The True Beginning Empire was expanding at an alarming and almost terrifying pace, its growth spreading like wildfire across the void. Yet despite this magnificent surge, there were nowhere near enough war fleets to defend every world under its rule, nor were there sufficient transport fleets to sustain the empire's vast network of construction, logistics, and the constant movement of resources between planets.

Everything the empire had produced so far—even after accounting for Zoha's legendary construction revolution—amounted to no more than a hundred and twenty war fleets, along with roughly six hundred passenger and cargo ships used for internal transport.

Those 120 fleets were divided among three major powers: the Empire of the True Beginning, the Empire of the Cradle, and the Empire of the Grave. Each one of these was a centennial expansionist empire, hungry for power and territory, and each demanded a massive number of fleets to support its continuous campaigns of conquest and defense.

And even if the empire's endless need for fleets was put aside, there still remained countless blueprints and half-finished designs for land-based war machines, colossal artillery systems, and massive defensive and offensive arrays, all of which demanded their share of materials and workforce to bring them to life.

…The young man standing beside Zara waited patiently after the citylord's slight nod, allowing her a moment to think. Only after a respectful pause did he speak again, his tone calm but confident.

"Shall we begin by cleansing and leveling a piece of land equal in size to what you see before you now, Your Highness? The task is quite challenging, as we'll need to smooth out every hill and ravine, but at your command, I can have it ready within one full decade."

"…" After a brief silence, Zara slowly shook her head. "Expanding any further would mean transforming the entire Continent of Flame into an industrial zone and forcing its inhabitants to leave their ancestral homes. That's not right. I cannot turn Planet Jura into a mechanical hub—it's far too small, too fragile to withstand such strain. I built this yard here because I wanted to protect the veteran formers and observe the effectiveness of the new production system under my direct supervision. But that is no longer necessary."

The young man nodded slightly before speaking again. "If Your Highness wishes to continue expansion elsewhere, then the most strategic choice is undoubtedly Nihari. The planet is vast—one of the largest and best-shielded in the sector. Only there can we expand military manufacturing without fear of instability or sabotage. Moreover, it lies at the very heart of the greater planetary network, so the delivery of resources and supplies to it will be faster, safer, and far less costly."

He then placed his hand lightly over his chest. "If you decide to move the main operations there, I volunteer to assist personally. I've spent years managing this construction yard… and as for this place, we could allow the younger engineers and formers to use it as a training and testing ground."

"…Nihari is indeed the only logical choice." Zara finally nodded after a long moment of reflection, then turned toward the Spirit Lord standing nearby. "Have you reviewed the new design for the main support vessel, Note of destruction-3?"

"Of course, Your Highness," the Soul Master replied, his eyes shining with admiration. "As expected from the Sky Opening City, the design itself is a masterpiece—a treasure of ingenuity. Each new support ship will be armed with two primary cannons powerful enough to match those of a mothership, in addition to secondary laser batteries for both short-range defense and rapid assault. Its internal space will be expanded through spatial-lane compression, allowing it to carry as many soldiers and as much equipment as a full-sized mothership!"

The handsome young man clapped in excitement, almost entranced by the idea. "Ten such ships forming a single fleet—ten mothership-class vessels within one formation! Even though the new mothership model, Note of Supremacy-3, hasn't been released yet, I can already imagine the wave of upgrades it will bring!"

He pressed a hand over his heart and let out a dramatic sigh. "Ah~ I would hate to stand against the Empires his Excellency built. Facing such power… it would truly be painful to the soul."

"The Note of Supremacy-3 design will take several decades," Zara replied, her voice calm yet filled with dignity. "The motherships of our fleets must be something far grander—vessels akin to moving planets themselves. At the same time, the necessary modifications must be applied to the older versions, meaning we cannot completely abandon the previous designs. That process will take time… and patience."

She nodded thoughtfully a few times before issuing her final command. "Begin preparing a massive area on Nihari for the construction of a new shipbuilding complex. The yard must be ten times the size of this one." She lifted her brow, gesturing toward nearly a quarter of the Continent of Flame.

"Ten times?!" The young man turned his head slowly to the side, realizing the scale of what she had just ordered. It was clear from his expression that he would need the aid of the warlords themselves to prepare a tract of land of that magnitude.

"Inn—half of that territory will be devoted to new construction, and the other half to maintenance, retrofitting, and upgrading the older generations of our fleets," Zara declared with a calm yet authoritative tone, her hand lightly tracing an invisible line in the air as if dividing the vast land before her. Then she nodded once more, her golden hair swaying slightly. "Also, make sure to choose a location surrounded by wide open land, untouched and stable. Once the new shipyard begins full-scale operation, we will establish multiple auxiliary zones — one for crafting epic-grade weaponry, another for standard armaments, and others for arrays and non-military constructs. There is still so much ahead of us; our work has only just begun."

"Phoo~" The young man let out a deep, cold exhale, his expression half in awe and half in disbelief. "At this rate, we might need an entire region of Nihari dedicated solely to this project, Your Highness. The scale is… enormous."

"Hmm, then take the northern region," Zara replied casually, as though allocating a continent was nothing more than rearranging furniture. "It's already almost deserted anyway. My father's ambitions know no bounds — his armies must always be ready when he points toward his next conquest." She raised her eyes slightly toward the distant horizon, her voice softening. "He believes preparation is destiny."

"Your words drip with wisdom, Your Highness," the young man replied reverently, lowering his head in respect. "I will dedicate every breath to realizing His Majesty's grand vision."

"I will rely on you, Adrian." Zara turned to him, her expression suddenly solemn and steady. "I will assign several Soul Masters to assist you with the groundwork and oversight. You'll need every hand you can get."

Then, with a composed grace, she turned her back on the massive warship construction yard. The wind tugged at her cloak as she took a few measured steps away.

"Wait—just a moment, Your Highness!" Adrian called out, quickly taking two steps after her. "Why the rush? You've only just arrived! At least—"

"I have many matters to finish in the city," she interrupted softly, a polite smile curving her lips. "I trust you to handle this. Good luck."

With a gentle buzz, Zara raised her hand, and several floating banners of light unfurled in the air before her. A faint humming filled the platform as a small spatial gate bloomed open, its edges glowing with the familiar azure of space distortion. She gave a graceful wave — almost playfully — before stepping through and vanishing into the light.

"...." Adrian stood frozen for a moment, lowering the hand he had raised toward her. A long sigh escaped him, his shoulders sinking.

"Ahehehe…"

A soft, mocking chuckle broke the silence from somewhere nearby. The platform, as it turned out, wasn't empty — Zara had only just finished meeting with the heads of the formers, the transport guild, the dwarves, and several other divisions, confirming progress and giving orders before departing.

"Are you laughing at how ugly you are, little sir?" Adrian turned sharply toward the sound, his gaze landing on the dwarven chief, who was trying to suppress a grin.

"Heh~ Lord Adrian, why not let it go already? She's way above your league," another voice chimed in — this time a tall human woman, the chief of Transport Operations, leaning lazily against a crate.

"What exactly are you all talking about?!" Adrian's brow twitched, his face twisting slightly in annoyance.

"Lord Adrian," the leader of the Paints Division, a creature with six arms, interlaced all of them smugly. "Honestly, it doesn't take a genius to notice you're trying to impress Her Highness. You even styled your hair and trimmed the edges before the meeting!"

"…I don't know what you're all talking about, but—" Adrian's voice wavered slightly, "w-what's wrong even if I was trying to impress her? Huh?" He turned his back dramatically, crossing his arms. "Her brother's already married and has half a dozen children… Besides, I come from the noble Barnett family, and I am the strongest Soul Master across the three empires in terms of battle capability. I've fought real wars beside His Highness Caesar and proven my worth! My age matches hers, and my future knows no limits!"

The dwarven chief burst into laughter. "To be honest, I know you're my superior at work and all that, but compared to her? You're not even worth a fart."

"I'd rather see her remain single forever," the woman from Transport added teasingly.

"True, true," another voice agreed from behind, half-laughing.

RRRRMMM—! A violent surge of soul force erupted from Adrian, shaking the air and distorting the very space around him. His voice thundered across the yard.

"BACK TO WORK, YOU WRETCHED FOOLS!!"

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