Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 122 Shipyard

The exorbitant cost did not deter Vig. He walked toward Ragnar, who was surrounded by the crowd. Before he could even speak, Pascal had already guessed what he was thinking.

"My lord, the Coq ship represents the glory of the royal family. Nobles may imitate it, but each Coq ship must pay a specific shipbuilding tax, tentatively set at five pounds of silver."

so expensive?
Noticing the Duke of Tynburg's surprise, Pascal handed him a document bearing a thunderbolt symbol.

“Five pounds per ship, I’m not kidding you. By the way, His Majesty mentioned that some of the craftsmen who built the Kirk were Berbers, who were originally prisoners of Bjorn, so Bjorn can get 20% of the royal shipyard’s profits.”

Furthermore, His Majesty has not forgotten your contribution in proposing the idea of ​​building new types of ships and has granted you a tax exemption for shipbuilding.

Noticing the mischievous smile on Pascal's face, Vig rolled his eyes. "So bored, you're playing a trick on a poor soul like me."

After leaving the pier, he rushed to the nearby Wang Family Shipyard and hired two shipwrights at high salaries to work for him.

Two weeks later, Vig returned to Tyneburg and ordered the expansion of the shipyard and water-powered sawmill, planning to make a fortune by taking advantage of the technological boom.

Now, he has long since made up his mind about one thing—agriculture can only guarantee a basic income, while industry and commerce are suitable for making big money.

Before officially starting work, Vig asked the two shipwrights questions.

"With money, manpower, and materials all available, and the dry dock fully equipped, how long is the estimated completion time?"

The older shipwright was a Berber named Tanit. Out of caution, he did not give a specific timeframe and requested to see the wood drying in the shade.

When the matter was mentioned, Vig didn't take it seriously and led them to the northwest of Tyne Town, where a large area was specially designated for storage. A wooden fence was built around the edge to isolate the outside world, and inside were rows of neatly arranged warehouses.

To prevent snow from collapsing the roofs, warehouses generally use a pointed roof design and are also equipped with lightning rods.

"This is a storage place for bulk goods, storing materials such as timber, wool, and bricks."

Vig led the way to a warehouse piled high with oak timber, enough to build more than ten Kirk ships. "There are five warehouses like this. Remember, the North has no shortage of timber, so go ahead and do it."

Seeing so much shipbuilding material, Tanit nodded to himself and promised to build a replica of the "Gothenburg" within six months.

After spending half a day inspecting the shipyard, Tannet selected thirty workers from the original Tyneburg shipyard and then led them to lay the keel and assemble the ship planks.

In addition to the shipyard itself, Tannet also required textile workers to sew the sails. Vig roughly estimated the size, saying that the canvas area was about eighty square meters and that it would take more than half a month to complete.

Meanwhile, other craftsmen were also drawn in:

Coopers make storage barrels.

The rope craftsmen made a large number of cables.

The carpenter was responsible for making the rudder, oars, and various pulleys.

The blacksmith was responsible for forging thousands of iron nails, as well as an iron anchor and a 20-meter-long anchor cable.

To obtain enough tar to fill the gaps in the ship's planks, Viger also invested in building a special closed kiln for the shipyard to dry distill pine wood or resin and collect the tar obtained after condensation.

"With such a wide range of industries involved, it's no wonder the ships are so expensive." Vig was really exhausted from building the first Kirk, and was called over every now and then to handle various miscellaneous tasks, keeping him busy until the last day of 849.

As is tradition, he and Herrigif held a meeting in the main hall to discuss the year's income and expenditure.

Once the core members had all arrived, all the servants in the hall left. Vig glanced at Helgeif sitting beside him and instructed her to read the ledger aloud.

Including the three Welsh tribes that migrated here last year, the population of Tyne County has expanded to 28,000, providing the lord with income worth 450 pounds of silver. The income from the rural areas accounts for 60% and the income from Tyne town accounts for 40%, mainly from the textile and brewing industries.

The remaining four counties in the North were newly conquered territories, and the people were highly resistant. Most areas could not collect taxes, and the county heads could only collect commercial taxes in towns and agricultural taxes in nearby areas, totaling fifty pounds of silver.

In addition, the iron and tin mines in Stirlingshire were operated by people sent by the Duke's House, and after four months, the revenue generated was exactly one hundred pounds of silver.

Barons and knights who are conferred titles are exempt from taxes for two years and receive no income.

"Six hundred pounds of silver."

Vig yawned and gestured for his wife to read out the various expenses.

The standing army, which was formed in August, has so far spent £150 on equipment procurement and salaries (it is estimated that military spending next year will be £360).

Secondly, there are the expenses for the administrative system, schools, and temples, which, including salaries, amount to two hundred and fifty pounds.

The daily operations of Tyneburg, as well as the wages of one hundred guards and various servants, amounted to one hundred and fifty pounds.

There were also various miscellaneous expenses, including purchasing warhorses, expanding workshops, reclaiming wasteland, and paying tribute to the king, totaling three hundred pounds.

In summary, excluding war expenses, this year resulted in a fiscal deficit of 250 pounds sterling.

After Helgeve finished reading, everyone fell silent, with only the crackling of the fireplaces on both sides and the faint howling of the wind and snow outside.

With a sigh, Vig got up from his seat and paced back and forth in the hall alone.

"Gentlemen, from the outside, Tyneburg looks splendid, but in reality, it is riddled with holes. The twelve hundred pounds of silver we had accumulated for this war have been completely exhausted."

Left with no other choice, I borrowed four hundred pounds of silver from various households to barely keep things afloat. Alas, having to fight a war while also worrying about making money, there is probably no nobleman in the world who suffers more than I do.”

After grumbling for a while, he continued to walk around the conference table, clarifying the work priorities for 850 years.

"Let's start with the four northern prefectures. It's fine if they don't pay the agricultural tax in 849, but we must collect a portion of it next year no matter what. We absolutely cannot let the locals develop a contemptuous attitude."

As for Stirlingshire, you must ensure the mines operate smoothly. With the widespread use of heavy iron plows, Britain has a great demand for pig iron, so please make sure nothing goes wrong in this regard.”

Finally, there was County Tyne, the heart of Vig's rule. He decided to increase investment, allowing prisoners of war to repair irrigation systems and drain swamps in the countryside. Tyne focused on developing four industries: textiles, brewing, iron smelting, and shipbuilding, while the North was responsible for providing raw materials such as wool, grain, pig iron, and timber.

In his view, after taking control of the four northern counties, he would have a population of over 180,000, and as long as the situation stabilized, earning £1,200 a year would not be a problem.

The two-hour meeting was mostly spent with Vig talking to himself. Given that this guy was nicknamed "The Chosen One," everyone was already used to it and endured the annual meeting despite their fatigue.

(End of this chapter)