The question of enfeoffment was the first major issue facing the newly founded Flame Kingdom, but with the Development Committee handling it, Liszt himself had little to worry about.
He only needed to approve the ranks of duke, marquis, and count. Viscounts, barons, and knights would all be assessed and invested by the Development Committee according to their military merits.
Now, another matter worthy of careful consideration lay before Liszt—forming the Inner Cabinet and the Outer Cabinet.
The knightly system of this world was a feudal serf system. Every noble lord was a feudal slaveholder. Aside from paying taxes to their superior lord, lords basically held all other powers within their territories: justice, finance, military affairs, trade, agriculture, and so on.
Of course, judicial matters within the territories were still broadly subject to the kingdom's laws.
Therefore, to govern the Flame Kingdom, Liszt chiefly needed to consider the administration of Flame Island and all other unenfeoffed lands, as well as how to effectively restrain lords of every rank within the kingdom. This involved an Inner Cabinet official system for Flame Island and an Outer Cabinet official system for the Flame Kingdom.
In other kingdoms, the king generally summoned the great lords to discuss state affairs together, while the major nobles were required to take up posts in the palace and manage the royal household for the king.
But Liszt was different.
He intended to strengthen central authority, and so divided officials into the Inner Cabinet and the Outer Cabinet.
The Outer Cabinet was easy enough to handle. The Development Committee could patch things together and assemble one directly. Thus, as the year-end festival approached, he issued dozens of letters of appointment in the name of the King of the Flame Kingdom, proclaiming them across the realm.
William Tulip, Duke, was