I couldn't help but sign once again as I looked at the massive pile of paperwork still needing to be done.
Ever since I unleashed the holy light of Rhongomyniad, I had been swamped with work. Taking over a major nation and economy wasn't easy. The sheer amount of work was staggering.
Then again, tens of thousands of people worked to keep Britain and the UK running, and now that had been reduced to Agravain and me.
While I would fight anyone to the death who claimed that Agravain wasn't worth ten men, there was still a limit to what the two of us could do.
Even with most of the day-to-day work still being done by those hired to do so, the amount of work that made itself to Camelot was still immense, enough to keep hundreds busy, much less just two.
"Father! I'm back. Those damned rebels didn't last a moment!" Mordred burst into the room with enough force to cause the towering piles of paper to wobble.
"Ahh, Mordred, good that you are back, as you can see, I'm drowning in work, and as a future king, I'm sure you can help me with the paperwork." My face was all smiles as I looked at my son.
And my son instantly froze at the idea of being trapped doing Agravain work all day long.
It was funny seeing his face; all the excitement instantly drained away as he tried to come up with any excuse at all to avoid the more boring parts of being a king.
"Ahh! Well, father… I still have to report it to Gawain and Ector… So I have to go do that!" He said while backtracking out of my office, and then finally turning around and took off running.
"Ahh, even my son has left me to face this battle alone, if only a brave knight would come to save me," I said dramatically just in time for Bedivere, my personal assistant, to enter and hear.
"I'm afraid the best I can do is offer you a different type of work my king." He said handing over a letter.
Reading it quickly, I stood up. "Well, it's better than nothing. Take care of my work here, and I will personally handle this."
I quickly changed back into my full armor. My red cloak fell down my silver armor as I walked out to meet my guests.
Outside the castle, in the now bustling city of Camelot, stood Sir Tristan with two other men. Those who before me had been in charge of the economy of Britan, and now would help me ensure my realm didn't fall to ruination.
"Your majesty." Tristan greeted me with a bow, which the two men mirrored. "I present you Sir Mervyn Allister King, the Governor of the Bank of England, and Alistair Maclean Darling, former Chancellor of the Exchequer."
"Sir King. Lord Darling." My voice was steady, measured. "I trust you understand why you're here."
King, the elder of the two, adjusted his glasses, his gaze flickering to the towering walls of Camelot before returning to me. "Yes, Your Majesty. To ensure that Albion's economy does not collapse under the weight of its… unprecedented transition."
"Indeed," Darling added, his voice carrying a mix of respect and caution. "And, if I may be so bold, Your Majesty, to advise you on avoiding any further disruptions that could drive the global market into a spiral."
A small smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Wise words, Lord Darling. But I didn't call you here to lecture me on what's already been done. I understand the worry of the people, and wish to reassure them and for that, I request your help."
"Now come along." I said, turning around and heading back inside the castle. "Normally I would meet you in the throne room." I made small talk as I walked. "But I figured it would be a waste of time asking you to walk up there, only to bring you down here after that."
Camelot was an amazing city, but it also wasn't friendly to the disabled or the infirm. The trip up to my throne required one to climb many stairs, and for older people, that could be a challenge.
King bowed his head deeply, sincerity in his tone. "Your Majesty, your thoughtfulness humbles me. It's an honor to serve a king who considers the burdens of all."
Darling hesitated for a moment, clearly not used to addressing royalty, before nodding with genuine appreciation. "Thank you, Your Majesty. It's... not every day you meet a king who shows such care. I won't forget this kindness."
"You are here because the people are worried, the world, and many within my realm are spreading fear, people worry about being paid, being able to afford what they need, much less anything else." I slowly continued.
"Prices have risen on many things, and even if I force them down, people's fears aren't as easy to calm, yet as I have stated many times, the crown will carry their burden for them, you are here to finally help reassure them."
The two men were well aware of everything I said. They had both been featured quite a bit in the news, making statements here and there.
In the current day and age, a nation didn't just fall without the economy feeling it. and while any attempt at a trade blockade was stopped, prices still spiked as uncertainty rose. The already bleeding global economy only further destabilized.
And while Albion was part of the cause for that, they were still hit by the effect. The fact that income tax was absolved for a year, and that evictions were banned, didn't stop people from seeing rising prices.
Particular in industries that had been claimed by the crown, power, water, heat, all those and more. People worried if the crown could afford to foot the bill, or if they would be the ones paying the price.
I knew that it would take time to earn the trust of the people, my display of power had them scared, so I needed to give them something more positive to think about.
I really didn't want to fight those little rebellions all the time.
"While I do intend to get rid of the Pound and make a new currency, I won't do that just yet; for now, I will entrust the two of you to oversee the transition from an open economy to a more closed one."
I slowly explained why I had summoned them here while I walked, leading them deeper and deeper into my castle and into the depths of it, far under the ground. Soon enough we reached a large set of doors. Which responded to my approach.
The large iron door creaked open, revealing a grand stone staircase spiraling downward into the heart of Camelot's depths.
Darling wiped his brow, clearly unsettled by the ominous descent. "Where exactly are we headed, Your Majesty?"
I smiled faintly, glancing over my shoulder. "To the answer you've been waiting for. The reason why I can afford to take the risks I have without the world crumbling beneath us."
King adjusted his glasses, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "A show of strength, then?"
"No, I have shown my strength, now I shall show my wealth." I reached the bottom of the staircase, where another shorter corridor greeted us. On both sides stood huge enforcement knights, gleaming like golden statues.
At the end of the corridor, awaited another set of doors. ornately carved with depictions of Camelot's history, knights, dragons, and battles won long ago. "Few people will ever get to see this sight." I said as I moved forward.
There were no locks on the doors, instead they opened only with my permission, and I gave it with a light push, throwing the thick and heavy doors wide open.
The chamber before us was vast, its ceilings arching high overhead, supported by intricately carved columns. On the other side of the door was a small balcony, and to both sides, wide stairs leading down.
While the rest of the path had been lit by fires, magic they might be, but still just normal fire. This room was different; it was bright, as if outdoors on a bright day. And the sight that greeted us were countless towering piles of neatly stacked towers of gold and silver bars.
The room was easily the size of a football field, if not more, and it was filled up with treasure, the stacks were separated by small pathways, but due to the way the room was sunken, the stacks reached more than six meters in height.
Darling stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes going wide as he took in the sheer expanse of wealth before him. His lips parted, but no words came out for a moment. He finally managed to whisper, "This… This is beyond anything I've ever seen."
King, more composed but equally impressed, adjusted his glasses once more, stepping forward and leaning slightly over the balcony rail. "This isn't a treasury—it's a monument to prosperity," he said, awe lacing his tone.
I walked slowly along the balcony, my gaze steady as I admired the wealth I now commanded. "In my time, my people starved, yet it wasn't because we were poor, back then we just didn't have anyone to trade with."
I couldn't help but think back to then. My people suffering, starvation being common, yet nothing I could do could stop it. I was someone who unified the land, defended it, but the land itself wouldn't aid my people.
Other nations were enemies, and even if they were friendly, they wouldn't have enough food to spare, food was just rare back then. And I had gathered much gold, much wealth.
It wasn't quite this much, not by far. This amount was hundreds of times what I had back then. But the world was different. Back then a single bar of gold could buy countless times more than in this age.
So with the grail I had given myself the wealth of a nation, not an ancient one, but one fitting this time and age.
Darling chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Most leaders would hoard this, Your Majesty. They'd flaunt it, but they'd never spend it. Not like you plan to."
I nodded to his words. Yes, who in this day and age would spend their wealth on others? Who would use their own wealth to pay the taxes of others? Only I would do that.
"I made a promise to my people that they would not shoulder the cost of this transition. This," I gestured to the mountain of gold and silver, "is how I intend to keep that promise."
King rubbed his chin thoughtfully, finally recovering from the initial shock. "With reserves like this, Your Majesty, Albion could cover its expenses for years, even with the income tax suspended and national utilities under the crown."
"Exactly," I replied. "Utilities will remain affordable. People will have their basic needs met. I'll fund the reconstruction of public works, stabilize food and fuel prices, and ensure businesses stay afloat."
Darling tried to count the stacks of gold and silver, but the sheer number made him unable to get even close before he had to give up. "Though, this much gold and silver is likely to affect the prices."
King adjusted his glasses, his eyes still flicking between the endless rows of gold. "Flooding the market with this would indeed destabilize prices if we aren't careful. But if we control the flow and spend wisely, it could be managed."
I clasped my hands behind my back, my cloak brushing against the stone floor as I paced slowly. "That's why you're here, Lord King. You and Darling will ensure that this wealth does the most good."
Darling exhaled, rubbing his temples as he looked once more at the colossal fortune. "We'll have to be careful with how we present this, Your Majesty. Too much optimism, and people might take it for granted. Too much caution, and they'll still panic."
"Not just them." King added. "If the rest of the world knew how much gold there is, they might try to lower the price of it. making this worth less to take as much as possible."
I nodded, acknowledging the weight of their concerns. "True. Albion cannot afford for the world to see this as a limitless fountain of gold. We need to project strength, but not excess."
King adjusted his tie, his brow furrowed in thought. "We'll have to strategically release portions of it without raising suspicion. Keep enough visible to reassure the people but obscure the full extent."
"That won't be difficult," I said, gesturing to the seemingly endless sea of precious metals. "We have plenty to work with. Just ensure that any gold we release is done with intention and control."
Darling crossed his arms, his gaze settling firmly on me. "And what about foreign interests, Your Majesty? Once word spreads, they'll pressure us economically, try to force us into deals or trade agreements where this wealth becomes their gain."
I smiled faintly, my voice resolute. "Let them try. Albion will not be bullied. While we might be forced to pay a higher price for certain goods, they best not press their luck."
Darling nodded firmly. "We'll begin with stabilizing essential industries first—energy, housing, food supply. The rest can follow."
"And the message to the people?" King asked.
I turned toward the massive vault once more, the glimmer of gold reflecting in my eyes. "Show them enough to believe, enough to hope. Let them know that their king's promise isn't just words. It's a reality."
(End of chapter)
Alright, Albion is in full swing. Now, I could have spent a dozen chapters just going over reactions from everyone.
After all, big ass super laser was unleashed, entire fleet gone, everyone scared and pissed, no matter normal person or any of the named people mentioned it.
But I felt like it would slow thing down too much, going over everything like that.
I already spent time introducing them, and I felt it worth doing, but going back too often might spoil the magic.
I introduced the fantastic 4 and the mutants, and why did I do that?
Well, lets be honest here, how many things in the MCU would draw the attention of Camelot? few, most threats just aren't worth they notice. but throw in some mutants and Doom, and things might become more intresting.
After all, can only do kingdom building for so long before we need some action.