Winter's end

The last snow fell, accompanied by the end of the work in the Barbarian Village, which Henry named Orsus.

Over the past few months, the residents of the Capital had gradually grown accustomed to the presence of this neighboring community, largely due to the steady supply of food provided by the Barbarians through the merchants. Though lingering tensions and feelings of revenge lingered between the two groups, the situation had dimmed to the point where both groups wouldn't try to kill one another at the first sight.

The young Barbarians were being educated in the ways of Stahl, learning about its culture, history, and language, all while preserving their own unique customs and traditions. This approach guaranteed that the barbarians would slowly be assimilated by Henry, in a peaceful and orderly process, minimizing the risks of riots and conflicts. Soon, all barbarians would identify themselves as Stahl's subjects.

Henry's approach to conquering and assimilating new communities was similar to that of Alexander the Great. Like Alexander, Henry recognized the importance of balancing control with cooperation to create a harmonious and stable environment. In his conquests of Babylon and Susa, Persia, Alexander demonstrated this balance through his amnesty for local populations and respect for their religious practices. This helped to minimize resistance and created a peaceful environment for trade and cultural exchange to flourish.

Alexander also understood the value of education and integration in building a strong and united empire. He encouraged the spread of Greek language, culture, and ideas, while also incorporating local customs and traditions into his empire. This helped to create a sense of unity and common identity, which was essential for the stability and success of his empire, just as Henry also saw the value in these principles in his own conquests.

In the end, Henry aimed to assimilate the Barbarian culture by incorporating the most important aspect of it into Stahl, the Tribal Tattoos. He envisioned an army fully equipped with these runes, one that would be capable of sweeping through the North, like Genghis Khan cavalry.

However, despite his efforts, Henry only managed to equip a hundred soldiers with the tattoos, with another one-hundred soldiers perishing in the process. The ratio was unfavorable, Stahl couldn't afford to lose any more troops, leading Henry to halt the experiments. Further research was conducted to improve the success rate, but there were not enough subjects to carry out proper experiments. As a last resort, they attempted to implement the tattoos on animals, but so far, this approach has not been successful.

To the relief of the merchants, the food shortage was short-lived, lasting only a month as the barbarians' supply was sufficient to sustain the capital. They were afraid of Henry confiscating their hidden stash if the situation became more dire. In the end, Henry compensated them with the rights to negotiate with the barbarians, resulting in the treasury saving hundreds of gold coins.

The merchants remaining in the capital after the nobles were disbanded were not a formidable force like the bourgeoisie who overthrew the monarch system on Earth. In fact, they were a vulnerable group who would offer little resistance if Henry chose to confront them. However, King Henry, being from the modern era, recognized their potential as a valuable resource for development.

Instead of destroying them, Henry made a strategic decision to utilize the merchants to his advantage. He established the Sun God Company, which brought all the merchants under its banner and provided them with subsidies, while also taking a cut of every transaction made by the company and holding the right for a casting vote. This move greatly stimulated trade in Stahl, as Henry was even willing to open the royal treasury to lend the merchants money with a favorable interest rate. Henry saw this as a way to both develop the kingdom and benefit from the merchants' transactions, envisioning a rich nation.

Furthermore, the winter presented an opportunity for Henry to overhaul the foundation of many institutions within the kingdom. Previously, the army served dual purposes - hunting and fighting against threats. Henry established the Hunter Association, transferring the hunters to this organization and allowing anyone to join, where they could receive training and become stronger hunters. This allowed the kingdom to have a more direct and steady supply of food, which didn't originate from farming. And, the army would only focus on defending the interests of Stahl.

Henry also established a mandatory public school, funded by the Sun God Company and the Royal Treasury. The capital was not densely populated, so the few teachers within the city were enough to form a teaching team. The king recognized the importance of education and was determined to make it accessible to everyone, planning to open schools in every village and city.

The curriculum covered not only subjects like history, geography, and culture, but also fighting classes aimed at producing a new generation of warriors - more powerful and more intelligent. To support this goal, Henry opened the Royal Library, where all techniques, except for the Imperial Sun God Technique, could be taught. While these techniques may not have been as advanced as those in the Central Region, they provided a solid foundation for the kingdom's growth.

When the children became adults, they would compose the army or the Hunter Association, becoming a great force for the Kingdom. Henry also wanted to open research facility, but there was no one capable enough to lead it, ending his plans.

-x-

Inside the Castle, Henry and Luther was sitting across each other, eating a great lamb, delivered by the barbarians.

"When do we depart?" – Luther asked.

"Tomorrow morning."