January 12, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
"On behalf of all Dressrosa, I thank you for saving my daughter, Princess Scarlett!" said King Riku, bowing his head slightly with a modesty rarely seen in a monarch.
"I only did what I had to do," replied Orion with a faint smile. Taking a step forward, he extended his hand and shook the king's.
"Still, I appreciate that you took the time to grant me this audience," Orion added.
King Riku raised his head, and seeing that Orion carried no trace of arrogance, showed an animated smile and gripped his hand firmly.
"Hahaha! Of course, young man. We may not have many riches in this kingdom, but at least our manners are proper," said the kind-hearted king with a hearty laugh.
Orion had to admit that this Named Character called Riku Doldo III was truly a charismatic and benevolent king. Clearly, he belonged among those characters from the original story who were on the "good" side.
He was about to continue his friendly conversation with the king when, at that exact moment, a bell rang in his mind, and a notification appeared on the system screen.
*Ding*
*New Mission Available*
*Mission 22 – Economic Explosion
Description: As a ruler beginning his path toward the summit, you must have a certain level of control and understanding of the most important areas of a kingdom. The Kingdom of Dressrosa, with its current political and social situation, can give you an indication of the direction your own kingdom might take if all areas are not managed equally.
Objective: Using Dressrosa as a field of study, solve its deeply rooted economic problems that have lasted for centuries, and make this kingdom truly flourish.
Reward: SP, 1 Kingdom Building Box, activation of the personalized "Talent Recruitment" screen in the system, 1 Skill Imprint Card (Economy)*
Orion focused on the new mission before his eyes, reading its contents carefully, and after a brief moment, he concluded that this mission was of vital importance to him. His kingdom was currently in the midst of a growth phase, and little by little, the first major issues had begun to appear.
The development of a kingdom was not as simple as merely increasing population and territory size—it was about maintaining a delicate balance between growth and stability. Normally, most of the theoretical planning was handled by his uncle Lolo, along with a council of specialists in various key areas.
Even so, there was a limit to the number of matters his talented uncle and his assistants could manage, and over the last year several problems had started to arise in Pacific Kingdom. Although the overall trend in growth and population happiness remained positive, it would be unwise to ignore the situation.
This new mission that had just appeared asked him to evaluate an established kingdom such as Dressrosa, to analyze its problems and design a solution. Clearly, it was a kind of "training" arranged by the system, and the rewards he would receive upon success were excellent.
The Kingdom Building Box always granted all kinds of wonderful and useful treasures for his realm, although there was a wide range of possible rewards. For example, he might obtain a legendary beast with spatial attributes like Nibble, but he could also receive something far simpler and more mundane, like a hundred defensive cannons.
At the end of the day, the Kingdom Building Box had a certain gambling component to it, but Orion believed there was a high probability of obtaining valuable rewards from it. Besides, his "luck" attribute had recently improved a little, which meant his chances of getting something good should now be even greater than in the past occasions when he had used this item.
However, what excited Orion the most were the other two rewards: the activation of a new system function, and the new item that allowed him to transmit the "Economy" skill!
Since the mission didn't provide any additional information about the rewards, he couldn't review the two in detail, but both names were fairly self-explanatory. Orion usually searched for talented individuals to recruit for his kingdom "manually," traveling to locations near Pacific Kingdom and using his Prism Eyes to analyze people in search of talent.
However, this was a task that consumed a great deal of time and was highly inefficient. If the system could save him the trouble of manually scouting for talent, it would be excellent news for both him and the development of his kingdom.
Even if the information offered by this new function turned out to be somewhat vague or limited, it would still help Orion narrow down his search range, resulting in a great improvement in the recruitment of the talent his kingdom needed.
"Ahem!" came King Riku's voice as he cleared his throat.
Orion immediately returned to reality from his thoughts about the mission that had just appeared and realized that he was still holding the king's hand while the people around them were staring at him with a mix of surprise… and suspicion.
Quickly, Orion released Riku's hand and took a couple of steps back, fearing that the onlookers might actually start to question his personal preferences.
"Orion, I'd like to invite you as an honored guest to my palace. What do you say?" said Riku, returning to his friendly demeanor after Orion finally released his hand.
"Orion, you have to accept! I'll show you the most beautiful places in our nation, I promise you'll love them!" said Scarlett from the side, her eyes shining so brightly that they seemed to emit tiny stars from the sheer intensity of her emotions.
For a moment, Orion thought he had heard a certain ambiguity in the girl's words, but since her posture didn't seem to carry such implication, he finally concluded that perhaps he was simply overanalyzing the situation.
"Of course, it will be an honor for me. To be honest, I'm quite interested in getting to know this beautiful kingdom," Orion said with a smile.
Now that he had a mission requiring him to improve this kingdom's economic situation, it was essential that he gain a detailed understanding of the place.
Without anyone noticing, Scarlett clenched her fist triumphantly, thinking that now that Orion would be staying in the palace, she could see him every day… and perhaps even…
If Orion had paid attention to her at that moment and seen the crafty glint in her eyes, he would have realized that he hadn't been overanalyzing at all—Scarlett really had been speaking ambiguously before!
…
January 14, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
"What did you think, Orion? Did you like it?" asked Scarlett expectantly, licking her lips involuntarily.
"I loved it!" replied Orion, a little dazed as he stared at the sensual gesture she'd just made. Then, shaking his head slightly, he added,
"This dish is truly delicious. What did you say it was called?"
"It's called Paella, and it's one of our nation's traditional dishes!" the young woman replied cheerfully, resting her chin on her hands while watching Orion eat with great interest.
Over the past two days, Orion had been touring the kingdom to experience its local culture and assess its current economic state. On the first day, King Riku had accompanied him as a gesture of formality, but after repeated pleas and complaints from his daughter, the king finally allowed Scarlett to take over as Orion's official guide.
Watching his beautiful daughter—who not long ago still loved to ride on his shoulders to play—King Riku couldn't help but sigh, feeling the passage of time. He knew very well the feelings Scarlett harbored for Orion, for his beloved wife had worn the very same expression back when they had been in the early stages of falling in love.
This country was famous for its cuisine, the simplicity of its people, and the passion of its women. Riku knew that once a woman here began walking the path of love, there was no turning back. In this passionate nation, the least advisable thing was to stand in the way of a woman in love, for they were capable of committing any kind of madness in the name of love.
Although Dressrosa was a peaceful country with little crime, it had a remarkably high rate of crimes of passion, and it wasn't rare for a jealous woman to end up stabbing her unfaithful partner.
King Riku had known, from the moment his two daughters were born, that one day they too would follow the nation's passionate tradition—but he hadn't expected that day to come so soon.
Even so, he had a good impression of Orion, and after spending the last few days together, he had come to the conclusion that there would be no problem even if Scarlett truly fell in love with him. His intuition told him that everything would turn out fine, and people in this world rarely ignored their intuition.
The only possible complication was the fact that Orion was a foreigner. If his daughter really ended up in a relationship with him, Orion would have to migrate to Dressrosa; otherwise, it would be impossible for him to be with the princess, heir to the throne. Unless… Scarlett renounced her royal status.
"Ah, you have a little stain," Scarlett suddenly said, leaning toward Orion in such a way that her deep neckline was completely visible, and with a natural motion, she wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin.
Gulp. Orion swallowed hard, feeling a wave of heat spreading through his body, unable to stop himself from thinking that Scarlett was a real succubus!
During the last two days, she had begun a sort of "attack" on Orion, which had gradually intensified. At first, her words had merely been ambiguous, but then she began to add suggestive gestures and casual touches that emphasized her most alluring features.
Orion was a far more lustful man than most, so Scarlett's subtle actions immediately produced the effect she desired in him. Moreover, Orion was not a particularly shy person once he decided to act.
Now that he had chosen to remain open to the possibility of a relationship with the beautiful Scarlett, he hadn't limited himself to being a passive recipient of her ambiguous advances—instead, he had also taken the initiative to return the favor.
"Thank you, Scarlett," Orion said with a smile, and extending his hand, he materialized a flower out of thin air, placing it in the red hair of the young woman.
"This flower can't compare to your beauty, but it complements the lovely color of your hair quite well," Orion added. After placing the flower in the girl's hair, he gently rested his hand on Scarlett's cheek, gazing into her eyes with careful attention.
"Although the food in this kingdom is truly fantastic, what has impressed me the most is the beauty of its women," Orion said.
Scarlett blushed and lowered her gaze, smiling happily.
Even though she was a proactive woman in love—something perfectly natural in the culture of this nation, where women usually took the initiative—Orion's direct advances always managed to make her feel the modesty of a young girl discovering love for the first time, placing her in a more passive role in the dynamic between them.
It could be said that because Orion was a foreigner, he didn't follow the conventions of this peculiar land, where men were typically the ones being pursued. To him, it was perfectly normal to take the initiative in matters of love, but for Scarlett, who had never left her homeland, it was a strange attitude—though not an unpleasant one.
Even so, the fact that Orion was being proactive made him the one controlling the development of their relationship. And although he knew that with just a small push he could completely capture the heart of the beautiful princess, he avoided rushing things and preferred to spend a little more time getting to know her better.
After all, he would have to stay in this kingdom for a while to complete his mission, so there was no real hurry. He had already called home to inform them about his brief adventure in Dressrosa, saying he would try to resolve his business as quickly as possible.
Still, Orion knew that completing this mission—which required him to solve the economic problems of this nation and bring prosperity to its people—would not be an easy task. Although he planned to try to finish it before returning home, he did not dismiss the idea of making some progress now and then leaving for Pacific Kingdom to complete it later.
This mission could be resolved within a few months or take even years, so Orion maintained a flexible attitude toward it. For the time being, he would stay a little longer in this beautiful kingdom and try to understand the situation in detail.
Once he had gathered enough information, he would decide on the plan to complete the mission, and only then would he know how long it might take. In the meantime, he intended to keep enjoying the company of the beautiful Princess Scarlett.
However, there was another factor that kept Orion and Scarlett from fully focusing on their ambiguous interactions—the presence of a third person in the group: the commander of the royal army, Kyros.
Although Kyros had a very good opinion of Orion, and after interacting with him for two days they had even formed a friendship, he couldn't afford to neglect his duty to protect Scarlett—especially after his previous carelessness had led to the princess's kidnapping by pirates.
For that reason, no matter where Orion and Scarlett went or what they did, Kyros was always there to accompany them silently, making sure nothing bad happened.
The legendary warrior was rather modest by nature, mainly because he had never been in a romantic relationship, so witnessing the ambiguous interactions between Orion and Scarlett made him feel a bit uncomfortable. Still, as a true professional, he was able to set his feelings aside and focus entirely on his duty to protect the princess.
Orion didn't mind Kyros accompanying them while they toured the kingdom, as he genuinely enjoyed the company of the legendary warrior. Kyros's personality was a mix between Dragon and Kuma's, which made him particularly pleasant to Orion.
It could be said that Kyros was exactly the kind of person Orion got along with best, and if it weren't for his unwavering loyalty to King Riku, he would have already tried to recruit him into his own forces. Besides, Kyros was extremely powerful, making him a truly elite warrior.
The day before, Orion had sparred with him, and in a normal emotional state, the leader of Dressrosa's army had actually come out victorious. Of course, Orion hadn't used any of his deadliest abilities, since it had merely been a friendly sparring match—but even so, a victory was still a victory.
If one only compared swordsmanship skill and combat experience, Kyros was far above Orion, though the latter could compensate with his versatile abilities.
Nevertheless, while Orion had no issue with Kyros accompanying them, the situation was quite different for Scarlett, who was completely irritated by the presence of this "third wheel" constantly interrupting her moments alone with Orion. More than once, she had even exploded in frustration at the poor warrior, who was simply trying to do his job.
Walking through the streets of Dressrosa alongside Scarlett and Kyros, Orion continued to analyze the kingdom's situation as best he could.
…
January 19, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
Finally, a week after Orion's arrival in Dressrosa, he had finished touring the vast kingdom and closely observing the lives of its people. Overall, the state of this nation was not that bad. Although the citizens did not live in abundance, they led full and happy lives.
Even so, it was true that the kingdom's poor economic situation caused multiple inconveniences in the daily lives of its people, and that if this economic precariousness could be solved, the overall situation would improve greatly.
The main problem with Dressrosa's economy was a combination of factors that reinforced one another. To begin with, the kingdom's location in the dangerous waters of the New World made it extremely difficult for industries such as tourism or fishing to thrive; moreover, Dressrosa had no natural resources to exploit, unlike other countries, which left its industrial capacity rather limited.
But above all else, what truly complicated matters was King Riku's benevolent nature itself. It wasn't uncommon for him to provide financial aid to neighboring kingdoms, which were often immersed in endless territorial wars—and although that was a genuinely noble and admirable action, from the perspective of a monarch, it was not acceptable at all.
For a king, the most important thing should be the well-being of his own people, and making their lives more miserable than necessary in order to maintain peace in other kingdoms was undoubtedly a failure on King Riku's part.
Nevertheless, Orion couldn't feel anything but admiration for such a noble ruler, who did his best to help as many as he could and make the world a better place. Even if he was an idealist many would consider a foolish naïve, in Orion's eyes, it was people like Riku who truly deserved all possible respect.
For that reason, after touring all of Dressrosa alongside Princess Scarlett and fully understanding the situation, Orion's desire to complete the mission the system had issued grew much stronger. Once again, he realized that the system truly generated missions based on his own subconscious wishes, even when he wasn't aware of it at first.
Feeling the January sun on his face as he reclined on the chair where he was sitting, Orion placed his hands behind his head, opened the map, and gazed at the only place in this vast kingdom he had not yet visited: Green Bit.
According to the information he had gathered, that was where the kingdom's "fairies" resided. Remembering what his master Roger had once told him about those tiny creatures, an idea on how to solve Dressrosa's economic problems began to take shape in his mind.
If this impoverished kingdom had no natural resource to export in order to fill its coffers... couldn't he simply give them an exclusive product to trade?
Thinking about the special abilities of the Tontatta and the apothecary's notebook he had recently obtained, Orion began to consider the details of his plan, trying to find solutions to the main obstacles that might prevent it from working.
Finally, he jumped up from the chair and started walking toward Scarlett's room, intending to invite her to come with him to see the famous fairies. After all, the first thing he needed to ensure for his plan to work was the cooperation of that extraordinary race.
Orion was about to leave his quarters to go find Scarlett when suddenly something covered his eyes, and the scent of roses gently surrounded him.
"Who am I?" Scarlett said teasingly, covering Orion's eyes from behind.
Feeling the girl's soft yet imposing breasts pressing against his back, Orion did his best to calm his stirred emotions, and taking Scarlett's hands in his, he said,
"Only a very beautiful woman could have such soft hands."
Then, turning around to look at her, he added,
"Just as I suspected. You truly are very beautiful."
Scarlett blushed slightly, but a moment later she stuck out her tongue playfully and stepped forward to wrap her arms around Orion's arm.
"Orion, where are you going? Were you trying to escape from me?" the girl asked flirtatiously.
Orion looked into her eyes and leaned in close to her face, stopping just a breath away from her rosy lips.
"Not at all. Quite the opposite, actually. I was just on my way to find you—to invite you on a romantic date with me," Orion said.
"Hmpf! Then I guess I have no choice but to go with you!" said the beautiful princess, showing a wide smile she couldn't suppress even if she tried. Once again, in the contest for taking the initiative with Orion, she had lost—though she didn't really mind.
Orion extended his hand and naturally took Scarlett's hand in his, walking with her out of the palace. After a week together, Orion and Scarlett's relationship had progressed considerably, and although they were still in a sweet, ambiguous stage, small gestures like walking hand in hand were no longer strange between them.
Another change was that Kyros no longer followed them every time they went out to explore the kingdom. Clearly, Orion's presence had already become part of the royal palace's routine, and even the proactive Princess Scarlett was now only one step away from being completely captured by Orion.
As Orion headed toward Green Bit with Scarlett in a relaxed mood, a strange ship with a single passenger arrived at the shores of Dressrosa. After several months apart, Orion would once again come face to face with the red-eyed Warlord.
...
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