Chapter 202: Noblesse Oblige

CH202 Noblesse Oblige

***

Walking down the corridor toward his quarters in the Fort, Alex’s mind gradually cooled.

He hadn’t lost his temper at Drake because he failed to understand the man’s intentions—he understood them perfectly well. What angered him was Drake’s utter disregard for the ordinary people who would be caught in the crossfire between the Kellerman and Fury families.

Alex had long accepted the reality that the path to power required competition... and killing. But until now, every person even remotely affected by his actions had been someone who consciously—or at least willingly—stepped onto the battlefield.

Leading soldiers was one thing. Every soldier knew, or had to accept, the risks of their occupation. But being responsible for the lives and safety of civilians—people who were simply living their lives and had no stake in the conflict—was an entirely different matter. Their only crime was being in the wrong place when the storm descended.

As someone who had once been a powerless nobody, Alex sympathized with those ordinary folk. He couldn’t share Drake’s lighthearted approach toward the matter.

When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.

Alex knew this truth all too well. But in this case, it wasn’t grass at stake—it was human lives. Lives belonging to people who had given their fealty to nobles in exchange for protection.

Fealty was given. Protection was promised. But in reality, far too often, those promises were broken. Instead of protection, the people were trampled underfoot with no recourse.

’Although I know this in my head... this really is one shitty, messed-up world,’ Alex cursed inwardly.

Then again, it wasn’t all that different from his previous life. The only real difference was that here, the nobles were more open about their disdain.

Alex wasn’t foolish enough to claim he could change the world overnight. Even if he became the most powerful person alive, human nature at its purest—and darkest—was not something that could be erased with strength alone. It would take far more than power to suppress, let alone erase, that deep-seated superiority and disregard.

’It’s annoying that the Furor part of my bloodline can heighten my emotions like this, yet the other parts aren’t doing anything to balance it out,’ Alex thought. ’I get that this is not necessarily an adverse state... but it’s still irritating.

Rather than counter the emotional surge caused by his Furor half, his Auramir heritage—and the Dragon Essence supplement—only kept him lucid and hyper-aware while those emotions boiled.

It was like a lucid form of vertigo: irritating, awkward, but something he was slowly adapting to.

Through that strange clarity, Alex reached a conclusion.

’At the end of the day, the only thing I can truly control is my own actions. I just have to make sure I don’t walk the same rotten path as these nobles. If someone swears fealty to me, if they place their trust in me... then I’ll give them what I owe in return.’

In that moment, he formed a quiet, unshakable creed.

It wouldn’t make him a saint in this cruel world. But it would guide him toward the kind of nobility he sought to embody—one not defined by title or birth, but by the actions of a true leader.

Speaking of fealty and responsibility, a wry smile tugged at the corners of Alex’s lips as he became more aware of Udara walking beside him.

Now that she had chosen to walk the path he suggested, he needed to make it worth her while.

Though he hadn’t voiced it aloud, Alex now saw himself as responsible for her upkeep along that path—most importantly, in an area only he could provide:

Rune Tattoos.

He really needed to find the time to inscribe a preliminary set for her. The problem was... he didn’t have the time.

And Alex had no intention of slapping on some ordinary attribute tattoos. No—Udara’s physique deserved only the best, tailor-crafted Rune Tattoos. But such work wasn’t something that could be rushed out in a day or two. Even the most basic attribute tattoos—Strength, Agility, Perception, and the like—took more than two days to fully prepare.

That reminds me... most of my projects have stalled, Alex realized with mild irritation.

He and Udara soon arrived at his quarters within the Fort.

By taking over the Taskforce Division—his own chosen designation—Alex was now technically a Fury Army General.

[A.N: Military Ranking: Lieutenant (Platoon), Captain (Company), Major (Battalion), Colonel (Regiment), General/Commander (Division), Marshal (Legion), Lord Marshal (Army)]

His quarters reflected his new rank. In a military fortification where every square meter of space was dedicated to function, large and comfortable rooms were luxuries reserved only for the upper echelons.

"I’m heading into the Subspace to get some work done before we move out. You don’t need to accompany me, so go do whatever you need," Alex said, dismissing Udara.

She nodded without protest and turned to leave.

She made her way back to find Allen Holder.

Meanwhile, Alex entered his room and locked the door behind him.

A quick scan confirmed the room was clean.

He activated the Phone Rune on his Beta Bracer and dialed Haggleworth’s number.

"Any updates?" Alex asked as soon as the call connected.

"I’ve made contact with the family. The deal is agreed," Haggleworth’s voice came through.

"Good. Have the goods been prepared?"

"Yes, Chairman. They’ve all been ’stamped’ and are ready for shipping. We’ll move them as soon as the contract is signed and sealed. They should have them within two days."

"Excellent." A smile spread across Alex’s face. His true plan was coming together nicely. "What about the second matter?"

"The prototypes of the three tool components are complete," Haggleworth reported. "But the craftsmen say the tools—and the runes they require—are too delicate to mass-produce like the Rune Phones."

"That’s fine. This device isn’t for sale. It’s for that special project I told you about. How’s recruitment going?"

"We’ve contracted a Spymaster to handle operations. They’re recruiting staff now, but they can report to you immediately if you wish."

"That’s not necessary. They’re already bound to me and the company by an ironclad contract. Let them work. I’ll meet them when the time comes."

"Understood."

"Back to the device—how soon can you have a batch delivered to Ashen Castle?"

"In two days, if you wish."

"Good. Prepare the batch. I’ll send word when I’m free from my current... obligations," Alex said after a moment’s thought.

Alex spent a few more minutes discussing the Golden Palace’s other ambitious plans with Haggleworth before ending the call.

Next, he contacted Pinchcoin to order some materials. After that, he placed another call—to someone who kept him smiling for the better part of two hours.

He even made time to call the little brat, Wilbert, and the rest of his siblings—as a good big brother should.

By the time all the calls were done, the sun was already dipping toward the horizon.

Feeling mentally refreshed, Alex decided it was time to get some actual work done.

After all, as a certified workaholic, what better way to rest before a major military campaign than by taking on even more work?

He prompted the OmniRune Core, opening a portal to the Sanctuary Pocket Space.

Everything inside was exactly as he’d left it.

To his right—taking up most of the Rune-Tech Lab area—the Nest Queen’s metamorphosis was progressing smoothly. Her drones had converted all the carcasses Alex had provided into golden gel, which now formed a thick coating around the cocoon that housed her body.

It would still be some time before the process was complete. At present, she stood two meters tall, though her width and length remained undetermined as she continued to grow within the dome-like cocoon.

Based on OmniRune’s active analysis, Alex determined that this stage of metamorphosis was focused on defining the size of her future drones—the main objective of this transformation.

While reviewing data collected by the Detection Rune components embedded in the Nest Queen’s runic cells, Alex noticed something promising: she had already begun gathering information on the Ancestral Markings from some of the carcasses she’d consumed.

’This is good news for the Ancestral Marking Project,’ Alex thought, his eyes lighting up. ’With this data, the Nest Queen could soon replicate Ancestral Markings for her future drones.

’And as my own understanding improves, I might even teach her to match and mix different Markings onto them...’

The excitement dimmed slightly as another thought hit him. ’The only problem is... I can’t actually make use of this data right now. It’s too complex—I don’t even know where to begin.’

He sighed, shaking his head. "Well, nothing wasted. OmniRune, categorise and store the data for later use."

Since the plan was working, Alex resolved to begin hunting for targets with simpler Ancestral Markings as a starting point.

’Wildkins happen to be walking archives of all kinds of Ancestral Runes,’ he mused. ’With any luck, when my Taskforce Division moves out, I’ll collect something I can use.’

Alex wasn’t exactly thrilled about fighting the Wildkins while the Kellerman threat loomed, but since he had no say in the matter, he might as well make the most of it.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade—as the saying went.

After leaving a few notes and future directives, Alex turned to his left—toward the other important occupants of his Sanctuary Pocket Space.

**