Published at 11th of January 2026 8:26 am

Chapter 1902 Request from the lady of the headquarters

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"Imperial Guards packed inside high-tier epic armor sets?...That would be a truly terrifying sight." Robin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, frowning as he imagined the scene.

From what he knew, high-tier epic equipment had indeed been manufactured within the True Beginning Empire for decades-but only in the form of individual pieces. Most often these were weapons such as halberds, swords, small cannons, or other standalone equipment, or at best, small pieces of armor for wrists or joints. Each piece was crafted meticulously, often incorporating advanced designs and complex elemental integrations, but never complete sets. This was because producing them demanded not only enormous financial resources but also an immense investment of time and labor. A single piece could consume resources worth up to five million Pearls, and producing enough for a full unit of soldiers was almost inconceivable.

Holak's request, however, went far beyond this. He wanted to equip the Imperial Guardians with complete high-tier epic armor sets -each one costing nearly one hundred million Pearls. By simple calculation, outfitting just ten men would require about one billion Pearls- a staggering figure that would challenge even the most abundant coffers.

Holak's request, though logically justified in terms of protecting the lives of the Imperial Guards, was, in reality, almost absurd in its scale. Perhaps the only glimmer of hope lay in Zara's successful collaboration with Sky Opening City to produce designs for high-tier epic armor sets-a breakthrough that in itself was enormous news.

Maybe someday, if the Academy's profits overflowed beyond expectation, they could manage to produce a few sets for marshals and the senior generals. For now, it remained a distant dream.

"Owner, do not let him carry out his plan and start raiding the sector powers. That would have catastrophic consequences!" Neri spoke sharply, concern lacing her voice. "His name is already tied to the Double Centennial Grave Empire. They must not return to the era of tyrannical recklessness and draw even more hatred toward the Grave Empire! The consequences would be unimaginable, and our reputation could suffer irreparably."

"Hm. Even though their methods brought us a significant quantity of planetary equipment-especially after their attack on the Eternal Turtle Empire faction- you're right," Robin admitted with a nod. "He must wait until the Academy's profits start flowing consistently. Only then can he hope to acquire a few complete armor sets... as for those vehicles, I fear he will have to continue using public transport for the time being"

Producing more Gen-4 Note fleets was, without question, the first and highest priority. Yet the Shadow Swords' phantom vessels were equally vital. They were not just optional luxury-they were an urgent necessity, crucial to both intelligence gathering and strategic mobility.

Even though a single Shadow Sword vessel-layered with concealment and protection that covered darkness, space, echo, soul, and other precise defensive measures-took years to produce and cost tens of millions of Pearls, their contribution to the Shadow Swords' expansion was undeniable. Without these vessels, their ability to gather intelligence, infiltrate enemy lines, and execute swift retreats would be severely crippled. Production could not be paused for any reason.

"Heh- Caesar, Aro, and now Holak," Robin muttered, letting out a small, wry laugh. "Each of them demands massive financial support. And although each is expanding and acting in ways that ultimately serve my interests, I fear the worst has already begun... even the Academy is no longer sufficient to satisfy their relentless appetite!"

Robin raised his finger, closing Holak's image, and moved on to search for the next message, hoping perhaps that this one might contain a gift fallen from the heavens. He pressed on Lady of HeadQuarters-7.

<Greetings, Your Majesty. I apologize for contacting you in such a direct

manner.>

"Heh~ I had a strong feeling it would be her," Robin muttered, lightly tapping his forehead when he saw Emily's message appear.

<Your Majesty, while negotiating with representatives of the Shining Torrent Empire -who represent an alliance of sixteen commercial powers in Medium Sector 100- I encountered a most unusual situation. They wish to sell us vast quantities of resources that we have long struggled to collect, along with other resources that we normally cannot purchase with Pearls at all, and yet others we were not actively seeking. However, these could prove to be of tremendous strategic value if we were able to supply them to the three Sky Opening Cities. It could shift the balance of power significantly in our favor...>>

"...." Robin furrowed his brows slightly, a deep frown forming as he tried to process the enormity of the situation.

<An example of the resources available in large quantities includes veins of Veradium, several metals used specifically in the Fifth Path, as well as a variety of raw materials necessary for crafting low- and mid-tier epic equipment.>> "Hm..." Robin finally began to react, his mind turning over the implications. This was genuinely good news. As it stood, no one outside the generals, the Imperial Guardians, and the imps possessed mid-tier epic equipment, and it hadn't even been standardized across the regular armies yet.

If he could manage to equip just the special forces-which numbered in the tens of thousands-with mid-tier epic equipment, it would significantly amplify their effectiveness, easily doubling their combat potential. Moreover, it would preserve the lives of his elite soldiers, whose experience and skill were far too valuable to squander.

<As for the resources we cannot purchase with Pearls, one of them is a primary raw material used in crafting the Crucible of Greed. That alliance has offered us enough to produce two additional crucibles, bringing the total to seven. There is also a significant quantity of materials sufficient to craft several high-tier epic armor sets, as well as to resume multiple stalled projects!> Robin's eyes widened as he took in the news. "This..." The addition of two new crucibles could completely resolve the Imperial Guardians' supply issues. If even one crucible were allocated to them, they would gain access to high-quality vehicles, and the Shadow Swords' phantom vessels would also increase in number, further enhancing operational flexibility.

On top of that, he would receive an additional Gen-4 Note fleet annually-a steady reinforcement that could tip the balance in numerous strategic

operations.

Furthermore, the other resources, comparable in quality to the Crucible of Greed materials, could undoubtedly be repurposed later for equally high-level projects. Even a modest amount of experimentation could transform them into valuable assets. Simply filling the treasury with these resources would never be detrimental-it was an opportunity that could not be ignored.

<But Your Majesty, to collect these materials in quantities sufficient to meet the empire's consumption and operational needs, we would require roughly one billion Pearls annually, even with the heavily discounted rates offered. This would increase our annual deficit to 1.4 billion Pearls. I spoke with the Shadow Swords, and they have refused to contribute anything. Thus, I had no choice but to come directly to Your Majesty with this request. What should I do? Should I cancel the deal?&t;

"Ugh..." Robin groaned, rubbing his forehead while shaking his head in exasperation.

As expected, the demands kept mounting... Somewhat fortunately, Emily's requests could partially overlap with Holak's, allowing them to be combined

into a single framework.

1.4 billion Pearls per year-on the surface, this seemed reasonable compared to the massive requests from Aro and Caesar. In isolation, it was not

insurmountable.

Yet 1.4 billion annually was staggering. Over the course of the last retreat,

which had lasted fifty years, he would have been forced to pay a total of 70 billion Pearls immediately upon reemerging-a nearly incomprehensible sum. By comparison, Caesar and Aro had each requested a maximum of 30 billion Pearls just to combat a Millennial Empire!

This number... 140 billion Pearls in a single century.

When calculated over the timeline leading to the Galaxy's ascension, this equated to a monumental 490 billion Pearls.

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