Kazdel's Transport Ship / Reclaiming Power

The nobles below the stage could hear nothing, and the Elector Counts' faces showed no unusual expressions. The seven Elector Counts simply rose from their seats, while several high-ranking nobles took over as chairmen of the meeting.

The Elector Counts pushed aside the thick curtains behind their seats. They were not merely background decorations, but also doors leading to the lounge.

Only after entering the completely soundproof lounge did emotions finally appear on the Elector Counts' faces. They stared at the attendant—the spy they had deliberately placed beside the Empress.

"William! Say that again!"

"Yes... yes!"

Under the eyes of the seven Elector Counts, the young man took several deep breaths before calming down. Then he spoke.

"Her Majesty said something today. They sought assistance from outside powers, including Kazimierz and Kazdel. However, Her Majesty believed that Kazdel did not border Leithanien and was not a powerful nation, so she tampered with the payment that was supposed to be made."

"What did she do?"

The seven Elector Counts widened their eyes in unison. They had deliberately chosen an attendant for those two women because neither of them had ever received a proper political education. They had assigned William to keep an eye on the newly enthroned Empress and prevent anything from going wrong.

But something had still gone wrong.

"Her Majesty replaced the Arts Units promised to Kazdel with scraps of broken metal."

"Oh, my God! This is a diplomatic incident!"

The Elector Counts were dumbfounded. "They're only Arts Units. Why would Her Majesty do such a thing?"

"I... I don't know. They seemed to think that our relationship with the Sarkaz was already poor, and that doing this... would make the nobles... think they were impressive..."

A long silence filled the lounge. It seemed that the new Empress, like the Witch King, was someone devoted entirely to the study of power.

"What's done is done. We can only do everything possible to make amends."

One Elector Count wore an expression of helplessness. They themselves had helped elevate the new Empress to the throne, so they could only do their best to clean up the mess. He asked, "Has Kazdel replied to the Empress? Did they make any demands?"

"Uh... no." William shook his head. "Kazdel hasn't made any demands, nor have they sent a reply."

This left the Elector Counts utterly bewildered. Why wasn't Kazdel blaming them at all?

"Your Majesty, are we really going to let the Leithanien people trick us like this?"

As soon as Theresica returned to Kazdel, Manfred was the first to come looking for him. Theresica did not answer. Instead, he turned his head toward the leader of the Confessors.

"Can we manufacture Leithanien's Arts Units?"

"Your Majesty, the early-stage technology isn't a problem. However, we don't have suitable materials."

Hearing this, Theresica fell silent for a while before shifting his gaze to the Banshee.

"What Leithanien did this time—can we find a way to convey it to Laterano and Ursus? It has to look as though they discovered it by accident themselves."

"Your Majesty, what are you planning?" the Banshee asked in confusion. "Aren't we going to hold Leithanien accountable?"

"It's only a minor technological achievement. Even if we engage in a war of words to hold them accountable, at most we'll get our hands on those items. Why waste the effort? But if Ursus and Laterano learn about this..."

Theresica could not help laughing. "This promise was made in front of so many people. The loss of credibility from going back on it won't be small."

"I understand."

The Banshee turned and left. Theresica then indicated that Manfred did not need to go, and summoned Alfred, the heads of military and civilian industry, and several engineers.

"This is an order I brought back from Siracusa. Take a look."

The copied documents were distributed to them. When they saw the enormous figures written on them, they could not help widening their eyes.

"Your Majesty, this huge order is all ours?"

"Yes."

Theresica nodded. Everyone present could barely keep the smiles off their faces, but Manfred knitted his brows.

"Your Majesty, forming a force like this won't accomplish much for Siracusa. Leithanien's Arts User group can completely suppress them with spells."

"That isn't something we need to worry about. We're merely fulfilling Lady Sicilia's request."

Theresica said, "As long as we don't sell counterfeit or defective products, that's enough. If Lady Sicilia wants to gain a sense of security this way, that's her concern."

"...As you command."

Hearing this, Manfred saluted and said, "I'll prepare a team of instructors that meets the requirements. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

"Good. Next, Alfred, you need to pay attention to something."

Theresica instructed him, "The mortars sold to Siracusa must be produced by us. Make sure the shells use the caseless version."

"But Your Majesty, what about the incomplete combustion?"

Alfred understood that His Majesty was doing this to keep the outside world from noticing the existence of shell casings. However, without casings, Kazdel's shells could not be fired continuously!

Hearing Alfred's concern, Theresica immediately offered a new solution.

"Get a suitably sized brush or rod, and teach the people of Siracusa to clean the barrel after every shot."

Front-loading cannons on Earth in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were operated exactly this way.

Chapter 93: Kazdel's Transport Ships

As stability gradually returned to Siracusa, the teachers from Kazdel Polytechnic University who had been urgently transported over for their safety were now preparing to return to Volscian.

They were not the only ones making the journey. There were also three hundred students personally selected by Theresica from among the entire Sarkaz race.

All of them possessed a certain level of education and had received special instruction in ideological courses. These people could be said to be the finest Kazdel currently had to offer.

At the transport ship's berth, Theresica had come personally to see the students off. He said sincerely, "The future development of the Sarkaz will depend on all of you."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty!"

Some of them were old and some young, but every one of them had eyes shining with vitality.

Theresica found the company commander assigned to Kazdel Polytechnic University to oversee security. Pointing at the students, he said, "Listen carefully! These are the seeds of the Sarkaz's future! You are to protect every single one of them!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! If even one of them is missing, I'll give you the explanation you deserve!"

The company commander spoke with absolute conviction.

The time to depart arrived. The Sarkaz who were leaving their homeland to complete their studies stood by the railings, gazing back at Kazdel reluctantly. Only after Kazdel vanished beyond the horizon did they enter the cabins.

In Siracusa, Lady Sicilia also began selecting suitable candidates to send to Kazdel for military training.

However, with Manfred, a professional, overseeing these matters, Theresica did not need to concern himself with them at all. He was currently devoting himself entirely to Meyer Shipyard.

Thanks to helping Ursus and Yan transport the construction materials needed for Lungmen, Kazdel had gradually learned quite a bit about the construction of mobile cities.

The students of Meyer Shipyard often went to Lungmen's construction site to take on component-processing work. The skills they honed there were also fed back into the production of transport ships.

The Aegir technicians sent by Iberia were astonished to discover how quickly the Sarkaz absorbed knowledge. Aside from final assembly, every stage of production had already been established.

It's only been a year!

Ever since final assembly began, Theresica secretly visited the shipyard every day to watch the transport ship take shape on the slipway with his own eyes.

This was Kazdel's first independently produced transport ship that met Terra's first-rate standards!

On September 2, 1072, Theresica smashed a glass bottle on the slipway at Kazdel's Meyer Shipyard. Amid the crisp shattering sound, the first transport ship produced independently by the Sarkaz slowly sailed out of the shipyard.

"Congratulations!"

"Thank you for your help!"

Cheers rang out all around, but the most excited were the old Sarkaz craftsmen. They wept with joy. Decades ago, they had watched with their own eyes as the Sarkaz gradually lost its industrial capabilities. Everyone had been sent to the front lines to fight, facing an imminent survival crisis.

Now, the rumbling engines of the transport ship gave them headaches, but none of them were willing to leave. They truly had never imagined that the Sarkaz would one day be able to restore its shipbuilding capabilities!

This wasn't seized from someone else! They made it themselves!

The transport ship began an extreme maneuvering trial across the desert. After confirming that it had passed every test, Theresica personally assigned it the ship number AK.

The designation meant transport ship.

However, merely knowing how to produce a transport ship by following a blueprint was not enough.

To truly develop a shipbuilding industry belonging to the Sarkaz, Kazdel needed sufficient production volume. Only then could it gradually establish a complete industrial chain and accumulate a sizable number of skilled workers.

But Kazdel currently had no great demand for transport ships.

The military? There were no long-distance combat missions at present. Civilian industry? Kazdel's internal transportation needs could be fully met by the pack animals obtained from Kazimierz. They did not even require Originium fuel, which saved money!

Foreign trade? Kazdel still had several old transport ships. They had originally considered retiring them, but after gaining some shipbuilding capabilities, they repaired them and found that they were still usable. There was no need to replace them for now.

After thinking it over from every angle, the shipyard staff had no solution. The problem was eventually sent to Theresica.

We have no ideas, but His Majesty will definitely solve the problem!

Looking at the documents delivered to him, Theresica was utterly dumbfounded. Am I really that capable? Can I solve a problem like this?!

He summoned the Inquisitor to learn in detail about the current state of Terra's shipbuilding industry, then thought it over carefully. And then...

He lay across Shining's lap and began escaping reality beneath her gentle caress.

All the great nations of Terra had their own shipbuilding industries. Victoria ranked first, with every kind of specialized ship imaginable. Ursus ranked second, specializing in warships, though its expertise was somewhat one-sided. After that came Iberia, which specialized in seafaring vessels with limited applications. Although it later began developing landships, its reputation was still inferior to that of Victoria and Ursus.

The other nations were not as powerful, but most of them still possessed their own shipbuilding industries to some degree. If the Sarkaz wanted to export transport ships, there probably was not much of a market.

Ah, what a headache!

Theresica sighed helplessly. Other than the poor, who would not choose famous brands first?

Wait...

Theresica suddenly lifted his face from Shining's lap.

Why do I have to do business with the great nations? Can't I sell to the poor ones instead?!

He hurriedly sent the Inquisitor out to spread the word, announcing that Kazdel had transport ships seeking buyers.

As for the price, in order to develop Kazdel's shipbuilding industry, Theresica gritted his teeth and announced that they would be sold at the lowest possible price. The price was pushed down to the absolute limit; aside from materials and labor, they would not make a single coin!

After transport ships priced so low that they could almost be said to be disrupting the market were put up for sale, the great nations such as Ursus and Victoria showed little reaction. However, small countries such as Siesta, Minos, and Sami, along with a region called Kjerag that seemed to have appeared from nowhere, all sent representatives to Kazdel to express their need to purchase transport ships.

They had long coveted the transport ships of the great nations. They had practically gone mad with longing!

Sami wanted only two small high-speed transport ships. Kjerag wanted three small high-speed transport ships. Minos wanted one large transport ship.

Siesta had a relatively developed commercial sector, and it wanted four large transport ships in one go.

Meyer Shipyard, which had originally been worrying about orders, suddenly found itself facing a production-capacity shortage.

Chapter 94: Reclaiming Power

The great nations, such as Ursus and Victoria, had always restricted ship sales and suppressed the spread of shipbuilding technology. This seriously hindered the development of small countries, which could only gaze at the great nations' transport fleets and sigh.

But now a Kazdel had suddenly appeared. Not only did it sell ships directly to them, it was also selling them at the lowest possible price. This instantly delighted the representatives of several small countries and remote regions.

In order to show how seriously Kazdel regarded the transport-ship buyers, Theresica specifically ordered a small reception banquet to be held. During the banquet, they would discuss personnel training, equipment maintenance, and other such matters in detail.

Although Kazdel had only just acquired the ability to produce transport ships, the Sarkaz had long been secretly absorbing knowledge from Victoria's various schools through the Inquisitor, especially the landship-navigation experience they had summarized after years of practice.

However, just as Theresica was cramming on the customs of Kjerag and other remote regions, the Banshee hurried in.

"Your Majesty, just now, Laterano and Leithanien sent diplomatic personnel."

"Oh, I know."

Theresica acknowledged him. Looking at the booklet on Kjerag's customs without lifting his head, he said, "Arrange separate accommodations for the diplomatic personnel from Laterano and Leithanien, and provide them with the treatment and care they deserve."

At the banquet that evening, Theresica ran back and forth between both sides, dealing with the purchasing representatives on one hand and Laterano's World Messenger on the other.

The purchasing representatives had transport ships on their minds and were dreaming of making a huge bargain. Theresica only needed to show his face before leaving to focus on dealing with Laterano's World Messenger.

The group of Sankta had hurried over for the sake of Leithanien. They had no time to berate Leithanien; they only wanted to settle the value negotiations and pay the compensation that Leithanien should have paid as quickly as possible.

This would not only prevent damage to Laterano's reputation, but also help establish a favorable image in the process.

However, Theresica did not accept. He smiled at Laterano's World Messenger, as well as Mostima, who had accompanied them.

"Although the agreement states that Laterano will guarantee Leithanien's obligations, the hearts of us Sarkaz are not made of stone. Paying for someone else's mistake is not a pleasant thing."

"Do you mean..."

"As for the compensation, Laterano need not concern itself with it. We will publicly state that Laterano has upheld its promise and demonstrated noble character. As for the one who is responsible, we know where to find Leithanien, and we will obtain what we are owed from them."