Chapter 9: A Plan for Change

  As Raymond walked away, I sat back down on the bench we had gotten up from and began to think to myself. There’s no way that we can go to war. The kingdom is barely afloat as it is, only surviving off the few specialty goods that can only be found here. A war effort would devastate the economy and people's lives. On top of that, we have the smallest army on the 14th continent. Even with Jacob’s private security force, it would just delay the inevitable.

  Lost in thought, Elara came over and tapped me on my shoulder softly, handing me a scroll. I thanked her and asked who it was from. She said it was from Favio. I told her thanks and began to unravel the scroll.

  “Hello, Alex. This is Favio. We have much to discuss when I pick you up tomorrow. Try to wear rundown clothes because we’ll be visiting Stardew, the biggest but most dangerous city in the kingdom. If we need to start anywhere for reforms, Stardew is the place. The city is very poor, lacking running water and a sewage system. I know you talked about making a sewer system throughout the kingdom, but a few problems have arisen that I don't know how to address. Tomorrow, we will walk around town to see how we can sort out these problems.”

  As I finished reading the letter, I got up from the bench and began to walk back to the castle. I walked down a beautiful hallway with portraits, large pillars, and windows all over the place. Even though I’d been here for a few weeks, the servants still stopped to watch and whisper as I passed by. If I’m being honest, the whole thing was a little annoying, but I did my best to ignore it.

  Eventually, I got to my room and began to prepare for my first trip into town. I picked up a bell off the round table and rang it three times. Before I knew it, Elara was in my room asking what I needed. I asked her to bring me clothes that a commoner would wear. She quickly smiled and said, “Right away,” before taking off. About 20 minutes later, she came back with worn trousers full of holes and patches, worn-down black shoes that looked like they’d get a hole any second, a dingy yellowish-white shirt, cracked glasses, and a brown cloak.

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  I tried the outfit on and was surprised by how much it changed my appearance. I curiously questioned Elara about it, and she told me that Princess Komachi had enchanted the clothes so no one outside the castle or council would recognize me. She explained that none of the citizens had seen my face. I thanked her for the explanation and said I no longer needed her assistance. She smiled and left the room.

  The next day, Favio came to pick me up, dressed in more worn clothes than usual. As we sat at the round table in the war room, we talked about what he specifically needed help with. Favio stroked his long, luscious beard. “Well, Alex,” he said, “I don’t really know where to begin. The sewage system and rain drainage system you’re proposing are easy tasks in theory.”

  Before I knew it, I cut him off. “But I know there’s a ‘but.’ What’s the but?”

  The proud dwarf stood up from his chair and paced around the room. Finally, he stopped and began to explain. “The tunnels under the city were used for two main reasons. One, as escape routes for the king if anything happened to the capital. Two, there was a sewage system in place before, but it was damaged during the last civil war that split the kingdom of Starfall into two. Some people took refuge in the sewer system and have created homes, traps, and other obstacles. We could force them out, but they would have nowhere to go. Also, even without the people, we need capable warriors to watch our backs while we work on the pipes and machinery.”

  I took a long deep breath and thought. There were two major problems: people and demi-humans taking refuge in the sewage tunnels, and the various monsters down there. Kicking the humans and demi-humans out would be simple, but it would alienate them and harm our standing with the populace.

  Suddenly, an idea struck me. I had seen something on a previous map. I jumped up from my seat and rummaged through a chest in the corner, filled with various maps. Favio watched curiously. After about 20 to 30 minutes, I found it and slammed it on the table. I asked Favio to come over.

  He quickly ran over and jumped into a chair to look at the map. I pointed to a location marked as an abandoned building and asked about its state. His eyes lit up with amusement. “The building is in excellent shape. It was once used for housing soldiers and their equipment. It would make a perfect refugee camp.”

  I told him that’s excellent and that I would talk to the king as soon as possible. Favio agreed and suggested putting our visit to the city on hold for now to check the state of other buildings in the area. If we focused on this, it would help solve our other problems.

  I agreed and thanked him for his insight. This was a more pressing matter, and solving it could pave the way for larger reforms in the kingdom.