Alfheimr Renaissance

Borgarsandr, day 3

A Kings proposal

It's the third morning in the capital and after breakfast, when a messenger comes from the King who wishes to meet me.

Ah... yes... right... The Academy etc.

Ahem, I got slightly distracted there, but when I get focused on a project that is not uncommon. I often forgot to eat for a whole day, often enough that some friends learned that when they call and ask if I want to go for a pizza or something on the evening and I don't immediately reply, its because I'm thinking back to when I last ate. The answer is usually 'the day before', and then when I think about it I get really hungry. I can almost hear the personification of my stomach rolling his eyes and throwing his hands in the air 'Finally someone is listening to me!'.

We bathe and put on my nicer clothes, bring the rolled up map and the North Arrow and head of to the King's castle with Iselin and Bodil.

It is a nice castle, with a large courtyard after passing a moat and up a small hill. Surrounded by thick walls and buildings completely made in stone. We don't wait for long before I'm being guided in and presented to King Asbjörn Aeriksson, and I also present Iselin and Bodil who where allowed to come in, but had to give up weapons and shield. It's a large hall, and there are a few people here; seem to be a few nobles, more powerful warriors and of course guards, servants etc. The throne room isn't that impressive, but it should be according to their culture. Guess I have another scale for impressive.

Once again, my rumour precedes me. Hagan has demonstrated the life preserver in the harbour, and hammocks have started to spread. A ship that was in Skiringsalr when we were, made a couple of hammocks and that was apparently a huge difference when they sailed here and the weather was bad, just like we experienced. It kind of sucked that I as the hammocks creator, had a bed and not a hammock. So hammocks has started to spread between ships big enough to use it. The king has also heard about the magical 'North Arrow' and appreciates if I would be able to show him, which I do. I don't try to approach the King, and they seem a little worried and jumpy by me even being this close with a magic thing, so I show it to a man (adjutant?), who tries it and shows, and confirms that it always points north. A lot of curious faces and mumbling.

What surprises me more - but probably shouldn't - is that the King says he heard from Jarl Skiringe about my plans for an Academy to study and manufacture things, and she recommended the King to meet me, since I have made a strong impression on her and people she trusts. Feels like I have more to be grateful to Liv for starting it all. It was probably Jarl Skiringe's boat that was the one with the hammocks, and she has probably already made some life preservers as well. She's a smart and cunning woman, and even I get that this is political and there's probably more intrigue behind the curtains. Since she knew I was travelling here, and she obviously have a better grasp about this world than I, informing the King is the smart move. Shows allegiance and so on, and not informing when it's a good chance the King learns about something being held back, might be taken badly.

So I take the time to describe my idea and plans. To establish an Academy. A learning center that will be open to all; regardless of Kingdom, religion or gender, and teach knowledge that can make the world better and safer for everyone. A place for knowledge and crafts where no one should be afraid to visit and share what they can and learn from others. A place where knowledge can be gathered in books so that knowledge isn't lost or forgotten, and where books are made and disseminated.

The Academy will also research tools and techniques, to manufacture and sell things to finance itself, but also to spread these things. A place where skilled master craftsmen can calmly work to get better at their profession and make things possible that otherwise couldn't be done, and train apprentices to both take over and eventually spread the knowledge to other places. I myself will learn from craftsmen and teach them certain things they probably don't know. No one is perfect, because there is always more to learn in life. I will most likely introduce a few new crafts too.

A lot of what will be manufactured will be pure luxury items, or too special and valuable for a farmer or ordinary person to benefit from it. Precision navigation instruments will be manufactured and sold, while knowledge to make farm work easier or to get a better harvest will be spread freely. My plan isn't to get rich or gain worldly power, it is to make life better for everyone while we figure out some of the mysteries in the world and learn to use them. It seems to interest the King and those present, but now comes the hard part that they may have missed. This will not be popular.

"I will describe why, but in order to make it easier for the Academy to achieve its purpose, and to protect the stability of the kingdom and the area in which its located, the Academy needs to be neutral and unbound."

I can hear a lot of snorting and faint exclamations, but the King just silences them with a few glances or a hand gesture, so I continue;

"It will give the Academy more respect, and people will be more willing to send their older children or younger adults there, if they know that children or people don't have to swear allegiance to follow a certain leader or relative. To be able to educate the next generation of Scholars give prestige and its own power, because people tend to have respect for the place they were educated in, if it was a good experience. At the same time when the Academy eventually gains a reputation as a center for knowledge, scholars and crafts, many will want to be able to say that they have visited the Academy, or been there and studied. It will be family prestige and attractive among the rich to send their children there, and the knowledge and contacts they bring back are valuable."

I still hear questions about why the Academy should be so special? It can still be on the land of the kingdom and serve the kingdom. But the King glares more intensely at a couple of the louder ones, and they fall silent as soon as they notice it. I wonder how much of this is an act?

"Compare it with a farm where valuable things are made and have valuable knowledge. Especially if some of this can be used militarily. Say a farm that only makes better weapons and expands trade and power unilaterally over the region and kingdom. It will make the kingdom stronger at first, but many will want to either own the farm, be able to steal the knowledge, or steal what the farm produce. Both from outside and inside the kingdom. It will mean power for the family that controls this farm, but there will be many who want to sabotage, steal or kill that which helps the enemy, and how many enemies are there? Only one can control the farm. The rest become more or less enemies. The farm and those who control it are targets."

Several already seem to think about how they can benefit from such an Academy, and I see plenty of calculating glances and faces.

"But an Academy that everyone can benefit from? Especially if there are many rulers in different regions or kingdoms who are all happy with what is manufactured and can't be obtained elsewhere. Admittedly, everyone will desire to control, but they also don't want anyone else to have full control over the Academy so they themselves are prevented from enjoying the fruits. The Kingdom will gain respect for having an neutral Academy at its border, and more will be willing to leave the Academy in peace. The kingdom and the region get the benefits, not a single family, and the Academy is safer."

More thoughtful face's and eyes, but there's some nodding and mumbling as I continue.

"The advantage for the kingdom this Academy is in, is more long-term and in the form of prestige, influence, wealth and power.

Prestige in its exclusivity - it's difficult to call someone uneducated or barbaric if they demonstrably can do things and have knowledge you don't have. If you need to send your best to learn from someone else, it's prestige for those who kindly receive them and educate them.

Influence in that those who spent time at the Academy, will have made friends nearby and experienced the culture and so on. It easily becomes strong trade contact with a kingdom where you already know merchants or the rulers. Where you already have a personal contact and know the language and culture. It's inevitable that the Academy will have more students from the country it's located at than all outsiders. This provides an advantage in influence for the kingdom more than anyone else. At the same time, there is a greater chance of marriage between students and the population in the country it's located at. So it's an advantage if women also study at the Academy - both from the country and those who come from outside - for an educated wise daughter with knowledge and contacts becomes more valuable, both for the man she marries, and the family she leaves. Everything gives influence, contacts and secures the kingdom as well as helps the stability of the monarchy.

Wealth simply follows through increased prosperity and trade. Who doesn't want to feel healthier, buy things of better quality or buy things that aren't found anywhere else? And if you sail all the way to the Academy to buy something you can't get your hands on otherwise, you might as well to take goods from your home country and try to sell it, and ships will try to fill the cargo space in the vicinity and bring other things to sell when they return home. More trade makes it easier to get hold of exotic goods here, and at the same time becomes cheaper because it's more common when more ships are attracted here. The kingdom's merchants and ships have an advantage from the beginning, and which merchant doesn't want to get richer? Trade also leads to increased tax revenues. Life gets better, more comfortable and richer. For many."

There are a lot of people who seem to like what I said and nod in agreement.

"Finally: Power. The three preceding points lead to this. Influence explains itself. Wealth to be able to afford a larger fleet and more warriors, and these warriors will be better equipped and more knowledgeable. The ships will be able to navigate better and safer, and improved health, health care and increased food production give a stronger larger population, which gives more production, more warriors and more taxes. It's true that anyone can buy from the Academy and learn this, but those who have wealth, can make better and greater use of it. This is my suggestion and they are the big four things, but there will be many small things with immense value and information that strengthen the kingdom, which, however, are difficult to explain or show. Some should also be kept secret."

There's quite a lot of discussions in the background, but the King silences them and thanks me for the proposal and say he will come back with an answer in the future. But if the answer is 'Yes', what does Sejdmann Arnesson need for the Academy to become a reality? What does Sejdmann Arnesson expect from the kingdom? I give my prepared answer;

"A place that's protected from the worst of what the sea can do, but along the coast so ships can reach and leave. There needs to be a clear demarcation between what's the Academy, and what is the Kingdom, so an island, peninsula or the like would be most appropriate, with water that divides in the form of coastline, lakes or rivers. Of course, fresh water is needed and higher altitudes so certain knowledge can be used and certain things can be done. A small amount of arable land, partly to try to become self-sufficient but above all to be able to test different ways to improve agriculture and animal husbandry. Experiments take time and space, and if the Academy will train students or people, there must be land for them to practice on.

In order for the Academy to be built, craftsmen are needed at the start; several carpenters or wood craftsmen, and a couple who can do good stone work as well as some general workers. Materials in the form of logs, stone, mortar, iron and glass for windows. My hope is that the Academy's buildings themselves will be the start of new types of construction and improved housing. There's nothing wrong with what already exists, but everything can always be improved, and who doesn't want to be able to live more comfortably?"

There are consenting mumbles.

"A boat to carry things back and forth with, especially if it is an island. When the Academy's premises are ready and there's room, some skilled craftsmen are needed in several different crafts. A good smith who can cast. Carpenter and wood carver for crafts and constructions small and large. Preferably a bookbinder and writer who can do paper and ink manufacturing. A skilled seamstress for sewing crafts. A skilled navigator and sailor. A medically knowledgeable person and preferably a woman. A skilled warrior and tactician. An alchemist or person who knows such mysteries. A glassmaker. Simply knowledgeable people in scattered areas who are curious to learn and teach. But they're not needed immediately but gradually, when the Academy starts, and I hope the Academy's reputation and comfortable lifestyle will attract these artisans there. A whole bunch of servants and maids, but it needs to be increased gradually, and something I can easily hire myself."

The King is thoughtful but replies;

"It's quite a bit to ask for, for something that the Kingdom doesn't own, on land that is no longer the Kingdom's."

"Correct. It's a lot of work and costs to clear a field of stone, to plow and sow, and it takes months before the payment comes. But once the job is done, crops from the field can sustain itself, and give a profit. If you want food, you have to grow, hunt or fish.

Of course, the agreement between the Kingdom and the Academy should stipulate any tax on things sold, but the hope is that the Academy will be self-sufficient in food and silver on what is produced and sold, because it will cost a lot of silver. Especially in the beginning and the first years will be expensive until a production and sale starts. To be the one who does something first means many attempts and failures that a lot cost, and it's not even certain if it will work out or just be wasted time and silver.

If you want to develop technology for, for example better swords, there will be a lot of iron, work and tests that ends up in the rubbish heap before it pays off, although the Academy will avoid making weapons. But once the knowledge has been found and learned, it's valuable for all time to come. Then you can recreate it, and gradually it will be cheaper when more people learn the craft, and it's improved. Small-scale tests can only be done to some extent, and eventually, for example, you have to make a ship or two in full size, just to try if it is better, and that isn't cheap and takes time. The idea is that the Academy's creations will eventually pay for other creations, and when things can begin to be manufactured in quantity, this job will be given to craftsmen nearby, which probably means craftsmen in the Kingdom. Which increases trade, wealth and influence.

If someone want to study and learn at the Academy, it will cost, but there will be a scholarship where the Academy pays for this to any really promising person who can't afford it. It's important for the future that certain knowledge is spread among the population. The size of the island or peninsula automatically limits the size of the Academy and the number of students and the areas of knowledge in which the Academy works. The Academy doesn't need the right to vote in Tings, and probably shouldn't have it since it's not part of the kingdom. The only warriors the Academy has will be those who are trained and those who protect its properties, ships and people.

It can be a great advantage for the kingdom if this place is say, one or a maximum of three days away by ship or land from here. Separated but close. If it is an island, then a trading place is needed close by, since the Academy doesn't want to be the trading place. The village that will be formed on the mainland and in the kingdom will be the focus, and there the Kingdoms taxes and imports applies according to the laws of the kingdom. The village is likely to increase in size to a future town, since ships that come there to buy or sell important equipment must do so somewhere, and this will be in the kingdom, so close to Borgarsandr will probably be in the kingdoms best interest so the trade goes through here.

But it is extremely important that the Academy is neutral. That whoever wants can travel there or from, even through the Kingdoms sea. One way to control this is that the Academy has two or three ships that travel around the nearest sea, to different kingdoms and can pick up and drop off people and goods for those who don't dare to enter or harbour in the Kingdom, for these ships are also neutral and sail with the Academy's flag. Those ships security and peace must be absolute. These ships will also be used to train navigation and seamanship, and thus have important people on board, and will try ways to improve ship technology and experiments to make ships better and safer. The ships will set off on longer mapping and exploration expeditions, so more are needed. Hopefully, agreements can be reached with other rulers and nearby kingdoms that these ships are protected in their waters too, but that no ship except the Academy's may fly its flag."

The king sits thoughtfully and thinks, and he isn't alone, but eventually he replies:

"A lot to think about, but it is a well thought out proposal that covers a lot of the pros and cons of such an Academy. My answer will not be today. However, I am curious about that roll that Sejdmann's maid carries."

"Your Majesty, its a map and I would like to show it." I hand it over to the man who comes forward. He gets a little surprised when he rolls up and see it, and shows it around to everyone, but the king calls him forward and closely studies the map.

"This doesn't look like the maps I have seen before and own. I guess Sejdmann Arnesson says this is better and more correct?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Its based on information I have and is confirmed correctly according to measurements from the marked villages and towns. With this map, a North Arrow and knowledge, you don't have to follow the coast to navigate right. You don't have to have sailed there before. You can go straight out over a rolling sea, with gray sky without sun, and expect to hit your target with sufficient accuracy, and be able to determine which side of the target you are on, so you can sail correctly.

There are several ways to determine for example how far north or south you are, but these are examples of knowledge that the Academy will teach, and manufacture the tools so that it can be used. It is not easy. I hope to make the North Arrow better, more durable, more accurate and more practical in use and cheaper. The Academy's ships, but also people sent inland will be able to draw accurate maps in the future, but it will take a long time, depending on how accurate the end result should be. Good maps are not only valuable for marking boundaries between properties, that can be saved to securely determine inheritance and property rights, but also to plan the relocation of troops and stores. Good maps and the knowledge to use them are hugely beneficial in military operations."

The King has a lot to think about and seem to be a person who does it methodically. But he responds fairly quickly.

"I have an offer to give Sejdmann Arnesson, and is of course free to accept or refuse without consequences. I want to buy a map like this. I would also like to buy maps of the world that are adjacent, say a total of eight sheets in this size which together covers a larger area east, west and south. I also want to buy three North Arrows. Can this work be done in two weeks?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, but I can not guarantee full accuracy on maps without travelling around and confirming certain fixed points, which two weeks isn't enough time for, nor can I draw out where all villages and towns are. Only nature created by the gods can be recreated with sufficient accuracy. However, that map is drawn with unconfirmed information I then confirmed is correct, so I'm certain enough that I can fulfill the work I have undertaken to do. If I can get a look at a couple of maps it should make it easier and so that I hopefully can use them to mark larger towns and villages."

The King nods and answers:

"Two weeks, and for the work I'm willing to give Sejdmann Arnesson 100 ounces of gold. What does Sejdmann say?"

There's some exclamation and excitement over that deal, and not just from behind me. It's a hell of a lot of money, 2.8kg of gold, and it would probably be stupid to try to ask for more on the principle that you never take the first offer. Besides, if he knows what Jarl Steinnes paid it is quite reasonable. I am the only one who knows how simple work that is, but then again it's magic, and in this culture you pay for magic to be done.

"Your Majesty, if I can have a teacher of language, culture and a little history, as well as a place nearby for my entourage where I can work in peace and quiet, I will accept."

"One of my farms is an hour's travel from here on this side of the river. Its a larger farm that has several houses, one of which is nicely separated. Sejdmanns entourage may stay there during his work for me, and until I can give Sejdmann answers about the Academy. I can also send a learned person to help Sejdmann with the requested. Does that sound good?"

"Your Majesty, that sounds great, and on those grounds I accept the assignment."

"The we have an agreement, and I look forward to seeing Sejdmann in two weeks."

A man is summoned and told to accompany us to the farm, apparently the man knows where we are going, and the man also gets the map from the king and gives it rolled up back to Iselin, who ties the bow back on it. I bow and thank the King and leave the hall, and we leave the castle and walk down in the town. That went better than expected. Much better and easier than I hoped. Maps won't take long, a couple of days, and the North Arrows about an hour. There will be plenty of time left over. Now that I'm a 'resident' for at least a couple of weeks and there are craftsmen nearby, I should plan to build more things, both for practical things and to try to see what opportunities there are, and what they can manufacture and to perhaps be able to impress the King with something.

The man is waiting outside the tavern while we go up and inform Alith and Ciara, and Alith's so impressed that we met and talked with The King. Alith is really jealous that Bodil was allowed to come along in, meet and has been introduced to the King. They apparently drew straws to see who would come along. I promise that Alith will be allowed to come along when I present maps etc in two weeks, and she actually starts to bounce. I swear I heard a low squee too, and it feels so out of character for her. Then again, I'm the only one who don't seem to see the King as a big deal, when he really is. He literally is the ruler over a big nation. Also lucky that the King was here, for the Royal entourage usually travels around. He might have been gone for a month or more. Is that why he gave me two weeks? Because he will be leaving? Might help explain why he want those maps too. It would have been quite different if I'd performed as I did in front of Jarl Steinnes, and the King had been present, or I didn't want to stay here a couple of months and continued and so on without meeting the King.

We've already paid for another night but such is life, and I can get a little back on what I paid for the rooms, so we leave for our new accommodation. When we come out of the tavern, a wagon is waiting to take us where we are going, and it's nice to not have to carry things or walk. Or ride.