The Birth of a King from the Common People

It was not royal, but commoner blood that flowed within Aswan. Still, none of Lykeion lineage opposed Aswan’s ascension to the throne. On the contrary, they issued a joint declaration encouraging it.

And so it was at last that Aswan became the first leader of the Klay Kingdom to not have Lykeion blood. Aswan sought to devise a way to prevent another tyrant like Chaturanga from being able to unilaterally shake the economy, and Elam proposed a new system. This system was one in which the kingdom could not control the economy directly, but rather one in which the people could exchange freely in a decentralized market. However, this method required a certain prerequisite. Just as the depth and breadth of the sea embraced Harran and calmed the volcanic eruption, so too could the kingdom’s economic balance only be secured with sufficient assets (liquidity pools). If this was done, then the excess could be returned evenly, and Elam was sure that the kingdom could have long-term abundance.

Aswan, feeling that he lacked legitimacy, accepted Elam’s proposal and passed this economic system in order to gain more favor with the people. In this way, the Klay Kingdom entered a new phase. The people’s assets were locked in the citizens’ vault, and by farming with the Royal Seed, KING tokens could be harvested, allowing further profits to be gained through independent trading. The kingdom could grow its assets safely with no concern for tyranny. Most importantly, however, was the fact that anyone could have a say in the kingdom’s economic policies to the extent of their possessed assets. If someone only had the ability, they could rule the kingdom indirectly through economic takeover, regardless of their identity.

Through these active policy reforms, Aswan’s popularity with the people rose sharply. His future seemed secured. However, within a few years of his rule, Aswan died in his sleep and was deeply mourned by the people. People held deep suspicions that he had been assassinated by blood purists who wished to restore the Lykeion dynasty, but no evidence or culprit was ever forthcoming.