For four months of his ruling, Hanz didn't took a second to rest just to ensure that the operations are moving accordingly. His initial works are to amass mana crystals.
The obstacles are removed, naturally.
And as soon as they started mining, Hanz bought a few blacksmith, wheelwrights, and carpenter to make durable and high storage capacity wagons, capable of being boarded back and forth while carrying heavy materials.
He also hired a few adventurers who are to guard these said caravans since he currently lacks necessary firepower under his command.
Of course, just because he started the work at one place doesn't mean he had to focus on it. He had also worked at the locomotive's engine, or did a workaround since Hanz's memory of Douglas is unreliable. There's the subject, but the details are vague.
He had to beg one of his father's leading alchemist just so he can easily manipulate the mana crystals to release heat. Hanz doesn't like the fossil fuel or coal for one reason, it's dirty. He likes the idea of polluting the area, but not of air or gas, but of light. So as much as possible, he decided to make use of mana crystals.
Downside is, he have to amass astronomical amount of mana crystals. Fortunately, his father left only with the main army, he didn't bother to conscript for unknown reason. Hanz didn't pry on the details and was just glad that workforce is viable.
Alongside the mining effort, he created the mining rails to hasten the mana crystal extraction.
So, while the locomotive is being built, he can already acquire mana crystals for the experimental reactor.
And now, after four months, his alchemist have finally replicated a working prototype of the steam engine, or in this world's sense, magic engine.
It's a more simplified version of a steam engine that uses coal or wood to fire and hear up the water, evaporating it, creating steam to pressure the pistons to move. Whereas the magic requires single mana crystals the size of a soccer ball to heat up the water into creating a steam that powers the piston, dragging the cars.
Now, to integrate it, Hanz orders the hired wheelwrights to create the start of his magical industry. However, before they proceed, he have them sign an equivalent of NDA. Non-Disclosure Agreement. The only difference is, the leak of this subject will lead to "investigation" then when proven, death.
By "investigation", it simply means torture. Hanz may have Douglas's moral principle but he tried his best to make reasons with it. To ensure that as much as he loves the people, he needs fear.
The wheelwrights were naturally skeptical, some decided to back away, he couldn't care less. It is their miss, not his. Once the rail system become a mainstream, he will provide each wheelwrights that contributed to the initial construction a license of distribution.
Simply put, they will have the right to construct it for their own profit.
The wheelwrights that accepted the task are passed along the alchemists and blacksmith who are also hired under NDA agreements. They are to work together to makeshift the "blueprint" Hanz provided. An almost unreadable manual along some childish drawings of a train, or what it should be.
For once, he finally get to rest. He slump over his bed, and a few minutes later, snores.
---
Theodore is the current assistant under Hanz, a temporary adjutant of the Lord of Eltz because the adjutant partook the expedition alongside his excellency, the duke.
He had his fair share of experience when it comes to local politics. Before he was here, he studied at the Grand Arthonia Academy from the capital. A prestigious academy meant only for the rich and talented individual to enter.
Then, he became a viscount's adjutant before being taken as a disciple of the current adjutant.
But for the years he had studied and work around this matter, he have never seen a disastrous financial reports piled in a piece of paper.
"His lordship will kill me if I send this to him. Or worse, he might get a heart attack amidst the battle, I wouldn't dare send this."
To say the least the territorial spending is way beyond the current budget and future forecasted budgeting will be. Which means, his young master, Hanz, took a fare good amount of shellings from the treasury and used it.
Now, the issue lies to the money spent.
311,855 Shellings
To compare, a single shelling is enough to provide an entire modest family a meal that can last them an entire year. It is nough to provide ten thousand soldiers supplies for the next 30 years or so.
The budget this year is only 71,995 shellings. A carefully audited amount. Yes, the money spent over four times the annual budget of the duke's territory.
The list of spending are also here:
Iron mine
Woods
Payments
Mana crystal mine
Research and Development
What on the Goddess' name is even Research and Development? Is the young master fooling around?
Theodore gulp to his throat, swallowing his saliva with tension as he just seem to have thought of something dangerous.
Hanz is known to be a fair ruler, even amongst the townspeople. He is fair, but he is also merciless to people who tries and backstab him. If it's Hanz, Theorode is better off confronting him that reporting it to his father.
"Maybe he is just indeed radical in his way of ruling, who knows?" Theodore laughs nervously, sweat dripping from his forehead, which he wipes with his forearm.
"I should probably wait at least until next year or when his lordship returns. Perhaps I'm just being impatient..." Theodore hide the paper from one of his desk's cabinet and looks at the window.