With Alex's soul out of danger, daily activities could return to normal, and political matters could also relax somewhat, as they no longer needed to rush to obtain more resources or close deals due to the fear that Alex's soul would spontaneously disappear.

Alex was unconscious for two days and spent another two days bedridden, weakened during which time the mobilization had begun. Since they had already been in a state of war for a long time, remobilizing the troops was relatively easy, and logistical matters were well-practiced. It was even easier due to the increase in the Fheres; the domestication techniques developed by the Gnolls were simply sublime when it came to utilizing these powerful creatures that could carry five times the capacity of the most common pack animals in this world.

At home, although Alex was supposed to be resting, he continued to receive visitors.

"That concludes the trade report, my lord," declared Bromir, the Dwarf leader of the Golden Boar Trading Company.

"You've made great progress, Bromir. I'm pleased with the advancement. For the next iterations, you can increase the volume of trade," Alex responded diplomatically, trying to reassure the Dwarf, who had clearly struggled to meet growing expectations. Nevertheless, Alex understood that it would be difficult to continue increasing resource transfer steadily, so he didn't view it as a failure and chose to continue for longer to see if the Dwarf was truly to blame or not.

"Thank you for your understanding. If there are no more questions, I shall take my leave," replied the Dwarf, waiting for Alex's approval. When Alex nodded, he began to exit the room.

On his way out, the veteran Dwarf immediately heard the Human start speaking with his Gnoll assistant. Kragash brought him papers and helped arrange his desk so that Alex had to move as little as possible.

Bromir paused at the doorframe to listen momentarily to Alex's plans for the development of the lands, as well as for the Resh and Gnolls.

Although Bromir wasn't impulsive, he couldn't help but ask the question on his mind, "Lord Alex, do you really intend to include the Dwarves?"

Alex was taken aback by the question. "Include them in what sense?"

"You mentioned the Dwarves in your declaration, in what you called the Constitution. Does that mean you plan to claim the Dwarves as your own?" asked Bromir.

Alex couldn't quite grasp the question. What was the Dwarf trying to convey? He ventured to make some assumptions.

"Are you asking if I intend to claim them as possessions? The declaration explicitly states that slavery is strictly prohibited in my government for all recognized races, by any race, including our own," Alex replied.

"Does that mean the Dwarves won't be slaves to the Gnolls?"

"Neither to the Gnolls nor the Resh, nor even to other Dwarves or Humans."

"What about other forms of servitude?"

"The main idea behind banning slavery is that free citizens are always much more productive since they have a vested interest in protecting and participating in the affairs of their city/county/kingdom. Therefore, I do not plan to establish any form of forced labor."

"But then, how will you ensure people cooperate?"

"If you give them the opportunity to own property and recognize their fundamental dignity and right to self-governance, there will be no need to force them into anything; they will cooperate on their own because no one can live alone in this world. We all need a functioning society."

"You truly believe that different people can agree with one another. I see that, and I hope your project is successful. However, I have another question: Gnolls, Resh, and Dwarves are very different from each other. How do you plan to govern them all together?"

"I don't plan to do that. In the short time we've all been fighting together here, I've noticed the radical differences in administration and the ideals that drive each race."

"And then?" asked the confused Dwarf.

"The simplest approach is to govern the kingdom as a union of crowns."

Bromir stared at Alex, perplexed, not quite understanding what he meant, and Alex realized that perhaps the scenario he had considered wasn't so common in this world.

"In my world, there were some examples of this type of kingdom I mentioned, where a single person or king held multiple crowns."

Bromir raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, it doesn't mean they wore multiple crowns all day long. Instead, each territory had its own council and parliament. The king moved between these different places and listened to their own local administrative bodies that knew best what the needs were. Thus, there were three parliaments and one king."

"And what will this parliament look like? Do you plan to respect each one's customs? Does that mean the Dwarves will have a Rock Council like the Lords of the Depths?"

"From what I understand of Dwarven culture, the Rock Council consists of those members of the city who have earned a great merit to deserve the position. If that's the case, I have no problem with that legislative body. I'm more conflicted about the second one, the Lords of the Depths Council, which is based on lineage and is hereditary. Since we don't have any metropolises with us, I find it hard to recognize any of these supposed Lords, and at the moment, I don't plan to include it in my planning. If, for some reason, it becomes indispensable, I am willing to reconsider. However, no matter the race or the body they wish to create for cultural, religious, or other reasons, they will never be able to replace the king's authority or enact laws that conflict with constitutional laws."

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"I understand, sir."

Bromir remained motionless at the door, frozen as if he had been hit with a petrification spell. He could only reflect on what he had just heard. Alex tried to communicate with the Dwarf, but he couldn't make him hear, so he returned to his affairs with Kragash.

The Dwarf had spent several days discussing with his colleagues and comrades in the trading company, as well as other Dwarves from Alex's initial settlement.

There were many different perspectives and opinions, but the Dwarves who had stayed all the time here attested to how well Alex had treated them. Although there had been tensions and misunderstandings with the Gnolls and Resh, they had never been threatened with physical violence or denied a food ration. Since the trading company had succeeded on its first return trip, they had even begun to drink wine, a rare comfort in the forest even when they were part of the expedition.

Thus, the local Dwarf members urged the trading company members to contribute more to the newly formed Kingdom of Iretar. Among the many things that had been discussed, Bromir had received a letter of introduction. This was addressed to Rastar, a legendary Lord of the Depths, renowned for his unparalleled skill in exploring mineral resources. Although this Dwarf was a Lord of the Depths, he was much more reserved in his opinions and could help Alex create a stronger base of support both in the local community and in the Dwarven community in exile. His knowledge would also be valuable.

"Lord Alex, do you know how the construction of a new metropolis begins?" Bromir suddenly asked.

Alex was taken aback by the sudden comment from the Dwarf; it had been several minutes, and he had almost forgotten that Bromir was still at the door.

"I'm not aware of the specific procedures. I know that a kind of council is called, perhaps the Rock Council?" Alex replied.

"No, it usually begins with the summoning of a Lord of the Depths, a truly recognized and reputable one in life. He declares his intention and outlines the resources he possesses. Over time, the declaration spreads, and the best masters of their art must respond, whether they are interested in participating or leave their place to another."

"I understand that this would be an initial phase to recruit personnel. What would follow would be planning and sketches."

"Indeed, in the coming months, the masters who accepted the call begin gathering and exploring the site and prospecting materials before continuing with the creation of the blueprints."

"And for the final phase? Or rather, when does the hard work of carving the rock begin?"

"The final plan is presented in nearby metropolises, and they must vote whether to help with its construction. Generally, it is accepted because a new metropolis is never started unless the current one is severely overcrowded and unable to expand at the necessary pace. Thus, there has never been a scenario where the project did not receive at least the help of one metropolis, except for the first in history."

"Interesting process. I see we will need the Lords of the Depths more than I had thought."

"Regarding that, I have the possibility of contacting one, a master in the art of mineral resource prospecting. I swear the man's skills in finding, evaluating the quality and purity of minerals are unparalleled. Additionally, he tends to have a much more reserved personality and is very easy to get along with. As long as he's not bothered, he won't have many objections."

The last part raised some red flags for Alex. He could only imagine how absurdly ridiculous the demands of a Lord of the Depths would be. These individuals were practically nobility, even though Dwarves generally had a republican society; they still relied on them to bring more stability to their cities. In general, the Lords represented the status quo of the metropolises.

"It would be a great opportunity for us to have him. Please try to attract him to our cause. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I will be more than happy to cover the expenses of bringing him here."

"Do you think he could help us?"

"Could greatly help our cause and the dream of creating our own metropolis. Although this area is immense, it is mostly swampy, and the forest is too dense, making it a very limited area for Gnolls to live in, much less Dwarves who live underground. Since in our next phase, we'll be moving further east, in that area, we can find a mountain range. I'm not sure what resources might be there, but I believe it could be a tentative place to build a metropolis. That or wait until we can push all the way north and take the mountain range from the Kron."

"I see, it would be useful to explore that mountain range. If we can find mineral resources, we can stop relying so much on imports. It would be even better if we find a mother lode; then, building a metropolis will go from a question of 'how' to 'when.'"

Alex thought for a moment and before Bromir could truly leave this time, he stopped him and rummaged through his own documents until he finally found a stack.

"Trust is earned through actions, and you've fulfilled your initial promises. It would be good to increase the flow of goods."

"This quantity of materials sells for a large amount. What are the other numbers in the margin?" asked the Dwarf.

"They are the expected changes for the next meeting."

"You're expecting a dramatic increase in resource collection?" the Dwarf asked, startled.

"Yes, but our expenses will also increase even faster. After all, in every settlement, we liberate a significant number of prisoners, and we keep growing faster. For now, my auxiliary plan to cultivate food seems to be close to its first harvest, but soon, the scale of that plan will be too small, so I cannot stop importing food."

"What do you expect from me, young man?" asked the Dwarf, sensing a great responsibility soon to fall on his shoulders.

"I'm not sure how good your personal networking skills are, but I've heard that during this era of decline, Dwarves everywhere have been more susceptible to helping each other. What I'm looking for are new contacts outside the peninsula that can provide the large amount of materials and food we need."

Alex was not wrong, and Bromir knew that the free cities could only supply part of the human's demands before prices started to rise to exorbitant levels. If he wanted a more consistent and large flow, he would need to establish contact with more distant kingdoms.

"Young man, to achieve that kind of deals, you need to deal with high-ranking people. Normally, a merchant like me would be more than willing to engage with them, but I don't think it's appropriate in this situation."

"So you're not willing?"

"It's not that I don't want to, but managing resources with the various factions in your government is beyond my ability."

"Don't worry about that part, you can leave it to me. What I'm really looking for at this point is for you to open dialogues with those figures. For the most part, they can come here or send a representative with negotiating power, or if it's a great opportunity, I could even go to a free city to carry out the negotiation, whatever it takes to help the kingdom. The rest of the logistics will fall back into your hands."

"I understand," Bromir nodded and, as there was nothing more to discuss, headed toward the door. "Thank you very much for your trust in me, Lord Alex," and he left.