Weeks had passed since Berengar had begun production on the first glass factory, and at the moment, it was partially functional. Using Agnellus' trade connections, Berengar had started selling the new crystal glass in limited quantities to the wealthy noblemen of the Byzantine Empire.
His plan was simple, create a demand for his luxurious glass products and then increase production at a rate capable of overtaking Venetian business. The crystal glass had become extensively popular in the east after the first batch was sold at a high price.
As Berengar eyed the Republic of Venice's glass monopoly, they too had begun to observe his actions, especially regarding the shipyards being constructed in the region known as Istria. The construction of three large shipyards far larger than the ones which Venice owned was of great concern to the Venetians.
In response to this, the Venetian Doge sat in his office surrounded by members of his Admiralty. These Admirals were the greatest of his Naval Commanders, and they had gathered to discuss the potential rise of a Grand Austrian Navy and the threat such a thing posed to Venice.
One of the Admirals stepped forward and immediately presented a sizeable transparent glass bowl. This absurdly clear glass was shocking to the president, and he gazed upon it with wonder as he pondered where such a marvel had come from.
The Doge was a position similar to that of President from the United States of America in Berengar's previous life; he was the de facto head of State for the Venetian Republic, which was a vassal state in this timeline of the Kingdom of Italy.
With the unification of Italy in this timeline and their current Monarch being the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the Venetian Republic and the Genoans were allowed certain autonomy in regards to how their local governments functioned. If anything, they were closer to protectorates than they were to Vassals.
The Venetian Doge was shocked when he saw such high-quality, transparent glass and began to question his eyes.
"Is this glass? Who created such a masterpiece?"
Without hesitation, the Admiral responded to the Doge's statement with a frown on his face.
"That would be the Austrians…."
While the Doge initially smiled, his face immediately turned sour when he heard this news. This immaculate crystal glass was a threat to Venetian dominance of the market, and as such he had to make sure his ears were not lying to him.
"Are you telling me that bastard Berengar has created such pristine glassware? Does he seek to seize our monopoly on the glass trade?"
The Admirals looked at each other silently before the head Admiral placed a document on the Doge's desk with a grim look in his eye before summarizing its contents.
"That is not all; there are reports that he is building three shipyards, far more significant than our own. We can't even fathom what kind of monstrous vessels he seeks to create within them, but needless to say, it does not bode well for us.
If Berengar seeks to challenge not only our monopoly on the glass trade but also our authority on the sea, then we can not simply stand by and allow him to build a Navy capable of competing with us! Something must be done!"
After hearing the Head Admiral's concerns, the Doge nodded his head. However, he was not as concerned as the admirals, for how could Berengar challenge their might?
They had hundreds of naval vessels; some of them were even armed with bronze cannons; it would take years for Berengar to build a navy capable of challenging the Venetian Republic, or so he believed. As such, he was much calmer than the men gathered in his room.
"I understand your concerns. However, we can't just take action against the Austrians, our Navy might be superior to theirs, but their Army could easily invade our lands and cause us serious trouble. We should wait and observe.
At least until we know what kinds of ships Berengar is manufacturing, there is no way he will be able to compete with us, it will take him years to build enough ships to challenge our authority. Even if he were to somehow use the methods we have achieved to rapidly produce vessels. It is not something to be worried about, we can always declare war on him and sink his ships before he can produce enough to be a threat.
For now, we should focus on building our Army and strengthening our ties with the Emperor; if all of Italy unites behind us, there is no way for Berengar to defeat us in a war. For now, we should bribe pirates to seize the glass he seeks to sell across the Mediterranean."
Hearing this, the Naval officers gathered had awkward expressions on their faces, which spurred the Doge to question their glances.
"What is it? Is there something I am missing?"
One of the Admirals who was standing at attention immediately presented his report.
"It would appear that Berengar is currently trading what little glassware he has produced so far to the Byzantines, using their merchant's vessels. If it were revealed that we were sponsoring pirates to rob Byzantine ships, it could ignite a conflict with the Empire to the east!"
When the Doge of Venice heard this, his expression sank. Even if it was a slight possibility, they could not risk a war with the Byzantines; after all, that was one of their most significant trading partners. As such, he was left at a loss in how to handle the scenario he was facing.
This crystal glass was infinitely superior to the quality of glass they produced in Venice and could quite easily put them out of the glass business, which was one of their biggest trades. The blow to their economy that such a thing could cause would be disastrous.
Berengar had risen to power too quickly for anyone to predict what he was fully capable of accurately. It seemed like every time the man's name was mentioned, he had either achieved another overwhelming victory in warfare or invented something new that was worth a fortune.
To many observers, the rise of Austria as the preeminent German State was a certainty, however, if they were allowed to possess a powerful Navy and Merchant fleet on top of their overwhelming Army. Then they were destined to rise to a status that could rival the greatest Kingdoms and Empires within Europe and the Mediterranean; such a thing could not be allowed, especially since Austria had become the heart of the German Reformation.
As such, the Doge of Venice came up with only one solution to halt the progress of Austria.
"Contact the Pope, and offer him our unlimited support in his upcoming crusade against the Berengar Heresy. Berengar von Kufstein must die!"
Since infiltrating Kufstein and assassinating Berengar was not an option due to Berengar's effective counter-espionage network, the only solution was to throw the weight of the Catholic world against him and pray that he fell.
As such, the Admiralty saluted as they announced their support for the Venetian Doge's decision.
"Yes, your Serenity!"
With this, all Admirals except for one, the Head Admiral, had left the building and begun to prepare for the upcoming conflict. The Admiral who remained looked at the Doge with a grim expression on his face before asking the question on his mind.
"I hear he has cannons capable of launching explosive projectiles. Do you think he will mount such fearsome weapons on his vessels?"
In response to this the Doge was silent, the confident facade he had shown the other Admirals instantly crumbled. As such he reached for a glass out of his cabinet and began to pour the wine.
This glass had a deep blue color and was not exactly the most transparent material. After pouring wine into the blue glass, the man handed it to his Admiral before pouring another drink into the crystal glass Berengar had created.
After carefully observing the merlot liquid within the container, the Doge began to frown. He could quite easily see the deep red color of his wine, and this infuriated the man. After seething in rage for a few moments, the Doge finally answered the Admiral's question.
"Without a doubt, I have no idea what kind of effect such mighty weapons will have on our ships, but it most certainly will be disastrous. Even if he manages to create a few dozen vessels armed with those weapons, it could cause us some trouble.
Thus in response to this threat, I want our Armada expanded. I want a total of 1,000 naval vessels, each armed with a minimum of four guns created within the next five years! I don't care how you have to do it; just make it happen!"
To this, the Admiral sighed, at the moment the Venetian Navy had between 300 and 400 ships. If they were to gain a total of 1,000 in five years, they would have to produce over 600 ships in that time. It was simply outrageous, yet he would try his best. As such, he responded by saluting the Doge.
"Yes, your Serenity!"
After doing so, the Doge merely sneered before uttering his next word.
"Dismissed!"
Afterward, the Admiral left the office of the Doge, where the man was left to his lonesome. He quickly downed the contents of his glass before swiping it off his desk in a fit of rage, shattering the perfect piece into thousands of tiny shards.
After doing so, the Doge began to curse in the air.
"Make no mistake Duke Berengar von Kufstein; I will make you regret sticking your nose in my business!"