The morning at the palace began with a solemn ceremony. Sirzechs, seated upon his throne of ebony and gold, summoned the leaders of each sector. Grayfia, standing at his side, held the Organic Statute of the Nation, a document defining the ministerial portfolios.
"A nation is not made of marble and laws alone, but of service," Sirzechs declared. "Today, I appoint the first Ministers of Avalon."
Benedict was named Minister of Health and Subsistence. His understanding of alchemy through baking allowed him to create medicinal breads that cured fatigue and minor wounds, in addition to managing the food stockpiles.
Sebastian assumed the Ministry of Education and Culture. The Theater was now also the University of Avalon, where music was used as a mnemonic device to teach history, logic, and mathematics to the new citizens.
Genevieve became the Minister of Industry and Commerce, regulating textile production and the circulation of Avalon Credits.
Alistair, naturally, was confirmed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
With the portfolios defined, Alistair received his first great mission: the creation of the First Embassy of Avalon outside the ice borders. The destination was a commercial settlement of elves and humans located three days' journey away on the edge of the Jura Forest.
The diplomatic envoy was a vision of pure European sophistication in the middle of the jungle. Alistair traveled in a carriage of white wood manifested by [Visionary], escorted by guards in gala uniforms. The embassy's trump card, however, lay within the chests: Benedict's "Golden Loaves."
"Remember, Alistair," Sirzechs said before the departure, "we do not wish to conquer them with swords. We want them to desire our standard of living. Soft Power is our weapon."
Upon reaching the foreign settlement, Alistair did not resort to intimidation. He set up a tent of white silk, served tea in fine porcelain, and offered Benedict's bread. The effect was immediate. The local leaders, accustomed to the rustic food of the forest, were paralyzed by the texture and the slight curative effect of the bread. In a few hours, Alistair had not only secured a trade treaty but had the foreigners begging for "visitor visas" to see the legendary marble city for themselves.
While Alistair triumphed abroad, Grayfia faced the "internal war" at the palace. The creation of the ministries generated an unprecedented mountain of reports.
"Lord Sirzechs," she said, entering the office with a pile of scrolls that nearly covered her face, "Minister Benedict requests funding for an alchemy hospital; Minister Sebastian demands new instruments for the university orchestra; and Minister Genevieve wishes to regulate the importation of dyes. You must sign the budget allocations."
Sirzechs sighed, picking up his pen. The "paperwork enemy" now had official departments.
"Grayfia, we've created a bureaucratic monster, haven't we?"
"No, My Lord," she replied, adjusting her glasses. "We have created a State. And a State without paperwork is merely a tribe with delusions of grandeur."
The chapter ended with Avalon establishing its first permanent diplomatic outpost in the neighboring settlement. For the first time, the crimson flag of Avalon fluttered on foreign soil—not as a banner of war, but as a symbol of luxury, culture, and a bureaucracy so impeccable it was intimidating.
The stability of Avalon was a house of cards maintained by the icy precision of Grayfia Lucifuge. Now that the nation possessed ministries, an economy, and an embassy, the Iron Governess decided it was time to test the strength of the foundations. If Avalon intended to be the pinnacle of civilization, there could not be a single speck of dust or a single bacterium out of place in the records.
Author's Note:
Alistair is proving that a good loaf of bread is more effective than a thousand soldiers! Avalon's influence is spreading, but as foreign eyes turn toward the 'White Mirage,' the question remains: Can a city of culture survive in a world of monsters?