Percy wasn’t proud of it, but it was a fact that he was destroying the economy. He didn’t wish to do so, but to grow stronger and wealthier, Percy had to use his Ego. That being said, Percy said the only thing that came to his mind when the Minister of Finances paled.

“As the Minister of Finances, you should be thinking of a solution to stop me from destroying the economy. Rather than working with me or for me, you should devise a fool-proof plan to stop my Ego from destroying the kingdom’s economy. It would be best if you wouldn’t have to stop me from using my Ego, though. After all, I consider my Ego essential for the battle with the Demons and Devil that awaits us.”

Percy considered joking around, but his voice betrayed him.

“You…You think the Devil will return? The Old King defeated one of the Devils more than two centuries ago, and there hasn’t been a problem with them since. If we exclude the Synther’s betrayal, of course,” The Minister of Finances swallowed hard, but as she thought about it a bit more, she could only agree, “The increased Demon sightings might be a warning…or an appetizer.”

“I am not saying that I won’t Ego-enhance anymore Monster Cards. I can do that if you want me to. However, you would have to pay me fairly on top of providing the Monster Cards and enough Prosperity to finish the job neatly. That won’t be cheap,” Percy stated the obvious. He then reconsidered something and added, “Except for one Monster Card. I will Ego-enhance one Monster Card for free if you help me with something.”

Percy had been up to a few things since the nightmares started. The nightmares urged him to do something to change their final outcome, which was exactly what he was trying.

There is no way to tell when the Devil will return, but I will be ready for you. The more time you waste, the easier it will be for the Kainesh Kingdom to defeat you!

Percy shouted in his mind, clenching his fists tightly.

“Is that ‘something’ related to the proposal your parents have already rejected, Your Excellency?” The Minister of Finances squinted her eyes.

Percy winced quietly

“They did not reject my proposal. Not exactly, at least. They told me to be careful with my expenses and to…” He waved his hand dismissively, “That doesn’t even matter. I know this will work!”

The Minister of Finances cocked her eyebrow but gestured to him to explain.

“My plans are simple, you know?” Percy proceeded to tell the Minister of Finances everything, “Since I have already purchased the Dragon Nest – the building where I’ve installed forging rooms, alchemy chambers, and enchanter halls – all I need to do is hire enough loyal and hard-working blacksmiths, alchemists, and enchanters. It doesn’t even matter if they are still apprentices, but who am I telling this? We have been discussing this part of my plan for a while now, and you have been helping me hire some people.”

He snickered while the Minister of Finances recalled how she’d offered him help with the building the crown prince had purchased. She was responsible for connecting the crown prince to some architects, the ministry of craftsmen, and so forth.

“But this is only the beginning. I also wish to hire a group of Gifted Ones. It doesn’t matter whether they’re Egos or where they come from. They have some affinity for combat, bloodshed, or the like. If I want this to work out, they need to grow stronger through combat.”

Percy stopped for a second to study the Minister of Finances. She didn’t say a word and waited for him to keep going. Her curiosity had been picked.

“My next move would be to provide the youngsters with enough resources, which also includes instructors of all kinds. If I want everything to work out as intended, I’d need to hire some esteemed Weaponmasters, Blacksmiths, Alchemists, Enchanters, Managers, and more to instruct the youths working for me. The expenses would be horrendous, I am fully aware of that, but this is where I want to start. By nourishing elites from scratch.”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

The most important stage in Percy’s plan was to give the youths enough time to establish a proper foundation. As long as the blacksmith apprentices learned how to forge Perfect Quality goods made from iron ingots, just like Bert, they would not only be able to use their experience with iron to reach the next stage, but their profit-making ability would skyrocket as long as Percy reached out with his helping hand, or helping Ego.

Iron Artifacts were still in high demand. If anything, their demand was still increasing.

“Once I start earning a profit, which won’t take long given the nature of my Ego, I can start investing more heavily in the Gifted’s growth. I can prepare Forging Artifacts, Brewing Artifacts, and much more as long as the young Gifted generate profit,” Percy pointed out, “Eventually, I will start hiring Master Tier Gifted Ones by creating Cards for them. They will have to work for me for a few years – the number of years will be determined in the contract once they’re hired – before the Card’s property will be transferred to them.”

The Minister of Finances’ eyes glimmered as he revealed more and more intel about his grand plan.

“The Master Tier Gifted Ones will essentially work for you for free for years if you create a Master Card for them. Of course, the initial investment might be a heavy toll, but if you use those powerhouses and masters of their craft, it will be worth it. All you need is time,” She mumbled.

“You want me to help hire Master Tier Gifted Ones?” The Minister asked. Percy nodded before shaking his head.

“Yes, and no. I want you to vouch for me. You have been in charge of countless processes in the royal palace, the capital, and the whole kingdom for years now. Everyone knows you. They trust you more than they would trust me. Even if I am the crown prince, nobody knows me. My promises are worthless in their eyes. Therefore, I need you!”

A faint smile blossomed on the Minister’s face.

“I’ve underestimated you, your excellency,” She acknowledged, her smile widening slowly, “I’m in!”

Yes!

Percy had to suppress the excitement boiling within him. He nearly yelled out his excitement at the top of his lungs. That would have been embarrassing.

“Where do we start?” He asked instead, his eyes glowing.

The Minister looked at him, her smile now sly like a fox as she tapped one of the Wyvernblood Horse Cards.

“With your payment, of course.”

Percy’s excitement died instantly, but he nodded.

“Of course…”

***

Only two weeks passed since his chat with the Minister of Finances, but a lot had changed. The Dragon Nest was now filled with younglings, more than a dozen Instructors had been hired by the Minister of Finances, and they created a Knight Order after discussing the pros and cons of managing one for days.

The Dragon Knight Order was created with the crown prince’s sponsorship. The emergence of a new Knight Order was unexpected, which was why news spread like wildfire. Gossip and rumors always spread the fastest, especially in a bustling place like the capital.

Nonetheless, few Gifted Ones reached out to enter the crown prince’s order, and most of them were only interested in the monetary gains and other benefits offered to all members of the Dragon Knight Order.

That was expected, but it also gave Percy the leverage to pick out the most promising Gifted while rejecting those either too old or not suited for the tasks awaiting the Dragon Knight Order. Percy had been interested in some older Gifted Ones, but they weren’t in their prime anymore. They didn’t reach the Elite Tier before age 30 and would probably never break through.

Nine trainees joined the Dragon Knight Order after going through the small stash of submission papers and the initial interviews, which was more than enough to get started. All of them were youthful Adventurers at the Mortal Tier and needed extensive training before they could be deployed, which was also expected. The combat instructors jumped into action right away.

The teachings started, transforming the Dragon Nest into an educational institution, where the students also worked. They were part-time workers studying on the side to improve their education and understanding of their craft.

It wasn’t easy in the first few days as it was the instructors' first time teaching like that, but everyone improved steadily. After a few days, the process was smooth enough to proceed without any further problems.

That was good because Percy was struggling with some other projects.

He founded a school and an orphanage in the capital!