The Dawn of an Empire
The moment I logged out, Arsia stood right beside my bed, reaching out with a gentle hand.
I took it without hesitation, squeezing back with a light chuckle at her thoughtful gesture.
“Is Sir Pessius waiting?”
“He is in the study, as instructed.”
“Thanks.”
I slipped into a simple lounging outfit over my pajamas, accompanied by Arsia as we left the room.
As we stepped out, the knights stationed far away straightened their postures instantly, and the maids waiting nearby tensed up.
But I didn’t pay any attention, walking forward with the ease of someone who had grown completely familiar with this scene.
“Lord, you are here.”
A moment later, in the study, Pessius and a young man he appeared to be with stood waiting.
I took a seat on the sofa alongside Arsia and offered the two men the seats opposite us.
“No need. We are fine.”
“It would be awkward to raise our heads.”
“Then, allow us to be seated.”
Only then did they settle in, sitting somewhat stiffly before us.
“This is the list of companies you requested last time, my lord.”
Pessius transmitted the documents through his terminal with a tense expression, marking the purpose of today’s visit.
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⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
Company Acquisition List
[1. Kale Steel / Market Cap 975 Billion]
[2. Tannis Defense / Market Cap 1.15 Trillion (Private / OTC)]
[3. Liela Ironworks / Market Cap 734.2 Billion]
[4. Genesis Artifacts / Market Cap 1.732 Trillion]
[5. Konia Tower / Market Cap 1.82 Trillion (Private / OTC)]
[6. Patnik Mana / Market Cap 670.3 Billion]
……
That was information on twenty-five companies.
Among them were ironworks, artifact producers, mana circuit and battery manufacturers, and research institutions like the tower.
Though they seemed diverse, they were all national strategic industries that no aristocrat could touch without royal permission.
“Of the companies you requested, those we can acquire immediately are these. At most, companies one through nine possess solid technology; with sufficient funds, they could grow. The rest will likely be difficult.”
“Your organization of the data is excellent. It’s much easier to read.”
I studied the documents carefully.
Pessius had included not only ordinary company details obtainable through online searches but also various secrets that would be hard to verify otherwise.
Even with a short investigation time, the depth of the information left me genuinely surprised.
As expected of a man of upright character, he never handled matters carelessly.
I was glad I had entrusted the information business to him.
“I will acquire Cale Steel, Liela Ironworks, Genesis Artifacts, Konia Tower, and Patnik Mana. Can you handle the acquisition process as well?”
“What?”
Acquiring those five companies would require at least five trillion won.
In other words, I had placed the management of five trillion won in his hands.
A normal knight would never have been able to touch such a fortune, so Pessius was visibly stunned.
“How could I dare… with such a vast sum…”
“In the future, even more enormous amounts will be handled.”
With a calm command from me, he swallowed dryly and then nodded firmly.
“I will take it on.”
“I knew you would, Sir Pessius.”
Smiling in satisfaction, I watched as he bowed his head in apology.
He was one of my closest aides, a central figure in operations.
It was embarrassing for him to flinch at something so modest.
“May I ask one more thing?”
At that moment, the young man who had remained silent until now spoke up.
Pessius shot him a warning look, but the youth ignored it completely and stared back at me with unwavering eyes.
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⚔ STATUS ⚔
LT__span style="color:#ff6b6b">Name: Grent NoctonLT__/div>
LT__span style="color:#4d9fff">Race: HumanLT__/div>
LT__span style="color:#ff6b6b">Age: 22LT__/div>
LT__span style="color:#4d9fff">Title: Junior Accountant, Green Accounting OfficeLT__/div>
LT__span style="color:#ff6b6b">Talent: Intellect (S), Administration (S), Learning (S), Politics (D)LT__/div>
LT__span style="color:#ff6b6b">Trait: Rapid AnalysisLT__/div>
LT__span style="color:#ff6b6b">Relationship: Interest / AllianceLT__/div>
LT__span style="color:#ff6b6b">Status: Astonishment / QuestioningLT__/div>
Now I understood. He was Pessius’s son.
A son born from a father whose entire being was rooted in the battlefield yet possessed administrative talent that could not be more different.
On top of that, his three superior abilities made him an elite beyond any description.
“You resemble your father a great deal.”
“This is the first time I’ve heard such a thing… but to see through me so quickly, your insight is impressive.”
“Haha, really? Then, what exactly do you want to know, Sir Nocton?”
“Please call me Grent.”
Pessius looked uneasy, watching his son for any mishap.
“My lord, do you intend to enter the military-industrial sector?”
Grent fired an unexpectedly sharp question.
Ironworks, artifact makers, mana tower, artifact design firms— he had clearly assumed these were the companies I was eyeing as the foundation for the military-industrial complex.
I showed interest in Grent and asked why he thought that.
“All of them are businesses that don’t turn a profit in the short term and simply drain money like bloodsuckers, aren’t they? A young master like you wouldn’t make that kind of investment. I assumed this company acquisition was meant for the future.”
“Correct.”
Grent demonstrated judgment on par with his abilities.
I nodded without adding anything superfluous.
“Exactly. Although mining and logistics are our family’s main industries, they have clear growth limits. From that perspective, military-industrial production is an excellent target.”
“A great mage would certainly find that worth considering.”
Military-industrial production might be saturated like logistics and mining, but I held the title of Grand Mage.
If I simply produced seven-circle artifacts, the revenue would surpass the entire Lawrence family’s business income.
But I had no intention of staying in simple artifact production.
“If it won’t cause any inconvenience, may I know which specific items you have in mind?”
“Curiosity?”
“No. I simply wondered what we should prioritize in following your future orders.”
Was it because I showed no sign of being displeased?
Pessius sighed and took a step back, finally restraining his son.
But my next words changed both their expressions.
Pessius was stunned, while Grent trembled with excitement.
“To begin with, we must start with Vanguard equipment.”
Vanguard Force Armor and Force Swords were jointly owned by three families of the Lheinhatz Kingdom who maintained excellent relations.
The first was the Enyeheim Duchy, the prince’s maternal house.
The second was the Heinse Duchy, the current king’s maternal house and the kingdom’s top magic family.
The last and most unfortunate was the Lheinhatz Royal Family.
In other words, Vanguard equipment was being manufactured by the hands of the kingdom’s highest authorities.
If someone could produce that level of Force equipment, it would mean standing shoulder to shoulder with those families, wouldn’t it?
“I-It’s possible?”
“I have already figured out the principle behind the Force System and the general production method of Vanguard equipment. If my assistants follow well, it will be sufficient.”
There were only four Grand Mages in the Lheinhatz Kingdom besides myself.
Of them, only two knew how to produce Vanguard Force Armor.
This meant they kept the production technique strictly hidden within their families, and even after becoming a Grand Mage, anyone could not simply replicate it.
Since Vanguard equipment was a strategic weapon, this applied not only to our kingdom but to the entire world.
“The existing powers won’t remain silent.”
“It will be fine. I’ve already come up with a countermeasure after visiting the royal palace today. Besides, if we only produce Vanguard-level equipment, the threat won’t be great.”
“You already have an alternative planned? Truly impressive.”
A twenty-year-old Grand Mage suddenly appearing and producing Vanguard Force Armor?
The eyes of the world would naturally focus on us.
Of course, we would need to hold back our strength somewhat.
After several failures, for instance.
At first the two men’s expressions had been different, but now they both shone with sparkling eyes.
I had to treat the twenty-two-year-old youth as if he were a middle-aged uncle he was not.
“For reference, I have no intention of being satisfied with Vanguard-level equipment. If a suitable tower becomes available, please inform me immediately.”
There was only one item above Vanguard equipment.
The flagship product of the Metal Fortress Heavy Industry Corporation, which operated as a joint venture by two dukes and one marquis centered around the royal family: the Celestial Fortress.
Both men simply nodded, accepting my words as a goal without showing any further reaction.
I shrugged, feeling no need to reveal that I could actually construct the Celestial Fortress.
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Grent showed a far more satisfactory status change than when we first met.
While helping with the information organization at his father’s suggestion from the accounting firm, he had clearly been unsure.
But after our conversation, he seemed properly motivated.
“From now on, please assist Sir Pessius well. I will make sure you enjoy the highest level of treatment and take pride in standing beside me.”
“I look forward to it.”
I turned my gaze to Pessius.
“Is the organization well arranged?”
“We have already completed the upper management with Grent and others we trust. However, there are still far too few middle managers and general information personnel.”
“Any plans?”
“I was thinking of absorbing a few small existing information guilds.”
“Funds will be needed?”
“Yes, we’ll probably need…”
I entrusted the establishment of the information organization to him.
I accepted his request and shared an account that had cost three hundred billion won.
“Is this enough?”
“Oh, it’s plenty.”
Even though tens of trillions would soon move because of me, the three hundred billion in front of him still felt insufficient.
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to request funds. I need a proper information organization.”
“Yes, understood.”
* * *
Reporting the events at the royal palace to my parents had been pushed aside by Chronicle Online and Pessius.
Only after dinner and the following tea time did I finally inform them of the second prince’s proposal.
“What? A marquis?”
“Yes.”
Of course, I had hidden the prince’s proposal for betrayal, which required absolute secrecy.
But in the social circle, the opinion that the second prince would win the succession struggle was dominant.
Thus, simply announcing his proposal caused my father and mother to freeze in shock.
“Since there is no reason to refuse, I accepted the proposal.”
“Really? Nothing has gone as expected since you returned from the battlefield.”
My father looked devastated, no matter how harshly he had treated me.
But their deaths were never my father’s fault.
After all, Anna and Cedric had been the ones who first drove him away.
And the one who met their end was, in a sense, reaping what they sowed.
So I gave my father cold advice: the two were gone, their sins had been settled, so forget about it.
Of course, if emotions could be controlled by will, it would be best, but that would be difficult.
Still, since he had endured much and possessed clear discernment, I believed he would easily shake off his guilt.
With my mother at his side to help.
“Mom, I’m scared. My son has become a duke?”
“Mother, a viscount is also a duke, isn’t it?”
“But the two titles are completely different.”
My mother was no longer a concubine.
She had become the master of the viscount’s household, and above all, she was my biological mother.
Thus she received no disrespect and instead became the target of fear itself.
But it seemed the sudden change in treatment had yet to sink in.
I teased my mother’s naive worry.
“A duke is no big deal. I just need to become king of a country and build a harem.”
But my parents refused to accept the joke as intended and swallowed it whole.
“You, you little— what nonsense…”
—sniffle.
My father scolded me with a trembling voice in shock, while my mother covered her mouth in surprise.
Both showed the same reaction: they kept glancing at Arsia’s face.
Since she was naturally quiet and had blended into the family, that was only natural.
She was a being who could clash with a Celestial Fortress with nothing but a single Force Sword.
My parents’ fear was only natural.
“Arsia, you know it’s just a joke, right? You’re overreacting too much, which makes me feel bad.”
Arsia had been set up as my lover for convenience’s sake, but that was never the case.
I had thrown out the joke thoughtlessly, but seeing their reaction, I would have to be more careful from now on.
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But the moment I looked at Arsia, her status display was abnormal, so I tilted my head.
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⚔ STATUS ⚔
LT__span style="color:#4d9fff">Relationship: Favor / LoyaltyLT__/div>
LT__span style="color:#4d9fff">Status: Awe / RespectLT__/div>
⚔ STATUS ⚔
LT__span style="color:#ff6b6b">Status: Complicated / SubtleLT__/div>
⚔ STATUS ⚔
LT__span style="color:#ff6b6b">Status: NormalLT__/div>
However, after just a few seconds, her status returned to normal.
I didn’t place much importance on it.
“Son, treat Arsia well. Don’t look away.”
“Yes.”
Though smiling, my mother’s warning carried cold intent, so I nodded quickly.
“In any case, the higher title will descend upon us. We must proceed with the cleaning we postponed to announce the new beginning of the Lawrence family.”
“Cleaning?”
My parents looked confused at my sudden words.
What kind of cleaning did our family have postponed?
There was only one meaning.
“The treatment of the vassals who took unjust gains by following Anna and Cedric, and the punishment of the employees who harmed me and my mother, isn’t it?”
That was the purpose of this meeting.
I had no intention of declaring a clean end to revenge by killing Anna and Cedric.
I would eliminate both those who were enemies and those who might become potential enemies, leaving no loose ends.
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