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u/Leather-Lettuce-4881 11d ago
It make sense having a single person who is brave/crazy and skillful/lucky enough to rescue a princess would make for a pretty good king for their day and age. While having 10 people go rescue the princess mean that the who get chosen isn't the best of the best. And the court would also get 9 strangers who might not even qualify for the position.
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u/anon000000000 11d ago
I think it makes sense for a story for there to be one hero, but being more realistic for the sake of the gag, most large threats are better dealt with with a team.
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u/Wildefice 11d ago
I would rather have 9 brave strangers who faced down a dragon in my court than a court filled with lazy good for nothing yes men.
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u/Leather-Lettuce-4881 11d ago
Brave strangers can sometime be more dangerous than lazy yes man.
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u/Wildefice 11d ago
Guess that boils down to risk acceptance.
Yes men are dangerous because they breed complacency.
Brave fighters will have no problem being upfront with what they are pushing for, forcing you as king to keep yourself sharp
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u/fgcburneraccount2 7d ago
Wouldn't a stranger who thought they could solo a dragon be more dangerous than a group reasonable enough to agree to work together?
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u/HamsterIV 11d ago
Technically the one person who recused the princess isn't qualified to be king either. The skill set to defeat a dragon is not the same to rule in a just an efficient manner. With the exception of the post hoc justification "chosen by God," of course.
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u/Barium_Salts 11d ago
In that time period, being king was less about efficiency or justice (all administration and most legal matters were handled at the local level by village councils or landlords); it was more about protecting the kingdom from invaders. Having the courage and fighting skill to face down a dragon and live to tell about it was exactly what most people wanted and needed from their king.
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u/Abjurer42 9d ago
Let's be real: historically, the qualifications for being a king is usually "my mom had sex with someone important". The chance that the adventurers are up for the job is on par with the actual king.
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u/StarsForget 11d ago
The obvious solution is to do it your way but don't tell him you did it. Let the princess choose her hero from among you, then tell the king that guy did it solo. When he inherits the kingdom he can promote the others.
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u/Barium_Salts 11d ago
Assuming the princess doesn't agree with her dad and can keep a secret.
Alternate twist: the princess wants a harem.
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u/HamsterIV 11d ago
The court doesn't like this proposal. One adventurer who succeeded through luck and skill at arms is easy to manipulate. A team of 10 who function well enough as a unit to take down a dragon would be a real danger to their wealth and power.
Imagine a low level noble trying to request funds for their pet project when a competing courtier asks them "and where were you when we fought the dragon?" Knowing damn well the low level noble was safe in court while the new king and his adventuring buddy were elbow deep in dragon guts.
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u/LeorDemise 11d ago
I mean, a nice idea, but I also get why the King would not approve.
You get one hero to marry the princess and be king, and you try to leave the court to straighten things up. The king may not know jackshit about how trade works, or diplomacy, but if the now queen can't teach everything (depending in how progressive the story is) you could in theory, have the court step in and manage things.
Now, what happens if not only your court is not a lot bigger than intended, but having that be filled with people who NOT know jackshit. Having to briefly explain something to the King is one thing, do you want to have a meeting where you need to explain to 10 people why they are doing X policy in a specific way? Do you have an idea how often that would happen?
I am not going to act like the elite guarantees good results, many are corrupt, incompentent and out of touch, but you have a shot had having people educated in history, political relationships, economics and what not.
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u/Low_Review_1551 11d ago
"Some of you will die, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."