The King Who Began Building a State From Underground
Arcadia's greatest threat wasn't neighboring nations.
It was the inside.
Corruption didn't raise a sword—it pulled a nation down slowly until it became easy prey. That's why when Lee Soo-yeon returned from the mountains, he didn't think of mines first…
He thought of how to use them without losing the kingdom.
In a secret operations room, a 3D map displayed the dwarven mine network.
The system reported:
Potential output: immense
Risks: sudden inflation – global exposure – domestic collapse
Recommendation: build a gradual value chain
He smiled.
"Phase two… infrastructure."
The Three-Layer Economic Plan
He organized his thoughts like a general before war.
1) Hidden Production
activate mines gradually
use dwarves to upgrade extraction techniques
conceal true reserve size
2) Control Export
modernize ports
create state-front companies
rewrite trade contracts
3) Build Self-Sufficiency
develop local industries
reduce reliance on imports
invest metals into national infrastructure
This wasn't growth.
It was independence.
Ministers: The Old Game
The next day, the cabinet met.
Ministers and merchant lords sat with the confidence of people who had always owned power—yet they sensed something different. The king was no longer acting like a symbol.
Lee Soo-yeon said calmly:
"I want a full review of resource and port contracts."
Glances flickered.
The Minister of Economy: "Your Majesty, these contracts are the foundation of stability."
The king smiled:
"Stability that depends on others… is fragile."
He didn't attack. He didn't threaten.
He began, slowly, to pull the ground from beneath their feet.
The Dwarves Enter the Game
In the mountains, real cooperation began.
The dwarves didn't offer gold alone. They offered knowledge:
safe tunnel networks
advanced smelting
mine labor organization
stone engineering resistant to earthquakes
Dorgrin said:
"Wealth is not what you own… it is what you can protect."
Arcadia's first economic lesson from a civilization centuries old.
How He Would Face the Ministers
Lee Soo-yeon didn't plan a direct confrontation. Too early would mean chaos.
His plan was simpler—and more dangerous:
reduce their influence gradually
create economic alternatives
build public loyalty
let them believe they still ruled
He told himself:
"Empires do not fall by one strike… they fall when their rulers realize they no longer rule."
End
That night, the king stood on the balcony again.
Not thinking of wealth—thinking of time.
The world was noticing mountains, but still hadn't linked them to Arcadia.
Time… was his most precious resource.
Below, dwarven hammers kept striking—building a nation from within.
End of Chapter Eight