Building a Viking Empire with Modern Industry-Chapter 118: City Titan

With a relatively stable peace encapsulating the soot-stained region of the Midlands following Ragnar’s "Hostile Audit," the young Director took the time to establish the construction of several monuments since his return to City Titan.

Each monument was crafted for different aspects of corporate propaganda.

The first of these monuments to be constructed was intended to represent the personal vision and authority of Ragnar the Director.

The monument was constructed on a similar scale and design to that of the Statue of Liberty from America in Ragnar’s previous life.. but instead of holding a torch, it would hold something far more important.

The monument was placed on a slag heap above the industrial district of City Titan, which overlooked the blast furnaces as an eternal foreman.

The large statue was meticulously crafted out of riveted iron plates to represent Ragnar’s philosophy of "Function over Form."

The statue itself was designed with Ragnar standing atop a massive gear. He was dressed in his signature "Mark III" plate armor, but without the helmet, revealing his sharp, calculating features.

In one hand, Ragnar held a rolled-up blueprint, pointing it towards the future. In the other hand, raised high above his head, was not a torch, but a Steam Hammer.

The position of the statue, and especially that of the hammer, was a twofold statement. First and foremost, brandishing the tool of industry represented the triumph of mechanics over muscle.

The second meaning behind it was a sign of resistance towards the Church and its Luddite tendencies. The hammer looked ready to crush any superstition that dared to enter the factory floor.

Nearly a month had passed since Ragnar returned from the South, and during that time, the construction of this grand monument was finished.

When it was finally complete, Ragnar stood before the symbol and smiled. It was truly a magnificent piece of engineering and showed that the level of welding capability of his people was beginning to advance to the era of the late 19th century.

After all, Ragnar had inspired his people to take up the torch. However, he himself could never teach art as he was woefully inept at aesthetics; he could at least create a society that allowed engineers and draftsmen to explore the depths of their talent.

The fact that the statue didn’t collapse under its own weight proved that he had made the right decision to spend a small portion of the R&D budget to subsidize the Department of Aesthetics.

Standing next to Ragnar, gazing upon the magnificent display, was Gyda, who was holding their son Magnus in her hands. She wore a dress of grey silk that matched the smoggy sky, gazing between the immaculate facial features of her husband and that of his iron twin.

"It looks... sturdy," Gyda commented, shielding Magnus’s eyes from the glare of the sun off the rivets. "But the nose is a bit sharp. It looks like it could cut glass."

Ragnar’s grin could not get any wider. For so long, this medieval world was devoid of any form of large-scale metalwork.

Since the collapse of Rome, the art of the European world had regressed to stacking rocks. And yet, for the first time in centuries, a grand creation had taken place in England that was on par with the Eiffel Tower!?

He could not contain the excitement he had for the other monuments being constructed; if his personal statue turned out this well, then the "Memorial to the Lost Finger" (dedicated to workplace safety) should be even more grandiose!

After staring at his own statue, Ragnar finally responded to Gyda’s critique with a nod.

"It is aerodynamically efficient, Gyda. A sharp nose reduces wind resistance. Besides, I did not expect it to turn out so well. Truly the welding talent I have fostered over the past few months has been worth the overtime pay!"

Ragnar was not exaggerating about taking some degree of credit for the project; after all, it was his blueprint that had come into reality, and without his "Nutrient Brick" rations, the artists of his territory would not have had the energy to lift the heavy plates.

Though Ragnar lacked the ability to sculpt clay, his mind was filled with CAD drawings that could be explained to a proper blacksmith.

Ragnar would never take full credit for the masterpiece; in his eyes, he supplied the raw materials and the deadline.

The credit of such a magnificent monument and the glory that came with it was left entirely in the hands of the Ironworkers Union Local 1 who brought it into this world.

The lead engineer of the statue walked over to Ragnar and noticed the Director’s wide grin. As such, he was greatly pleased to see that Ragnar enjoyed the piece. However, he still felt like asking if the structural integrity met the code.

"I hope it is to your liking, Director! We used the new rivets you suggested."

Ragnar immediately snapped back to reality after being entranced by the monument, went up to the project lead, and happily shook his soot-stained hand.

"Eadric, you and your team have really outdone yourselves. It is truly inspiring; this monument will stand as a testament to the tensile strength of our steel for centuries to come! Or until we need to melt it down for a bigger project."

Though the man named Eadric knew that the statue was more related to Ragnar’s personal branding and the authority of the Directorate, it was still great to hear such praise.

In truth, this was not the only project Eadric was working on; he was also overseeing the construction of the "Fountain of Filtration" in the town square, which doubled as a public water source and a monument to hygiene.

"I am glad to hear that the Director is pleased! I want to inform you that the Fountain is fully plumbed and will be operational in a few days. The water pressure is fantastic."

Due to the much larger scale of the Fountain, Ragnar was pleased with the timeframe. However, he did not have the time to enjoy the statue any longer. He was needed back in the office.

"Excellent! Keep up the good work. I expect great things from you. However, I am needed elsewhere—Gyda tells me the Franks are buying up all the wool in Calais, and I need to adjust the export tariffs. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors."

With that said, Ragnar and Gyda left the monument and enjoyed their stroll back to the Governor’s Palace. He had a lot of work to do when he returned, and as such, he enjoyed the brief time he had with his family before he threw himself back into an endless pile of invoices.

The Frankish Crusade was rapidly gathering in Calais, and it would be crossing the Channel shortly. At this point, Ragnar had at most two months before they arrived, and preparations needed to be made.

As they walked, Gyda shifted Magnus to her other hip.

"Ragnar," she said quietly. "Queen Eadburh tells me the Church is preaching that your statue is an idol to a metal god. They say you plan to bring the statue to life with steam."

Ragnar laughed, a sound that startled a passing pigeon.

"Let them talk, Gyda. Superstition is free advertising. If they think I can animate a statue... maybe they will think twice about attacking my trains."

He looked back at the iron giant looming over the city.

"Besides," Ragnar whispered, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous idea. "Automating a statue... now that would be a project for Q4."

Gyda rolled her eyes. "Let’s defeat the French first."