CHAPTER 191: CHAPTER 189 ALL MATTERS CONCLUDED

A few days later at Brandelis Manor, Perfikot was commanding people to tidy up the manor and pack the items she needed to take away.

These days, she had been shuttling between several universities in Langton and managed to attend a business banquet convened by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, finalizing a series of Northern Territory investment projects with Langton’s wealthy merchants and major factory owners.

It can be said that Perfikot has been incredibly busy these past few days, yet the results she gained were quite delightful.

Firstly, her originally planned industrial system has been finalized. With the minister’s assistance, all factory owners and big merchants agreed to invest in setting up factories in the Northern Territory.

Just the confirmed projects alone are sufficient to build a complete industrial production system in the Northern Territory.

Moreover, several universities expressed their willingness to send excellent faculty and students to the Northern Territory branch of the Royal Academy of Sciences, with major research projects already finalized, focusing on the harsh natural environment there, developing technologies related to urban heating, large machinery, and snow transportation tools.

This is definitely good news for Perfikot, as at least she doesn’t need to personally solve various problems in the Northern Territory.

The first batch of scientists will depart with her in a few days, taking the Flying Airship to the Northern Territory, working with several local professors to push existing research projects to the application phase.

Each factory will also send representatives on the ship. Their main task is preliminary investigation, confirming factory locations and necessary facilities.

By spring thaw, these factories will start construction, expected to complete initial building work within three months to begin operations.

Perfikot offered generous terms and conditions to stimulate factory owners and merchants to complete construction early and get the factories running.

Undoubtedly, capitalists are profit-driven. Facing Perfikot’s tax-free for a year and tax reduction for three years policy, they burst with enthusiasm, eager to build factories in the Northern Territory immediately and have the machines start earning money for them.

Perfikot is of course pleased to see this happen. As for whether these policies will make capitalists grow too powerful, she’s not worried at all.

She is the Lord of the Northern Territory, holding enough military power and is unafraid to play the dictator where necessary.

Of course, this is actually unnecessary because the apocalypse is approaching. When the doomsday winter truly descends, Perfikot will certainly announce martial law in the Northern Territory, and then taxation won’t matter.

Perfikot naturally has a clear understanding of the Northern Territory’s fiscal issues but never intended to rely on taxes for fiscal expenditure.

Being Victory’s youngest genius alchemy master, any casual technology she brings forth would earn a fortune, so she’s never worried about money.

Moreover, this is temporary. Once everything in the Northern Territory is on track, she’ll have the time and energy to address these issues gradually.

As long as she holds onto the military, Perfikot isn’t concerned about solving problems. After all, countless tyrannical dictators have long proven to her that reality often exceeds imagination.

Don’t worry about not eating beef; even if farting becomes a serious crime, no one would care.

In conclusion, for Perfikot now, what she wants to do is determined only by her moral constraints.

The reason for this is simple: she has solved the entire technical problem of using automatons to pilot Steam Knights, making them autonomous weapons.

And she completed the technical development of the steam turbine, installing it on Steam Knights.

The industrial production and R&D capabilities of Langton far surpass those of the Northern Territory. After Perfikot used her privileges as the vice president of the Royal Academy of Sciences, the related technical issues with the steam turbine were quickly resolved.

Now the finalized steam turbine can provide an output power of 120 horsepower; due to size issues, the Steam Knight armor which initially could house two steam cores can now only house one steam turbine.

Even so, the rated output power of 120 horsepower is still exceptionally impressive.

It’s important to note that previous versions of the Steam Knight armor had an output power of only 20 horsepower, meaning it’s now magnified sixfold!

Coupled with the installed autonomous automaton, which obeys Perfikot completely and will never betray, the autonomous Steam Knight is born.

Unfortunately, due to time constraints, Perfikot only has 24 autonomous Steam Knights available, so their power isn’t extremely strong yet, but it’s more than sufficient to ensure her personal safety.

After all, the strong power really allows the Steam Knights to fly now, although their poor aerodynamics and clumsy weight make them unsuitable for flying.

Perfikot is considering whether to design a flying knight, as flying knights paired with Flying Airships would make sky aircraft carriers, which are more useful than traditional aircraft carriers.

However, the Northern Territory doesn’t possess conditions to complete such designs, forcing Perfikot to move the entire laboratory from Brandelis Manor to the Northern Territory.

"Countess, are you preparing to return to the Northern Territory?" Ezio appeared once more; this grandmaster of the Assassin Brotherhood is indeed busy, but coordinating with Perfikot is too crucial, requiring his personal presence.

Perfikot nodded affirmatively, "Matters in the Northern Territory are of utmost importance, and with everything settled in Langton, I’m naturally preparing to head back."

During these days, Eldest Princess Annie borrowed all her Steam Knights, along with newly armed Imperial Guard Knights, and initiated a thorough purge in Langton City.

The Intelligence Agency unearthed all those involved in defaming Perfikot from Conservative and Opposition parties, followed by Steam Knights raiding homes and exterminating entire families, executing culprits by hanging them on street lamps.

The Assassin Brotherhood played a significant role in this; much of the information obtained by the Intelligence Agency was secretly supplied by the Brotherhood.

Regarding whether there’s any personal grudge of the Brotherhood mixed in, it’s a matter for individuals to interpret.

However, Perfikot doesn’t mind; she demands an efficient government that aligns with her, caring little for its form.

"In that case, I won’t see you off, but considering your safety and easier contact, I hope you accept an Assassin staying by your side," Ezio stated, introducing an Assassin he brought: "She’s my sister, Claudia. She will represent the Assassin Brotherhood by your side, ensuring your safety while also establishing a Northern branch and maintaining contact with me."