I was packing my bags for a long journey to the East, I knew that if I wanted to try to make that territory at least minimally profitable I would have to spend a lot of gold coins, luckily I had a lot thanks to the organized looting and Servius gave me a lot of jewelry as a gift, so I would have enough to subsist for a couple of years, but that money will run out if I don't find something to produce.
For a moment I considered using the money to form an army and build several forts to launch expeditions into the wild territories in search of slaves and then sell them, loot, expand little by little into those territories and pacify the region by annexation, but I quickly removed that idea from his head for three reasons.
The first was because enslaving entire populations did not sit well with me, so I would avoid that unless it was the only alternative, I already had the support of the slaveholders so I would no longer have to do it.
The second is because, even if I didn't have a choice, I doubted that in those lands where the environment was very difficult, they could loot anything worth the enormous expense of creating an army. Also slaves obtained in wars dropped a lot in price due to the fact that these usually arrive being starving or wounded, so the slaving companies would have to invest more money in making them look desirable or fit to work, all thanks to what I had done years ago, so the only way this approach would be functional is if I could enslave very many in a very short time, demographically destroying the region and there would be no one left to work... And then of course I will have to deal with an empty territory.
The third reason was because I was afraid that Molt would get nervous to see how I raised a professional army and then he would invent some excuse of war to take them to another place as an excuse that he needs them and leave me sold against all the barbarians angry for my incursions... Especially because of the bunny warriors... Which could be said to be a fourth reason as to why I discarded the idea, not to suffer a brutal beating from Tyuule's warriors.
This third reason also revealed other challenges he would have, such as that his father could withdraw the soldiers that he would form because they are soldiers of the empire, another problem would be about diplomacy with the tribes, since trying to reach any agreement with them would have to be approved by the emperor because I am a subject of his, so it would be impossible for him to make treaties with the barbarians since the same strategy I used to convince the senate to approve the agreements he had made with the subjugated gali about forming small vassal kingdoms and giving citizenship to the collaborators will not work in this situation for one simple reason: those lands were claimed as their own by the empire even if they are not controlled by it, so they would never agree to recognize them as a state of their own, even if they are vassals since for them it would be handing them a part of the empire.
To put things simply, it is as if the Americans after proclaiming manifest destiny recognized the lands of the Natives in the wild west or if Argentina and Chile had created Mapuche states in Patagonia instead of annexing them, in all these cases the nations already considered those lands as theirs even if they were not controlled by them.
Although I still held a card, using the nation's treasury as a source of unlimited income as a prince, I could not develop the region with that diplomatic vision.
/
Throne Room.
"As the right hand of his majesty the emperor Molt Sol Augustus I can know when he encounters some difficulty" I said to myself seeing the expressions of my lord. "The emperor has run into a problem in the plan, and that was that now that the war was over we would have to withdraw the veto he had imposed on his son over using the imperial treasury as he no longer had any justification for keeping it."
I could see the weary expression this caused his majesty.
"Keeping the veto means openly repudiating him, and that would be dangerous since Thrush had become very popular with the war, that's why he sent him to those lands, so that he would fail and thus spread his poor performance as a ruler to damage his reputation, once that happens he would try to bring his son back into the fold and stop trying to compete with him, and in the event that he continues to behave in a defiant manner well repudiate him openly since with his failure, which may or may not be exaggerated by some well-paid tongues, it will be much harder for the nobles to side with him. "
"But now that Thrush has access to the treasury again it means he would have all the resources and time in the world to make that region prosper even if it takes him several decades."
"Since the biggest problem is the prince amassing a large source of money to hire mercenaries and lead a rebellion or a coup."
I simply gave a heavy sigh to start looking through the paperwork for something they could use to their advantage.
/
South Palace Gardens.
I was supervising for the last time the training of the future Rose-Order of knights, watching how they clashed their swords with each other.
"They have improved a lot in my absence... I'm going to miss training them, although I might pay them a visit when Piña opens her knight school officially." I would say to myself, though that would be a long way off.
"Yeah, that way I can also make sure Herm doesn't become a bellicose jerk and that he doesn't hate Piña..." Thinking about that, I realized something. "How did he start hating her? In Piña's manga it seemed like he had respect for her or even something else..." I shook my head shaking my head in denial. "Whatever it is I'll deal with it when the time comes."
The training ends and everyone forms up to say goodbye.
"It's not fair!" my sister said sadly. "Why do you have to leave again?"
Smiling, I kneel down to stroke her head. "I promise I'll come visit you when I can."
"Yes but... Who's going to train us?" he said with a puzzled tone.
"Oh, so that's all you're sad about..." Clearing my throat, a little disappointed. "I'm sure you'll find a teacher..."
"But you're a good teacher..." she was pouting. "I know! let's have a duel! if I win then you'll stay, and if you win then you can go!" She said defiantly.
"I'm leaving because father ordered me to, I can't go against his orders."
"Brother, if father exiled you does that mean I became heir?" Diabo said in a joking tone.
Piña was not amused and punched him on his arm. "Not funny!"
I laughed lightly seeing my brother stroking his arm from the punch. "So you're going to compete with me huh? Then get ready because I won't let you off easy." I said both playfully and defiantly.
"Then he doesn't stand a chance~" Piña said putting his hand on Diabo's head to muss his hair and tease him.
"O-Hey! Stop!" Trying to get away from his sister.
"Don't worry little brother, I'm going to turn you into a mighty knight. When I open my knight school I'm going to make you train hard." The princess enjoyed teasing him.
"B-but I'm older than you, don't call me little! Besides I'm not going to join your knightly order!"
"... huh?"
"I'm a prince, if I join your Order it means I'm going to be your subordinate no one will take me seriously if I follow your orders-" The young prince's words were interrupted as Piña began to squeeze his head. "A-auch! Wait!"
The princess had an aura of darkness around her. "So... You had only joined the training to be surrounded by girls after all?" As she said that, the others' countenance changed completely as well.
"No! It wasn't that!" realizing the impending danger, he began to look at me for help.
"Diabo... I'm sure you would have been a great rival; too bad the will of the gods didn't allow it..." I said in a sad tone.
"Wait, why are you talking like I'm dead!" At once, he began to notice how the others began to surround him.
"Farewell brother, I will always remember you, may the gods have you in their glory." Giving a military salute of farewell.
At that, a strange but pleasant aroma began to reach us.
"Th-this is my funeral? ..." Trembling with fear. "Is that the incense used at funerals?"
Sniffing more closely, I managed to identify that aroma. "That's not incense, someone must be preparing coffee... COFFEE?!"
"Coffee?" they all asked in unison, realizing that there was no such thing here.
"Never mind, I must go." I quickly started running immediately to where the smell was coming from.
"Brother!" Seeing how quickly I ran away, Piña let go of Diabo and started to follow me with the others in fear that something bad had happened.
When we arrived, there was a lit cauldron, seeing that the coffee beans were in the flames, watching as these were consumed to the point of turning to ash and becoming useless to use in the drink.
"No... ¡NOOOO!" Falling to my knees completely dejected, lamenting the misfortune that was happening in front of my eyes. It was too late... "What kind of sadistic god is it that amuses himself by doing this to me?!"
On the ground, exclaiming to the sky, everyone was wondering what the fuck I was doing, even Piña and the others who had followed me were completely confused by this scene.
There was an explanation for this behavior of mine and it was... that in my past life I was technically a coffee addict, in fact, being full on caffeine made me take the blow to the back of the head that brought me here...
"Master Zorzal?" a maid was coming over to see if I was all right.
"... Tell me Where did you get this, NOW"
/
After hearing the whole story, I got a great interest in the Hellenic territory, especially in the region of Morea, where the coffee of this world was growing.
However, the Morean League was suffering a great blockade by the Republican League, preventing them from exporting their resources freely, so coffee would only arrive in dribs and drabs during the war. I couldn't do much either, neither the senate nor the emperor seemed interested in interfering, surely their intention was for both sides to wear each other down so as to expand their influence unopposed.
Maybe that approach is the best for the empire... but it is not for me, I need to intervene somehow and get that coffee, I am sure that if I manage to plant it in my territory its consumption will expand throughout the world just like on Earth. If I could get the monopoly of coffee before someone else finds out its importance, I would undoubtedly become the richest person in the world.
After days in the library, having postponed my departure, I was trying to find a solution or something to get me out of this impasse. Of course with the help of my brother Diabo, who was hiding there to avoid the fury of the girls.
So, I was able to prepare a proposal to the emperor to allow me to move freely.
"Create a trading company?" My father was somewhat surprised, looking at a document I had written.
"That's right your majesty." I said with my head bowed, it was time to negotiate.
"... This is a joke, right? 'The company shall have the right to make trade treaties with any nation, Diplomatic freedom to declare wars independently to any nation as well as peace terms with this'... That's the stupidest thing I've ever read! Are you trying to make your own kingdom?" He said incredulously and angrily, conveniently ignoring that the company would hand over 15% of its profits to the empire.
"Your majesty, I would never dare to do anything like that." What I would say would be crucial so that I would not be taken as a traitor. "The empire has far more important matters to bring its attention to the simple barbarians of the east, there are more important places where this glorious Empire could concentrate its efforts ... and its gold.
Hearing the last part, the king looked a little calmer. "Go on."
-He continued, "By leaving the task of pacifying these lands in private hands, he need not be bothered or responsible for the failures, but for the rewards of success.
Molt thought for a few minutes in silence, until finally he spoke. "So be it then, you are dismissed."
Giving a bow, I walked out of the throne room, however I quickly snuck through some rooms that were adjacent to the throne room, one of those had a small hole made by me as a child in case I wanted to listen in on the throne room conversations.
"Your majesty..." Marcus, the king's hand, was quite confused. "Why did you allow that company to be formed, won't that give Thrush more power?"
"My friend don't you understand that was a negotiation?" Replied the emperor. "By a private company controlling that territory and not him directly means he is forever giving up using the imperial treasury on anything to do with that company...like the development of Northwest." Sipping some wine. "Even if he can take whatever he wants out of the treasury, if he uses it in his company it means he is committing fraud by using public funds in a private company without authorization and we can expropriate everything in that company's name."
"I understand but... wouldn't giving him so many liberties be dangerous?"
"I understand your concerns, but Zorzal decided to bet everything on one horse, once his personal wealth runs out, that will be the end of his little venture." He said reading the name of the company, "Caesar's East Company."
/
Oracle of Flare, Hellas
"By Flare, what am I going to tell her what am I going to tell her?" I watched as the head priestess lay convulsing on the floor, with clear signs of having a grand vision.
"What am I going to tell the high pontiff about this? Why should I, a lesser priestess get into these messes!"
At that I watch as the high pontiff enters, to find the head priestess convulsing.
"By all the gods, this is very bad." I could see the high pontiff's face turn to one of horror. "Take her to her room! She is receiving the Great Universal Vision!"
Hearing that I felt a shiver run down my spine. oracles, thanks to the power of Flare, are supposed to be able to see the future but only as far as one person is concerned, whereas the great universal vision is almost a legend, a vision of the future that would predict how a great catastrophic event could destroy the whole world.
Frightened, she tried to lift the priestess but when she was about to touch her she got up as if she had had the worst nightmare of her life.
"We have to bring the apostle Granham immediately! Those things are coming for us!"
"Calm down, priestess, tell us what you saw." The supreme pontiff was trying to remain calm."
"I saw visions of the future, visions of destruction all over the world! i saw a powerful magician lifting the corpses of the fallen so that they continue the fight! i watched as the stadium of the peace games was consumed by fire, then monstrous demons coming out of a Hardy temple in Anat! I saw those arachnid monsters devouring every living thing in their path, city after city, town after town devouring everyone! I watched as Sadera was turned into a feast of blood and visors.!"Extremely agitated, on the verge of madness. "I could hear those horrible creatures talking... they were talking about a queen..."
Hearing that I felt like my legs were weakening, falling to my knees on the floor fearing for my life.
"calm down!"The supreme pontiff was trying to keep his mind cool. "There must be something in your visions that allows us to know what to do to stop that future, as happened in the Legends fifteen hundred years ago. Breathe, calm down and try to remember anything outside of those horrible visions."
Hearing that, the priestess took a deep breath to calm down, and then continued to speak. "I could see a dark halberd and a dark scythe together..."
Hearing that I felt a great relief, it meant that your saints Rory the Reaper and Giselle were going to participate in this, and if we add to your holy Granham it means that three apostles will be working together to stop this disaster.
"I also met with... one of those vague vices that only confuse that the gods usually give me sometimes... a fieldfare taking with him those berries that we use as incense."
None of those present understood that last vision, sometimes they did not understand how the gods were able to give them clear visions so that suddenly they give them abstract shit that has to be interpreted.