Chapter 896: Alternate Timeline: Loneliness
His eyes moved across the weapons again, slower this time, more deliberate, his mind weighing not just power, but cost, training, risk, and timing.
Rocket launchers.
Grenade launchers.
Explosives.
Each one carried potential.
Each one carried danger.
"And the Emperor..."
His thoughts tightened.
"If he asked for eight weeks... Then, he is preparing something."
A decision was formed slowly but firmly
He looked at Kiara.
"Alright."
His voice steadied.
"I will not make things difficult for you."
He took a breath.
"Put the previous order on hold. Keep the twenty percent."
Another pause.
"Now... I will place a new order."
His gaze sharpened.
"The same list as before. And..."
He pointed toward the heavier weapons.
"Add ten of these rocket launchers. And one hundred warheads."
A faint tension lingered in the air.
"This order must be prioritized as fast as possible."
Kiara smiled in satisfaction.
"Understood, Mr. Customer."
She raised one finger.
"One week."
Her tone carried quiet certainty.
"Within a week, you will receive the Panzers, machine gun ammunition, rocket launchers and warheads, shotguns and cartridges, P-226 pistols and magazines."
A slight pause.
"However, the bullets..."
Her eyes narrowed just a fraction.
"They will take a tad bit longer."
Kiara leaned lightly against the edge of the table, her fingers resting near the weapons she had just introduced, while her mind quietly moved through calculations that no one else in the room could see, because for her, every deal was not just about profit, but about time, control, and the fragile balance between power and exposure.
She already knew the truth.
Producing weapons was easy.
Producing bullets was not.
Because for every weapon she created, she only needed a single command, a single action, but bullets... bullets were different, because each one required repetition.
And repetition turned into time, and time turned into a burden she could not ignore, especially when the numbers reached into hundreds of thousands.
Two hundred thousand bullets.
Two hundred thousand clicks.
The thought alone was enough to make her pause for a brief second, her fingers tightening slightly as she imagined the endless cycle, the quiet frustration of doing the same thing over and over again without pause. It would be nice if her Androids could do that for her, but unfortunately, they aren’t advanced enough to have such access.
"A nightmare..."
Her thoughts moved slowly.
"I need a better way."
But for now, she had no choice.
There was a bulk option, yes, one that allowed production in batches of two hundred fifty rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition, and with the glove of creation increasing her success rate, she could push the process faster than before, yet even then, it was not enough to meet the demand instantly.
And more importantly—
She could not tell any of this to Icarus.
So instead, she spoke with a steady voice and calm expression.
"Ever since the Emperor declared firearms as official weapons for the masses, the number of customers has increased beyond expectation," she said, her voice carrying a practical weight that sounded reasonable to any listener. "Today alone, nearly eighty percent of the bullets in my store were sold."
She paused slightly, letting the words settle.
"I still need to maintain stock for regular customers."
Her gaze met his.
"So, realistically, I can only provide around ten thousand bullets per week."
A brief silence followed.
"Ten thousand," she repeated. "That is my current limit."
She tilted her head slightly, her tone softening just a fraction as she added, "That is also why I recommended the AK series. The ammunition is easier to produce, more efficient, and the weapon itself is simple to use. It offers both power and speed."
"Think about it."
The room grew quiet.
Icarus stood still, his eyes lowering slightly as he processed her words, his fingers brushing lightly against one of the weapons nearby, feeling the cold metal beneath his skin, the faint weight of potential pressing into his thoughts.
Then—
He shook his head.
"No."
His answer came firm.
"We do not have time."
His voice carried tension, not anger, but urgency, the kind that comes from knowing that every delay could cost lives, territory, and opportunity.
"My soldiers are already trained with the P-365 and revolvers," he continued, his gaze lifting again. "Adding shotguns, rocket launchers, and Panzers is already pushing their limits."
He paused.
His breath slowed.
"If we introduce new weapons now..."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"It will break their rhythm."
Another pause.
"After we reclaim the kingdom, I will restructure the army. Separate divisions. Specialized training. But not now."
Kiara watched him silently. Then she nodded.
"It is your decision."
She did not argue further.
Because she understood.
Because she calculated.
Because sometimes, forcing efficiency would only create weakness.
A short silence stretched between them, filled with unspoken thoughts, before she spoke again, "One week. Noah will deliver the weapons personally."
She paused.
"He will also provide training."
Another pause.
"But remember this."
Her eyes locked onto his. And this time, her expression turned cold.
"If you fail... If you are captured... My name does not exist in your story. You obtained everything through intermediaries. You never met me."
Her gaze did not waver.
"Because if the Imperial Palace turns hostile... I will not hesitate to burn everything necessary and unnecessary to achieve my goals."
The air grew heavy.
"Thousands of innocent lives... I will not hesitate to sacrifice them."
Silence followed after her warning.
Icarus stood frozen for a moment, his expression tightening, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes, surprise, curiosity, perhaps even a trace of unease, because the beauty standing before him seemed far more dangerous than she appeared.
In the end, he spoke quietly.
"I wonder... What kind of grudge do you carry against the Imperial family..."
Kiara did not answer.
She simply looked at him.
Silent.
Still.
And that silence spoke more than words ever could.
Icarus did not press further.
Instead, he turned, his movements controlled, slipping the mask back onto his face, "I’ll be taking my leave then." He waved with the back of his hand.
Kiara nodded, a smile appearing on her face again, staring at his back.
He walked toward the exit, his steps light, his presence once again blending into anonymity.
Outside, the four hooded figures remained still, their eyes hidden, their bodies unmoving, as if they were nothing more than shadows draped in cloth, and because they had already heard his earlier words, they believed the lie without question.
An envoy from the Sky Clan.
Nothing more.
And so—
No one stopped him.
No one questioned him.
He disappeared into the night.
Just like that.
*
Some time later, Noah descended the stairs, his steps quick, his expression bright, only to slow down when he noticed that the store had already emptied, the silence stretching across the space where voices once echoed.
Alucard was gone.
The moment passed.
Kiara stood there for a second, her gaze lingering on the empty space, a faint disappointment settling quietly within her chest.
She had wanted to share the evening.
To sit.
To eat.
To talk to someone.
It didn’t matter if it was just a teenage boy. She just wants to have one evening like a normal person
But it slipped away.
"..."
She exhaled softly.
"Noah, serve dinner."
Her voice returned to normal.
Calm.
Controlled.
The meal was prepared.
A grand one.
Twenty dishes lay out carefully, each one crafted with precision, the aroma filling the room, warm and inviting, a contrast to the cold thoughts still lingering in her mind.
She sat alone.
For a moment, she looked as if she had lost her appetite.
The sound of utensils felt louder than usual, the absence of conversation creating a strange emptiness that even good food could not fill.
Then...
Suddenly, Noah sat beside her.
Without hesitation.
Without words.
Zion didn’t know what to do at first, but he followed Noah’s footsteps.
The two androids moved naturally, joining her, their presence quiet but steady, their actions simple, yet meaningful.
Kiara paused.
Then she continued eating.
Though neither Noah nor Zion could truly enjoy the food, though their system did not process taste the way humans did, they still ate, still stayed, and still shared the moment in their own way.
Kiara’s mood lifted slightly.
Not much.
But enough.
She couldn’t help but glance at one and the other, and a small smile appeared on her lips as she thought. "They are Android but still people I can lean on, without worrying about betrayal."