Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 211

Chapter 211: Gedhe, the Frozen Agent
Henry turned his gaze to the Frozen Agent, a familiar face amongst those he had met only a couple of times – “Gedhe, over this last month I haven’t seen a rise of medicinal herbs and wood collected, did something happen?” – Henry asked the barbarian leader, the one he had used to rally the northern tribes under his throne.

Henry wanted a representative of the barbarians to sit on the table together with these merchants, without discriminating them, allowing them to have a say on the products that they were going to buy and sell. It was a way to maintain loyalty and order amongst the barbarians, while also integrating them in the economy. They were an important part of the capital and the economy, being the only people with courage to enter the Frozen Forest on daily basis, fighting against the extreme cold and the creatures within it, and the things collected within the Frozen Forest were going to be important to develop other areas, like sailing and medicine.

Gedhe cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the others seated at the table. He noticed a few disdainful glances cast his way, but he remained solid. He had grown used to such looks; the only opinion that truly mattered here was that of the king.

“As Your Majesty commanded,” he began, his voice rough and respectful, carrying a tinge of accent, “we have deployed additional patrols around the Frozen Forest to monitor for any dangerous beasts that might escape from the Inner Layer. However, this has led to a shortage of manpower for gathering wood, herbs, and hunting.”

Before Henry embarked on his campaign to conquer the enemy kingdoms down south, he had witnessed Winter Orcs crossing into the Outer Layer and breaking through the invisible barrier that protected the humans, forcing the barbarians to leave their new established village within the Outer Layer.

He might have dismissed it as a rare but isolated event, a lucky or mysterious creature that managed to cross the border. However, memories inherited from Caelum had revealed deeper and ancient truths. Henry understood that the barrier weakened every few hundred years, allowing those creatures to attack the lands down south. He knew that these beasts’ incursions only got stronger with each passing iteration. He had to be careful.

Henry held his chin in thought, asking – “Have you seen any other creatures from the Inner Layer cross into the Outer Layer in recent months?”

Gedhe shook his head. “Since we have lived close to the border between the layers and know the terrain well, I had my kin keep watch near the entrance to the Inner Layer. So far, everything seems normal. We did not spot another creature.”

The king took a moment to think, his fingers resuming their rhythmic drumming on the wooden table as the agents exchanged uneasy glances. Their minds still lingered on Henry’s recent words about the new regulatory policies, and nobody seemed to be paying attention to the barbarian’s report. Silent exchanges flickered between them, almost as if they were carrying on a conversation without words. The Iron Agent, in particular, seemed restless, shifting in his chair as he exchanged knowing looks with the others, trying to hide his discomfort.

“It seems we won’t see much change in the short term” – Henry said, his fingers finally stopping – “Reduce the number of scouts and focus on gathering resources. We need the wood for shipbuilding experiments, and the herbs for developing new medicines. The knowledge your tribe has shared with us has saved countless lives during the last war.” He gave a slight nod. “Expect compensation for your efforts.”

The medicinal herbs from the Frozen Forest, both from the Outer and Inner Layers, had proven invaluable. Henry had compiled the barbarians’ extensive knowledge of these plants and begun sharing it with the soldiers and his subjects. He wanted everyone knowing how to use it, which would allow the field to develop. The herbs collected from the Frozen Forest had high concentrations of Mana within it, making it the best material to create medicinal potions. Henry wanted to develop it.

“We thank you, my king,” Gedhe said, bowing his head with a slight awkwardness, still getting accustomed to the gesture, but clearly more comfortable than he once was. He settled back into his chair, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Henry gave a brief nod, his gaze shifting away from the towering barbarian to the rest of the agents. They seemed to sense his gaze immediately, lowering their heads to avoid his piercing stare, their previous silent exchanges cut short by the weight of his attention.

“Soon, a Sea Agent will be appointed to oversee the eastern territories” – Henry announced, his gaze sweeping across every single one of those occupying a seat on the table – “This agent will be responsible for managing all trade that originates from the eastern seas, facilitating commerce and accelerating our advancements in shipbuilding and maritime technology.”

At his words, all eyes turned toward the Miscellaneous Agent, a frail-looking man with golden hair who handled a broad number of different goods and services. It was clear to everyone in the room that he would be the one most affected by the addition of this new Sea Agent.

“There’s no need for concern,” Henry assured him, meeting the man’s nervous gaze directly. “Your operations won’t be disrupted. The Sea Agent’s role will be limited to overseeing sea-sourced goods and supporting the crown’s efforts in shipbuilding and exploration. This won’t interfere with the broader scope of your trade. You will still be responsible for trading all miscellaneous goods.”

The frail, golden-haired man took a quiet, relieved breath, his eyes betraying the fear that he had nearly lost a large portion of his income, his shoulders relaxing.

“The meeting is over” – Henry declared, rising from his seat – “Luke will send you further instructions over the next month. I will also arrange for governors to be appointed within that time frame. They will be responsible for relaying each region’s needs and priorities directly to me. I expect each of you to work closely with them.”

“Pass down these directives to all merchants under your influence. Ensure they understand the importance of their loyalty and service to the crown. They all need to support those appointed by the crown.” – Henry finished.

Without waiting for a response, Henry left the room, Luke falling into step beside him. Behind them, the agents remained seated, some visibly relieved, others apprehensive, as they processed the king’s every words. Except for Gedhe, who still had that small smile on his lips.

“I need to visit Leier’s shadow agents” – Henry thought as he descended the stone stairway of the Sun God Company’s headquarters. His mind couldn’t help but think about the Iron Agent. Something felt off. He needed to investigate.

At the foot of the stairs, he turned to Luke. “Let’s return to the castle”

He would put his shadows on each one of them.