Building a Viking Empire with Modern Industry-Chapter 137: Princess

The light of the smog-choked sun shone down upon Princess Elfwynn’s quarters in Winchester, illuminating her determined face as she woke before the alarm.

It was barely dawn, but the young COO was already awake; after all, she had a railway to manage. After a short period of stretching, she decided to get out from under her heavy wool covers.

Now that she was awake, she decided to go about her morning efficiency rituals.

She brushed her teeth with Ragnar’s new mint paste, washed her face with filtered water.

After getting dressed, she progressed to the dining hall where her family were gathering to eat breakfast.

Ever since Ragnar had audited the South, the Mercian royal family had been living in a strange limbo between royalty and management.

Despite Elfwynn’s growing responsibilities, she still tried to play nice with her older sister, Aethelflaed, the "Iron Lady of Mercia."

As such, the two sat across from one another at the dining table, where the two began to mince words over porridge. Aethelflaed was, as always, the instigator, deciding to bully her efficient little sister.

"Elfwynn, I heard your Director was bold enough to declare his business model as a religion! I wonder what will happen to him when the Pope finally sends a real army to deal with the trouble he has caused; I worry for your safety, after all, you are the COO of a company the Church refers to as the ’Iron Demon’s Workshop’!"

Immediately the warrior-woman went straight for the heart, knowing that Elfwynn’s admiration for Ragnar was her most vulnerable point.

However, since their first dispute over blueprints, Elfwynn had grown wiser. She was as calm as a spreadsheet as she rebutted Aethelflaed’s taunt.

"Any force the Vatican sends into Northumbria will end up the same as Grandmaster Roland. Liquidated."

She was quite obviously referring to the slaughter of the Holy League at Sandwich. However, Aethelflaed knew something that most did not know; after all, her husband was the Ealdorman of Mercia, and his spy network was extensive. As such, she further taunted Elfwynn.

"Poor Grandmaster Roland. I heard Ragnar used some vile sorcery to burn him alive; what kind of black-hearted man turns a knight into a candle?"

Though Elfwynn tried to stay calm, hearing her sister compliment Roland while insulting Ragnar’s engineering was enough to invoke ire in her heart.

Aethelflaed dared to act like Roland was a hero, despite knowing he had killed a child over a toy.

"You know full well that Roland was a Luddite fanatic who murdered an apprentice! Ragnar didn’t use sorcery; he used Hydraulics! If you ask me, Ragnar should have billed the Church for the fuel!"

Aethelflaed smiled devilishly as she witnessed Elfwynn fuming with anger, to the point where her cheeks were puffing like a steam valve.

After seeing such a sight, of course, Aethelflaed could not resist and further poured salt on the wound.

"I suppose that is the excuse he told you after he hired the Frankish peasants instead of executing them? He’s soft, Elfwynn. A real Viking would have taken their heads."

Elfwynn continued to fume, but she did not lose control of her emotions. Instead, she forced herself to calm down before addressing Aethelflaed’s last point.

For the past few months, ever since Aethelflaed arrived, she had continuously beaten Elfwynn in any argument solely because she would bring up Ragnar’s "softness".

However, not this time. Elfwynn had finally figured out how to beat Aethelflaed.

"So what if Ragnar hires his enemies? He is a Visionary, and visionaries see value where warriors only see targets! If your husband was half as innovative as Ragnar, Mercia wouldn’t be borrowing money from City Titan to fix its bridges!"

These words completely baffled Aethelflaed and attacked her weakest point. She knew her husband, Ealdorman Ethelred, was a traditionalist who struggled with basic math.

The fact that her youngest sister managed to become the right hand of the most powerful man in Europe had greatly invoked her jealousy.

While Aethelflaed had an ugly expression on her face, Elfwynn was smirking smugly at her. Oh, how the tables had turned.

"You think you are better than me because your boss has a steam train and a gold-plated skull mug? How dare you!?!"

Elfwynn was delighted. She merely scoffed at Aethelflaed and told her the words she was told every time she erupted in the past.

"We will discuss this later when you calm down. I have a 9:00 AM meeting with the sanitation department."

If Aethelflaed’s expression was ugly before, it was now outright hideous. She wanted to draw her sword, but she knew she could not do so; after all, such behavior was inefficient, and she had a security deposit to maintain.

After this little catfight was over, the family’s breakfast continued in awkward silence; the only one satisfied with the results of this meal was Elfwynn.

She had won a great moral victory today against her sister.

As she finished her coffee, Elfwynn checked her pocket watch.

"Must run," she said cheerfully. "We’re installing the new sewer pipes today. Don’t wait up."

Aethelflaed grumbled into her ale as Elfwynn swept out of the room, looking every inch the modern executive.

******

For the past few months, Ealdorman Ethelred of Mercia had been in the process of auditing the Midlands.

However, despite his initial progress, he currently found himself in a stalemate with the armies of Wessex, which had returned from their campaign in the West Country to reclaim the logistics hubs they had lost to Mercia.

Despite the advantages the Mercians initially had in this war they now found themselves struggling to maintain the ground they had conquered.

The West Saxons had made great gains in Devon and Cornwall, pursuing their claim for the title of Bretwalda, however after realizing that the Mercians had seized their primary grain depot in Oxford, they were forced to withdraw from their holdings and leave it to reconquest by the Vikings and their allies.

As such, they were in a furious state as they gazed across the battlefield to see the Dastardly Mercians who had attacked them while they were pursuing their ambitions.

The two Ealdormen led their respective armies with Ethelred in control of his personal forces and those of his vassals. King Aethelwulf of Wessex was in charge of the West Saxon army.

Seeing as how nearly all of the two leaders’ forces were gathered for this event, this would be the single most important battle of the war in Southern England to decide who would reign supreme in the grain market: Mercia or Wessex.

The battle ultimately would take place outside the town of Reading in Berkshire. Ealdorman Ethelred was currently discussing the plans for the grand battle which was about to take place with his vassals, who were commanders in his army.

"Thane Odda, my old friend, I wish for you to command the rear-guard. Make sure that our supply lines hold against any potential raids, especially that of their light cavalry."

Seeing that he was not tasked with leading the Vanguard, Odda frowned; however, despite his objections, he agreed to the Ealdorman’s orders and voiced his support.

"I will do as you command, my lord."