Dictator From Outer Space

The object that the exploration ship pulled out from the seabed was a tube made of an unidentified metal.

Leobold thought it was a tube because it was just the right size for a person to fit in.

The metal, which had a slight green sheen, was undamaged despite being submerged in the deep sea for at least several decades.

Arma handed over the data from the hologram next to the tube.

“It looks like adamantium, the legendary metal that glows green. It’s said to be the strongest metal in Astera.”

“I can see that it doesn’t react to ether.”

It was a metal that had nothing to do with ether, but it surpassed imagination in both strength and hardness.

It didn’t even show a tiny scratch when scratched with a diamond cutter.

“How do they mine and refine this stuff?”

“According to the myths, it is refined by the magic of gods or dragons… That’s what it says. But it’s probably exaggerated since it’s used in Elvrande.”

“That means there’s something related to them inside. Or maybe nothing at all.”

“Maybe it will open with your power, Master?”

“Me? I’m not related to Astera at all.”

Arma stroked his chest.

“But you have the key here. And it’s a gift from the prophet.”

Leobold had absorbed two relics of the prophet who came to Mars.

He used them to open the warp gate of Planet Nox, but they didn’t seem to have anything to do with this place.

“Let’s give it a try.”

As his hand touched the tube, something amazing happened.

With a clanking sound like living metal assembling, the tube opened and revealed a man.

He was over two meters tall and had a muscular physique. 

He had his eyes closed.

“Is he dead?”

“There is no vital sign, but his internal organs and brain are fine. He is estimated to be in a coma stage 8.”

“He’s just unconscious then. What era do you think he’s from?”

“Judging by his clothing, he is presumed to be a noble of the Gram Empire 200 years ago.”

“The same lineage as the current Gram Kingdom?”

The Gram Kingdom was a small country attached to the west of Bagran with a population of less than a million.

The peculiar thing was that despite the small population, they produced a lot of knights.

There were many more people with talent for knights than magicians or ether engineers, so they were also called the country of knights.

As a result, they were often harassed by the Zaium Empire.

“They believe that their bloodline has changed but their ability remains. That’s why there are so many knights born there.”

“Maybe this man is a royal of the Gram Empire.”

They wouldn’t keep an ordinary person in an underwater ruin.

Arma, who was analyzing the patterns of the ruins, reported some findings.

“Master, I found several patterns in the ruins that are similar to Altima’s crest.”

“That’s definitely Altima…”

It wasn’t just one or two patterns, but repeated ones. 

It wouldn’t be wrong to call it Altima’s temple.

Altima’s faith was almost gone now, but at that time it boasted a considerable prestige.

“Maybe the Gram Empire engraved these patterns because they were active in Altima’s faith.”

“My guess is that this man’s identity is Altima’s champion.”

Leobold stroked his chin at her words.

“Don’t they usually call them god’s champions? Do dragons have that much power?”

He thought of Zigarion and honestly found it hard to imagine.

That pseudo-dragon would become an empty shell if he shared his power.

Arma listed several dragons that appeared in the literature.

“Altima, Valakas, Kronak… They all showed power that was close to or surpassed that of gods. They could share their power with their champions.”

“A dragon’s champion…”

He didn’t know what circumstances led him to sleep in this hard tube.

The only thing certain was that this man had an extraordinary status and might have memories of 200 years ago.

There was almost nothing known about 200 years ago, which was called the Great War or the Dragon War.

The few old elves who remembered that time kept their mouths shut and most of the records were gone.

The very few remaining documents did not come out of the Infinite Library.

Maybe this man could tell him about that time.

“For now, take him out and put him in a healing capsule. Report to me when he regains consciousness.”

“Yes, sir.”

***

The soldiers under Granden who went to Pirate Island returned.

They brought back many elves, slaves, and treasures and landed on land proudly.

Leobold ordered them to build a temporary shelter in Vandus Village and let the slaves rest.

And he rewarded everyone who participated in this battle.

“If you participated directly in the battle, you will receive 10 gold, if you helped indirectly by cleaning up the corpses, etc., you will receive 3 gold.”

“Oooh!”

“Long live the lord!”

People followed Leobold because he always gave rewards.

Other lords imposed harsh taxes on all kinds of labor, but he always respected the people of his domain and gave them fair compensation for their labor.

As a result, there were more and more people who would jump into fire and water for whatever the lord asked.

Trust was formed.

While everyone was cheering, Carson, the administrative officer, looked gloomy, but it didn’t last long.

The amount of treasure they looted from Pirate Island was more than expected.

The bureaucrats rushed in and started sorting and appraising them, and soon they were neatly placed in Leobold’s office.

“The jewels need to be sent elsewhere for precise appraisal. The gold and silver are close to 40,000 gold, and if you add the ones attached to swords or accessories, it will probably exceed 50,000 gold in total.”

It was a considerable amount, but there was something else that caught Leobold’s eye.

He grabbed the key-shaped sword.

“It looks like a key from the end, but why is it so big? Have you ever seen such a key?”

“No, never.”

They all shook their heads.

Lucia came in and sat on Leobold’s shoulder and sniffed.

―I can feel ether from the key.

“Really? Then it must have been used somewhere.”

―It’s probably Goliath’s key. They used to start Goliath like that in the past.

It’s not some fantasy game.

‘Oh, this is a fantasy world.’

Leobold realized anew that he was in a world where dragons and magic existed.

He lifted the sword.

“It’s pretty heavy. If there’s something big enough to fit this in, can I expect something good?”

―The Goliaths back then were all huge, so their output must have been high. By the way, you said you picked up a strange human?

Leobold waved his hand and ordered the bureaucrats to leave.

“I didn’t pick him up, I brought him from the seabed in a tube. It was made of adamantium.”

―Adamantium! That’s what I need for ether research!

“Why do you need it for ether research? It doesn’t show any reaction.”

“You use plasma to store reaction bombs, right? It’s the same principle.”

She must have heard what the bomb he tried to swallow was.

Anyway, according to her explanation, a very sturdy container was needed to compress ether, and adamantium was used for that.

It was a rare metal, so the supply was scarce, but it was essential for ether research, so the price was tens of times that of gold.

“Is this amount enough?”

He turned on the hologram and showed her the tube, and she jumped up and down on his shoulder.

―That’s a lot! Thank you, Master!

He felt strange when he received a kiss on the cheek from Lucia, who might become the Plague Queen someday.

‘I’ll trust her for now since she’s been quiet.’

Leobold put her down from his shoulder and spoke seriously.

“You said there was a Goliath buried underground near the Zaium border, right?”

―It’s definitely a Goliath used in the Great War. Maybe it was ridden by a champion.

“I’m going to dig a hole, so go and check if it’s the right one. And see if this key fits while you’re at it.”

―Ugh, you want me to go underground?

“Should I go instead?”

She showed an unbecoming pout and then realized that her master’s stubbornness surpassed her imagination and surrendered.

Anyway, thanks to turning Pirate Island, the finances of his domain became abundant.

He had over 300,000 gold in cash and nearly 400,000 gold if he sold all the treasures stored in the mansion’s vault.

It was such a huge amount of money that he couldn’t help but worry about inflation in eastern Bagran, so he decided to spend it only on building facilities and buying food in his domain for the time being.

And the news that he had repelled the shadow elf pirates in Vandus Village spread to the merchants.

Leobold had ordered the people of his domain to keep their mouths shut, but there were too many people who had experienced it firsthand to hide it.

As always, most people didn’t believe such rumors.

―What? He annihilated thousands of pirates and raided Pirate Island and took all their treasure? Is this some adventure from 500 years ago?

―I want to say it’s nonsense, but I hear that kind of talk a lot around Vandus Village… So do you have any evidence?

―If you go to Ohamel City now, you’ll see dogs with gold coins in their mouths!

It wasn’t really like that, but it was true that a lot of money was spent in Vandus Village.

The commoners also had some extra money and tried various businesses, and naturally there were many merchants coming and going.

Compared to Findor Baron’s domain nearby, no one would believe that this was a similar domain in the same country.

Prince Ruad also contacted Leobold as soon as he heard the news.

“I heard you completely wiped out the pirates. Is that true?”

“Yes, Your Highness. At least around Bagran, there are no more shadow elf pirates.”

He didn’t need to mention that he let go of the pirate leader to get information.

The prince seemed very happy that the pirates were gone.

“It feels like I’m digesting the bread I ate 10 years ago. You would know better, but those pirates were a thorn in the side of Bagran and many other countries. I’m sure Zaium will also praise your achievement. But can I ask you one thing?”

Of course he wanted to ask about the power that wiped out the pirates.

No ordinary domain, or even a decent country, would dare to do such a thing.

“I’ll tell you one thing. I swore allegiance to Bagran.”

He said he didn’t want to talk about it openly, but Prince Ruad didn’t get angry.

“You said that when you came to the palace before. I hope you never forget that determination. Anyway, His Majesty is also very pleased with this matter. He will send you a reward soon and he also said something interesting.”

“What is it?”

“He said it’s a pity that such a capable and young noble is living alone… He said he can find you a suitable bride if you want. How about it?”

“…Excuse me?”

Leobold was flustered for the first time in a long time.

He didn’t expect the royal family to offer matchmaking.

Prince Ruad laughed cheerfully at his bewildered voice.

“Haha, even Viscount Vandus who made High Knight kneel is surprised by marriage talk. The other party is Croitz Baroness of Zaium. What do you think?”

Croitz Baroness of Zaium…

Arma searched the database and displayed the information on his sight.

「Camilla Croitz Baroness. She is a knight who inherited her father’s title in a woman’s body. She is known to have a very violent personality and excellent skills. She is expected to become Zaium’s commander-in-chief someday」

‘Why would such a woman want to marry a viscount of a small country?’

He didn’t answer, so Prince Ruad asked cautiously.

“You don’t like it, do you? Well, Croitz Baroness is famous for being tough… She wants a faithful noble who can earn money and maintain the domain stably. You fit that perfectly.”

“You already said that.”

“I didn’t say it, it was Prozan Duke’s doing. He’s got a loose mouth. What do you think? It would be good to meet her once.”

Leobold had no interest in women other than Arma.

He sometimes wondered if artificial intelligence was also a woman, but he found it hard to imagine life without her after living with her for decades.

Arma was his partner, lieutenant, lover, and wife.

Of course, he would tolerate other women if they had enough skills, but he couldn’t be interested in them as women.

His goal was too far and high for that.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

“Hmm, a refusal, I see. As I expected, you won’t run away so easily. Because Croitz Baroness showed great interest in you.”

“Why would she be interested in a noble with a small domain?”

“I don’t know either, but she wants a husband who can provide a base for her to fight in Zaium. You know how notorious Zaium is for strife and civil war.”

She must have had trouble finding a decent person in there, but it wasn’t Leobold’s concern.

‘She won’t remember me if time passes since I won’t contact Zaium anytime soon.’

It was something to wait and see if that was really the case.

***

A new facility began to be built in Vandus Viscount’s domain.

It was a full-fledged shipyard.

One was to build ships to float on the sea and the second was to build airships.

The merchants who brought the craftsmen favored by the king all tilted their heads at the news.

“I understand building ships since you wiped out the pirates, but airships? Ether propulsion engines are not something anyone can make.”

“There’s a magician here, but I don’t think he can make anything…”

“Well, he has a lot of money, so he must be trying this and that.”

The strange thing was that Viscount Vandus was always underestimated.

He had destroyed Count Lantis’ plot head-on and succeeded in annihilating the shadow elves of the eastern sea.

He had a lot of influence and money in the eastern part of Bagran.

Yet people outside his domain looked down on him, which was strange.

Even the merchants who were good at calculations didn’t value him highly, but only coveted his money.

It was probably because he had no connections with the Bagran nobles.

―Power, strength, and money are all good, but the best thing is networking.

―He could have contacted the neighboring domains before he went to subjugate them. The lords seemed to want it secretly.

―He became a lord not long ago, but he made enemies with Princess Eolin and Count Lantis. Viscount Vandus has too many enemies. That’s his fatal flaw.

But for Leobold, the nobles who were only good at appearances were not networking.

He cared about the technical and labor classes who actually led the civilization.

Of course, he couldn’t ignore the power of the nobles in Bagran, or even in all of Astera, but they would all be swept away in the process of building an empire, so he didn’t pay much attention to them.

Unless they got rid of the noble-centered perspective, they couldn’t see Leobold’s real power accurately.

Anyway, regardless of such prejudices, Leobold’s domain was steadily developing.

The workshop led by Dwarf Vulthorn finally succeeded in developing an efficient ether engine and was planning to test it soon.

Not only that, but the expedition that had left for the floating continent returned with a full load of cargo.

They had loaded so much that the airship almost crashed when it stayed above the dock.

Leobold awarded knight titles to Katina and Elwin, who had returned from a hard journey.

“From today, you are my knights. I hope you will hone your martial arts and wisdom and assist me.”

“I swear eternal loyalty to you, my lord.”

Elwin took the sword with both hands and swore devoutly, while Katina peeked her head out.

“So, do I have to call you my lord now?”

“You’d better get used to it. You don’t want to be satisfied with being a knight, do you?”

“Oh, right.”

Katina just giggled, but Elwin read his ambition.

To award a title to a knight, the lord must also have a high title.

He could inherit it by marrying a woman with a high title, but it didn’t seem like he would accept another woman who only loved Arma.

‘There will be a war with Count Lantis’ domain soon.’

He handed over only samples and a list of cargo to the lord after the title ceremony.

“These are what we secured from this expedition to the floating continent. Captain Hampton was very helpful.”

Leobold looked at the list neatly organized and was satisfied.

Elwin was smart and quick-witted, so he handled things smoothly.

He seemed to be able to entrust him with more responsibilities in the future.

“That’s good. The gold can be melted into 90,000 gold and the minerals contain crystals and various gems that can make ether stones…”

The other thing that was unusual was the crops that grew on the floating continent.

They weren’t originally there, but Arma secretly planted them using exploration ships.

It was similar to sprinkling unobtanium on the back side of the moon in the solar system, but the scale was different.

Katina poked a fist-sized potato and said,

“We dug it up because we saw it, but it seems poisonous, don’t you think… Ow? My lord?”

“I don’t know. Let’s feed it to someone.”

Leobold threw a clean potato at Zion, who had to see the cargo as soon as possible.

He bit into it as if it was some fruit and shouted,

“What is this! It tastes awful!”

Leobold looked at everyone else and shrugged his shoulders.

“It doesn’t seem to have any poison.”

“Well, that’s good…”

Even if it wasn’t poisonous, he couldn’t immediately supply this potato to his people.

The quantity was one thing, but a change in perception was needed.

People’s tastes were quite conservative and they didn’t accept new flavors or smells well.

Leobold also had trouble with exotic ingredients when he was on Earth because he had Korean eating habits.

‘For example, cilantro… Cilantro is all I can think of.’

He ate well enough that he didn’t have much trouble when he came to Astera.

Anyway, the crops that the expedition brought were quite diverse, including sweet potatoes and strawberries besides potatoes.

Everyone was indifferent to potatoes and sweet potatoes, but they showed great interest in strawberries.

“Is this really a strawberry? It’s much bigger than the ones grown secretly in Elvrande.”

“There are so many things we don’t know on the floating continent.”

In fact, the strawberries that the expedition brought were improved varieties of Earth.

They used gene scissors to edit them and created strawberries that grew fast and had high resistance to diseases and pests.

They were also so sweet that they tasted like sugar was added, unlike the wild strawberries from Elvrande.

Everyone tasted them and exclaimed.

“Sure enough, fruits are different from potatoes or sweet potatoes. They are accepted faster.”

“Elvrande’s fruits are known to be very expensive. There aren’t many refrigeration methods, so they are even more expensive.”

“Try growing them yourself like you did with herring. People will accept it by now.”

Thanks to Leobold and Arma doing a lot of strange things and bringing great results, most people had reached the point of accepting it.

It was almost like giving up thinking because there was no good word to doubt the lord.

“I’ll try to make a garden for a change.”

Arma rolled up her sleeves and plowed the field, and people looked at her curiously.

And when June came, Count Lantis summoned the leaders of the trade groups operating in the eastern part of Bagran.

“I called you here because the wheat harvest is coming soon. This year is not a very good harvest, so I think I have to reduce the amount allocated to each trade group. But if you do as I say, the supply will be the same as before.”

The merchants looked at each other’s faces.

Wheat was an important crop, of course, but it wasn’t enough for the count to personally adjust the supply.

He meant that he wanted to reduce the wheat going to someone’s domain.

And who that was was already decided.

“We will do as you say, my lord.”

They all bowed their heads and Count Lantis smiled contentedly.

He hated Viscount Vandus, but he confirmed that he couldn’t do anything with force.

‘He smashed those savage shadow elf pirates… He’s crazy…’

But even such a guy couldn’t make food out of nothing.

It was spring mating season until autumn when the harvest began, and he wondered what Viscount Vandus had prepared.

‘Struggle as much as you want. You’ll end up begging me anyway.’

He laughed when he thought of himself rejecting him cruelly in front of him on his knees.

It was a petty act unworthy of a high noble, but the humiliation he had inflicted on him was too great.

Count Lantis wanted to pay him back.