Roland pushed open the office door, where Barov had been waiting for some time.
He tossed the document to the Minister's Assistant, then slumped into the armchair with his feet on the desk.
If no one else was around, he would have hummed a tune.
"Your Highness, please accept this," Barov said, finishing the document quickly with a frown. "The King's tragic death by the Great Prince is truly a tragedy. I wonder what Your Highness plans next." "Goron's death is too suspicious. I'd like to see the decisions of Third Sister and Fifth Sister before proceeding," Roland replied. "But in any case, we should take precautions early." Barov looked at the Prince, awaiting his response.
The throne might be thrown into turmoil by this succession. The top priority is to evacuate your loved ones. But more crucially, we must prevent the Second Prince from using them to threaten his loyalists. To keep Border Town's administration and finances running smoothly, the Minister's Assistant is absolutely essential. Roland took a sip of tea and continued, "You, Carter, and your men should all write a letter home. I'll have the Imperial Guards deliver them to the capital and relocate them to other towns." "Not to Border Town?" Barov wasn't a fool. His twenty years in politics made him instantly grasp the Prince's true intentions.
"No need." Roland didn't want his subordinates to perceive him as using family members as threats, nor did he want them to think he was doing so. Thus, he opted for a compromise: first relocating to safer towns, then moving here once Border Town had stabilized.
"I understand. Thank you, Your Highness, for your concern," the Minister's Assistant nodded in agreement, which relieved Roland. Ultimately, there were too few competent individuals under his command.
"Additionally, regarding the ore trade, the recent suspension of iron ore exports has limited sales to gemstone rough stones in Liuye Town," he instructed. "I must retain these iron ores for my own use." "This would reduce fiscal revenue, Your Highness." "But the decline won't be severe. The miners have discovered a new gemstone deposit that could partially offset the shortfall," Roland remarked. With winter inherently slow for business, merchants avoid traveling during the season when evil beasts may emerge, leaving only two or three trading sessions possible over the four-month period. For light single-masted ships, transporting gemstone rough stones is clearly the more cost-effective option.
"I understand," Barov noted down the records.
After the Minister's Assistant departed, Roland summoned Carter Lannis again. "I need to expand the militia. Once the recruits are dispatched, you'll arrange for them. Select a few quick-thinking and capable members to form the new unit's leadership. The training should follow the same method as last time." "Your Highness, if we stick to last time's training approach, the new unit might take ages to become operational." "That's still better than a bunch of random hooligans," Roland said, gesturing for him to proceed. Though such a training regimen hardly qualifies as an army—likely just college-level military training—the combat effectiveness of such units must be measured against their opponents. Aside from mindless beasts, his most likely adversaries would be a "mixed force" hastily assembled from private armies, mercenaries, and serfs. With cross-era weaponry, even college-level recruits could handle such forces.
When Carter left too, Roland couldn't help but laugh.
He never expected such a fortuitous event to occur! It was like receiving charcoal in the snow or a pillow when one is drowsy.
Is this bad news for him? A dilemma? Far from it! He knew little about Jasmine Wimberton, but she was no pushover. The Prince was executed so swiftly that even without inside information, she would hardly return to the capital lightly.
He just needed to follow the instructions. As long as he stayed put in Border Town, someone would inevitably show up—likely the Duke of the Fortress, who wouldn't be the first to lose his patience. Otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed to deliver the recall order to him in such terrible weather.
The Duke wished to see it sooner, and the sooner he could sleep soundly.
Choosing to remain in Border Town would be tantamount to defying the new King's decree. Once the Evil Demon's Moon passes, the Duke will most likely use the banner of Tifeck Wemberton to deliver a harsh lesson to him—exactly what Roland needs.
If you ask what industrialization lacks most, the answer is undoubtedly people.
It required a massive workforce to engage in this large-scale production, turning people into individual components to drive this colossal machine. It is no exaggeration to say that Britain's "enclosure movement," which forced a large number of farmers off their land and turned them into free laborers, laid a solid foundation for the subsequent Industrial Revolution.
The industrial era was brutally efficient: by continuously feeding this melting pot with educated laborers, one could reap substantial rewards. The finer the industrial specialization, the more exponentially the required workforce would expand.
Roland has been troubled by the population issue.
Border Town has a population of over two thousand. Even with modern machinery, production remains at a workshop level. Without a substantial workforce, many projects cannot be implemented. But how could he possibly recruit so many people through illegal means?
Acquiring slaves? Setting aside the question of where one could obtain thousands of slaves at once, adult slaves were prohibitively expensive and offered little value for cultivation. The training period for underage slaves under ten years old was excessively prolonged, requiring several years even when child laborers were conscripted against their will.
Recruiting talent? How many people can this remote frontier actually attract? Moreover, the cost would only be higher than purchasing slaves.
Encouraging more births? Forced marriage? Forget it...
Though he had his eyes on the Long Song Fortress, the kingdom's stability meant attacking neighboring lords would jeopardize his own future. Duke Llane, too, dared not confront him openly and could only scheme behind his back.
The situation has changed. After ascending the throne, Tifiko is desperate to eliminate all his rivals—a desire clearly reflected in this recall decree. Duke Laine, too, recognizes this urgency. As the ruler of the Western Borderlands, it would be unthinkable for him to remain inactive once he loses the constraints of the old King.
This is the opportunity that Roland has been waiting for.
Longge Fortress, a century-old stronghold guarding the kingdom's borders, is home to nearly ten thousand permanent residents. Beyond the fortress lie vast territories and defenseless towns. By defeating the Fortress Duke and capturing the city, he can secure a large number of free citizens and complete the initial accumulation of wealth.
What could be more accessible than annexation? What could accumulate wealth more rapidly than plunder?
This message was like a beacon dispelling the fog, illuminating the path forward for Roland.
He would never let go of such a golden opportunity.