"That was the policy early on."
Dylan sat cross-legged in the dilapidated "Palace Garden" and used branches to draw a vague map on the ground.
"According to your statement, the people of the Kingdom of Girona still support the royal family, so the first thing to do is unite the people and then resume production."
"But..."
Bamond thought of the pirates who came to plunder from time to time. Even if they planted food, it would just be given to the pirates in vain.
Dylan frowned and thought for a moment before saying to Bamond, "Find someone who is familiar with the surrounding sea area and loyal enough to send me a message back. Remember, you must be cautious enough! Otherwise, it will lay the foundation for future troubles!"
"I will stay here for two seasons. In the first quarter, I will ensure that the grain can mature smoothly."
"In the second quarter, teach your soldiers how to take up arms. Pirates - they're not that scary!"
Gu~~~
A strange sound came, and Dylan looked at Camilla, whose face was slightly pale but a little red from shyness.
"I..."
Dylan looked at the others. The soldiers' faces were also pale. The old man's beard was almost withered into straw.
"Are there any wild animals around here?"
"In the deep mountains to the north, there are some wild beasts..."
"Call someone, bring a cart or something, and follow me."
Dylan stood up, bent down, and touched Camilla's head. "Hold on, we'll be back soon."
Camilla stood on tiptoe and watched the retreating figures of Dylan and the coachmen.
Though her body was thin and her hair was withered due to long-term hunger and turmoil, at this moment, Camilla's eyes lit up.
"Bamond"
Looking at the disappearing figure at the end of the road, tears finally filled Camilla's eyes.
"Have I found someone I can rely on?"
...
In the jungle north of the royal capital of Girona, weeds and shrubs overgrew the area since no one had cleaned it for years.
On the long-abandoned road at the foot of the mountain, several carts were filled with the corpses of more than a dozen large beasts.
"Here we go again!"
Shasha...shasha...
From the shadows of the dense forest, Dylan walked out carrying the carcasses of several beasts.
"Let's go, these should be enough to last for a while."
"As for staple food and condiments..."
Dylan remembered seeing a pirate flag on a small island on his way over. He'd just go there and "borrow" some.
When the convoy returned to the capital with the beast's bodies, more and more people followed behind.
When he arrived at the entrance of the palace, Dylan nodded slightly toward Camilla, then slammed the scabbard of Shura on the ground.
"Now, men who know how to cut meat go to the left, and women who know how to cook go to the right."
After the crowd dispersed, Dylan continued, "The others went to find firewood."
Looking at Dylan standing in front of her, although she didn't know his name yet, Camilla was convinced at that moment.
She had found someone she could rely on.
An hour later, the aroma of meat filled the air over the capital. Dylan stood in front of a row of cauldrons, scanning the "chefs."
"If you eat secretly, the whole family will be expelled."
This was the rule set by Dylan.
Although no one knew him personally, the soldiers had told everyone that Dylan had killed more than thirty pirates alone.
Even though saliva kept pouring out of mouths and many children were already crying, the sight of Dylan standing there with a sword made everyone fearful.
"Soldier!"
When all the meat was cooked, Dylan barked an order.
The soldiers, who were originally civilians, immediately gathered in front of the cauldron.
"Each person, according to age, is given food."
"Anything that is not eaten will be dried, and no more food is allowed..."
Dylan looked at the people with a serious expression. "No crying allowed!"
Camilla, from behind, tugged on Bamond's sleeve. "Bamond , don't we have a lot of meat? Why can't everyone eat as much as they want?"
Bamond stroked his beard and smiled. "Your Highness, you cannot eat all this meat at once. If you eat it today, what about tomorrow? What about the day after tomorrow? And..."
"After long-term hunger, people cannot eat too much at once, otherwise their bodies will not be able to bear it."
That young man... is really amazing...
"Why!!"
A sharp voice shouted from the crowd. "There is obviously so much meat!! Why can't we have a full meal?"
Dylan glanced over coldly, and the noisy young man shrank back in fear.
But then he saw the people around him whispering to each other and immediately said loudly, "These are the beasts of our Kingdom of Girona. We can eat as many as we want!"
Dylan did not explode immediately but pulled out the Shura scabbard that had been buried in the ground.
"Oh? Then why don't you go hunting yourself?"
"You..." The blond young man showed a trace of anger. "You have the ability, what's wrong with helping us!?"
Hearing this, most people hesitated, but a small number showed expressions that it was indeed the case.
"That's right..."
Dylan nodded, and the blond young man looked happy.
It looked like they could have a full meal today!
But what Dylan said next made him feel like he was falling into an ice cellar.
"I have power, so I want to help you. Similarly, pirates have power, so they can plunder you without restraint, right? Then what if..."
Dylan unsheathed the crimson Shura, and a burst of blood-filled air erupted instantly.
"What if I choose to become a pirate now?"
The hungry people suddenly panicked.
Dylan walked forward slowly, and Camilla clenched Bamond's sleeve tightly and gritted her teeth.
"In life, you can lack power or knowledge, but there is one thing, if you don't have it, it will be fatal at any time."
Slash!
The blond young man's head flew high.
His expression in the sky was still full of panic and fear.
"If you don't have a clear understanding of yourself, you will step into the abyss at any time."
After this commotion, the originally noisy crowd suddenly became quiet.
Even if a child wanted to cry, their mother would cover their mouth.
"Distribute the food."
"Yes!"
...
In the palace, after Camilla ate some meat thoughtfully, she glanced at Dylan hesitantly.
"What's wrong? Do you think I'm too cruel?"
"No..." Camilla shook her head. "I believe you must have a reason, I just..."
"I want to know the specific reason!" Camilla finally raised her head and looked directly at Dylan. "I am no longer a child!"
Dylan was stunned for a moment and looked at Bamond.
"Princess Camilla...no...According to legal principles, she is now Her Majesty Camilla."
"That's it..."
Dylan picked up a carving knife and placed it with a piece of meat.
"So...Queen Camilla, what do you think is needed to rule a kingdom?"
Camilla raised her head in confusion. The word "domination" was still unfamiliar to the 7-year-old Camilla.
"To put it simply, how do you think you can make your people happier?"
"Let everyone have enough to eat!"
Camilla shouted back.
Dylan nodded, and then shook his head. "Yes, having enough food is everyone's need. It is the most important and fundamental. But if that's the case, your ancestors already did that hundreds of years ago."
"Then..."
Dylan looked at the somewhat confused Camilla and asked, "Why did the Kingdom of Girona collapse?"
"Because of pirates!"
Dylan shook his head again. "This is just one aspect, just the symptom of the problem, not the essence of the problem."
Dylan pushed the meat forward. "The country is rich and the people have enough to eat. Your ancestors achieved this for hundreds of years."
Then Dylan pushed the knife forward again. "The country has the power to drive away pirates and bandits. Your ancestors also did this."
"Why do kingdoms like this eventually collapse?"
Bamond sat thoughtfully, and this question had troubled him for many years. But he also attributed it to the advent of the "Great Pirate Age."
"Wealth is the flesh and blood of a country, and strength is the bones of a country."
Dylan picked up a knife and a fork and crossed them.
"Faith is the soul of a country!"
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