Chapter 36: The Strangest Meeting (I Screwed Up)

I have had Jacob set up the banquet hall for the meeting. I have requested the entire leadership team, the heads of my stewards and domestics, Edward, and the head of each WarForce and two of their aides to attend. We were going to finalize the city list, Great Game amenities, and anything else needed for purchase. I feel really confident in what I have done so far. The original sum of gold was exceeded, I still have the scavengers for two more days, and for once I feel I might just slightly be ahead of the curve.

As the meeting started I could tell that something was wrong. My advisors were pointedly looking at each other and seemed to be reluctant to talk to me. This had to stop.

“Alright everyone, something is obviously wrong. First off you need to know that you will never be punished for pointing out flaws or bringing up unwelcome news.”

Randolph looked at everyone than looked at me. “Sire you have been more than fair with us so far, so I will take a chance. The plan we are discussing needs to change drastically. It is just not feasible to protect and hold such a large area as you want with the resources we have to start with.”

I was confused. I thought that with the extra money my scavenger teams had picked up my plan would be easier to accomplish. I must have missed something.

“Continue Randolph. What is troubling you about the plan.”

“We are just not able to effectively patrol and control the area with what we are starting with. Give us 2-3 years and we could possibly hold that much land. Realistically for the size of the kingdom we would need 5-10 years of stable growth.”

“Alright Randolph, can you be more specific. What exactly is the problem and is there any way to fix it quickly.”

Randoph grimaced, “We have been going over the maps you have provided and the plan for the major cities and satellite cities as you call them. We all think that this is a very noble and even possible framework for expansion for the future. However, the manpower is just not there. I think you severely underestimate the reaction of both your American people and the trouble we will have supporting the numbers you expect. Frankly the kingdom could go bankrupt just in feeding the numbers you are projecting. If you add in defense, development, and travel the situation becomes untenable.”

I slumped back into my chair. They were right. I had gotten so caught up in being a “savior” to the greatest amount of people possible I ignored the fact that it was going to be unsustainable in the long run. This means that the plans are going to have to change and quickly. I realized that my advisors must have at least a suggestion to fix this problem.

“OK, I realize that you are right. The plan as originally stated is not going to work. So what do you recommend and how do we get it accomplished in the least amount of time possible.”

The relief on the faces of everyone present was amazing. They must have really been worried that I would react badly.

“Well sire, we believe that a modified version of your original plan is the easiest and best way to proceed. We would continue to follow your plan just with less cities to start with and will use it to expand as the kingdom has the resources and manpower.”

As the meeting went on the ideas flew fast and furious. We ended up with a new framework.

My capital would remain but be upgraded extensively. There would be Five major cities established North, South, East and West and Islands. If there was an appropriate city near a water source to support it that is where the new city would be established. No major city should be more than 250-300 miles from the capital except the islands group. We would only establish 15 satellite cities. They would be the larger cities between the capital and the major cities. Each city would be self-contained and able to survive a siege or provide help to those in need nearby. The major cities will be designed to hold 500,000 and the satellite cities 150,000. Hidden Valley Village will be brought into the capital when it is redone. I need to find or hire more advisors over a variety of topics within one week to keep progress moving. I need to hire another WarForce for the Islands Group specializing in sailing. The following guilds will be invited to set up in the kingdom as they provide both a short term and long term benefit. Stewards Guild, Domestics Guild, Guardsman’s Guild, Adventurer’s Guild, Apothecary Guild, Mages Guild, Merchant’s Guild, Explorer’s Guild, and Sailor’s Guild.

This should let me concentrate more on the people in the kingdom. More people will be left out but this will allow me to spend the resources more wisely and give my new subjects a greater chance of survival. The islands group was included because my advisors stated that many exotic materials and resources would be found only on islands on the Great Game worlds.

My original plan was for 42 Hub and Satellite cities. The new plan only has 20. With a reduction of half of the planned area I have designated Cuba and the islands for the Great Game to acquire using my mana next and have already seized enough land for the new plan in the United States. In the future the kingdom will grow in the most logical direction based on reports at that time. The WarForces I have seem relieved that they will have a reduced area to control and patrol. Each WarForce will be responsible for one hub city and 3 satellite cities.

With the expanded resources I can have the teleportation network installed, along with greater housing and extended supplies and protected crop land. With the incoming guilds and support they will provide the Appalachia Kingdom should be in much better shape. Each city will be equipped with a teleportation portal 5 meters high and 5 meters wide. They can be dialed to a receiving platform that will be separate from the portal and will allow us to set up defensive measures surrounding the receiving platform. Each city will receive Great Game Teleportation blockers, with the receiving platform being the only place allowed for teleporting entry.

Each Hub City will encompass 10 square miles and each satellite city shall be 5 square miles. My capital will be 15 square miles in the hopes that it will grow in the future. All of the changes and upgrades will still leave the kingdom with over 100 million gold pieces in the treasury for emergencies and other expenses that might come up.

The rest of my evening was spent purchasing the decided upon cities in the locations scouted out.

My Western Hub City will be based around Huntsville Alabama and will have satellite cities in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Birmingham. The Northern Hub City will be based around Charleston West Virginia and will have satellite cities in Knoxville, Huntington, and Roanoke. The Eastern Hub City will be based around Raleigh North Carolina and will have satellite cities in Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and Charleston SC. The Southern Hub City will be based around Savannah Georgia and will have satellite cities in Atlanta, Columbus, and Jacksonville. Finally the Island Hub City will be based around Havana Cuba and will have a satellite cities in Nassau, Kingston, and Camague.

Spoiler: Spoiler

The Red Stars are the Hub Cities and the Yellow circles are the Satellite cities. Each Green Circle represents the area that each WarForce is responsible for. The Purple Circle is the area the Capital is responsible for. The overlap is just that, where patrols or responsibilities can be shared.

There was supposed to be two images here of the US cities selected and the Island Cities. I can not figure out the upload protocols yet. Please PM me if you know how to do this. I will insert them as soon as I figure it out.

I also interviewed and hired a Sea Based WarForce based on the recommendations of my other commanders. They are a little more expensive but I am told well worth the price. They will be arriving over the next three days with their fleet. The teleportation costs for that was expensive but letting them have their own ships that they are used to should be an advantage in the long run. This group known as the Kraken Force will patrol the coasts of my kingdom in all areas until each area can raise or build their own sea going protection force.

One more day until tutorial arrival. I am starting to get very nervous. I know that I have done what I can, but I also know that it is not perfect. Questions like what to do with people who do not accept my rule, or what to do with the hordes of children who were put in stasis who are going to arrive keep running through my mind. Wait, what was that last thought. The stasis kids. Crap, I forgot all about them.

I quickly call Jacob and Randolph and have them meet me in my office.

“Jacob, Randolph, I just realized that we have forgotten to take into consideration the children that are in stasis.”

They looked at each other, and then faced me. Jacob replied, “What children my lord?”

Oh no, I never mentioned the kids and neither of them have actually lived through a change over. They only have stories to go on. They did not realize what was going to happen. I explained about how all children under the age of 12 were put into stasis and the Great Game said that they would be returned to the closest surviving relative or the closest group of adults if there were no close relatives. My two advisors eyes got really big.

“Jacob, I need to know if I can temporarily hire some domestics to help take care of the influx of orphans. I imagine that the orphans will become wards of the kingdom and until I can figure out something better I am thinking large orphanages with temporary domestics to take care of them for about six months.”

“Sire there should be no problem finding enough people if it is only for six months.”

“I think that we should start stabilizing long before the six months and can start transitioning the orphans into some sort of training programs or something. Please contact your guild and get a price for 2,100 domestics for a temporary six month contract. We will place 100 domestics in each city. Randolph I need you to quickly identify the best place to add 10 barracks like structures in each city that will have maximum protection. Each barracks will hold 250-500 children dependent on age. I hope that this will be enough.”

“Yes my lord I will arrange this immediately.”

Both of them left my office at a much faster pace than they entered. What else have I forgotten? There is just so much to remember and to try and do. I guess everything else will just have to be dealt with as it comes up. The tutorial group should arrive tomorrow.