The three prisoners were kept in a small military holding facility outside Valoria.
Adrian had no intention of torturing them.
He didn’t need to.
People talked more when they believed they would be treated fairly.
Major Elias Varen seemed to understand that as well.
When Adrian entered the interrogation room, the three men were seated at a wooden table.
Their weapons and equipment had already been removed.
One was young, perhaps twenty-five.
Another looked closer to forty.
The third was older, with grey beginning to show in his beard.
Adrian sat across from them.
Elias stood behind him.
“You were caught mapping Arvendale’s eastern frontier.”
The older man said nothing.
Adrian continued.
“You were also carrying maps of Valen.”
Still nothing.
Adrian leaned back.
“If I wanted to execute you, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
The younger man looked at him.
Adrian noticed.
Fear.
Not of death.
Of whoever had hired them.
Interesting.
“You were paid to collect information,” Adrian said.
“That’s all.”
The older man finally spoke.
“That’s not all.”
Adrian waited.
“We were told to find weaknesses.”
Elias’s expression hardened.
“Weaknesses for what?”
The man looked down.
“We weren’t told.”
Adrian studied him.
“Who hired you?”
Silence.
Adrian didn’t push.
Instead, he stood.
“You’re going to stay here for a few days.”
The younger man looked confused.
“You’re not going to question us?”
“I already did.”
Adrian walked toward the door.
“Tomorrow, we’ll talk again.”
He stopped.
“And when we do, I’ll ask the same question.”
The older man looked at him.
“And if we still don’t answer?”
Adrian glanced over his shoulder.
“Then we’ll wait.”
He left.
Outside, Elias followed.
“That was it?”
“For now.”
“They’re mercenaries.”
“Exactly.”
Adrian walked down the corridor.
“Mercenaries don’t usually refuse to name their employer unless they’re afraid of them.”
Elias nodded.
“So?”
“So whoever hired them has more influence than three hired swords.”
Adrian stopped.
“Find out who.”
Clara had already begun investigating before Adrian even asked.
She spent the next several days examining merchant records, military contracts, travel permits and shipping manifests.
On the fourth day, she entered Adrian’s office carrying a thick folder.
“I found something.”
Adrian looked up.
“Already?”
Clara placed the folder on his desk.
“The mercenaries entered Arvendale separately.”
“From where?”
“Three different border crossings.”
Adrian opened the folder.
“That’s clever.”
“They didn’t know each other before the operation.”
“So whoever hired them planned it carefully.”
“Yes.”
Adrian turned another page.
“Money?”
“Paid through intermediaries.”
“Who?”
“Three trading houses.”
Adrian looked at the names.
None were familiar.
“Are they legitimate?”
“Yes.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“They all share the same financial backer.”
Adrian looked up.
“Who?”
Clara slid another paper across the desk.
“The Northstar Trading Company.”
Adrian frowned.
“Never heard of them.”
“Most people haven’t.”
Clara sat down.
“They aren’t one of the major trading companies in Valoria, but they’ve been operating for almost twenty years.”
“Doing what?”
“Shipping.
Mining equipment.
Rare materials.
Machinery.”
Adrian leaned back.
“Why would a merchant company hire mercenaries to map our borders?”
“That’s what I don’t know.”
“Find out.”
Clara nodded.
“I’ve already started.”
Meanwhile, the eastern frontier remained tense.
Elias had doubled patrols without making it obvious.
Watchtowers were occupied day and night.
Soldiers were instructed to observe rather than provoke.
The captured mercenaries remained silent.
Then, one morning, something happened.
A patrol found a burned wagon.
The driver was dead.
The wagon had been carrying mining equipment.
Elias arrived personally.
He crouched beside the wreckage.
One soldier checked the cargo.
“Most of it.”
“Most?”
“The heavier equipment is still here.”
Elias frowned.
“Then what was stolen?”
The soldier held up a small wooden crate.
“These.”
Inside were several sealed documents.
Elias opened one.
Mining surveys.
He opened another.
Geological reports.
The third contained a map.
His expression changed.
The map wasn’t of Arvendale.
It showed the eastern mountains.
Including territory beyond Arvendale’s borders.
Elias immediately sent a messenger to Valoria.
Adrian read the report twice.
“Mining surveys.”
Clara nodded.
“Yes.”
“Who owns the wagon?”
“Northstar Trading.”
Adrian sighed.
“Again.”
Edmund looked at him.
“That company is becoming a problem.”
“Maybe.”
Clara shook her head.
“Not necessarily.”
Adrian looked at her.
She explained.
“Northstar could simply be conducting geological surveys.”
“Then why hire mercenaries?”
“Maybe they don’t trust local authorities.”
“That isn’t a good enough reason.”
“No.”
Clara opened another folder.
“But there’s something else.”
Adrian waited.
“They’ve been purchasing mining rights near the eastern mountains.”
Adrian looked at the map.
“How much?”
“Several large areas.”
“How long?”
“Six years.”
Adrian frowned.
Six years.
That meant Northstar had been interested in Arvendale long before his reforms.
“Why?”
Clara shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
Adrian stood.
“Then let’s find out.”
Three days later, Adrian visited the eastern frontier himself.
Elias strongly objected.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Adrian dismounted.
“I’ve heard that before.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Adrian looked toward the mountains.
The air was colder here.
The forests were thicker.
The roads were poor.
This was the part of Arvendale that had been ignored for decades.
He could see why.
It was difficult territory.
But Adrian saw something else.
Potential.
Iron.
Coal.
Stone.
Timber.
Possibly more.
He turned toward Elias.
“How many soldiers are stationed here?”
“About two thousand.”
“Too few.”
Elias nodded.
“That’s what I’ve been saying.”
Adrian studied the map.
“Where’s the nearest major town?”
“Fort Halden.”
“How far?”
“Two days.”
“Road?”
“Poor.”
Adrian smiled.
“Then that’s our next project.”
Elias laughed.
“Of course it is.”
Adrian pointed toward the mountains.
“But not just a road.”
Elias waited.
“We build a proper military road.”
“Why?”
“Because if we ever need to move soldiers through here, we shouldn’t spend three days fighting the terrain.”
Elias nodded.
“Agreed.”
“And if there are valuable mines…”
Elias smiled.
“You’ve already started thinking about the economy.”
“Always.”
That evening, Adrian visited Fort Halden’s barracks.
The soldiers were surprised to see him.
Most kings never bothered visiting frontier troops personally.
Adrian walked through the barracks, inspected equipment and spoke with soldiers.
He noticed something immediately.
Morale was better than he expected.
The new supply system was working.
Soldiers received regular food.
Their weapons were maintained.
Medical supplies were available.
Small improvements.
But they mattered.
One soldier approached him.
“Your Majesty?”
Adrian turned.
“Yes?”
The young man hesitated.
“Is it true we’re getting a new road?”
Adrian smiled.
The soldier grinned.
“That would make life easier.”
“That’s the idea.”
The soldier nodded.
Then Adrian noticed something.
The man’s boots.
Worn out.
He looked down at his own.
Then at several other soldiers.
Most had the same problem.
Adrian frowned.
“Elias.”
“Yes?”
“When was the last time the army received new boots?”
Elias looked uncomfortable.
“Some units received replacements six months ago.”
“And this one?”
“Nearly a year.”
Adrian sighed.
A road wasn’t the only problem.
“Add military footwear to the procurement list.”
Elias nodded.
Adrian looked at the soldiers.
A kingdom could build factories and academies.
But if its soldiers marched in broken boots, it wasn’t ready for war.
That night, Adrian sat in the fort’s command room.
The map of eastern Arvendale was spread across the table.
Elias stood opposite him.
“You were right.”
Elias raised an eyebrow.
“About?”
“Our military needs more than weapons.”
Adrian pointed toward the map.
“Roads.
Supplies.
Boots.
Medical stations.
Storage depots.”
He tapped several locations.
“We need a proper logistics network.”
Elias smiled.
“Now you’re speaking my language.”
Adrian laughed.
“I’ve been studying military history.”
“Any good?”
“Very.”
“Which war?”
“All of them.”
Elias shook his head.
“You really are strange.”
Adrian smiled.
“Probably.”
They continued working late into the night.
By morning, the eastern frontier had a preliminary military development plan.
Three new watchtowers.
Two supply depots.
A military road connecting Fort Halden to the southern highway.
A permanent engineering unit.
Improved medical stations.
And a larger reserve force.
Adrian didn’t know if war was coming.
But he knew something else.
If it did come, Arvendale would not be caught sleeping.
Two weeks later, Clara finally returned with an answer about Northstar.
Adrian was in the council chamber when she entered.
She placed a single document in front of him.
“Northstar Trading isn’t interested in invading Arvendale.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“Good.”
“They’re interested in something else.”
“What?”
Clara looked at him.
“Resources.”
“Which ones?”
“Iron.
Coal.
Rare minerals.”
Adrian nodded.
“That makes sense.”
“There’s more.”
Clara hesitated.
“Northstar believes there are significant deposits in the eastern mountains that haven’t been properly surveyed.”
Adrian looked at the map.
“How significant?”
“Potentially enough to support large-scale industry.”
Adrian smiled.
Now that was useful.
But Clara wasn’t finished.
“They’ve also been competing with foreign companies for the rights.”
“Which companies?”
“Several.”
She handed him another list.
Adrian scanned it.
Valen.
Karvorn.
And two kingdoms farther west.
Adrian slowly smiled.
“So everyone wants our mountains.”
Clara nodded.
“Apparently.”
Adrian looked around the council chamber.
A year ago, nobody had cared much about Arvendale.
Now merchants wanted its ports.
Foreign students wanted its academies.
Companies wanted its resources.
And neighboring kingdoms were watching its military.
Adrian folded the report.
“Then we have a decision to make.”
Edmund looked at him.
“What decision?”
Adrian looked toward the eastern mountains.
“Whether we sell our resources cheaply…”
He paused.
“…or build the industries ourselves.”
The room went silent.
Daniel’s eyes widened.
Elias smiled.
Clara already knew the answer.
Adrian leaned back.
“We’re not going to become rich by selling our kingdom piece by piece.”
He tapped the map.
“We’re going to use what we have to build something bigger.”