Chapter 50
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After some snoozing, dinner, catching up and sleep, the next day began as any other. The Sun rose in the East and began making its way up the sky. Igraine quickly got ready not much after sunrise and was greeted by Yuuki already meditating on the edge of the floating island.

“So, how are things in the world?” Igraine asked with a smirk.

“No idea. I’m trying to make sense of what’s in my own soul for the time being. Alice is the one making sure nothing overly bad happens in the meanwhile.” She replied after opening her eyes and standing up. “Ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

After saying that, the both of them were transported to an empty hallway, in front of a door. After Yuuki knocked, there was rapid movement from the inside as the door was opened, revealing a sleep deprived Arthur. His eyes went wide after seeing his guests and quickly opened the door more to let them both in. Igraine threw a worried glance at Arthur before looking at Yuuki questioningly. Yuuki simply walked in the room and began inspecting the various papers that were all around the room.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said last time, and I’ve drawn up some potential highways that could be constructed. I’m planning on buying just strips of land from the nobles to make them crown territory and to add some tolls that go directly to the crown. I also thought about introducing a sort of luxury tax, that will likely make the nobles unhappy, but not too unhappy, but honestly? Screw them. Without them this whole thing would be just so much easier. I could just make a central bank, make education mandatory, make land reform and so on. But the thing is: they don’t want things to get better! All they see is that they have it good now, so they want to cling on to what power they have. So, they’ll just try to get in the way of any progress that might make the crown or the peasants stronger!” He took a deep breath after having finished his rant.

“This highway would need to go through a swamp.” Yuuki said as she pointed at the point of the map with the error. “It’s only a swamp during the summer, but it'd still cause problems. Also, this highway would need to go either around or through a smaller mountain. Cartography is surprisingly underdeveloped despite the technology, mathematics and magic that could make it better.” She said in a carefree voice as she put a steaming cup down on the table.

“You’re not tricking me again. I have work to do, so I’ll-” Before he could finish talking, Yuuki placed her hand on his forehead. He could feel energy wash over him as he lost all his fatigue.

“It’s tea. With honey and lemon. You needed sleep.”

“Oh, yeah, wow. I did not think I’d live to see the day when I’d be too tired to think straight and disregard sleep even more as a result. Thanks.” He said, as if fog had been lifted from his sight. “Mom, good to see you.” He smiled and went for the hug.

Yuuki in the meanwhile put three large books down on the table. Their cover was a black hide that did not resemble any leather Arthur’s seen before. The two hugging people both threw questioning glances at her.

“These books will serve as encyclopedias for you. How to deal with each house, and the more important individuals in specific.” She pointed at the book in the middle of the pile. “The different areas of the nation, how they could be made more valuable, what you should invest in locally.” She pointed at the bottom one. “And finally, what policies you should introduce, and in what order. Of course, they are merely suggestions and there are multiple options at each section. If you have any questions, any doubts, or any ideas I may not have thought of, ask.”

“That sounds incredibly handy. Why did I have to wait so long to get them? Did you want me to prove my dedication?” He asked with a raised eyebrow as he sipped the tea.

“I wanted you to think long enough to start creating your own plans, so you’ll have something to go off of. I would recommend you to seriously rethink your approach with the nobles. Like you said, they’ll be in your way, and not just as a passive annoyance. Once things get better, they will intervene more directly.”

“Huh. Maybe I should just lead a peasant revolt instead and establish democracy.” Arthur thought out loud.

“Could work. Would you like to hear specifics?” Yuuki asked indifferently.

“Yuuki dear, please don’t turn him into a butcher.” Igraine interjected with a tired expression.

“Oh, right you two are a thing now.” Arthur looked at the two of them with a hard to read smile. “So, when should I be expecting a sibling?” He teased the both of them.

“We haven’t gotten that far yet. That bed does seem comfortable though.” Igraine said with a poker face as she glanced at Arthur’s bed.

“Yeah, we should test it out. I’ll throw up some muffling spells on the walls. Arthur, if you don’t mind, could you give us the room?” Yuuki asked, similarly poker faced.

“You said you were infertile.” He looked at Yuuki with a deadpan face.

“I lied. Mystra did ask me not to have too many children though. Chances are, they’d end up pretty much immortal, and so would their children, and so on. Would be quite the dangerous situation if they end up as strong as me, which wouldn’t take that much time compared to eternity.” She explained.

“I regret trying to tease you. Truce?”

“Why would we accept a white peace when we have the upper hand?” Igraine smiled slyly.

“Because I’m your son and you love me?”

Yuuki said nothing as she walked over to one end of the room and put a painting of herself on the wall.

“Seriously?”

“What? I do remember telling you I’d make one for you so you could stare at it all you want.” She smiled innocently.

“I don’t blame you, she is very attractive.” Igraine whispered in his ear.

“Can we actually start doing something productive?” Arthur hurried to change the subject.

“Sure. Which one of our laps would you like to sit on?” Yuuki asked with a motherly smile.

Arthur’s expression turned blank as he walked out of the room. The two of them could hear his hurried footsteps down the hallway.

“I think we went a bit too far.” Igraine said.

“Wait for it.”

Igraine waited and soon heard a loud yell echo through the hallway.

“PERKELE!” Arthur shouted as his voice grew more and more distant.

“What did he do?” Igraine asked, worried.

“He opened a window and jumped into the sea.”

“From the fifth floor!? Also, isn’t the harbor frozen?”

“He’s fine. The ice… not so much.” Yuuki said as she quickly wrote a note that she passed into a rift through reality. “Alright, we should go meet him.”

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