The Returned Sword King Decided to Become a Tyrant Chapter 58
Building a tower under water (3)
A week later, Edward, the Third Knight Commander, came to see me with a troubled expression.
Then he began to report the results of the pursuit he had ordered.
“I’m sorry. I tried to chase after them as much as I could, but… … .”
“You missed them?”
“… … Yes.”
“Hmm.”
As a result, the Argon Knights were only able to confirm their traces.
To be exact, I followed the trail, but all I found was a tunnel leading to the Federation Empire.
Of course, that was a natural result, since they had already died by my hands a long time ago.
But I asked the question as if I knew nothing.
“I want to hear about that tunnel.”
“… … The tunnel was dug artificially. Judging from the collapsed interior, it seems like they were probably conscious of being pursued and did it on purpose.”
“I see. That’s too bad.”
At least that wasn’t a lie, since it wasn’t me who collapsed the tunnel.
Perhaps they would have ordered an immediate shutdown at the moment they judged that its existence had been discovered.
I kept it because I thought it might be useful, but it really became a shame.
‘Well, you’re saying that I’m not that stupid?’
I said with a shrug.
“Thank you for your hard work. I will personally tell my father about the tunnel, so you go rest with the knights.”
“… … I’m sorry I couldn’t live up to your expectations.”
So Edward bowed his head and left.
Then George, who was listening to the conversation inside the office, muttered.
“No, I didn’t give you a bottle or medicine, I just said you had a hard time… … .”
Soon, those half-open eyes scanned me.
“If you were going to make them go in vain in the first place, why did you order the chase?”
The Argonian Knights did nothing in this pursuit. And I ordered them to do so, even though I knew it would come to that.
It was a situation that was enough for him to think that he had made a wasted effort.
… … But what if even that had already been designed?
What if my goal wasn’t to track them down from the start, but to ‘show’ them that I’d lost them?
I said, leaning back leisurely.
“There was a need to create a sense of alert.”
“A sense of alertness?”
“okay.”
I needed a wake-up call to put an end to this play.
Rather than vaguely saying that Esteban is being targeted, it is a sense of alertness that makes you ‘feel’ the threat that is truly approaching.
And the news that the Federal Empire’s recovery plan had run away was the best bait.
It’s probably just a bait that can’t be compared to what happened at the top and the top of the tower…
After hearing my explanation, George pushed up his glasses and said.
“You’re saying that it’s more shocking that you lost the things they stole than that you caught the thieves. And you designed it to look that way.”
“That’s correct.”
“Then the recovered items are… … .”
“okay.”
I said with a smiling face.
“They will serve as a stepping stone for me in due time.”
Actually, I had the items. So from then on, I just had to create them with my own hands.
From the benefits that will come from it to preparing for the future.
It was the area I was most confident in.
“I’m going to see my father.”
But now was the moment to move forward according to priorities.
* * *
“What, what is… … !”
My father opened his eyes wide in shock.
That would be so. Not only did they miss the recovery plan for the Federation Empire, but they also heard news that a tunnel connecting the two countries was discovered.
The problem was that there was no way to guess what the items the collectors were carrying.
Whether it was technology stolen from Esteban, or just treasures.
If not that, then maybe the documents contain Esteban’s weaknesses.
“… … I ate a lot.”
Father wiped his tightly shut eyes with both hands.
I could catch a glimpse of my father’s worries in his seemingly awkward behavior. He seemed to be flustered, which was rare.
I looked at the sight and said.
“Father, our relationship with the Federal Empire will deteriorate beyond control.”
“… … .”
At least ten years earlier than in the past.
But in a way, it was an inevitable result. It may have been decided even before the plot to assassinate the king began.
“And sooner or later, they will come after Esteban without even caring about the public eye.”
“It means that you don’t even care about what the world thinks… … .”
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“It means that unlike before when they only made secret moves, they will also start political attacks.”
“… … Huh.”
“In the worst case scenario, we must also bear in mind that Esteban’s weaknesses have been completely exposed to them.”
They were more than enough great men. And my father was not unaware of that fact.
What was certain was that if we did not move forward, they might resort to some tricks, just like they did when they plotted to assassinate the king.
“… … Yes, you are right. I guess it’s time to start preparing for that kind of thing too.”
My father began to move his hands and feel around in his coat pockets.
After a while, he took out a pair of elegant gold-rimmed glasses and put them up to his eyes.
The Holy Empire is already a barbarian nation, and on top of that, he was busy with state affairs, and he had to give me a job to do. Even my father, who had stamina like steel, seemed to be feeling tired.
“… …Allen Esteban.”
“Yes, father.”
“What do you think a political attack is?”
“It’s simple. First, they’ll try to strangle Esteban.”
“… … Breathing?”
It was an abstract metaphor.
But my father immediately remembered something and nodded.
“It’s trade.”
“Yes.”
Trade sanctions.
It was a simple task, considering Esteban’s dependence on the Federal Empire for most of his trade.
I knew very well, having already experienced a trade dispute, that this was in fact the most efficient method of all.
So I could be more confident than anyone else.
“It goes without saying, but the first priority is to avoid becoming dependent on trade.”
“… … So that’s what they call local production.”
“Yes, but you don’t have to worry about food and necessities. Those can be resolved through trade with the Holy Empire, which will be opened soon.”
“Yes, that definitely happened… … Thinking back now, I think it was the right decision.”
“It was just as expected.”
In fact, the biggest stumbling block was said to have been resolved.
I continued explaining to my father, who was surprised by the new expression, as if nothing had happened.
“But there is another problem.”
“problem?”
“Yes, they are the raw materials for magic tools that we have to rely 100% on.”
“Hmm, definitely… … .”
Father nodded.
As expected of someone who is called a saint, he seemed to know all these little details.
“What is especially urgent is the magic reagent. Without it, the magic tower would be as good as non-existent.”
“……yes.”
The magic reagents, which were the core materials for various researches, were something that could not be replaced by anything else. Also, it was not a technology that could be completed in a day or two.
Actually, before the return, wasn’t it Matap that suffered the most damage in the diplomatic conflict with those guys?
They tried to quickly have the wizards create the reagents, but there was no way they could come up with a proper plan without any foundation.
“Domestication must be carried out without fail. No matter how brave the knights of Esteban are, they will be no match for them without the support of the magicians.”
“… … If everything goes as you say, there’s nothing better than that.”
The reason why he doesn’t continue talking hastily is probably because it is a story that is difficult to calculate the pros and cons.
So it was natural that my father, who was listening to the story, expressed his bitterness.
“But we don’t have basic magic technology as good as the Federal Empire. Don’t you know that?”
“Yes, I know.”
“But, I wonder if Esteban can easily domestically produce magic reagents… … .”
“it’s possible.”
“… … What?”
My father asked back as if he had misheard me.
But the lips that faced me were turning up crookedly.
“From magic reagents to other raw materials. I won’t tell you anything impossible.”
“That, that is… … .”
“So please give me discretion in budgeting so that I can prepare for the Federal Empire’s machinations.”
No basis? That could never be a problem.
The steps I have taken so far will soon become the foundation, and this will become the cornerstone for a future without any mistakes.
However, its first purpose is to be a magic potion.
“I will surpass the Federation Empire within half a year and raise Esteban’s magic reagent technology to the highest level on the continent.”
“… … !”
okay.
A solution to that problem was already forming in my head.
The time has passed for us to simply respond to their plans.
‘So, how will it turn out this time?’
4th Prince.
I smiled coldly, recalling the guy’s face.
Even if, by some chance, a future were to come where causality was distorted and war did not occur, it would not matter.
Because the vengeance and anger that moved my body was what would finally lead the Federation Empire into war.
This was a preparation for the future that was inevitably coming.
* * *
The temple that was the ‘1st Prince’s’ job has ended.
The inside of the tower was noisier than usual due to the ‘abnormal phenomenon’ that would go down in history.
Of course, not a single word was said about the disappearance of Cromwell and his disciples.
It was partly because the Argon Knights handled it perfectly, but it was overshadowed by the paranormal phenomenon and was forgotten without any attention.
The last days of Sejak, who had been commanding the rooftop, were unbelievably shabby.
however.
After the commotion passed, another task came to the fore.
“Your Majesty… …! What exactly is going on?”
The Minister of Finance, Margrave Walter, came to the office.
… … No, they barged in.
The Marquis was holding a document in his hand. It was the budget plan for the Tower that I had submitted through my father immediately after I had been given the authority.
I looked at that sight and answered indifferently.
“What’s going on?”
“Ah, no, if you were to ask what’s going on… … .”
“I remember already explaining everything related to the budget for the rooftop to my father?”
In fact, I didn’t even have the authority to ‘decide’ the budget for the following year.
The role of discretion was only a means to report the appropriate line to the king, who had the decision-making power.
But if the reported ‘normal’ was an abnormal case, it would be a different story.
“Oh, you’re saying that the budget for the Tower of Magic will be increased by three times compared to the previous year?! I’ve never heard of such an unprecedented budget allocation!”
I laughed heartily at the shock and amazement.
