Black Gold.

The damage was done. Words were said. All that he could do right now with his tasks and face whatever it was that fate had in store for him.

After getting the Baron to unhand him, Atlas loosely dressed up and followed the large-bodied man as the latter led him to the bathroom. While the sun had yet to come up and the day had yet to begin, the prince did not find it within him to continue sleeping.

I mean, could you sleep peacefully when an 'assassin' could be prowling about your house? Yeah, Atlas didn't think so either.

'Now that my identity is out in the open, I have to operate under the assumption that that assassin could reach me at any time.'

A difficult challenge but none that was alien to Atlas.

Leading a group of people in an uprising while being under the threat of assassination was not something that many people could boast of having done. Atlas, however, had earned that very right to boast.

'It's South America all over again. And this time, no one can stop me from being a fascist.' the young prince darkly joked.

'Anyways, the first thing that I have to do is earn the people's trust and recognition. I have to establish my royal authority and make the people adore me.'

The more people that adored Atlas, the less likely were the chances of him being struck by an assassin. It also meant a greater quantity of cannon fodder for Atlas to make use of.

'This shouldn't be too difficult for me. All I have to do is resolve the two seemingly irresolvable problems and everyone should be falling at my feet.' He came up with a solid plan.

'I suppose all things having said and done, not everything about the Medieval Ages is bad. Depending on how you look at it, the vast force of uneducated laborers is a good thing; exploitation and what-not.'

What is the purpose of a man, if not to work. And what greater honor could there be for a man, than working under Atlas Constantine.

'That should be it for now. I should just be careful enough to not wander anywhere alone and keep the Baron beside me as frequently as possible. I should also take care of what I eat and drink.'

Poison was a very real thing that existed since the dawn of society. While sneaking a tasteless, scentless poison into his food could very well be a difficult task to accomplish within this barren town, Atlas wasn't willing to take any chances.

Underestimating an enemy was as good as declaring defeat.

'Know yourself and know thy enemy, and you will win—wait, why are we still walking? Where are we going?'

"Baron Helm? I asked to be led into the bathroom. Why are we out of the manor?"

The young prince asked seeing that they had left the manor and stepped into the backyard. Against the cold morning breeze, his loosely worn clothes weren't providing much protection.

"Oh, we are. my liege! In fact, we have arrived," The Baron cheerfully replied and came to a stop.

Atlas stopped beside the man and looked around. He didn't see any bathroom.

"I don't see any bathroom," he informed his servant.

"You jest, my liege. It's right there!" The Baron caught the young prince's head and turned it to face the bathroom.

It was a semi-constructed wooden stall, roughly the size of one adult person. A metal sheet covered the roof of the structure while a janky door guarded the entrance.

Through the half-open door, Atlas could see a shallow pit dug into the muddy ground. Inside this pit, a pool of dirty water rested with barely discernible chunks of semi-solid waste.

And then there was the smell. The god-awful, repugnant, abominable smell.

"There you are, my liege," The Baron intoned. "Oh, and do be careful not to fall into the latrine pit."

"I take it back." The young prince suddenly chimed.

"Hmm?"

Gritting his teeth, Atlas walked towards the stall, grabbed the wooden handle, and yanked it open. Stepping inside, he then slammed it close and screamed.

"THIS IS THE WORST ERA TO LIVE IN!!"

Gods, he missed the bidet.

---

Some people say that the morning sets the rhythm to one's day. Have a great morning and chances are, you'll probably have a great day. Do the opposite, and well…

"My liege! You cannot lock yourself inside your room! Your people are waiting for your address! Please come out!"

Baron Helm knocked upon the door of the young prince. A mix of anxiety and worry could be seen on his face, as he repeatedly coaxed the young boy.

"My liege, you cannot do this! Please come out!"

"I CAN AND I WILL! Go away, Baron Helm!!"

A childish voice replied from within.

Sighing loudly, the Baron stopped his knocking and softly asked, "Could your highness at least tell me what's wrong? Perhaps, I can help."

"NO!~" Atlas suddenly screeched. There was a short bout of silence following the screech after which a voice quietly replied, "You have no idea of the horrors, Baron. Unspeakable events have transpired that have forever traumatized me. I don't think I can recover from this."

"Just what are these events, my liege?" the Baron nervously asked. Just what could scare his genius master to such an extent?

"Did you not hear what I just said!?! They are UNSPEAKABLE!!" the young prince screamed and then fell silent.

The Baron was unmarried, not to mention childless. Facing a stubborn young prince, he wasn't sure of how to proceed.

"Sir Baron! Here you are!"

A voice suddenly called out. The Baron turned around and saw a ruddy-faced Reudem run towards him with an eager expression and a coarse pouch in his hand.

"Scout Captain? What are you doing here?" The Baron asked, confused. If memory did not fail him, this man was supposed to be leaving on an expedition this morning.

"A miracle! It's a miracle, Sir Baron!" the man arrived before the Baron and declared through panting breaths.

"What's a miracle? What happened?"

"The young prince's arrival, my lord! His Hi'hness presence has blessed the people of this town." Reudem then opened the pouch within his hand and took out its contents. "Look here, Sir!"

"This!!" The Baron exclaimed, holding the item within his palms.

The door to the prince's room opened with a loud bang. The two men quickly turned back with astonishment and saw a grumpy-looking Atlas.

The young prince was drawn out of his hideout by their incessant chatter and their ceaseless exclamations. Just as he was about to go off on a rant, his eyes landed upon the object within the Baron's grasp.

Atlas' eyes widened and the words within his mouth disappeared. Closing his agape mouth, he pointed at the mysterious object and asked.

"Where did you get this?"

Reudem quickly answered.

"I was putin a team to'ether for that second job, my lord, when a man came to me and showed me this!"

"Did you confirm it?" the young prince skeptically asked.

"I sure did, my lord! It's real. And there's more of it," Reudem could not hide the smugness within his voice as he continued. "A lot more of it."

"Where? And how much? I need a better estimate than 'a lot more'."

Atlas took the item into his hand and carefully observed it. Hearing his question, Reudem took a few breaths to calm himself before answering.

"Accordin' to what the man said, about three hour's journey into the forest. As for how much, he said it's more than he's ever seen."

"So you haven't seen it yourself?"

"No, my lord. But you can trust this man's words."

"I'll see that for myself. Lead the way," Atlas quickly barked and returned the item to Reudem.

The Scout Captain quickly nodded his head and led the young prince. Baron Helm obviously followed. As they walked, Atlas didn't hide the beaming smile on his face.

'I was just thinking about where I was going to employ all the people. The answer just arrived at my doorstep.'

Staring down at his blackened hands, Atlas smirked. This item was going to lead the changes around this town. For he had found…

Coal.