Chapter 11: What Must Be Prepared
Lucian Valemont did not rush into action after receiving approval.
That, too, was intentional.
The authorization to form a personal squad had already altered his position within the Valemont household. Acting too quickly would turn that change into suspicion. Acting too slowly would turn it into doubt.
Lucian preferred certainty.
He spent the morning doing nothing that could be considered productive. He ate quietly, read a few outdated ledgers left in his quarters, and took a short walk through the inner corridors at an unremarkable pace.
The watchers remained.
They always did.
By midday, Lucian returned to his room and closed the door behind him.
Only then did he allow the system to surface fully.
The familiar translucent interface unfolded before his eyes, stable and silent. Unlike other systems, it did not demand attention. It did not announce urgency. It merely waited—like a ledger ready to be updated.
Lucian studied it calmly.
"Open the system store," he said.
The interface shifted.
[System Store Accessed.]
[Available Story Points: 100,000,000]
Lucian's gaze did not linger on the number. Large values lost meaning when treated emotionally. What mattered was efficiency.
He navigated the categories without haste.
Skills.
Techniques.
Assets.
Information.
He stopped at Perception-Type Skills.
Lucian understood his current weakness.
Power could be cultivated. Soldiers could be recruited. Techniques could be refined.
But selection—
Selection was a bottleneck.
Choosing the wrong people early did not just slow progress. It created liabilities that compounded over time.
He opened the skill list.
The descriptions were concise.
Most were useless.
Enhanced sight.
Aura sensitivity.
Danger intuition.
Then one entry caught his attention.
[Skill: Potential Appraisal (Eyes of Latent Worth)]
Effect: Allows the user to perceive an individual's growth ceiling, adaptability, and compatibility with different paths.
Limitation: Does not reveal loyalty, intentions, or future decisions.
Cost: 500,000 Story Points.
Lucian reread the description once.
Then a second time.
"…Half a million," he murmured.
Expensive.
But clean.
This was not a cheat that guaranteed loyalty or obedience. It did not reduce people to numbers. It simply removed uncertainty about capacity.
That was exactly what he needed.
"Purchase," Lucian said.
[Confirm Purchase: Eyes of Latent Worth — 500,000 Story Points?]
"Yes."
The interface responded immediately.
[Purchase Complete.]
[Skill Acquired: Eyes of Latent Worth.]
[Remaining Story Points: 99,500,000]
There was no pain. No dramatic sensation.
Lucian blinked once.
The room looked the same.
He focused on the desk in front of him, then on the door, then on his own hands.
Nothing changed—until he deliberately activated the skill.
The world shifted subtly.
Not visually, but conceptually.
Lucian sensed layers.
If he focused on an object, nothing happened. If he focused on a living being—even hypothetically—he felt the presence of something dormant. Like outlines waiting to be filled.
Lucian exhaled slowly.
"This will simplify things."
He did not test it further.
That could wait.
Lucian returned to the system store and navigated to Breathing Techniques.
He had already learned a powerful general technique, but generality was inefficient for what he intended to build.
A personal squad could not rely on one unified method.
Soldiers needed clarity.
Roles needed definition.
Lucian filtered the list.
Knight-oriented breathing techniques first.
Most were crude. Heavy reinforcement, brute endurance, inefficient mana expenditure. Designed for mass armies, not specialized units.
Then he found one.
[Knight Breathing Technique: Iron Pulse Method]
Effect: Emphasizes skeletal reinforcement, controlled muscle activation, and sustained combat endurance.
Strength: Low explosiveness, high survivability.
Compatibility: High with disciplined formations.
Cost: 2,000,000 Story Points.
Lucian nodded.
This was not a technique meant to create heroes.
It was meant to create soldiers who did not break.
He purchased it without hesitation.
[Purchase Complete.]
[Remaining Story Points: 97,500,000]
Next—mage-oriented techniques.
Lucian filtered again.
Most mage breathing methods focused on output. Fast casting. Mana overflow. Dangerous for long-term stability.
He skipped those.
Then—
[Mage Breathing Technique: Silent Current Formula]
Effect: Prioritizes mana efficiency, spell stabilization, and recovery under prolonged use.
Strength: Low casting speed, high control.
Compatibility: Ideal for support, battlefield manipulation, and sustained operations.
Cost: 2,500,000 Story Points.
Lucian paused briefly.
Then nodded.
"Purchase."
[Purchase Complete.]
[Remaining Story Points: 95,000,000]
The system interface adjusted quietly.
No fanfare.
Lucian dismissed it and leaned back in his chair.
He had spent a fraction of his points.
And yet—
Everything had changed.
Now he could evaluate potential accurately.
Now he could define roles clearly.
Now he could train soldiers without relying on Valemont family doctrines.
Lucian tapped the desk once with his finger.
"Power alone isn't enough," he said quietly.
Aria, standing near the wall, looked at him.
"You're thinking about sustainability," she said.
"Yes."
"A squad needs funding. Equipment. Safe training grounds."
"And political insulation," Lucian added.
Aria considered that. "The family will not provide that freely."
"No," Lucian agreed. "Nor should they."
He stood and walked toward the window.
A personal squad that relied on the Valemont family for everything would never truly belong to him. At best, it would be tolerated. At worst, it would be dismantled the moment he became inconvenient.
What he needed was backing.
Not protection.
Not charity.
Legitimacy.
Resources that did not flow directly from his father's hand.
Lucian's gaze shifted slightly, unfocused.
"There is a noble house," he said slowly.
Aria turned fully toward him.
"One that will soon be in trouble."
She waited.
Lucian did not elaborate.
He did not need to.
In the original flow of the story, that house collapsed quietly. Crushed between debt, political pressure, and a manufactured scandal. No one intervened, because no one stood to gain much from doing so.
Except—
Lucian's expression remained calm.
"Saving them would not draw attention immediately," he continued. "They are too insignificant for that."
"And they would owe you," Aria said.
"Yes."
"A debt like that lasts generations."
Lucian nodded.
"And more importantly," he added, "it creates a legitimate channel for resources, training space, and personnel."
Aria narrowed her eyes slightly. "You don't intend to reveal anything, do you?"
"No," Lucian replied. "Not yet."
If he acted with foresight, the rescue would look coincidental. Timely assistance. A minor favor.
Only later would its value become apparent.
That was how foundations were built.
Quietly.
The system surfaced again, unprompted.
[Strategic Intent Detected.]
[Potential Major Narrative Deviation Identified.]
[Outcome: Unresolved.]
Lucian dismissed it.
He did not need confirmation.
He already knew this decision would matter.
He turned back to his desk and picked up a fresh sheet of parchment.
"This comes after selection," he said. "Not before."
Aria nodded. "You want people who benefit from the structure you're about to create."
"Yes."
Lucian folded the parchment and set it aside without writing anything.
Some plans were better left unwritten.
Outside his window, the Valemont estate continued its routine.
Inside, Lucian Valemont had just taken three steps that no one else noticed:
He acquired the means to judge potential.
He defined the future structure of his forces.
And he identified a source of backing beyond his family.
None of it looked dangerous.
None of it looked ambitious.
That was why it would work.
The system's interface faded quietly.
Lucian returned to his seat and closed his eyes.
There was work to be done.
And somewhere in the kingdom, a noble house had no idea that its survival was about to intersect with his plans.