The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 94

“Wouldn’t you like to join the Empire’s glorious march?”

No one present dared to voice opposition. The silence was both expected and unsettling.

No one wanted to openly oppose the Empire’s expansion in front of the Emperor, fearing it would appear greedy. To be the first to object while others remained silent, carefully assessing the situation, was a difficult position. Despite the time that had passed and their calculated judgments, it was strange that no one spoke up. Success in developing the Titan [a powerful, experimental war machine] would bring immense benefits, but some might receive less, and others might even suffer losses. And everyone knew the Emperor would reap the greatest reward.

The one who invests the most gets the most.

Wasn’t that obvious? The Emperor, who had collaborated with me early on and sponsored the Titan’s research, would naturally be the first to enjoy the fruits of its deployment.

The central government would grow in power, surpassing the regions. The Emperor, whose legitimacy was shaky and who had ascended to the throne with the help of the nobles, had been forced to concede much. But would he continue to yield once he held true power?

“······.”

“······.”

Still, no one dared to object.

This was because the Titan wasn’t just a theoretical plan. The hull was already complete, and it could be deployed in actual combat as soon as the power source was ready.

Having witnessed its power firsthand, opposition was difficult. The Emperor had personally held a demonstration, showcasing his determination to develop the Titan. Unless the entire assembly opposed him, the Emperor would push forward with its development.

Opposing the development meant potentially falling behind in the competition, especially in military strength.

“The fact that His Majesty has paved such a path demonstrates a bright future for the Empire. We will do our utmost to follow the path shown by His Majesty!”

Taking the lead early also meant receiving the largest share of rewards after the Emperor. Willand, by speaking first, had seized that opportunity.

Kramer County, powerful but lacking in history and tradition, was at a disadvantage compared to the others present. This was their chance to become equal to or surpass them, so refusal was out of the question. Moreover, they possessed an abundance of resources needed for the Titan’s development.

“Now, let’s move to another location and continue the discussion. Those who have worked hard will need rest, so I won’t force anyone. I hope those who share my vision will follow me.”

#

The Emperor didn’t prolong the meeting. If you didn’t want to participate, you didn’t have to. But under the condition that you wouldn’t expect any benefits, there was no other option but to follow the Emperor’s lead.

It would be different if they acted as a united front, but most of the time, they kept each other in check to prevent anyone from becoming too powerful. Moreover, my existence also played a role.

The Dragnil Barony and the Zeke Marquisate.

These were my backgrounds, and they shared the common trait of having limited influence on the Empire.

My hometown, until just ten years ago, was a remote barony in the countryside, so insignificant that the second son had to be sent to the Terra Wall [a desolate, remote region], the most desolate place imaginable. Even now, after considerable time, it had made remarkable progress compared to the past, but it still couldn’t be said to wield significant influence.

In comparison, the Zeke Marquisate was more puzzling. The Zeke Marquisate, possessing one of the only three Masters [highly skilled mages] in the Empire—even though the number of talents striving to join their ranks was growing—and with no shortage of territory or population, why was its influence considered insufficient?

What other reason could there be? It was simply because they weren’t interested in such matters, and the head of the Zeke Marquisate, the center of their power, hadn’t moved from the Terra Wall, the most remote region. Recently, the connection with the Imperial Family had weakened with the change of Emperor. It was still a powerful family, but the prevailing assessment was that it wasn’t as strong as before.

Therefore, even though it was clear that I would take a large share as the head of the Titan research institute, they eagerly tried to secure the second-in-command position, calculating that I would be beyond their reach anyway.

“Well, I just need plenty of support.”

I have no interest in power. Knights should focus solely on their swords, and mages should focus solely on their magic. I didn’t want to concern myself with unnecessary matters, nor did I have the time.

I had overcome a major hurdle, but many more remained. I was already thirty-one years old. I wanted to finish everything before I turned forty.

“And there are many other things to do.”

These words weren’t just a habitual mutter. I truly had a lot to do, both internally and externally in the research.

As planned, additional support for the development of the Titan was confirmed, and I had to prepare a new research institute and secure a factory site to mass-produce the Titan. Moreover, even as a mage, I couldn’t create something from nothing, so I had to compile a list of resources to request and oversee the education of the mages.

From Signee and my teacher to Jojo and Armin. Many people would help, and they were already helping, but it was by no means easy. I turned my attention back to the map spread out on the desk.

“The Imperial Capital would be the best, but······.”

Why else would the Imperial Capital be called the center of the Empire? Geographically, it was located slightly south of the center, but everything, including administration, logistics, and power, was concentrated there. Considering efficiency, locating the new research institute and factory in the Imperial Capital was the logical choice. In fact, the probability of that happening was very high.

But I had to remember that not everyone in the world thinks the same way, and not everyone prioritizes efficiency.

A large project that was attracting the attention of the entire Empire.

And the research institute and factory that would be at its heart.

Even a child would know that countless benefits would flow from it, both tangible and intangible. It was safe to say that no noble wanted to concede even this to the Emperor, who would already be taking so much.

“Still, the Imperial Capital is the best.”

In fact, there was a bigger problem.

Knock-knock-

“Come in.”

“This is the information you asked for.”

I received a thick document. It contained information about the land, such as the buildings on it, the owner, its purpose, its cost, and the surrounding structures.

“I expected it, but······.”

“It’s already saturated. There would be no problem if you used His Majesty’s order, but that wouldn’t be a favorable approach.”

There was no land available.

It had served as the capital since before the Empire was founded, its history spanning hundreds of years. If you traced its origins back to when it began as a village, it would be over a thousand years old. As such, there was virtually no vacant land, not only within the inner and outer walls but also in the surrounding areas.

Moreover, you couldn’t just build on any vacant land. People, as well as necessary supplies, had to be transported easily, and above all, it had to be optimized for security.

Finding a place that satisfied all these conditions was nearly impossible, so even if you were willing to compromise on one or two aspects or develop it to suit the purpose later, securing that level of land was not easy.

‘I don’t want to harm the people if possible.’

Is there no other way? I have no choice but to wait. Not everything goes my way just because I want it to. Big things come with various circumstances, so I have no choice but to wait patiently.

#

The repercussions of the demonstration were significant. As the saying goes, the walls have ears, and there’s no such thing as an eternal secret. It wasn’t just a few people who knew, but dozens, so secrecy was impossible.

‘I expected it, but it’s faster than I thought.’

It was a large project in which hundreds of mages could be involved in major processes. I never believed I could keep it a secret until the end. Perhaps the unidentified group that had been sending spies countless times to steal research data had already grasped the general outline.

But they can’t do anything with that. Without key information, the Titan is just a golem-like weapon, and without the engine, the core of the core, it’s just a decorative sword.

Unless an internal traitor deliberately steals information, even if the enemies catch up later, they’ll be more than a generation behind for a considerable time. Of course, that wasn’t all.

“Lord Diggle has sent you an invitation.”

“Thank you, but I’m busy, so please reply that I’ll postpone it to another time.”

The solicitations that had been quiet for a while since I had been holed up in the research institute began to increase noticeably. If I granted one person’s request, I would have to grant two others, and if that happened, I wouldn’t be able to select proper talents, and there would be security breaches, so I was rejecting them as soon as they came.

Thanks to that, I was enjoying a long-awaited rest alone, without allowing anyone to meet me. There were still many hurdles to overcome, but proper rest was necessary for the long journey ahead, and the development of the power source couldn’t be rushed.

When a new research institute and new personnel arrive, a new process is needed to integrate them. Now was the time to prepare that process.

“So, rest when you can. Once you start running again, you’ll be begging for rest.”

“I’m used to that now. To be honest, I want to start as soon as possible, but it’s not something that can be done with just my enthusiasm.”

“Focus more on training during that time. You said it seems like you’re almost there. What’s the use of having a chief researcher who is still stuck in the 3rd circle [a measure of magical ability]?”

At my words, Armin lowered his head as if embarrassed. He must be consumed by the development of the Titan, which is his long-cherished desire, and thinks it’s within reach. But he needed to grow a little more. Even if I leave my position, someone has to fill it. I can’t be replaced 100%, but there was no one like him.

“I will try.”

“There’s really not much left. As soon as we develop the power source, we can go straight to the field test. Let’s try a little harder.”

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