Adrian spent the next three days preparing for his departure.
He understood that leaving the capital would not be easy.
The Royal Industrial Office had already issued orders restricting the movement of certain machinery and technical documents connected to his businesses.
If he attempted to leave openly with everything he owned, the soldiers would stop him.
If he left without his records, he risked losing years of work.
He needed a plan.
Adrian gathered Elena, Professor Aldric and Commander Ward in a private room at the Academy.
“I intend to travel north.”
Ward frowned.
“That is a dangerous decision.”
“Staying here is becoming more dangerous.”
Elena unfolded a map.
“The northern frontier is controlled by several minor lords. Some have practically abandoned their responsibilities. There are also independent settlements that operate outside the major commercial routes.”
Aldric examined the map.
“Finding suitable land won’t be difficult. Finding a place where you can operate without interference will be harder.”
Adrian nodded.
“That’s why we need to be careful.”
He divided his remaining assets into three categories.
The first contained ordinary commercial records. These could be replaced if necessary.
The second contained valuable technical notes, production improvements and mechanical designs.
The third contained his most important research, including his advanced manufacturing plans and preliminary steam-engine calculations.
Those documents would never travel together.
Elena offered to arrange transportation through her family’s trading partners.
Aldric agreed to keep copies of selected research at the Academy, although he warned that the institution itself was no longer completely secure.
Ward remained quiet throughout the discussion.
Finally, he spoke.
“I can arrange a temporary travel authorisation.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Why would you help me?”
“Because I believe the kingdom is making a serious mistake.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
Ward sighed.
“Because I have spent fifteen years protecting the Crown. I would prefer to protect a kingdom worth defending.”
Adrian studied him.
“Can you guarantee safe passage?”
“No. But I can make it harder for anyone to stop you without exposing their intentions.”
Adrian nodded.
“That will have to be enough.”
The plan was settled.
They would leave in separate groups, using ordinary merchant transportation.
The valuable documents would be moved first.
Adrian would travel later with a small group.
Before the meeting ended, he looked at everyone.
“Once we leave, there may be no easy way back.”
Elena smiled.
“Then perhaps we should make sure we have somewhere worth going.”
CHAPTER 88: BURNING THE EVIDENCE
The first shipment left the Academy shortly before dawn.
It contained ordinary machinery parts, commercial records and several boxes of personal belongings.
The second shipment carried Adrian’s most valuable documents.
They were placed inside specially constructed wooden cases and disguised as ordinary merchant goods.
But Adrian had one more problem.
The Academy’s research office still contained copies of several preliminary designs.
If those documents fell into the wrong hands, they could reveal too much about his future plans.
He spent the afternoon reviewing them.
Aldric stood nearby.
“Are you certain you want to destroy these?”
“Some of them.”
Adrian separated the documents into two piles.
The first contained research that could be useful to the Academy and its scholars.
The second contained sensitive designs that he wasn’t ready to share.
He handed the first pile to Aldric.
“Keep these. They contain enough information to continue the mechanical research without revealing the entire design.”
Aldric examined the papers.
“And the others?”
Adrian carried them to a metal container outside the office.
He removed the pages containing sensitive calculations and preliminary manufacturing details.
Then he burned them.
The flames consumed the papers slowly.
Aldric watched in silence.
“You’re destroying months of work.”
“Only the copies.”
Adrian tapped his forehead.
“The most important parts are here. Besides, I can reconstruct them when I need to.”
“That is an expensive habit.”
“Less expensive than allowing Malrec to obtain them.”
Adrian watched the last page turn to ash.
He was not destroying knowledge because he feared progress.
He was protecting it because he understood that inventions could be used by people whose ambitions had nothing to do with improving lives.
Later that evening, a messenger arrived.
Commander Ward had sent a warning.
An inspection team would visit the Academy the following morning to search for missing technical documents.
Adrian looked at Aldric.
“Looks like we made the right decision.”
The professor nodded.
“Unfortunately, they may still discover that you have left.”
Adrian smiled faintly.
“Let them discover it.”
He closed the empty metal container.
For the first time since arriving in Eldoria, he was deliberately abandoning something he had worked hard to build.
But he was not abandoning his ambitions.
He was simply moving them somewhere safer.
CHAPTER 89: THE KINGDOM’S BIGGEST MISTAKE
The inspection team arrived at the Academy shortly after sunrise.
Minister Malrec had personally authorised the search.
The officers examined Adrian’s former research room, questioned assistants and demanded access to the mechanical engineering archives.
They found several incomplete designs.
But the most important documents were gone.
The chief inspector approached Master Roland.
“Where is Adrian Vale?”
Roland looked at him. New chapters come out on g.com first.
“He is no longer conducting research here.”
“Where has he gone?”
“I don’t know.”
The inspector frowned.
“Are you telling me that the Academy director doesn’t know where one of its most important researchers has gone?”
“I’m telling you that Mr Vale is an independent inventor. He does not require my permission to travel.”
The inspector left shortly afterward.
By noon, the report reached Malrec.
The minister read it with growing irritation.
“He’s gone?”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“Where?”
“We are still investigating.”
Malrec threw the report onto his desk.
“Find him.”
Meanwhile, King Edward III received another report.
It was delivered by Commander Ward.
The King read it carefully.
“Vale has left the capital?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Did he take his research?”
“Some documents were transported. Others were destroyed.”
The King looked displeased.
“Why wasn’t he stopped?”
Ward remained calm.
“Because he had not committed any crime.”
The King stared at him.
“You seem unusually sympathetic toward this young man.”
“I am sympathetic toward the idea that inventors should be allowed to work without fearing confiscation.”
The King’s expression hardened.
“Be careful, Commander.”
Ward bowed.
“Always, Your Majesty.”
After Ward left, the King summoned Malrec.
The minister arrived within the hour.
“Your Majesty.”
“Why has Adrian Vale left the capital?”
Malrec lowered his head.
“He appears to be avoiding the investigation.”
“Or perhaps he has lost confidence in this government.”
Malrec remained silent.
The King continued.
“I wanted his inventions. I wanted his cooperation. Instead, we have pushed him into hiding.”
“Your Majesty, he is an independent merchant. His loyalty should never have been assumed.”
The King looked at him sharply.
“Neither should yours.”
Malrec froze.
The King stood.
“Find Vale. But do not make another attempt to seize his property without my direct approval.”
Malrec bowed.
“As you command.”
However, when he returned to his office, he immediately summoned a private agent.
“Find out where Vale is going.”
The agent nodded.
“And if we find him?”
Malrec looked toward the window.
“Then we will discover what he is planning.”
Far from the capital, Adrian’s carriage was already travelling north.
He had no idea that the King and his minister had just given contradictory orders concerning him.
But he understood one thing.
The Crown had made its decision.
And so had he.
CHAPTER 90: A MERCHANT’S LAST BARGAIN
Before leaving the southern trade route, Adrian stopped at a small commercial town.
Elena had arranged a meeting with a merchant who controlled several northern transportation contracts.
His name was Samuel Cross.
He owned warehouses, wagons and a modest fleet of river vessels.
Unlike Lucien Blackthorn, Samuel had little interest in political influence.
He cared about profit.
The meeting took place in a private room above his warehouse.
Samuel examined Adrian carefully.
“So you’re the young inventor everyone is discussing.”
“I suppose I am.”
“I’ve heard you lost your factory.”
“Temporarily.”
Samuel laughed.
“That’s a confident answer.”
Adrian sat down.
“I understand you control transportation routes into the northern territories.”
“Some of them.”
“I need regular deliveries of timber, iron, food supplies and building materials.”
Samuel raised an eyebrow.
“Planning to construct a castle?”
“A manufacturing settlement.”
The merchant laughed again.
“You’re ambitious.”
“Ambition is cheaper than regret.”
Samuel studied the map Adrian had brought.
“That region is difficult. Roads are poor, settlements are scattered, and several local lords have abandoned their estates.”
“Which means transportation contracts are probably inexpensive.”
“Yes. But there are reasons nobody wants to invest there.”
“Such as?”
“Bandits. Harsh winters. Unreliable local authorities. Sometimes all three.”
Adrian nodded.
“Then we need a contract that accounts for those risks.”
Samuel leaned back.
“What are you offering?”
“Regular business. Guaranteed minimum orders once production begins. Payment for every delivery, with additional compensation for delays caused by conditions outside your control.”
Samuel considered the proposal.
“And what do I receive?”
“Exclusive transportation rights for the initial settlement, provided you meet agreed delivery standards.”
“Now we’re talking.”
They negotiated for nearly two hours.
Eventually, they reached an agreement.
Samuel would arrange the transportation of initial supplies and provide information about available land.
Adrian would pay for deliveries and offer Samuel first consideration for future transportation contracts.
Neither party would own the other’s business.
When the agreement was signed, Samuel extended his hand.
“Welcome to the north, Mr Vale.”
Adrian shook it.
“Thank you.”
As they departed, Elena looked at him.
“You’re building quite a network.”
“Networks are more difficult to confiscate than buildings.”
She smiled.
“You’re learning.”
Adrian looked toward the northern road.
He had secured transportation.
He had a potential warehouse.
He had a merchant willing to work with him.
Now he needed land.
And he knew exactly where he wanted to begin.
CHAPTER 91: THE NORTHERN FRONTIER
The journey north took six days.
The landscape gradually changed.
The crowded roads and busy settlements of central Eldoria gave way to scattered villages, thick forests and open plains.
The northern frontier was a forgotten part of the kingdom.
Its land was fertile in certain regions, but poor roads and weak administration had prevented large-scale development.
Small settlements survived through farming, hunting, logging and limited trade.
Adrian watched the countryside from his carriage.
“This place has potential.”
Elena looked outside.
“Potential doesn’t put food on the table.”
“No, but good roads, irrigation and organised production might.”
Their carriage passed a small village.
Several houses were abandoned.
A wooden bridge over a narrow river had partially collapsed.
A group of farmers were attempting to repair a damaged cart.
Adrian noticed something else.
The river flowed steadily throughout the year.
He immediately began considering its potential for mechanical power.
A waterwheel could operate here.
Perhaps even a small workshop.
But before any of that, he needed to understand the region.
Samuel Cross had arranged for a local guide to meet them at a trading post.
The guide introduced himself as Bernard.
He was a broad-shouldered man in his forties, with weathered skin and an old scar across his cheek.
“You’re the merchant looking for land?”
“Yes. Adrian Vale.”
Bernard nodded.
“People don’t usually come here to buy land.”
“Why?”
“Because most of it belongs to Lord Edmund Ashford. He rarely visits, and his administrators are worse than the weather.”
Adrian exchanged a glance with Elena.
“Can we meet him?”
“Perhaps. But don’t expect a warm welcome.”
They travelled another two hours before reaching a small administrative town.
It had a wooden market, a few stone buildings and a neglected watchtower.
The town’s condition confirmed what Bernard had said.
There was very little investment.
Adrian asked to see the local land records.
The clerk initially refused.
But when Elena presented a letter from her family’s trading partners, the clerk reluctantly agreed.
They spent several hours reviewing the available properties.
One particular region caught Adrian’s attention.
It contained:
A river suitable for waterwheel development.
Extensive forests.
Several abandoned farms.
An old mining road.
A deserted settlement.
Enough open land for a future manufacturing centre.
Adrian placed his finger on the map.
“This is where I want to go.”
Bernard leaned forward.
“That land has been abandoned for years.”
“Why?”
“The previous settlement suffered from disease and food shortages. Most survivors moved south.”
“Is the land still owned by Lord Ashford?”
“Yes.”
Adrian nodded.
“Then arrange a meeting.”
Elena looked at him.
“You’re serious about building here?”
“Completely.”
He studied the map again.
Westbrook had given him his first opportunity.
The capital had taught him the cost of depending on powerful people.
The northern frontier would give him something different.
A place where he could build without inheriting someone else’s rules.
The system appeared.
[New Territory Identified.]
[Location: Northern Frontier — Ashford Territory.]
[Development Potential: High.]
[Infrastructure Condition: Poor.]
[Population Density: Low.]
[Industrial Independence: 8%.]
[New Quest: Establish an Independent Industrial Settlement.]
Objectives:
Secure legal control of a suitable territory.
Establish a permanent settlement.
Recruit at least 50 residents.
Establish two profitable production facilities.
Construct basic transportation and power infrastructure.
Reward: Advanced Mechanical Engineering and 30 Knowledge Points.
Adrian smiled.
For months, he had been fighting to protect a factory.
Now he had the chance to build something much larger.
He looked at the distant forests and the river cutting through the valley.
“Let’s find the Lord of the Wasteland.”
And so began Adrian Vale’s greatest undertaking.