Enlightened Empire

Chapter 312: Taking Control

Once again, the mood in the Grand Hall had changed a lot since the previous session. Before, an entire half of the room had been reserved for Tayali and his allies, all huddled together and ready to bombard Sumaci with nonsense complaints every time she tried to push for any changes. Now however, everyone was spread across in the room, with the warriors standing alone like droplets on a windowpane.

Before, they had been strong together, but now they had lost their leader, and thus were equally lost. Even the second nail, the old guard captain Oru, had disappeared from the room. For once, everyone would follow Sumaci's lead. She looked to the side, where advisor Phuyu stood, the architect of this current room of disunity. Although the unprecedented weakness of the local warriors had come from a source she didn't like, it was time to make good use of this rare gift.

Thus, during the first part of the court session, Sumaci had already laid out the plans for defense that she and Corco had put together during their long evenings. Without a hitch, she managed to delegate the work and split it up between her various warriors.

“Now then,” the princess concluded, “Once we manage to finish all preparations, our immediate defense should be guaranteed. Are there any objections to these plans?”

The question sounded like a challenge, and her look seemed like one as well, but none of the warriors dared to confront their new leader at this point. With Tayali's sudden disappearance and Corco's overwhelming victory over the other colored kings, the princess and her people had earned the fear of the locals, even if they hadn't won their respect. For now, fear would be good enough to work with.

“Very good,” Sumaci continued. “But the war will be long, and tough. We can't always stay negative and just defend against our enemies' attacks. If we can't ever hit them where it hurts, they will pause to recover and then just come at us again and again, not to mention the impact this would have on our own morale. This way, we will lose sooner or later. Rather than just hide behind walls, we need to show the people of Rasacopa that we have some spirit, that we are fighting a war on even footing, rather than a desperate struggle for survival. So for now, we'll need to build up a proper spy network on the other Colored Islands, and scout for weaknesses that we can exploit. At the moment, we can't fight them in a frontal assault, but that doesn't mean we can't pierce their armor with precise strikes and bleed them to death.”

For the first time today, a positive mood roused in the room. The combative words were to the tastes of the locals, visibly raising their spirits and brightening their faces.

“Very good,” advisor Phuyu said, a satisfied smile on his face as if his child had just finished his harsh training plan for the first time. “In fact, there are already spies placed on each of the main islands. They were put there by the late King Taoco, in anticipation of this very war. Though for now, they are laid low, hidden among the locals and impossible to detect. They can be reactivated at any time, so long as we can smuggle someone onto those islands to deliver their new orders.”

“Good. I want a full list of the warriors and their positions as soon as possible.”

“Yes, however... their identities need to be protected, so-”

“If even we don't know who they are, they are really good spies, but also useless. Or are you saying I shouldn't know about my own men?”

Although Sumaci didn't want to get into another fight, this was unacceptable. Why hadn't she been informed of the existence of these spies sooner? Clearly, Phuyu was holding back many more cards to guarantee his position. However, at least for now, the old man didn't insist any further.

“This servant will obey,” he simply said.

“Contact them as soon as you can guarantee secrecy. Order them to collect any information they can on the other islands. But they should prioritize their own safety first. I don't need them to sneak into the courts and palaces. Just let them keep an eye on all the movements in the harbor, ships coming and going, the number of warriors moving around the piers and such.”

Sumaci thought for a moment before she continued.

“Also, let them write reports on the general mood and atmosphere in the city. How do the locals feel about their chances, what goods are being traded at strange prices, how many foreigners are walking around... They should focus on the gambling houses, taverns and bordellos around the harbor as well. In case some of the local warriors go there to drink and show off, it's the perfect place to get some easy information. Just let them keep their ears open and have them compile as much information as they can, and then bring it back here for analysis.”

“Very well.” The advisor said. After Sumaci's earlier outburst, he seemed to hesitate, but still spoke up in the end. “However, regular reports may prove risky. The more contact the spies have with us, the higher the chance that they will be discovered.”

“I already have a solution for that, so there's no need for you to consider things,” Sumaci said in a cold tone. “The people of Saniya have developed certain tools that are perfect for secret communication over long distances. Soon, they will bring several of these tools here, eager to sell them, which will give us a crucial advantage on the intelligence front.”

Sumaci thought of the strange 'radio' that Corco had showed off to her before. The tool was almost mystical in nature, being capable of things only the Divines in the stories could do, and the explanation for its use had made her sigh in admiration over the ingenuity of humans.

On top of being unknown to anyone outside of Corco's inner circle for the moment, the radio was indeed perfect for covert operations. All they needed was a hiding spot for the bulky apparatus. It would give them a crucial advantage over their enemies, whose speed of information would be limited by the speed of their ships. However, advisor Phuyu seemed to have reservations.

“More tools from Saniya?” he asked with caution, while he looked around the room. Once again, she could feel the anti-foreign sentiment stir within her court. However, Sumaci would have none of it.

“What, you want to complain about untrustworthy foreigners again?” she continued to challenge the advisor. The old man raised his hands in played panic. More and more, she felt like she was the bully, suppressing the brave warriors of Rasacopa by force, while the poor old man only wanted the best for the island. However, this was the role she had been forced into, so she would have to play it for a while.

“No, this servant would never dare offend the island's allies in such a manner. However, such a crucial tool, would it not be expensive? Together with the building materials for the defensive towers, the cannons and the powder... how will Rasacopa pay for all of these things? Would we not have to sell the entire island to the Medalans this way?”

“Don't exaggerate. Not even your own people will believe nonsense like that.” Sumaci snorted in derision, which elicited a crooked smile from the advisor. “The issue of payment is a problem, but it's not so big that it'll break our backs. I'm well aware of our financial situation, so I've worked out some solutions already.”

“First off, we can use the raw materials of the island to pay for the first shipment of goods. The isles are rich in treasures, so there's plenty to pick from. However, that's not a long-term solution. If one day we run out of earth to dig and trees to fell, we need new income to replace those sources. For that purpose, I plan to install a number of manufactories in Rasacopa. We will copy the model that has made Saniya the richest country in the Verduic Sea within only a few short years.”

“Manufactories, princess?” the advisor asked in confusion. Even now, she didn't know if he was playing a role or not, but she didn't mind explaining the basics to the court.

“Manufactories are large workshops. Within them, a massive, organized workforce transforms raw materials into finished products with great efficiency. This gets more value out of the same number and quality of workers than smaller workshops could. Usually, the raw materials are cheap, while the finished articles will be worth much more. We buy cheap resources from other countries, sell the expensive products to the outside, and reap the rewards. In this way, the amount of wealth in the country will continue to increase. With our unique position in the center of the Verduic Sea, as well as an endless stream of materials and goods entering and leaving the island, we can become a central hub for trade in the region, equal to the greatest cities in the world.”

“Princess, your grand plans are admirable, as expected of a Hulpatec,” the advisor flattered. “However... what sort of product is Rasacopa supposed to create and sell, exactly?”

“I needs to be something that doesn't require a lot of skill to produce, or something a lot of our people already know how to create,” Sumaci said. “And it should also be something that has a high demand, both here and in other countries around us. Something everyone needs or wants, right now and in the future.”

“What would this thing be? Rice?” The old man asked like it was a riddle, which only further annoyed Sumaci. To her, it felt like he was playing dumb on purpose, which only made him even harder to read, and even harder to use in the future.

“Everyone makes rice,” she said. “I'm talking about clothing, about cloth.”

“Cloth? Indeed, the Yaku are masters of weaving, but why would others buy ours over their own?Everyone else in the entire world produces cloth as well after all.”

“That's right, they do. But are they as good as us? The Yaku have a long and proud tradition of producing intricate weavings, from robes to carpets and tapestry. No one else compares to us in that regard. The many masters of cloth work have generations of experience, and will be able to make good use of it, to the benefit of the people. As for the other Yaku, we will exceed them in several crucial areas. First, we will employ the manufactory system, as well as modern machines, to create the same quality cloth at far cheaper prices. And second, we will produce our raw materials ourselves, which will further reduce costs. In the future, I want to see cotton fields all across the islands, as far as the eye can see. They will be the source of our prosperity and power for generations to come.”

“What a grand plan, as expected of Princess.” Despite his flattery, Sumaci could sense this time that Phuyu still wasn't convinced. Though for once she didn't mind. Through tangible results, she could slowly convince him over time, just like the other warriors. For now, she would simply answer their questions one by one, to prove the viability of the project, and to show her own competence in the face of the old advisor.

“However,” Phuyu began.

Here come the excuses.

“However, Princess, this old man fears that the goals may be a bit too ambitious. Moreso now, in a time of crisis. In the first place, where would we find the space to plant enough cotton to service the Green Island as well as all the kingdoms around us with cloth? As of now, most of our cotton and wool are imported from outside.”

“That's simple. Just get rid of the jungle.”

“Princess. Is that a good idea? The jungle is dangerous and unwieldy... not to mention the curses of the Divines within.”

At last, she got a genuine reaction out of her advisor, as well as the people in the hall. Sumaci laughed at their cowardly responses.

“Let me worry about the Divines,” she brushed off his concerns. “As for the dangers of the jungle... why do you think my husband hasn't shown up here today? As early as this morning, Corco has left the city and returned to home on a mission. When the medalan ships return from Saniya, they will bring with them a secret weapon, to gain dominion over the jungle once and for all.”