11th May 1574"I managed to convince our benevolent King. While you will receive the funding for the new road, you will have to accept royal magistrate to oversee its construction. After all, for such a huge project like this, we can"t just have you taking care of it alone!"
Finally, after two entire days of waiting, we were summoned back to the royal palace, where Peter explained what did he manage to achieve in the time he had since we last saw each other.
"As for the customs and taxes… I found another merchant that traded with your beer and had the King have a taste. As long as you provide a stable supply for the royal warehouse in form of a tax with one out of ten barrels supplying the royal warehouse, you will receive enough land at the border and the custom relief to establish this trading route you mentioned… But just like before, there will be a crown official overseeing the collection of the taxes both on the beer and all the trade that will go through your city."
To be quite frank, I didn"t expect that the terms that the King would offer would be so great! Not only I would have a free hand in profiting off the transportation that I would implement, but also receive enough money to create the famed tower of gold, where I could swim in the golden coins just like a certain duck that was pretty well-known in the entire world of both businessmen and kids!
But to be more realistic, while I would have to pay quite a lot in the form of additional taxes, the returns of the investments would be far more than just worth the effort. From the transportation on the river starts, I could already see crowds of merchants willing to use the lack of customs on the border, all given the choice.
Either go travel by a normal s.h.i.+p and face the dangers on the way or use the cheap option that would shorten the travel time by a factor of at least five, while protected by the most modern army in the world!
As long as I forced everyone to pay just a single gold coin for using my future steam-powered boats to reach Tarnow, all the money for all the new taxes would be completely covered by this small and simple business alone!
"So, where can we expect the first batch of gold to cover the costs of the materials we need?"
When asking this question, I already had plenty of scams that happened in every single democratic government across the world. Since I controlled the entire production of all the materials that I would be using to set this road, by claiming to cover half the costs from my own sack, I could just double the price and receive just as much money as I would ever want!
But that also required me to ditch everything that was going near the mines, and throw myself into developing both the basic oil extraction and refinement, but also to create the proper blueprint for a simple steamboat that would be capable of carrying huge amounts of materials!
Thinking about this, I already started forming the plan in my head, but how fast I could put it into action, all relied on Peter"s response.
"After talking with the designed magistrate, he wants to examine the materials you will use for the road first. Only when he will be satisfied, the gold will flow to your source and the creation of the road could be started."
Hearing those words, I almost jumped in joy. Considering how officials liked to travel slowly and in luxury, it would take him at least a few days to reach the mining area, then another few days to go back to Tarnow, giving me at least an entire week to set the minimal production of oil and most importantly - an asphalt!
"Okay then. Since the production of most of the products is in the full swing already, I will need him to travel to this place…"
Since I hoped for this outcome, I came prepared. Pulling out a small map sketched on a small piece of paper from the inner pocket of my contus, I spread it out on Peter"s desk.
"Here. This is where the product of the miracle mortar is set up. But since this mortar is only one of the parts required for creating the road, as soon as he will confirm its capability, I will need him to go…"
At this moment, I hesitated. Trying to introduce oil and its products could be a leap too big even for me! With how I had beer, road, wood and all the other businesses and project on my head, I wasn"t really sure whether I could handle yet another big mess!
"... To the building site. I will be working on the way to bring such an immense amount of resources from home."
After this slight hesitation, I decided that if I were to chase all three birds at once, I would be simply left hungry for the day. Even if it meant scarring my lands with something that I considered outdated technology, using cement along with sand and stone rubble to pave the road would already by a great technological jump for not only the country but the entire world at once!
"Okay then. I will go and inform him right now. I hope the next time we will meet…. Or wait, I forgot!"
Suddenly facepalming himself, Peter brought down his hand from his forehead and pulled open a drawer in his desk only to pull a curled up paper from it that bore the royal crest.
"This is the doc.u.ment confirming the bestowment of the land you asked for in the hands of your family. I"m showing it to you already, because I want you to believe my words, but sadly… Only when you sign the doc.u.ment proving that you voluntarily agreed to set the tax on your beer, will I be able to give it to you!"