of your factory immediately."

As such, Gunther read over the lease conditions thoroughly before he took ahold of the quill and ink provided to him and wrote down his signature. As an educated man in Kufstein and a member of the House of Representatives, he was more than capable of reading and writing.

After he finished doing so, he handed the ledger back to Ingbert, who gave Gunther a small seal before explaining its function.

"This seal proves you are a factory owner here in the Industrial district; present this to the guards upon entry, and they will give you priority for entering the area. Other than that, if you don't have any questions for me, our business here is concluded. I hope that you can achieve success with this lot."

With that said, Ingbert walked off the lot, leaving Gunther alone to stare at the vacant property. He was well prepared for the cost it would take to build a solid factory here on this plot of land, knowing after he had done so that he would make an even greater fortune for his family.

Though he may not be nobility, one day soon he might become wealthier than all of the snobbish noblemen who had looked down upon him his entire life, and he only had one man to thank for such an opportunity; King Berengar von Kufstein, without the young monarch's political and economic reforms a man born a lowly peasant like Gunther would be forced to work the fields his entire life.

Never in his wildest dreams did he believe that such change would come to Kufstein within his lifetime, let alone the whole of Austria. Because of the heights he had risen to, he had grown quite popular among the common people of Kufstein. Thus he was chosen as a representative for the government due to this rising popularity.

He hoped to work hard in the future, as a politician, as a farmer, as a factory owner, and as a father for the benefit of all people within the City of Kufstein and Austria as a whole. As such, the journey of this once lowly peasant was far from over; how far he would climb into this brave new world that Berengar was forging, only time would tell.

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