Gowaz asked the doctor, “Did they return empty-handed, with no survivors?”
The doctor replied that the fleet had underestimated the enemy and retreated before their losses grew.
Gowaz called them fools, saying they should have died rather than flee. He declared they needed to move and eliminate the fleet that escaped. The doctor asked if Gowaz’s men would attack. Gowaz replied that pirates are only emboldened when people belittle them, so an example had to be made. After that, they would target Liam’s ship.
Amagi informed Liam that docking had been completed. Liam said the results were satisfactory.
Amagi congratulated him on his first battle.
Liam said they had successfully protected their resources and secured spoils.
Amagi explained that according to Imperial law, whoever captures a pirate ship has the right to claim it and its cargo.
Liam confirmed, “So, the pirate cargo is ours?”
She agreed, and Liam said it was like treasure.
Amagi added that the ships carried orichalcum, scarletite, and other rare materials.
Liam asked if those were used for making weapons. He also mentioned he wanted a gold crown with diamonds.
Amagi explained that diamonds are just carbon crystals and gold is only known for its low melting point, so neither is highly valuable here.
Liam was surprised, asking, “Is that how it works in this world?”
Brian chimed in, saying the captured materials were far more valuable than gold or diamonds.
Still, Liam insisted he loved gold and asked if there was any.
Brian confirmed, saying gold was an important industrial resource in electronics.
Liam was pleased and told them to convert everything into gold coins, which shocked Brian.
Liam added that for him, gold coins meant wealth, and he wanted his room full of them.
Brian asked about the remaining materials. Liam told him to make weapons from them.
Brian noted there wasn’t a good weapons blacksmith in Banfield territory.
Liam admitted they had nothing in the region.
Amagi brought up a concern. She said during the deployment, they discovered a major issue: Banfield had about 10 Zero-class warships, but fewer than 30% were operational. Only two ships could respond quickly.
Liam was surprised they still won the pirate battle with such a limited fleet.
Amagi explained that the pirates had underestimated them, assuming they were just poor nobles, and that Liam’s performance was what turned the tide.
Liam credited Amagi’s strategy and noted the real problem was that 70% of the fleet wasn’t functional.
Amagi suggested disposing of the outdated warships.
Brian disagreed, warning that reducing the fleet size would make them appear weak to pirates.
Amagi countered that maintaining unused ships was costly.
Liam agreed, saying he didn’t want to spend money on things he couldn’t use. He suggested converting the materials into coral people or fish farms—or anything more useful.
Brian raised concerns about the county’s defense. Amagi suggested they buy new warships. She explained that by selling the resources obtained from the pirates, they could afford a good number of ships. While the latest models were out of reach, with careful selection, they could acquire sufficient used models.
Brian was skeptical. He insisted that their fleet symbolized the family’s pride and reputation—using secondhand ships might damage that image.
Liam replied that he didn’t care.
Brian warned him that such arrogance was what led his father into massive debt. Still, he asked Amagi to proceed and find some used ships.
We then move to a warship exhibition where Nyas presented a new combat ship from the Seventh Armaments Factory of the Grand Fleet. She detailed its specifications—sturdy with heavy armor—and explained that it was immune to current threats.
Next, Ylesia from the Third Armaments Factory presented a ship designed by the renowned Colon, a global designer who had won seven awards that season. She highlighted the ship’s high-quality interior, luxurious seats, and control panels made from three-hundred-year-old Ogrant wood. It was elegant, comfortable, and allowed commanders to maintain dignity even during fierce battles.
The winning ship was announced—it belonged to the Third Factory, Ylesia’s.
Nias protested, “Why was your ship chosen when ours is just as good?”
Ylesia explained that their ship had immense capabilities and weapons crafted by specialists, making its strength undeniable. However, because of this, it wasn’t for sale. She added that the Third Factory perfected not only function but also aesthetics, which angered Nias.
Nias retorted that their focus was purely on capability, without wasting effort on unnecessary luxury.
Ylesia replied that the difference was minimal and emphasized that weapon effectiveness ultimately depended on the user. A comfortable crew would stay focused, reducing fatigue and improving performance—leading to better results.
As Nyas and Ylesia walked together, Ylesia claimed yet another victory for the Third Factory.
Nias disagreed, saying Ylesia may have won the battle, but she wouldn’t win the war. She believed their ships’ raw power would prevail.
Ylesia challenged her—if they ever fought, they’d see whose ship was stronger… but joked that she wouldn’t sell one anyway.
Nias told her to be quiet. She wanted to say something but ended up speaking to her through instant communication.
Afterward, Nyas returned to her room, worried that the director would be upset again. She wondered if there was any eccentric noble who might buy their ship. One name came to mind: Liam—a noble who removed all automated controls from his knight mech to pilot it manually. She thought he was strange… but perhaps the one.
Meanwhile, we shift to a mysterious guide who feeds on negative emotions. He wandered in search of them and soon focused on Liam.
Liam was playing video games enthusiastically, just about to beat some monsters when a cat pressed a button on the controller—ruining his progress. He became furious.
The guide enjoyed this moment, calling it a delightful negative emotion. He mused on how humans were naturally entertaining and how small, pure emotions had their own unique flavor—but he longed for a feast of despair. He believed Liam’s negative feelings had begun to grow, expecting him to be drowning in massive debt.
But then, the guide was stunned. “What is this?” he wondered. A town that had once been on the verge of ruin was now more prosperous than ever. Something had clearly changed.
He recalled that when the executioner sought a teacher, he assumed a worthless scoundrel had come to teach him. That assumption was now in question.
We then transition to a tavern. A regular customer walked in and ordered his usual. An old man asked his friend if he’d heard the news—Liam had defeated some pirates.
The customer confirmed, saying those pirates were loaded with treasure.
The waitress cheerfully added, “That’s great! I hope that luck comes my way too!”
Yasushi remarked that he didn’t understand what Liam was thinking.
The waitress asked if he was talking about his student again.
Yasushi explained that he was just a coach from a night class and had been training him casually—but Liam had quickly surpassed him, even before becoming a first-class warrior.
The waitress pointed out that this meant Liam was doing well.
Yasushi disagreed, saying it was no joke. He believed something was off about the boy—it was insane to take a trick seriously and carry it out in reality.
Someone nearby asked who they were talking about.
We move back to Liam, now training alone. He successfully smashed trees without even drawing his sword.
Amagi praised him, saying, “Well done, Liam.”
Liam asked if he had reached Master Yasushi’s level.
Amagi replied that she couldn’t measure it just by watching him sheathe his sword—he seemed almost inseparable from it.
Liam believed that his master had lowered his level to help him understand. He felt he should be greater and added, “Like cutting from 100 meters away. I want to cut a hundred of them at once because I can’t settle for this level.”
We returned to the tavern, where the Guide questioned, “What’s going on here? Did I send him to the worst teacher? Yet, it doesn’t seem to have affected him.”
Later, we returned to Liam, who continued his training, telling himself that his parents had abandoned him in this world. He feared he’d be burdened with debt, thinking his life would be miserable. However, things were improving, and his debts were slowly decreasing. He had become a skilled swordsman, and it was all thanks to the Guide who had reincarnated him in this world.
Meanwhile, the Guide was in agony. He said that positive emotions were his weakness, and gratitude made him suffer terribly. He needed to renew his negative emotions quickly. He sniffed Yasushi’s hair, saying that the strange aromas mingled with those emotions helped save him. But how did Liam find happiness? He wondered if he had reincarnated in the wrong place, but dismissed the idea. This was just the preliminary work before his fall. The higher the fall, the deeper his essence would go.
We moved to Liam and Amagi, who told him, “It’s time to update our warships.” Liam asked, “Have you found any evidence?” She replied, “It seems the Imperial fleet will upgrade their armament and will buy many new ships, abandoning their old ones.” Liam said, “If they’re from the Imperial fleet, they must be modern models.” Amagi added, “There’s one condition. They want us to keep the soldiers they’re holding as reserves or near retirement along with the warships.”
Liam responded, “So they want to send us personnel they don’t need. But some of them are part of the Imperial Army, many graduated from officer school, and have combat experience. I think this would benefit us and our fleet.” Liam agreed, “Alright, that’s good—it’s a barter deal.”
Then, the Guide appeared, saying, “I think now’s the right time. I’ll make sure they send their most serious soldiers to him. It will be fun to watch these soldiers rebel against the evil lord’s actions.”
We shifted to Yosashi, who said, “I overindulged in drinking. I shouldn’t drink this much again.” Nias came in and asked, “Are you inside?” Yosashi responded, “That’s unusual,” and invited her in. Nias commented, “You’ve spent a lot of time teaching Liam sword techniques, haven’t you?”
He replied, “You can’t call it a lot of time.” She continued, “So, you’ve become an excellent fighter and transformed into a good warrior in such a short time. I bet you teach Liam well.” He replied, “Of course, I won’t be any less capable than anyone else.”
Nias then asked, “I want to know something from you.” He assured her, “Don’t hesitate. Ask me anything.” She hesitated, “I’m afraid he’ll think it’s a lack of taste.” He reassured her again, “He’s not the type to care about that.” Nias said, “If he answers me, I should reward him with tickets to a match or plane tickets. Either one will do.”
She added, “I don’t have either of those, but I still want to win his affection.” Yosashi responded, “I’m not sure if I should reveal others’ tastes.” Nias begged him, “Please, I really want to know.” He said, “You should choose a short skirt and a white collared shirt, and I think that will work.”
Nias thanked him for the advice. We shifted to Liam, and then Nias entered, asking, “I want you to buy something for me.” Liam asked, “What’s wrong? Did you eat something bad?” She replied, “Not at all.”
Liam asked, “What do you want me to buy?” She replied, “I want you to buy the latest warships we’ve produced. Don’t decide until you’ve seen them.” Liam said, “I’ve already bought a set of used warships along with some soldiers.” She exclaimed, “Used? Do you mean the ships the Imperial fleet got rid of?”
Liam asked, “What’s wrong with that?” Nias thought to herself, “I can’t believe the third factory is blocking me here too.” Liam said, “If that’s the case, then just go back.”
Nias urged, “Please, look at them before you decide.” She presented them to him and asked, “What do you think of their brave appearance? It guarantees their capabilities.” Liam replied, “Then sell them to the Imperial fleet.”
Nias cried, saying he didn’t buy any of their products during the presentation. Liam asked, “So, you came to me to get rid of your stock?” She replied, “100 units would be enough, and we can offer loans with renewable credit.”
Liam told her, “Stop mentioning debts.” After agreeing to buy from her, he asked Amagi, “Do we have enough money?” Amagi said, “We’ll need to cut expenses elsewhere, but it’s possible. It won’t be a waste in the long term.”
Nias thanked him, “Thank you, Count,” and promised to bring it immediately. Liam said, “She’s very beautiful and has real talent when it comes to design.” Amagi responded, “Many other aspects are disappointing, aren’t they?” Liam replied, “It’s really disappointing beauty.”
Afterward, Nias contacted her manager and said, “I sold 300 units.” The manager asked, “Did you find the oddball you were looking for?” She replied, “The deal was successful thanks to my charm.”
She added, “Liam was very interested in me. He was staring at me madly.” Brian, overhearing the conversation, commented, “Liam fell into a honey trap,” while Yosashi heard it too and thought, “Lieutenant Shotti handled things well with Liam while wearing clothes that suit my tastes. I will never forgive that scoundrel.”
Finally, we shift to Liam, who is resting with Amagi. He said to her, “It’s quiet now, isn’t it?”
Leave a Reply