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Chapter 18: Two birds with one stone

That\'s why, Henry directed the army to seize surplus supplies from the wealthy and distribute it among the poor. He knew that this would not sit well with the nobles and merchants, so he promised to compensate them double for the confiscated food and firewood to maintain their support.

The merchants and nobles quickly accepted the compensation deal as they knew they would profit greatly from lending their resources to the kingdom. Additionally, Henry did not seize all their stashed resources, allowing them and their families to continue to live comfortably.

This gesture helped to maintain their support while also endearing him to the common people. The act of redistributing resources from the wealthy to the less fortunate greatly improved Henry\'s image in the eyes of his subjects, which had been tarnished since his father\'s death.

Henry killed two birds with one stone.

He managed to quell the nobles and merchants\' complaints, while also managing to slightly improve the common people\'s lives who weren\'t going to die by starvation or cold.

"These short-term solutions are necessary but not sufficient."- Henry thought as he observed, from one of the castle\'s towers, the flow of people entering and leaving the warehouse where food was being freely distributed.

He realized that the available resources would not be enough to sustain the capital for more than a month and a half. In order to ensure the long-term survival and prosperity of his kingdom, he needed to quickly execute his plan to bring the barbarians to his side.

He knew that this would be a difficult decision, but it was necessary, and he had to take decisive action, even if it meant potentially damaging his image among his subjects.

"They won\'t accept this." - Henry thought with a painful sigh, his breath visible in the cold air.

He knew that the enmity between his people and the barbarians had been ongoing for generations, resulting in the loss of countless lives on both sides. Every family had a story of a loved one who had been killed by the barbarians. Especially after the recent conflict that occurred a month ago.

Henry understood that time was a necessary resource to convince his people of the necessity of his plan and to accept the barbarians. However, the young king lacked this essential resource. He had to act fast to guarantee the existence of his kingdom and his subjects. He would not let Stahl to end in his hands.

"I hope it doesn\'t come to the worst case scenario."- Henry murmured as he observed the snow accumulating on the rooftops of wooden houses and in the unpaved streets, making it increasingly difficult for the people to move around.

He knew that if things turned out badly, he would have to resort to force and move his troops to make them submit and accept the situation. However, he hoped that everything would be concluded peacefully.

"Can I do anything else?" – Henry asked himself as he continued to watch the scenery in front of him, Henry had a brilliant idea. However, it went against every ethic he grew up in his previous life.

"Is there anything else that I can do to ease this situation and not allow it to get out of hand?"- Henry asked himself as he continued to ponder the situation at hand while watching the people coming and going.

Suddenly, an idea came to him, but it went against everything he believed in and all the ethics he had been raised with in the modern world. It was a form of forced assimilation that would secure the use of the barbarian workforce and potentially gain acceptance among his subjects.

"Slavery…" – Henry muttered, but soon dismissed the thought. – "I won\'t do this to myself nor to others. I won\'t resort to such inhumane action."

This was a morally questionable solution that would require him to tear down his principles, meaning that he was growing apart from his self as a person. Furthermore, it was not a sustainable solution in the long run, as it would only lead to internal conflicts. If he were to implement it, it could lead to the barbarians revolting and eating away the kingdom.

"In the end, force may be the only option."- Henry thought, coming to a conclusion and closing his eyes, trying to convince himself that it was the best course of action.- "I don\'t deserve to be neither a king nor a human if I resort to such deeds."

-x-

Finally, the day of the expedition had arrived.

Early in the morning, a huge crowd occupied the both sides of the path towards the gates, with fury and hatred in their eyes as they watched a line of barbarians being escorted out of the gates. And, if not for the armed soldiers guarding the human made corridor, the crowd would have already attacked the hateful pests.

It was not only the crowd that felt this way, but also the soldiers who were marching directly behind the barbarians. They too held deep hatred towards these generational enemies. They wanted to kill them on the spot, but they were under the direct orders from their generals and their king to remain in control and not act on their emotions.

Henry watched the scene unfold with a heavy heart – "I hope the situation will be pacified when we return with food."

He sighed and flexed his wrist, testing its mobility. The past few days had been enough for him to recover his health and be released from the bandages and splints. It was as if he had been reborn anew, with no lasting effects.

"Mana is truly miraculous. If I could bring this back to the modern world, it would be considered the most valuable substance ever." - Henry mused, reflecting on the speed of his recovery.

Henry did not pay attention to the furious crowd around him, as he had already expected this kind of reaction. He could hear the shouts and pleas of the people, demanding him to behead and exterminate the barbarians.

Actually, Henry understood their anger and desire for revenge, but he couldn\'t give in to their demands. It was for their own good. He continued on his path towards the gate, paying no heed to his frustrated subjects, who forgot about the benevolence of this king who had provided them with food and firewood.

For this expedition, Henry had brought along half of the First Battalion, as well as Luther and the midget assistant Luke. The other two Generals and the rest of the army were staying behind to maintain order and continue to procure food and firewood.

"Unfortunately, horses are unable to traverse the Frozen Forest."- Henry sighed, shifting his attention away from his wrist. - "Bringing them would also only serve to attract the attention of predators."

"We have a long journey ahead." - Henry said, gazing at the frozen canopy of trees that stretched out as far as the eye could see.

It was a perilous journey, but they were fortunate to have the barbarians with them, experts who knew the ins and outs of the forest. Their knowledge was essential, and Henry wanted to assimilate and preserve it, that\'s why he brought his small assistant, Luke.

He needed the midget to write down and document every bit of knowledge and information about the Frozen Forest. Furthermore, he needed to have a deeper understanding of the Barbarian culture and customs.

"Let\'s go."

This was Henry\'s first step into the Frozen Forest, a territory that he would completely dominate.