The high price did not stop Vig. He approached Ragnar, who was surrounded by a crowd. Before he could say anything, Pascal guessed his thoughts.
"My lord, the cog represents the glory of the royal family. The nobles can imitate it, but each cog must pay a certain tax on shipbuilding, previously set at five pounds of silver."
So expensive?
Sensing the Duke of Tyneburg's surprise, Pascal handed him a document decorated with a lightning symbol.
"Five pounds each, I am not joking. By the way, His Majesty mentioned that some of the Cogs were Berbers, former prisoners of Bjorn, which allowed Bjorn to receive 20% of the profits of the Royal Shipyard.
Besides, your contribution to the idea of building a new type of ship is well known, and His Majesty has exempted you from the shipbuilding tax."
Seeing the sly smile on Pascal's face, Vig rolled his eyes. "You are so bored that you are playing a prank on a poor man like me."
Leaving the dock, he hurried to the nearby Royal Shipyard and hired two shipwrights for a high salary.
Two weeks later, Vig returned to Tyneburg and ordered the expansion of the shipyard and hydraulic sawmill, planning to take advantage of the technological boom.
By this time, he had come to the conclusion that agriculture brought only minimal income, while industry and trade were sources of significant profit.
Before the official start of work, Vig questioned the two shipwrights.
"We have the money, the labor, the materials, and the dry dock. How long do we expect it to be ready?" asked
the ship's chief carpenter, a Berber named Tanit. He was cautious, not giving a specific time frame, and even asked them to watch the wood dry in the shade.
Wig declined the offer and led them northwest of the Tyne. There was a large storage area there, fenced off from the outside world by a wooden fence. Inside were neatly arranged warehouses.
To prevent snow from collapsing the roofs, the warehouses usually had peaked roofs and were equipped with lightning rods.
"Here we store bulk cargo: timber, wool, bricks, and other materials."
Vig led them to a warehouse filled with oak logs, enough to build more than ten cogs. "There are five such warehouses. Remember, there is no shortage of wood in the North. Go for it."
Seeing the abundance of ship materials, Tanit nodded silently and promised to build a replica of the Gothenburg in six months.
After spending half a day inspecting, Tanit selected thirty workers from the former shipyard of Tyneburg and supervised them in laying the keel and assembling the planks.
In addition to the shipyard itself, Tanit also commissioned textile workers to sew the sails. Vig estimated the area of the canvas to be about eighty square meters, which would take more than two weeks.
Meanwhile, other craftsmen were also involved:
coopers made barrels for storage.
Ropemakers made a variety of ropes.
Carpenters made rudders, oars, and various blocks.
Blacksmiths forged thousands of nails, anchors, and twenty-meter rope.
To get enough pitch to fill the gaps in the planks, Vig also invested in a special sealed kiln for the shipyard, where pine wood or rosin was distilled and the thickened pitch was collected.
"With such a wide range of crafts involved in the process, it is no wonder that ships are so expensive."
Building the first cog was incredibly tedious, with Vig often called on to perform various errands, an occupation that kept him busy until the last day of 849.
As usual, he and Geligiev met in the great hall to discuss the year's income and expenditure.
Once the main party had assembled and the servants had left, Wig glanced at Geligiev, who sat next to him, and told her to read a book.
With the addition of the three Welsh tribes that had moved there the year before, Tyneshire's population had swelled to 28,000, providing the lord with 450 pounds of silver in various revenues. Sixty percent of this came from the countryside, and the rest from Tyne Town, mainly from textiles and brewing.
The other four northern counties had been recently conquered, and their populations were putting up a strong resistance. Taxes were largely uncollected, so the sheriffs could only collect commercial taxes from the town and agricultural taxes from the surrounding areas, totaling 50 pounds of silver.
Moreover, the iron and tin mines in Stirlingshire, which were managed by the ducal court, had yielded exactly 100 pounds of silver in four months.
The newly ennobled barons and knights were exempt from taxes for two years and had no income.
"Six hundred pounds of silver,"
yawned Wig, motioning for his wife to list the various expenses.
The standing army, raised in August, had already spent 150 pounds on equipment and pay (the estimated military expenditure for the following year is 360 pounds).
Then come the expenses of the administrative system, schools and temples, including pay, which amount to a total of 250 pounds.
The daily running of Tain Castle, including the wages of a hundred guards and various servants, amounts to a total of £150.
Then there are various other expenses, including the purchase of warhorses, the expansion of the workshops, the reclamation of wastelands, and the payment of tribute to the king, which totals £300.
All in all, excluding military expenses, the budget deficit for this year is £250 silver.
When Geligiv finished reading, everyone fell silent, breaking the silence except for the crackling of the fireplaces on either side and the faint howl of the wind and snow outside.
With a sigh, Vig rose from his seat and walked alone around the hall.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Tain Castle may look bright and magnificent from the outside, but it is full of holes within. The 1,200 pounds of silver we had saved were spent on this war.
I had no choice but to borrow 400 pounds of silver from various families to barely maintain this position. Alas, I have to wage wars and worry about earning a living. I fear there is no gentleman in the world who works harder than I do."
After grumbling for a moment, he continued to pace the conference table to explain the main lines of work for 850 years.
"We will begin with the four northern counties. Even if the agricultural taxes for 849 years are not paid, we must collect some next year. We must not allow the locals to treat us with disdain.
As for Stirlingshire, you must ensure that the mining districts work normally. With the spread of heavy iron ploughs in Britain, there is a huge demand for cast iron. Remember, make no mistake about it..."
Finally, there is Tyneshire, the centre of Whig rule. He has decided to increase investment, using prisoners of war to build water works and drain the marshes in the countryside. Tyne Town will focus on textiles, brewing, iron foundries and shipbuilding, while the North will be responsible for wool, grain, cast iron, timber and other raw materials.
He believed that by taking the four northern counties he would control a population of over 180,000. Once the situation was stable, raising £1,200 a year would not be a problem.
Whig spent most of the two-hour meeting talking to himself. Given his nickname, "The Chosen One", everyone had become accustomed to him and faced the annual meeting with fatigue.