We finally got news from home. Father and uncle are in good health. They managed to stop the incursion of the enemy into southern Italia. The east was now the one doing the retreating. The bad news was the destruction of Napule itself. The Walls and some central buildings were the only ones, who survived the fire.
It was a strange feeling to lose my home. I have spent my entire life in Napule and now I would never be able to see the city in its old condition. It wasn’t sadness I felt. My family and our mementoes were safe. It was more a feeling of excitement and worry. Excitement to explore a new home and worry about the future. Would my new home also be destroyed?
I stopped lamenting about the situation and got up. Today Anaitis, Aellelorn, Alaric and I would visit the botanic garden of Messana. It was a project of scientists and mages, funded mostly by elven houses and the Oakenshield clan.
There was also the homework from Niloticus. He said I should find out what kind of ruler my father and uncle were. I should also guess what kind of ruler I would become. It was a question, which was hard for me to answer. My plan was to first ask my family and friends what they would do if they were a ruler. It started with mother at breakfast.
“Mother can I ask you something?”, I asked mother who was convincing Silas to eat his vegetables.
“Here comes the dragon… open your mouth Silas”, mother succeeded in feeding brother a spoon full and turned to me. “You can ask me anything. I’m your mother after all”
“What would you do, if you were a ruler?”, I asked her. Mother frowned for a moment but laughed directly after seeing my earnest expression.
“Lucius you do know, that I’m a ruler as well?”, mother asked. Of course, mother was a ruler as well! I sighed at my own short-sightedness and reworded the question.
“Yeah, I know! So what kind of tasks do you perform and which kind does father?”, I asked again. Mother thought for a moment and answered.
“I’m watching over the affairs of the state. Local conflicts between lords, meetings with churches and guilds. You could say, that I supervise the interior of our state”, mother looked at me to be sure, that I followed. “Your father manages the outer affairs of the state. Diplomatic agreements, alliances, war. In conclusion, he manages our relationships with foreign powers.”
“Do you do that all by yourself?”, I asked mother. So much work, for so few people. Mother smirked at me.
“No, of course not. We delegate everything possible to trusted vassals and advisers. You have to be careful who you give which tasks. Everybody has his strengths”, mother answered and feed Silas another spoon.
“And what does uncle do?”, I asked about Duran’s tasks.
“Duran is our first general. He manages the legions and leads campaigns. He also supervises paramilitary forces in the state, like guards and local militia”, mother explained.
“Thank you”, I noted mother answers down and turned to my sisters. It couldn’t hurt to get their opinions, could it?
“Iris what would you do if you were a ruler?”, I asked her.
“Hmmm, I would build a big library where all knowledge is collected and everybody can read in it”, Iris answered and gestured with her hands how big the library would be.
“Why a library and why for everybody?”, I asked, a bit interested in her reasons.
“Mother said Octanian would be a better place for many if knowledge would be accessible for more people”, Iris said and gestured to our mother. Mother just smiled at us.
“And you Ivy? What would you do?”, I asked my sister.
“I would build a big garden with exotic plants and animals! Sooo huuge”, Ivy gestured at the table for reference. I had forgotten, that Ivy and Iris already visited the botanic garden.
“Why do you want a garden?”, I asked.
“It’s beautiful and you can have so much fun in it. Just imagine how many people would visit such a place. You can see animals and plants from around Octanian”, said Ivy.
I asked for Silas’ opinion as well but found the demand ‘more chocolate pudding’ not noteworthy enough to be written down. I left home with a bit more information than before.
I finished breakfast and packed my things for the day. Niloticus’ present was always in my bag. It couldn’t hurt to train if I have free time. I meet up with the other in front of the entrance to the botanic garden.
“Hello. Did you wait long for me?”, I asked the others. Alaric grumbled something, but Anaitis dismissed my worries.
“No, you are in time. Alaric just arrived as well”, she said.
“Let’s get in. You don’t want to miss anything in there”, Aellelorn entered and we followed.
I was impressed at the sight I got. The forest or lake around Napule were nothing against this sight. Plants of all kinds were decorating our path. I could see a massive tree that touched the ceiling. Numerous small and beautiful insects, birds and small rodents were running around ignoring the visitors.
I used my mana sight and was even more impressed. Every plant and animal was magical in this place. They have created a place where mana gathered naturally, like the source of the Nil teacher told me about.
We followed a small path made of stones. There were runes inscribed on the edge. Light and darkness, those runes looked like cloaking spells. Now I knew why every animal seems to ignore us. And there was enough mana surplus to power these runes.
“How did they manage to create a place like this”, I returned to my normal sight and turned to Aellelorn.
“My family supported this project so I know a thing or two about this place. They conscripted a lot of civilians while building. The civilians had to give their mana to the plants. It took them two years until the place was self-sufficient”, Aellelorn said.
“How did they get the animals and plants to Messana?”, Anaitis asked.
“For every region, a small biotope was created. They transported those per ship or with big platforms pulled by beasts. It was a logistical nightmare to be sure, but worth it in my opinion”, Aellelorn explained.
We reached a meadow and the way ended. The animals in our surroundings fled to safety. I stared at the massive tree in front of me. It looked more like a giant colour show, once I activated mana sight. How could nature create such varied patterns?
We moved to the tree and sat down a few meters before it. We used the break to eat and enjoyed the fabulous view. Some animals checked the visitors out. Aellelorn even managed to make them eat out of his hand. Alaric instead used his food as ammunition against a mouse. He hit the rodent on the head.
“Why are they not scared of you”, I asked my friend.
“They can feel my intent. You can describe it as an instinct of sort. Magical creatures learned over centuries to polish those abilities”, he explained and caressed a horned rabbit who fed from his hand. It escaped as soon as the hand was empty.
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I looked at Aellelorn with mana sight and noticed that he changed his mana flow when he tried to feed the animals. I copied his mana flow as good as possible and managed to feed a mouse. The elf looked at me with a calculating gaze, but I wouldn’t tell him how I did it.
We continued our tour soon after. Aellelorn pointed special animals and plants out. I copied the most interesting mana flows down. I would like to show them to my teacher and study them at home. There is always something to be learned from nature.
Alaric showed a bored expression for the entire trip. He only showed interest when we observed how an eagle hunted a rabbit.
“An impressive creature to be sure. Spotting your prey from above and diving down to kill it in an instant”, said Alaric, marvelling at the sight. I could agree with him. That was an impressive sight.
“Do you like eagles?”, I asked him. He looked like I offended him.
“No, not particularly. I just like the hunting aspect of nature. It’s interesting what kind of methods nature invents to kill”, he said. We didn’t continue our conversation.
Anaitis showed a lot of excitement, once we reached an area of ponds and small lakes. She touched the water and numerous animals jumped out of the water. She spotted a smile and waves formed lovely patterns on the sea.
Aellelorn and I just stared at her and her work in amazement. It didn’t escape my notice, that the elf was more focused on her than the patterns. Did he like her maybe? Should I help to set them up? And how would I do that?
A head popped up from the sea and moved to Anaitis. It was a turtle the size of a dog. She nudged Anaitis’ hand and the mermaid caressed the head. Another head popped up and a dozen smaller ones. The family checked us out but mostly interacted with the mermaid.
“What kind of turtle are those Anaitis. Can you communicate with them like Aellelorn?”, I asked.
“It’s a small relative of the sea turtles from the great ocean. Seamen tell to be rescued by those turtles when they are shipwrecked. These smaller ones have saved people from drowning in lakes”, she explained and lifted one of the small turtles to her nose. The turtle tried to bite her nose in return.
“Why do they rescue people”, I asked and observed Anaitis’ mana flow. Aellelorn also managed to get the trust of the turtles. After a few tries, I managed as well. The one I lifted bit into my finger and wouldn’t let go.
“I don’t know. Mother told me stories, that people who drown are reborn as those turtles and save others from sharing their fate”, she said.
We spend a bit of our time in the area. I never noticed how diverse marine life could be. There were so few species in and around Napule. I copied again a few complicated mana patterns.
The next area was something like a jungle. Alaric’s most favourite area. He watched with interest as plants caught insects with traps. There seemed to be a correlation between inventive predators and Alaric’s attention.
We moved through a few other areas as well. Deserts, drylands, cliffs, small mountains and even a snow area. I was surprised how many plants and animals prospered under those conditions.
We talked a bit about the environment in those areas. Aellelorn and Anaitis did most of the answering, while I asked questions. Alaric seemed to be the only one who was happy when our trip ended. He excused himself when we exited the garden and was escorted by his family servants. Anaitis left soon after.
“Aellelorn can I ask you a question?”, I asked him.
“Sure. I will answer if I’m able to”, he answered
“What would you do, if you were a ruler”, I inquired, curious what he would choose to say.
“Hm. I would focus on my people. Make sure that they are safe and well-fed. I would also encourage a lifestyle with nature and not against it”, he said.
“Why?”, I inquired further.
“It’s important to live with nature. It is hard to restore what is destroyed. We wood-elves think of the forests as our homes, even if we live in cities”, he said and continued with a determined expression. “As for the first part, it’s significant to care for your subjects. Make sure that they live well now and in a hundred years. They will thank you for that. You will need the help of your people in trying times”.
We talked a bit more about his vision for a community. He seemed to put a lot of value on community and a balanced relationship with nature. I would need to ask my teacher. He should be able to give me a better insight into such things.
My escort arrived and I bid my friend farewell. I headed home for dinner and told my family about my day. I was bombarded with questions from my sisters until the end of the meal. I organized my notes from the day and went to bed afterwards. That was an interesting day.
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“Yes, you are right. Jagu is a diplomatic ruler. He prefers to solve his problems by talking the enemy down. It was an impressive feat of him to rally parts of southern Italia and Sicillia to his cause”, Niloticus said.
“I continued to ask mother and she said, that father deals mostly with the outers affair. She said he has a silver tongue. Whatever that means”, I said to my teacher. Niloticus nodded at me.
“The fact that your uncle is the man for military affairs is also correct. You could say Jagu is the brain, while Duran is the brawn. Your mother and aunt are managing the interior affairs. The question remains, what do you think is your forte?”, my teacher came back to the original part of my homework.
“I’m really not sure. I have still no experience in statecraft. I only have my basic education and magical knowledge and combat training”, I defended my lack of answer with Niloticus’ training plan. How does he expect me to know if he doesn’t give me something for reverence?
“You are right. Still, I had hoped that you had a general idea of what you want to accomplish in your rein. I will try to gather some documents from the library in Messana. It would give you a view of how the city is run”, Niloticus said and wrote something in his book.
“What would you do, if you were a ruler?”, I asked.
“Hmm. Don’t know. I would probably abandon my post at the first opportunity”, Niloticus saw that I looked a bit displeased at his useless answer and started thinking. “I would probably ensure peace inside and outside of my realm. Make sure the people live good lives.”
Another one, who said to take good care of his people. At this point it was clear, that good relationships with one's subjects is an important part of a stable realm. I really wonder why many rulers just listened to the nobles.
“You said to take good care of your people. Why is it, that many rulers only listen to people with money and power, like nobles?”, I asked.
“It depends on the country and ruler. Most of the time good relations with the nobles is everything a ruler needs. You should not be short-sighted though if the nobility gets too much power they overthrow you, if they have not enough they will rebel. You have to find a healthy balance”, explained teacher.
I thought over my teacher answer. Wait, provided the nobles are the problem, why not get rid of them? It would remove their influence and the people would get more attention and power.
“What if I get rid of nobles?”, I inquired.
“Difficult. It was done several times, but they always come back in one form or the other. It is not easy to get rid of ruling classes”, said teacher.
“I could give all my citizen equal rights. Like the republic used to be. That would remove the privileges of the nobles. They can keep their funds, but have to return a big part of the property”, I explained my idea.
“Yes that you could do. I would still advise caution. They wouldn’t just give away their power without pressure. There might be a coup or rebellion waiting for you, once they know your plan”, Niloticus advised me, but I had that already covered.
“Rebellion against your lord is treason. Traitors will be stripped of all titles and possessions. I hope they resist. It would make everything easier”, Niloticus seemed a bit surprised at my methods. Uncle already told me that sometimes force is the best and quickest solution to a problem.
“You would face several armies. A big one, if they, manage to coordinate well”, Niloticus said.
I had learned one thing in my basic education and from uncle. The troops of local lords are never able to stand against an organized and experienced legion. I would have nothing to fear from their armies. The only problem would be a knife behind my back.
“A legion can destroy simple armies, even if they are outnumbered”, I said and Niloticus just smiled at me. I would really like to know what he was thinking.
“I think I know what kind of ruler you would be. Somebody who commands absolute control over his realm and subjects. Somebody who shapes the society to his liking”, Niloticus said with a toothy smile. “A radical reformer. You remind me of emperor Aurelian.”
I didn’t know emperor Aurelian’s history. I thought about my teachers guess about me. The longer I thought about it, the more I was sure of my path. I wanted to be a reformer and change Octanian to my liking.
“What did Aurelian do as a reformer?”, I was now genuinely interested in the history of this emperor.
“Fought against corruption and inflation. He also reformed trade and agriculture for the better. He died, because of the lie from a corrupt official”, teacher explained.
Okay, note to myself be careful of who you piss off with your reforms. I really need trusted aides, if I want to implement bigger reforms. Maybe ministers like in the vandal republic. Alaric as my bodyguard, Aellelorn and Anaitis could manage agriculture and the marine economy.
I noticed, that I lacked capable and trusted people to appoint. Something I really need to fix in the next years. Social contacts were important for rulers.
We talked about some basic knowledge in statecraft and military affairs. Teacher gave me a list with a few books, which I should lend from the library and read. I didn’t like the prospect of more reading but knew it had to be done. The fact that one book was about Aurelian, piqued my interest.
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Niloticus watched as Lucius left for home with the servants. He sat there for a while. Thinking about the things Lucius proclaimed he would do as ruler. Niloticus was sure, that he would probably really manage to pull some of those things off. The only question would be how many people will die if they try to stop him? And will they even be able to stop him?
“Restitutor Orbis. Will, there be another person with that title?”, Niloticus mumbled to himself. A bit excited at the prospect of Lucius future. Those of house Vespasianus had always been full of surprises.