Steel Empire
Production Completed

A month passed, Berengar found himself spending most of his days exercising, eating healthy, and getting acquainted with his subjects. Now, Kufstein's commoners were largely aware of his humble and just nature. He found himself spending some of his free time helping the villagers with personal requests. Every day for lunch, he ate among the common people at the local bakery. Under his guidance, the local Bakers and Butchers worked together to create a local sandwich shop that thrived in business.

Berengar admitted, creating a sandwich is one of his best ideas. It was a cheap and healthy option for the villagers to gather and eat when they had the chance. The longer, the more he adds to Kufstein's culinary culture. Instructs chefs to make schnitzel, spaetzle, and other German common foods that became iconic in previous lives but have not been discovered. It wasn't just a matter of technological advancement; he had to bring about a new cultural era if he wanted to achieve his goals for the land his family ruled.

During this period of time, Berengar had gained the trust of the servants in the castle and the villagers and had even set up a small spy network within his family's lands. It was used entirely against Lambert's attempts to end his life and usurp his birthright, and thus certain commoners became aware of the true nature of Baron's second son. In public, Lambert looked like a noble and godly man, but the reality was very different.

Lambert was completely unaware that his every move had been supervised by ordinary people whom he looked down upon and reported to his elder brother. He might have a local noble by his side, but there was only so much they could do when people protected Berengar. Who will poison his food? If the chefs who admire Berengar's love of culinary arts are the ones who will immediately bring food to the table to listen to Berengar's criticisms so that they can learn from it.

In his past life, Berengar had lived alone for many years and cooked for himself. Over time he has become quite an adequate chef. Although the people who cooked his food had far more talent than he ever had, they had no knowledge of the recipes and spices Berengar brought from the memories of his past life.

Berengar frequently checked the progress that Gunther and Ludwig had made, and he was pleased with the results. Progress on Beehive Ovens, Blastfurnace, and Bessmer converters went smoothly. By the end of the month, they will be finished. The same can be said of the four-terrain system; with Gunther's support and Berengar's increasing reputation, the barony will get a harvest of four fields this year.

While the month is almost over, the young master has found himself healthier by the day. He is no longer haunted by a thin line of malnutrition that spoils his appearance which is actually very good. The shallow cheeks of his face had filled up well and had enhanced his already majestic features. The improvement in his condition was incredible. It is amazing what a diet high in protein and calcium can do for the body. Although she was by no means a bodybuilder and still maintained a very slender appearance, Berengar was clearly no longer the slightest bit sickly. His body no longer had a haggard appearance like a frail old man but shone with a youthful vigor. There were even signs of definition in the muscles in his body, and the six-pack continued to form.

The milk whites retained their elegance, but the unhealthy pale effect has been replaced with a healthy glow. Despite these advantages, he was still far from the fitness target he wanted to achieve, yet Berengar was satisfied with his current performance. He eventually overcame pestilence and lifelong weakness. Perhaps now he could even swing the sword properly, though, with his plans for military innovation, the age of swords and arrows would soon be over.

After finishing the morning bath, Berengar entered the dining room to eat his morning meal with his beloved family. However, Lambert seemed lost from the opportunity. He had ventured into Innsbruck to visit his fiancee. This allowed Berengar a slight reprieve from the constant battle of intrigue he was secretly engaged in with his younger brother behind the scenes. He is aware that Lambert is preparing an assassination attempt in the shadows and the possibility of his visit to Innsbruck involving that goal is high. If the Count of Tyrol backed Lambert's plan to eliminate him, that's not a good sign.

So Berengar had no choice; he had to meet his fiancee and gain the support of his father, Prince Steiermark. It was a task that he had been putting off for quite some time now, mainly due to paying attention to his appearance. She had not seen Adela since she was a child; thus, this meeting would be the first time she had seen her adult appearance, and she had been waiting for a satisfactory result. First impressions are the key, especially when he really needs to convince the girl's father that he is not a sickly young man, with a light wit and lazy nature as the rumors say. He needs to prove that he is healthy, determined, and cunning.

If he was supported by a noble of the same status, then the Count of Tyrol would have to think twice about killing Berengar. As long as Berengar can withstand Lambert's plans for those living inside the Barony of Kufstein, he believes he can thwart any attempt at his life and legacy. However, in the end, he will need a more permanent solution for Lambert and his many schemes. Berengar could not possibly let someone who intended to kill him stay within his realm.

The conversation at the breakfast table is fun now that he doesn't have to worry about Lambert trying to influence his family's opinion of him. His father was very proud of the results of his training, and his mother could not help but smile every time she saw how healthy her baby boy was. Henrietta on the other hand happily enjoys her food without caring about the world.

Berengar was snacking on a breakfast sandwich made from grilled sourdough bread, sausage, eggs, ham, bacon, and cheese. It was one of his favorite breakfasts in his previous life, and it was just as delicious as this one. His parents had no idea where the idea of sandwiches came from, but they also enjoyed a new culinary discovery over the past month. After finishing the sandwich and washing it with a glass of milk, Berengar discussed his worries with his father.

"Dad, I'm sure it's time I met Adela. We've been officially engaged for almost a month, and I haven't seen her face."

"About that, it seems like your little cousin is too eager to meet you, and he's already left for Kufstein. He should be arriving tomorrow morning."

Berengar smiled, he really did not expect this, but he liked the little girl's determination. Maybe they can get along after all. However, he was not too sure what his similarities were with a twelve year old girl. Nevertheless, he was happy to hear the news; he did not have to wait two weeks to meet the girl, nor did he have to travel all the way to Graz which was the capital of Steiermark and home to his Count.

"Good, it's in line with my plans for the days ahead."

Sieghard loosened his shoulders and sighed after hearing Berengar's reply; he thought the boy would not be happy with the news. After all, she reacted so hard to get engaged that she was afraid that the boy would do something stupid in an attempt to break it off. Nevertheless, his son seems to have accepted the engagement. Sieghard had no idea that the only reason Berengar accepted the idea was because he needed to borrow the power of Prince Steiermark to disrupt Lambert's deadly scheme. Berengar was still unhappy with the engagement, but necessity forced his hand. If she had to seduce a young girl to ensure her survival, she would. Fortunately the two would not get married until the girl was sixteen, an acceptable age for Berengar.

None of the two men knew that the girl was ahead of schedule and was already on the Barony border; it won't be long before the couple will meet for the first time in years. Nevertheless, as they did not know, Berengar continued his plans for the day. Ludwig should have finished his project by now, and therefore, after finishing his meal and excuse me, Berengar went to the city and visited the area where Ludwig built the device.

Staring at a series of already lit beehive ovens cooking coal mined from the mountains into coke, a wide grin spread across Berengar's face. As Berenger stood in awe of the small, rapidly growing industrial sector over the past month, Ludwig slipped behind the young master and patted him on the shoulder.

"My master, as you can see, we have completed this design and have started the first batch steelmaking process!"

Berengar looked across the small industrial sector built beside the river and saw that the Blast furnace, driven by a waterwheel, was already in the production of pig iron. The honeycomb oven produces coke, which is then used to fuel high furnaces to make molten coarse iron, which is sent to the Bessemer converter to make steel!

Everything flowed like a well-oiled machine; it wouldn't be long until they produced their first batch of steel, which they could sell to Innsbruck for little money. Once he made a profit, he would invest it into the small Barony mining sector and actually start large-scale steel production.

Berengar smiled as he slapped Ludwig on the back in a friendly manner

"Ludwig, my friend, you have truly surpassed yourself!"

The two men smiled at each other while staring silently at the operation of the semi-modern industrial sector they had created together. Even though they have no way of knowing. On this day in the year of our Lord 1417, the second of April marks the day when Berengar was known by his enemies as the "Tiran Baja"...