The Unexpected Encounter (2)
My funds were checked before I even opened the Sky Fortress catalog.
Through Iren, I had amassed a fortune of 62.5 trillion roots. Yet to ensure its liquidity, I had laundered the money and reported income to the nation, paying a 15% tax. Thanks to that, I lost ten trillion in taxes alone.
My father had predicted a 20% tax rate, so the fact that I had slashed it to 15% felt almost too good to be true. It was still a painful loss, though.
After that, the remaining amount stood at roughly fifty-three trillion. Of it, I set aside five trillion for corporate acquisition costs, leaving forty-eight trillion usable.
[Metal Fortress Second Generation]
- Price: 11 trillion roots
[Metal Fortress 2.5 Generation]
- Price: 12.5 trillion roots
[Metal Fortress Third Generation]
- Price: 15.7 trillion roots
“Currently available, we can deliver three Second Generations, two 2.5 Generations, and three Third Generations.”
With that, my entire fortune had been funneled into four Sky Fortresses. Buying four would end it.
Moreover, at over five hundred billion roots per set, even a single Vanguard Force Armor and Force Sword would be out of reach.
Truly, they were disgustingly expensive.
That was why small, struggling fiefdoms dreamed of owning just one Sky Fortress.
Even the Lawrence Fiefdom, home to a hundred thousand people, had an annual budget of five trillion. Military allocations alone ran between seven hundred billion and one trillion. The three hundred knights and six thousand soldiers of my viscountcy received no wages, and it would take a decade of savings just to afford a Sky Fortress.
Of course, purchasing such a massive weapon would come with extra budget, but the strain would remain.
Four fiefdoms whose military forces I applied for for the upcoming war. Their combined strength would be four Sky Fortresses and two hundred Vanguards?
With five Sky Fortresses at my disposal, including those gifted by the king, the power level I could confidently apply with still fell short of what I expected.
If the enemy fielded two hundred Vanguards, that was exactly the firepower four Sky Fortresses could provide.
“Is there a significant difference in combat power between the different generations of Sky Fortresses?”
“The offensive output is virtually the same.”
“Then what separates one generation from another?”
“Higher generations mean greater output from the central Force Engines. This results in faster flight speeds and allows for slightly heavier armaments.”
“So the attack power is similar, but the defensive capabilities differ?”
“Correct. The greatest disparity is armor thickness. Thus, while offensive power remains comparable, the Third Generation can achieve 20% higher combat effectiveness than the Second Generation and 15% higher than the 2.5 Generation, thanks to the superior armor.”
“Twenty percent… that’s either a huge margin or not much at all.”
“In strategy, it can certainly be overcome. But on the actual battlefield, that difference cannot be ignored. Speed is a formidable advantage.”
However, there was no need to worry about the shortfall.
I had three trump cards ready to close the gap between me and the enemy in this war.
The first was the confiscated assets of my loyal vassals from the Raven Marquessate, including Anna and Cedric.
Thanks to their meticulous savings under Anna’s care, I could equip one hundred Vanguards without breaking a sweat.
The second was my own family’s wealth.
When I spoke of the family, I included not only the Lawrence Fiefdom but also the Marquisate and Klein Marquessate given to me, as well as Arsia’s Klein Countship.
The Lawrence family’s substantial urban holdings, accumulated by generations of lords, could not be overlooked. Budgets allocated to viscountcies, countships, and marquisates could also be redirected.
With that, my usable funds would surge far beyond the current forty-eight trillion.
“Currently, the cash on hand is approximately seventy trillion.”
Seventy trillion. That was enough for six Sky Fortresses.
“You are quite generous.”
But was that enough?
No. One final trump card remained.
“I will purchase everything.”
“You mean installment payments, I presume.”
That was the advantage of civilization itself—credit-based installment systems.
“The transaction amount is too large. Half must be paid upfront.”
“I paid a large tax recently, so some portion should be tax-free.”
The generous tax benefit my father had mentioned.
Half of the tax paid would qualify for exemption.
“Mmm… ah, yes. Approximately five trillion in discounts are possible.”
“Then how shall we calculate?”
“If you pay fifty point zero five trillion in advance, the remaining fifty point zero five trillion can be settled over a maximum of ten years.”
“Very well. Please proceed.”
Thanks to this, I acquired eight Sky Fortresses and even received twenty trillion in change.
Too big a deal for reality to feel real.
Even after subtracting the down payment, fifty trillion in installments…
In Earth terms, such a transaction belonged only between nations or colossal corporations. Yet I, the owner of a seven-million-person duchy, stood on the same level as a head of state or head of a major corporation.
Meaning my credit was more than sufficient.
“The recipient will be Lord Lawrence as one, Lord Klein as two, and Lord Lawrence Marquis as five, correct?”
If I could, I would have swept away the four viscountcies that had targeted me with the king’s remaining Sky Fortresses and turned them into rubble. But eight Sky Fortresses could not all be mine.
Marquisates were limited to six. And I must not forget the assets and budgets I had pulled from the viscountcy and Arsia’s new fief.
Of the eight, five would be mine, two would belong to Arsia, and one would go to my father.
Combined with the king’s gifts to me and Arsia, this would bring the Marquisate to six, the Countship to three, and the viscountcy to one—the maximum possible.
“You are well informed.”
“In this country, no one is unaware of the Marquis’s situation. I simply did not expect such a colossal cash influx to purchase eight Sky Fortresses.”
Naturally, the remaining funds would cover full Vanguard equipment as well.
Then I would no longer be a titular marquis. I would be a real military powerhouse—Duke of the Lawrence Principality.
“When that news spreads, the four viscountcies that targeted the Marquis will be in a panic.”
“They should be.”
This transaction had moved only fifty trillion in advance.
As expected, it was no civilian affair. The royal agent of the state-owned Metal Fortress company, Marquis Basil, handled the deal himself.
The man labeled on my Mankyung was a classic mage, currently stuck at sixth class yet possessing the talent to reach seventh any day now.
He showed no jealousy despite facing a younger archmage. Instead, he seemed eager to become friends.
Unexpected. There were suddenly eight Sky Fortresses on the market.
Sky Fortresses were weapons far larger than Earth aircraft carriers.
Even with magic-based technology that could rival SF, production would still take nearly a year. The enormous cost of manufacturing them explained why so many sat in inventory.
“Originally, six of these were slated for delivery to the royal army.”
“But you’re willing to let them go to me?”
“If we cannot acquire the required numbers here, we would simply import the shortfall from another nation.”
“Exactly. We need them immediately.”
“It is more profitable to delay the royal army’s schedule than to let domestic funds flow overseas. And that profit stays right here in our company.”
He had once been a merchant before nobility.
I liked his frankness.
Nobility often hid their true selves.
I ended the transaction by shaking hands with him.
“I look forward to meeting again.”
“I hope so as well.”
Of course, Arsia was always at my side like a shadow.
Marquis Basil also shook hands with Arsia.
We had met as customer and salesperson, but he seemed like a pleasant man once we got to know each other.
With the main power of the war secured, I turned next to purchasing Vanguard Force Equipment.
Hmm?
Eh?
At the entrance of the Metal Fortress company, I encountered an unexpected face.
“Marquis Otis!”
“Oh! Marquis Lawrence!”
It was my former superior, the Count of Otis, now the Marquess of Otis—the very man who had led the charge in this land-grab operation.
“Please, speak freely. We fought together on the battlefield, did we not?”
“A marquis… still, is that proper?”
“Count Otis is out of the question. But Marquis Otis is fine.”
“Hahaha!”
We greeted each other warmly and exchanged pleasantries.
It was ordinary conversation, yet the shared hardship made the atmosphere undeniably cheerful.
Yet how long would we talk before Marquis Otis’s expression suddenly darkened and I tilted my head in confusion?
“Wait. You saying you came from here means…”
“Ah…”
After becoming marquess, his military force had reached marquis level.
Though we had met by chance, the reason for his visit was easy to guess.
“Have you come to purchase Sky Fortresses?”
“Yes, since there was inventory available.”
“I bought all of them.”
“Waaah! Of course!”
Marquis Otis slapped his forehead with his palm in exaggerated surprise.
It was the situation he had not wanted, yet he did not seem terribly displeased.
“There was nothing for it. I had to place an order.”
Although I had planned to buy abroad, he seemed to care about local opinion and had chosen domestic production.
Was importing expensive Sky Fortresses displeasing to the royal court?
“Ah, you must be new. This lady over here is my daughter, as I mentioned earlier.”
With that, he introduced the noble girl standing one step behind his guards.
“It is a pleasure. Adrian Lawrence. This is my fiancée, Arsia Klein.”
“It is an honor. Lord Lawrence Marquis, Lord Klein Count, and Lady Michelle of the Otis House.”
And I saw the famous daughter of the Otis Marquess—the one celebrated throughout the Lheinhatz Kingdom.
Bright sky-blue hair and deep navy eyes. An innocent face with an adult body.
Although she was known as a psycho with more scandals than fame, she looked like a perfectly beautiful young lady at first glance.
Yet when I casually checked her stats with Mankyung, the corners of my smiling mouth twitched.
[Michelle Otis / Explorer]
Race: Human
Age: 18
House: Marquess Otis, Lheinhatz Kingdom
Talent: Inquiry (Supreme), Learning (High), Intelligence (High)
Traits: English Translation / Deduction
Relation: Interest / Neutral
Status: Favorable / Curious
Only three talents, yet one supreme and two high. Impressive.
The concept of an Explorer job was new to me, but what shocked me most was…
The English Translation trait.
Is that the same English I know?
Marquis Otis offered an unexpected answer to my question.
“She was obsessed with finding the Lucas Archduke’s Iren until recently. You know how Iren appeared in the Prius Republic, right? To avoid seeing her disappointed, I’ve been dragging her around everywhere.”
An English Translation trait user hunting the Lucas Archduke’s Iren?
Perhaps the Earth-origin cheat had not been hers after all.
“Ah, the Iren I acquired in the Prius Republic was fake.”
“Again!”
Her over-the-top reaction made me smile and speak.
“You have a fascinating story. So the Iren from the Prius Republic was fake.”
“Iren exists. But it is hidden in an unexpected, secret location. It cannot be found simply by rummaging everywhere like in the Prius Republic.”
“Where exactly is that secret location?”
“The details are secret. But I can tell you it is a place no ordinary noble could easily discover.”
A place no noble could easily find?
I instantly recalled the Virtual Reality system—Hollywood.
Nobles dismissed it as a place for commoners to escape reality or indulge in fantasies.
So that’s why she’s strange.
I narrowed my eyes and observed every gesture of hers.
“Um… I have an online diary. May I follow you, Your Highness?”
“Of course. You are welcome.”
Yet she showed no suspicion.
The emotions displayed by Mankyung revealed nothing amiss, though I noticed her cheeks flushing slightly.
“I prefer self-made lords like Your Highness and Lord Klein over those who rely on bloodlines and status.”
This girl…
“It would be wonderful to share a cup of tea with you someday… What do you think, Marquis?”
I offered a hollow reply while watching her twirl in front of me only when addressing me.
“I would be delighted. I will send you an invitation at the earliest.”
“Yahoo!”
She was a girl that required further observation.
“Then we shall take our leave.”
And we parted ways.
“Shall we deal with her?”
“No. Let’s watch her a little longer.”
As they vanished from sight, Arsia spoke.
Caught in a momentary conflict, I eventually shook my head.
“Welcome to the Royal Magic Tower! Ah, Marquis Lawrence and Count Klein. I shall guide you to the noble’s chamber.”
Even while purchasing Vanguard Force Equipment, the crease between my brows refused to smooth out after the arrival of a troublesome figure.
Well, there was no need to worry. Iren was not something easily acquired through simple investigation anyway.
After a long while, I calmed myself and turned my focus toward the looming fiefdom war.