Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

Chapter 17: Managing the Capital

In the next morning, Henry sat in his study room, carefully studying a pile of documents on his desk. He absently twirled a feather pencil between his fingers as he read through each document, analyzing, and taking notes every now and then.

Despite the cold weather outside, the room was comfortably warm thanks to the lit fireplace. Its warm glow filling the room, creating a cozy feeling in the somewhat dark room.

"Managing this situation will be a challenging task. There are a variety of administrative issues, especially in a cold kingdom like this one. I can approach it like a strategy and city-building game, but I must remember that this is reality." – Henry thought while comparing the current situation to the games he played in his past life.

In fact, the popular city-building games in his past life accurately mirrored the challenges he was facing right now. However, the information he received was not readily available as it was in the games, but rather in the form of hundreds of parchment documents made from animal skin that cluttered his desk.

These reports provided a glimpse into the happenings of the capital and the state of the population and resources, but unfortunately, it came with a delay of days or even months. This lag in information made it more challenging to make quick and effective decisions. But it was way better to have a delayed information than none.

"Thankfully, the previous king had implemented the necessary infrastructure to collect accurate information. Without it, my job would be much more difficult." - Henry thought, grateful for the foresight and wisdom of the late king. – "He was a smart man that would have changed this kingdom's future if not for his premature death."

Henry couldn't help but let out a sorrowful sigh as memories of the previous king surfaced in his mind. The previous king was a diligent man that found himself locked in the throne room or in his study place, partaking in hundreds of conferences throughout the year and reading countless reports about the kingdom.

Because of that, the old Henry had close to none contact with him. It was only during the annual hunting event, organized by the Stahl Royal Family, that the old king allowed himself to be a parent rather than a king.

"Until his last breath, he was a king." - This was Luther's words when the old king passed away, still in his study, working tirelessly for his kingdom and people.

"It's unfortunate that this infrastructure only covers the capital and not the entire kingdom."- Henry lamented - "But that's to be expected, considering that even the mighty Roman Empire struggled to collect this type of information at its height of power. In the long-term, I need to stretch this web further towards all rural and urban areas of the Kingdom."

Henry knew that collecting accurate data from all corners of the kingdom would be a daunting task, but it was crucial action to successfully maintain the satisfaction and the control of his subjects.

"Anyway, compared to the vast expanse of the Alur Continent, the Kingdom of Stahl is relatively small. I believe it is possible to implement this data gathering system throughout urban and rural areas within two hard working years."- Henry thought as the map of the continent flashed through his mind.

The Alur Continent was enormous, spanning at least twelve times the size of the America continent. Its vastness was difficult for a mortal to comprehend and traversing it on foot was an impossible task.

However, over time, the people of this world developed rapid transportation devices called Teleportation Portals, powered by Mana. These portals were primarily found in the Central Region, where kingdoms were rich, and resources were abundant. The nucleus of the whole continent economy and research.

In contrast, the North Region, specifically the Kingdom of Stahl, was poor and lacked basic resources to survive the harsh winters and the onslaught of powerful barbarians and animals. They were unable to construct a Teleportation Portal. However, one kingdom in the North was gifted a portal due to its first king being a descendant of a powerful empire in the Central Region.

The Misunne Empire was the dominant power in the North, monopolizing resources and occupying the region's most fertile land. They forced heavy tributes on neighboring nations, letting them sink even further into poverty.

The Kingdom of Stahl was fortunate to be situated far from the Empire's sphere of influence and was spared from these taxes. The Empire largely ignored the remote kingdoms, using them as a barrier to keep wild animals and barbarians from the Frozen Forest at bay.

"I will solve that problem later, but for now, the most urgent matter is finding a solution to the food shortage and the population's health issues." - Henry said, tapping his fingers on the table thoughtfully - "In the past month alone, five people have died from hypothermia, ten from starvation, and over a hundred have suffered from frostbite. The people are struggling to find enough food and firewood to keep warm."

The harsh and unforgiving climate of Stahl created countless challenges for the people, including the lack of fertile land for agriculture and proximity with sources of fish. Additionally, the need to gather firewood from the dangerous Frozen Forest, which can only be done safely with a heavily armed escort, adds further strain on the kingdom.

The situation became even worse due to the war, as hundreds of soldiers died, leading to the supply chain of food being cut in half. Henry could feel the heavy responsibilities weighting down on his shoulders. The situation needed to be resolved as fast as possible, measures must be taken.

"As a first step, I need to divide my troops in half and assign them the task of both hunting for food and repairing damages outside the city walls. This will be a challenging task, but necessary to alleviate the crises." – Henry said and began noting it down – "Furthermore, the population needs to ration food and firewood, so that every citizen has enough heat and food to survive."

"These decrees will probably raise the complaints and dissatisfaction of the people towards the throne. However, we got no choice but to implement it." – Henry sorrowfully sighed – "It seems like my image will take another blow and the city guards will be occupied for a while."

"Luke!" - Henry called out to his royal assistant. Luke was a man of small stature with brown hair and a prominent nose. He often wore a robe that was too large for his frame.

He was admitted by Henry during the last month, when the young king noticed the man's talent in paperwork and math. He was a man filled with greed, whose desire was to see a mountain of gold coin, usually found in a Dragon's lair. He proclaimed that someday he would pillage a dragon and let his mark on history books and forever be recognized as the bravest northern man.

Soon, Henry heard the sound of Luke's small steps approaching, accompanied by the rustling of his clothes dragging on the ground. As he entered the room, Henry couldn't help but confirm that this was the smallest man in the world.

"Luke, I need you to immediately deliver these orders to the three Generals. I want this plan to be implemented by this afternoon, no matter what." – Henry said, pushing the paper towards the edge of the table.

Luke, who was at the door, walked towards the table. However, he was so small that when he got near it, he simply disappeared. Henry could only see a small hand reaching towards the papers and holding it tightly.

"Yes, my king! I will deliver it." – Luke said in a determined but youthful voice. With a bow, he quickly made his way towards the exit.

"This is going to minimize the problems until we have the barbarians under my throne." – Henry commented and closed his eyes, letting the Mana seep into his body and heal him up.