Fifteen days had passed since the battle on the far northern coast. Throughout those fifteen days, Cheng Yu had stuck to his development-first policy, feeding all the steel he acquired into the metal converters.
Cheng Yu now had thirty metal converters. According to the system's estimates, their output had reached more than twenty tons a day.
Better than nothing, Cheng Yu thought. Then the system spoke.
"Also, little bugs keep wandering around our place before leaving. Aren't you going to do anything about them?"
Cheng Yu shrugged.
(Do what? You said it yourself. First, they're little bugs. Second, they're just wandering around, not actually gathering intelligence. And even if they were, so what? Our army's strengths and weaknesses are pretty obvious.) ┐(─__─)┌
"True. Our advantages are that we don't fear casualties and have plenty of troops. As for weaknesses, our melee units might be falling behind."
(Right, so do you have any ideas?) (¬◡¬)✧
"Heh, as it happens, I actually found a solution in the latest main-city database." (¬◡¬)✧
(Oh? Let's hear it.) ๑乛◡乛๑
"Smelting. Just replace the existing 0-1 chassis with a more badass metal. This method works for every unit."
Cheng Yu frowned.
(Since it involves smelting, there must be some losses, right?)
"Yes. Three units become one, but the chassis's strength and toughness will clearly rise by a whole tier. And as long as you're willing to pay the price, you can keep smelting indefinitely. The highest I can get you is a bronze-tier 0-1."
Cheng Yu curled his lips. How much steel would a bronze-tier 0-1 consume?
But he still asked,
(How many 0-1s do we have right now?)
"Exactly three million."
(If we smelt them, won't our core forces be stretched pretty thin?)
"No. We still have the 0-5s. The Shuttle Fighters' laser rain is enough to deter most people with ill intentions."
(So you're in favor of smelting them?)
"Yes. Conductor and the others agree with me. But as always, you're the commander. You have the final say." ╮(๑•́ ₃•̀๑)╭
Cheng Yu nodded and made his decision.
"Smelt them!"
Just then, Artist spoke to Cheng Yu.
"Commander, three organic beings wish to see you."
Cheng Yu paused in surprise, and Artist continued.
"They said they're from the Kurland United Kingdom."
After some thought, Cheng Yu agreed to meet them.
Inside a 0-1 factory on the edge of the Monster Forest.
James surveyed the room's distinctive design. Everything was steel, and the decor had a stark, militaristic feel. He suddenly wondered whether he had been too hasty in taking on this assignment.
When James saw a spider-shaped steel monster approaching them, he recalled certain rumors and immediately sat up straight. He spoke first.
"You must be Lord Yuri Constantine."
Cheng Yu froze, and the 0-1 he controlled paused along with him. Then he replied,
"That's right. And you are?"
James smiled.
"I am a member of the Kurland United Kingdom's royal family. You may simply call me James, Lord Constantine."
What does a member of the royal family want with me? Cheng Yu wondered privately. Still, he said,
"Then may I ask what brings you here?"
James smiled.
"I have come on His Majesty the King's orders."
Cheng Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, then asked quietly,
"And what orders did your king give you?"
Rather than immediately answering Cheng Yu's question, James gestured to the person beside him.
One of the three visitors who had come with James removed her cloak, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face and silky, ink-black hair.
Cheng Yu was stunned. Holy shit, this girl is gorgeous. She was more beautiful than any woman he had seen across both worlds combined.
At the same time, Cheng Yu guessed why they had come. The same old trick most men fall for—a honey trap. But that won't shake my Will of Steel. 1 1✧
Still, Cheng Yu played dumb and asked,
"What is the meaning of this?"
James smiled.
"Allow me to introduce my niece, the Fourteenth Princess of the Kurland United Kingdom, the most dazzling pearl in our kingdom."
When Cheng Yu remained silent, James continued.
"My orders are to ask whether you would be willing to form an alliance with our nation, Lord Constantine. As a token of our sincerity, we offer you the most dazzling pearl of the Kurland Kingdom."
An alliance? Interesting. I'm just getting ready to farm, and you're already bringing me a hoe? But wouldn't agreeing outright make me look a little unsure of myself? With that thought, Cheng Yu continued sparring verbally with James.
"And your objective? As far as I know, the other powers wouldn't welcome a unified Northern Borderlands. Besides, I seem to have cut off one of your kingdom's sources of income."
James had prepared for this and continued,
"Precisely because the Northern Borderlands must not be unified. But when we lack the strength to change reality, we have no choice but to seek other solutions. Your effortless destruction of over nine hundred thousand soldiers of the Deep Sea Empire in just two days was more than enough to prove your forces' strength.
"Moreover, you dominate the Northern Borderlands and share a long border with our country. If we cannot defeat you, then an alliance is our best option for keeping our rear secure.
"As for our reasons..."
At this point, James smiled and continued,
"Haven't you also defused a ticking time bomb for us? Twilight Fortress is no longer the Deep Sea Empire's first target when it marches south.
"As for the slave trade, the Northern Borderlands are short on resources. I imagine you would be quite willing to exchange sea folk of little use to you for things you need.
"Compared with the losses we suffer whenever the sea folk attack Twilight Fortress, we would still come out ahead by trading the supplies you need for those sea folk."
Cheng Yu's reaction was, That makes so much sense that I honestly have no comeback.
Just then, James saw the spider-shaped steel monster flicker, and Cheng Yu's voice followed.
"Very well, Lord James. You've convinced me. But please take this dazzling pearl back with you. I'm afraid I'm not fortunate enough to accept her."
James smiled wryly.
"Lord Constantine, if you refuse to accept the Fourteenth Princess, how can we trust your sincerity?"
Cheng Yu sneered.
"Do you truly believe a single woman can maintain the relationship between two powers, Lord James? Without shared interests, no number of pearls can stop a knife in the back. Wouldn't you agree, Lord James?
"And this beautiful lady is your niece, isn't she? Please don't force this lovely princess to be with someone she doesn't like. I, Constantine, am a gentleman."
James faltered, then smiled wryly.
"You're right. But how can we be certain of our exchange of interests?"
Cheng Yu smiled.
"Didn't you already say it yourself? The Northern Borderlands are short on resources."
James assumed an expression of sudden understanding, then said,
"Since we are now allies, may I learn the name of your faction? That business about the Scourge you told the Deep Sea Empire was surely a joke."
Cheng Yu paused, then pretended to consider the question. Finally, he spoke slowly.
"Very well. Concealing our name from an ally would indeed be inappropriate. I am Yuri Constantine, Grand Inquisitor of the Mechanicus's Inquisition. By my god's command, I seek the heretics who stole the Divine Cult's sacred token."
Well, the big boss is the god worshipped by the Mechanicus, and Big Sis is the pope. Giving myself a title like Grand Inquisitor isn't going too far, right?
"The Mechanicus? Didn't you call yourself an apostle of the God of Primordial Darkness?"
Cheng Yu explained,
"The God of Primordial Darkness is merely one of my god's divine names. My humble self holds both positions."
Understanding dawned on James, and he rose.
"Then, Your Highness Constantine, I shall take my leave."
The 0-1 under Cheng Yu's control nodded.
"My apologies for meeting you in this manner. Next time, I will be sure to meet you in person."
James placed a hand over his chest.
"It would be my honor, Your Highness Constantine."
After the visitors had left, Cheng Yu mused,
"When I mentioned the Scourge, only those useless sea folk were there. Looks like the Deep Sea Empire has its share of turncoats, too."
James's party headed toward Twilight Fortress. James asked the other person accompanying him,
"Brother, why did we go to so much trouble? Couldn't we simply have given him the cold shoulder?"
The man pulled back his hood, revealing Kadrian. He spoke slowly.
"I intend to send the outside world a message. One that will leave them restless, yet afraid to act rashly."
James only half understood. He continued,
"Then how much truth is there to that Mechanicus he mentioned?"
Kadrian shook his head.
"Why should we care whether it's real? None of that concerns us. Real or fake, I have no interest in him. What does interest me is what our friends in the deep sea will do next."
Beside them, the Fourteenth Princess remained silent. Cheng Yu's words still filled her mind.
"Please don't force this lovely princess to be with someone she doesn't like. I, Constantine, am a gentleman."
How could a noble girl raised from childhood to believe that royalty must sacrifice everything for the nation withstand words like Cheng Yu's, born of an age of information overload?
And so, she privately became rather curious about this Constantine, whose face she had never seen.
Kadrian continued,
"It seems we'll have to reinforce Twilight Fortress's defenses once we return."
James froze and blurted out,
"Why?"
Kadrian gazed deeply at his younger half brother.
"James, do you want to know why I supported Red for the throne rather than you? And no, it wasn't because Red is my full brother."
The question left James bewildered. He believed he had been on very good terms with Kadrian among their brothers back then. If Red being Kadrian's full brother was not the reason, he truly could not understand why Kadrian had not supported him.
Seeing James at a loss for words, Kadrian smiled.
"Because although you are more talented than Red, your political judgment falls far short of his. Let me ask you this: after suffering such a crushing loss in the Northern Borderlands, do you think the Deep Sea Empire will try to regain its dignity?"
James finally understood.
"You mean the Deep Sea Empire will send troops again, brother-and a massive force at that."
Kadrian nodded.
"This time, it won't just be about numbers. The quality of their troops will probably increase severalfold as well. So whichever side wins, the battle will answer one question: if their armies turn toward Twilight Fortress, could they breach it?"
Kadrian's words left James drenched in cold sweat. He looked at Kadrian, wanting to say something more.
But Kadrian merely felt the breeze against his skin and murmured,
"The wind is rising. It seems a storm is coming, too."
Before you continue