Word of the Infrastructural Ultimatum to Avesia was sent out by Linkglass less than an hour after the message was given, spreading to Venoa, the Drow States and six more of the Island Kingdom's main trading partners first and spreading out from there, aided by messages given by Infrastructural Embassies once the invasion began. There were some people who applauded the Central Committee for snuffing out that nest of slavers and pirates. There were others who were outraged that the Infrastructural War Machine destroyed a sovereign nation because it did some things it found distasteful and was indirectly supporting their enemies. There were also people who were upset that a once reasonably well off place to sell stuff to had been snuffed out and glad that one of their rivals was gone. There were also four other states, like the Jumhuria of Halrizuud, who's response to this was unbridled terror.As such, Hirhsin bin-Kulshar (ambassador of Halrizuud to the Kingdom of Torion) made the four day long journey to Tivro in a small convoy. The city was smaller than the Capital and less grand. Even so it was growing with numerous new buildings being put up and shanty towns growing on it's outskirts, in particular around his destination. There were a lot of men and Dwarves walking about with aprons and sooty clothes. He'd read long ago that the local river and some coal mines had let Tivro become a center of metalworking for the Kingdom centuries ago and business had been good for them. After sending out a servant to see to accommodations at a coaching house he made his way to the City's Foundry. Hirhsin and two of his bodyguards made their way past the receptionist and to a clerk with a few Trono handed out to smooth the process. He concealed some satisfaction in the surprise that the dull associate said when not only did a southern merchant prince strode into his room, but a pair of the Jumhuria's Sterling Guard stride into his room. He also concealed a sneer at the electric lamp on his desk."Good day, Senior Recart. I am Ambassador Hirhsin bin-Kulshar of Halrizuud, I know my sudden arrival is quite irregular but these are irregular times. I have come on behalf of my government to place an order. What are your largest guns."The clerk took a second to gather his thoughts, then he became all business. "Well currently those are the are the the new 96 Pounder Rifles. Most impressive pieces able to throw a roundshot more than four and a half miles. We're currently testing out some new 120 Pounder Rifles that we believe which should shoot even further. If everything goes smoothly we should begin production of those in two months.""While we have full confidence of your abilities my government holds the position that we need artillery now. What do you have in stock?""Well we have sixteen 96 Pounders in our warehouses...""...and what will be ready soon?" Hirhsin interjected."Well we have four more that should be finished tomorrow and another four that should be done in five days.""And four more in nine days?""Well yes.""Good. We'll take all 36 of them.""Hold it now." The clerk replied with a worried grin on his face. "This is not a bakery. Those guns were ordered by His Majesty's Government. We'd be more than happy to accept your own contact.""Tell me, how much does each of your guns cost?""Four hundred and thirty Trono a piece."Hirshin lifted his hands and one of his guards put a small lacquered box with the chest of the Republic on the desk. He unlocked it and opened it to reveal the glittering coins within. "We are offering 200 Thanes for each. Or 300 Lyra, or 600 Marks. In cash, up front, right now." The clerk was struck dumb, the smallest of which was worth nearly twice a Trono. "Enough to cover our quick purchase, your masters to give a full refund to His Majesty in apology for the delay and some more on the side for good measure. We'd also place an order for the new hardened armor piercing shot and twelve of those 120 pounders.""Well, I'd need to take this upstairs and inspect your coin, but um, I think we could make this happen" The Clerk had acquired the nervous look of someone who's heard something which sounds too good to be true, but fervently hopes it is."Of course!" A few hours latter more than 10,000 Thanes exchanged hands and arrangements were being made for barges to take the cannons downriver where they would be shipped to the small slaver republic as soon as possible. Some refunds (though not full) were given to the Royal Government for the delay on delivery, some of which found their way back into the foundry's pockets as twelve more 120 pounders were ordered. This also meant that some 340 tonnes of iron were unexpectedly expended by the Tivro Foundry and about a thousand tonnes of coal was needed to process it, which caused them to suddenly go out and top off their stock which in turn helped push up already rising prices. This was not the only case in which this happened. The four other major slave ports were desperate to upgrade their defenses and do it quickly, getting new artillery (as well as other arms and armor) where they could and paying a premium to get it ASAP. Combined with everything else, this sudden rush for armaments by the Slaver States provided a sudden jolt to the steadily increasing cost of iron and coal that further enticed speculators and spurred on a trend who's effects would be felt far and wide, from village forges to the halls of kings, from the Principality of Oestia (and it's distant colonial ambitions) to the Naga Rajs. Bust most profoundly in the Drow States.Just as the Central Committee had planned.Previous- Infrastructure: Part Two Hundred and Sixty Nine Next- Infrastructure: Part Two Hundred and Seventy One