Back in the study of Sedona Castle, Lucas sat down after finishing his lunch. Mina, Annie, and Nicole followed him inside, the atmosphere professional yet comfortably intimate.
"Master, should we head out now? Rhea and the others are expected to arrive around three," Mina asked softly.
The birdkin were slated to land at the Air Force base. It was highly likely that the majority would remain there to train, while the children would be enrolled in the local primary school.
"No need to rush; we still have two hours," Lucas replied, shaking his head. He handed a stack of papers to Annie. "Take a look at this document and see if anything needs adding."
This was the next phase of his grand strategy. Lucas always played several moves ahead, and this particular "chess piece" was vital.
Annie took the file, her eyes widening at the title: "Naval Port Supply Plan." Meanwhile, Nicole began boiling water with a small kettle. Lately, she had developed a passion for the art of tea, finding it far more sophisticated than the milk teas she used to enjoy.
"Master, Florence wants to go out and explore the city," Mina said, hopping up to sit on the edge of the desk.
"Not yet. Her wound isn't fully healed," Lucas answered firmly. "I don't want her going out and eating heavy foods—it's bad for the recovery process."
He remembered Florence's pouting face at the dinner table. He had ordered the kitchen to prepare incredibly bland meals for the mermaid to prevent any inflammation. Watching everyone else enjoy delicacies while she ate hospital food had clearly taken its toll on her patience.
"Looks like Florence is going to be sulking for another day," Mina chuckled, her cat tail swishing.
"It's your fault for teasing her about how much fun the city is," Nicole teased, handing a cup of tea to Mina.
"It was Annie and Ayesha! They kept poking fun at her during card games last night," Mina smirked, taking the cup with both hands.
"Tell her she can go out in three days," Lucas estimated. The mermaid's body was remarkably resilient—stronger even than some beastkin.
"By the way, have the invitations been sent out?" Lucas asked, taking a sip of tea.
"They're being delivered now," Mina reported. "We should see some City Lords arriving in the next few days, though I'm not sure they'll choose us over the Fourth Prince. Even a stray dog of a Prince carries a lot of traditional weight with the nobility."
"Better if they don't come," Lucas said, a sharp smile tugging at his lips. "It saves me the trouble of weeding out the idiots later. My plan doesn't have room for people who can't see the writing on the wall."
Annie let out a long sigh after finishing the plan, downing the tea Nicole had placed nearby in three quick gulps.
"Well?" Lucas asked.
"Master... does a ship like this really exist?" Annie stared at him, her eyes full of wonder. The plan was staggering in its scope.
"Of course. Didn't you see the core mechanics last time we visited the research department?"
"A Steamship... it's just so hard to believe," Annie said, her fox ears standing straight up. "A ship that can move without any wind?"
"We should have a prototype ready for its maiden voyage next month," Lucas said. With the current R&D speed, the steamship wasn't an impossible hurdle. He had provided the blueprints for the core power principles and the drive system; he would be disappointed if Cody couldn't pull it off.
"Next month? Then we really do need to start preparing these naval ports," Annie agreed seriously. "But Master, what if these cities refuse to let us dock?"
"Does it matter if they refuse?" Lucas countered, his eyes flashing with confidence.
"Heehee... I suppose not," Annie laughed. With Sedona City's current military trajectory, no wasn't really an option for the neighbors.
"Do we have enough coal?" Lucas asked. He was strictly focused on fuel for the steam engines.
"Our coal reserves are massive," Annie reported. "Especially since we added two 'Power Engines' to the mining sector. The transport speed for ore has increased several times over."
Lucas had specifically banned the term "Steam Engine" in public, opting for the generic "Power Engine" to prevent the name from giving away the core scientific principle. He knew the world contained Dwarves—natural masters of smithing and mechanics. He didn't want them reverse-engineering his most important industrial secret too early.
"Excellent. Let's start with three naval ports for now," Lucas said. Fuel replenishment was the lifeblood of a steam fleet.
"Based on a full load of coal, how many days can the ship travel?" Annie asked, pulling out a map of the Whispering River.
"Roughly a day and a half at high speed—which is equivalent to three days of travel for a traditional sail ship," Lucas calculated. "We'll set the supply hubs based on the three-day sailing distance of an old wind-ship. That gives us a safe margin for error."
"Then you'll need to meet these three City Lords personally," Annie said, circling three cities on the map.
"Add Riverden City to the list. We'll start with four strategic supply hubs," Lucas concluded, marking the final spot. The trap was set; the Western Territories were about to be unified under a banner of steam and steel.
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