A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

77 – Overwhelming Firepower

“Really?”

“Yes! Blue Dragon agreed to do weather forecasts and bless the ships! Now we can greatly boost the maritime industry!”

“Unbelievable!”

Everyone in the room cheered at my words. Among them, Selene seemed the most ecstatic.

“Finally, we can make a large iron ship with a propeller! From the keel to the hull, all made of steel!”

Selene exclaimed, her excitement evident as she gestured with her hands. As if realizing it was no time to linger, she hurriedly got up from her seat.

“I’ll design a super-sized arcane engine for ships. And I’ll draw up plans for iron cables. Transport ships, steel battleships, and more. There are so many designs I want to try!”

“Please do your best, Selene.”

“Now’s not the time. I have to go. Nancy! Contact the engineers at Matap and Karaam Longbeard right away!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

As she rushed to gather the technicians and scholars, the remaining four burst into laughter.

“Seems like Selene hasn’t been this excited since the invention of the train. A large ship, huh. It’s like a revolution in transportation.”

“Indeed. Take a look here.”

I unfolded a map and pointed to a section that had a concave indentation on the continent shaped like the letter “ㄷ”.

It was the sea in that section and the waters near the North Pole, known as the “Fury of Sesis,” named after a famous sea nymph in ancient legends. True to its name, it was a chaotic sea where storms raged irregularly, waves were rough, and strong winds whipped daily.

If not for the tumultuous weather akin to the hysteria of the sea nymph, there would have been no need for a month-long detour through the icy waters, and even without trade routes, Karaambar and Ailam would have closely engaged in trade.

“Thanks to Blue Dragon’s weather forecasts and blessings, Ailam’s iron ships are no longer vulnerable to sea creatures, squalls, high waves, or storms. Although trade is open through railways and cars, transportation by sea vessels surpasses them in volume.”

“We can transport a much larger quantity of goods in a short period?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Exactly that.”

“What about the issue of moisture-sensitive goods getting damaged during the voyage?”

“With Blue Dragon’s blessings, that issue can also be prevented. When it comes to water-related matters, Blue Dragon is almost omnipotent.”

“That seems plausible.”

Adran chuckled at my words but then his expression turned abruptly sinister.

“And if a steel battleship is developed, we can finally… finally deal with this troublesome lawless port.”

The lawless port located halfway along the usual route, notable for being situated on a mysterious island whose location changed periodically. As its name suggested, it was a haven for outlaws, known only to the pirates who had lived on the island for a long time.

One of the most crucial factors disrupting trade between Ailam and Karaambar was the existence of this lawless port, with its long and arduous route and the damaging effects of the hot and humid environment on goods, alongside the interference it caused in their trade.

“Imperial navy armed with overwhelming firepower will wipe out all the pirates here.”

Emperor Adran growled in a low voice.

To me, he was like a business partner, but he was an absolute authority figure in Ayrlam who could decide everything.

And it was obvious what fate awaited the pirates who would taste the wrath of that absolute authority.

“A steel battleship??? A large iron transport ship??????”

It was a new discovery for me that Karaam Longbeard’s eyes could widen like this. Karaam couldn’t contain his excitement, getting up from his seat and pacing back and forth restlessly.

“By the hammer of Moru!! How big is the ship?”

“Large container transport ships have a basic length between 200 and 300 meters. The width is about 30 meters. And the height would be between 40 and 50 meters.”

“Enormous. Incredibly huge!!”

Karaam Longbeard and the dwarf chiefs burst into cheers, jumping around wildly.

“When will we start production? Huh???”

“We are constructing a dry dock on the eastern coast. The moment it’s completed, we will start the construction of battleships and transport ships immediately.”

“Perfect! Never let that Bronze Dragon participate! This will be a proud and grand construction process exclusively for us dwarves! The dragon has no right to participate!”

Karaam said firmly, but I could only shrug helplessly.

“It would be better to cooperate. Selene mentioned that the ship’s keel should be made of the Bronze Dragon’s rare metal. The Bronze Dragon’s metal casting skills are exceptional. It’s better to collaborate.”

“Absolutely not! I will not allow that lizard to participate! The casting of the large battleship will be solely the glory of us dwarves!”

I had to put on a troubled expression in the face of Karaam’s stubborn words. How could I deal with this stubbornness?

At that moment, a good idea suddenly came to mind.

“What if we do it this way?”

“What?”

“It’s true that we need each other’s skills. Dwarves dominate iron production, and the rare metal production of the Bronze Dragon is essential, isn’t it? We compete against each other.”

Karaam’s ears perked up.

“Competition?”

“We’ll work together on shipbuilding, but compete on who makes more mistakes. When the construction is finished, we’ll compare the number of mistakes made. The one with fewer mistakes will be glorified as the maker of that ship.”

I had heard from Karia.

Dwarves were said to be crazy about three things in the world: their beards, beer, and pride.

“Think about it. Would a ship made without the dragon be more glorious? Or would a ship won through competition with that dragon be more glorious?”

Karaam and the chiefs’ eyes lit up.

They downed a huge mug of beer in a gulp, then smashed the beer bottles on the floor.

“Interesting. A ship won through competition with that dragon, right?”

Karaam growled.

“Produce the best hull steels and show. The dragon only needs to make the keel. His efforts will be transformed into our glory! Brothers!!!”

“Praise to the gods of the forge and hammer!!!”

Watching the cheering dwarves, I chuckled inwardly.

They were friends who were so proud that it was easy to provoke them.

And this strategy would apply equally to the Bronze Dragon.

“Those damn dwarf bastards said they didn’t need me!!!!”

“Yes, that’s what I heard directly. I managed to convince them not to push you aside. We agreed to compete.”

“Compete?”

“Recording the number of mistakes made by each other, and after the ship is completed, determining who the maker of the ship is based on those mistakes.”

“Are we playing a game here?”

“Yes.”

“hehehe! How amusing! Very amusing! Crush the noses of those foolish mortals!!!!”

The bronze dragon also rose from its place with a thunderous roar.

And so, shipbuilding became a battlefield between dwarves and bronze dragons.

Princess Selene was appointed as the judge.

Several months later.

Thanks to the incredible construction speed of the Blood Legion’s elementalists and the Merchant Guild’s builders, three shipyards were constructed on the eastern coast, where hundreds of bronze dragons and dwarf artisans gathered.

“We will provide you with the blueprints. Our engineers from Matop will supervise your work and evaluate it in real-time. Based on this evaluation, when the ship is completed! We will decide whose property the ship will be recorded under!”

With Princess Selene’s words, both dragons and dwarves became excited, exhaling with anticipation.

“Let’s begin construction then. To facilitate production, Kinetic Hands and large Mana Stones to supply mana to the equipment are installed within the shipyard. Good luck.”

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With Princess Selene’s words, shipbuilding commenced.

And as the construction began, dragons and dwarves immediately started a fiery competition.

“How about that? You little land-dwelling fellows. How is the condition of the dragon bones I had drawn in the blueprints?”

“……..Damn it. I’ve never seen such clean mithril adamantine alloy before.”

“With your pitiful flames, you can only make steel. It’s difficult to craft such beautiful rare metals. hehehe!”

If the dragon struck one day, the dwarves would retaliate the next.

“How about it, Dragon. How is our welding skill?”

“…It’s quite good.”

“Look for a mistake! Have we made any mistakes?”

At Kara’s triumphant shout, the bronze dragon withdrew, tongue-tied. In the war of the two artisans, shipbuilding progressed at a dazzling speed and quality.

The blueprints of Selene and Matop were being perfectly reborn into reality, with the dragons’ and dwarves’ obsessive attention to detail adding to the grand and sturdy ships being crafted like never before.

“They’re being constructed at an incredible speed. Within a few months, a large container transport ship of 300 meters in length and three battleships will be completed.”

Selene briefed them with excitement, waving her hand.

“The transport ship is expected to carry about 40,000 tons of cargo. A revolution in the transportation industry is on the horizon.”

“Thank you, Selene. Hearing that makes me very happy.”

Karl Hansen and I smiled happily. However, Karia and Adran did not seem as pleased.

The news that would make them happy would follow.

“And the battleships?”

“The large battleship of the Kiyotin class, 250 meters in length, the medium-sized battleship of the Kaldaran class, 180 meters in size, and likewise, the Deroga-class aircraft carrier of 250 meters are under construction.”

“Armaments?”

“The Kiyotin-class will have four Arcane Cannon systems capable of firing 9-circle Cataclysmic spells, and the Kaldaran class will have two Arcane Cannons. In addition to these, several small warships will be gradually produced and deployed.”

“An Arcane Cannon capable of firing 9-circle Cataclysmic spells, is that right?”

A sinister smile crept across Adran and Karia’s faces.

But Selene wasn’t done yet.

“Impressive. However, among all the battleships being constructed this time, the most crucial ones are not the Kaldaran and Kiyotin classes.”

“Then?”

“The Deroga-class tactical aircraft carrier. You know about the 200 Dragon Knights newly integrated into the Dragon Knight Regiment, right?”

“Yes.”

“This aircraft carrier can transport those 200 and Red Dragon. It’s a tool that can unleash indiscriminate dragon bombings on Lawless Harbor. The most crucial part of this shipbuilding, and.”

Selene beamed with excitement.

“He will become famous for his powerful firepower in the future.”