Chapter 27
The units were the perfect soldiers. They don't need sleep, food, or water, all they needed was a couple of hours of recharge, and they're good for about two weeks.
The workshop had finally finished with the replaceable batteries for the units that had a miraculous increase of three weeks of charge. Plus many more items that I had requested.
Even though the units were made of metal, they would still break. I plan on having every unit wear these helmets, which would hide their face completely. The eye area is covered by a panel of glass that only the wearer can see through. It's designed so that even humans can wear it.
They would also be equipped with basic body armour, which would cover up the rest of their bodies without hindering their performance.
The final item was something necessary. A grenade disrupted the mana in a specific area, preventing magic from being cast. Made using the help of elves and the one apprentice mage prisoner.
Some incantations can be activated when written down; however, they tend to be longer and more sophisticated spells. The workshop was able to print out the incantation in tiny fonts onto the inside of a metal cylinder.
When the grenade pin is pulled and the handle flies off, a small but thick piece of silver activates the incantation on the inside.
We found silver to be able to store mana for the longest time after numerous testing. Apparently, the best mana conductor was Mithril, but it was a costly and rare material unsuitable for mass production.
The grenade prevented any spells from activating in a two and a half-metre radius for thirty seconds, which was definitely enough time for the units.
Also, I decided to have a much larger anti-magic ward around the prison. This one was powered by a silver pipeline connected to a silver mana bank. The mana came from all the excess mana that the tree spirit did not need.
Most human mages required something like a staff to be able to channel the mana for their spell. Only the top tier human mages were able to chant without it.
On the other hand, the elves had large amounts of mana as part of their genetics, which allowed them to cast their spells without using a medium.
The workshop was making great progress in making our army more efficient. However, I noticed a few things that I did not authorise the workshop to do.
Such as the large portrait of me with a frame made of pure gold and the presidential limo with a gold outer layer. I immediately knew who was behind this.
"Ayumi, you are hereby banned from ordering from the workshop."
"Wait, Supreme Commander, please reconsider!"
"No."
In the end, Ayumi retreated, and her attempts to restore her privileges were stopped. For now.
"What is the plan to send messengers to the Kingdom of Haiumi?" I asked Ayumi. We planned to send a group of units to act as messengers to the Kingdom, which was in the middle of a civil war.
"It would take several weeks to travel by boat, and they might not arrive in time. Our best option is to have them go by parachuting from a C-130 Hercules or send a large platoon in a chinook, though mid-flight refuelling is required."
Flying over another country usually is not a good idea; however, there are no agreements on airspace between countries, so nothing stops us from doing so.
"I will create five SR-71 Blackbirds and have them fly around. I want to know where the Prime Minister and the Queen stand. Knowing the land before we sent in our own troops will make the difference."
"Understood, also the expansion of the forest is complete. We approximately control ten per cent of the forest."
The Abyssal forest is around four million square kilometres, which is smaller than the Amazon Rainforest. The forest, however, contains immeasurable amounts of dangerous monsters but resources that can make a country very wealthy.
From what we know, the Cerenth Empire had actually attempted to conquer the forest forty years ago and built villages. However, the pioneers and villages were devasted by the monsters. And so, it was abandoned, and the rich lands and treasures were left untouched.
However, even though we could take the forest, I do not plan to destroy the ecosystem, which is a serious matter on Earth. We can prevent environmental disasters before they happen.
We have plans to use renewable energy when possible; for example, the trains we will make will be powered using one of the batteries made during our testing. It had the most extended life but was way too big.
We have farmlands blessed by the tree spirit, which accelerates the growth of crops, allowing us to harvest once every three to four weeks. It seems like they have a general idea of crop rotation and its effectiveness in this world.
"Supreme Commander, it's time for the meeting." Ayumi reminded me as the large screen on the wall opposite my desk turned on.
We've had these meetings once every couple of days to keep me updated on what happens in our territories. But today's main discussion was about the Haiumi kingdom's civil war and how we should approach them. If we were to announce ourselves as a new nation, having another nation's backing would make things smoother.
"We are all in agreement. At the moment, the only other country is the Cerenth Empire, which at the moment does not even have a leader," says Roland.
"Trade routes are vital for a country. It's hard to get goods from other continents in the Empire; if we manage to secure a route, merchants from inland would be coming here to purchase them," says Christina, who is always looking for ways to profit apparently, "Plus, we have our own goods to sell."
"Indeed, those make-up products are loved by all the ladies within my household, especially my wife. Speaking of which, I will have to request for some more," asks Aidan with a sigh.
"Me too," added Roland with a sigh as well.
I guess modern make-up has a lot of power in this world, especially with the wives of nobility.