Building a Viking Empire with Modern Industry-Chapter 80: A Legal Notice of Hostile Intent

A few days had passed, and the courier from Wessex arrived at the Titan Defense Perimeter just as Ragnar was overseeing the final calibration of the pressure plates for the "Welcome Mat." Ragnar instantly read the letter signed by Prince Aethelwold, and a cold, predatory grin spread across his face.

When Gyda, his heavily pregnant Prime Minister, saw the look on his face, she knew nothing good for the southern markets could come from it.

However, she would not be doing her job as his Chief Financial Officer if she did not inquire about the variables; as such, she quickly asked about what had made the Director express such amusement.

"What is the variance?"

Ragnar patted Gyda on the hand as he walked over to where he left his mug of imported coffee and took a large gulp of the bitter liquid.

"Nothing much, that fanatical middle-manager Aethelwold has just proclaimed that as Regent he is nullifying the trade agreement which his father, the CEO of Wessex, signed with us."

With this news, Gyda was shocked; she did not know of the heated grudge Aethelwold held against the industrialization of the North, nor did she know that the boy had an unhealthy obsession with returning England to a state of pious poverty, and as such, could not have predicted that he would behave in this manner.

Knowing Ragnar’s ruthless adherence to contracts and his willingness to do anything necessary to protect his profit margins, Gyda was afraid to ask what his mitigation strategy was but in the end, felt it was necessary.

"So, what do you plan to do about the breach of contract?"

Ragnar chuckled as he calmly drank another sip of the coffee from the mug on the drafting table before exclaiming his thoughts aloud.

"That is simple. I will reject his authority on the matter and regard King Aethelred’s signature as absolute; Aethelwold may be a Regent, but he does not have the authority to defy the King’s commercial interests. He is trying to act like a CEO and failing miserably. During my administration, King Horik was not in any condition to make a public appearance due to his liver. Meanwhile, Aethelwold’s father is at the western border, so unless the man dies, he can easily undo anything the boy has done during his tenure as Regent."

As such, Ragnar quickly grabbed a fresh sheet of vellum and drafted a letter that would serve as a formal "Cease and Desist" towards Aethelwold; the contents of the letter were as follows.

"To Acting Regent Aethelwold of Wessex,

My dearest business partner, as a man who has held the position of Director for some time, allow me to educate you on the folly of your actions and why they are legally void. First and foremost, your power as Regent comes from the fact that your father, King Aethelred, is the reigning Chairman of the Board within the Kingdom of Wessex. Under his authority, he has granted you the power to protect his assets and manage his human resources while he is inspecting the western franchise.

Your justification for embargoing my goods comes from the fact that I have introduced ’Industrial Heresy’ to the market. Despite this, your father has stated as early as two weeks ago that he would not end the supply chain between our two realms, which is currently held together by the velvet and steel tariffs that fill your treasury.

As such, by declaring the nullification of the trade deal, you are openly declaring your intentions to embezzle the potential profits of the rightful King of Wessex and thus act as a usurper of corporate policy. As a contractual ally to your father, who is also my valued client, I will be forced by the terms of our agreement to liberate the Kingdom of Wessex from your mismanagement. As such, I implore you to audit your decision before I am forced to march upon your family’s capital and restructure your administration!

Sincerely,

Ragnar, Director of Jernheim"

Gyda read the letter in which Ragnar had carefully crafted with great astonishment; noticing the look on her face, Ragnar inquired why she looked so surprised.

"Is the font too aggressive?"

Gyda approached Ragnar and leaned against his desk, looking him in the eyes with a solemn expression before asking the question on her mind.

"You would not really open a second front with Wessex over this matter, would you? We have ten thousand Franks marching down the road right now."

Ragnar, on the other hand, merely smiled and tapped the ledger with his finger before replying in a grave tone.

"I would gladly go to war with the Vatican itself if they sought to steal either my market share or my velvet monopoly!"

Gyda blushed when she heard Ragnar’s boastful claims—it was the industrialist equivalent of a romantic confession.

Seeing the cold calculation in his eyes, she knew he was being serious, which made her heart race faster.

However, what concerned her most was the interference this would have with his plans to liquidate the Order of the White Cross.

"If you go to war with Wessex, what happens to the Battle of Titan?"

Seeing the confusion on his partner’s face, Ragnar decided to clarify his position on the matter.

"When Aethelwold sees my legal notice, he will act in one of two ways: either he will back down, like the coward he is, or he will call me on my bluff, and I will be forced to sue him with an army. Knowing the Prince and his weak spine, the threat of a hostile takeover while his father is away will be more than enough to make him rescind his intentions. If he doesn’t... well, it is not like I said when I would invade his lands. The Franks come first! We liquidate the immediate liability, then we acquire the southern assets."

In some way, this was a small victory for Gyda. Within her mind, Ragnar had essentially said that his plans to crush the Franks and secure the safety of City Titan; and by extension, she and her unborn child were more important than the trade dispute with Wessex. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

This is not entirely what Ragnar meant but he did not know the intricacies of a pregnant woman’s mind, for what engineer could navigate that stormy sea?

As such, Ragnar immediately sent his letter to Aethelwold via the fastest rider in the Imperial Corps; at the same time, he also sent a letter to King Aethelred, who was bound to be hiding in a fort near the Welsh border, hoping that he could put an end to his son’s fiscal irresponsibility before Ragnar was forced to act.

The letter contained all the necessary information about the ongoing dispute to get the King on his side.

Either way, regardless of how Aethelred responded, Ragnar would not take action until after he had successfully claimed the Frankish armor for himself and put down Grandmaster Pierre and his heavy cavalry.

Once the legal matters were settled, Ragnar stood up and adjusted his grey sash. He walked out of the command tent and looked at the field before him.

It looked like a flat, muddy plain in front of the half-built city walls.

General Bjorn approached, his boots caked in mud.

"Director," Bjorn grunted. "The scouts report dust on the horizon. The Order of the White Cross is an hour away. They are riding hard."

"Excellent," Ragnar said, checking the sun. "They are arriving right on schedule for the afternoon shift."

"The men are nervous," Bjorn admitted. "They see the size of the horses. They hear the thunder of the hooves. They know that chainmail is useless against a lance."

"That is why we gave them the Hammers," Ragnar reminded him. "Gather the officers. I want to give a final safety briefing."

Bjorn nodded and blew a whistle. The Colonels formerly the independent Jarls gathered around.

They looked different now. Gone were the mismatched furs and horned helmets. They wore the standardized grey plate, their faces grim but determined.

Ragnar looked at them.

"Gentlemen," Ragnar began, his voice calm. "The enemy approaching us believes in tradition. They believe that because they have done something for five hundred years, it is the only way to do it. They believe a horse is an unstoppable force."

He stomped his boot on the ground.

"But we know better. We know that force equals mass times acceleration. And today, we are going to remove the acceleration."

He pointed to the field. "When they charge, do not panic. Do not break formation. Trust the chemistry. Trust the engineering. And when they stop..."

Ragnar mimed a brutal swinging motion with a two-handed hammer.

"...you open the cans."

The Jarls grinned. It was a vicious, predatory expression.

They had signed away their freedom for silver, but today, they would earn their glory with steel.

"Return to your units," Ragnar ordered. "And wait for the whistle."

As the officers dispersed, Ragnar turned back to the south, where the banners of the Crusade were just becoming visible over the ridge.

He thought of Aethelwold and his petty embargo. He thought of the Frankish Emperor and his arrogance.

"They want to drag us back to the Dark Ages," Ragnar whispered to the wind. "But I have already built the steam engine in my mind."

He put on his sallet helm, the visor clicking shut with a sound like a cash register closing.

"Let’s get to work."