Building a Viking Empire with Modern Industry-Chapter 133: Saints, Sinners, and Engineers

With Grandmaster Roland's defeat at the Battle of Sandwich, Ragnar's fame had increased exponentially.

The fact that he resisted such a massive Frankish army and dealt a devastating blow to the Crusaders had emboldened Ragnar's followers.

The burnt beach of Sandwich became a symbol of resistance against the Feudal Status Quo.

As a result, Saxon Thanes, Viking Jarls, and disillusioned priests alike flocked to City Titan to discuss the details of the "New Industrial Order" and how to proceed.

While Ragnar entertained these delegates inside his Boardroom, he merely sat at the head of the mahogany table with his gold-plated skull mug in his hands, drinking black coffee as he listened to the men squabble over the direction in which this corporate restructuring should take.

At the moment, there was a significant figure of the Saxon Church present, and that was Bishop Aethelwold of York.

He was an old and wise cleric who had tried to mend the divide between the Vikings and the Saxons for years.

After seeing what the Pope and his Frankish lapdogs had done to the coast the old Bishop decided to throw his lot in with Ragnar. At the moment, he was closely observing Ragnar's actions.

He was quite shocked to see that Ragnar was allowing the discussion to take its course naturally, rather than enforcing his views via the "Iron Gear" guards standing by the door.

While the Ealdorman of Mercia and the Jarl of the Orkneys were debating over the degree to which the Church should be taxed, Ragnar watched calmly, checking his pocket watch as if all his plans were running on schedule.

Eventually, the Ealdorman made a bold declaration for the entire Board to hear.

"I will gladly give up my right to levy tolls on the River Trent in favor of a centralized logistics network! The nobility should focus on the management of their estates, not the obstruction of trade!"

With this said, a smirk spread across Ragnar's lips.

A powerful Ealdorman would take the lead and dissolve the feudal tolls in favor of a centralized tax system. It was certainly a bold declaration. Nevertheless, this would be the key to integrating the northern territories into his Iron Empire in the future, and as such, Ragnar was very pleased.

However, that was a merger for another time; now, he needed to solidify the foundation for his Corporate Culture.

Ultimately, the topic of the separation of Church and Logistics was practically universally agreed upon by the people in the room, and the reason for the debate was more of a border squabble between Mercia and York than it was theological.

Thus, when the men continued to argue over such irrelevant things, Ragnar tapped his silver-geared cane on the floor, the sharp click-clack instantly silencing the two parties.

The next item on the agenda was the question of Usury, which sparked an enormous debate. After all, the Church strictly forbade lending money at interest, which made banking impossible.

However, Ragnar knew exactly what a lack of credit could lead to and was against such a restriction.

While the priests were arguing that interest was a sin, Ragnar spoke up for the first time during the meeting.

The moment he did so, everyone stood in silence, listening to his words, which were not his own, but those from a very different kind of text.

"The Parable of the Talents," Ragnar said, his voice calm but projecting clearly.

"Matthew 25:14-30. A master gives his servants gold. One buries it. One invests it. The one who buried it is cast out into darkness. The one who invested it is rewarded. Does the Lord not command us to multiply our value?"

When the room heard these words, they knew exactly what Ragnar meant; the gospel could be interpreted to support investment and growth.

In particular, Bishop Aethelwold, who had been waiting for Ragnar's input, was shocked when he heard the Viking quote the Bible so perfectly, framing it as a mandate for economic expansion. Finally, the old man spoke up as well.

"I agree with the Director. If we are to take the words of Christ as the basis for our society, then burying our talents.. our resources, our gold in the ground is a sin against potential. Usury that exploits the poor is evil, yes. But Investment that builds bridges and factories? That is stewardship."

Hearing both Ragnar, who was at the head of the Industrial Revolution, and a high-ranking Bishop both agree on the matter, those who doubted the validity of banking now found themselves nodding their heads in approval.

For on the topic of money, who could argue with the man who had just bankrupted a Crusade?

Ragnar nodded at the Bishop, whom he had been aware was watching him closely this entire time. Truthfully, Ragnar did not know if the man was a spy for Rome or if he was as pragmatic as he seemed.

However, with his endorsement on this matter, Ragnar began to suspect the man genuinely cared more for the prosperity of his flock than the dogmas of the Vatican.

After concluding that topic, it came down to another important aspect of the new order: Work Ethic. One of the Jarls present, a man with a beard full of braids, made his opinion known.

"A warrior's place is on the battlefield! Labor is for thralls!"

However, a Saxon Guildmaster was in firm disagreement over this regard and voiced his concern.

"The Bible teaches that if a man will not work, he shall not eat! Honest labor is noble!"

The two men began to butt heads and as such, Ragnar voiced his opinion on the matter.

"Ecclesiastes 9:10," Ragnar quoted, taking a sip of coffee.

"'Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.' Whether that is swinging an axe or swinging a hammer. In the Directorate, there are no thralls. There are only Employees."

After saying this, Ragnar once more was able to garner the attention of everyone present.

"The warrior protects the factory. The worker builds the weapons. One cannot exist without the other. We are not a kingdom of warriors or peasants. We are a Corporation. And in a Corporation, every role is critical to the bottom line."

Through Ragnar's interruption, these issues were eventually settled into an agreement: labor was dignified, banking was legal, and efficiency was next to godliness.

With all of these major points of contention ironed out, the First Board Meeting of the Iron Empire was concluded.

Though there would be more later in life, the split in the societal structure finally occurred.

With the endorsement of Bishop Aethelwold, the "Industrial Reformation" had come into existence, bringing a new era where factories replaced cathedrals as the centers of community life.

The wise Bishop was aware the entire time of what Ragnar's plans were.

After the meeting was over and the minutes had been recorded by the scribes, he approached Ragnar to talk with him about his plans for the future personally.

Seeing the wise old man come to him directly, Ragnar felt cautious at first and tapped his cane, signaling General Bjorn to stand ready.

"Bishop, is there something I can help you with? Perhaps a donation to the roof repair fund?"

The Bishop smiled amicably at Ragnar, though behind his kind smile was a face filled with a degree of wariness similar to Ragnar's; as such, he began to speak to the man who he knew was bound to change the world.

"I must say I am impressed..."

Finding the cryptic message amusing, Ragnar decided to take the bait.

"With?"

The man stood several feet away from Ragnar, who was currently seated in his swivel chair.

"In my many years, I have met Kings and Ealdormen. Yet none of them have had the ability to influence the soul of a nation as you have. Within two years, you have climbed from the position of a Raider to that of a Director whose steel is sold to every corner of Europe.

Yet during this time, you also manage to inspire a change in the very way men view their lives.. not as a waiting room for Heaven, but as a project to be built. Tell me truthfully, Ragnar... are you a Prophet sent to bring us into the light of reason, or are you a Devil tempting us with worldly comforts?"

Ragnar studied the man's words carefully; he knew very well that the old Bishop was not literally asking if he was a Prophet or a Devil, but which side his ambition served.

Ragnar played with the handle of Roland's skull mug for a few moments, tracing the cold gold leaf. He thought about the Naphtha burning on the beach.

He thought about the clean water pumps saving children from cholera.

After careful consideration, Ragnar had decided to tell the old man the truth.. or at least, the truth as he saw it.

"Bishop," Ragnar said, leaning forward, the gears of his cane clicking. "I am neither."

"Then what are you?"

"I am an Engineer," Ragnar replied simply. "I see a problem and I fix it. Whether that makes me a saint or a sinner... that is for the historians to decide. I just care that the machine works."

The Old Bishop's smile never disappeared. Instead, he turned around and walked away, saying his thoughts on the matter before walking out the door.

After all, he had received a satisfying answer to his question.

"Well-played, Director. Well-played."

As the door closed, Ragnar finished his coffee. He looked at the empty boardroom. The merger was complete. The hostile takeover was secure.

"Bjorn," Ragnar called out.

"Get the carriage ready. We have a train to catch. I hear the Scots are having trouble with their coal mines. I think it's time we offered them a Consultation."