Chapter 160: A Casual Conversation (About a Certain Duke)
Amagio Salmon, or rather, Duke Amagio Silverhead, was energetically engaged in his activities.
He was deeply concerned about the future of the Kingdom of Repuitari, his stronghold.
Currently, the Kingdom of Repuitari was experiencing rapid growth, akin to a bird soaring through the sky. This remarkable progress was largely attributed to the expansion of its navy.
Compared to neighboring nations, the naval power of the Kingdom of Repuitari was exceptionally high—two or three heads above the rest. The technological gap was estimated to be over a century. This estimation came from a certain superpower, and thus, its analysis was likely accurate.
As a result, the kingdom continued to thrive through the one-sided plundering of wealth from surrounding nations.
However, this momentum would eventually hit a ceiling. Simply taking without giving back could not sustain growth indefinitely. For the next ten years, there would be no issues. For twenty years, the existing reserves would suffice. But what would happen thirty years from now?
A nation that had drained wealth from its neighbors would starve if its supply lines were cut off.
Thus, Duke Amagio Silverhead decided to take action. While he could easily manipulate the navy with his power, a nation does not operate solely on naval strength. The army, which was crucial for national defense, the various government offices responsible for domestic control, and the police force maintaining public order—all these entities needed to work together organically for the nation to function healthily. Above all, free trade protected by order was of utmost importance. Without a thriving economy, sustainable growth was impossible.
What was first needed was the power to enforce reform decisively. To that end, Duke Silverhead allied with influential figures in the navy and took control of the domestic noble houses. He reclaimed the dispersed power and restored centralization centered around the royal family.
The nobility in the Kingdom of Repuitari had already begun to lose their influence as modernization took root. Understanding this reality, the heads of noble houses willingly submitted to the military and integrated into an organization led by the royal bloodline.
Those nobles who resisted were crushed by the navy. Or rather, it was Amagio Salmon who single-handedly dealt with them. Mobilizing the navy would draw too much attention, and there was a risk of the army, guards, or even the noble’s private soldiers intervening. Therefore, he only hinted at the navy’s involvement. In reality, Amagio Salmon infiltrated their strongholds and physically intimidated the heads into pledging their loyalty.
This was what one might call a “Kachikomi.”
Or perhaps not.
In any case, he successfully brought the major noble houses under his control, allowing the royal family to reclaim the power that had been scattered. The declining influence of the nobility in the Kingdom of Repuitari was one of the reasons this series of events concluded so smoothly.
Next came the persuasion of the royal family. Historically, the current king had been supported by Amagio Salmon and his companions—primarily the current naval officers—during the kingdom’s tumultuous past. The prince, who had been a boy at the time, had grown into a wise and capable king, and above all, he held a deep gratitude towards Amagio Salmon.
As a reward for his service, the title of Duke Silverhead was bestowed upon Amagio. The king, weary of power struggles, granted him permission to be exiled to the borderlands.
This time, the Duke’s actions were fully understood and supported by the king. After all, his own power was expanding, so there was no need for him to openly oppose the Duke. The only concern was that the kingdom might be manipulated by Duke Silverhead, but it was deemed more problematic to disregard a man who had played such a pivotal role in the kingdom’s founding.
Thus, the foundation for centralization was laid. The practical matters would be addressed by advancing the domestic railway construction project. Once the railways were operational, the speed of information exchange between the provinces and the capital would dramatically improve. Additionally, it would enable the accumulation and redistribution of resources, significantly enhancing the domestic distribution network.
Amagio decided to infuse the power of super science into this endeavor. More precisely, he sought advice from Paraiso and, under their guidance, succeeded in developing large machinery and manufacturing equipment.
They began mass-producing groundbreaking construction machinery capable of completing in one hour what would typically take a hundred workers an entire day. Factories were established to produce durable rails and various metal components like screws and nails. The technological prowess that would normally require extensive trial and error was forcibly enhanced through external knowledge.
In this way, the reform of the domestic industrial foundation was underway, and the Kingdom of Repuitari was set on the path of modernization.
The driving force behind this industrial growth was the navy led by Duke Amagio Silverhead and the merchant guilds under their umbrella. Naturally, their influence and financial power expanded at an accelerating pace. The ones who suffered were the merchant guilds that had distanced themselves and enjoyed a cozy relationship with the army. It was only natural, as the kingdom was actively working to cut them off.
The guards who meddled were swiftly dealt with, and the assassination plot against Duke Amagio Silverhead was thoroughly thwarted, with many of the perpetrators and their associates facing judgment. It was rumored that the infamous Paraiso had played a significant role in this grand operation. The aging group of traditionalists, the Legendary Senate, had put up quite a fight, but one by one, its members disappeared, leading to a natural disbandment.
Despite possessing enough power to influence the king’s will, they were no match for a duke capable of twisting even the king’s intentions. That was the reality of the situation.
Incidentally, there were rumors of a merchant guild sending their private soldiers to target Duke Amagio Silverhead’s Achilles’ heel in the village where he resided. However, nothing came of it, and only the private soldiers vanished. Amagio learned of this from the guild that had attempted the operation, but he had received no such report. He had been vigilant against the common tactic of attacking his weaknesses, and thus, the navy had dispatched a guard unit. Yet, there had been no disturbances whatsoever.
He had only one suspicion, but the individuals in question claimed ignorance of the matter. They merely stated that they had eliminated armed groups that were obstructing their activities, prompting him to wisely remain silent. It seemed they had already infiltrated the kingdom, possessing the power to eliminate dozens of individuals without leaving a trace.
With no means to address this situation, he had no choice but to resign himself to it. It appeared that they were not only operating ships but also aircraft. Although he had not directly confirmed it, he had heard rumors of glowing moving objects in the sky and mysterious distant sounds. It was easy for Amagio, possessing knowledge, to connect this phenomenon with the emergence of these individuals.
“Good evening, Amagio-san.”
“Oh, good evening. Do you have any interesting stories for me today?”
“Hmmm, well, I’m still working on the analysis of magic, but honestly, it seems like it will take a while longer. How about you?”
“Well, I suppose the large steam engine we’ve been developing using the Redstone you supplied is finally starting to operate.”
“Oh, right. You mentioned that last time too. Is everything going smoothly?”
“Yeah, pretty much. The purity of the Redstone is sufficient, and we should be able to secure the precision of our machinery with the steel and parts supplied from your end. Truly, we owe a lot to Paraiso.”
“That’s good to hear. If you encounter any issues, feel free to consult me. As fellow transferees, I’ll give you a discount.”
“Wait, are you actually going to charge me?”
“Of course! There’s nothing more frightening than free aid, right? I’m already giving you a substantial discount, so it’s only fair.”
“…Hmph, well, that’s true. From my perspective, it feels like I’m just taking, but if you say so, I’ll let it be.”
“Geez, come on. At least we’re not losing anything, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
“Is that so? Well, I apologize. Thank you, as always. If there’s anything I can assist you with, please let me know. I’ll do my best to accommodate.”
“Really? Oh, then I’ve decided to send my daughter over to you soon. Would you mind keeping her company?”
“…Daughter?”
“Yes. Well, to be precise, she’s an android equipped with artificial intelligence. It’s a good opportunity for her to gain experience. Ringo has assured me that the security there is adequate.”
“Security…? I mean, the royal capital is still quite chaotic. Are you sure it’s really okay?”
“Absolutely! I’ll send guards with her, and I want her to start experiencing the outside world. I can’t move yet, but at the very least, I want her to.”
“…I see. If that’s the case, leave it to me. I can assign a caretaker, and if necessary, I can prepare a residence for her.”
“Really? Then I’ll ask for that as well. I’ll provide more details next time. Or perhaps I should formally request it through diplomatic channels.”
“Understood. It would be strange for me to bring it up, so please go through a diplomat. I’ll handle the preparations on my end.”