The reports arrived exactly three days later, and they painted a picture even grimmer than Silas had expected.
He sat in his private study, surrounded by stacks of parchment that detailed every aspect of Eldoria's decline.
The room itself was a testament to better times; shelves lined with leather-bound volumes, a massive desk carved from heartwood, and windows that offered a commanding view of the capital city of Ironhold.
But even here, signs of decay were evident. Several books showed water damage from a roof that couldn't be properly repaired. The desk's surface was scarred from years of deferred maintenance. And the view from the windows revealed a city that had shrunk within its own walls.
Chancellor Marcus sat across from him, his weathered face grave as he watched Silas read through the final report. Lady Elara occupied a chair near the window, her usual composure showing cracks as the full scope of their situation became clear.
"The population decline is worse than I thought," Silas said, setting down a particularly depressing demographic analysis. "We've lost nearly thirty thousand people in the past decade. That's almost half our population."
"Most of them were skilled craftsmen and young families," Lady Elara said quietly. "The people with the means and ability to start over somewhere else. What we're left with are mostly the elderly, the poor, and those too stubborn or loyal to abandon their homeland."
Silas picked up another report, this one detailing the kingdom's infrastructure. The numbers were staggering in their implications. Of the twelve major bridges that connected the kingdom's settlements, four were in serious disrepair and two were completely impassable.
The road network that had once been the envy of neighboring kingdoms was now a patchwork of potholes and washouts. The harbor that had brought prosperity through trade could barely accommodate fishing boats, its deeper channels silted up from years of neglect.
"What about the military assessment?" Silas asked, though he dreaded the answer.
Chancellor Marcus cleared his throat. "Captain Roderick was... thorough in his evaluation. Of our five hundred and twelve soldiers, fewer than two hundred have seen actual combat. Most of our equipment dates back twenty years or more. We have enough arrows for perhaps two major engagements, and our siege engines..."
He paused, looking uncomfortable. "We have three catapults, two of which are in questionable working order."
"And our enemies?"
"The Aurelian Dominion maintains standing legions totaling over three hundred thousand soldiers, equipped with the finest weapons and armor their forges can produce. Their light magic gives them significant advantages in both offense and defense. The Obsidian Enclave's numbers are harder to estimate, but their shadow mages can strike from anywhere, anytime. As for the Verdant Concord, they may seem the most peaceful, but their druids can turn the very land against us."
Silas set down the military report and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache building behind his eyes.
The physical weakness of his new body made even mental exertion exhausting, but he forced himself to continue. There had to be something, some advantage they could exploit, some resource they had overlooked.
"Tell me about the abandoned mines," he said, picking up the resource survey. "The report mentions they were closed due to Enclave activity, but what exactly was being extracted?"
Lady Elara leaned forward, her interest piqued. "Iron, primarily, though there were also deposits of copper and tin. My family's records indicate the mines were quite productive before the troubles began."
"And they were abandoned because of danger, not because the resources were depleted?"
"Correct. Shadow mage raids made it impossible to maintain operations. We lost too many miners to continue."
Silas studied the geological survey more carefully. His engineering background helped him interpret the technical details that the original readers had likely glossed over.
The iron deposits were extensive, far more so than the surface operations had indicated. There were also mentions of other minerals coal, limestone, even traces of what the surveyor had described as "unusual crystalline formations."
"What about this?" he asked, pointing to a notation about water-powered mills. "The report mentions several mill sites along the Ironflow River."
Chancellor Marcus nodded. "There were once dozens of mills along the river grain mills, lumber mills, even some textile operations. Most have been abandoned or destroyed."
"But the river still flows?"
"Of course. The Ironflow is one of the few things the empires haven't been able to take from us."
Silas felt the first stirring of genuine hope since awakening in this world. Water power was the foundation of early industrial development.
With proper engineering, a single river could power dozens of operations, dramatically increasing productivity and efficiency. The abandoned mills represented not just lost capacity, but potential that could be reclaimed and improved.
"I want to see them," he said suddenly.
Both advisors looked startled. "Your Highness?" Chancellor Marcus asked.
"The mills, the mines, the harbor... I want to see everything personally. Not just read reports about them."
Lady Elara frowned. "Your Highness, your health..."
"My health is my concern," Silas interrupted, though he kept his tone respectful. "I can't make informed decisions based solely on written reports. I need to see our actual situation with my own eyes."
The truth was more complex than he could explain. Kael Victor had learned early in his engineering career that site visits revealed problems and opportunities that never showed up in documentation.
You had to see how water flowed around a bridge foundation, feel the vibrations in a building's structure, and observe how people actually used a space versus how it was designed to be used.
"Very well," Chancellor Marcus said reluctantly. "But we'll need to arrange proper security, and the journey will have to be broken into manageable segments given your... condition."