"At the least the territory is sustainable by itself." Theodore acknowledged."And we also have funds to invest in the area." he smiled to miss Ilverny. "What do you think now?"
"Even with the funds we have and the stable economy of the city, it's still very ambitious of you Theodore. Honestly, where would pay all the necessary labour from? And al the materials? It's not a simple one-two-three Theo."
"Agreed." Mr Ferris said. "But a goal can't be achieved without a plan. We all agree this area needs hefty investments to improve it and help it grow."
"I'll run by the mountains at the end of the week. At the least, there are rocks there that we can use to pave the roads with. But I hardly believe there are no valuable resources there. I will inspect it with Mr Wesley and see if there's anything to be gained there." Theodore said.
"For now, let's implement my plans for the agriculture sector. After the inspection, we can see whether our outlook has improved. Regardless I'm prepared to heavily invest in building the new city. Saturday we'll have another meeting. I hope everyone will put their ideas for the new city forward then. Also, if anyone has suggestions on earning more money for the keep, that would be well appreciated. "
He had rushed them into the meeting and was determined to build the new city. However, he acknowledged that a proper plan would need to flesh out a lot better than his late-night scribbles.
"Mr Ferris, would you be interested in taking up the position of Chaplain? As a local, and someone who served the last chaplain for so long, I feel that you are a natural fit for the position. I have faith that you will run the department well." Theodore decided on the spot to follow the suggestion to install Mr Ferris as the next chaplain.
He was a good fit - and the only one he was familiar with. Theodore was not religious but knew the importance of it in this era. Mr Ferris struck him as a levelheaded man that was friendly and trustworthy. Also, he did not come across as a religious nut, so he had that going for him.
He also considered Miss Ilverny. As a former clerk and his teacher, she was also well suited to the position. However, he saw the value of installing a local who was familiar with the area and the position and decided against installing Miss Ilverny as his chaplain. She would be a consultant, an adviser as you will, regardless of her official occupation. He knew she would also understand.
He locked eyes with her, saw her understanding look and smile. He knew he made the right choice.
He adjourned the meeting, thanking them for their contributions and went up to his room.
The rest of the week flew by. Every day he would go down to Wesley and Trevor to improve his design on his plough. They quickly made progress and had started working on the prototype. Both had been plenty helpful and been forthcoming with their aid. They would help him design and produce a prototype for free as long as he promised to order the sets from their workplaces. Theodore happily accepted, as their know-how was sorely needed in order to get a working model up swiftly.
The first wagon was also delivered on Friday. Even with the increased workload, it had still been delivered on time. Wesley personally delivered it, all smiles. A promise was a promise he said.
He also made an appointment to visit the mountain range the day after.
Theodore had, with the help of Barn, recruited twenty-five townfolks to start surveying and digging into the mountain. A part of his guard detail accompanied them north. Both to protect them and also to make sure they would work as agreed.
He had several reports on the situation since and was eager to visit the range. They had found several signs of the mountain being exploited. A watchtower, a broken down encampment en a tunnel were found in the first few days. First reports did state they did not find anything promising. Theodore, however, believed they would quickly find the first seams of iron.
He also decided that, if seams or iron deposits or other valuables were found, he would 'invent' dynamite in order to quickly have production going. He also thought to install a rail-mounted wooden wagon. This would be hard to produce and would take time to lay down, but would make working in the mine much easier. Before it would be laid down, they would have to manually transport the stone. Carrying the stones would be very hard on the labourers.
As a 21st century mind, he did not want his workers to suffer. He, therefore, decided to have all labourers work in teams and only have them active for four to six hours per day. His plans were already way ahead of the discovery of ores. But preparing for tomorrow would eventually speed his plans up by a fair margin! A man should dream!
He met with Wesley in front of the gate and beckoned him to enter his carriage. They would be travelling for three to four hours before reaching the foot of the mountain range.
They would also be escorted by twelve of the guards that had stayed behind. The rest of the escort had left Fivernely after stocking up in the morning, leaving only those resolved to stay and serve Theodore. Theodore was slightly uncomfortable with the idea that all of them were placed near him by his father and was secretly thinking of recruiting his own troops.
The mountain range that was being explored was defended by twenty soldiers under the lead of Captain Ward. Together with the twelve escorting Theodore, a total of thirty-two would be at the mountain, leaving twenty-eight to defend the castle. There were no threats currently, so Theodore had no qualms with leaving his castle barely defended.
He entertained Wesley on the road and time passed quickly. Before they knew it, they were at the base-camp at the foot of the mountain range. During the route, Theodore also acknowledged that taking any ore back to town would be quite a challenge. Mentally he added a paved road to the mountain to his to-do list.