Chapter 150: Marvels of Industry I (1/2)
After the feast was over, Berengar saw his guests off to the quarters they were staying in his city. He had made quite an impression on these Byzantine noblemen and merchants, and in the following days, would make sure to negotiate proper trade agreements with every one of them. The more contacts he made in the East, the better his business would become. After reclaiming much of their lost territories since the Crusades had begun, The Byzantine Empire was wealthy, far more than a region like Germany; after all, they were in the center of trade between the West and the East.
Though the Byzantines had to repel Saracen invasions a couple of times a decade, for the most part, their power was stable, and Berengar saw an opportunity in building relations with them. As such, he made sure to take care of his guests during this feast. After sending the men off, he returned to his Castle, where he sat down and had a glass of wine alongside his beautiful young lover. The wine was a gift from the Byzantine Empire and was of significant quality, thus Berengar wanted to have a taste of it.
After swirling the wine around in his chalice and inhaling the thick aroma, Berengar sipped upon the fine alcohol before nodding his head in approval.
”The Byzantines sure know how to make a good wine...”
On the other hand, Linde had some questions on her mind and was not afraid to speak of them; as such, she quickly asked Berengar about his intentions.
”You sure seem to be treating these men from the east quite well. Do you intend to establish an arms trade with the Byzantines?”
Berengar smiled and nodded his head before explaining his plans.
”The Eastern half of the Roman Empire was always its wealthiest region, with much of their lands reclaimed the Byzantines have amassed quite a fortune over the previous centuries. Due to being near the Saracens, they are constantly under threat of invasion and spend a large amount of wealth on their military. Now that they know I have a substantial supply of steel, when they return to the East and spread the news of this, the Generals of the Byzantine armies will be begging me to supply their forces with high-quality equipment.”
Berengar estimated that the Byzantines would most likely be victorious in their ongoing war with Egypt and reap great spoils from the region, further increasing their wealth. As such, he intended to get on their good side and make as much money from their wars as possible. Wars were a profitable business to those who had the means to take advantage of them. Linde carefully observed Berengar's estimation before nodding her head in agreement; what Berengar said was most likely true, and getting in the good graces of the Byzantine Empire provided substantial benefits. As such, she complimented him on his schemes.
”You really think everything through, don't you?”
Berengar chuckled as he took a swig from his glass of wine before responding.
”Not everything, but I try to be a few steps ahead of my potential rivals. Make no mistake, in the future, when I have united my German Empire, the Byzantines will be a rival for global hegemony, at the rate they are expanding, they could become a threat if relations are not properly maintained.”
Luckily for Berengar, he knew about the new world and the resource-rich regions of Africa, most of which were sparsely populated and posed no major threat to an advanced army like his own. After unifying his Empire, he would take advantage of his knowledge and lay claim to the best regions in the world for colonization. By the time the Byzantine Empire and the other powers realized the value of these regions, the critical areas would already be under German sovereignty.
Linde saw the proud expression on Berengar's face but could not read his mind, and as such, did not know what he was smirking about. However, she knew when it came to Berengar and his ambitions that it was best not to overstep her bounds, and as such, she decided to switch the topic.
”So, will you be showing the merchants your steel stockpile?”