Road to the Crown

Chapter 254: Unexpected riches

28th July 1574

"Mike! It's been a while!"

It took us an entire four days in order to cover the distance that I was capable of passing within a day while with just a small detachment of people. By the time I could finally recognise the layout of the area around me, indicating that we were slowly approaching the city of Sandomir, the scouts have reported that Jan's private army was already camping under the city, awaiting the arrival of the rest of the army.

From that point onwards, everything started to happen in really quick succession. The messengers from both armies were sent, successfully establishing the communication link between the two camps. Within the next few hours, Jan was already done with discussing the general outlook at the strategy with the rest of the noble commanders, finally finding some time to have a calm talk with me.

"Jan, I'm glad you are already prepared for the war. Do you have any news from the mining town? I left them with quite a bit of work, so I would love to know what is their rate of progress."

Knowing that the war was already ongoing even before a single army was formed on Commonwealth side, there was no way that the commanders would dare to waste the time by camping here, so rather than going to the city by myself, I knew that unless something unpredictable happened, I would have to rely on the second-hand news.

"Noting detailed. My people passed me some messages directed to you, and ever since I confirmed your version of the story with Zamoyski household, I didn't dare to break the taboo of breaking your seals. I hope you will find the answers you seek in those letters."

Reaching towards one of the bags attached to his saddle, Jan quickly broke the thin leather strap that was holding the bag in place, before throwing it towards me. After almost failing to catch it in the air due to a misstep of Helga, I finally brought it to my chest before untying the knot that closed its opening and pulling one piece of paper at a time.

"... new source of gunpowder, a makeshift ammunition plan was created. Thanks to the paper factory employing seven new engines in their old plant and fourteen in the modernised one, the cloth used for the casing previously was replaced with hard, oiled cartoon after the testing proved its quality."

If just the first report I randomly picked up from the bag was already so nice, then I didn't even want to have any expectations for what would come next!

"Thanks to the successful implementation of the steel plant logistics, the manufacturing of the mark seven personal rifles increased by twelve percent. The current output equals to nearly two thousand barrel pieces. As soon as the improvements to the plants producing other plants will be implemented, we are expecting the total daily output of the guns to reach seven hundred pieces."

One letter by another, I was overwhelmed by better and better news. Even if all the improvements that this letter detailed would only be implemented in the future, then I could still guess that at least a quarter of a thousand rifles were produced every single day by now!

"Oh, since I heard some news about what's going on in that mining town of yours I think you should know about one thing first before you will get puzzled by it yourself. The thing is, you surely want to know where did the money for all the increased production came from."

Riding beside me so far in silence, Jan finally broke his stupor, stopping me from reading through more of the reports. And the problem he raised was something that was actually bothering me even before I learned about all the improvements that the development officers of mine implemented in the area!

"Well, with Ostros attack on my lands, the entire business for the beer kind of stalled, so it's actually pretty surprising that those people of mine still have the money to keep their pace."

As there was no point in denying it, I could only shrug my arms and admit this fact. Even if this momentary break in the supply of the Tarnowian beer would ultimately end up rising it price and improving my income, it didn't change the fact that for now, I didn't have any reliable source of income that I could rely on. 

Unless

"Yeah, I'm not sure if you still remember, but you invested quite a lot in that wood factory of yours. Do you still recall what I told you about this merchant friend of mine? Seeing how the situation in the commonwealth started to deteriorate with the news of the war spreading, rather than trying to sell that furniture that your plant started to produce recently to the locals, I asked him to sell it abroad."

Suddenly turning his head, so far directed straight forward, to me, Jan taxed me with his eyes while not even trying to his accomplished smile.

"I will have you know, just the first shipment brough you over seventeen thousand golden pieces of raw income. Fifty-five thousand for the merchandise alone, fifteen thousand for the use of the ships that were just floating on the river and stacking up. And no, you don't need to worry, every single ship of yours returned, and was operated solely by your people."

Hearing the news, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. 

Seventy thousand gold pieces? 

After running the numbers through my head Even if I ignored how inaccurate this number would be, then according to the prices from the modern world, where the gold was far more abundant and overall cheap when compared to its worth today, that would still amount to more than fucking fifteen million dollars! 

For a single shipment? How was that possible?!

"I can see on your face that you can't believe it either But well, didn't I say you that he is quite skilled at his job? Also, he asked me to tell you that this furniture of yours Is age breaking!"