Build a tower from under the water (3)
a week after that. The 3rd Knight Commander, Edward, came to me with a distressed expression.
Then he began to report the results of the chase he had ordered.
“sorry. I tried to chase after them as much as I could, but… … .”
“Did you miss them?”
“… … That’s right.”
“Hmm.”
As a result, the Argon Knights only checked their traces.
To be precise, I followed the trail, but all I found was the tunnel leading to the Federation Empire.
Of course, that was the natural result. Because they’ve already died at my hands a long time ago.
But I asked the question as if I knew nothing.
“I’d like to hear about that tunnel.”
“… … The tunnels were artificially dug. Judging by the fact that the inside collapsed, it seems that he was conscious of the pursuit and played a trick.”
“Right. It’s a pity.”
It wasn’t me who brought down the tunnel, so at least that wasn’t a lie.
He probably ordered it to be shut down immediately at the point where it was determined that the existence had been discovered.
I left it because I thought it was useful, but it was really regrettable.
‘Well, you mean I’m not that stupid.’
I shrugged and said.
“Good job. I will tell my father directly about the tunnel, so you can rest with the knights.”
“… … I’m sorry I didn’t live up to your expectations.”
So Edward bowed his head and left.
Then, George, who had been listening to the story from inside the office, murmured.
“No, it’s not that I’m sick and I’m not giving you medicine, I just suffered… … .”
Soon, those glazed eyes glanced at me.
“If you’re going to make a fuss in the first place, why did you make the chase?”
The Argon Knights did nothing in this pursuit. Besides, I ordered them to pursue them, knowing that I would too.
It was a situation that was enough to make him think that he had made a mistake.
… … But what if even that was already designed?
What if my purpose wasn’t to track them down in the first place, but to ‘show’ that I missed them?
I leaned back on the backrest and said.
“There was a need to create an alarm.”
“Are you alert?”
“okay.”
I needed an alert to put an end to this play.
Not vaguely saying that Esteban was being targeted, but a sense of alertness that would make one ‘feel’ the threat that was truly imminent.
And the news that the Federation Empire’s recovery plan had run away was the best lure.
It can’t be compared to what happened in the Merchant’s Office and the Mage’s Tower… … It must be such a bait.
After hearing my explanation, George raised his glasses and said,
“You’re saying that it’s more shocking than the fact that Sejak was caught, that he missed the stolen items. And His Highness designed it to look that way.”
“Accurate.”
“Then, the recovered items… … .”
“okay.”
I said with a smile.
“They will become a platform for me when the time comes.”
Actually the stuff was with me. After that, all I had to do was make it with my own hands.
Starting with the benefits that will come from there, and preparing for the future.
It was the field I was most confident in.
“I am going to see my father.”
But now was the moment to move according to priorities.
* * *
“What, what… … !”
My father’s eyes widened in shock.
That would be too. Wasn’t it not enough to have missed the federal empire’s recovery plan, just heard the news that they had even discovered a tunnel connecting the two countries?
The problem was that I couldn’t even guess what the items the retrieval book had taken were.
Is it a technology stolen from Esteban, or is it just riches?
If it wasn’t even that, it was even documents containing Esteban’s weaknesses.
“… … You ate one.”
My father wiped his closed eyes with both hands.
In that embarrassing behavior, I could get a glimpse of my father’s worries. Rarely did he seem bewildered.
I looked at it and said.
“father. Relations with the Federation Empire will deteriorate further out of control.”
“… … .”
at least ten years earlier than in the past.
However, in a way, it was a natural result. Ever since I tried to assassinate the king… … No, it could have been decided long before that.
“And sooner or later they will come after Esteban without even paying attention to the public eye.”
“To say I don’t even care about public opinion… … .”
“It means that they will start a political attack as well, unlike until now, where they only played tricks below the surface.”
“… … Huh.”
“In the worst case, we have to keep in mind the fact that Esteban’s weaknesses have been exposed to them.”
They were great people who would remain. And my father wasn’t unaware of that either.
sure thing. The point was that if I didn’t move forward, I didn’t know what tricks they might come up with, just like the time when they plotted to assassinate the king.
“… … yes, that’s what you said I guess I’ll have to prepare for that as well.”
My father moved his hand and began to feel for it in the pocket of his coat.
Before long, he took out a pair of noble glasses with golden rims, and brought them to his eyes.
It’s already a savage tribe, it’s a holy empire, it’s been a while since I’ve been busy with national affairs. It seemed that even my father, who had steel-like stamina, felt tired.
“… … Allen Esteban.”
“Yes, Father.”
“What do you mean by political attack?”
“It’s simple. First of all, they will try to hold Esteban’s throat.”
“… … Shortness of breath?”
It was an abstract metaphor.
But my father immediately remembered something and nodded.
“It’s a trade.”
“That’s right.”
trade sanctions.
Considering Esteban’s situation, which depended on the Commonwealth for most of its trade, it was a simple matter.
In fact, I was well aware of the fact that it was the most efficient method than anything else, having already gone through a trade dispute.
So I was more confident than anyone else.
“Of course, the first priority is to make sure we don’t depend on trade.”
“… … It means localization.”
“Yes, but you don’t have to worry about groceries and necessities. Because they can be solved by trade with the Holy Empire, which will begin soon.”
“Yes, that must have happened… … Now that I think about it, it was really the right decision.”
“It’s just what we expected.”
In fact, it was said that the biggest stumbling block had been solved.
I continued my explanation casually to my father, who suddenly expressed surprise.
“But the problem is different.”
“problem?”
“Yes, they are raw materials for magic tools that we have no choice but to rely on them 100%.”
“Hmm, sure… … .”
Father nodded.
As befits a person who is also called a sage, he seemed to know all these trivial details.
“Particularly urgent is the magic reagent. Without it, the Magic Tower would be as good as non-existent.”
“… … yes.”
The magic reagent, a key material for various research, was an item that could not be replaced by anything. It was also not a skill that could be completed in a day or two.
In fact, wasn’t it the Mage’s Tower that suffered the most in the diplomatic dispute with them before returning?
He hurriedly ordered the wizards to try to manufacture reagents, but in a situation where there was no foundation, there was no reasonable number.
“Localization must proceed. No matter how brave Esteban’s knights are, without the support of the magicians, they would be nothing compared to them.”
“… … If you do as you say, nothing will be better than that.”
The reason why he doesn’t follow the words without hesitation is probably because it’s a story that is difficult to calculate profit or loss.
So it was natural for my father, who had been listening to the story, to express his bitterness.
“However, we don’t have basic magic skills as good as the Federation Empire. Don’t you know too?”
“Yes, I know.”
“But I wonder if Esteban can easily localize the magic reagent… … .”
“it’s possible.”
“… … what?”
My father asked back as if he had heard it wrong.
However, my lips facing each other were crookedly raised.
“From magic reagents to other raw materials. I am not saying the impossible.”
“That, that… … .”
“So please give me budget discretion so that I can prepare for the maneuvers of the Federation Empire.”
no base? That could never be a problem.
My steps accumulated so far would soon become the foundation, and this would become the cornerstone for an undisturbed future.
However, its first purpose is to become a magic reagent.
“I will surpass the Commonwealth Empire within half a year and raise Esteban’s magic reagent technology to the highest level on the continent.”
“… … !”
okay.
A solution was already drawing in my head.
The time to just respond to their plans has passed.
‘Now, how will it come out this time?’
4th prince.
I remembered the guy’s face and smiled coldly.
By any chance, it didn’t matter if there was a future where causality would be twisted and no war would break out.
Because the vengeance and anger that moved my body would lead the Federation Empire to war.
This was preparation for the future that would inevitably come.
* * *
The temple, which was the job of ‘Prince 1’, is over.
Inside the Mage Tower, it was noisier than usual as an ‘abnormal phenomenon’ that would go down in history.
Of course, not a single word came out about the disappearing Cromwell and his disciples.
It was partly due to the perfect handling of the Argon Knights, but it was not noticed and forgotten because it was covered in the shadow of an anomaly.
It was unbelievably shabby at the end of Sejak, who commanded the Mage Tower.
however.
After the commotion passed, it was another job that came.
“I, Your Highness… … ! How did this happen?”
The Minister of Finance, Marquis Balter, came to the office.
… … no, it crashed
There was a document in the Marquis’ hand, which was the Mage Tower’s budget proposal submitted through my father right after I received the discretion.
I looked at him and replied with a smile.
“What is it?”
“Ah, no, those who asked what happened… … .”
“I remember that I already explained everything about the Mage Tower budget to my father?”
From noble mtl dot com.
In fact, I did not even have the authority to ‘determine’ the budget for the following year.
Because of this, the role of the discretionary power was only a means to report the appropriate line to the king, who was the decision maker.
However, if the reported ‘titration line’ was an abnormal case, the story was different.
“Eh, the budget of the Mage Tower was tripled from the previous year?! I’ve never heard of such an unconventional budget!”
I laughed out loud at the shocking fuss.