A/N: good new guys from now on i will post a chapter daily and for that I will release two chapters today.
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"Karlos, send them away. Tell them to come tomorrow.
He nodded and departed.
Now I'm looking at the list.
1. Belmor Ravine.
"Greedy bastard but has the pride of a merchant will suck dry the opponent for us good."
I nodded slowly. "Alright then. Belmor will be our Minister of Trade and finance."
I glanced down at the name Halden and tapped my finger on the parchment.
"Hmm… Head of Border Defense," I murmured, thinking aloud.
Karlos leaned in slightly. "Seris Halden, former captain of Glora's northern garrison. Fought in several border skirmishes, never lost a single post. Known for being ruthless, disciplined, and surprisingly patriotic."
I turned in surprise.
"Oh, Karlos, you are back?"
He smiled. "Yes, my lord, everyone has left after the announcement."
Then he continued. "She's sharp. She'll secure the borders without a doubt."
I smirked. "Exactly what we need. Someone the enemies fear and the nobles can't bribe. Let her command the border defense?"
The next morning, I had everyone from the interviews assembled in the royal court.
I stood at the front of the hall, with Karlos, Zalario, Darius, and Reinhart by my side as I formally announced the appointments.
"Belmor," I began, "you are hereby appointed Minister of Trade and Roads."
The man gave a short bow. His talents were clear, even if his greed was obvious his loyalty wouldn't waver.
"Seris Halden, former captain of Glora's northern garrison—you are now Head of Border Defense. Your experience and knowledge of both Glora and Bermud lands will be crucial moving forward."
She stepped forward and saluted with discipline, a soldier through and through.
"Sister Arlen," I continued, "you will serve as the spiritual head of Solara, overseeing religious guidance and the establishment of our state faith."
She bowed calmly, hands folded in prayer.
"Thalor, you are assigned as Royal Historian and Keeper of Records. Your responsibility is to maintain accurate historical documentation and oversee the Royal Archives."
Thalor nodded, silent but observant.
"Elira, as the former head healer of Bermud, you'll now serve as Minister of Health. Begin plans to rebuild hospitals and organize medical personnel."
She stepped forward with quiet confidence.
"Alric, you are appointed as Head of Education. Restructure and establish learning centers across Solara."
He nodded firmly.
"Mira Talwen, you will assist Alric for now—I may assign you to your own department later depending on your progress."
She gave a respectful nod.
"Garren Holt, your background as a farmer with experience makes you our new Minister of Agriculture. Focus on rebuilding farming infrastructure and improving food production."
He looked proud, if a bit nervous.
"Garron Raithe – I appoint you as the minister of internal affairs to maintain law and order in the kingdom of Solara."
He gulped and nodded.
"And finally, Myra—I appoint you as Head of the Research Department. Your alchemical knowledge will be vital in pushing Solara forward."
I paused for a moment, letting everyone absorb the weight of their new roles.
"All military-related posts and police forces fall under General Reinhart. Others report directly to Prime Minister Darius. Thalor and Sister Arlen will act independently but ultimately all answer to me."
I looked around the hall, meeting each of their gazes.
"This kingdom needs order, purpose, and vision. You've been chosen for your skills and your potential. I expect nothing but your best. Let's begin building Solara to be the best."
They bowed in unison, and with that, the first council of Solara was officially formed.
I smiled then we headed to the meeting room — the one I had Darius prepare specifically for our internal meetings. It had that overly formal atmosphere, with a big polished table, uncomfortable chairs, and a suspiciously expensive-looking rug that I'm sure none of us paid for.
Also, since the role of diplomacy was still unassigned — yeah, classic gap in my genius planning — I handed that temporary responsibility to Darius. The man had enough experience and political sense not to cause an international disaster, hopefully.
We all took our seats — me at the head, naturally. Zalario to my right, calm and composed like always. Reinhart was standing besides me. Darius sat across, papers already in hand, because of course he was that prepared. The ministers followed — each one settling in.
Karlos, for some reason, didn't sit. Despite the chair literally reserved for him right next to me, he chose to stand silently behind me like some kind of loyal butler. Not that I complained — it gave me extra intimidation points.
I leaned forward slightly, resting my arms on the table, and looked around the room.
"Alright, everyone. I want each of you to speak up. Tell me any problems you guys may want to report, big or small."
Then Garren, the newly appointed head of the agriculture department raised his hand.
"Lord Velsun," he began, his tone respectful.
"agriculture's in a bad way. The land is barren — completely worn out thanks to the constant war between Glora and Bermud. Both kingdoms kept sabotaging each other's food supplies, burning fields and salting crops. The worst part? It's not just temporary damage — the fertility of the land itself has taken a massive hit."
I sighed, leaning back in my chair, already feeling the weight of what this meant. Food shortage, economic instability, possible unrest. Fantastic. Just what I needed.
I scribbled it down quickly on the page I'd brought—yes, I actually remembered to carry one this time. Small victories.
"Garren," I said, glancing up from my notes, "after this meeting's over, stay behind for a bit, alright?"
He gave a quick nod, understanding the seriousness.
"Also," I leaned forward, fingers steepled, "how much longer can Solara hold on with the current food stock?"
Garren scratched the back of his head, clearly not thrilled about the answer. "If we stretch it… maybe two months at best, my lord. But if the integration of Glora continues and their population gets added to our burden? Even less."
Perfect. Starvation in hard mode. Just what every newly crowned king needs in his welcome package.
I turned towards Belmor with the kind of smile that says, "I'm about to give you a massive headache, but I'm pretending it's a gift."
"Well, Minister of Trade," I said with a casual tone and a raised brow, "looks like you've got something in your hands now, right?"
Belmor blinked, then smirked, already calculating profits and supply routes in that greedy brain of his. "Of course, my lord. A challenge, but nothing trade can't solve… with the right incentives."
Karlos let out a faint, almost unnoticeable chuckle beside me.
"And by 'incentives,' you mean draining my treasury like a thirsty leech," I muttered under my breath, then waved for Belmor to continue. "Alright, let's hear what you've got."
Belmor adjusted his fancy merchant robe like he was about to give the speech of a lifetime and stepped forward with a gleam in his eyes—probably imagining gold bars instead of crops.
"My lord," he began, voice smooth like butter on a hot pan, "first, we need to import food immediately from neutral or unaffected regions. I already have contacts in the eastern valleys and the southern trade cities. It won't be cheap—nothing worth doing ever is—but it'll keep the people fed while we work on recovery."
He paused dramatically, clearly enjoying the spotlight. "Second, we offer temporary trade tax exemptions to merchants bringing in agricultural supplies—tools, seeds, fertilizers. That will bring in the necessary goods quickly and in bulk."
"And third," he added with a proud smirk, "we establish a grain reserve fund—run by yours truly, of course—to ensure we never reach starvation again. With some clever trading and market manipulation—we'll be self-sufficient within a year."
I nodded slowly, scribbling it all down. "Hmm... Great idea Belmor
I leaned back and said, "Alright, Belmor. Make a detailed proposal and present it to Darius and me by tomorrow."
Belmor grinned.
Thalor, the ancient-looking historian, raised his hand.
"Ahem, my lord," he began, adjusting his monocle. "Our archives, both in Bermud and Glora, have suffered during the war. Many documents were destroyed or lost, and the scribes scattered. Without proper restoration, we risk losing centuries of knowledge—some of which might include ancient agricultural techniques, political treaties, and even… forbidden alchemical recipes."
I raised an eyebrow. "Forbidden, you say?"
Thalor gave a dry chuckle. "Yes, but don't worry, Lord Velsun. I'm far too old to try blowing up a city again."
I coughed. "What?"
Thalor just smiled and sipped from a mug.
"Alright, restoration of archives and a new recruitment drive for scribes," I said, scribbling on the paper again. "We'll discuss a budget later. Darius, keep this on the agenda."
Karlos whispered, "Maybe give Thalor a few assistants."
I nodded. "Yeah… good idea. Anyone else?"
Halden raised her hand, her gauntlet clinking lightly as she did. "Lord Velsun," she said, her voice calm but sharp.
"Our borders are a mess," she began bluntly. "The outposts are understaffed, the watchtowers are half-burnt, and we have reports of bandits taking advantage of the power shift. Not to mention, refugees from Glora are pouring in faster than we can process them."
She paused, giving me a pointed look. "I need more men, proper supplies, and a temporary decree to enforce martial law in unstable border regions until order is restored."
I nodded slowly, scribbling all that down while glancing at Reinhart.
"Reinhart, handle this situation." I said.
Reinhart gave a curt nod. "I'll coordinate with her. I'll send some trusted officers. Glora's remaining soldiers, once screened, could be used for border control. That should ease the pressure."
"Good," I replied. "Halden, work with Reinhart to draft a short-term plan. Prioritize the most vulnerable regions first. And…" I glanced at Darius. "We'll need a funding plan. Add that to your growing list, Prime Minister."
Darius gave me a dry look. "Of course, my lord. Who needs sleep anyway?"
I grinned. "That's the spirit. Anyone else got anything to say?"
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