Swiss Arms 85 (Patreon)

A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Swiss Arms

Chapter 85

-VB-

Hans von Fluelaberg

There was a problem I needed to solve. However, any proper solution to this problem of mine would either take too long or require me to depend on someone else to help mitigate the issue.

This problem … was the lack of a dedicated iron mine.

Davos and Fluelaberg were not situated on top of any ores, neither copper nor iron. The iron that have been coming into the Compact were from “artisan” iron gatherers near streams refining bacteria-rich red soi, some iron ore here and there from the gemstone mine,l and the few random peddlers and merchants coming mostly from the east.

The rest of the iron that my city found itself with were all from my personal mine that I spent a lot of time digging when I wasn’t doing anything else.

And honestly, I was starting to get busy enough with the administration, training of rangers, experimentation, and now the conspiracy to devote any time to mining personally and clandestinely. It’s worked so far because I’ve been fudging the numbers on the gemstone mine to make it seem like they were pulling out more than they were actually doing. But anymore than what I was doing and the miners and the mine managers would get suspicious, even if it was to their benefit.

As much as I loathed to shift iron acquisition from external sources since there wasn’t a place around here that could produce iron ores in the quantities we needed, I was going to have to go with it.

The solution, however, had a problem.

Iron was a tightly controlled war material and most of its sources around the Compact fell under either one lord or another.

There was … one source of iron. It was close to us. However, it was also held by one of the Compact’s former enemies: the County of Montfort. They weren’t exactly hostile with us, but we have been keeping to ourselves. Beyond that, there were also the mines in Styria, which was that of the Habsburgs. But it was really far away to just import willy-nilly, if they would agree to exporting their iron in the first place.

… Could I find an iron ore vein somewhere in the Compact? I mean, I could, but that would be time away from the city.

I looked out of my solar window and looked down at Fluelaberg under a light blanket of snow. It wasn’t a large city but I could proudly call it a city. Maybe I can let it run by itself for a few weeks? It shouldn’t hurt, right? It’s also winter now, so there shouldn’t be any big issues - like invasions - that’ll crop up.

Yeah.

Maybe.

Just a bit of vacation away from people.

It sounded really nice. Maybe I’ll set up a shack somewhere that I can use for personal retreats.

But I’ll have to, ahem, scout the Compact first, won’t I?

-VB-

Isabella

“You want to take a tour of the Compact?” she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

She knew her husband a little bit more now. A lot of things she didn’t know back then - like his love of solitary life - were things she took in strides. Oh, she still loved him to bits, but there were little things that were starting to crop up that was making her become more cautious around her husband.

Like storing shit barrels underneath the castle. He didn’t store them underneath the castle anymore after their first fight.

And right now, she was feeling suspicious about this “tour” that he wanted to do. Not only did he want to do this in the most miserable season of the year, he sounded like something else was the point of the tour.

“And what’s the purpose for it?” she asked him as she took a bite of the meatloaf.

“Well, you know how we’ve been having iron problems?”

“Yes.”

“I want to see if I can go out and find one in the Compact’s lands.”

She hummed. That was actually a good initiative. On top of that, it was the perfect time to do it. She was pretty sure he wanted to see how Count John was doing.

“And I guess if we can’t find iron ore vein in the Compact, then I can talk to the Count of Montfort. He has an iron mine, right?”

“He does,” she nodded before humming. “But if he knows that we don’t have a source of iron ores, wouldn’t he charge us a lot?”

“He might, yes,” Hans agreed. “So it’s best if we could find an iron ore vein. And for that, I am thinking about going far west as Belmont.”

“The Barony of Belmont?” she asked in surprise. “But they are the subject of the Werdenbergs.”

“I didn’t say I would go into Belmont’s lands. Just up to the border between us. But if I could talk to the baron about surveying his lands, I don’t think he’ll be against it. If not them, then we might even go ask the Abbot of Disentis.”

She looked at him before she realized something. “You’re trying to invite them into the Compact.”

He blinked.

Did he not think of that?

“Well, I guess if they want to join, I don’t see why they can’t. It’s not like they were the offenders of the Unruly Year.”

She finished the last of the meatloaf and cleaned her lips. Then she put her elbows on the table and her chin on her clasped fingers and smiled. “And what’s the other reason you’re so willing to go out and do a tour? It’s awfully proactive of you, Hans.”

He looked like he bit into a medicinal herb.

“Ah, well. You know, just …”

“If you say you feel cooped up, then I will cal you a liar, husband. Both of us know that you will feel as happy as a babe if you got to spend your entire day in those mines.”

“I guess I’m just built different,” he said and then chuckled to himself at his weird phrasing. “But you are right. I could spend weeks in those mines as long as I had food and water, but I do need somewhere that I won’t be bothered. Once the Compact is peaceful, strong, and stable, then it won’t be bad for us to go on a retreat. It’s not like the barony won’t be ours if we just go off to some other part of the Compact.”

She hummed. “I guess you really weren’t built for this life, huh,” she sighed in the end. “As your wife, I say no.”

“What? Why?”

“Hans, people become kooky when they spend too much time alone, and as your wife, it is my duty to ensure that you don’t become a crazy hermit in the mountains. You lost your chance at it when you agreed to marry me.”

“Ugh,” he uttered in faux despair. “Whatever will I do…”

“You can finish your meal and join me in bed. I feel like I need a bit of loving tonight, husband.”

He paused before his hands moved a lot quicker than before in trying to finish his dinner.

She rolled her eyes as she got up to leave and prepare for their night.

‘Men,’ she thought fondly.