Kingdombuilding: All My Inventions Are Novelty

”My Lord, by offending Prince Gerad this time, aren’t you afraid that he will raise an army and attack you if chaos breaks out in the future?”

At the southern gate of Brambleford, a group of officials watched as Prince Gerad’s sedan chair disappeared into the distance. It was then that Roland posed the question.

”Good question. If I don’t offend Prince Gerad now, does that mean he won’t attack me in the future? The world says Prince Gerad is as timid as a mouse, but from this incident, it’s clear that my uncle is not only bold but also extremely shrewd. I’m afraid many have been deceived by him, including my father.” Simon replied.

”My Lord, are you suggesting that Prince Gerad has been secretly amassing power, waiting for the right moment?” Roland asked.

”I’m afraid that’s exactly the case. Over the years, Prince Gerad has purchased far more warhorses than my father allowed him. He has also secretly ambushed merchant caravans from other feudal lords buying horses in the grasslands. His ambitions are not small. Moreover, his close ties with the Alkamite tribe are not just about buying horses. I fear...” Simon frowned.

”Fear what?”

”This is just speculation, but never mind. We’ll take things one step at a time. The most important thing now is to focus on our own domain. The four great families must be neutered.” Simon said resolutely.

Now, he needed to fully control the military and political affairs of his domain and use slaves to accumulate enough capital for war. This was precisely why he had demanded one hundred thousand slaves from Prince Gerad.

These slaves were meant to provide manual labour. While one hundred thousand might not seem like a lot, their combined labour could rival thousands of hydraulic hammers. In an era where machinery was far from widespread, these slaves were crucial for his industrial development.

As for why he didn’t demand three hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, or even a million slaves, the answer was simple: he could demand them, but he couldn’t afford to feed them.

Even so, he had also demanded two million bushels of grain, enough to feed the one hundred thousand slaves for half a year.

As for why he didn’t impeach Prince Gerad, the reason was simple: a cornered Prince Gerad would vent his anger on Simon first. Moreover, even if Prince Gerad were punished and imprisoned, Simon wouldn’t gain any advantage from Gerad’s territory. Instead, it would only benefit his brothers.

Rather than that, it was better to secure some pure profit.

At the Dew River dock, Prince Gerad boarded his ship surrounded by his personal guards. He glanced back at Brambleford City and sneered. ”Simon, what I can give you, I can also take back. Just wait. I’ll make you repay me tenfold.”

At that moment, a young man in white robes approached Prince Gerad and respectfully greeted him. ”Uncle.”

Seeing the young man, the ferocity on Prince Gerad’s face dissipated, replaced by a look of doting affection. ”Your health is weak. Why have you come out? You should be resting.”

The young man smiled casually and spoke. ”Uncle, if I don’t come out for a walk, I’ll grow mouldy. Since we’re in Brambleford, I thought I’d take a look around the city.”

”You went into Brambleford City?” Prince Gerad asked in surprise.

The young man nodded. ”I also went to the industrial district outside the city, but the security there was tight, and outsiders couldn’t enter easily.”

Jimmy, who was standing nearby, said. ”My Lord, that’s no problem. With five thousand armoured soldiers, we can easily sweep through Brambleford City. I’ll lead the men and clear the way for you!”

”General Jimmy, don’t be reckless.” The young man said sternly. ”Prince Simon may be weak, but he is still a prince. Even when beating a dog, one must consider its master, let alone a prince.”

Hearing this, Prince Gerad looked at the young man with sorrow. ”In my eyes, Alaric has never been the true emperor of the Eldorian Empire, and those princes are not the true princes. The throne rightfully belonged to your father, and you are the true prince of the Eldorian Empire.”

”Uncle, the victors write history. This is the nature of the power struggle. The true enemy of the Eldorian Empire is the reavers. They are the most formidable enemy the people have faced in thousands of years. If my father were still alive, he wouldn’t want to see brothers killing each other.” The young man in white advised.

”Your thinking is still too naive. From my interactions with the Alkamite tribe, it’s clear that the reavers have become a dynasty no weaker than the Eldorian Empire. But look at our empire now, feudal lords fighting among themselves, a scattered mess, with powerful families controlling the court and local clans dominating the countryside. If the Eldorian Empire cannot unite, how can we resist the reaver cavalry?” Prince Gerad declared.

After a pause, he continued. ”I’ve thought it over, and the only way to destroy these powerful families is not through politics but through war, a complete purge.”

The young man in white remained silent for a long time before finally sighing. ”Uncle, your words are the same as my father’s. But let’s keep this between us. If others hear it, they will turn against us. My father’s fate is a cautionary tale.”

Prince Gerad gazed at the flowing river, his eyes distant, lost in thought.

As if to lighten the mood, the young man in white suddenly smiled and spoke. ”Uncle, this Prince is quite interesting. I saw many intriguing things in Brambleford City: merchant guilds, a patent office, and armies working the fields. This Prince Simon is truly unusual.”

”Unusual indeed. He just extorted one hundred thousand slaves and two million bushels of grain from me. Although my domain is wealthy, these are not insignificant amounts.” Prince Gerad said.

The young man’s interest grew. ”I didn’t expect Uncle to suffer a loss at his hands. But with this exchange, we don’t have to worry about the secret letter being exposed. After all, once the transaction is complete, he becomes an accomplice.”

”Exactly. That’s why I agreed. I even tried to intimidate him, but the boy has changed. He actually said that even though the Brambleford army is weak, they are ready to fight. Hahaha, he’s got spirit. I’m starting to like this kid.” Prince Gerad laughed heartily.

The young man in white smiled. ”Prince Simon seems different from the other princes. Perhaps he can bring us something unexpected.”

Prince Gerad’s laughter gradually faded, and his expression turned cold. ”But no matter what, he is still an obstacle in our path. For now, he is useful to us, but if the day comes when we must face him on the battlefield, we cannot show mercy.”

The young man in white nodded. He looked toward Brambleford City as the massive fleet began to move. Yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this Prince Simon would become a formidable adversary in the future.

On the shore, a cavalryman galloped south, carrying Prince Gerad’s order to gather slaves. One hundred thousand slaves from various cities in his domain began to converge on Burrow’s Town, boarding ships in batches and heading toward Brambleford.

Ten days after Prince Gerad’s departure, the first batch of slaves and grain arrived in Brambleford, ten thousand people and five hundred thousand bushels of grain.

As he watched the massive warships from Prince Gerad’s domain, Simon couldn’t help but marvel. Prince Gerad’s naval forces were truly impressive.