Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Chapter 55: Mad Magitech Scholar (2)
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Emperor Raymond of the Philius Empire had been away from the imperial capital ever since the war with the Tripartite Alliance began.
Of course, even with Raymond absent, the imperial palace operated normally, and the key institutions and departments had moved along with the emperor.
Count Denitz's General Staff Office was one of the departments that traveled with him.
They were originally a rear-guard unit meant to direct the war from a safe distance, but due to the expanding front lines and the emperor's personal command, they had become a forward-operating unit wandering the battle zones.
The General Staff Office, which had been touring the front lines alongside the emperor, finally settled temporarily in the governor's mansion following the surrender of the Jaist Magitech Kingdom.
However, since Emperor Raymond was about to mobilize forces to conquer the Lisbon Maritime Kingdom, this was merely a brief respite.
"General Staff Marshal, sir. The Central Intelligence Agency has urgent information to relay. An envoy from their side is due to arrive shortly."
Count Denitz slowly nodded at the report from an officer under his command.
"Understood. You may withdraw."
"Yes, sir."
Once the officer left, Count Denitz tidied up his documents and stepped out onto the terrace.
After about thirty minutes of breathing in the cold night air, the space behind him rippled open, and Viscount Potas appeared in his red uniform.
Count Denitz turned to face him.
"I figured you'd be the one coming, Viscount Potas."
"Holding down the General Staff has sharpened your instincts, Count Denitz."
The greeting might have seemed stiff, but in truth, both men were glad to see each other.
"What brings you here today?"
"I've brought bad news for you and the General Staff."
"Can we skip the preamble and get to the point? The longer I work with His Majesty the Emperor, the less I appreciate drawn-out introductions."
"Straight to it, then. The Lisbon Maritime Kingdom has no intention of surrendering."
Count Denitz narrowed his eyes at Viscount Potas's words before speaking.
"I've received reports that their border forces aren't withdrawing. But jumping to the conclusion that an entire nation won't surrender based on that alone seems premature... Do you have reliable sources?"
Viscount Potas was the head of the Central Intelligence Agency.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that all intelligence handled by the Philius Empire passed through his hands first.
Agents' gathered information was reported to him initially, then sorted, verified for authenticity, and passed on to Emperor Raymond, the General Staff Marshal, or Count Denitz.
"We have intelligence. It'll reach you through the Central Intelligence Agency in about three hours anyway, but I'll tell you now."
"I'm all ears."
"The families of their border forces' high-ranking commanders and above have been kidnapped."
"I hope it's not what I'm thinking... God forbid."
Count Denitz frowned.
"What are you thinking?"
"Lisbon Maritime Kingdom central command's involvement."
The likelihood that the kidnappings were orchestrated by the kingdom's central authority was high, but Count Denitz wished it weren't true.
Kidnapping and blackmailing one's own high-ranking commanders' families was something no central authority should ever do.
"Hmph, you know the details already. Do you have spies in the Central Intelligence Agency?"
"The maritime kingdom's gone too far. Pressuring their own high commanders like this."
"You should report this to His Majesty the Emperor quickly. We need to inform him promptly that Lisbon has no will to surrender."
"Do you think military action is necessary?"
Count Denitz asked. He hoped, if possible, that the Lisbon Maritime Kingdom would surrender.
If they resorted to force, Lisbon would ultimately collapse and be occupied, but the Philius Empire had already suffered not-insignificant losses fighting the Tripartite Alliance.
Compared to the alliance's casualties, it was fewer, but tens of thousands of soldiers lost was no small matter.
Wanting the Philius Empire's army to shed as little blood as possible, he hoped Lisbon would surrender peacefully, avoiding any clash between their forces.
"Lisbon has no intention of surrendering, Count Denitz. Can't you see it from the situation? The moment the imperial decree comes down, the General Staff must have the entire army ready to move."
Viscount Potas said. Unlike Denitz, he believed they should conquer Lisbon by force if needed.
While Denitz leaned toward the moderates, Viscount Potas was an extreme hardliner.
He was the quintessential Philius man, convinced that paving roads with blood and corpses was justified for the empire's victory and the emperor's glory.
"The General Staff is always prepared, Viscount Potas. The instant the imperial decree arrives, we will mobilize the grand army to conquer the Lisbon Maritime Kingdom."
Though closer to the moderates, Count Denitz was still a loyal Philius noble devoted to the emperor and empire.
If the emperor commanded war, throwing everything into the fray was his duty.
If Emperor Raymond ordered an advance, Count Denitz would gladly relay the decree to the entire army in the name of the General Staff Marshal.
"I never doubted your loyalty, Count Denitz. If it came across that way, I apologize."
"No offense taken, Viscount Potas. Do you think I don't understand your feelings? By the way, when do you plan to report to His Majesty?"
"Right now."
Count Denitz nodded slowly, his face clouded with complex worries. War was imminent, as expected.
Raymond received Viscount Potas's report in his office. It was the same information passed to Count Denitz: that the Lisbon Maritime Kingdom showed no signs of surrendering.
"Your Majesty, Lisbon has clearly lost its mind. We must assemble the troops and advance across the border."
Marquis Kreier raised his voice. He represented the military hardliners.
He was the man who had advocated war even when the Philius Empire was on the brink of collapse.
Now, with the empire marching toward a new golden age, for Lisbon to dare act out of line was intolerable—he called for bloody retribution, a perfectly natural response.
"Viscount Potas."
"Yes, Your Majesty. The Central Intelligence Agency awaits your command."
"Go to Count Denitz of the General Staff and order him to hasten war preparations. Relay the same to Count Acon of the Northern Central Army. Tell the imperial forces in the Edriger and Ishiria occupied territories to cross the border and advance as soon as they're ready."
"I shall obey your imperial decree!"
"Execute it immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Raymond wanted the orders to reach Count Denitz as swiftly as possible. Urged by him, Viscount Potas saluted with hand to chest, nodded vigorously, and promised prompt delivery before departing.
Soon, only Raymond, Gestain, and Marquis Kreier remained in the stark room.
"Your Majesty, do you plan to lead the 'imperial expedition' personally again?"
Marquis Kreier asked cautiously. As commander of one of the empire's armies, the emperor's direct involvement was both welcome and burdensome.
He wouldn't try to dissuade Raymond but sought confirmation on the 'imperial expedition' before advancing.
"Of course I will lead the 'imperial expedition,' Marquis Kreier."
There had never been any option not to. Raymond stated it as if it were obvious.
Though expected, the firm reply made Kreier swallow a sigh while feeling his infinite loyalty surge for the emperor charging ahead.
"But first, there's something that must be done."
"May I ask what it is?"
"It's part of the Empire Reconstruction Plan. Here, in the heart of the Jaist Magitech Kingdom's capital, sleeps Baron Legacy—the empire's most notorious madman in history—and his 142nd Magitech Research Unit, all 142 members."
"A madman... Won't awakening him make things even more dangerous?"
Marquis Kreier voiced his concern delicately, but Raymond just grinned and shook his head.
"He's mad, no doubt, but his loyalty to the empire is unquestionable. And the magitech scholars under him will greatly aid the empire's prosperity."
The area was rich in resources beneficial to magic and magitech research, which was why Jaist's magical civilization had advanced so rapidly.
Baron Legacy and the 142nd Unit's members possessed skills that absolutely did not pale in comparison to Jaist's magitech scholars.
With ample resources, they might even strengthen the airship fleet, hailed as the flower of magitech civilization.
Combining ancient magitech prowess with Jaist's abundant resources could revive lost technologies like magitech cannons, fully repair the Colossal Divine Soldiers, and perhaps even enhance them further.
"I shall follow Your Majesty's will."
"Thank you, Marquis Kreier."
Raymond nodded with a bright smile toward the marquis.
After Kreier left, Raymond retrieved a bottle from the display case.
"Gestain. Care for a drink?"
"I'm on guard duty, Your Majesty."
"By imperial decree?"
"In that case, just one."
Gestain's glass was filled. Raymond's kept being refilled, but true to his word, Gestain had only one.
"What a joyless fellow."
"It's for Your Majesty's safety. Please understand."
With his abstinence for guard duty, Raymond couldn't criticize further.
Besides, Gestain's occasional lack of flexibility in such matters had long since convinced Raymond to give up persuading him; he filled his own glass alone.
Of course, drinking alone stemmed not from guilt. Before possessing the body of the former 5th Prince Raymond, he had lived a modern life and was prepared to do anything for survival.
"But what's with this nagging feeling...?"
Raymond muttered so softly even Gestain couldn't hear, shaking his head.
It certainly wasn't just from planning to awaken a mad magitech scholar and his unit.
Lately—even today—he'd felt these inexplicable mood swings more than once.
The time had come. Raymond and his entourage appeared at the magitech factory in the heart of the Jaist Magitech Kingdom's capital.
They entered an ultra-restricted zone within the factory; obtaining King Rudel's permission was no issue.
Jaist was in the process of becoming a Philius vassal state, effectively managed by the governor-general's office already. The king's approval was mere formality for appearances.
The factory's top-secret sector had been shut down. Raymond and his group ventured to its deepest point.
"This is it...?"
Raymond halted before the derelict magitech factory. Viscount Potas, accompanying him, stepped forward to explain.
"It's the oldest magitech factory in Jaist. Rumors say it dates back to ancient times, but that's unconfirmed."
Raymond smirked. They'd found the right place. Potas dismissed it as rumor, but Raymond was certain this factory had been used since ancient times.
That was the lore from the Empire of the Dead novel's world.
"Now, time to wake them...?"
With that short mutter, Raymond entered the abandoned factory first. His alert entourage followed, eyes scanning sharply.
As always, the Empire Reconstruction Plan facility lay underground. A hidden staircase descended from the derelict factory.
Raymond easily located it using his dominance aura and descended long stairs to the basement's end.
They traversed a dark, lengthy corridor until, at its termination, they beheld fifty-one magitech scholars slumbering in transparent glass tubes like life-support pods from a sci-fi film.
"Found them."
Raymond's eyes gleamed sharply. Now was the time to awaken these madmen.