But the PDF had been distributed. It was the law now.
– 5 silver per fleece. (Note: Must be shorn from the royal Cheviot herd, blessed by the Sun Priest.) King Quality Steel – 12 gold per longsword. (Note: Tempered in dragon-fire coal. Warranty void if used against the Crown.) King Quality Silence – Priceless. (Special order: A decree of banishment to the Whispering Marshes. Inquire within.)
For a while, it worked. Trade boomed. The kingdom grew boring, predictable, and rich. king quality price list pdf
Every item in the kingdom had a line.
“Add a rider,” Aldric whispered, his breath a cloud of ice. “ King Quality Winters are non-refundable. Buyer assumes all risk of frostbite. ” But the PDF had been distributed
Not a mere parchment—a Portable Document of Fiefs , encrypted with a royal sigil and formatted for the new crystal-scrying terminals his trade ministers used. It was called the King Quality Price List .
King Aldric of Verance was not a warrior. His father had been one, and the realm’s borders were bloody proof of it. No, Aldric was a list-maker . He believed that clarity prevented conflict, and precision was the root of prosperity. (Note: Must be shorn from the royal Cheviot
Then came the problem. Lord Harrow, the Keeper of the Northern Marches, submitted a request: “One King Quality Winter. As per Line 404.”
For three years, his royal clerks had labored on a document. It was not a treaty. It was not a declaration of war. It was a PDF.
He had meant it as a joke. A placeholder. A reminder to himself to remove absurd entries.
His clerks huddled around a brazier, updating the PDF to version 2.0.