June 28, 1914.
Two years had passed since Areth's little chat with Zelretch. Tension had continued to build in Europe, as secret alliances were formed between countries, ensuring that if even a single country messed with the wrong one, it'd be an all out war with multiple countries.
Overall, it was an interesting thing for Areth to watch, giving him an actual understanding of how the war would start, instead of simply reading a paper on it, and acting like he knew.
In the past two years, he hadn't simply just watched Europe either. The establishment of an Air Force, Royal Marines, and Creating a new training for boot camp had all been done by him, leading to Military Members with specialized roles, and thorough understanding of how to use their weapons and machinery.
Of course, even with such improvements, Areth had neglected their uniform, forcing him to designate different colors with different branches. For the Army, it was Olive Drab. The Air Force had a more forest green color, the navy took on white uniforms, and the Royal Marines took Coyote Brown.
"Alright, let's just inspect the progress of the ships." It was nearing the time of completion for the Gorgon-Class Battleships, and he was very much excited to see them in their full beauty.
As he got out of his bed, Areth put on something he'd usually never wear, that being his Kingly Robes, and crown, which would have been collecting dust, if not for his servants.
The mix of Navy fabric with Maroon did much to compliment his red hair, and emerald eyes, while the gold embroidery showcased his Royal position, alongside his crown.
After finishing getting dressed, Areth exited his room, making his way through the castle he prided himself on, catching the occasional glimpse of his maids, butlers, and other servants bowing down, not because of his royal blood, but because of the respect they had for him.
That's perhaps the driving force that set his country apart from other Monarchies. The people here, while respectful of his 'family's' blood, only gave their loyalty towards a good leader. That's why it was crucial for Areth to stay ahead of the other countries around him.
He exited his castle, quickly being joined by his Royal Guards, which were not needed at all. Their ornamental, black armor with gold engravings clanked against the concrete floors as they created a boxed perimeter around him. "Good to see you eight have been maintaining your armors," he praised, knowing well that maintaining the adamantine meteoric Iron that he himself supplied the knights with was very difficult to keep clean, simply because of the magical disposition it had towards absorbing the surrounding mana around it.
"Thank you, My Liege," All eight Knights said in unison, escorting Areth towards one of the many ports around the island. The walk down to the port was short, mostly due to the use of magic. Of course, the knights did not question it, thinking they truly knew what their Liege was truly capable of, yet none of them could actually grasp the power hidden from everyone's eyes.
The sight of 98 finished Gorgon-Classed Battleships, brought a geeky smile to Areth's face, as he admired each ship. The actual design was based off of the Battleship Texas from his home world, which hadn't been built yet. "Beautiful," Areth said as he picked up his pace. The sound of labor grew louder as Areth saw the men and women working efficiently to finish the final two battleships.
"KING VENDENCIA HAS ARRIVED!"
The announcement caught Areth himself off guard, not expecting someone to do such a thing with his unannounced visit. Those who were working, halted, quickly leaving their stations, albeit in a safe manner to line up in front of his gaze. "We greet our Glorious King," the workers said, quickly kneeling down.
"Stand up, everyone," he ordered, watching as they all slowly got up.
They were fatigued from constant work, their shaky hands and legs showing their dedication too well. "You all have work incredibly hard. Perhaps too hard to meet my expectations." A frown became present on Areth's face, before continuing. "I am proud to call you all my people. I'm even more proud to have such people work so diligently, but in your pursuit of pleasing my wishes, you all have clearly neglected a proper rest, and for that, I apologize."
It was out of the normal for Areth to do such a thing. Usually, he went with the flow around him, living life to the fullest, but at the root of himself was the same man all those thousands of years ago who had a grueling job, much like the workers here.
"M-My King, please do not apologize, we did this because we wanted to meet your expectations," one of the worker said, his voice shaky as he spoke.
"That may be so, but that is no excuse for my poor management," he replied, giving them no room for argument. "Your pay will be tripled based on your hourly pay for these past four years. All of you will be allowed a year off with full pay as well, and awarded the Medal of Diligence for your performances. Knight, Eric, step up."
The knight behind Areth stepped forward, moving swift, yet smoothly until he was kneeling before his king. The other knights adjusted their positions as well. "Bring forth the builders of the Tower Babel. Tell them that they will finish the work on the remaining ships."
"I will be of service," the knight said, before departing immediately. "All of you, get yourselves washed up, grab yourselves a drink, and relax. It is my will,' Areth told the workers, who bowed before departing towards their vehicles.
When the normal civilians were out of sight, Areth got to work, floating up into the air before instantly finishing up the work on the remaining two Battleships.
After finishing them up, he returned to the ground, whistling as the knight, Eric returned with hundreds of robed individuals. "Regular worker's bodies have been pushed to far. I need you all to Minecraft the shit out of the carriers, and submarines."
While none of the builders understood what "Minecraft" was, they understood the assignment given to them. Areth quickly departed afterwards, making his way back to his palace, the only thought going through his mind was the interest in watching the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.