Building a Viking Empire with Modern Industry-Chapter 164: Voting Rights

The trade caravan that Hilda, Eadwig, and Leif the Lesser were hiding within finally pulled up to the outer perimeter of City Titan.

Eadwig gazed out from under the tarp of the handcar and onto the magnificent smoke stacks.

Though they were not as elegant as the spires of a cathedral, they were far taller and designed in a way that he had never seen before.

Despite the glory of Titan’s mighty industrial skyline, Eadwig was by no means an engineer or even knowledgeable in urban planning.

Thus the boy did not have an overwhelming sense of inspiration for their brilliant design. Instead, he looked mockingly at the smog, believing it would be easy to suffocate in such a place.

Of course, this was not the case, as the massive ventilation shafts surrounding the city made it surprisingly breathable.. at least compared to the coal mines he was used to.

Despite this reality, Eadwig was blissfully unaware of such a thing, and as such, looked at Ragnar’s mighty city with contempt.

However, one of the merchants traveling with the caravan quickly exclaimed upon seeing the chimneys.

"Lad, you should do well to remember that these factories produce more steel in a day than your entire kingdom does in a year. In all of my life, I have never seen nor heard of such output."

He had been a supplier for Titan during the initial IPO.

The sight of the blast furnaces would never leave his memories, and as such, he had decided to voice his thoughts on the matter after noticing the expression on Eadwig’s face.

Eadwig was unaware of what had happened during the Hostile Takeover of Sandwich, and as such, was utterly ignorant of the industrial capacity of the Directorate.

Instead, he merely thought the ordinary merchant was exaggerating. Thus he dismissed the man’s claims completely.

After arriving at the Checkpoint, the city’s Security Contractors inspected every caravan to see if they carried contraband or unauthorized intellectual property.

After getting to the handcar, which contained Eadwig, Hilda handed a stamped manifest to the contractors, where they immediately waved them through. Much to the surprise of the rest of the caravan, who were stuck in the process of being audited.

Eadwig was not surprised as he knew that Hilda worked for Ragnar and must have had some clearance to enter the city directly.

However, when he finally entered the city proper and got to the residential district, the young Guildmaster became astonished by what he saw.

The sprawling brick rowhouses, the gas-lit streets, the constant hum of machinery... all of these things were a sight which Eadwig had not expected upon entering the city, which was not much more than a Viking camp but a few years ago.

After taking in the sights, Eadwig was eventually led to the Governor’s Mansion where Ragnar currently resided.

As he stepped off the handcar, he was immediately greeted by Gyda, General Bjorn, and a man Eadwig recognized as Thane Leofric.

These three were the board members of the Directorate’s holding company.

Upon stepping off the handcar, Gyda instantly greeted Eadwig with a degree of corporate hospitality that the boy had previously not been afforded.

"Mr. Eadwig, I apologize for the travel accommodations, but I hope you can understand the need for operational security."

Considering Eadwig was the last remaining Guildmaster of the Nottingham Coal Guild, Gyda had to at the very least put on a facade of respect, especially if she wanted to win Eadwig over to their side and appoint him the Figurehead.

Though Eadwig was upset due to the soot he had accumulated, he was just thankful to be alive.

Thus he dusted himself off before approaching Gyda and the other executives while making demands.

"I need to bathe, and bring me a change of clothes while you are at it! Something befitting a Guildmaster! We will talk after I have made myself presentable."

Gyda smiled and nodded before allowing the boy access to the mansion. She struggled to contain her laughter when the twenty-year-old heir proclaimed himself a Guildmaster.

Luckily Gyda had a solid poker face and merely acquiesced to the boy’s demands.

"Of course, sir. You will find our facilities most... efficient."

Thus Eadwig was led to the bathhouse where he cleaned himself from the coal dust accumulated on his body over the last few days before changing into a luxurious set that Ragnar had long since prepared for Eadwig from his textile mills.

After doing so, they met up in the Boardroom, where Gyda brought out her finest coffee to treat the boy.

Ragnar was not present, being currently occupied in London; aside from the three executives, only Magnus was present, observing the proceedings like a silent partner.

As the group sipped their drinks, Leofric began to voice his concerns to Eadwig.

"Eadwig, I assume you are aware that King Aethelwulf has captured Nottingham. Your fellow Guildmasters have all been... restructured.

You are the last remaining heir of the Coal Guild. This means you are now officially the owner of the mines... on paper."

Eadwig was too busy stuffing his face with the pastries presented to him as if he had not eaten in days.

However, all he managed to eat was hardtack during his travels, and as such, he was glad to have some sugar in front of him finally.

Even though the boy had not answered Leofric, the Thane did not hesitate to continue his train of thought.

"Considering you are still inexperienced in corporate law, you will require a Trustee to act on your behalf, and I recommend Director Ragnar for the position. He has proven to be an exceptional manager and efficient administrator.

With him aiding you with your responsibilities, we will be sure to recover the assets stolen from us by those luddite Saxons!"

Hearing this, Eadwig immediately looked up from his plate and stared at the executives in front of him for a few moments before a devious plot formed in his head.

Now that he was the sole owner, he could make any demands he wanted.

Thus he quickly set forth his conditions.

"You are saying I own the coal now, is that correct?"

Gyda nodded her head silently in agreement. Thus a wicked grin curved upon Eadwig’s lips as he stated his demands.

"Good! If that is the case, you will grant me a seat on the Board of Directors! And I want 20% of the profits from the steel mills! It would be best for a man of my standing to be a partner, not a subordinate!"

Hearing this ludicrous ultimatum, Bjorn clenched his fists in rage, noticing how he was appearing.

Gyda patted the man on his shoulder in comfort; however, what followed surprised everyone present for the meeting.

Rather than being visibly outraged, Gyda put a pleasant smile on her face and began to negotiate with the young man, despite being the true power within the room.

"Eadwig, it is best to give up on your obsession with profit margins and find a role more suited for your skillset. You are now the Figurehead of the Coal Guild, and if you decide to press your claim, potentially one day you could be the Mayor of Nottingham. You should focus on public relations, not complex financials."

Eadwig was shocked when he heard this; it is true that he greatly desired wealth, but what Gyda said had resonated with him.

He was now a key player and potentially one day could be a Mayor; he really should focus on politics and allow Ragnar and Gyda to handle the boring math.

Besides, even if Ragnar did become his Trustee, one day he would be experienced enough to need one no longer, and at that moment, he could use his authority to force Ragnar to give him a bigger cut. Or so Eadwig thought.

In reality, Ragnar had plans to buy out the boy’s shares long before that day could ever become a reality.

However, Eadwig did not know this, and with these thoughts in his head, he instantly agreed to Gyda’s suggestion.

"Very well, I will do as you suggest; you can forget about my earlier request. As for my Trustee, I suppose Ragnar has shown that he can fulfill such a position.

Thus I will consider it as an option for the time being. I will announce who I have decided to be my Trustee after getting accustomed to the current market volatility."

While Eadwig presented such an amicable tone, in his mind, he was secretly thinking to himself:

Even if I am compelled to make you my Trustee, one day your company will be mine! You just wait, Ragnar; I will show you who is truly worthy of being the Director.

Gyda could easily guess what the foolish boy was thinking, and while Eadwig was scheming in his head to steal the company from them, Gyda was thinking in her mind:

Fat chance, intern. You will be retired with a gold watch before you even turn twenty-five. Enjoy your few years as our mascot...

As such, the two parties plotted against one another, all while smiling as if they were the greatest of partners.

The sight of which sent chills down the spine of Leofric, who could easily guess what both Gyda and Eadwig were thinking behind their friendly facades.

"Excellent," Gyda said, sliding a contract across the table.

"Please sign here, here, and initial here.."

Eadwig grabbed the quill, eager to sign his name into history.

He didn’t notice the clause about "Force Majeure" and "Hostile Acquisition."

Bjorn watched him sign, shaking his head slightly.

"Poor bastard," he muttered. "He just signed away his soul for a plate of danishes."

"Not his soul, General," Gyda corrected softly, filing the contract away. "Just his voting rights."