To be honest, Jonas had stayed in PennyHarbor longer than he intended. His plan was to get there, spend a few days getting everyone aware who was in charge now, then hightailing it out to the next walled city on his path towards Petrous. It was supposed to be simple. 

How was he supposed to know that his direct intervention was actually needed to raise the standard of the soldiers? They were meant to be elites, or at least that was what he had been hearing about the army of the colony. The constant raids and attacks from their south-western neighbors—the Orcs and their slaves—should have forged them into the finest the empire has.

For a good three weeks, Jonas and his entire small army had camped in the walled city. He would survey the trainings of the soldiers with a critical eye. Always watching for those he should punish for dereliction of duty or negligence. 

He caught a few soldiers who had set up a gambling den deep within the slums of the city. Hundreds of them had been patrons of this establishment on a constant bases. Every few days, they would spend almost half their weekly income then come home to poverty stricken families they were supposed to take care of. 

If they couldn’t even be responsible enough to feed their children, how could they be relied on to defend the empire from the many enemies it had prowling for a chance to take what it has. Or so Jonas thought. 

They wouldn’t even have found out if it wasn’t for the beginning of his plan to repurpose all of the dirty slums and turn them into farms, plantations, and multi-layered greenhouses to feed the people of the city without relying on those not within its safe confines. 

Destroy a couple of abandoned houses and they ran out like cockroaches under a pile. Disgusting, that’s what it was. 

If it wasn’t for Mefendous and Keda begging him for mercy, he would have executed the majority out of hand. A warning for all the others that neglect their responsibilities while they wear the silver of the empire. Instead, he hung twenty-seven men who were accredited with founding and organizing everything needed for the gambling den. 

As for the rest, well it was circumstantial really. Any of rank were demoted to the level of new recruits—all their years of service and struggle wasted—while those who had no rank to speak of, they were whipped ten times and their salary decreased from twelve cooper coins to nine. 

Most were crying and begging, but for some reason, he felt not an iota of pity or need for forgiveness. Let it be a lesson to them then. 

After that incident, two things stood out to Jonas. The first was the explosion in the rumor mill. They had begun to sound outlandish. So much so, he didn’t even deem them worth his time to hear them any more. How can a group of supposedly ‘intelligent’ people be so...fantastical?

Second and more surprising to him was how little everyone else actually had. It blew his mind when Ash had suggested to lower their pays. For a moment, before she explained, he had been thinking they were given at least ten silvers a week, but then he found out it would take almost ten weeks just to make a single silver. 

It took him a good minute to understand that such wages actually existed. How could that even be possible? How do they eat mana infused monster meat, mana-plants, or any other good food to make them stronger and progress on the path?

He knew well enough that the sea monster—which he was still being stuffed, Father above the thing was simply enormous—would cost at least three gold per pound. 

Err...of course he knew, he had almost gotten away with selling a large portion before Frezar had convinced him otherwise. More like nagged and talked his ear off into backing down. Something about it being to valuable and far to high quality to get anything like it in the near future, for even someone of his stature. 

It was simple enough when they did get it. Should be easy to get more, right?

That was beyond the point. 

The soldiers of the empire were dirt poor! How can he expect them to fight off Orcs if they can’t survive their entrance to their Paths. 

Do they have Paths to tread on? He wasn’t so sure.

Either way, Joans had finally decided to move on from the city of PennyHarbor. He had given them the needed information and a couple of weeks of hands on practice to fulfil his standardization of his soldiers. Up to them to take it and fly high sky. 

He would need to check on them sometime in the future. 

But, as he was on his way outside of the gates, he found almost five thousand cavalry men waiting for him. From the looks pf it they had been milling there aimlessly for the last few hours just waiting for him. Maybe he shouldn’t have stayed to eat those amazing cups of pudding. They were sent by Clay from wherever he and the wrinkly old lady had gone ever since they disappeared that day.

The things were heaven defyingly delicious. Might have to do with them being the highest tier his body could actually use to strengthen itself without killing him. Then again the electric sensation he got every time he bit into one was worth it by its lonesome.

When the highest commander had come in a huff of hooves and shining armor, Jonas had not expected the face that came out from behind the full helm. It was like someone took Keda then merged him with the most handsome picture you could imagine--long hair and everything else.

Jonas just stared openly for a good moment as the guy took his time to whip the hair around in a show. Then a bit longer as he smiled and flapped his lips making it clear how perfect his teeth were. 

He wasn’t so sure he liked the guy for the moment he took off his helm. 

“Err...Y-your majesty?” Said the Handsome Keda.

“Y-yea?” 

“So? Umm...is that a yes, yes. Or a...yes?” Handsome Keda asked hesitantly. 

What did he say? Jonas didnt hear a single thing the entire time. Did he say anything important? He didn’t think so, or he would have caught it all...probably. 

“Sure.” Jonas guessed. It was going to be okay, not like they would be following him anyways.

He couldn't trust their logistics crew and didn’t think it would be smart to burden Ash with another task he didn’t feel like doing. She tended to pack different administrative tasks on him whenever he threw the more tiresome things he had on his schedule on to her. 

“Yes!” Handsome Keda pumped his fist like an over enthusiastic child. “Uncle is going to be so jealous! Can’t wait until he finds out, his face is going to be priceless.”

Err...what? What is this about?

As he stared dumbly at the excited and fully armored man—did he mention that the thing on him looked to be at least two hundred pounds minimum—jumping around, Raneria chose that moment to step in.

“He didn’t hear you. Probably zoned out...again.” She turned to look Jonas in the eyes. “You need to work on that y’know. Won’t look good if an ambassador to some random nation thinks that you believe they are worthless to you. Nobody is worthless, not even the most degenerates...”

She shivered in utter disgust.

“People not willing to work.” Raneria looked ready to puke. Her face had even turned a tint of pink and cheeks blew up. 

He couldn’t deny it anymore. Whoever raised this girl had messed up big time. What the hell were they teaching her?! 

He had to have a long talk with Grega—he finally got the old hags name from Raneria, just took an extra session with Gregor.

Now that he thought about it, don’t their names sound quite similar, maybe there was a connection. Another thing to investigate.