Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 221

Chapter 221: The unknown noble
In the cold, silent walls of Hidden Stone’s castle, the former capital of the conquered kingdom of Aritreia, Henry sat at a sturdy wooden table. Beside him stood the former queen, her posture rigid and obedient, her head slightly bowed as if she was a simple maid. The soft glow of the fireplace cast long shadows across the room, allowing Henry to read the letter in his hands.

“So, this letter,” Henry said, setting the it down on the table with a slow motion, narrowing his eyes, trying to make sense of the situation “was delivered three days ago by a giant white bird?”

The woman nodded in silence, picking up a small piece of parchment and scribing a quick note before holding it up for him to read.

“I am not doubting you,” Henry said calmly, noticing the slight tension in her shoulders. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the table, a familiar habit whenever he was deep in thought. “But if this is true,” he continued, his tone growing more serious, “it means we might be expecting a visit from an unknown kingdom in the south. And according to this,” he gestured toward the letter, “they are searching for remnants of my ancestor’s legacy… and they have requested your late husband’s help”

Henry’s words hung in the air for a moment, only the sound of his fingers hitting the wood could be heard, as the former queen remained silent, her expression filled with obedience and fear. The king leaned forward, his gaze returning to the letter.

“An unknown noble that is seeking a myth told by those sly bastards” – Henry muttered, his voice carrying a tinge of anger – “It is quite hard to believe that a noble from an unknown kingdom would march north based on rumors that came out of those traitor nobles. A tale of my ancestor slaying a dragon…” An unbelieving smile flickered on Henry’s lips.

Although it was true that Garret killed a true dragon. It was quite difficult to imagine a person traveling months or even years to pursue a myth, stories told by people who betrayed their own kingdom and ruler.

“Do you have any maps of the lands to the south?” Henry asked.

The former queen paused, her brow furrowing slightly as she thought, before nodding. Without a word, she turned and left the room. Henry remained seated, his eyes falling again on the letter as he considered all possibilities in front of him.

Minutes later the door of the study room creaked woman as the woman returned, carrying a large, weathered scroll that was almost as tall as her. She opened it carefully on top of the table, allowing a faint smell of aged leather to spread across the room. Henry immediately caught sight of a faded insignia at the bottom, a familiar symbol that represented his family. A coiling dragon.

“This…” Henry murmured, tracing the symbol with his fingertips. “This belonged to my family’s library.” He let out a quiet breath, his tone carrying a hint of frustration. “It must have been sold off by the kings or nobles before me… likely to pay off their debts.”

The kingdom of Stahl had countless books and documents, holding a vast library, one of the grandest of this parts of the North. However, this vast knowledge was scattered across the land by the careless hands of his predecessors. When he had taken the throne, Henry had made it a priority to recover what he could, slowly rebuilding Stahl’s library. Yet even now, despite his own contributions, it was but a shadow of what it had once been.

“It’s old,” Henry said as his eyes scanned the map’s faded lines. “But the terrain has not changed much, even after centuries. Major cities like Mirante are still here… but the western and eastern regions of Stahl…” He frowned, his finger tracing the map’s edges. “They were far more populated back then.”

The map painted a stark picture of the past. The western and eastern territories of Stahl had once been teeming with life, with villages and cities dotting the path of the White Merchant Road. The road itself had stretched farther south than it did now, connecting Stahl to lands long forgotten.

“All these cities and villages built along the White Merchant Road ceased to exist, breaking the kingdom apart” – Henry murmured, his tone regretful. The kingdom was completely weaved together, with the West and East densely populated and occupied by dozens of important cities.

Now, the west was focused entirely on Mehis and its cold-iron mines, where the ore was mined, stored and shipped all over the king, but mostly ending up in the capital, in the hands of the blacksmiths. As for the East, Frostwave Bay was the last ray of hope, where they were trying to develop shipbuilding and a possible maritime trade.

Henry’s fingers traced the map further south, to a sprawling forest marked on the map. It occupied the border between Aritreia’s lands and the unknown regions further south. Only a single thread of the White Merchant Road seemed to cut through it, opening the way to the uncharted regions.

“What about this forest?” Henry asked, pointing to the strange mass on the map.

The former queen hesitated, her hand hovering over the parchment as if she intended to write something more. Instead, she stopped, letting her hand fall back to her side. Whatever lay beyond that forest was as much of a mystery to her as it was to him. She shook her head slowly.

At her silent response, Henry straightened in his chair and called out, his voice calm yet commanding – “Leier.”

In an instant, a figure emerged from the shadows of the study, as if the darkness itself had given it form. Leier’s presence was as silent as it was unsettling. The former queen took a startled step back, her eyes widening. If her tongue had not been taken, she might have screamed. Instead, she clutched the writing parchment tightly with wide open eyes.

“Send Agusa and Zahra to scout this forest,” Henry instructed, his gray eyes meeting Leier’s gaze. “Tell them to avoid drawing attention. If they see anything unusual, they are to report back immediately, no risks.”

“Yes, my liege,” Leier immediately replied. She bowed her head slightly, then stepped back, her figure retreating into the shadows as effortlessly as she had appeared. For a moment, it seemed as if she had vanished into thin air, but the faint creak of the door opening and closing confirmed that she left the room. Only then did the former queen exhale, her fingers loosening their grip on the parchment.

Henry turned his attention back to her, his gaze sharp. “I would like you to lead me around the kingdom. I would like to see the farming lands of this region.”