Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1161 1161: Opening the doors of development in the Empire-1

Another Month Later – Planet Jura – Near the Unfinished Imperial Capital

BAM!

”Ridiculous!” Caesar slammed his right hand on the table, his expression filled with frustration. His left hand clutched a long scroll, which he then waved in the air as if trying to vent his irritation physically. ”Is Emily messing with me on purpose? How in the world am I supposed to be satisfied with just this?!”

”Is it really that bad?” Alexander, standing beside him, calmly extended his hand, silently requesting the scroll from Caesar.

Alexander was not just Caesarʼs first assistant— he was, for all intents and purposes, the unofficial Supreme General for an extended period. In the early years of Caesarʼs reign as Supreme General, he had left nearly all administrative and executive matters in Alexanderʼs capable hands, only choosing to appear when it was time for battle.

This was because, in those early days, Caesar had still been struggling with the severe side effects of the Major Law of Death. He kept his distance from others, preferring isolation. He had always believed that his father had given him a role he had no desire to fulfill. All he had ever wanted was to remain in the shadows, standing by his fatherʼs side as his protector, nothing more. Many turbulent thoughts clouded his mind back then, keeping him from assuming any real leadership role. In the wake of this, Alexander had been forced to step up and take on responsibilities far greater than what his official title dictated.

That was why, after Aro successfully resolved the crisis on Planet R-1, Alexander had rushed back to Jura to resume his duties, only to be utterly taken aback by what he found. He had expected the usual, but instead, he was greeted by the sight of Caesar implementing grand, ambitious plans—plans that were already in motion. The most shocking part was the change in Caesar himself. He no longer seemed like a man weighed down by doubt and hesitation. Instead, he radiated determination, his mind sharp, his actions precise. It was as if he had transformed into an entirely different person overnight!

”See for yourself.” Caesar exhaled sharply as he handed the scroll to Alexander, clearly trying to keep his temper in check. ”The budget for the Empire of Tomorrow plan has only been increased threefold. Threefold! Can you believe such stinginess?!”

”This…” Alexander furrowed his brows, carefully scanning the document. ”Am I missing something? Your original plan relied on taking a share of the empireʼs available resources. Now that your allotted portion has tripled, why are you upset? If anything, this is a massive boost. And wait—where did all this additional funding even come from?”

The Empire of Tomorrow project that Caesar had envisioned was a grand endeavor. It was not just a political or economic reform—it was an all-encompassing vision for the future of the empire. On one hand, the project had a strong ideological component, which required decades of work by specialized organizations to reshape the very identity of the empire. On the other hand, it had an extraordinarily demanding material aspect. Caesarʼs goal was nothing short of revolutionary—he wanted to build several magnificent, fortified cities across every planet under imperial rule.

According to his vision, each city needed to embody the empireʼs splendor, showcasing the pinnacle of their technological, architectural, and defensive capabilities. He wanted every single one of these cities to rival, if not surpass, the grandeur and security of the old Imperial Capital itself! It was an audacious vision—one that required unimaginable amounts of resources.

Naturally, funding such a colossal endeavor had been a major point of contention. When Caesar first presented his idea, Emily, the Head of the Imperial Treasury, personally confronted him. What followed was a heated argument that lasted hours. Emily had been adamant—if Caesar pursued this plan without restrictions, he would bleed the imperial coffers dry!

In the end, after a long and tense negotiation, she had begrudgingly granted him a limited budget, enough to construct a single city of this scale on each planet. It had been a frustrating compromise for Caesar, but he had accepted it as a starting point.

Now, however, there was an unexpected development. A sudden tripling of the allocated budget was no small matter. This change alone would give the Empire of Tomorrow initiative an unprecedented boost. With this increase, the project could progress at a pace far beyond what had initially been planned. Alexander couldnʼt help but feel a surge of excitement at the possibilities. His mind was already racing with potential adjustments to their strategy, ideas that could maximize the impact of this newly available funding.

So why, then, was Caesar angry?

”Oh?” Caesar suddenly let out a chuckle, his frustration momentarily replaced by amusement. ”Havenʼt you read the reports about what was found in the five vaults on Poison Rock Planet?”

Alexander blinked. ”The vaults? No, I havenʼt had the chance yet. Why? Did they contain something unexpected?”

Caesarʼs eyes gleamed with a mixture of excitement and exasperation as he leaned forward, lowering his voice slightly as if revealing a great secret. ”The sheer amount of resources discovered there is astronomical. If we based our calculations on that, Emily could increase the Empire of Tomorrowʼs budget tenfold with ease!”

Alexanderʼs breath hitched. Tenfold?!

”The Great Serpent Empire was this wealthy?! How is that even possible?!” Alexander shouted, his eyes widening in sheer disbelief as he tried to process the information.

”In terms of actual currency— whether energy pearls, energy essence, or even energy stones—they were practically broke. One of our cities in Jura or Greenland is wealthier than their entire empire ever was,” Caesar waved his hand dismissively, his tone laced with both frustration and amusement. ”But when it comes to rare ores and metals, they far surpass us. By an enormous margin. Take Oracelium, for example. If we compare their stockpile to ours, they had at least fifteen times our total reserves—possibly even more!”

He then furrowed his brows and turned his sharp gaze toward another figure inside the tent. His eyes narrowed as he continued, ”And yet, despite this vast discovery, we only received three times our expected share? It seems that the Headquarters wants to warm up these resources in the storage until they somehow start laying golden eggs!”

Before Caesar stood a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in refined yet practical civilian attire. The man hesitated for a moment but then forced a polite smile onto his face as he hurried to explain, ”Thatʼs not exactly the case, Your Highness. The reality is… other doors have opened—ones that require funding of a similar scale… or, in some cases, even more!”

”And what doors could possibly rival His Highnessʼ plan in terms of financial priority?” Alexander slowly placed the scroll down on the table, his piercing gaze locking onto the man like a blade pressing against his throat. ”Mr. Marcel Burton, Iʼm well aware that you are one of the most influential figures in the Headquarters. Normally, you wouldnʼt have the time to personally deliver litters. Yet, since youʼve come in person this time, that can only mean one thing— You are to give us the full picture. If thatʼs the case, why donʼt you enlighten us with a proper explanation?”

”Of course, of course,” Marcel Burton said with a well-practiced, diplomatic smile. ”Governor Alexanderʼs keen perception remains as sharp as ever.” He offered a slight bow toward Alexander before turning to face Caesar once more. His expression grew more serious as he spoke, ”To put it simply, Research & Development City alone will consume more than half of the discovered wealth from the five vaults.”

He hurried to continue before Caesar could erupt in protest, ”Following Supreme General Aroʼs recent exceptional contributions to the Empire, the human population of Planet R-2 has officially joined our ranks. Their leaders, elite researchers, and best engineers have been integrated into Research & Development City, specifically within the Weapons and Military Equipment Development Branch. Her Highness Zara personally requested a substantial budget for them, and Lady Emily from Headquarters approved it without hesitation.”

”…..” Caesar remained silent for a moment, nodding twice, though his expression betrayed a hint of irritation. Still, he made no immediate objection. He understood the logic behind the decision completely.

The humans of Planet R-2 were an anomaly, a unique case unlike any other. Like the people of the Empire, they were pure humans, meaning they faced the same fundamental limitation upon reaching the Martial Emperor Realm—their inability to wield Fourth-Grade Laws. Yet, despite this crippling disadvantage, they had managed to resist the Great Serpent Empire for centuries!

How had they done it?

The answer lay in their extraordinarily sophisticated weapons technology. These people had devised an intricate system of weaponry that allowed them to navigate underground with remarkable freedom, launching devastating hit-and-run attacks on their enemies. Their weapons were so advanced—so lethally efficient—that even Zara, a seasoned military strategist, had personally praised them. She had gone so far as to estimate that a complete set of their weapons was worth as much as a single Epic-Class artifact!

For conventional energy weapons to hold a value equal to that of an Epic-Class weapon was supposed to be unattainable. And yet… it had happened!

Granting these people a dedicated research division and assigning them a massive budget to develop weapons for the Imperial Army was not just reasonable—it was an absolute necessity.

”I have no objections,” Caesar finally said, though his brows remained furrowed. ”I only hope they produce the results expected of them. After all… they are a newly conquered people.” The very notion of a subjugated race voluntarily developing advanced weaponry for the very empire that conquered them was practically absurd.

Marcel Burton chuckled softly, shaking his head before responding, ”I donʼt believe thereʼs any cause for concern, Your Highness. Supreme General Aro has personally arranged generous wages and lucrative rewards for them. With those incentives in place, it would be difficult for them not to pour their utmost effort into the project. According to Her Highness Zara, they have already begun their work—and theyʼre doing so with exceptional diligence and enthusiasm!”

Caesar arched a single brow, his curiosity piqued. ”And what exactly are these wages and rewards that are driving them to work with such motivation?”

Marcel Burtonʼs lips curled into a knowing smirk. ”A supply of Temporary Affinity Elixir!”

”...”