The Duke’s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military

Translator: Pai_

"But what was that small warp from earlier?"

When Iron asked curiously, Liam Maldini answered with a smile.

"It's a simple warp. It's part of one of the current projects. We're in the process of installing 30 simple warp magic circles in the capital as a trial. The fare is a bit expensive, but it was created for people with busy schedules. Once it becomes more widespread, the price is expected to gradually decrease."

Simple warp circles installed throughout the capital.

He seemed confident that it would make movement within the capital even faster.

And that wasn't the end of it.

With the help of the Otherworlders, transportation methods such as trains, magical vehicles, and airships were being rapidly improved.

That was becoming the foundation for the swift movement of supplies.

"We may not be comparable to those who are fighting with their lives in the Northeast, but we are doing our best in our own way."

At Liam Maldini's words, Iron gave a small nod.

It was evident just by looking at his face that he was truly putting in effort.

In the short time it took to reach the governor, he explained how the capital had changed and how the Central Government was preparing for the upcoming war.

Just by listening to that, one could realize that the Central Government wasn't merely idling around.

And the reason this explanation felt even more trustworthy was because the changes could be felt in the scenery briefly glimpsed at the warp gate.

"This is the Governor's Office."

At Liam Maldini's words, Iron looked at the Governor's Office.

The architectural style, far from luxurious, pursued efficiency above all.

As they entered such a building, a secretary came out to guide Iron.

Upon entering the governor's office located on the topmost floor, Governor Chevara jumped to his feet and rushed over in a hurry.

The enthusiastic welcome from Governor Chevara felt so intense that one might wonder if this was what it meant to be welcomed with open arms in this world.

"Welcome! We've been expecting you."

At Governor Chevara's overly enthusiastic welcome, the secretary turned his head as if embarrassed, and even Liam Maldini, who always had a smile, looked away for a brief moment.

"Ha… haha… thank you for the warm welcome."

At Governor Chevara's unexpectedly enthusiastic invitation, he sat down on the sofa.

"I did receive notice that you were coming, but I didn't expect you to arrive so soon."

"Since the matter is urgent, I had no choice but to come immediately."

As Iron said that, he looked at Governor Chevara with a serious expression.

"How are things in the West?"

"Phew… Honestly, we couldn't obtain detailed information. Especially the central region of the Holy Alliance in the West is so tightly controlled that we couldn't even attempt to extract intelligence."

At Governor Chevara's words, Iron looked at him with a surprised expression.

"It's that bad?"

"Yes. They thoroughly inspect everyone, conduct their own ideological verification tests, and even subject people to surveillance by Inquisitors… there was no room to insert anyone from the Intelligence Unit."

At the governor's words, Iron nodded gravely.

The fanatical belief of those who gathered around the central figure of a god.

Because of the surveillance system that exploited such faith, they had formed an extremely closed society.

That meant at least in terms of intelligence warfare, they were at a disadvantage.

Since they could not pursue the same closed-off approach as the enemy, information was bound to leak one way or another.

'We've already lost the intelligence war. That means the standard move would be to apply massive pressure to force them out…'

However, with the empire's major forces gathered in the Northeast and even the ancient species still unresolved, opening up another front would be a poor choice.

Even so, it felt uncomfortable to just sit by doing nothing.

"I wanted to at least know why the enemy suddenly started moving, but due to the inherently closed nature of the Holy Alliance's territory, there's not much we've found out. One thing is certain…"

The governor got up from his seat, opened a drawer, and handed Iron a document.

"It seems the enemy wants to go to war with us."

Iron looked at the well-organized information along with a photo taken using a magical device, and his expression grew serious.

What was captured in the photo was a unique type of airship developed by the Holy Alliance that looked like it was ready to go to war at any moment, but the more horrifying part was that they had joined hands with the birdmen.

Just as the empire used the Drake Knights to escort airships, they used the birdmen to escort their large airships.

"This… is this real?"

"…Yes."

Iron pointed at what was captured in the photo, unable to believe it.

What was in the photo was a massive floating structure.

A photo that captured a massive floating structure that looked like an entire island had risen from the sea showed a fortress built on it, and hundreds of the massive airships seen in the first photo were visible in small scale around it.

"What do you think of the Intelligence Unit's analysis?"

At the governor's question, Iron remained silent for a moment.

The Intelligence Unit had concluded that the enemy would likely declare war in the near future.

Iron thought the same.

However, there was a difference in the timing.

While the Intelligence Unit believed they might declare war immediately, Iron disagreed.

"A war may break out in the near future… but I don't think they will start a war immediately like the Intelligence Unit expects."

At Iron's thoughts, both the governor and Liam Maldini, who stood beside him, looked surprised.

"May I ask why?"

"Because of the system."

At Iron's reply, both men widened their eyes.

"The battle against the ancient species is not yet completely over. In my opinion, the second story of the apocalypse, which is the battle against the ancient species, must conclude before the Holy Alliance begins to move."

At his response, the governor wetted his dry lips and spoke to Iron.

"Please explain a bit more."

At the governor's request, Iron gave a small nod and began explaining the basis for his belief one by one.

1. There is a high possibility that interference from external gods is restricted by the system.

2. The core military strength of the Holy Alliance is likely tied to external gods.

3. The Holy Alliance is also likely receiving rewards or quests through the system and will act in accordance with the system's intentions.

4. Their current movements are likely in preparation for the start of the third story.

At Iron's explanation, the governor and the deputy director of the Intelligence Unit fell into deep thought.

His words clearly had merit, and because this was the opinion of Iron, an expert on the apocalypse, it was convincing. However, since it was in stark contrast to the Intelligence Unit's assessment, they couldn't help but worry.

If the Intelligence Unit was right, then the entire empire had to start mobilizing soldiers immediately and enter a state of national emergency.

But if Iron was right, then they could take more time to prepare for war.

"Phew… it seems difficult to make an immediate decision."

"I understand."

Iron nodded, indicating his understanding.

Even he would have found it difficult to decide easily.

After deliberating for a while, Iron decided to discuss it with the parliament first. Once his work at the governor's office was finished, he stood up from his seat.

"Will you return to the Northeast right away?"

"No. I plan to stay in the central region for now and observe the situation."

"Ah…"

At the unexpected answer, the governor and the deputy director of the Intelligence Unit looked at him in a daze.

Seeing the thoughts reflected in their eyes, Iron smiled gently and said,

"If there's anything I can help with, please call me."

"Ah… uh… yes!"

At Governor Chevara's flustered nod and response, Liam Maldini shook his head in disbelief and exited the governor's office with Iron.

"There seems to be a lot of work."

As Iron quietly looked at Liam's face and spoke, he made a bitter expression.

Both the governor and Liam had dark circles under their eyes and looked worn out from fatigue.

"There is indeed a lot of work… but in truth, it's more because work has piled up due to opposition."

"Opposition? Are the nobles opposing a lot?"

At Iron's question, Liam made a bitter expression.

"Their opposition was expected. In fact, given the current situation, most of them are cooperating."

"Then…"

"The reformist faction is the problem."

At Liam's words, Iron's eyes widened.

His expression seemed to ask, 'Aren't you on the same side?'

Reading the question in his eyes, Liam gave a bitter smile and spoke.

"At first, they united to destroy the nobles' power… but now, they've split according to their own interests."

As he spoke with a bitter expression, Iron silently looked at him.

Then Liam gave a brief explanation.

Currently, the composition of the parliament had shifted from the early Reformist faction versus the Nobles' Faction structure, and was now divided into the Nobles' Faction, the Merchants' Union, the Artisans' Union, and the Free Union.

The largest faction was the Nobles' Faction, and while the reformist faction had split, recently, some members of the Nobles' Faction had begun joining the Merchants' Union or the Artisans' Union depending on personal gain.

Thus, there were currently three major powers within the parliament.

1. The Conservative Union, centered around the Nobles' Faction.

2. The Emerging Forces, such as the Merchants' Union and the Artisans' Union, who pursued only profit.

3. The Reformist Faction, which sought to carry on the original intent of the revolution.

"Thanks to the Governor's constant mediation, things have barely been held together…"

"There must be a lot of discord."

Iron nodded as if he understood.

Due to the overwhelming power of the military, they were unable to interfere much with the supply of military goods. But beyond that, there were strong movements to pursue only their own interests.

"Is it that serious?"

"There are times when even the Nobles' Faction helps the Governor."

If even the Nobles' Faction, usually on the opposite side of Governor Chevara, was helping, the situation was more serious than expected.

After listening to Liam's lament for a while, Iron headed toward the temporary lodging arranged for him directly by the Governor.

He had achieved the minimum purpose of his visit, so he was now planning to think about his next move.

At that moment, someone from the parliament came running toward him.

"Sir Iron!"

Iron turned his head at the voice calling him from afar, and saw a young man approaching.

"Huff… huff… thank you for stopping."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Pierre Welch. I'm the Chairman of the Merchants' Union, affiliated with the reformist faction."

"Ah…"

Iron gave a small nod at his introduction.

"I have something to say."

At his words, Iron slightly frowned.

It was only natural, considering what he had just heard earlier.

But excessive prejudice wasn't good, so he decided to follow him for now.

The conversation they had in a small tea house he was led to was unexpected.

"Please help us. If the imperial railway network can be perfectly completed, support for military supplies will be much faster. Then we'll be able to prepare for upcoming battles more quickly."

At Pierre's words, Iron didn't give an immediate answer and said he would think about it.

The proposal was simple.

They wanted help in using land owned by the nobility and parts of the government, currently designated for other purposes, to build the railway network.

In return, they offered priority use of the railways during wartime.

Hearing them say they would give up their own profits, Iron became confused.

It was different from what Liam had said.

They were certainly acting out of self-interest.

But they were also clearly aware that simply pursuing profit wouldn't allow them to survive in the era of apocalypse.

Thus, they were making huge investments with funds collected by the association into facilities for war preparation.

What they prioritized most in preparation for war was the distribution network.

Trains that could carry more cargo more efficiently.

Larger airships.

Development of warp gates.

Through all of this, they were trying to build a dense distribution network throughout the empire.

'There's nothing wrong.'

From what Iron heard, there was nothing incorrect in his words.

Unlike what Liam Maldini had said, Pierre Welch was an enlightened intellectual.

He clearly knew what was important.

Of course, during the conversation, there were moments where he spoke as if some sacrifices were inevitable, which showed a selfish side. But considering the era of destruction, it was understandable.

'He's not a villain.'

Thinking that, Iron frowned.

He wasn't someone who acted purely for personal gain, but someone with a clear will for the future.

That's why Iron couldn't help but fall into deeper thought.

'Whose words are right?'

This internal conflict only intensified when he met another person.

It was none other than Dennis Feltro, the chairman of the Artisans' Union.

***

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