I am tired, no, exhausted today. It has been some time since I had to deal with something that exhausting. Not because of how troublesome they are, no. Merchants live between nobility and the common folks, they deal with them both almost all the time. But of how sudden that trouble arises before the prior ones have been solved.

“Still needs 200 or so personnel to efficiently man Port Isal. I have at least 2-3 trade posts I want to acquire which also needs to be manned. Now I also have a potential marriage partner as well as family to deal with.” I murmured under my breath in this candlelit room provided to me by Kai.

It is quite late in the night; I can see the moon high in the sky through my window. Kai had graciously given me and the 10 people who I brought with me all with rooms reserved for the nobility. “If those rooms aren’t used they are going to waste away anyhow.” Kai had said when providing the rooms.

Sitting in this chair that faces the window, I wished I had brought more people, just finish manning Port Isal in day one. But that is impossible, father had decided to expand across all ports, manpower is low everywhere. Rumor has it that the King of Arphin travels around with two thousand of his retainers. I held back a laugh as I imagine my father meeting the King and his two thousand retainers in our main house and in a smile tuck them all into the “house” of ours.

“I should go to sleep. Long day… days ahead of me.” I remove myself from the chair and the table with the map of Fortra on it. Blew out the candle and returned to bed.

The heat is as bad as ever, but the exhaustion is enough to take me to sleep. Sweet dreamless sleep.

I wake up early as usual. I have never been much of a sleeper. Rubbing my eyes slowly, it seems that the roosters have yet to crow and the sky outside is still as dark as ever. Slowly and carefully I took some of the dried wood chips out of the box on the table and sprinkled it inside of the tinderbox. Narrowing my eye so I don’t catch the house on fire, I aimed the fire steel and lights up the tinderbox then transfer the flame to the candle.

Instead of going back to staring at the map and wondering how to fix this mess, I took one of the few books that I have brought with me. The title of the book, The Rule of the Masses, written by a philosopher named Bellphas more than ten centuries ago. I have read this book more than I can count and yet, I can never truly put this down.

The concept of the book is centered around the idea of letting the masses rule called “Democracy”, let all the men within a nation, a county, barony, make the decisions that would affect them. That should an event affect the whole nation then those who lived within the nation should all should take part in dealing with problems; a system of voting. If it only affects the county then all those who live in that county shall vote. “The power of law and rulership should be left to the people for this will eliminate corruption and incompetence brought by Monarchs and Oligarchs.” The book claims.

“Only an idealist would truly believe in this.” I closed the book. There are way too many problems with the proposed system. From ignoring the fact that the strong and rich will always try to gain control and power to the fact that most of the populace is uneducated in the affairs of the world, thus making this nothing more than mob rule.

Then I opened another book, a book which I have read only once and for some reason have the urge to bring with me on this trip. The Make of a Nation, literature that comes into contact with us during the time of Mass Rebellion that broke apart the Lanvastan Empire. The time when food becomes scarce and bandits were everywhere; a time when it is common for a village to be devoid of life. It wasn’t until the powerful claim themselves as kings and install law into the land did it get better. The book described the need for order and the prosperity of nation above all else, for if there is no order there is no nation and people will suffer. The idea of legalism. Unsurprising this is what come to be extremely popular among the nobles, especially the ruling classes in the current world. Using it the nobles can claim to do many things “in the name of future prosperity” and people like Kai who I can see so devoted in the idea to actually act upon it which make it hard to dismiss for many.

“As always, each book only stress the good part of the ideology. Mentioning little if not ignoring the negatives.” I closed this book as well. Decided that I have had enough of sitting in a room thinking, I prepare to go on a small walk for a change of pace.

“Good morning.” Ulrike greets me as soon as I take a step out of my room. She knows me too well.

“Good morning, how was your sleep?” I returned.

“No doubt better than yours. You should really change that habit.”

We shared a laugh. It had become somewhat of an inside joke between us. I wake up way too early, she would tell me to change, and I stay the same anyhow.

“What’s on your mind?” Ulrike asked as we approach the backyard garden.

“Things to take care of.”

“You will go bald under all the stress and pressure.”

“It has been over a decade, I still have my hair. I think I have surpassed it long ago.”

Although it is a backyard garden, it occupies and hosts enough red and orange flowers for one to feel as if they are stepping into a pit of fire. They are easy to see even at night.

“What do you think of Kai?” I asked.

“A by the book noble person. Generous and charitable to his people. He is the pinnacle of nobility in the best way possible. That is also his flaw, he cannot and will not learn to forgive.” Ulrike replied after a few thoughts.

“I believe his father is the very same. Seeing that he idolized his father. And the most important part, when have you ever seen the ruler pass out food to the citizen?”

“Never, in fact, that is unheard of.” Ulrike decided.

“They are currently buying from our merchants in order to help their citizens recover. This, in fact, made them extremely popular with their citizens. Not only so but people are also moving from other areas of Fortras to the County of Timei in hopes of finding new life.” I sighed.

“You need to tread around them even more carefully.” Ulrike nails the point.

“Indeed, the moment the ruler got the undivided support of people is when the ruler gains the supreme power over his land,” I said. I decided to put the trade deal on the back of my mind for now. Kai doesn’t seem to expect much out of it, and as long as I don’t make a move the deal goes on as normal. Of course, if I wait long enough then the point of changing the deal would be gone.

That is when the rooster crowed. One, then two, then three, then all of them; coming from everywhere. The sky slowly turns blue, then orange, then flaming red, blending with the flowers. It almost seemed like that I stand in the center of the sun.

I didn’t get to enjoy it long. Lia, one of the two maids which I had brought with me found me. “Sir Leonhard, Lord Lomn is looking for you.”