Chapter 213 - Resolve
"Taylor, its been so long since I saw you" Said Alfonso.
"You flatter me, your highness" Said Taylor
Although Alfonso wanted to take a break, he knew that some things could not wait, like this one for example.
"Taylor, I read your report, tell me, what is going on? Why do I do not see green numbers?" Asked Alfonso.
After the problem with the ground solved, Alfonso took a look on the other reports from the different ministers, of course, little pit was excluded of making a report since he had Taylor to support him from the shadows.
"Here is the thing, your highness, the current economy plan that we have, it simple isn't working" Said Taylor.
"Explain" Said Alfonso.
"Of course"
Taylor took out a golden coin and once piece of meat from his backpack and put in the desk.
"Since the arrival of the people of Tulip, the economy have begun to flow… in some ways, very rudimentary, however, the problem is that, the merchants don't have that much stock of goods, and the gold coins doesn't exactly benefits them, because the trip to Tulip town back and forth, isn't worth the food and transport that they have to do in order to bring the goods, so, they are exchanging the goods for food, for now, it isn't so bad, but, the currency is gravely dropping, and we are back where do we started, people don't find use in money, so, they use trading instead; if we keep like this, the money won't increase but stay stagnant, we need to make the money valuable in some way, if not, we are going to close the doors to external merchants, and, considering that Wasteland Valley doesn't have that much fertility and raw materials, it will be difficult for us to develop" Said Taylor.
Alfonso frowned, he knew that, because he has been busy with other things, he neglect the development of Wasteland Valley.
"And I have a mission of expansion, how the hell I am going to expand if I don't have my own 'main' city in control" Though Alfonso.
"However, we do have internal products, what about the vegetables and everything that I arrange to sell?" Asked Alfonso.
"It isn't working, your highness, the meat is much more worthy; I have the report of Zeti in this last month, the sells were still going good for the first few week, however, something happen at the second week, people to… lose interest, meat is cheaper and more nutritious, given the weather here is Wastleand Valley, in obvious that they want to have something like meat instead of vegetables, and there is one more thing, yes, we can export vegetables, and they are quite welcome in Tulip, however, the journey takes too long, so, we lose at least 30% of the merchandise that goes to Tulip" Said Taylor.
Alfonso massage his furrows and though.
"I should have known that something like this was going to happen, is too obvious, how the hell did I miss it?"
However, inside of Alfonso, he knew the reason.
"I have been concentrate in other things too much, I am only a human after all, I cant do everything just because I am from earth and I have some knowledge about certain things… I am not god" Though Alfonso.
He knew that he needed more people to assist him, that's why, he had the ministers, because they were their right hand, however, it seemed that, for them, that wasn't that clear.
"They can't consult me for every single thing, they need to make their own decisions, if they are going to wait for me to approve everything, it doesn't even make sense to have them" Though Alfonso.
Taylor looked at Alfonso who was deep in though and sighed.
"Your highness, maybe I am a little bit disrespectful of what I am going to say, however, I think that I must say it"
He looked straight into the eyes of Alfonso and said
"Your highness, this town needs you, you can't go an disappear for one entirely month, it's a shame, but we don't have another leader besides you, you are our pillar, not just for the people in general, Little pit, me, Susana and everyone else here depends on you, at least, until this town can operate without you, I know that you trust us and want us to make our own decisions, however, you must understand, until now, I was just a father with the sole responsibility of little pit, the same goes for him, he might be a genius, but, at the very end, he is just a kid; Susana is doing her best, yes, but, she is a crippled, it takes a lot of effort for her to move to one side and the other; as for Socrates, he is managing well somehow, but that its because he doesn't have that much work, as for Hygeia, well, she doesn't said it, but I know that she needs more hands" Said Taylor
Usually, nobody talks to the lord of someplace like this, as for why, well, it was quite obvious, in any other place, maybe it will be not so bad as to have you death, but, at least some torture was the punishment for replying like this.
However, Taylor knew that Alfonso wasn't like the others, he knew that Alfonso knew when he was wrong and will accept critics.
"That's what makes you a great leader, please, do not lead us down, we need the best you" Though Taylor.
Alfonso looked at Taylor for some time.
After some time, he smiled a little and sighed.
"You are right, all this time I have been from one place to the other and I let my own son and its own, it seems that I need to put my priorities in order" Said Alfonso.
Taylor smiled and then kneeled.
"My lord, what are your orders? I, Taylor, shall followed then without fail" Said Taylor.
"Go and tell the five ministers to come to my office in three hours, we need to talk and put things in order… I will tell the maid to make a feast so we can talk while enjoying ourselves" Said Alfonso.
"As you wish"
Tailor when on his way and Alfonso sighed once again, he put the reports at one side, and he looked through the window and looked at the grey sky in Wasteland Valley.
"How come I managed to think that this grey sky is beautiful?" Though Alfonso with a smirk.
"Io, what do you think?" Said Alfonso.
Io appeared at the desk looking at the back of Alfonso.
"Whatever, my lord do is right, nobody has the right to question your actions" Said Io.
Alfonso made a bitter smile.
"I don't want a slave, Io, I want a friend, that's why, I can't accept the fact that you think of me as a flawless person, I have my error and my mistakes, just like everybody else, that's why, I want to talk with Io, my friend, and not with cat one, my employee" Said Alfonso.
He turned around and looked at Cat one straight into the eyes.
She looked down a little and then took a small breath before saying.
"I trust that you are doing everything in your powers for us, for this town, however, every single time that I took my eyes of you, you end up in another place and injuring yourself to the point that your eyesight has deteriorate a lot… I don't want you to lose your live, Alfonso, that isn't being a leader"
"That is call being irresponsible… and arrogant"
Cat one tapped her mouth when she spoke that last sentence, she looked at Alfonso who was walking towards her and closed her eyes, thinking that Alfonso was angry at her.
However, what she though didn't happen.
Alfonso touched gently her cheek and said
"You are the third person that calls me arrogant… I think that I am indeed arrogant" Said Alfonso.
Io opened her eyes and saw Alfonso who was looking at her with a bitter smile.
"I am sorry, you are right, I am not being a responsible adult, I am being an arrogant young master" Said Alfonso.
Io looked at Alfonso with astonishment and then, she, slowly and timidly, hug him.
"I am sorry" Said Cat one.
"You don't have to be" Said Alfonso.
Like that, the two of them stayed like for some time before Io when back to her room with the order of Alfonso.
Alfonso sat down once again.
After thinking for some time, he resolved his thoughts.
He called for Artemis and Demeter.
Both of them entered the room where Alfonso was waiting for them, after greeting them, he told them what happened earlier in the morning.
Both of them didn't say anything and only listened.
After the end of the recall, Alfonso looked at both of them and took a deep breath.
And then, with a firm voice, he said
"From this onward, at least it's absolutely necessary, I won't go out of Wasteland Valley"