Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 138

The victory parade concluded that day, but the festival continued for several more days.

However, I headed straight to my office as soon as the parade ended.

“Aren’t you making life too dull?” Skadi grumbled, following me as if she expected it.

I chuckled awkwardly and sat down. What could I do? It was just my personality.

“Well, I knew Father would be like this,” Skadi sighed softly and handed me the documents.

“To report on a few key points, first, we dissolved the Germania Governorate. Just like when we dissolved the Wallachia Governorate, all privileges of the nobility were abolished, and the nobles who resisted were dealt with accordingly.”

Over half a year of campaigning.

During that time, the Empire underwent even more changes.

One of the biggest was the dissolution of the governorates.

“The Empire, which essentially had three separate governing bodies, finally has only one central government left,” Skadi glanced at Rachel.

Rachel was the head of the Public Church. The Public Church wasn’t an administrative body but was directly under the Emperor. Due to its size, it operated almost as an independent government.

It was understandable that Skadi, head of the administration, would feel uneasy.

“We may not be under the administration, but we do everything the administration asks of us…” Rachel complained, shrinking back.

She seemed to have suffered a lot under Skadi, as she was very submissive.

“Anyway, nobles have officially disappeared from the Empire. People of noble birth still exist, and they still own land, but they are merely landowners who cannot enact or enforce laws, nor can they raise armies like in the days of feudal lords.”

“Faster than I thought. It couldn’t have been easy.”

If simple suppression was the goal, it wouldn’t be difficult.

It was difficult because they had to take away privileges while preventing rebellion.

It must have been successful because Skadi’s skills were extraordinary.

She shrugged. “Of course, it wasn’t easy. But what could they do? I told you before. Would they rebel now and wait for help from other races?”

The Empire’s power must have also played a part.

They were fighting on all fronts and winning every battle.

From the Theocracy supported by the Council, the small southern states, to the republics that were vassals of the Nagas [snake-like humanoids], and the Great Plains where Orcs and Goblins roamed, battles had continued without pause since the Empire was founded, and there hadn’t been a single defeat.

On top of that, even the first expedition in human history was bringing news of victory.

Unless they were a race that yearned to be slaves of other races at a genetic level, there was no reason not to ride on the Empire’s coattails.

“Nuadir took care of the slaves who didn’t ride along.”

The Security Forces played their part in these unseen places.

I chuckled as I looked at the next document.

‘Lözenne played the game well.’

The Empire did take away the privileges of the nobility, but it didn’t just wield the stick without offering a carrot. Depending on the situation, it offered various benefits to induce them to give up their privileges.

Marquis Lözenne was a unique case who voluntarily gave up his privileges. He had notified them that he would renounce his noble status even before Skadi offered him any incentives.

‘He’s quick on the uptake, as expected.’

The Lözenne Marquisate.

The family of Yulia, who was once my fiancée.

Before the abolition of privileges, Yulia had been suppressing the Wolf Church’s uprising with Rachel, earning considerable achievements.

She hadn’t joined the formally established Imperial Army because she was leading the Marquisate’s private soldiers, but according to the documents, she had now applied to the newly established military academy.

“You could say she has an excellent eye for opportunity, no less than my father,” I touched my lips with a smile and passed the document.

After the dissolution of the governorates, the next report was about the prisoners of the Republic.

“Most of those who had strange dreams of becoming a subspecies of the Nagas have declared their conversion. They seem to have been quite shocked by the expedition.”

“I bet. They must have seen lizardmen hunting right before their eyes.”

The prisoners of the Republic were all citizens.

The citizens of the Republic gained the opportunity to become a subspecies of the Nagas if they achieved merit. Therefore, they held a blind faith even more than the followers of the Wolf Church.

They were a race that was almost impossible to convert, and therefore, I did not consider them human. Whether it was forcibly mobilizing them when attacking Tissiredon or mobilizing them as support troops for the expeditionary force, it was because I did not value their lives.

But even if they were blinded by fanaticism, they couldn’t completely ignore reality. They had gone outside the human realm and seen orcs, goblins, and even lizardmen being hunted.

The shock must have been quite significant.

“Finance Minister Franz was disappointed,” Skadi gave a bitter smile.

It was like losing manpower that could be used for free.

Wouldn’t it feel like the Ministry of Finance’s magic wand had disappeared?

“It can’t be helped. If they truly want to live as humans, there’s no reason to refuse. The Empire doesn’t know forgiveness, except when it comes to humans.”

There were many other changes as well.

Agriculture obtained seeds of potatoes and turnips from the lizardmen’s territory, and industry began to introduce mechanical equipment in earnest. In particular, the mechanical equipment was so impressive that even I was taken aback.

In the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry, Pasimea gathered vassals who had talent in research and development like her, set up a research institute, and created various facilities, and the results were beginning to emerge one by one.

The representative achievements were the steel mill and the steam engine.

Both were in the stage of demonstration, so their uses were limited. The steel mill was a preliminary step for operating small blast furnaces and mass-producing cast iron cannons. The steam engine was installed in coal mine drainage pumps to slightly increase mining efficiency.

“Personally, I like the spinning and weaving machines more than the steel mill or the steam engine. They say they can produce eight times the output of the existing ones by improving them.”

The spinning machine is a machine that processes fibers to make thread.

The weaving machine is a machine that weaves thread to make cloth.

The implication of their improvement is one.

“The beginning of the Industrial Revolution.”

“Pardon?”

I waved my hand, saying it was just a soliloquy.

Making steel through blast furnaces, operating steam engines using coal, and increasing the production of textiles with spinning and weaving machines—aren’t these all signs seen in Earth’s Industrial Revolution?

The Human Empire had entered the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

‘The dwarves’ siege cannon that appeared in the south. It is necessary to confirm what level it is technically, but no matter how much improvement they have made, they cannot be ahead of us.’

When it comes to technology, dwarves come to mind.

However, in fact, the technology of the dwarves is not very advanced.

Rather than the comprehensive word technology, the word craftsmanship is more accurate.

‘And no less than that, their artisan spirit is amazing.’

Their individual talent was very high, but they were a race with excessive pride as artists. They had a strong aversion to division of labor or mass production by machines.

If the Empire’s armory was churning out muskets through division of labor, the dwarves would be holed up in their own workshops, carving them stitch by stitch.

Not only that, but even when carving muskets with the same design, they would try to differentiate themselves from other artisans by engraving patterns by hand if they had the leeway.

‘Other races will have less of that aversion, but by the time they accept science instead of magic, the Empire will be several steps ahead.’

Therefore, the siege cannon that appeared in the south is not a problem.

Rather, who is raising Mersephone is a bigger problem.

“Your Majesty,” I lifted my gaze from the documents.

Raimondo entered, opening the door to the office.

“A blood relative?”

“Yes.”

I knew without hearing because the ring was trembling.

Vlad’s soul-filled ring reacts to blood relatives and servants, so it meant there were mosquitoes [vampires] nearby, and the ring was whispering to me that it was his blood relative.

“A vampire claiming to be Vlad’s envoy wishes to see Your Majesty. Shall I bring him in? If you do not wish it, I will dispose of him.”

“It’s worth hearing the story. Bring him in.”

The reason for sending an envoy was obvious.

It must be to seek help from me.

Vlad must be reaching his limit.

No matter how large the Mycenaean Empire was, it had lost several pillars that supported the Empire. He himself must have been weakened by having some of his soul taken away.

Without the leisure to deal with such a situation, he was attacked by the Council, so how could he endure?

‘However, I don’t know what kind of help he will ask for.’

If he wants military dispatch, I cannot accept it.

This is like telling me to wage an all-out war with the Council.

Vlad wouldn’t know this, so he must want indirect help.

‘Just like I used orcs to strike the elves, he could repel the enemy’s forces, or he could request other support.’

If it’s other support, there’s one thing for sure.

‘But that…’

Soon, the envoy of the Mycenaean Empire, Vlad’s blood relative, entered.

【Lv. 76】

His level as a blood relative is mediocre.

It would be difficult to send a higher blood relative than this.

Not only could he not send a high-ranking blood relative in the midst of war, but there was also the possibility that I would kill the envoy.

He made the best choice in his own way.

“My name is Mihai. I am the fifty-sixth descendant of my father, Vlad. Your Imperial Majesty,” Mihai bowed to me.

The magic emanating from the ring was binding him.

He must have realized that a leash had been placed on him without him even knowing.

“The reason you sought me out?” He trembled and quickly opened his mouth.

“My father sent me to ask Your Majesty for help.”

“Help, you say. So, what help do you desire?”

“We want weapons,” he lowered his forehead to the floor again.

“Please bestow upon us the weapons that Your Majesty used when conquering the parasites of the Nagas and punishing the incarnation of the lizardmen. Then we can endure the crisis.”

As expected.

I avoided an immediate answer and stroked my chin.

There is no problem with handing over muskets.

Gunpowder is not a great technology because dwarves also know it.

Vlad had planted blood relatives and servants in each race, hadn’t he?

There was nothing he couldn’t get if he tried.

‘But the fact that he specifically asks me means that he doesn’t have that much time. He doesn’t have the luxury to go through research and development for even a few months, and he doesn’t have the luxury to go through improvements while experiencing actual combat, so he’s asking me for help.’

He needs help by skipping all the trial and error.

‘He’s trying to turn the situation around with new weapons.’

It’s a situation reminiscent of the end of Nazi Germany.

I sneered.

“Vlad is mistaken. Does he think this is a divine weapon? If you think so, go back. I don’t want to shatter your pitiful dreams.”

“No. I know. Gunpowder is originally just a plaything used by dwarves.”

“But you still want it?”

“Yes. Because it fills one of our weaknesses.”

Weakness.

I narrowed my eyes because I knew the hidden meaning.

“We use corpses as servants instead of living slaves. The dead are silent and don’t need to be fed. Also, living people must die, and when they die, they leave corpses behind, don’t they?”

So corpses are cheaply available in the world.

Vlad built an empire with corpses. It’s no wonder orcs and goblins didn’t target Vlad, because there’s not much to eat even if you aim for the empire of corpses.

“Of course, the art of using corpses has many restrictions. There are countless weaknesses. Above all, corpses are weak and stupid.”

That’s why corpses, whether they are absent or as numerous as covering a mountain, are not a force. They can only do simple labor, and the intensity of labor is less than that of ordinary humans.

The act of using rotting corpses or skeletons as an army is the same as sending level 1 farmers to the front lines.

‘But they don’t understand the command to pull the trigger.’

The act of loading cannons is not difficult either.

What Mihai is aiming for now is clear.

‘When I first formed conscripts, what was the reason Rachel targeted liberated slaves?’

Because they had blind loyalty.

Because their loyalty to their master was so great that they couldn’t even think of fear, they were suitable to become beings who could willingly sacrifice their lives for humanity.

Let’s think of liberated slaves as corpses.

An army that doesn’t know fear and is more numerous than a mountain.

Are they arming these people with gunpowder weapons to fight against the Council?

“You’re going to create an army of the dead,” I looked at the ring on my index finger.

Vlad’s soul was whispering to me to use him.

Vampire Consulting (1)

“That’s right. We want to create an army with corpses.”

An army of the dead.

I tapped the armrest of the chair with my index finger.

“The price? If I help you, what will you give me?”

“I heard that you dismantled the lizardmen’s ranch and saved humans. We will also return all the humans in the Mycenaean Empire to Your Majesty.”

“Hmm.”

To vampires, humans are not slaves but food.

Simple tasks can be left to the undead.

The use of humans is bound to be limited.

“It’s hard to believe. You’re going to give up humans.”

However, even if they are not mobilized for work, the value of humans is high.

Because Vlad and other major blood relatives are of human origin, they like human blood, and as a result, they raise humans like raising pigs for nobles.

In some ways, they are a worse race than the lizardmen.

The lizardmen raised humans as offerings to the gods and used them for simple labor or as arrow fodder, but vampires treated humans only as food.

There are no facilities like the lizardmen’s human ranch, but what they do is more vicious than the lizardmen.

“Please consider that we are that desperate.”

I knew through reports that it was not a lie.

According to Nuadir’s report, the war would not have lasted even a year.

It was fortunate that I had withdrawn the expeditionary forces of the elves and lizardmen.

If I hadn’t, Vlad would have chosen unconditional surrender by now.

“Besides humans, we have nothing to offer Your Majesty. Orichalcum and Mithril [rare metals] are in a situation where even blood relatives cannot be supplied, and you know that we cannot give you territory even if we wanted to.”

Orichalcum and Mithril are strategic materials.

If they take gunpowder weapons and hand over the two, it doesn’t make sense.

There is no way to maintain the territory even if I receive it. The distance between the two empires is far, the sea route is blocked, and if the connection between the two empires is openly shown, the power of the Council concentrated on the Mycenaean Empire could bounce to the Human Empire.

“Above all, it is important to Your Majesty that we fight against the Council.”

Yes, that’s the most important thing.

I laughed insipidly at the bold words.

I sent Mihai out and gathered ministers to discuss.

“I agree,” Gehard replied.

“If this proposal is not Vlad’s trap, we should support the Mycenaean Empire. By supporting Mycenae, we can make the Council drag out the war longer—”

“Wait a minute,” Minister of Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry Pasimea interrupted.

“The things the mosquitoes are asking for are gunpowder weapons?” Pasimea frowned.

She had to hand over the equipment she had worked so hard to create to mosquitoes.

It was so unpleasant that her thoughts were fluctuating.

“The number of musket soldiers in the Imperial Army is less than ten thousand. Even the inventory accumulated by expanding production facilities in Germania and Wallachia during the expedition is not enough to arm even half of the Imperial Army. But we’re going to support the mosquitoes?”

Her concerns were valid.

It’s like making someone else do the arming that I couldn’t do.

However, Gehard did not give up his argument.

“If vampires fight against the Council on our behalf, aren’t we killing two birds with one stone? I think it’s more beneficial than training the same number of riflemen.”

“I think so too,” Nuadir also agreed with Gehard’s argument.

“Wasn’t one of the reasons the master went on an expedition to the lizardmen to help Mycenae? The longer Mycenae endures, the more the Council’s power is reduced.”

I nodded.

It was good to have them fight each other and reduce their power, but there was also the point that the Human Empire could grow without interference while the Council was stuck in the quagmire of war.

“Not only that. If the gunpowder weapons we provide to Mycenae inflict valid damage on the elves or dwarves, they will also see gunpowder weapons differently.”

Gunpowder is something that dwarves developed a long time ago.

Cannons are also weapons that can be made quickly if you know the concept, like the siege cannon that appeared on the southern border.

“Leaving aside other races, let’s say elves and dwarves use gunpowder weapons. Then what will be the difference between humans and other races?”

Other races are more sensitive to magic than humans.

What it means to be sensitive to magic is that there is a high possibility that individuals can grow into beings that can overwhelm hundreds or thousands.

What if such a race is addicted to the convenience of gunpowder weapons? What if they realize that gunpowder weapons can catch a being who has trained for a long time with a flick of a finger?

Gradually, the number of people using the same weapons as humans will increase.

The gap in military power between races will also gradually narrow.

“I think we should also send an advisory group here.”

“Not just providing weapons?”

Gehard answered instead.

“Even if we hand over weapons, they won’t work if they don’t know how to use them. The operation of muskets is simple, but the method of operating an army holding muskets is not simple.”

Even if you give thousands of muskets, the opponent may not do concentrated fire and mix them with close combat infantry, or the accuracy may be at the bottom because they don’t know artillery.

This is like pouring water into a broken dike.

If you gave them a fishing rod, you should also teach them how to fish.

“Ah, I don’t like this.”

Pasimea scratched her head irritably.

With Gehard and Nuadhil, the two people with significant military influence in the Empire, having cast their votes in favor, it was difficult for her to simply oppose. She glanced at me, signaling me to say something, but I ignored her.

I agreed with their opinions.

“An advisory group, huh.”

I didn’t give an immediate answer but pondered for a moment.

If we sent an advisory group, we should naturally send someone to lead it.

Who knows what kind of trouble might happen if we send ordinary humans?

“There are a few suitable people. Shall I bring up the list?”

“No.”

Suddenly, a better idea came to mind.

“I’ll go.”

“Yes?”

The ministers, who had been offering their opinions, all looked at me.

They had expressions as if they had misheard, and even Calliope did.

It was understandable. Vlad had once tried to kill me and failed, and as a result, he had fallen. So, I was saying that I would go directly into the territory of such an enemy.

“It’s dangerous.”

Calliope firmly opposed.

“Vlad has many reasons to target Edar.”

She was more talkative than usual.

“Tiamar’s soul and Vlad’s soul. Even with just one of them, he would target Edar, but you have both.”

And there was even the grudge between me and him.

I scanned each of the subordinates in the office.

Each of them seemed to have a lot to say, their lips twitching.

“Please send one of us instead. If you think there are not enough brothers and sisters below, then I will go instead, Your Majesty.”

Gehard jumped up from his seat and beat his chest.

“Father can also reside in a believer or subordinate. You don’t have to go yourself.”

Skadi chimed in.

I fiddled with the bowl full of peanuts, listening to the opposition that followed from Interior Minister Griff, Justice Minister Haber, Finance Minister Franz, and even the elders dispatched from the Privy Council.

Merséphōne, nestled in my arms, picked up the peanuts I was shelling one by one and munched on them.

“Is the story over?”

I asked with a wry smile after everyone had taken a turn.

“I understand your concerns. I am sure that will happen. But it is right for me to go.”

“Why?”

“There is something in Mycenae related to Tiamar’s corruption.”

The dragon Tiamar.

The subordinates blinked as they recalled the existence they had almost forgotten.

“I am the only one who is not affected by that artifact.”

I took out the pendant and showed it.

The pendant containing Tiamar’s soul.

Unlike Vlad’s ring, there was no reaction.

“If you go to Mycenae and face Vlad, you will also see the artifact, but we cannot know whether you will be affected by it or not. If you are, it will be a big problem.”

Rod said that the pendant should originally speak to me.

That Tiamar’s soul dwelling in the pendant would tempt me.

The reason it doesn’t speak to me is because her soul has judged that I will not be tempted. Originally, it should have been constantly talking to the other party, like the ring containing Vlad’s soul.

“What is that artifact anyway? Is it such a great item that it could even corrupt a subordinate?”

“It is a great item.”

I answered Skadi’s question, looking at Gehard.

“Gehard, have you ever thought of Vlad as a god? Or have you ever felt anything similar to Vlad from the Lizardmen’s Avatar [a powerful being embodying the Lizardmen’s collective faith]?”

“No. I just thought he was strong.”

Gehard met Vlad several years ago.

It was only once in Sodomora, the capital of Wallachia.

At that time, Vlad did not show any abilities similar to those shown by Horvid or the Lizardmen’s Avatar until the moment he lost his life.

He turned his body into mist, created a storm of magic, and raised corpses, but he never showed any signs of using the magic of the soul to bestow blessings.

“Of course. Because Vlad is not a god. Vampires are fewer in number compared to other races, and Vlad’s own soul is insignificant, so he cannot play the role of a god like the Lizardmen’s Avatar.”

How could such a mosquito build an empire?

Even one of the three pillars of power, shoulder to shoulder with the Elves and Dwarves.

“Vlad being able to revive even after death, separate his soul into a ring, and raise the dead. The source of all those skills lies in the artifact.”

The power of the artifact that Vlad possesses is fundamentally the same as the power that corrupted Tiamar.

“The reason why other races do not use the dead, the reason why they use humans who consume food and lose strength as they age, is simple. It is because races other than vampires do not have the power to use the dead, or even if they do, there are severe restrictions.”

Because it is a power bestowed by a god.

You cannot use it if you do not believe in a god or do not receive the god’s attention. Just as the priests of the Wolf Church received Horvid’s power and changed or strengthened their bodies.

“A forgotten being on the verge of death, but preparing to rise again by becoming one with Tiamar. Vlad’s artifact is his sacred object. The reason I am going to Mycenae is to see the sacred object directly.”

“Why, Your Majesty?”

“To check Tiamar’s condition.”

Rod told me to stay away because Tiamar’s influence could reach me. But I can’t just stand by and watch the Theocracy [a government ruled by religious leaders] forever.

I intend to find out how much her influence is reaching me, how much power she has regained, that is, Tiamar’s condition, through the sacred object connected to Tiamar.

‘Depending on the situation, I may even meet her directly.’

Sacred objects sometimes cause possession.

Because of this possibility, I cannot entrust it to a subordinate.

I had to do it myself.

###

A few days later, I headed to the western part of the Empire.

It was to go to the Mycenae Empire by sea.

Mihail’s method of infiltrating the Human Empire was the same. He disguised a merchant ship as belonging to the Council and landed on the western coast of the Empire, so the way back would have to be the same.

“If you wait, we will send a ship.”

Mihail looked very surprised when I said I would go myself. Even he thought it was nonsense, an excessively bold action.

Skadi, who happened to be next to him, glanced at me as if saying, ‘See?’ Calliope didn’t say anything, but I could read a little reproach in her thoughts.

“That’s enough. I don’t need it.”

“Yes?”

“I mean there’s no need to call a ship. I will go to the Mycenae Empire with you.”

He hesitated for a moment and said.

“Yo, Your Majesty. The ship I came on is a liaison ship. I didn’t even think about having anyone else on board or loading any goods, so there’s no space to accommodate Your Majesty and your party.”

Who said anything about riding your ship?

I sent a letter to Tissiredon, where the naval base is located.

– Organize an expedition fleet. Destination: Mycenae Empire.

Naval Chief Horatio immediately organized an expedition fleet consisting of 3 warships and 10 transport ships. The transport ships were captured from the remnants of the Republic, and the warships were newly launched during the expedition period.

A total of 13 expedition ships.

The fleet arrived on the western coast of the Empire without a single inspection, with a simple disguise of raising the Naga flag. Many of the ships that the Council could mobilize were mobilized to blockade the coast of the Mycenae Empire, and they didn’t expect humans to go out to sea.

“Do you think the Empire will stay on land forever?”

“Th, that’s right. I apologize, Your Majesty.”

Mihail wiped the sweat from his forehead and bowed repeatedly. Half of it was worry that I might be upset, and the other half was curiosity about the unique appearance of the new warships.

“May I ask what that ship is…?”

“It’s called a frigate [a type of warship, smaller and faster than a battleship].”

I looked at the figure of the frigate at the head.

It is 80m long and has 32 gunports on each side.

It is not comparable to the battleships that Horatio and I envisioned. But is there any country other than the Human Empire that has cannons on sailing ships?

No.

Compared to the Council’s large battleships, the height is much lower. However, the moment it sticks to the side, the height is just a wide target.

“…You have created something terrifying.”

Mihail, who knew the performance of the cannons, swallowed hard.

To beat this ship at sea, you would have to drag a Kraken [a legendary sea monster] from the deep sea or bring a wizard from the land to blow it up.

“It’s too early to be surprised with just this.”

It hasn’t even been a year since the capital of the Republic was occupied and a naval base was secured. In that short period of time, three frigates were built, thanks to the large amount of construction timber that the Republic had stockpiled in its inland colonies. In addition, production-line subordinates were mobilized to build day and night, further shortening the time.

The three warships were scheduled to continue to increase.

That schedule also included battleships, so it was just the beginning.

“It’s a pity that the first ship Your Majesty is boarding is not a battleship. No matter how hard we work day and night, battleships require too much work, so we couldn’t reduce the time.”

Naval Vice Admiral Fisher, who was appointed as the temporary admiral of the expedition fleet, said.

“The age of sailing ships will end before this ship becomes obsolete and dismantled, so what does it matter whether it’s a frigate or a battleship.”

I conveyed these words through telepathy so that Mihail would not hear them.

Fisher chuckled and shook his head.

Vampire Consulting (2)

###

The road to the Mycenae Empire was very long.

It wouldn’t have been that far if we had gone by land. We could have gone northeast from the Nerup Plains. But the land route had to pass through the territory of other races, so there was a high risk of being discovered.

The number of subordinates accompanying the expedition was 560.

How could we hide them?

“If we go by sea, we won’t be discovered.”

That was the reason for choosing the sea route.

However, the problem was that the sea route took quite a long time.

It would be faster to go north along the coast than by land, but as soon as you pass the coast of the Oroko Great Plains, you immediately reach the territory of the Elves. To avoid being discovered, we had to go out into the open sea. We had to make a large curve in the open sea and head to Mycenae.

“If the navigation skills are poor, you will drift in the vast ocean.”

Mihail, the envoy from Mycenae, expressed concern after hearing that story.

“Are you really okay? Shouldn’t you wait until we send a ship…?”

Mihail asked me several times.

He was a member of Vlad’s bloodline, but he was afraid of me going directly to the open sea and heading to Mycenae. He had to accompany me, but he was afraid that we might drift at sea.

His original plan was to return alone and later receive only supplies by sending a disguised transport ship, so there was no need to go to the open sea. He could travel along the coast on a disguised sailing ship.

“Or, there is a way to reduce the size of the expedition fleet and follow the coast. It will be much safer than going to the open sea.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. What’s so scary about ocean navigation?”

Fisher, the subordinate who was appointed as the temporary admiral, snorted.

“I guess you’re scared because you’ve never been to the open sea, but this fleet has everything necessary for ocean navigation. If we have enough food, we can even circumnavigate the world.”

What is needed for ocean navigation?

First of all, you need a ship that can go to the open sea.

You also need several navigation tools such as a compass, sextant, and map.

The expedition fleet had all of this.

“The design of this ship was jointly created by the Naval Department and the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry’s research institute, and the hull was built by a shipbuilder from the Cesena Republic. The materials used were also the same wood that the Republic had stored inland. Technically, there is nothing lacking.”

Navigation skills?

That was also not a problem.

Fisher was a subordinate skilled in navigation, and the officers under his command were also subordinates of the Naval Department. All of them were as good at navigation as Fisher. The crew was also made up of people from the Republic who were familiar with the sea, so there was no problem at all.

Of course, the fact that they were from the Republic was also a risk factor.

However, they were prisoners who had chosen conversion. They had been dragged to the Lizardmen expedition and chose conversion, so their loyalty was higher than that of ordinary imperial citizens.

The number of crew members exceeded 1,000. Including the 560 subordinates, about 1,600 people were heading to Mycenae.

“Here, here, and here are the only places where you can try to unload.”

Mihail said in the operations conference room inside the flagship.

He placed marks on various places on the map spread out on the table.

“Hmm.”

Fisher scratched his nose, looking at the mere three marks.

“Are there no other places?”

The expedition fleet safely entered the open sea.

Now it was time to decide on a landing site and move.

The problem was that landing was not easy.

“It’s difficult in other places. The ports in Mycenae are either occupied or besieged. Even if you approach, you can’t even attempt to land.”

That’s what it’s like to fight the Council.

It was the method I suffered in the war with the Republic.

A scorched-earth tactic called the March to the Sea [a military strategy involving the complete destruction of resources that could be used by the enemy].

It was a strategy of seizing the sea with overwhelming naval power, razing coastal strongholds, and then advancing inland.

In the war between the Human Empire and the Cesena Republic, the strategy was thwarted by attacking Tissiredon before the coast was scorched, but Mycenae had no way to do that, so they were being pushed inland.

“Patrol boats are patrolling the entire coast. They are blocking even a rat from getting out.”

“It’s no wonder they paid little attention to us.”

Fisher nodded.

There were hardly any ships encountered until we went out to the open sea.

It was thanks to the fact that the naval power of the other races was focused on the Mycenae Empire.

“How did you launch a ship in this situation?”

“My father has many servants. It’s easy to find a captain or two.”

One of the advantages of vampires is that their appearance is indistinguishable from ordinary people. Using this, it is easy to plant spies in competing organizations, and in fact, they have planted blood relatives and servants in the Council to obtain internal information or coordinate agendas to be favorable to Mycenae.

So, it was easy to steal one or two ships.

That was probably the way he originally intended to send the ship.

“If you had to pick a place where unloading is possible right now, it would be these three places. They are in the Mycenae territory, have open space for unloading, and there are no enemies stationed nearby.”

“If I had to choose among these, this would be better.”

Fisher pointed to one of the three places.

It was a small beach between two capes.

The expedition fleet moved with the wind and began unloading on the beach at dawn. It was hard work unloading cargo because there was no pier. Each one had to be loaded onto a boat and taken to the beach.

It was fortunate that the subordinates were beings who transcended humans, so their abilities were high. By the time the sun rose, the unloading was almost finished. But there was another problem.

“We have been discovered.”

A patrol boat discovered the expedition fleet.

It would be insufficient to simply call it a patrol boat.

The patrol boat was a small fleet of four ships.

“They belong to the Council.”

Mihail frowned, looking at the flag of the enemy ship.

The patrol ships were warships with hulls much larger than frigates.

“The enemy… raised a signal flag. The meaning is to stop.”

As soon as the patrol fleet discovered the expedition fleet, they turned their bows.

If they are suspicious, they will not quietly retreat.

It is impossible to escape because we are unloading.

“If we run away, it will be even harder to get another chance. They have witnessed a suspicious fleet lurking around, so they will increase the frequency of patrols.”

I nodded.

If not now, we should assume there will be no more unloading opportunities.

“What are you going to do?”

Fisher asked me, even though he knew the answer.

“Can you catch them without missing them?”

Fisher grinned, revealing his teeth.

I read the confidence and plan emanating from his thoughts.

“Catch them. I leave the command to you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Fisher immediately turned around and shouted.

At the same time, he issued instructions to the subordinates by telepathy.

“Everyone, go inside! The crew should be ready for battle, but everyone else except the guards should go below deck!”

No signal flag was raised.

Subordinates can communicate with each other through telepathy.

The captains and officers of each ship were all subordinates, so they would have received the order through telepathy as soon as Fisher gave the order verbally.

There was no reason to raise a signal flag and show the enemy the response of the expedition fleet.

I watched the patrol boat approaching.

“It’s quiet over there.”

Rachel narrowed her eyes and said.

Instead of answering, I looked at the flag raised on the flagship of the expedition fleet.

The flag symbolizing Naga and the flag of the Republic were hung below it.

The Republic was virtually destroyed, but it was only virtually. The leadership fled just before the capital was occupied, and the remaining forces were fueling the flames of resistance on several islands.

Thanks to this, the expedition fleet had a good cover. The Republic was a race that traded with other races without restrictions before the southern small countries. If you don’t face them directly, it’s hard to be suspected.

“They are suspicious, but they are not hostile.”

“Do you think they think it’s smuggling?”

“Hmm.”

That’s probably it.

Only a few other races were standing on the deck of the patrol boat.

It was far from a battle-ready appearance.

“Good.”

Rachel smiled and lowered her head.

There must be cannons loaded below deck.

I will see the first time cannons fire in history.