American Isekai - Chapter 249

He had it in the bag. 

When the doors opened for intermission, all Umara could hear was shouting. She, like many of the other plus ones that had spent the first half of the day’s meeting sleeping, was supposed to enter during intermission but none of them could find it in them to take the first step forward. 

It was a madhouse. 

And Umara wasn’t very surprised to see her boyfriend at the center of it. 

“They cannot match the cargo efficiency of the Rails! We have documented numbers dating back decades!”

“You want numbers?! You’re going to ask a summoner about numbers?!”

The Duke seemed to shrink back. Indeed, it was stupid to challenge a summoner with numbers. Even then, John threw up a projector with a massive display of comparison data. 

Not just for his planes, but for his own specially designed trains. 

“Unlike your inefficient Rails, my trains don’t need anything more than two metal tracks to travel! They only need a set of Crystals in the main engine, unlike Rails that need Crystals across the entire length of their damned tracks! My trains are also faster! They can run indefinitely! They cost a magnitude less to install! And you dare to bring up cargo efficiency?! I could hardly give a damn that you have decades of data utilizing inferior technology..!”

Umara sighed. John was definitely smart but if she had to think of any flaw, it would be that he got quite testy when someone questioned his logic. It was almost impossible to do so, which meant that anybody daring to was probably just too stupid or stubborn to understand what he was saying in the first place. 

This was the case here, and it caused him to yell at a Duke like he was some common Baron. 

After Umara had taken the first step to enter she took John’s side and held his arm. She had decided to wear her black dress again today since John hadn’t changed either, having pulled an all nighter. She had to match him. 

Then the rest of the meeting continued. Intermission was outright disregarded as John went back and forth with other nobles. Most of those concerned with what he had said before were attempting to argue their way toward a better position, because it was beginning to look like John was trying to take everything for himself. 

But there were also those silent nobles that pondered not how to knock John down, but how to ride his coattails. 

Umara hadn’t realized the significance of what had transpired until the meeting ended. That night, she had a brief private discussion with her mother where she heard about what John had proposed so boldly to the King. 

The fact that he did so wasn’t very shocking to Umara. It was the fact that it seemed to have worked, that multiplied her stress. 

Talexia was forced into a situation where she had to support John, and yet she managed to stay quiet, simply allowing John to shut down opposition in the Hall. 

A smart play, because it would be up to them to handle the work behind the scenes, and that would be more difficult if they had appeared as headstrong as John did. 

And so Umara had several times the amount of work on her plate. She spent her entire night bouncing between meetings with other nobles, with and without John. She already knew what his goals were. Nothing that he said and argued for was spur of the moment. It was all planned out beforehand, and she had learned all of what she needed to know about his operations and plans during the two months she followed him while he revolutionized. 

She just hadn’t expected that he would try and tempt the King personally. If it had failed then they’d be in deep shit, but his gamble had worked. 

Perhaps it was never a gamble in the first place, though. John was reckless from the perspective of others, but that was because they couldn’t see what he did. 

Perhaps it only took the first meeting, or a mere few words with the King, to discover that he could be effectively enticed, to discover the right things to say. 

Not even Umara could figure out what John saw, and she couldn’t quite fathom his deductive abilities, but she knew she could trust him. 

He took risks but she knew they were all calculated, hardly risks after he thought about them long enough. 

So the third day came. It was the day for the King to make his decrees. 

The meeting didn’t start until noon of the third day. Everyone was tense and tired when they entered, exhaustion from long hours of discussion and political maneuvering setting in all at once. Yet they drank their concoctions and slapped themselves awake, because today was the one day they couldn’t afford to miss. 

The table was filled, not a single empty spot to be found. 

In front of everyone was a large map, the same one they had used to decide on the position of new bases across the front. 

There were several minutes of idle silence and muted whispering as the King simply sat there. All could tell that he was deep in deliberation, only once glancing at John. 

Then, he finally stood from his seat, reaching over to a panel before him and tapping on a smaller image of the map. 

“We will establish two new Strongholds and one new supply post. They will be placed as such.”

The three locations appeared for everyone to see. The supply post was not far behind the two new Strongholds. 

And one of the Strongholds was exactly where John had asked it to be. The other was slightly more to the northeast, a good position to ensure the Scourge didn’t simply rout the other Stronghold, similar to how the Treehouse had operated as a secondary barrier for Stronghold Charlie. 

The King continued. 

“The supply post will have a direct connection to the City of Valence. As for the line connecting it, Gearworks and Sawn Industries will engage in an auction, the lowest bidder being awarded the contract to construct the new line, either Rail or Train.”

Murmuring was heard, and Umara glanced across the table. 

Suemas Pavlosse, the owner of Gearworks, was frowning in obvious distaste. Sawn Industries was slated to take all their business if John’s boasts were true. They had come up with better alternatives to all of Gearworks’ best products, such as the Steed and Rail. He was also boasting that they were cheaper while being significantly more efficient. 

Well, the Mana Engine was a monumental breakthrough. Anything it was applied to was automatically guaranteed to be better. The only reason Gearworks hadn’t yet panicked was because there simply hadn’t been enough time for Sawn Industries to invade the market. 

But that just meant that, in time, they would.

And it seemed to be starting with this. 

As for the City of Valence, she and John had been there before. It was where they had sent the survivors from the village south of Stronghold Charlie. They had only been there a short time.

The city was the main hub for northwestern transit to and from the River of Desolation. All the facilities there were already more than capable of handling the establishment of another Stronghold, so it made sense why it would be the checkpoint for logistics. 

But a new line still had to be built. The line to Stronghold Charlie was naturally off limits, and while its initial length could be reused and redirected, John was promising a far cheaper, faster, and more efficient option. Hence the auction. 

Umara knew they would win it. John would have a criminally high profit margin even after Gearworks got to the point of forsaking profits and bleeding coin.

After murmuring died down, the King looked toward John. Umara had to keep herself from tensing. Unlike John who never seemed to give a damn about status due to his upbringing in another world entirely, the King was still the highest existence she knew of. 

John had been taught that Kings were fools to be laughed at. She had been taught that if she desecrated the King’s name, she’d bring down herself and her entire family. 

It was stressful, being the target of his scrutiny, even more so when the four Sovereigns turned their gazes as the King did. 

“John Cooper. You promised to bring me victory and half a million Crystals.”

“I did, your majesty. And my promise still stands.”

“I know it does. But convincing my Generals to give you control over a new Stronghold has been difficult. More than that, convincing those who have the manpower to muster even just 30 thousand soldiers has been fruitless. However, I know you have support, so I will offer the opportunity anyway.”

The King smiled, Umara using her peripheral vision to see that John remained completely unperturbed. In fact, a small smile was on his face. 

“John Cooper I will allow you and those who support you to muster the soldiers by buying contracts. If you can find soldiers who are willing to sell their contracts to you, then you may have them and assemble them. However, there are naturally conditions. First, you must have a contracted General and Marshal at all times. Second, you must operate jointly with Kingdom forces. Third, you must provide for the needs of your troops yourself. This includes everything from food to equipment, as nothing standard issue from the Kingdom will be provided since it is contracted. Of course, this also means that if you manage to buy more than 30 thousand contracts, you won’t be stopped.”

Umara’s eyes were round when the King finally paused, John remaining silent for a short time. Like her, dozens of others were floored by the offer. 

An independent military force. Ever since the Kingdom had been founded some centuries ago, it hadn’t truly existed in any significant capacity. However, nobles always had their own reserve forces. It was why the question of manpower wasn’t so cut and dry. 

Nobles wanted to defend their own territories, so sending all of the valuable Magi beyond the River of Desolation to simply die like they did at the Treehouse wasn’t tempting. John had told Umara that there would likely be mass recalls if things kept going as they were. Nobles would begin pulling troops that came from their territories back so that they could muster their own defenses instead of fighting in a collective effort. Once upon a time, that had been normal. Even in Kingdom law, high nobles, such as a border Marquess or a Duke, could maintain their own armies. But it wasn’t cost effective in the last century or so. Nobles had done away with them, mostly. 

But now? It seemed like John had received so much opposition that not even the King could get nobles and Generals to support throwing a measly 30 thousand troops at him. Nobody was going to help John. Nobody wanted to put skin in his game, no matter how little. 

And yet the King seemed to want it to happen anyway. Despite everything, despite all the opposition to the idea, despite the Sovereigns likely having given their bad word, he still presented the opportunity. Perhaps those half a million Crystals truly were that enticing. Perhaps the King wanted to exercise some of his power that other nobles seemed to be refusing to legitimize. Perhaps it was because the King would be winning no matter what happened. Perhaps they were using this as an opportunity to let John knock himself down, expecting him to fail. 

Or maybe it was as simple as the King wanting some entertainment, taking a stupid gamble. 

Regardless, the opportunity was there, and John was smiling widely. 

Umara couldn’t help the smile either. She heard her mother softly sigh, likely anticipating what was soon to come. 

A lot of gold would be leaving their coffers. 

The King took the silence and continued. 

“You will be allowed to do as your capabilities determine. If everything you’ve said about your new technologies is true, then that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I am very interested in seeing how you would manage to live up to the claims. If you decide to take on this perilous task.”

John gave a short pause before answering, still grinning like a madman.

“Your Majesty, it would be my honor to take on this task. I know many don’t believe in my words, but that just means I can take this opportunity to showcase the strength of what I have built. Of course, if the time ever comes that high officials see the merit of my technology and wish to integrate it into their forces, I will be more than happy to offer services just as I have for my planes. Until then, I will work toward victory, just as I have promised.”

“Very well, Sir Cooper. The details will naturally be spoken about in depth, but the Scourge does not wait for humanity. It is in our best interest to establish our grounds as quickly as possible so that you can begin your work. For this purpose, I invite you to stay another day at the Royal Palace.”

“I graciously accept this invitation. I, too, am eager to begin development.”

“Then it is settled.”

The King gave his decree. 

“John Cooper will henceforth be the operating commander of the newly designated Stronghold to be named at his discretion. In tandem, the newly designated Stronghold Echo will act as the primary defensive position of the Kingdom, protecting the flank of our lines from the Scourge.”

John continued to smile, and the King went on to detail several other decrees. 

There were some new taxes instituted, some new drafting orders, some reshuffling that would all help to support the creation of a new foothold. Recovering from a massive blow such as the destruction of Stronghold Charlie wasn’t impossible, but it would take a lot of money and human resources. Given that none of the nobles wanted to pay the cost, the King was simply using his power to force the issue with decrees that would move pieces across the board and push past the inertia. 

But Umara could hardly be bothered with any of that. She continued to glance at John, her hand slipping into his, the two of them clasping each other tightly. 

She could tell he was excited. If there was anything John liked, it was being in control. Of himself, of his circumstances, and anything else that might affect his goals or life. 

This would be their greatest investment, but it was clear that he was ready to make it. Everything would be over if they failed. But if they didn’t, they would have unprecedented power. 

Which was also why they would have to be careful, not just of the Scourge, but of those around them who might feel threatened. 

Thankfully though, they also had people they could trust. Umara was excited to see what would happen. It was an endlessly daunting road ahead, but she wasn’t scared. This was far better than being at the mercy of those who didn’t care, or worse. She’d rather become an intelligence agent and work the desk all day than put herself and her loved ones in the position she had been in only a few months ago. 

Her heart pounded as she thought about what was to come. Like that a few more hours went by, the King finally finishing his decrees. It was far from the end of the deliberations. After the meeting ended there would be an endless stream of meetings. She would be in many of them. 

But then, she sensed something. 

She glanced at John when she noticed the anomaly. It wasn’t with anything else, but with him. 

He was… nervous?

Made sense, considering what he had just gotten himself into. But it felt different. 

Finally, the meeting came to its conclusion. 

The King sat back in his seat, taking a sip of water after having spoken without end. He raised a parchment, reading from it. 

“That, ladies and gentlemen, seems to be the end of my decrees. Is there anything else, that must be made known or decided on?”

Silence prevailed, until several seconds later, John stood from his seat. 

The King’s brows raised. 

“Yes, Sir Cooper?”

“Your Majesty, if I may be so bold…”

“A bit late to ask, but very well.”

“My thanks.”

He said that before suddenly stepping up onto the table. Umara gawked in confusion, glancing around to see shocked, curious, and a few hostile gazes. 

Then, she suddenly felt her hand get pulled. It hadn’t left his, their fingers still tightly locked together. 

“John?!”

Umara resisted slightly, terrified when she stepped onto the top of the table. It felt like she was dirtying something sacred, or perhaps crossing a line she never thought she’d ever cross. 

She was fully on the table, standing high above everyone else who remained in their seats. Nearly everyone in the room was immensely powerful, sitting at the Chief, Brigadier, Marshal, and even Sovereign level. They couldn’t threaten but the weakest of those around the table, so nobody had a particularly lethal response to the sudden change of events. 

Yet she felt like she was naked as her adrenaline spiked, every eye on her and John. She was screaming across their telepathic connection. 

[John! Whatthefuckareyoudoing?!?!]

“Umara Arika Talerria.”

Another shot of adrenaline surged through her system when she saw John lower himself to one knee. He hadn’t even kneeled for the King and yet here he was. 

With a little box in his hand. 

He gazed up at her, Umara glancing at the box, then into his eyes. 

That hint of nervousness inside him was gone. He couldn’t care less about those around them, or about the insanity of this stunt. 

His eyes were on her. Only her. 

“I have traversed the universe and have placed myself at the front of the fight against an inhuman enemy spawned from the depths of hell, and yet I am a selfish man who now refuses to be without you in my fight. Still, I will ask.”

He opened the box, revealing the beautiful, glimmering ring. 

“Will you marry me, Umara?”

She stared, almost mute from the consecutive shocks of crazy events. She barely even noticed a tear escaping her eye. 

But she nodded, even as she wiped her face and found those simple words she hurriedly nodded. 

“Ye-Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you, crazy man!”

She dove over and wrapped her arms around his neck, Umara smiling through tears as John chuckled, the two hugging on their knees. 

Then, there was a clap. 

The King smacked his hands together, the pace rising until he was giving applause. The rest of those in the meeting hall joined, the King erupting into laughter. 

“Hahaha! Bold indeed!”

Umara finally separated once she again realized that they were still on top of the table. Then she flushed as that embarrassment compounded with the excitement of feeling John slip the ring onto her finger.

Then he kissed her, making it all the more worse.