"I don't get it. Why does a king intend to abdicate his throne and throw it away to a stranger? Much more, an alien from a different world?" Nelson asked as soon as they reached the private chamber.
Alfred gave him a sympathetic look and sighed, "I apologize for taking you out of your world. Then, put you into the hardest position someone could ever land in this kingdom. Please sit." Said Alfred while giving signals to two attendants to pour their cups of tea and leave the room.
Once seated, Alfred started to give an explanation of the situation in the kingdom. "This kingdom is a small nation in the middle of the Altean Continent. We are sandwiched between three other large and powerful nations. To the North, the Oros Kingdom, to the East, The Principality of Neon and to the South is the Democratic Nation of Grandia. As of right now, we are having good relationships with those countries.
But the new proclamation may shake this kingdom and cause a massive rift among the nobles. The Oros Kingdom may look at our political instability as a sign of weakness and decide to grab some of the land it lost in the 100-year war, which ended 50 years ago.
The Principalities of Neon are less interested in grabbing lands but rather would love to take advantage by trapping us in debt, then forcing us to be their vassal. In a way, we become a physical buffer zone between them and the Western Plain."
"What about the Western Plain?" Nelson asked.
"Western Plains is a huge desert where bandits roam. Sometimes, they will come out of the desert to attack caravans or raid villagers bordering the desert. We have stationed some watchtowers along the border, but sometimes, they manage to sneak through and attack our supplies. That's why The Principalities of Neon is not interested in our land."
"It forces them to send a lot of resources to the border," Nelson muttered.
"Correct, Sir, you are indeed a brilliant man. I believe you will lead this kingdom well."
"You haven't told me about the nation in the South, Alfred."
"They are neutral. Have never shown any interest in conducting trades or even allowing our people to come to their nation. Basically, they just mind their own business." Alfred replied.
"Okay, so what is the next concern that I should be aware of?" Nelson asked, still trying to figure out the purpose of being summoned to that place.
"Recently, there has been an increase in the raids from the infamous Snake bandits across the border town. They found ways to pass through the border guards and wreaked havoc deep in the town itself. Often, causing houses and business in flames. Many residents tried to feel the town. But they were blocked by the local lord, Lord Sullivan and his private army. Anyone who dared to flee was threatened to be killed in front of their family members.
The Western territories are having severe food shortages. After three consecutive failed harvests, the price of grain has tripled. Leading to riots and mass theft among the population.
"What about our treasury? Surely, we can solve this problem by having trades with agricultural nations," asked Nelson.
"Empty," said Alfred without any hesitation. "The frequent raids and boosting crops projects have drained our treasury. In the end, all the things we did for the people have gone in vain," he explained.
Nelson closed his eyes; his head started to hurt from all the bad news. "What about the state of our army? Can't we launch an offensive against the bandits to ease our food production and economies?"
Alfred kept quiet for a moment, trying his best not to cause further headaches. "Well, Sir, the army is in disarray. Each noble insisted that the soldiers from their respective domains shall only act when instructed by the nobles themselves. They couldn't care less about the difficulties faced by other territories. In short, the military powers lie exclusively with the nobles."
"This is such a headache. Don't we have our own army in this kingdom?" Nelson lamented. He realized how small the power of the king is in this land; moreover, how this nation could be retained with so little power in the first place.
"Sir, we have a small elite army, selected from the best of each domain. They are The King's Guard. Their strength is around 5,005 personnel, consisting of a commander, five captains, and five thousand soldiers of various classes. It is believed that each King Guard's soldier is as strong as five normal soldiers under the nobles." Alfred said proudly.
Nelson sipped the tea offered to him. His mind wandered, if he were given this much authority to fix a country spiralling out of control. He would be doomed to fail from the start. But perhaps, this is the only chance for him to prove his worth, not by saying yes to bosses or fighting with his own superior, only to be stabbed in the back by these people. He has a fighting chance now. Never again will he be the nice guy, he promised himself not to be too kind to his enemies as in the past. He has learnt his lesson, and he shall prevail.
"When will my ceremony be held?" he asked, his eyes fixed on solving the issues at hand.
"If you are ready, Sir, I will speak to the king. Then, we shall hold the ceremony a week after today." Alfred replied. "I believe you are ready now, Sir. I shall take my leave and inform the king of your readiness. Welcome to The Kingdom of Thessalonis, Future King…"
"Nelson Green…" Nelson said.
Alfred smiled, "Future King Nelson the Great." He said as he left the room, leaving Nelson alone. King Nelson the Great, that has a nice ring to it.
He rose from his chair, walked towards the window overlooking the grand garden. As he watched the colorful rows of tulips, he vowed not only make the Kingdom of Thessalonis survive, but to unify the whole continent under his rule.