'Til Kingdom Comes - The Banished Prince Vol 3: The Prophecy

Amazed...!

"Hello there, Your Majesty, good morrow to you, my good old friend...! Ehh?! It seems we have company here. What a coincidence, may we could all have a wonderful sit in during this discussion. Hahaha. How are you, Eagle? Long time no see...!!"

Eagle simply raised his hand up as a sign of acknowledgement when his name was called by Marcel as he sauntered in.

Marcel marched into the domain with his wife, Maricel and was greeting us the moment they stepped over the elevated platform of the domain before entering the main hall.

Following closely behind them was Michelle and Gwen and they had just left the Adventurers Guild as the matter that Marcel and Maricel were about to discuss revolves around them too.

"Girls, could you serve up some refreshments, please, thank you."

"Phew...! You know, we have to walk more than a mile to get here from the first cluster...!"

"My God...! I'm so tired of squeezing my brain cells dry earlier in the day and now I'm tired of walking down to the domain from my home."

"Luckily it is only a mile away, and if my house was situated in the second cluster and near the town's walls, I think I'd send a pigeon carrier message to and fro. Hahaha. Hahaha. Hahaha...!"

Marcel made himself at home the moment he reached the dining table of the conference and he heaved his butt heavily on the chair as it seemed they both were exhausted from walking all the way from their house to the domain.

He called out to the domain helpers to prepare the refreshments just like he was treating the domain just like his own abode like before when he was still single.

They would have waited for the passenger service wagon to bring them around instead of walking down all the way to the town square.

Besides, the passenger service wagons would be operating until about 2 in the morning where the operators rest for a short while before resuming at 5 in the morning to bring the workers to work et cetera.

Mainly those who were up and about by 5 in the morning would be reserved for the ladies who worked in the outdoor kitchen area to prepare breakfast for the workers and soldiers.

The domain helpers brought the chilled and hot tea in teapots and served them in the table before them. They would be able to choose either drink according to their preferences. Furthermore, the dispensing tuns were within reach.

A set of refreshments were brought in from the Bakery as an assortment of muffins and cakes were places on a tin tray that resembled a silver platter instead.

"Please, everyone... Don't be shy and help yourselves first. Eagle, please... Have a little something." It was quite rare for us to see Eagle eating something unless he goes out on expeditions and would be cooking his own gruel over the fires et cetera.

After we had a bit of refreshment, and so dies the twins who happen to lose their sleepiness and were now wide awake as they listened to the adults discussed the matters at heart.

"Alright, let me commence the meeting since I have more things to discuss."

"It's about the economy of this town, the contract deals that would expire in this December for the 15 cities that Richard Rich and his subordinates had contracted with us for the present products that we are currently supplying every fortnight."

"Lastly we would like to emphasise the need to gather certain vital information of all towns, including the dukes and duchess contact details, how prosperous the town would be, the estimated number of nobles and the acceptance of them to get the present and future products that would be in production once we have the right ingredients, right?"

Marcel was talking with his mouth full and we waited for him to wash down the strawberry muffin with hot tea before he continued.

Maricel and Heather were taking some important notes before Maricel walked over to the writing slate and note down the important highlights of the meeting.

Maricel continued for Marcel since he was taking another bite at another piece of flavoured muffin. "In order to achieve that, we had decided to engage the services of the Adventurers Guild and would be assigning the tasks to both Michelle and Gwen to hand them out to the Adventure's."

"Since the world is rather vast and according to Gwen, we have more than a 70 Adventurers on the waiting list, we would like to give the following task — gather the following information that we require, get the representative from the town to come and visit us on a certain scheduled date and time, then we can start to contract them on a yearly basis based on the distribution of bread, food, grains, health and beauty products to them."

"Instead of having 8 navigational points, we further break it down to 16 and each party would be made up of 4 members. It would be 64 Adventurers moving out at the same time. They would need to cover a minimum of 5 undiscovered and uncontracted towns not listed in our current conglomerates' deals."

"These adventurers won't be going there empty-handed. I would be preparing a sales and marketing campaign that would be in the form of Informational pamphlets that would list the products that we would be offering to them."

"The adventurers would also engage the service of the town's messenger to announce to the public. It would inform the public and create awareness of our town's products so they could come and deal directly with us."

"On top of that, we would get the messenger to announce the availability of jobs and the need for more workforce so the plebs... I mean the peasants would have a choice to move over here to start their life anew."

"I can't say much about the serfs because they are bonded to their masters."

"Your Majesty, please do not worry about the reward system for the adventurers, the messengers as well as logistics such as delivery guys, horses and wagons. We would be handling them accordingly."

"As of now, we would be rewarding 5 silver coins for each Adventurer who completes the minimum requirement of 5 towns to cover. A total of 64 Adventurers would mean a sum of 320 silvers would be handed over to the Adventurers Guild."

"A further Silver coin would be handed to the messenger for each town so it would be 5 silver coins that would be paid in advance. If 5 towns were not met, then the balance would be returned to the guild and back to us. Likewise the same goes for the reward system."

"Michelle and Gwen, as registrars and guild leaders, would you agree with our suggestions? The tasks could be considered as one star to a two-star rating."

Michelle and Gwen kept mum when they were asked the question because they would further need to confirm with me to give a go-ahead. Besides, we would be sending a lot of Adventurers out this time and some tasks would overlap with one another.

"Since we would be handling the whole process of the tasks right down to the distribution of the products, we would be handling the purchase of the current and future products based on a minimum cost price."

"We would be engaging the people who supervise the Gutenberg machine in Strasbourg, France and we could start distributing the tasks when everything is ready within a month."

"Yes, I know its France and we are at war with them, Your Majesty, but I know you have a broad vision and ability to perceive what we are trying to aim here. It's all about the economy of the town."

Maricel had finished speaking while I fed the twins with some cake that made them so happy that they were simply banging the table and asking for more. Does this cake had some liquor that made the children behave like this? I do think so, you know... Liquorice... Liquor, right?

Maybe the twins were happy to be able to stay up so late tonight and listen to the adults chat and also watch Marcel stuffing his face. The twins might even be challenging him to a food fight...!

The twins held a small piece of cake in their open palm and then stuffed it towards their face to mimic what Marcel was doing towards the muffin that he was busily concentrating on.

Every time Marcel brought the muffin to his mouth, the twins also stuffed the small piece of cake into their mouths as well. It was like taunting who can eat more and who can finish their food faster...!

"Gutenberg machine in France? That far? Could the Gutenberg print images as well and in vivid colours too?" I inquired as Heather took the signal and overturned the papers and pushed it alongside me.

"We are at war with France and if we were to get their assistance, I am afraid that the English might think that we are printing some propaganda there to spread it over here."

"Besides, we do have something better. Here... Take a look at this. It is much better than the Gutenberg print machine. We call it Macleod machine."

I pushed the papers that Heather had printed our names out in bold, italic and also in multiple colours and types of fonts and sizes.

Then came along the current products, along with product name, description and price.

Lastly, the paper that had all the new upcoming products that would be in production once the sample had passed its test.

When the papers were turned face up, Maricel and her husband gasped in shock, awe, amazement and all kinds of mixed feelings. So does Eagle, Michelle and Gwen as they all looked at the stack of papers and touched the texture, smelled the printout and even try to run out the vivid colours of the images. It was simply eye-catching...!

"This is not done by the Gutenberg but is being done on a Macleod machine? Oh My God...! Where is the machine at? Come, let me take a look at it, pretty please..." Marcel was literally begging us to see the Macleod machine but I told him that it's near impossible for him to do so at the moment, the future and forever...!

"Why are you so like that? Come on, my dear friend, my bosom buddy... Just a peek, please. I am sure that I would not be touching anything and I promise to be a good boy." Marcel begged again and this time Maricel was holding her two hands before her in a begging fashion.

"It's in the realm and no one is able to be there except for my dear wife, Heather. She holds the key to be able to enter the place and get out safely."

"I can't promise if I can bring anyone else but one mistake and that's it, the person would be stuck forever in the realm and can only be visited by me whenever I enter my meditative state of mind...!"

I put on a straight face as I told a white lie to both Marcel and his wife, Maricel as they admired how the print out that was laid out before them and was amazed on how resistant the images in the paper against water. (they did a water test by sticking their wet tongues on it.)

"Tchick... That's not fair you know. You have all those wonderful things in the realm but you could never let us see them."

"I really am interested since the Macleod machine could produce such vivid, lifelike colours on paper as if an artist had painted on them."

"Besides, a picture could tell a thousand words and even though this paper is pretty basic, it's sure is a magnificent way to send the word across."

"In this case, we don't have to wait for a month for the Gutenberg project, we could announce the tasks to be in effect within 3 days...!"

Marcel paused for a while as he wiped off the crumbs of the muffin he had been stuffing his face with and drank a cup of chilled tea to clear his throat before continuing.

"I guess you can get the person who supervises the Macleod machine to rearrange the templates for the images and put in 'present products', 'new' or some catchy words and put up a 'sale' word here and also 'vacancies available' et cetera."

Maricel then butted in and said while she grabbed a sheet of paper that had printed images on it, dipped a quill inside the ink pit and began to gesture towards us.

"Here, let me do it for you. You don't mind if I use one of the papers to draw what I had in my mind, right? At least it's better than to speak and visualise where you can reproduce straightway...!"

Maricel highlighted and without waiting for an answer, she began to doddle on the piece of the paper and completes what she had in mind and transfer them into the printed paper before her.

She blew in the paper to let the ink dry abut before she let the paper slid towards us. Eagle was observing the other pieces of paper in front of him and wondered if the technology would be of use to him. Later he shook his head and placed the paper back.

It seemed he had the interest but it served no purpose for him and the Shadow unit members. Instead, he seemed quite interested in the conversation between the 4 of us.

Heather looked at it and she simply whispered softly in my ear and said, "Yeah... I think I could do it. So how many pieces do you want me to print? Do you want to go to the realm later?"

I simply nodded her head and told everyone that the deal that Maricel had mentioned about issuing the tasks to the Adventurers is approved.

The other matters of rewards, payment for the individual town's messengers to announce the message, the logistics, manpower and remunerations would also be approved.

"Alright you two, draft me a proposal and let me know how much you would be paying for the base cost price for each category of items and we can come to a deal as you both being the freelancers and middlemen for this project only."

I highlighted to them, while Michelle and Gwen understood that the tasks had been approved and would soon be underway."

"Give a detailed set of instructions to both Michelle and Gwen. It should also be made known to all the adventurers that would be undertaking these new tasks."

I turned lastly to Heather and told her, "We would need those 500 printouts on the Macleod machine based on the new template and design. Would that be alright? We would be going to the realm once the children had been put to bed later."

I suggested and Heather's face lit up at the mention of entering the realm with me and at the same time to tinker around with the machines and print them to her satisfaction.

"Alright dear, I guessed we can adjourn the meeting now. Maricel, do come back tomorrow after breakfast to pick up these Informational pamphlets, alright?"

"Use the passenger service wagons to get here next time. It's fun and besides, it's good to mingle with the locals once in a while."

Heather spoke up and both Marcel and Maricel nodded their heads in comprehension as the three soon excused themselves and head back to their respective destinations.

"Seems that we are going to get busy tonight. Hmm... I will try to see if I can leave you in the White Room while I do something in the Fusion Chamber. If we split and it worked, we can increase our efficiency in performing our own tasks there, alright?"

I suggested as Heather leapt with anticipation while our twins also tried jumping about in the high chairs as they watched their Mummy was being rather joyous lately.

Expecting a younger brother or sister or maybe twins, perhaps? Hahaha.