Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

60  What is Luther doing?

With Henry's signal, the air crackled with tension as Grok and Zahra locked eyes for a brief second, their gazes evidencing a fierce determination and a burning competitiveness within them. Simultaneously and without hesitation, they exploded into action, kicking the snowy ground, and dashing towards their respective sides of the forest, followed by their teams. One of them filled by the desire to aid the kingdom and the king, while the other one was motivated by the prospect of fighting against a powerful adversary.

Grok's team charged forward like a powerful machine, forcefully carving a path through the thick and frigid forest, leaving deep footprints on the snow. They moved like a wave, pushing aside branches and disregarding any obstacles in their way. They were like a mindless herd of powerful and fierce Winter Orcs, driven by savagery and a simple line of thinking. The thought of claiming victory and guaranteeing a place in the Commanders Training Center plunged them into an almost obsessive thought, turning them willing to cross through fire to ensure a great social standing.

On the other side, Zahra's team was like a gentle breeze, avoiding the trees while barely leaving their footprints on the shallow snow. Their eyes had the same crazy intention as those of the other team, obsessed with the prospects of winning. However, contrary to Grok's team management, Zahra rapidly took control of her members, not letting them run mindlessly and without a clear leadership.

"Soldiers!" - Zahra called out commandingly, her voice overlapping the sound of running feet, capturing everyone's attention. - "Our first priority is to secure the flag swiftly. To accomplish that, we must cover a substantial area. I need each one of you to spread out, maintaining visual contact and establishing positions that facilitate rapid communication."

Zahra's experience alongside Olaro during several reconnaissance operations, imparted her with valuable lessons. Among them, she had come to understand the importance of communication for any army or team. Right now, in this specific scenario, if a soldier located the flag but encountered delaying obstacles in reporting the information, it would create an opportune gap for Grok to exploit.

The command swiftly snapped the soldiers back to reality, pulling them out of the chaotic state of mind where the overwhelming desire for victory clouded their senses. They had to win this and to do that, implementing order was the first step.

"Move!" - Zahra's command resonated as she waved her hand. In response, the team sprang into action, their feet hitting the snowy ground, leaving deep footprints. They swiftly dispersed, ensuring they maintained strategic positions that allowed for effective communication, all while keeping their objective in mind.

With efficiency, the team meticulously scanned the forest, their eyes taking in every detail. After fifteen minutes, the report of the flag's location reached Zahra's ears. It was found ten miles away from the mansion, lodged in a stone. A satisfied and victoriously grin emerged on her lips.

On the other hand, Grok's team took ten more minutes to successfully secure their objective. His lack of leadership skills led the soldiers to an unorganized effort, giving Zahra's team a complete vantage. Ten minutes were enough time for a nation to fall, much less a waning and crazy team.

Henry observed their every movement, a vengeful smile crossing his face. He turned to Leier, who stood beside him, and said, "Leier, get the pole ready. Today, I will educate that disloyal and disobedient prick."

"Yes, my liege," Leier responded with a nod, ready to jump down from the roof. But Henry's voice echoed once more. - "Fetch the largest one, the higher, the better. Let the winter wind have some company."

-x-

Back in the capital, Luther was silently observing the construction of the great walls, destined to safeguard the city from sieges and attacks. Once in a while, his eyes wandered towards the White Merchant Road, which had been connected to Orsus in these last two years, allowing the barbarians to easily trade their goods, mostly food and firewood, with the residents and merchants of the city.

Under Henry's reign, the kingdom was going through a revolution in economics and infrastructure, advancing with large strides in both fronts. The constructions, held throughout the kingdom, guaranteed jobs to most of the people, which in turn gave them enough money to buy food and other necessary items for survival.

Henry utilized every single coin in his hands, mostly earned from his shares of the Sun God Company, to invest on his plans to reconstruct the kingdom and give jobs to those idle people, creating a virtuous circle. Henry provided enough jobs to the population, generating income for them, which gave his subjects the means to purchase essential goods and services, thereby stimulating the economic activy and supporting the merchants, who were all under the banner of the Sun God Company, giving him royalties.

Henry planned on using the merchants to reduce the transaction costs and to guarantee the availability of goods and services. In a world where data could only be recorded and transmitted through physical paper, centralizing everything in his own hands posed challenges. Additionally, the absence of tools to process vast amounts of information made it more practical to involve the merchants and seek their assistance in addressing this issue. Some decisions couldn't remain all in his hands.

Furthermore, Henry saw the merchants as invaluable tool for spreading knowledge. They would bring new ideas, technologies, and business practices from various markets and countries, infusing Stahl with innovation. It would also be easier for local merchants to spot and improve scattered technology, those which the Royal Family wouldn't have been able to give attention to. In sum, embracing and supporting the merchants would not only drive productive growth but also enhance the quality of life for the people, creating a vibrant and dynamic environment within the kingdom.

The Sun God Company, much like England's control over the East India Company, served as a catalyst to propel these transformative changes. Just as the East India Company facilitated British colonial expansion and trade in the East Indies, Henry desired to make the Sun God Company into a tool to boost the country's development. With Henry behind the scenes, like England, he had the power to influence the merchant class. This enabled him to use them to drive economic growth, encourage innovation and improve the lives of the people, but without losing his power over them. In the end, ideally, the merchants would only move under his command.

Henry wanted to use the best of both worlds, the merchants' flexibility and innovation and the power of a monarch. This was the best way to economically proceed with his plan of building the strongest nation.

Henry attempted to convey his thoughts to Luther, yet the elderly man struggled to grasp the full significance of his investments and the importance of the plan for the future. However, the seasoned General understood the importance of protecting the alliance between the bustling barbarians on the White Merchant Road and the merchants within the city walls. One was responsible for the food and firewood while the other was responsible for distributing it across the city. This had to be protected.

With a final look and after making sure that the construction work was going as planned, Luther got down from the noisy great wall, where the noise of hammers and pickaxes was an ever-present company and made his way to the center of the capital. He had to supervise the other works.

Luther headed towards the Royal Library.

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