Interlude. The First Step into Empire

Michael Magna, Month 11, Day 17, Year A.F 652. The Village of Castor, Kingdom of Rosalia.

The quiets sound of breathing was all I could hear as I woke up. A sudden ray of light comes from the window as I rub my eyes. The smell of roses enters my senses and a soft hand drapes over me.

Huh, that happened. I try to stand up before another hand pulls me down. This one coarse and rough but remains soft to the touch.

I grunt as I laid back down, the two sets of arms squeezing me in. I look to my right to see the familiar brown locks of Madelaine along with her soft, playful smile as she looks back at me with mirth.

"Good morning, Michael." She spoke as she snuggles deeper in her hug. Her thinly covered clothing more than apparent through the contact of her skin to mine.

"Good morning," I reply to her with a smile, unfazed by her antics.

She notices this before giggling, waking up the girl on my left, which decided to wake up with her lean and muscular arm draping over my waist, squeezing the life out of me.

We look at each other to see the red-headed beauty, sleeping peacefully with her hand draped over me. I try to struggle against it, only to realize the strength hidden beneath her relatively small arms.

Madelaine giggles at this as she stood up, amusement written on her face as she watches me struggle. I ignore her as I watch Mary. I guess her exercise has worked well. Her strength is almost ridiculous.

Fortunately, the lady in question wakes up. Her face is beautiful as she looks at me before smiling. Deciding to snuggle close into her hug.

"Can you let me go?" I ask her as I hug her back.

She replies with a teasing smirk as she squeezed harder, leaving me squirming in her arms. Her clothing similar to mine, a simple baggy shirt to pass through the night.

I then stood up, pushing away from the bed. She gives out a soft disappointed sigh, as I move away trying to ready for the day ahead.

I come out to a table filled to the brim with food, each one a more luxurious feast than the last. I smile at the two ladies already taking their breakfast.

They give me a smile before returning to their meal. I take my seat as I take a piece of bread and pick out from the dishes before me as I ask, "So you guys have any updates for me?"

They look to me and shrugged as Mary replied, wiping her mouth as she looked back wearing her long-sleeved shirt, "The army you have is swarming into the city, bit by bit. Even bringing with them most of the refugees you wanted."

I take a bite as I nod before replying to her, "That's good, you better talk to Anders though, the man has more knowledge about those men, you'd need his help if you want them integrated into your training."

She nodded back to me as she returned to her food.

"Then how about you?" I glance to Madelaine who was drinking.

She tilts her head, "Well," She then taps her chin in thought, another one of her cute gestures, "There have been no problems integrating those trying to enter the city, though the construction is being overworked, a fact that could be solved with the manpower this army of yours is bringing."

I then stop mid bite as a question pops into my head, "How many refugees are arriving to require so much manpower?"

"A thousand per day." She replies, deadpanned.

Her eyes locking with mine as I look to her weary eyes, reminiscing the amount of work she seemed to have gone through.

I rub my forehead in frustration as I mutter to myself, "That explains the reason why you both still live with me."

Madelaine widens her eyes before lowering the cup in her hand, "Well, yes, of course."

Mary only glances at me with red eyes filled with amusement. Though before she could utter a word a kmock comes from the door.

I immediately stood up, aware that this was the report I asked for, one sent through A&M. With that thought in mind, I open the door, to reveal a messenger with a letter in hand.

"Thank you." I said to him as he bowed his head and left.

There has been little news from the frontline, though I assume both armies haven't even seen each other to even pursue battle.

Though I'm sure that their logistics alone could speak what kind of strategy it is that they intend to pursue, I open the letter and read it's contents.

The most urgent news seems to be that a forty thousand army has left Arasel. I choke on my food, reading such a thing. FORTY THOUSAND!

That's twice the amount they agreed upon and something so much more than necessary that is if they intend on leaving after. Instead, a forty thousand army would be just enough to take hold over the entire of the north.

A fact that would change a lot of my plans. I close my eyes in thought, thinking up of the ways I'd need to do to hasten this village's development, so that it could at least hold and bargain to the powers appearing.

I look up from my thoughts to see the two women looking at me in worry. I give them a small sigh as I stood up, "You guys can keep eating, I'll have to start a meeting."

"Wait!" Madelain shouts to me.

I look back, my eyes questioning.

She points to her face as she said, "Your mask, you're not gonna wear your mask?"

I shrug my shoulders, "I don't think it's necessary to hide my face, since the only powerful people that remembers me will be dead or dying."

She listens before she shrugs replying, "Your choice."

With their eyes looking at me, I leave the dining area and exited the door. Only to come up to an uplifting view.

The village I arrived in was decrepit and with a population of five hundred. The last official assigned was, was there even an official assigned? I was sure that they just sent tax collectors.

It even got to the point where some children laid through the streets, starving. Yet here we are, the once dreary village was now filled with bustling life.

I look to my house, a three storey building built on wood and bricks a design I built the rest of the city on. Well, sure, it might be expensive, but I can't help but enjoy the brick houses built rows upon rows, I'll probably even allow renovations once the city gets going.

A child passes in front of me, giving a toothy smile, one I can't help but smile back. The industries I moved to this village were helpful in giving the village the money it needs.

From the countless traders going in and out for the materials, then the carriages that send back every product made within the city.

Along with pulling in a few connections in the Iridian Principality, I've made the village into an influential city, well barely.

Then there's the grain, the grain silos I have made the build was one of a kind, due to the immense amount of magic, there's probably no being alive that could harm or steal those highly preserved grains.

After all, it's one of the incentives I've offered to live here in the city. It seems to have worked well. In tandem with the little wealth I've been giving away, thousands seem to flock.

The only thing left is to make sure more people are aware of this village's existence. More realize its accommodations and the state of livelihood within it.

So, how do I make it so? I've already had A&M do it for me. The various soldiers brought their families as well, yet with the rate we're going, the most I could gain on the occasion of this war finishing early would be a hundred thousand. Something barely enough for my future plans.

I rub my head in frustration before walking forward. It doesn't matter right now, since the war hasn't even started in full and with that I'm sure the amount of refugees is going to increase, especially if what I fear Arasel plans come to fruition.

They're bound to create chaos, with the various nobility hating this foreign invader. Various revolts and riots all resulting to a lower standard of living.

All I have to do is to continue as a bastion of Rosalian Power or at least one of the safe havens untouched by the increasing chaos engulfing Northern Rosalia.

Only when I reached the critical amount of population, could I declare independence and declare myself as a separate power.