Tyranny of Steel

Several days had passed since Berengar initially found out that he would soon be a father, and so far, the couple had not told a soul. Currently, Berengar was having breakfast and entertaining his guests alongside Adela. It was the day of his Engagement Ceremony, and all of the invited nobles had safely arrived in Kufstein. During these past few days, Berengar had schemed with Linde to set up her fiance as the official father to her child. The plan would go into effect tonight. Lambert ’s 16th birthday was nearly a month away, and she would push for a wedding as quickly as possible to conceal the fact that the pregnancy was out of wedlock. Something in which her father would go through great lengths to hide. If successful the only people who would be aware of the child ’s true lineage were the parents themselves.

Berengar had become quite the expert in maintaining his social grace among the elites of Austria who were gathered at his family ’s estate. By now, all of the undesirable rumors about him had begun to fade in the minds of those at the party; they had become well accustomed to the new and improved Berengar. During this time, Berengar did not stand idly by and merely entertain his guests. He had set in place several transactions for steel and textiles. Which would bring in quite a fair degree of wealth for his family. These trade agreements would eventually blossom into friendships and perhaps even alliances one day. With each passing day, his father looked more favorably upon him; Berengar was certain that the day until he has officially declared regent of his family ’s lands was near.

Currently, he was engaged in discussion with his future father-in-law about the state of affairs of his steel-making industry.

”Rest assured, Count Otto, we are working on improving the production rate of steel. We have already begun to implement a second production line in our industrial district. Before long, we will be able to produce twice the amount of steel that we are currently able to manage. ”

Essentially what Berengar meant was that more beehive ovens, blast furnaces, and Bessemer converters were currently undergoing production. With the decrease in needed farmhands, many unemployed farmers were actively transitioning to factory work or skilled trades. With each passing day, the Town of Kufstein was transforming from a small agricultural town to an actual city, filled with a wide degree of diversity in professions.

The count smiled as he heard the news; he would continue to purchase steel from Berengar; after all, the quality and quantity of the steel, Berengar produced far outmatched anyone else he knew of. Though Berengar had plans to use the steel in many aspects, he still sold off the surplus to those interested, and there were plenty who wanted a piece of the pie. The Count now decided to switch to a more personal topic to make sure Berengar was a good match for his youngest daughter.

”Are you attracted to my daughter? ”