The information that I refused the request of both Lancard and Tesent's royals will become known soon, as well as the conditions I had set which will likely cause an international incident adding to my infamy.
Carrien itself will likely not even care as conquering those kingdom's is more of an expedition than a war, but they will still have to send a diplomat of some kind or appoint one here, likely enough they will appoint Nova as the voice of the royal house.
They did call Nova a 'bastard prince' so that's slander towards the Carrien royalty who he is ackowledged as even if he wasn't originally, meaning they insulted the honor of the Carrien Empire, which could easily lead to a war which we will be on the front lines of again, if not handled well.
It will take a day and a half to arrive here from the capital going nonstop from horse to horse and at least three days with a single horse going at regular speed and resting intervals.
The messenger left urgently so he will likely arrive at the capital in two or three days.
Nova will then have a month to prepare for the response of the kingdoms.
In that month we too have to make some moves to increase our population and further our military power should a war truly come.
First however, they did bring up a good point, the Republic on Luminos Lake, a massive merchant nation, just a small trickle of their merchants arriving here in Durlivan has caused a great increase in revenue helping to reinvigorate the economy much faster than I expected.
With the increase in farm hands as well the next harvest is coming along nicely, luckily here in Carrien we are situated towards the equator so it doesn't snow or get cold making it easy to farm year round.
Let's see, we still have enough equipment for six thousand more men at least, but we don't have anyone to do the maintenance for it, I have seen the forges here in Durlivan but according to reports they have not been active in years bordering on decades now.
Armourers, Smiths, Leatherworkers, we will need both to keep up with the wear and tear of the soldier's armors before we increase the size of the military essentially soft capping us at five and a half thousand right now.
It has become more and more apperant but, we are severe need of a dedicated core of craftsmen for the city.
Due to the fighting going on constantly and playing catch up with the state of Durlivan I have failed to take care of this sooner.
Well let's do this all now then.
What do we need besides craftsmen?
We need more population, that is very important, if I wait normally than it will be at least sixteen years before our military can grow any substantial amount.
We need to build dedicated farming villages but we need more population for that.
We need to built up more forts in the mountains as well as establish some quarries and mines in the mountains, but again more population.
For everything that we need, we need more population.
How to get more population then?
Well, we have to make our territory more attractive.
Right now the only people who see Durlivan as attractive are mercenaries and merchants, the common people see it as a death pit with all the fighting constantly going on.
To counter balance that image, we will need to do something big.
Give them a free home? Guarentee them jobs either out in the fields or in the military, tell them that crafts people will be highly valued here and that no craftsperson will be turned away.
That should make things more attractive right?
We can also take in refugee's from other nations, from what i've understood Kendogan and Rekarsus are both super massive empires so they are fine right now, but the small crack of kingdoms who are constantly going to war is a perfect place to syphon population from, those Gulf Kingdoms.
"Shion, I want you to listen to an idea of mine." I said lightly walking towards the war room and explaining my thoughts as we walked.
When we arrived in the war room I looked up to find Shion looking at me strangely.
"What is it?" I asked setting down a larger map of this part of the continent.
"You do know that, openly stating that you are taking in the people of other nations is cause for war correct?" Shion spoke slowly and clearly.
"That won't be a problem since we aren't saying we are taking them in, we just are, how are we to know they are refugee's from those kingdoms?" I responded with a toothy smile, "Besides, I doubt they would dare to attack Carrien without a clear cause."
"Then, why have you brought me here to the war room?" Shion asked suspiciously, "Your not thinking of declaring war on them are you?"
Glancing up I smiled, "No no no, we can't do that right now, the Earldom would be steam rolled long before Carrien could send reinforcements."
"What I am thinking of doing is buying slaves, but for that I need to know the names of kingdom's and their underground forces." I said calmly.
"Slaves?" Shion replied angrily, "We don't need slaves no matter how hurt we are for population we should never resort to such a thing!"
"I know now hear me out," I held her hand, "I plan to buy the slaves and then set them free in the territory, or if they wish to return to their homes, I will send them home with escorts."
"But, what about the places we buy them from? They will never do business with the Scarlet Demon, the very person who started the movement to run them out of the territory." She said squeezing my hand, "You aren't planning on doing something reckless again are you?"
I smiled and she frowned.
"I knew it! You aren't allowed!" She yelled as her left split the air going for a head chop.
Catching the vicious hand that almost took my head I spoke slowly, "We can get refugee's from those warring kingdoms, and driving out the slavers from out lands is great and I fully support it, but what about those who are already slaves? What will become of them if we do not help them get their freedom?"
"Then, don't buy them, free them!" Shion suddenly shouted, "You don't have to smear your name like this, if word were to get out that the Scarlet Demon is involved in human trafficking it would ruin everything you've built up!"
"I can't just free them, Shion!" I yelled back, "Dont you think I thought of that? If we free them by force, it would only serve to increase the ire of the underground guilds, what if a new army like the one from before arrives, but this time made up of properly trained men, lead by a proper strategist? Durlivan will be massacred and everything will go up in flames anyway."
"But-"
"I cannot solve this with violence." I said firmly, "If I try to, it will lead to the death's of thousands, it is instead better if I just do this on my own, that way if something goes wrong, only I will be held accountable."
A long silence held the room.
"If I cause a war, Durlivan's people will only suffer." I said quietly, "Tensent and Lancard are different, they would not dare declare war, but, the underground guilds would attack without a second thought whilst the factions form in the main lands of Carrien."
"Even so!" Shion muttered angrily, "Why does it have to be you?"
"If not me, who?" I sighed leaning back into my chair.
The fastest way for the population to grow is if some massive war happened and a bunch of people were to be displaced.
But, a war of that scale where massive numbers of people are displaced would likely have to be on the super massive level between empires like Carrien, Kendogan and Rekarsus, but that would hardly ever happen as they are all in a very fragile balance right now essentially ignoring one another.
Perhaps....
Nah.
That won't happen either.
After tonight plans began being set in motion with the announcment of free housing and guarentee'd jobs, Trigo and Warren helping to spread it all around the Earldom, at the same, merchants passing by would spread the word all around the empires.
At the same time that it was circulating Nova sent a reply.
"Lancard and Tensent not only disrespected a prince of Carrien, but also threatened one of it's lords taking shots at the honor of Carrien's nobility, I will send word of this to the capital, do not worry about Lancard and Tensent." The letter was short but precise, "From Prince Surnova Carrien."
Hm? Why is there a little astrix?
Bringing the candle light closer to the letter I realized that it wasn't really an astrix but a letter, ink that can only be seen under fire light?
"The extermination of the underground guilds here in the capital is going slowly, I would like for you to come and help, also, Lancard and Tensent are each trade partners with the Federation of duchies like most of the Gulf Kingdoms, so they will likely not say too much about coming for a trade deal since the duchies would feel offended that they would try and trade with more than just them."
I was just thinking this piece of parchment was too big for the few words he wrote originally.
So he want's my help with the extermination, I can do that.
"Yu?"
"What's up?" She appeared from the nest called my head with a sleepy voice.
"We are going to go exterminating, can you relay messages to the contingent captains as well as Nefamiti, also fetch me Alias tell him to get ready."
"Yea..." She floated off shakily.
"So your going to help to exterminate the remains of the influence of the underground guilds in the rest of Dra?" Shion appeared.
"I am going to help, during this time I will also try and rescue any slaves I find, but don't get your hopes up."