Quadrant sat slumped on the ancient throne, his fingers drumming nervously on the armrests. The grand hall, once a place of opulence and power, now reflected the kingdom's state—dilapidated and forlorn. The few nobles that remained eyed him with a mix of skepticism and pity.

"Your Majesty," began Lord Darius, the oldest and perhaps the only experienced member of the council, "the kingdom is on the brink of collapse. We must—"

A sudden, metallic voice interrupted.

"Well, if it isn't the poor king Quadrant! Ready to play king or just sitting there looking like a deer in headlights?"

Quadrant jumped, looking around wildly. "Who said that?"

The nobles exchanged confused glances. "Your Majesty?" asked Lord Darius.

"Can't you hear that voice?" Quadrant demanded.

"No one else can hear me, genius," the voice continued. "I'm your new… let's call it a 'system.' Think of me as your personal advisor. A very sarcastic, brutally honest advisor."

Quadrant blinked, trying to process this. "A system? Like some kind of magical guide?"

"Exactly. And you're going to need all the help you can get. Look at this place! It's a wonder you haven't been overthrown yet."

Quadrant groaned inwardly. It was going to be a long journey.

"Your Majesty," Lord Darius persisted, trying to regain the young king's attention, "we need to address the kingdom's finances immediately. The treasury is nearly empty, and—"

"Yeah, yeah," Quadrant waved his hand dismissively. "I get it. We're broke."

"Understatement of the century," the system chimed in. "You couldn't buy a loaf of bread with what's left in there."

Quadrant sighed. "Alright, Darius, what's the plan?"

Lord Darius looked momentarily surprised at Quadrant's directness. "We need to increase taxes—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the system interrupted again. "Tax the people more? They're already starving! Brilliant plan, really."

"Do you have a better idea?" Quadrant asked the system, exasperated.

"Actually, yes. How about not making everyone hate you more? Start by boosting trade. Open up new markets. Maybe find something unique to sell."

Quadrant nodded, pretending to understand. "Alright, Darius, forget the taxes for now. We need to focus on trade. Open new markets or whatever."

Lord Darius raised an eyebrow. "Trade? With what, Your Majesty? We have nothing to offer."

The system snickered. "He's not wrong, you know."

"Then we find something," Quadrant said firmly. "There must be something we can trade. Ideas, anyone?"

The hall fell silent, the nobles looking at each other with uncertainty.

"This is your chance to prove you're not completely useless," the system whispered. "Come on, think!"

After an awkward pause, a young noble, Sir Barnaby, stepped forward. "Well, uh, we do have that old iron mine in the hills. It's been abandoned for years, but maybe we could get it running again?"

Quadrant's eyes lit up. "An iron mine? That's something! Let's get it up and running."

Lord Darius frowned. "That will take resources we don't have, Your Majesty."

"Then we find investors," Quadrant said, more confidently than he felt. "We'll invite merchants and tradesmen from other kingdoms. Offer them a stake in the mine."

The system chuckled. "Not a terrible idea. Maybe you're not completely hopeless after all."

Quadrant grinned. "See, we're getting somewhere. Let's send out invitations and get this thing started."

As the nobles left to carry out his orders, Quadrant leaned back on his throne, feeling a small spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could do this.

"Don't get too cocky," the system warned. "This is just the beginning. You've got a long way to go."

Quadrant sighed. "Yeah, I know. But at least it's a start."

"That's the spirit," the system replied, with just a hint of sarcasm.