Dictator From Outer Space

There were two kinds of opinions about Leobold in Zaium.

Some praised him for achieving an unbelievable miracle, while others warned that he was unpredictable and dangerous.

What they had in common was that they could not believe his accomplishments.

He was met with many suspicious eyes from the social circles, the political circles, and the military circles, because there was only so much he could do with his tiny territory.

But after Duke Prozhan intervened in Bagran and suffered a terrible defeat.

And after the troublesome Shadow Elf pirates were annihilated, the way they looked at him began to change.

―The pirates are really gone. They used to ride the currents and raid the coastal villages every summer.

―According to the aerial reconnaissance with the airship, the pirate base is empty. There are only some facilities that look like Vandus’s forward base. Shouldn’t we go and take them over?

―As a great nation, we should refrain from interfering with the achievements of a small kingdom if possible. What’s the benefit of taking over those few islands?

―Count Vandus… He has also achieved quite a lot, such as restoring the Sagris silver mine. He seems to be a person of interest for sure.

―According to the records, he is still young. If he is such a person, can’t we tie him up with marriage? There are plenty of young ladies in the empire who are looking for a husband. Count Vandus would be a top-notch husband.

―Too bad, Countess Croitz has her eyes on him. She came to the club one day and swore she would rip off the mouth of anyone who tried to make a move on him.

―The black cat of the military is too rude.

―Can you say that in front of her?

Camilla Croitz, Countess.

She was the leader of the Zaium Iron Knights and also a general who commanded the Central Army’s 7th Division.

She had several High Knights under her command, and despite being a woman, she was praised for her real skills.

She was beautiful as well, but her flaw was her crazy personality.

She would challenge anyone who annoyed her to a duel and kill them, so much so that even the Zaium royal family had to instruct her to restrain herself a bit.

Naturally, she had many enemies, but she managed to hold her position firmly with her skills alone in Zaium, where intrigue and civil war were rampant.

Leobold wondered what would happen if she faced the Korean Army’s 7th Division after hearing that she was the 7th Division commander.

‘It would be overwhelming in terms of breakthrough power, but magic makes it hard to predict.’

Could the Korean Army’s anti-air defense system intercept Meteor Strike?

It was a difficult question.

Then, Countess Croitz, who had brown skin and flashy silver hair, approached him.

“Sir Leobold Vandus. I am Camilla Croitz.”

“I have heard of your fame, Countess.”

He tried to shake her hand that she offered, but she said something unexpected.

“You see me as a noble. Can’t you see me as a lady?”

She wanted him to kiss her hand.

Leobold lightly touched his lips to her hand and then let go.

“My apologies. By the way, what brings you here? I’m afraid you might be bored at this modest event, Countess.”

“No need to worry. I’m not here for that toy train or whatever it is.”

The train with an ether engine was not a toy at all, but that was not important.

Countess Croitz’s eyes were piercing through Leobold.

Even lovers who were madly in love would not look at each other like that.

She scanned his whole body for a while and then said,

“Your ether is more ordinary than I thought. You’re not enough for Emil. Are you hiding something?”

“Doesn’t everyone have something to hide?”

“But your physique is excellent. And your face is not bad either.”

Leobold figured out something about this human being called Camilla Croitz.

‘She’s the typical type who only says what she wants.’

She had a high rank and position in the empire, so she must have developed that habit.

It was not uncommon in Astera.

“Let’s talk more after the event is over. I don’t have much time, so I’d appreciate it if you could speed things up.”

“…Please take a seat here for now.”

Soon after, Leobold exchanged greetings with other nobles, including Prince Ruad.

He had sent an invitation to Count Lantis as well, but he did not come as expected and instead sent Gashin and Gashil.

They, of course, showed their hostility towards Leobold.

“Ohmelshira… I didn’t expect you to use his name as it is.”

“The people of the territory are so used to it. There was no need to change it.”

“That arrogance will be your downfall, Count Vandus.”

“Well, we’ll see.”

A while later, the noisy atmosphere subsided and a train appeared on the track.

People almost burst into laughter.

Compared to the big and fancy trains that could be seen in Elvrandena and Zaium, it was too shabby.

The locomotive was small and the carriages behind it were nothing but square boxes.

They had chairs inside, but they looked uncomfortable for people to ride.

Bultorn, who had overseen and carried out the development, came out with his chest puffed up.

“By the name of Jurt, the god of fire and hammer, this train is incomparable to any train that has been developed so far. Why! Because I have greatly improved the efficiency of the ether engine!”

Then, a noble who got a chance to speak raised his hand and asked.

“Does that train even move?”

“Hahaha.”

“The train looks a bit funny.”

People’s laughter erupted at once.

It didn’t look like it would work at all.

Bultorn glanced at Leobold and decided to go ahead when he nodded.

“Enough! Laughing is your freedom. But I guarantee you that this train will change a lot of things. Maybe even our entire lives.”

“Don’t you think you should show us something if you really think that?”

“There seems to be chairs inside. Can we ride them?”

“It will probably run. Very slowly though.”

Bultorn’s face turned as if he was about to explode.

He had worked hard day and night for the demonstration, and these bastards!

Not to mention the hardship he went through to redesign the ether engine.

But he couldn’t ruin the demonstration, so he decided to proceed.

The door of the train opened and he boarded the nobles who were waiting.

Bultorn climbed onto the locomotive and started the ether engine.

Pshiiik―

The water in the boiler boiled as the ether stone was inserted, and steam spewed out through the pipes.

The passengers who were engineers of ether were surprised.

“Wait, it’s already started?”

“Shouldn’t it take at least 30 minutes to preheat?”

Then, the horn sounded long.

Bultorn stuck his bearded face out of the locomotive and laughed loudly.

“Departure! Now you’ll taste an incredible speed!”

The incredible speed was only about 20 km per hour, and that was overpace.

But for the people of Astera, it was a speed they had never experienced before.

As the train gained momentum with the movement of the pistons, everyone panicked and grabbed the railings.

“Wow! It’s moving!”

“How can it be so fast?”

“Hahaha!”

As the people were amazed, Vultorn pushed the lever to the maximum.

The train spewed steam and ran across the field with great force.

***

The ether train that was unveiled that day gave a considerable shock to many people.

Especially those who had knowledge of ether engines were more shocked.

From their perspective, this train should not have moved.

But the train not only ran faster than any other train, but also had great fuel efficiency.

The fuel inlet attached to the boiler never opened.

It was proof that it ran for several hours with just one ether stone.

The ether engineers who got off the train had serious expressions and went into a meeting among themselves, and the merchants clung to Leobold.

“My lord, is this train really a substitute for horned beasts?”

“To be honest, I can’t believe it.”

Leobold sat on the railing of the train and began to talk.

“Listen. How much cargo can a horned beast pull in a day?”

“About one ton, I guess.”

Horses were stronger than horned beasts, but they had a fatal drawback of being weak in stamina.

And they were also timid, so they were pushed out by horned beasts that stomped on any monster.

That was an old story when monsters were hard to find.

“That’s including feed, right? The actual cargo transport capacity would be lower.”

“Ah, yes. If you include water, about 20% would be allocated to horned beasts.”

“What if you could fill that weight with cargo? And at a speed of 20 km per hour, running without rest.”

“Running without rest…”

Horned beast carts were the main transport means of Astera.

Horned beast carts could be seen anywhere in Astera, and even though trains had been developed for quite a while, it was hard to replace them.

Horned beast carts had many advantages, but they also had disadvantages. 

They were living creatures, so they needed rest.

They didn’t rest as long as horses, but for merchants who valued time as money, it was a pity.

And horned beasts themselves were fast, but when they put a cart behind them, they weren’t that fast.

They could barely reach 10 km per hour outside the city, and they could only travel about 70 km a day.

Leobold hit his chest and said.

“But this guy ran 40 km in two hours without any trouble. He didn’t ask for water or food. Oh, of course he consumes expensive fuel called ether stones. But as you have seen, the fuel efficiency is quite good.”

“I agree with that.”

“It was amazing. He pulled tens of tons of cargo and still had that efficiency…”

“It would require some basic maintenance, but it’s nothing compared to the effort of managing dozens of horned beasts.”

“The only drawback is that track.”

The merchants paid attention to the track.

The only drawback of the ether train was that it needed a track.

It took almost three months for hundreds of people to complete the track connecting Ohmel City and Vandus Village, and it was doubtful whether it would pay off.

But Leobold’s opinion was different.

“Is the track a drawback? Isn’t it rather an advantage? It can run the train regardless of rain or wind. Even at night.”

“Huh?”

“Come to think of it…”

It was indeed a great advantage to be able to run at night.

If they had adequate facilities at the terminal, they could see from afar and stop, so there would be no problem in operation.

The merchants began to dream of the changes that the train would bring.

If they invested money in building tracks first, they could put as many trains as they wanted.

It would connect all regions and cities.

“Horned beasts have been responsible for transportation in Astera for hundreds of years, but their limits are clear. They are living creatures after all. But trains are not. They will be able to carry more cargo and run faster.”

Leobold said such a long explanation because people didn’t know well.

People from Earth in the 21st century had enough knowledge to easily understand and infer the impact of something when it was presented.

But for Asterans, everything was new, so they needed an explanation of what was beneficial for them.

Fortunately, it seemed to work as the eyes of the merchants changed.

“I’m willing to accept your investment with an open mind. But there is one condition.”

“What is it?”

“Just don’t ask me to give up my wife.”

“Isn’t it usually the opposite?”

The merchants laughed and Leobold stated his condition.

“Tell me what you heard from Count Lantis. Be my witness when I report to His Highness. I’ll be as lenient as possible.”

“…”

This was tantamount to antagonizing Count Lantis.

Everyone was silent and an old merchant asked.

“Excuse me, but are you trying to kill us all?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What you said at this gathering means that you want to silence us by killing us.”

“No. This is a declaration of war.”

“Declaration of war…”

“We can’t coexist with Count Lantis. He openly antagonized me, so I can freely declare war too.”

“I don’t know what you mean by that. Count Lantis wouldn’t have such an intention. The reduction of wheat supply this time was simply because of the poor harvest.”

The old merchant Merod spoke calmly, but he was startled by Leobold’s next words.

“Is that so? I have evidence that Count Lantis colluded with the Galisto Kingdom.”

“…”

Merod’s eyes trembled and the other merchants licked their lips nervously.

Where did he get such information?

It was only known to a few confidants that Count Lantis supplied wheat to the Galisto Kingdom.

They couldn’t ask him to show the evidence here.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something, my lord.”

Leobold shook his head.

“It’s not a misunderstanding. I’m going to tell His Highness everything about this as soon as this event is over. Of course, I’ll also tell him the names of those who cooperate with Count Lantis. I’m telling you in advance. I’ll be as merciful as possible.”

“…”

The eyes of the merchants, including Merod, were tense.

It seemed certain that the Lord of Vandus knew about this deal.

If the prince found out, they would all be executed, and there was only one way out.

It was to surrender to the Lord of Vandus.

“My lord.”

Merod, who had been relaxed, knelt before him and said.

“I’m sorry to say this, but all the responsibility lies with Count Lantis.”

“Merod!”

“How can you say that…”

The other merchants stood up, but Leobold put his finger on his lips.

“Shh. Keep talking. From the beginning to the end.”

Merod, who was completely overwhelmed by him, spilled out all of Count Lantis’s plans.

It was over…

The merchants all closed their eyes.

***

That evening, Prince Ruad canceled his schedule and stayed at Leobold’s mansion.

He told the palace that he was having a conversation with the Lord of Vandus, but in fact he was drunk and unable to greet anyone.

“Frederick! I trusted you!”

Frederick was the name of Count Lantis, but there were few people who could call him that.

Anyway, the prince seemed to be greatly shocked that he had betrayed him.

Well, Galisto Kingdom had been in conflict with Bagran often in the past.

Leobold looked up the history and thought of Greece and Turkey.

“Bagran once ruled Galisto.”

「That’s a story from almost 200 years ago. When the Gram Empire collapsed, many countries had conflicts over territory and resources, and Bagran and Galisto were no exception.」

“It’s natural for screams to be loud when an empire is torn apart…”

The relationship between the two countries worsened due to several wars that followed.

The issue of territory and resources was barely settled by Zaium’s mediation, but another conflict arose over the bloodline of the champion who played an active role in the Great War.

At that time, there was a champion who received the power of Gold Dragon Altima in the Gram Empire, but the problem was that his surname was on both sides of Bagran and Galisto.

The nobles who claimed to be his descendants insisted that he was their ancestor, and both sides were on the verge of a clash.

「There is no record after that, but it seems certain that they fought a lot.」

It seemed like a pointless pride fight, but history was like that.

“By the way, Altima’s champion… It might be that man we’re taking care of. How is he?”

「He sometimes blinks his eyelids, but he hasn’t recovered from coma yet.」

“Let me know when he wakes up.”

Leobold closed the history book and approached Prince Ruad’s room.

Before knocking, he said.

“Viscount Vandus? Come in.”

“Have you sobered up a bit?”

“I showed you an embarrassing sight. By the way, Viscount Vandus, that crustacean dish you gave me was really delicious. It was the best I’ve ever had as you promised.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“Let’s leave the good talk here and… get to the point.”

Prince Ruad’s eyes flashed with anger.

“I can’t forgive that man. How dare he ignore the royal family and supply wheat to Galisto? No matter what excuse he makes, it’s unacceptable. They are enemies of the royal family, of all Bagran!”

“Do you want to punish him?”

He hesitated for a moment, but soon sighed with alcohol in his breath.

“When I was young, I called him uncle. His Majesty trusted him deeply as one of the pillars of Bagran. I didn’t know he would do such a thing. Now I don’t know who to trust…”

“Trust me, Your Highness.”

The prince who bowed his head squeezed his hand.

“…Can I trust you?”

“As long as I live, I will be with the name of Bagran, Your Highness.”

Leobold didn’t lie.

He just had to keep the name of Bagran.

He didn’t care about the shell, so it was just a word for him, but Prince Ruad took it differently.

“Thank you. I’ll trust only you.”

“Declare Count Lantis a traitor and entrust me with his subjugation. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“…”

Prince Ruad was silent for a long time and then clenched his teeth and said.

“I have to. That way no one like Frederick will ever appear again.”

“That’s a wise choice.”

“When he falls… I’ll entrust his land to Leobold, to you.”

“I humbly accept it.”

Soon after, Prince Ruad returned to the capital with his attendants.

And he confirmed and denounced Count Lantis as a traitor who colluded with Galisto Kingdom.

“…When we checked all the circumstances, it was clear that he diverted wheat from the east to Galisto instead of supplying it. Even though many people are suffering at this moment!”

“He betrayed many people. He betrayed his people, he betrayed me, he betrayed His Majesty and all of Bagran. Therefore, I want to hold him accountable. Come forward if you have the courage, and restore justice!”

It was such an unexpected declaration that no noble dared to step forward.

Count Lantis’s name was that big.

He denied all the charges and ignored the prince’s order to appear at the palace and explain himself, and locked himself in his castle.

He barely had a dialogue with Prince Ruad, and he only said one thing.

“It’s all because of that bastard of Vandus!”

It seemed that he had arranged it beforehand, as there was a movement of troops from Galisto Kingdom.

They wanted to intervene in Bagran somehow by using this incident as an opportunity.

King Bagran III was so furious when he received the report that he stripped Count Lantis of his title and ordered his subjugation.

Now war was inevitable, and only one of them would be destroyed.

The Lord of Vandus’s territory began to move again.

Meanwhile, Count Croitz, who had been staying in Ohmel City until then, called Leobold out.

“Interesting. It looks like you’ve been waiting for this situation.”

“You said you didn’t have much time, but you stayed quite long.”

She crossed her legs and laughed with a click.

“It’s not a waste of time to spend a lot of time on a valuable man. From my observation, you and I are the same kind. If we want something, we’ll do anything to get it.”

“Is that why you called me?”

“Of course not. This matter… I can help you. If I contact my country, Galisto Kingdom won’t be able to send troops.”

Both countries couldn’t settle the matter even if they fought a lot because Zium Empire was holding them back.

The empire didn’t care much about this incident either, so it was closer to letting it go.

If Count Croitz used her power, Leobold could defeat Count Lantis without any trouble.

But he didn’t want that.

“I appreciate your offer, but this is an internal matter of Bagran.”

“I admit your skill, but it will be hard to handle all those knights alone. The knights of Galisto are not weak, even if they are stupid.”

“I’ll finish them before they come.”

“A stubborn man. Wait…”

Count Croitz pretended to whisper and kissed Leobold’s cheek.

He rubbed his cheek in surprise and she disappeared with a laugh.

“Leave the communicator behind. You can contact me anytime. Well…”

After she left, Arma’s message appeared in his sight.

「Master, should I kill her?」

“What’s the need for that? She’s not hostile to me.”

「Still…」

“Rather, we might learn more about Zaium’s internal situation through her. Our technology has its limits.”

「…」

Arma didn’t say anything for a while and Leobold shrugged his shoulders and summoned his knights.