Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2170 The future of armies

Creek

Kristan grabbed the two officials by the hand and walked out, his pace steady and unquestioning, while neither of them understood what was happening yet, their minds still trying to catch up with his sudden decision.

”......”

”Did he just say he would handle the Young Sector 99 war by himself?”

”Did Prime Minister Kristan reach the Nexus State without us knowing?”

”Even if he were a Law Dominator, he wouldnʼt be able to take on this war alone like he claims...”

”His mental health has become extremely troubling, this isnʼt something anyone can just shoulder alone.”

”Leave him to do as he wishes.” Zara finally spoke, her calm voice cutting through the rising noise and drawing all attention toward her at once.

”But, my lady!!” almost everyone spoke at once, their voices overlapping in urgency, still unable to take his words seriously even now.

”Uncle Kristan did not obtain his position by luck, he was directly appointed by His Majesty,” Zara spoke calmly, her expression composed, ”and he has proven time and time again that he is worthy of the responsibility placed upon him. Uncle Kristan can solve the empireʼs problems with ease, so be patient with him in this matter as well.”

”...As you command, Your Highness,” everyone responded, their faces filled with unease and restrained doubt.

Even though Kristan had indeed proven himself many times in the past, his reckless and unpredictable style always pushed their trust in him dangerously close to zero.

”Good then,” Zara spoke again, her voice softer now, carrying a faint trace of fatigue, ”since the problem has been resolved, I will take my leave.”

In truth, Zara was hiding it well, but she felt a deep irritation stirring inside her. She had come today for nothing, she had not needed to say a single word throughout the entire meeting... her projects had been paused for a while without any real reason, and that alone was enough to frustrate her.

”Sister Zara, please wait a moment.” Emily stood up first and respectfully gestured for Zara to remain in her place, then sat down again with a composed expression, ”there is something we need you to clarify for everyone here.”

”...And that is?” Zara settled back into her seat, her gaze steady as she looked at Emily.

Emily continued calmly and seriously, her tone turning more focused: ”the progress of the Sovereignty Note.”

”.....” all attendees slightly frowned at once and turned toward Zara, their expressions tightening with expectation.

The Sovereignty Note project had been open for development for several centuries, consuming an enormous amount of resources, manpower, and attention, even with the Greed Crucibles that Zara was working on and the vast number of researchers dedicating themselves to it day and night without rest.

As for the Crucible projects, the empire had managed to secure enough resources to create several new ones thanks to its private trade network, and they were currently being constructed without pause. Within a few years, or even months if progress continued smoothly, the total number would reach 15 first-generation Greed Crucibles.

There was also an ambitious parallel project aimed at creating crucibles using fewer resources and cheaper materials, a direction that demanded constant experimentation, and this project alone was draining a massive amount of funds and materials through continuous daily trials and failures.

The Greed Crucible projects were undeniably among the most ambitious ever attempted, and if they were to become known across the cosmos, they would undoubtedly spark wars against countless factions. Yet despite all of that, they were neither the largest nor the most demanding in terms of funding, protection, and secrecy.

Not even the new-generation War Lords project that Jabba and Klein had already begun could compare.

Nor the large-scale initiatives focused on mass-producing talismans and paper curses with industrial efficiency.

The Sovereignty Note project stood above them all.

”...If she had a Sovereignty Note-type vessel, we wouldnʼt have needed this meeting today,” Emily said calmly while locking eyes with Zara, ”according to the vesselʼs schematics, we could use just one to conquer all those sectors without issue, without even slowing down.”

”...That is true,” Zara nodded slightly, her expression unchanged, ”but do not place your hopes on it anytime soon. We still need decades before it can even begin to fly, let alone operate at full capacity.”

”But why?” Emily asked, her brows drawing together, ”didnʼt His Majesty resolve all its major issues? Is there something else still blocking the path forward?” Then Emily gestured around her at everyone present, ”is there anything we can do to assist Sky Opening City in accelerating the process?”

Everyone nodded firmly, their expressions filled with determination, clearly ready to contribute whatever was required.

If Her Highness Zara were to request anything for the sake of the Sovereignty Note, they would secure it no matter the cost, without hesitation and without even considering the consequences.

”....” Zara nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful, she now fully understood why Emily had insisted on her attendance, it was not merely for information, but to lift the spirits of the senior officials, to give them a clear direction, a goal to move toward, hope to hold onto… because the current situation demanded hope more than anything else.

So she opened her mouth and began, her tone steady: ”The Sovereignty Note was once an illogical, fleeting idea, something that would have been dismissed outright in any rational discussion. The concept was a vessel that would act as the leader of an armada, a vessel capable of withstanding direct attacks from someone at the Law Domination Realm, a vessel that could dominate an entire sector on its own without relying on external support.”

”...But of course, there were countless obstacles,” she continued, her voice growing heavier, ”the most important among them were the materials capable of resisting a Law Dominatorʼs attacks, and the energy source powerful enough to move such an enormous vessel, sustain its operation, power its defensive arrays, and at the very least fire cannons capable of threatening individuals at the peak of the Nexus State.”

”...For centuries, we failed to find a complete solution to these problems,” Zara said, pausing briefly, ”but we did achieve progress, slow and costly as it was.”

She continued, ”For instance, regarding materials, construction of the prototype has already begun at a classified site within the Mid Sector 99, where we can take full advantage of all available resources within the mid belt, along with every piece of planetary-grade equipment available for forging and reinforcing the structure. This effort is part of a joint project with Sky Opening City, under the supervision of Brother Shaddad.”

”...We significantly increased the scale of the vessel,” she went on, ”and designed massive storage systems for Pearls and emeralds, systems that alone occupy nearly three-quarters of the vesselʼs total volume. Alongside that, we developed specialized arrays to ensure efficient energy consumption and controlled output. These storage systems and arrays are capable of holding up to 10 billion Pearls with ease, and can sustain combat conditions against a Law Dominator and multiple Nexus State experts for a full ten minutes without collapse.”

”Wow..” several advisors and generals could not contain their reaction, their mouths opening in disbelief and excitement, some even exchanging stunned glances.

A vessel capable of enduring a Law Dominator and multiple Nexus State fighters for several minutes… such a concept had never been realized before, such vessels would normally only exist in the possession of Behemoths who had ruled their sectors for millions upon millions of years.

”...Even the issue of weaponry has seen remarkable advancement,” Zara continued, not giving them time to fully process, ”we managed to expand the energy extraction arrays that draw power from soldiers, refining them to a scale that allows us to house one million soldiers within the Sovereignty Note. Their energy can be continuously extracted and channeled, while simultaneously infusing the cannons with law power, resulting in a combined destructive force sufficient to injure a half-step Law Dominator and force them into retreat.”

The room grew even quieter as her words sank in, the weight of such power becoming increasingly clear.

”After all of that,” she said, her tone lowering slightly, ”we sent the designs to my father so he could review them and leave his final mark, perhaps provide a last refinement that would complete the project…”

She slowed down as she noticed the shining, expectant eyes around her, then revealed a faint, tired smile, one that carried both pride and exhaustion, ”...but he said it was far too weak to be called the Sovereignty Note, and he canceled everything we had achieved.”

”Everything?!” the entire room reacted at once, eyes widening, disbelief written across every face.

”Almost everything,” Zara corrected calmly, nodding once, ”and in its place, he gave us a completely new set of ideas, recommendations, and even direct requirements that must be implemented into what he designated as Prototype Model Zero.”

”Does that mean the Sovereignty Note project has returned to zero?” Emily asked, her voice noticeably weaker than before, as if the ground beneath her expectations had been pulled away.

It was no wonder that Sky Opening City had isolated itself for years, consuming an unimaginable amount of resources, far exceeding even the already massive demands of the Greed Crucibles by several times over.

”Almost,” Zara replied, her voice steady once more, ”but there is a bright side to this situation.”

She paused briefly, allowing the tension to settle, before continuing, ”While giving his revisions and requirements, my father unintentionally gave birth to an entirely new concept… the foundation of what we now classify as the fifth generation of Note-class vessels.”

Then she smiled, a faint but meaningful smile, ”...and when we complete everything, when all of this reaches its final form, we will not simply possess a single new vessel…”

Her gaze swept across the room, meeting the eyes of every listener.

”...we will possess an entirely new army.”