03. Money and death.

One of the first things I did after George's arrival from Constantinople was to buy me a Latin Bible from Patras' Catholic archbishop. That book cost me a lot of money, but it was crucial to have it. It was no brainer for me that the first book that I will print will be a Bible in Latin, targeting for sales to the wealthy Italian Cardinals, bishops, nobles, etc. Heh stealing Gutenberg's glory made me thinking about the consequences of my actions. The butterfly effects from my efforts, in general, will be enormous. That made me a bit anxious, but at the same time, these actions gave me confidence that my future here will be hopefully bright.

The "Morea" publishing company will be the first publishing-print house in the world. Nine metalworkers from Constantinople(including two goldsmiths and three silversmiths) together with four monks and a carpenter will be the company's core team under the management of Theophilus Dragas. Dozen other artisans, blacksmiths and a bell craftsmen under the supervision of George Sphrantzes, will be the core members of my new Arsenal team.

By the end of June, my Arsenal and the "Morea" publishing company, together with my new cotton fabric-cloth factory and the new, water mill powered cotton-based paper factory, was up and running. One thousand five hundred people were busy working on them, all under my general supervision. For better management, another fifty people were now working on my new bureaucracy-logistics department. Heh, I felt a little bit like being the CEO of a corporation than a Medieval Despot. All this stretched me economically to the point of thinking of asking my brother Thomas a loan. Still, I was confident that the new enterprises would start to be profitable sooner than later.

Thankfully by August, I managed to start export cotton fabrics to the republic of Ragusa and some pretty lovely quality cotton paper parchments to a Venetian trader. The paper parchment buyer was so impressed by the quality of my papers that he even wanted to make a new order for the next year. The small adjustments in equipment, techniques, and the far better-organization of my vast crop fields all over Elis and Morea also started to pay off since my earnings were almost double of what I was expecting. Finally, Wool sales were also considerable. These incomes kept me afloat for the next months.

During August I was also informed that my father in law, Carlo I toco, died and that his nephew was his successor.

In November, luck turned her back on me. Theodora died while giving birth to a stillborn daughter(1).

"She is at peace at last, and out of pain, my Despot." Said the priest.

"Yes," I said slowly.

"You must understand my Despot; this is God's will. She has gained eternal life, against wich this world and its sufferings are just a moment."

"Yes," I murmured again, but I couldn't share the priest's confidence. Having been with Theodora for a year now, my feelings for her were deep. I felt devastated, and I didn't leave the house for days.

By the end of the year, "Morea" Publishing printed the first Latin Bible in an edition of four hundred copies. It was a blast! After the death of my wife and daughter, it was the first time that I felt happy again. I almost cried from happiness. Truly historical times! Meanwhile, my Arsenal was busy producing the prototypes of various rather sloppy matchlock muskets while still trying to figure out how to make a proper flintlock one. Last but not least, just a few days before the end of the year, my first bronze cannon cast. Drakos(2) was a lovely nine-pounder, an anti-personnel field cannon, that could be operated by just three men, and when mounted on my custom two-wheeled cart, was pulled by only two horses. Emphasizing in mobility and combined arms is my top priority for my future army.

That spark of economic activities didn't go unnoticed by the folk nearby. People started to flock to Clarentza and Andravida seeking work. Even from the wealthy nearby Patra, more than one hundred families resettled in the outskirts north of Glarentza. In only eighteen months, the population almost tripled. A total of twenty thousand were now residents, most of them in Clarentza and Andravida.

(1) In OTL, Constantine XI married twice. The first time was on 1 July 1428 to Theodora Tocco, niece of Carlo I Tocco of Epirus. She died while giving birth to a stillborn daughter in November 1429. His second marriage was on 27 July 1441 to Caterina Gattilusio, daughter of Dorino of Lesbos, who died in August 1442 after suffering a miscarriage. He had no children by either marriage. After his coronation in 1449, Constantine XI sent a commission under George Sphrantzes asking Mara Brankovic daughter of the Serbian Despot Durad Brankovicand Byzantine princess Irene Kantakouzene, to marry him. By then, Mara was the widow of Murad I; she had been allowed to return to her parents in Serbia after the death of Murad. The proposal was welcomed by her father Đurađ Branković. Still, it foundered on the objection of Mara herself who had vowed that "if God ever released her from the hands of the infidel she would lead a life of celibacy and chastity for the rest of her days". Accordingly, the courtship failed and Sphrantzes took steps to arrange for a marriage with a princess either from the Empire of Trebizond or the kingdom of Georgia. The choice eventually fell to an unnamed Georgian princess, daughter of George VII. He started official negotiations with the Georgian king, who had sent an ambassador to Constantinople for that reason. It was agreed that the next spring, Sphrantzes would sail for Georgia to bring the bride to Constantinople, but Constantine's plans were overtaken by the events of 1453.

(2) The Drakos was a small to medium cannon, slightly smaller than a culverin, developed during the early 15th century and often used by the Romans. It was named after the mythical fire-spitting dragons. Its mobility on the battlefields made it popular for most of the 15th century.