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"Who do you plan on having live here?" she asked, her voice quiet, almost wistful, as her eyes roamed over the sturdy, well-built homes. Harry wasn't entirely sure, but he thought he heard a distinct note of deep longing in her voice as she looked around his nascent city.
Harry shrugged, a casual gesture. "Anyone who wants to," he said simply. "The kingdom I wish to make is for everyone, for all people who wish to live in peace with each other, to build a better life for themselves and their children."
That was not, of course, strictly true. He did want to make a kingdom where everyone was treated as equals, where none looked down on each other for their race or their station in life.
But he also, and perhaps more importantly, wanted a kingdom so that he could raise a powerful, loyal, and magically-enhanced army to deal with all the inevitable, future threats against Ciri.
Whether that threat be the spectral, otherworldly Wild Hunt, the manipulative, power-hungry sorcerers of the continent, or even her own damn, incestuous father. All of her enemies, all of his enemies, would eventually be crushed before him.
"Anyone?" Merri asked, her voice filled with a healthy dose of skepticism. "You would just let anyone live in this magnificent place you've created, a place you've clearly put all this incredible work into, all by yourself? What's the catch? There's always a catch."
"The conditions," Harry explained, his voice patient, "are that you follow the established laws, and that you contribute to our new society in some way or another. You will also be required to pay taxes from your job, of course, but those taxes will be based on a fair percentage of your income, rather than a flat, set fee. This is to lighten the considerable load on those who are too poor to give much."
"And the laws themselves are very concise, very clear, and designed for most situations, to not only keep the peace, but also to keep our society running smoothly and, most importantly, fairly for everyone. There are several law books that will be made available for perusal for any who wish to look into it."
His planned society, he knew, was a rather unique mix of both a democracy and a monarchy, a system he had designed to try and balance out the inherent problems he had seen in both of those government systems.
"And what would you do for food?" she asked, a practical, hunter's question.
"Simple," Harry said with a confident smile. "The grounds immediately surrounding the city are now more fertile than any other land in the Far North, and probably more fertile than most in the Northern Kingdoms as well.There is also, now, an abundance of animals that have made their way closer to the city, animals that can be hunted for food, now that the entire area is more fertile, more hospitable."
" I am also currently working on getting herds of cattle, as well as flocks of chickens and sheep, for a more stable supply of food, leather, and wool. I have all the necessary resources, right here, to start a full, thriving, self-sustaining kingdom."
"And how," she asked, her eyes narrowing, "did you get the frozen, barren land of the Far North so… fertile?"
"Magic," Harry said back, his voice dry, his expression unreadable. Merri just glared at him, clearly wanting a more detailed explanation, but Harry just stayed silent, and continued to not elaborate. Ra's Eye, his powerful, world-shaping artifact, would need to be kept a very, very closely guarded secret, after all.
"Alright," Merri said, crossing her arms over her chest. "So, you're apparently trying to make some kind of… northern paradise, then. But what's in it for you? Nobody, and I mean nobody, would do all of this, go to all this trouble, just to help other people."
"Sure, someone would," Harry countered. "It only takes one person, someone with the means and the ability, to finally get fed up enough with the current, unjust status quo, and to wish for real, lasting change. Anger, Merri, and a deep, burning annoyance, can be very, very strong motivators, you know."
He purposefully did not mention whether or not that was the real reason he was doing all of this. He just gave her another, perfectly plausible explanation on why someone might do what he was currently doing. If she chose to assume that was his own, personal motivation, then that was her own fault.
Harry thought about the current, unexpected opportunity that had just presented itself before him. Merri was, most likely, a member of one of the reclusive, hidden settlements up in the Dragon Mountains.
If he could just place the thought, the seed of an idea, in her head that living here, in his new city, would be infinitely better than their current, harsh existence, then she might just go back and convince others, her family, her friends, of the same thing. At this point, Harry just needed to get the ball rolling.
He already knew, with an absolute, unshakable confidence, that his new kingdom had the potential, and the strong, founding ideals, to be far superior to almost all of the other, corrupt and stagnant kingdoms that currently existed in this world.
Being from a similar, but far more technologically and socially advanced world, allowed him a unique, invaluable perspective.
He knew, intimately, the many issues and problems that were caused by the governments of the past, as well as some that would undoubtedly arise in the future.
"And who," Merri asked, her voice softer now, more curious, "was it who drove you to this point, then? Who made you so angry?"
"A man," Harry said, his voice turning dark, a cold, hard edge to it, "who thinks it's his divine right, his undeniable destiny, to rule the entire world."
"Hmm," Merri said, her eyes studying him intently. "Be careful, sorcerer, in your grand conquest to best him, that you don't end up becoming just like him."
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