Chapter 6
Five days had passed since I decided on the course of action to fix the kingdom of Starfall. My first problem was solving the dragon issue, which would simultaneously unlock access to the natural resources they were preventing us from obtaining. I had spent most of my time planning, and King Tomo had graciously converted my room into what I called the "War Room."
The War Room was vastly different from the noble living quarters it once was. Black curtains, enchanted to prevent magical eavesdropping, covered the windows. The bed had been replaced by a large round table, on which sat an enchanted map Komachi had provided. This map detailed the location of every noble in real-time, down to the exact floor of a building they were in. The walls were adorned with maps of the surrounding kingdoms, and the ceiling was painted with a magical paint that Komachi and I developed, acting as a sort of magical Doppler, showing the time of day and the weather.
As I was lost in thought, King Tomo knocked on the door. I invited him in, and as usual, he looked around the room with the wonder of a child in a candy store before making his way to the table. He began to stroke his long beard, looking at me curiously.
"Alex," he finally spoke, "regarding the people you wanted me to find, I believe I have found the perfect candidates." He gestured towards the door, and five people entered. Four were unfamiliar, but I recognized one immediately: Princess Komachi.
The first to introduce himself was a tall, dark-skinned man named Raymond. His garments indicated nobility, albeit of lesser status. He spoke with a polite and kind voice, explaining that he was from the oldest noble family in the kingdom of Rengoku. I turned to King Tomo with a serious expression.
"No offense, Raymond, but how do we know we can trust him?" I asked. King Tomo stopped stroking his beard, clapped his hands, and a shadowy figure emerged from Raymond’s shadow. The figure, dressed in a ninja outfit with glowing red eyes, bowed to the king. Tomo explained that ever since I asked for help creating this council, he had his servant monitoring Raymond.
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Next was Favio, a proud dwarf with a beard more luxurious than the king's and the uniform of a master craftsman. Before I could finish asking if he was the best craftsman in the kingdom, he interrupted, asserting that all master craftsmen learned from him.
The third person was a beautiful woman named Julie, whose beauty almost rivaled Komachi's. She introduced herself as the financial advisor responsible for keeping the kingdom afloat for the past 35 years. The final person was Jacob, an average-looking man who was the best farmer in the kingdom. King Tomo explained that Jacob was a former soldier who had his tongue cut out when he was a prisoner of war but now ran a private security firm.
I motioned for everyone to take a seat. Despite murmurs and questions about why they were summoned, they complied. I stood at the head of the round table with the enchanted map and cleared my throat.
"You five are the most trusted advisors and individuals who can truly make a difference in rebuilding the kingdom," I began. "I am putting my faith in you to join this council and fix the kingdom of Starfall." I outlined my master plan, and as I spoke, I saw nods of agreement from everyone except Princess Komachi. Her expression remained troubled.
I turned to her. "Komachi, do you think my plan won't work?"
"It's not that," she replied. "But we're in such a traditional kingdom. Do you think the citizens will accept these reforms from an outsider they don't even know? Even if my father's approval rating isn't the best, people still respect the kingdom's values."
King Tomo stood up, looking at his daughter. "That's exactly why I'm going to abdicate the throne to Alex," he declared. Komachi looked shocked.
"Even if you did that, people wouldn't accept it," she protested. "Especially since he has no legitimate claim to the throne. You know as well as I do that’s not how things work."
King Tomo looked serious. "You may be right, but I had something else in mind to help him gain the proper rights to the throne." He paused, and I realized where he was going with this. My face turned bright red.
Komachi glanced at me, and seeing my reaction, her face turned bright red too. "There’s no way you could think I would want to marry him!" she yelled at her father.
"It doesn't have to be a real marriage," he quickly replied. "Just something to show people that we are united." The room gasped, but King Tomo calmed everyone down, saying, "A decision doesn't have to be made right away. It's just one possible avenue we could take."
The room fell silent, everyone absorbing the weight of his words. The path ahead was fraught with challenges, but with this council, I felt a new sense of hope and determination.
