Chapter 41

I look at the construction in front of me and say.

"I still did not see the reason why I needed a castle."

"You are a king, my lord. A king needs a castle, and a beautiful castle is a must for a powerful king."

"I still think this is a waste of money."

"Aye, it is. However, you also need an image. A king without a castle is a weak king. I will not let my king be seen as weak."

I can see the other people nodding their heads in agreement. I know a king must have a castle, but I did not think I needed a palace that big. I already saw the blueprint for the palace, and it was bigger than Red Keep, the palace where my family once ruled.

The palace needs two million gold coins to be built. That is relatively cheap because most of the material is coming from this island. Usually, it takes at least five million gold coins to build a new castle. Lunaria kingdom is not only a fertile land; it is also filled to the brim with building material.

Time is the only obstacle we have. With how massive the palace will be, it will take a long time to construct. Even with the help of Braavos construction workers and my help, Bakir still predicts that it will take at least two years to complete.

Yeah, even with the help of magic, it still takes two years to complete.

"I see. Anyway, how is the vault doing?"

"The vault is doing great, my lord. With your invention, we have a steady income. From the information I gather, we are the third richest kingdom among the Free Cities."

"Can we even call it a Free City anymore? We are a kingdom now."

"I guess you are right. Then we are the richest kingdom in the world."

"Pardon me?"

"Aye. As far as I know, the only kingdom in the world is the Seven Kingdoms and the Summer Isle. However, the Summer Isle has three kingdoms, and while they are rich in gems and jewelry, they use that jewel and precious gems to buy food and construction material."

I raise my finger but put it down a few seconds later. Yeah. There are not many kingdoms in this world, or at least the known kingdom. I don't know if there are other kingdoms in the place yet to be explored, but for now, there are not many known kingdoms in this world.

There is an empire, YiTi, but it was not a kingdom; it was an empire. The only known kingdom is the Seven Kingdoms and the Three Kingdoms of Summer Isle.

"Huh. Seriously?"

"Aye. The Seven Kingdoms are rich, but these riches are not in the king's hands but rather in their lords."

"Are you talking about the Lannister?"

"Aye. Their mountain is filled with gold, and their land is fertile. They did not need the crown to survive, but the crown needed them to continue running. Did you know that Robert Baratheon has a massive debt?"

"Really?"

"Aye. They have two million debt to the Lannister alone, and it keeps increasing to pay their debt to the Iron Bank, or they will become the enemy to the Iron Bank."

"I see… Bakir, can I ask something?"

"Of course, my lord. I'm your humble servant. I live to serve you."

"Can I ask how the seven kingdoms are doing?"

I did not really care how they were doing, but I wanted to know if they would attack us like when I was in Braavos. If they are doing great and prosper, I know they will come here with a fleet filled with a hundred thousand soldiers.

I don't think we can win against that many soldiers.

We can win in the early war, but we cannot win in a long fight. We did not have enough population to do that, while the Seven Kingdoms could toss away a thousand soldiers without getting worried they were losing.

"They are doing worse, my lord. All of their lords are so corrupt that it destroys the common folk who cannot fight back against their lord. The guild already predicts there will be at least a thousand people dying this winter. They need all their attention to minimize the dead. There is a small famine happening across the kingdom."

"Really?"

I release a relief sigh. This may sound harsh, but I'm glad they are experiencing a famine. Let them suffer, so my people and my family did not experience suffering. I did not want war, but I wanted at least time to prepare if war came.

"Aye. It is not as bad as the one Lys experienced in the past, but it was enough to make the common folk suffer."

"I see… I need to get back home, Bakir. I will leave the construction to you."

"Of course, my lord."

I need to get back home and enjoy my peaceful time.

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Bakir, Ser Willem, and Ser Jon look at the back of their king before releasing a sad sigh.

"Even when he said that he did not want to rule over the Seven Kingdoms, he still thought of the people, huh?" Bakir says while looking at the two knights next to him.

"Aye." Jon Connington nods his head in agreement. "His heart is crying in sadness at the thought of his people suffering."

"Even he already severs his ties to the Seven Kingdoms…." Ser Willem looks at Viserys with a smile "... he still has ties to his ancestor's home. The place where they built their home and raised their descendants."

The three of them misunderstood why Viserys sighed. He sighs because of relief, but the others think that he sighs because of sadness.

Ser Willem looks at the other three and says.

"The only thing we can do is to support him. He is still young and still needs guidance. He is a wise young man and blessed by the gods, but he still needs our experience and protection."

"Aye. You are right. The Thousand Hands Guild will be his eyes and ears in the dark. He is our family, and our family protects each other."

"Heh. I've sworn to protect the Royal Family. I've made an oath to the previous Prince to protect his brother and children. I cannot protect his son, but I will protect his brother, sister, and daughter."

Three people have sworn underneath the sun to support the young king. One swore to guide the young king, the second one swore to be his eyes and ears in the shadows, and the last one swore to protect him and his family.

It was the birth of the Three Pillars of Lunaria.