Technical consultant and naval lieutenant commander

It had all begun half a year earlier, when Kronos was nearing the end of his university years.

An immensely powerful nobleman had come to Backlund University to seek out Portland, hoping that the mechanical engineering expert, renowned throughout the scientific community, would serve as technical consultant on a special project.

That nobleman was Pallas Negan, Duke Negan, leader of the Conservative Party and elder brother of the prime minister. The project was the ironclad project.

Portland naturally had no reason to refuse such an epoch-making project, but he made one request: he wanted to bring one of his students along as an assistant.

Duke Negan left nothing to chance. Before inviting Portland, he had thoroughly investigated his connections, so the moment Portland mentioned his student, he knew whom he meant. Naturally, Kronos's identity was no secret to him either.

Three or four hundred years ago, the Negan and Argel families had not quite been enemies, but their relationship had certainly been poor. After so many years, however, whatever grievances they had held had long since faded away.

Duke Negan would certainly welcome an opportunity to establish ties with the Argel Family, or even bring them into his camp.

Only his secretary, Lockhard Siakam, and his son, Philip Negan, had accompanied Duke Negan that day. Naturally, he entrusted this task to his son.

"Philip, go to Backlund Library and find someone called the Library Oddball. He's Professor Portland's prized student. Invite him over." As Duke Negan spoke, Portland understood his intentions, but did not intervene. This would not be a bad thing for Kronos either.

Philip, however, was puzzled. No matter how he looked at it, this sort of errand should have fallen to the secretary, Lockhard. Still, he did not object.

For one thing, as worshippers of the Lord of Storms, they granted the head of the family absolute authority, and defiance was not tolerated. For another, Philip was Duke Negan's only son, so the duke had no reason to set him up.

Thus, Philip obediently left the office and followed the route he remembered toward Backlund Library.

"Your Excellency, Kronos's identity is no secret to you. Will there be any trouble if he appears in public now?" Kronos had never concealed his identity from Portland, and as a renowned scholar, Portland also knew the Argel Family's history.

Duke Negan smiled. "More than three hundred years have passed. If there were going to be any problems, they would have arisen long ago. Nothing has happened because there are no problems."

He continued, "To be frank, the Argel Family is probably the family the royal household trusts most these days. The Royal Bank of Loen is the royal household's private preserve. Even Earl Hall can only hold an advisory position, but the Argel Family holds actual shares."

In truth, Portland understood all this himself. Otherwise, he would never have brought Kronos into the public eye. He had asked that question merely to make conversation.

Philip had visited Backlund University's library before, so he soon reached its entrance.

Stopping a student who was about to enter, Philip politely asked, "Sir, do you happen to know who the Library Oddball is? Where can I find him?"

The student, who had initially stopped only because of Philip's clothing and bearing, suddenly became interested.

"Sir, you're looking for the oddball? Come with me, then." Without another word, the student led Philip into the library, introducing him as they walked.

"The Library Oddball is a fourth-year student in the Mechanical Engineering Department. Nobody knows his name, and he never speaks. He might be mute. He always has a strip of cloth tied over his mouth, and that's why people who don't know his name call him the oddball."

"I've heard he's a genius. He learned four years' worth of material in a single year, then stayed in the library studying other subjects on his own. People say Professor Portland took him as a student because he's so gifted. That part probably isn't just a rumor. Even I've seen Professor Portland come to the library to find him."

The student soon brought Philip to Kronos. His incessant chatter stopped as well; after all, talking about someone behind his back required a different kind of courage from saying it to his face.

Even without an introduction, Philip immediately recognized this eccentric "oddball."

"Hello, I'm Philip Negan. Professor Portland sent me to bring you to see him." Philip's manners were impeccable.

Although Kronos did not know Philip personally, he had naturally heard the name. He nodded, put away the books he had been reading, then gestured for Philip to lead the way.

The two soon arrived at Portland's office. It was quiet inside. A seasoned politician like Duke Negan was adept at conversation, but he had not tried to engage Portland, who was absorbed in reading the documents on the ironclad.

When he saw them enter, Duke Negan even rose to shake Kronos's hand.

"Hello, Kronos. I've heard about you for quite some time. You can call me Uncle Negan. The last time I saw your father, he looked exactly as you do now."

Had this been the present-day Kronos, he would certainly have grumbled inwardly, My father only looked like this before he turned twenty-three. Are you sure that counts as the last time you met? Surely you mean the only time!

Through Duke Negan's introduction, Philip learned that Kronos was the heir to Marquis Argyle, and understood his father's intentions.

Kronos did not immediately accept Duke Negan and Professor Portland's proposal that he serve as an assistant. Instead, he indicated that he would go home and discuss it with his father before answering. Both men had expected this.

That evening, Kronos returned to Argyle Manor and discussed the matter with Marquis Argyle.

Marquis Argyle's judgment matched Duke Negan's. If there were any problems with the family, they would have surfaced long ago. The crisis of those years had long since passed. It was simply that successive heirs had had no interest in politics, so they had never intended to return to public life.

In the end, the marquis left Kronos to decide for himself.

Kronos was equally uninterested in returning to public life, but that did not mean he had no interest in the ironclad. This was an epoch-making feat of engineering. Thus, the next day, he accepted and became Professor Portland's assistant.

The ironclad was a major classified project, so its construction yard naturally could not be in an ordinary location. It was at the Royal Navy Base on Rubber Island, in Pritz Harbor, several dozen kilometers southeast of Backlund.

Professor Portland only needed to spend one day a week there, providing some technical guidance. Kronos accompanied him to learn these practical skills.

The Royal Navy Base was a gathering place for nobles. With Philip there, Kronos's identity soon spread through their small circle.

Every time he visited, several nobles came to call on him. They were either officers at the naval base or participants in the ironclad project, all there to burnish their credentials.

Kronos disliked such social engagements, but could only grit his teeth and endure them.

Half a year passed quickly. On Kronos's most recent visit to the Royal Navy Base, Philip had given him a piece of news, which was also the reason for his return home this time.

At Duke Negan's urging, the Royal Navy Base had decided to formally appoint Kronos as technical consultant to the project, while also granting him the naval rank of lieutenant commander.

There was no question that such a minor matter posed no difficulty for the Negan family. The proposal passed swiftly. The only reason they had waited half a year to do this was Kronos himself.

Whether as a technical consultant or a naval lieutenant commander, he could hardly take up his post while acting mute. It would have been different if he truly were mute, but he was not.

Duke Negan had therefore calculated the timing, planning to announce it after Kronos's speech-ban period ended. Neither the Argel Family's Mystery Pryer Pathway nor its prohibition on speaking was a secret to the old noble families.

Kronos feared that Professor Portland might feel uncomfortable, since he would suddenly be placed on equal footing with him, so the professor was the first person he approached about it.

But the professor said that Duke Negan had already discussed the matter with him. How could a seasoned politician handle things so tactlessly?

Then, once his work at the naval base ended that evening, Kronos hurried back to Backlund overnight and told his father everything.

The purpose was clear: the Negan family wanted to bring the Argel Family aboard. Since Duke Negan could not reach its other members, the best approach was to bestow favors on Kronos.

And he bestowed those favors directly, without any advance notice, leaving no room for refusal. In effect, they were being tied to him without a choice.

Such a tactic would have been difficult to use against other nobles, since every family had its own channels of information.

But it was highly effective against the Argel Family. They had been absent from politics for so long that such information was difficult for them to obtain.

The next day, Kronos stayed at the manor. Marquis Argyle, on the other hand, went into Backlund to sound out the various parties, only returning late that night.

And this morning, Marquis Argyle had told him all this.

"Will everything really be all right? I'm afraid Duke Negan is maneuvering against our family," Kronos signed.

"It will. As long as I don't step forward, none of these issues will escalate to that level. But there is something you'll need to handle carefully."

Kronos said nothing, merely showing his father with his eyes that he was listening.

"You'll need to end your speech-ban period early today. Fortunately, it's only a few days early. Then take the Melee Scholar potion."

"You'll need to return to Backlund by yourself tomorrow. The New Party has heard about you too, and many people will come to visit. You'll have to manage the balance between the two factions carefully."