Worries worthy of a king

Hectors herculean build enters Kargaroth's eye sight. A friendly face with long dark hair. Hector was wearing his full plate adamantite armor without the helmet. His adamantite armor would crush regular people, or at least render them immobile. In fact, most wouldn't even be able to lift a single adamantite ingot. With Hector's monstrous strength, he would walk on the castle grounds, the armor seemingly light as a feather.

Kargaroth: Ah, Hector, you're here.

Hector: *chuckles* I hope I didn't interrupt the practice of your frowning skill.

Hector is one of the few people that can speak comfortable to Kargaroth and thereby one of the few people that Kargaroth feels like he can truly be himself around. They used to be in the same adventurer party. After doing some jobs for the army, they conscripted together, eventually revolting against Easteria's government for their oppressive militaristic regime. They were well treated as soldiers, but as they rose in the army, they became increasingly aware of how the army's orders effected the population. Of course, that's not really what Kargaroth wants to talk about right now.

Kargaroth: I didn't think it would be like this.

Hector: Feel free to vent your grief at old Hector here.

Kargaroth: Ah, you see, my army is missing a general...

Hector: *turns* Well, it was nice seeing you again, gotta make sure that those training dummies don't get lonely.

Kargaroth: I'm kidding! I'm kidding!

Hector: That "joke" is getting old, I've told you time and time again, I am a fighter, not a strategist.

Kargaroth: You underestimate yourself.

Hector: You overestimate me.

Kargaroth: *sigh* Here, let me pour you a drink.

Hector: I'm still on duty.

Kargaroth: Drink! It's a royal decree.

Hector: *smirk* Just the one drink then, can't very well reject a royal decree now can I?

Kargaroth: *smile* You cannot.

Hector: So, what's up? It doesn't seem like you called me here for another "let's pressure Hector into becoming a general" session.

Kargaroth: Heh, remember how we used to talk about how we would make the lives of the people better?

Hector: Yeah?

Kargaroth: I don't remember the part, where we discussed being at the whims of the system instead...

{ You have my attention. }

Hector: It's that bad?

Kargaroth: *grumble* Ah, you have no idea! If Easteria was going through this as well, then their government may be far more competent than I thought.

Hector: I doubt it.

Kargaroth: Yeah, somehow I doubt it too. I don't remember there being such a mismatch between the classes the country needed and the classes that were being assigned.

Hector: Apart from the occasional outrage at someone receiving the prostitute class, no, I don't remember that.

{ prostitute class? Fascinating. }

Kargaroth: I just had a meeting with Adelina, the future of Systemia is quite worrisome. Let me brief you real quick.

* * *

Adelina: *smile* Good afternoon sire!

Kargaroth: Adelina, you had things to discuss?

Adelina was still smiling and held eye contact with Kargaroth in silence for a little too long, causing him to look away.

Adelina: Yes, unfortunately, it's not very good news.

Kargaroth: *sigh* Is it ever?

Adelina: For starters, I have a report about the Red Dragons.

Kargaroth: What about them?

Adelina: They don't seem to be producing any fire mages anymore.

Kargaroth: Then, what classes are they getting?

Adelina: All sorts of classes: cook, blacksmith, adventurer. The Goldstein noble house has been especially upset with them, when their son got the peasant class.

Kargaroth: Offer him a job in the government, that should quell their anger. It's not like I have anyone with a more suitable class for government assignments anyway.

Adelina: I shall see to it, that we find him a suitable appointment.

Kargaroth: *nod* anything else?

Adelina: Second, there is a large influx of people that get assigned the adventurer class.

{ adventure! }

Kargaroth: disconcerting!

Adelina: Quite, it is already becoming a problem.

Kargaroth: How so?

Adelina: Let's see, the adventure guild doesn't have any copper quest anywhere in the country that hasn't been completed.

Kargaroth: That's good!

Adelina: Starter level adventurers are taking silver ranked quests, due to a lack of copper quests. Even though adventurer has always been a risky profession, the death rate has seen a massive spike.

{ Yes! It's been an exciting past few weeks! }

Kargaroth: That's bad!

Adelina: Quite, also, we might be facing a food shortage in the future

Kargaroth: How so?

Adelina: Farsille, the village with our largest stretch of farmlands, isn't getting any peasant or farmer classes anymore.

Kargaroth: Well, what are they getting then?

Adelina: Nature mages, sire.

Kargaroth: Nature mages? What can they do?

Adelina: They can sense nature, sire

Kargaroth: Sense nature?

Adelina: It is a skill that makes one aware of the natural state.

Kargaroth: So food production is dropping?

Adelina: Not yet, but most of the men died in the war and the older generation is about to retire. We will start noticing the effect in the coming years.

Kargaroth: This one is going to be a problem. Systemia is the main producer of food on the continent. I will have to notify our neighbors.

Adelina: Unfortunately, none of them have lands suitable for agriculture. Well, Westwoods could possibly cut down some of their forests and replace them with farm lands, but just like our Greyroot Pines, Soulstealer Swamp and Silverwolf Wilds, their forests have proven impossible to clear of monsters.

{ That's why we need adventurers! }

* * *

Hector: Since you're discussing it with me, I guess you don't have any brilliant plans?

Kargaroth: Hector, I honestly don't know, I've discussed the problem with Adelina and she had some good ideas, but the more we think about the possible implications of these events, the more depressed I get.

Hector: We should look into sending peasants from the capital to Farsille.

Kargaroth: If we have able bodied men, I'd want them to become soldiers. Without enough fire mages, defending our borders is going to be a challenge.

Hector: Maybe our neighbors could lend us some of their peasants for the farms?

Kargaroth: Easteria would rather starve to death than help us out. What the other two will ask in return is probably going to cost this country more than it's worth, especially Westwoods. Either way, it looks like food costs are going to go up on the continent the next few years. Expect all sorts of issues.

Hector: We might have to hire adventurers to maintain social order.

Kargaroth: That's still better than robbing other adventurers of their quests rewards.

Hector: That's happening?

Kargaroth: There isn't any entry level work left. They either have to steal from others, face death in a quest that is out of their league or leave the country. We are already bleeding citizens to our neighbors. As for the stealing, I'm worried that the thief class is going to run rampant.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

{ Crap! I totally forgot! The thief class is a staple in adventurer parties. I have to start assigning it! }

Hector: How about creating copper quests to help out on the farms in Farsille?

{ Hol up! That's not what I had in mind when I started assigning the adventurer class like crazy. }

Kargaroth: Hmm, if it works then it might reduce the production loss we face in agriculture. However, I doubt the adventurers will take the quest. Besides, there is no guild in Farsille.

{ See, it's a bad idea }

Hector: Of course they will take the quest, they don't have any work. As for the other problem, just have them open a branch.

{ ... }

Kargaroth: That... might actually work, ever thought of becoming a bureaucrat?

Hector: I'll stick with brutally murdering training dummies.

Kargaroth: How about becoming a general?

Hector: It was nice talking to you Kargaroth.

Kargaroth: *smile* Thanks, I'm going to see if Adelina is still in. I want to hear what she has to say about your suggestions.

* * *

Once every few months the 4 kings of the continent of Izuth have a little get together called the congregation of kings. Systemia would be the most suitable country for the congregation, but king Keaston would never agree to being hosted on his former land, so they meet in Saudia instead.

In the room are the kings Kargaroth Sylvain of Systemia, Kaule Saulsbury of Saudia, Kester Wescott of Westwoods and Keaston Eashaw of Easteria. Kaule, a charismatic, sociable, somewhat obese man, is taking in the room, to verify that everyone is comfortable before they start. Kargaroth seems contemplative, but Kaule presumes the reason for this will come to light later. Kargaroth appears otherwise satisfied and is taking sips from his wine. Kester Wescott is looking around the room wearing a calculative look and immediately notices Kaule's gaze. Kaule gives Kester a nod and the thin, cunning man with pale skin and dark features nods back. Kester returns to observing the other participants. Keaston Eashaw is in a stiff upright posture with a stern somewhat angry look on his face. He is the only one who came to the meeting in full adamantite armor, which is not unusual for him. He is glaring at Kargaroth, who doesn't seem to notice his presence.

Kaule: All right, lets start with some small talk to see how everyone is doing. If everyone is comfortable, then I'd like to start the meeting. Kester, I heard that you have been blessed with a new master enchanter?

Kester: *smiling* You are well informed Kaule, in fact, he hit the XCAP while enchanting a bracelet for a noblewoman from your country. I presume that that's how you found out?

Kaule: She's been proudly showing off the bracelet made by the master enchanter to every noblewoman she could find. It would be hard not to know.

Kargaroth congratulates Kester. Keaston keeps his gaze fixed on Kargaroth.

Kaule: The topics I had in mind for today are trade, the status of the peace agreements and roaming monsters. Are there any other topics anyone would like to add?

Kester: I would like to mention that some of my younger nobles would like to see the rest of Izuth.

Kaule: Certainly, I can add that to the agenda.

Kargaroth drops his hot potato: due to personnel problems Systemia will be seeing a reduction in agricultural productivity in coming years.

Keaston smashes his fist on the table and exclaims: You're doing this on purpose!

Kargaroth: If I were doing it on purpose, then I wouldn't be giving you all a heads up.

Keaston: Am I supposed to believe that? You steal the fertile lands, sign a peace treaty and then stop producing food!

Kargaroth and Kaule both release a sigh. Kaule marks agriculture as a topic on the agenda.

Kaule: Then I think we can start. Have there been any violations of the peace treaty so far?

Keaston: Systemia has soldiers parked right on the border!

Kargaroth: I wouldn't have done that, if you weren't marching your soldiers along your side of the border every single day.

Keaston: You're just saying that because you intend to steal the last of my farm land!

Kargaroth: I don't even have enough peasants to tend to the fields as it is. Too many men died in the war.

Keaston: Call back your troops!

Kargaroth: You first!

While Kargaroth and Keaston are glaring at each other, Kaule concludes: no violations of the treaty, wonderful.

Kaule receives an angry glare from Keaston and then they move to the next topic.

Kaule: It has come to my attention that copper rank quests at the adventure guilds are being cleared at a rapid pace all over the continent. Adventurers are taking quests outside of their capabilities due to a lack of quests. This has led to several incidents where roaming monsters were agitated and started attacking human settlements.

Oh boy, Kargaroth thinks, more unforeseen consequences. He decides not to talk about the cause. Instead he comments that theft is increasing and that there is a need for more copper rank quests. They discuss the possibility of limiting access to quests based on adventurer level, but this idea turns out to be quite involved and outside of the jurisdiction of the kings. The adventurer guild is independent in its enactment of policies. So they can only request an audience. Kargaroth takes it upon his shoulders to contact the adventure guild representing the four kings. This might delay the other kings, from finding out that his country is the root cause of the problem.

Kaule: Kargaroth, can you give us more detail on your agricultural problems?

Kargaroth explains the situation and of course Keaston interrupts him at every opportunity. Kester immediately contemplates how he can hoard as much food as possible in a short period of time.

Kaule: We might have to consider importing food from other continents.

Kester: Costly and not very reliable.

Keaston: For now, we will have to monitor the situation.

Internally he is contemplating on the feasibility of taking Systemia's food by force. Kaule and Kester will both check with their contacts on other continents. Kargaroth may end up having to implement export restrictions on food, but that would obviously harm relations with the rest of Izuth and could invite another war. The other countries could band together against him. A scenario that should be avoided at all costs. When Kaule moves on to the next topic, Kargaroth lets out a sigh of relief. Made it through the difficult topics.

Kaule: Kester, what can you tell us about the delegation of nobles, that wants to travel Izuth?

Kester: It's a group of five around the age of 18. Two ladies and three men. They will mostly be taking care of themselves, but their families are powerful, so it would be good if some precautions could be taken.

Kargaroth: Do they need protection?

Kester: They will be bringing along powerful knights, so they should be safe without.

Kaule: Can you describe their personalities?

Kester: Well, they're nobles, so two of them are quite proud. They have a very strong need to make a name for themselves and don't take kindly to insults. The other three are all good kids. Educated, kind and diplomatic.

Keaston: So, we have two potential trouble makers, are they the ones in charge?

Kester: No, we've grouped them up specifically for this reason. Hopefully the names of the house of Gwynn and the house of Lindstrom will keep them in check.

Kaule: What will they be doing while visiting our countries?

Kester: It's supposed to be an educational visit. So they should have some assignments to learn about the country and visit locations of importance. Since they have been trained for combat, they will probably target roaming monsters or do dungeon dives as well. Lastly, they are still young, so getting drunk with the associated behavior is to be expected.

Keaston reminds Kester that the nobles will have to follow Easterian law, or they will be punished accordingly. Kester reminds Keaston, that a diplomatic incident with these families could cause real issues for both of their countries.

When all of the important topics have been discussed, Kargaroth hesitantly asks: Do your kingdoms also have unusual class assignments among your population?. Kargaroth would want to keep this problem hidden from them as much as possible. He even discussed Farsille's issue without mentioning the nature mage class. It's not good to show weakness to other kings, but he needs information.

Kester responds with a smile, by saying that he has no problem getting new fire mages. Clearly, the issue with the Red Dragons is an open secret. Keaston is calculating how many years it will take before the new generation of fire mages is ready to attack Systemia. Kaule informs Kargaroth that the "misclassing" problem he has heard about, only happens in Systemia. So it was as they feared. These problems are unique to Systemia. Kargaroth has a lot to think about after the congregation.