The Royal Council meeting had concluded in a flurry of bewildered whispers and grudging acquiescence. King Leonidas, still reeling from his son's unprecedented display of financial acumen and startling assertiveness, had ultimately given his cautious approval. The immediate freezing of the Royal Hunt, while met with dismay by many, was a testament to Mark's conviction, and perhaps, to the king's own quiet desperation.
The next morning, the palace buzzed with an unusual energy. Mark, having spent another restless night poring over old maps and resource logs, had already dispatched missives. His first target: the Royal Guard's supply chain. It was an intricate web of long-standing contracts, inflated prices, and dubious quality, a perfect starting point for his "comprehensive economic audit."
He found himself, hours later, in the Guard Commander's office, a stark room usually filled with the scent of leather and steel, now dominated by the rustle of ledgers and the sharp smell of new ink. Mark, amidst the chaos, made surprisingly quick work of identifying discrepancies. His mind, honed by years of scrutinizing corporate budgets, saw patterns where others saw only endless columns of numbers.
"Commander Valerius," Mark stated, pushing a particular ledger across the table. "One hundred units of 'elven steel arrows' delivered quarterly. Yet, the armoury records show only fifty ever reaching the barracks, and half of those are of inferior make. Where do the other fifty, and the payment for a hundred, go?"
Commander Valerius, a gruff man of honour but little head for figures, merely grunted. "Standard practice, Your Highness. Always been that way."
"Then 'standard practice' is precisely why our coffers are empty," Mark countered, his tone firm. He laid out a plan: renegotiate contracts, introduce competitive bidding, and implement strict inventory checks. It was a tedious, thankless task, but essential.
While deep in this audit, a voice, bright and almost painfully cheerful, echoed from the doorway. "Prince Mark! Are you quite done turning the entire Royal Guard into a giant abacus?"
It was Alfred von Ticao, ever the provocateur, trailing behind him was a young woman of striking beauty, her long dark hair cascading over finely embroidered robes. She clutched a scroll to her chest, her eyes wide as she took in the scene of disarray. This was Ellaine y Mandaue, daughter of the Duke of Etivac, known for her sharp mind, prodigious magical talent, and… a penchant for minor disasters.
"Alfred," Mark replied, not looking up from a particularly egregious expense report. "Just reorganizing. And who is your lovely companion? I trust you haven't managed to charm your way into a diplomatic incident this early in the day."
Alfred grinned, ushering Ellaine forward. "This, my dear workaholic, is the brilliant, if somewhat gravitationally challenged, Lady Ellaine. I've brought her at your father's request, something about 'magical surveys' for your grand plans. Ellaine, this is Mark, our resident financial wizard."
Ellaine, attempting a graceful curtsy, stumbled slightly, catching herself on a nearby chair. A faint blush dusted her cheeks. "It is an honour, Your Highness. Lord Alfred exaggerates my… physical grace." Her voice was soft, but her eyes, when she met Mark's, were intelligent and observant. "My father mentioned you required magical assistance for surveying the kingdom's resource potential?"
Mark nodded, a flicker of appreciation in his eyes for her directness. "Indeed, Lady Ellaine. etabsam's strategic position has always been touted as its strength, yet we've failed to capitalize on it. We sit at the crossroads of Sugbu." He spread an old, faded map on the table, gesturing to the kingdom's central location. "Our borders touch the mountainous Elven Dominion to the north, the bustling Human City-States to the west, the arid Demon Wastes to the east, and the sprawling Beastfolk Plains to the south. This makes us a natural trade hub, a convergence point for all races."
"A convergence point for bandits and monsters too, unfortunately," Alfred interjected, pulling up a chair and making himself comfortable. "Our roads are barely safe for a lone merchant, let alone caravans."
"Precisely," Mark said. "Which brings me to another point. Beyond our immediate agricultural struggles, etabsam possesses untapped wealth. According to these old mining records, buried and ignored for generations, there are vast veins of a peculiar black rock beneath the Dragon's Teeth mountains to the east." He pointed to a region on the map. "It is referred to vaguely as 'black stone that burns fiercely,' or 'the earth's dark heart.' I believe it to be something similar to what, in my… previous life, was known as coal."
Ellaine's brow furrowed. "Coal? I've heard of it mentioned in ancient texts as a fuel source, but it's rarely used. Wood and mana crystals are the dominant energy sources here. It's said to be dirty, difficult to transport, and its burning produces noxious fumes. Most mages find it crude, preferring the clean elegance of mana manipulation."
"And that," Mark replied, a speculative gleam in his eye, "is where opportunity lies. If harnessed correctly, this 'black stone' could revolutionize our industries, provide abundant heat, and even power new forms of machinery. Its very abundance and the world's ignorance, or rather, disdain for its true potential make it invaluable. My previous world perfected its use, along with other raw materials like iron, copper, and more precious metals, which these records also hint at."
"So, you want me to find the 'black stone that burns fiercely'?" Ellaine asked, pushing up her spectacles that had slipped slightly on her nose. "And other, less-understood metals?"
"Precisely," Mark confirmed. "And to assess the magical properties of these deposits, if any. Can your magic penetrate deep enough to map these veins?"
"With a powerful enough mana-crystal array and sufficient time, it is certainly feasible," Ellaine said, her clumsiness forgotten, her eyes alight with intellectual curiosity. This was her element.
Just then, the door opened again, revealing a towering figure whose imposing presence silenced the room. This was Ben y Ten, son of a count in San Jacinto, Mark's personal royal bodyguard. He was a man carved from granite, solemn and vigilant, his hand never far from the hilt of his greatsword.
"Your Highness," Ben stated, his voice a low rumble, his gaze sweeping over Alfred and Ellaine before settling firmly on Mark. "The King requests your presence. Urgently."
"Perfect timing, Ben," Alfred quipped, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Just when we were about to discuss exploding mountains and magical rock-scans. Do try not to stand quite so… menacingly, old friend. You'll scare the Lady."
Ben merely grunted, his expression unchanging, a hint of disdain for Alfred's antics in his steady gaze. He was a sentinel, not a socialite.
Mark closed the ledger. "Excellent, Ben. I was about to seek my father anyway. Lady Ellaine, Alfred, your tasks are clear. Alfred, I'll need you to accompany Ben on a reconnaissance of the trade routes. We need to identify monster dens and bandit strongholds. No more 'looking regal,' Alfred. It's time for some actual dirty work."
Alfred's theatrical sigh was audible. "Oh, the indignity! Very well, Your Highness. Duty calls, and apparently, so does manual labour."
As Mark, Ben, and Alfred departed, Ellaine remained, poring over the old map, her fingers tracing the outline of the Dragon's Teeth mountains. The prospect of uncovering hidden wonders, of applying her magical talents to solve a real-world problem, was invigorating. etabsam was a kingdom in crisis, but for the first time, she felt a tremor of hope, a sense that things might truly change. And it all began with a prince who saw a burning black rock, not as a dirty curiosity, but as the fiery heart of a reborn kingdom.