ch 12; Preparation

The initial plan is roughly like this: quickly reorganize the ministries then plant forged evidence in some high ranking nobles in the middle of it, therefore giving me the casus belli for rightfully seizing their entire wealth and punishing them. 

 

And the most dangerous ministry to touch in this scenario is the Ministry of War, where the head is most likely colluding with the separatist and there exists an absurd permit to mobilize troops without the monarch's permission, in case of dangerous situation. 

 

The highlight is this permission to mobilize. 

 

Sure, there are additional conditions in which this one-sided mobilization could only be done when the situation calls for it. But, think about it. The heart of a nation is ultimately the army. When there's an entitity that could move the nation's heart at will, and that entity harbors divisive thought, does the restrictive article even matter? 

 

This was the main reason for my lightning-fast decision to dismantle them on the first line. It was simply too dangerous. 

 

However, as I've said repeatedly before, when do things move according to our plan? 

 

Not in a million chances did I thought the Empire would move aggresively like that. And admittedly, it was my oversight. One thing is, this new variable forced me to abandon my initial plan to completely overhaul the Ministry of War because now, that ministry changed from 'potential hazard' to a 'necessity'. 

 

So, what can I do then? 

 

Well. What else but to adapt? 

 

"First thing first, let me share a summary of the negotiation two days ago." I began the assembly with good news, as always. "I've secured a number of grains, enough to quickly normalize the market until four or five months, according to our calculation. Additionally, I've also secured free labour in the form of POWs from the Empire. These labourers would be placed into our grain facilities to speed up the recovery of our granaries. Of course they won't be here for long, at most three to four months, but this should be sufficient as a temporary plug." 

 

Listening to my report, the ministries look up to me and the materials in their hands. Astonished visages painted their expression quite clearly. Yes, yes, I know. It's a huge number, isn't it? Huge enough for them to rub their eyes. 

 

But as much as I want to brag about how I inflated the numbers four times plus various additional requests to drag them out, I've had more important matters to settle right here, right now. 

 

"Now, I'll announce the inception of a Special Committee of Market Normalization, a special temporary division to monitor the flow of grains injected to the market and all related matters, to each de juro regions under the holdings of Vedora Kingdom."

 

Almost immediately, the hall was bustling like a marketplace. And prominently voicing their voice was of course, the opposition. 

 

This time though, they're particularly vocal. 

 

Why? Well. 

 

"Your Majesty. Please reconsider. Although it's true that supervision is needed, isn't it better to delegate it to the local nobles in that area? Doing this would stretch our already thin personel." 

 

"I agree. Supervision is needed but not critical at the moment. We've already secured enough grains thanks to Your Majesty's effort, the rest is simple enough and should be delegated, as the Ministry of Disease and Health says, to the local nobles to avoid overworking our staff."

 

The Minister of Disease and Health and the Minister of Works both tried to persuade me with seemingly logical and facile reasoning but nu-uh. It won't work. They must've been sniffing the abstruse authorithy in this new temporary committee that I championed. Looking at them getting flustered like that, there must be quite a lot of dirt underneath those neat appearances. 

 

That's right. I could finally, legally, knock on these bastards' houses and demand their papers. And since this is such an important matter, it was entirely mandatory or they could be in big trouble for resisting. 

 

A mandatory audit. What a sweet sentence. 

 

"Silence." Interjecting their whining, I continue. 

 

"This matter has already been concluded and thus non-negotiable. I already handpicked  the highest responsible personnels for this, as well as the field officers. The committee reports only to me, and three other ministries. Namely; Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Treasury, and Ministry of Justice. All ministries are expected to be fully cooperative, especially you, Ministry of Agriculture,"

 

"Yes, leave it to me." 

 

"And you, Ministry of Justice."

 

"I'll do my best."

 

"That'll do for the first agenda. Let's quickly jump into the next one."

 

Closing the agenda like this may seem like an authoritarian, but aren't monarchs inherently authoritative anyway? This is one of the perks of monarchy, you medievals. If I said the matter is concluded, it's concluded. There's no room for overturning my decision. 

 

Fairness? In the first place, if fairness could solve this damn crisis, I would worship it devoutly. 

 

And frankly, expecting fairness is a luxury, when a little miss-step could throw me into the abyss consequence of no return. 

 

"Hmm, what's the next agenda again? Oh, yes." realizing what's the next itinerary, simultaneously all the ministers went rigid. The opposition went silent, my allies eyeing each other, then me, and suddenly became much more polite in their seats. Clearly, I could feel their plea in the glances thrown at me. 

 

Looking at the stack of papers in front of me, which includes all the changes and notes from me pulling an all-nighter, I merely chuckled. "There's much to do in this reorganization." 

 

Superficially, what I would change are mostly the sub-division and responsibilites that seemingly overlap with each other. For example, this duty of the Ministry of Agriculture where they even go as far as managing the merchants and guilds which commercialized key agriculture products such as grain. 

 

That kind of work should be delegated entirely to our economy ministry a.k.a the Ministry of Treasury. 

 

But this ministry also had their own problems. 

 

For a ministry that oversees all the money-related tasks, their duty is also too broad and simply inefficient. Managing and collecting taxes is one thing, but the matters of legislation for taxes and tariffs too? Leave it to the Justice section! 

 

From my perspective, the current framework of all ministries is just heavily inefficient and frustrating. 

 

And thus, I had to tidy things up today, when my authority is the highest. No matter what. 

 

There may be a noise for a bit, but I can't just chase, focus on the immediate results every time. No matter how unpatriotic I am, responsibilities are due when you take this seat, regardless of your willingness. It is natural, I suppose. 

 

Huh. I realize it once again, power did change men for better or worse. 

 

"First of all, there's a slight overturn on my previous statement," at my words, all the ministries simultaneously looking at my way with slightly bugged out eyes. 'Overturn'; this word which I uttered in the same breath as 'previous statement' brings to the conclusion that I—the authoritative monarch with highly secure authority not even a year old after coronation—admits and decides to invalidate my own words, my own laws. 

 

The ministries wait for the next word with a bathed breath. 

 

"Since the situation has been altered so much from my expectation, hereby I declare the cancellation of the dissolution of the Ministry of War." 

 

An audible sighing could be heard from across the room, most probably from the Ministry of War's minister, who is currently thinking along the lines of 'I survive' or something. 

 

Unfortunately for you, Count, I'm not done yet. 

 

"However, the reorganization will still be held. And today," with my signal, the doors to the room are locked from the outside, "will be the last reorganization I conducted. Negotiate, debate, haggle—do everything to convince me. I'm willing to reason with all of you, as evident in the cancellation of the Ministry of War's dissolution. And nobody will walk out of that door until we've discussed everything in here. I will bring baththub and bed here if needed. So, until everything is tackled, until the result of this reorganization reaches implementation on all fields, there will be no escape. Understand?" 

 

There's no politician among everyone here who doesn't understand the very obvious implication. This is war. The war to preserve what's theirs, privilege and surplus of authority that came from the ministries' seats. However, the initiator and the attacker is King Philip IV. A predator in a pig skin. Natural born ruler. Bold as a lion, yet cunning as a fox. An ideally imagined monarch. 

 

If they fought, they had to fight tooth and nail. As desperately as possible. 

 

An audible gulping sound could be heard from across the room, as tension heated concurrent with fires in their eyes. A fire born from determination. 

 

Good. Very good. Struggle all you want, I will personally introduce you to despair. 

 

"We will begin with the most critical first. Ministry of War." 

 

Thus, with me firing the first bullet, the war begins. 

 

***

 

While King Philip and his ministers were conducting a war of nerves, on the international side of the spectrum, spesifically the south, events unfold in less incalculabe ways. 

 

Previously, the negotiation between Vedora Kingdom and the Azure Empire superificially resulted in famine relief from the Empire to their newly crowned allies Vedora Kingdom. Although myriad countries in the south did not know what's rippled underneath, the fact that the Empire provided Vedora with grain aids proves that aligning themself with the Empire will be beneficial. 

 

Especially since most countries had a shortage of grains and other staples, and the ones that don't, were seen as a fat target for plunder. Since that means the healthy countries lacked armed capacity to participate in the last war and could only contribute by logistical work.

 

These fat sheeps were so spooked by the current situation, they ultimately decided to band together and formed an alliance among themself for mutual protection. But of course it's not enough. The hyenas circling them were not a pushover either. They're desperate, and determined to do whatever it takes to feed their own bellies.

 

Ever since 6th October, two kingdoms adjacent to the Vedora Kingdom turned their glance to this alliance of fat sheeps, composed of two Principality and one Duchy. Originally preying on the dying Vedora, they backed out once the Empire came into the fray. It was natural, as much as these kingdoms were desperate, provoking a dying lion guarded by a behemoth is just too risky. 

 

Thus, they opted to pounce on the easier prey instead. Fortunately, these prey are quite close to their territory, easier to reach and prey on. However, perhaps it's PTSD or simply a natural instinct after getting beaten by the Empire, they didn't gobble it up in one go. Fearing indigestion. 

 

Instead, they nibble it, bit by bit. Little by little. Changing tactics from an obvious assault, all-out in the open, or pridefully waving their flags, to guerilla tactics, false flags, hit-and-run, and basically all kinds of dirty manners. They plunder the three fat sheeps little by little. 

 

And obviously, the three healthy nations aren't so inept to not understanding what's going on right before their eyes. They knew the culprit, and they tried to take things diplomatically. Sending warning letters and even as much as having their nobles goes to confront the two hyenas about their dirty tracks. 

 

Yet, such measures had never escalated to the declaration of war. For they indeed scared of the possibility of defeat. It was not without a reason. They are simply too weak. Even amongst the weaklings of the southern region, they're bottom of the bottom, frankly speaking. 

 

And if they couldn't even repel small scale conflict like this, how would they even endure an all-out war? After playing fields as the only three agricultural-focused nations in the south, could they even withstand the first wave of armed men of the militaristic kingdom? As if. 

 

That's why, the revelations of Vedora Kingdom's aid by the Empire was, for them, the only way out. 

 

However, the two hyenas also understood their prey's situation and were ready to escalate things to an irreversible degree. 

 

But, oh! What is this? As it turns out, the two kingdoms were already marked by the Empire as the coup's target? 

 

Simply put, here's the diagram: the preys trying to reach out to the Empire > the hyenas smelled this and prepared for a large-scale invasion > the Empire trying their best under the veil to couped the two kingdoms for Philip's plan before the invasion happens and everything is ruined. 

 

There's only one word fit to encapsulate this situation from Ludwig's perspective. 

 

"What a mess."