Draconia Offline vol. 1

71.2. The Protector - Part 2

As I stand before all the new ministers gathered in front of me in the biggest meeting room and they are looking at me with excited anticipation, I realise something. First, I'm not scared or hesitant anymore. Second, I feel like I can put my trust in these people. Third, they have a misconception that I'm no longer just the Celestial Emperor but the Draconian Emperor.

I resist frowning and send my concerns to Liana.

I'm afraid you are, Aefener, she answers in her thoughts. The race rulers still have undeniable authority over their people, but they entrusted international politics and influence to you. The world sees you and acknowledges you as the Emperor of Draconians.

Just roll with it, Erik supports Liana because he can hear us. I rarely keep things from my partners. I look at Erik and he just shrugs.

"Your Majesty? Are you unsatisfied with something?" Luviael asks anxiously and the ministers get a bit nervous as well.

"No, let's start," I shake my head, sit down and nod that they can also sit down. "Rien, can you start with your report?"

The Clawfang Minister of Labour twitches his wolfish ears. He didn't expect I'd ask him first of all people.

"Job division is proceeding surprisingly well," Rien starts slowly. "Draconians are eager to work and many aren't afraid to volunteer for battle units. I'm currently assigning high-level players to take strategic positions in big cities and cooperate with local police and the army. As for other professions, many Draconian are eager to take on crafting."

"Are my people cooperating without problems?" I ask directly, even though I suspect what the answer will be.

"With hesitation," Rien admits reluctantly. "As expected, if they already are in Prague, they don't want to leave. Motivating them with high salaries isn't helping. But battle units desperately need Celestials, Your Majesty, they need all races if we want to be effective and not lose people unnecessarily."

"Celestials are peculiar in that aspect," I sigh. "Okay, let me talk to them. I guess I could motivate them by giving them my blessing if they sign up. Still, they will probably want to take turns, so that they aren't away from me for too long."

"We can work with that," Rien nods. "We can't force our people to permanently move to foreign countries anyway. Let's think about it as a temporary work assignment that comes with a high salary and sell it like that."

"Good," I agree and notice a change in the atmosphere when I casually mention giving out blessings. Celestials jerk in their seats and wish they could receive my blessing as well. Rien and Forent are curious to find out how that works in the first place.

"The allied countries have a generous budget prepared for those who will protect their citizens," Rien continues after nervously clearing his throat. "We don't have to worry about paying our warriors, but that doesn't mean we don't need money. We do."

"That's my expertise actually," Evaniel stands up which allows Rien to relax. "As the Minister of Commerce, I'm also responsible for our finances in general. Rien is right, we need a steady income. We can't live off Her Excellency's money, donations and funding from the EU forever. We need to start producing things of value and selling them."

"We'd better start enchanting then," I say and turn to the Minister of Magical Research. "Is your team ready, Rina?"

"Getting ready," Rina nods and chews her lip, feeling uncertain. "But we don't actually know yet if enchanting is a thing in the real world, Your Majesty. Many Celestials tried already and failed."

"What do you mean? The ring I enchanted worked," I tilt my head, confused.

Everyone is staring at me, dumbfounded. Wait, they didn't know?

"We didn't go public with it, Aefener," Liana reminds me patiently. "They don't know."

"Enchanting is proven to be working?!" Rina's jaw drops and she flutters her wings excitedly. "That's the best news ever, Your Majesty!"

"I think those who tried and failed simply needed a higher level, that's all," I shrug.

"Do we want to sell enchanted objects to humans, though?" Laurin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, voices his concern. And he's absolutely right, of course.

"Only harmless ones," I say resolutely. "Definitely not weapons."

Everyone is nodding. I'm glad we're on the same page about this. Draconian weapons are too dangerous to get into human hands. Besides, most of them are so racial-specific that humans wouldn't be able to properly use them anyway.

"With Celestials working on enchantments, the Dragonkin crafting armour and weapons, the Earthborn advancing medical science by milestones and Clawfangs gathering resources, scouting and potentially beast taming, I'm sure we can make more than a decent living," I try to smile reassuringly at everyone.

"All that while protecting and restoring the environment," Forent, our Minister of Ecology, adds with a soft cough.

"Of course," I agree wholeheartedly and feel my Emperor's nature emerging, giving me a motivational boost. "But don't get me wrong, we won't be doing this only so that humans see us as useful and will tolerate us. We're doing it for ourselves."

"For our flying city!" Sarayah exclaims enthusiastically.

I raise my eyebrow because I have no idea how she knows about that. At this point, it's just my wishful thinking. Liana notices my slightly confused expression and hurries with an explanation.

"It's already in the Celestial grapevine, Aefener," she says. "Some people overheard you talking about it and the guards babbled as well. Every Celestial knows by now and they consider it your ultimate plan for our future."

That's a bit unnerving to hear, to be honest. I admit I haven't planned that far ahead yet. I didn't have time to consider what happens ten years from now, so thinking about a hundred years from now gets even more blurry. But I have to start thinking about long-term planning soon. I'll still be around in a hundred years. All Celestials will be. And we will need a place to live we can truly call our own.

I look at Erik and shiver. Erik won't see our flying city in its full grace. He won't be there. We continue discussing tasks for this week which mostly consist of new ministers taking over their departments and getting to know their employees. I listen carefully, taking mental notes, but I can't shake off that intrusive thought. One day I'll have to face a world without Erik.