Blackstone Code

Did the dragon slayer become the dragon?

Pretty much. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Submarines played a crucial role in helping the Federation defeat the once-mighty Gephra Navy. If not for submarines, the outcome of the naval war might have been very different.

Once hailed as the sword to slay the dragon, the submarine was now in others’ hands too. The dragon slayers felt no pride in that—only fear.

This fear was well-founded. It meant others might replicate that victory.

The newly elected president of the military powerhouse refused to fade into mediocrity. He still had many unfulfilled ambitions.

“We must find a way to limit the submarine’s role in warfare—at the very least, we can’t remain powerless against it like we are now!”

Submarines weren’t a novelty. Mature manufacturing and operational experience had existed for over a decade. Submarines had long operated in inland rivers, lakes, and even large urban underground waterways.

The Federation was simply the first to overcome certain material and technological hurdles and apply submarines in warfare. But this didn’t mean the technology was exclusive to the Federation. In fact, the Federation’s upper echelons didn’t view this as just a simple hijacking incident.

There was a chilling implication behind it. Pirates could never develop submarines. Only national powers had that capability.

So—did this mean another nation now possessed the technology and could deploy submarines in actual warfare?

Was this hijacking merely a test of their submarine technology?

Perhaps they hadn’t even left using the submarine but had loitered right under the Navy’s nose before finally departing?

It was a provocation—a blatant military provocation.

“This is a display of military power,” the President concluded. “Right now, there are probably people hidden away, raising glasses to celebrate!”

The Minister of Defense kept signaling with his eyes to a subordinate, who quickly left the room. Soon, he returned carrying a stack of documents.

The Minister stood. “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President, we’re not entirely defenseless against submarines.”

That statement sparked murmurs around the room. Everyone was well aware of how formidable submarines had become.

Even the Gephra Navy couldn’t detect them. That alone proved submarines were at the forefront of modern naval warfare.

If torpedo technology advanced further, battleships might soon become obsolete.

Facing the room, the Minister held up a document. Though he had some reservations about certain names and descriptions in the file, it could save him now.

“This is a project proposal just submitted. It’s titled Anti-Submarine Aircraft. The proposal states that until we achieve a breakthrough in detection technology, the most effective method remains observation—”

“Observation?” the President interrupted, surprised. “I thought this was a high-tech project. Are you saying we can counter submarines just by seeing them? Then why didn’t our soldiers spot the one involved in the incident?”

The Minister looked embarrassed. The President realized something. “Apologies, I shouldn’t have interrupted. Please, go on.”

The Minister explained, “The project focuses on improving our ability to visually detect submarines. It outlines several approaches…”

After a long string of technical jargon that left most in the room baffled, he summarized, “The simplest way to detect submarines is to avoid light pollution and observe from a near-vertical angle.”

“The initial design for the aircraft includes a payload of one anti-submarine bomb. It can both detect and directly engage submarines.”

The President gave a noncommittal nod, then looked toward the military representatives, clearly waiting for something.

A few minutes later, several officers presented their calculations to a general, who nodded. Only then did the President speak. “Good plan. Why am I only hearing about it now?”

“Uh… it was just submitted.”

The President didn’t press further. He had only meant to remind everyone not to hide anything that shouldn’t be hidden. If anyone did, and things went wrong, the consequences would be severe.

While unscrewing his pen cap, he said, “Bring it to me—I’ll sign it.”

“Thanks for the tip…”

Lynch hung up and walked to the window, looking out over the hills of Eminence. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

As expected, his company’s proposal had been approved—the aircraft development company he owned was now officially part of the anti-submarine project.

The Presidential Office had just called, asking him to quickly submit a development timeline and budget, along with any support he’d need. These documents would soon be discussed in Congress.

Of course, Congress wouldn’t be debating whether to approve the project—the President had already greenlit it with his signature. What Congress would decide on was the funding, and there would be at least one inquiry and one hearing.

After that, the Military Committee and the Appropriations Committee would take over, incorporating the project into a military funding list and disbursing funds to Lynch’s company.

A steady stream of money would flow into his company’s accounts. Whether they produced a viable aircraft didn’t actually matter—many projects never saw success.

Still, Lynch intended to make this one work. Compared to the established defense giants entrenched in the Navy and Army, there was little room to break in. But the Air Force—an institution that didn’t yet exist—was a blank slate.

If Lynch’s anti-submarine aircraft could be successfully developed and used in actual warfare, everything else would follow naturally.

Recon planes, attack aircraft, bombers…

Better than making rifles, better than building land vehicles—building things that fly was the true path forward. That was the essence of wisdom.

A breeze stirred his hair. The sun lit up his clean, warm features, and his brilliant smile seemed to outshine the sunlight itself.

The scent of a grand era was in the air.

In the days that followed, Lynch began attending expositions. He wasn’t just playing around with the aircraft company—he was all in. He met with many civilian aircraft experts. These people didn’t lack technical skills—they lacked guidance and direction.

That’s where Lynch excelled. Now, with military funding behind him, he was confident that some of those idealistic civilian experts would join this noble cause.

Even while traveling constantly, Lynch kept a close eye on events unfolding in Eminence. Beyond his own project, the President had signed over a dozen other military-related initiatives.

These covered nearly every major Army and Navy equipment upgrade. It was clear the traditional defense contractors had pushed hard behind the scenes. The Defense Ministry’s recommendation was to complete at least one full military equipment upgrade within the President’s term.

The reason the President was so aggressively promoting these military projects was simple—he feared war.

War is inevitably on the horizon—there’s no doubt about it. Every nation is building up its strength. If military equipment fails to keep pace with technological progress, then when war does break out, it will be disastrous for the Federation.

Only by maintaining comprehensive superiority—or at the very least, holding the edge in cutting-edge military technology—can the Federation secure greater benefits in the next world war: colonies.

The success in Nagaryll has further inflated capital. In capital forums and gatherings of top financiers, a new idea is beginning to circulate: create more Nagarylls and plunder even more wealth.

Meanwhile, after a round of maintenance, the thermal power units were once again loaded onto the ship.

This time, to ensure the units reached Amellia safely, the Merrick Consortium arranged for an armed escort vessel to accompany the cargo ship and prevent another hijacking.

The $16 million ransom paid to the pirates had shocked the world. Because of that incident, global public security took a sharp hit in just a few days, with a noticeable spike in kidnappings and attempted abductions.

Previously, most criminal cases were simple robberies—no technical skill required. A gun, a knife, or even a broken bottle was enough.

No one had imagined that a person could be worth so much—$16 million Sols.

So those with a bit of skill and ambition began shifting from robbery to kidnapping. Even within the Federation, several kidnapping cases had occurred in the past few days—most of them unsuccessful.

But this marked a growing trend. Lynch’s Blackstone Security began receiving a flood of orders. Thanks to their stellar performance in Nagaryll, Blackstone had earned a strong reputation and was now trusted by the upper and middle classes.

It was on one such day that Connie leaned against the ship’s rail, enjoying the sea breeze. The first mate told him that, to lift everyone’s spirits, they would be docking at Amellia’s port for a week.

The first mate had even made prior arrangements with some locals—eighty bucks for a seven-day guided tour.

Thinking of this made Connie feel excited, his face displaying what scholars might call a lecherous smirk.

But that grin quickly froze, then vanished. His mouth opened wider and wider as he pointed at the sea in shock and shouted—

“Monster!”