Chapter 21: The Power of One

As Kaito and his group discussed Dravenheim, Althea explained, "Dravenheim is a nation that does as it pleases. No other country dares to wage war against them because they use slave soldiers and monsters in their army."Kaito narrowed his eyes. "Slaves? They use slaves?"King Eldoria nodded. "Only two nations practice slavery, and no others allow it. They control their slaves using special artifacts called Slave Collars, which force absolute obedience."Kaito looked at the battlefield, noticing that many of the so-called soldiers weren't just men but also women and children—over 8,000 of them, all enslaved. Nova, his AI companion, spoke through his earpiece."Their families have been turned into slaves as well. Should I rescue them?""Do it," Kaito ordered without hesitation.Dravenheim's army totaled 15,000, including both slaves and monsters. Kaito found it strange. Why would they send such a large force against a nation that hasn't even fully risen yet?Instead of deploying an entire force, Kaito sent one battle-oriented golem. The enemy envoy objected, "Isn't it unfair to send just one? Shouldn't you send all your golems?"Kaito smirked. "One is enough."As the golem entered battle, Kaito quickly modified its magic engravings, disabling the signals controlling the Slave Collars. Instantly, the collars fell off, freeing the slaves. The golem then swiftly eliminated all the monsters, ensuring no harm came to the former captives.With Nova's assistance, Kaito teleported all freed slaves to NeoNexus and placed them under a temporary containment spell until their safety could be ensured. Meanwhile, Nova located their families and teleported them as well.Seeing this, the remaining Dravenheim soldiers hesitated, stepping back in fear. Then, using the golem as a medium, Kaito sent a voice message:"Do not even think about doing this again. I only sent one golem, yet one was enough to destroy your pathetic army. Next time, I won't be so merciful."Turning back to the meeting, the gathered envoys were shocked—not only by the golem's ability to use magic but also by how effortlessly it flew at high speed.One prince from a foreign nation finally spoke, "What do you intend to do with such an army?"Kaito shrugged. "Nothing much. Creating these things is just my hobby."An envoy stammered, "F-Fun? You're saying that making golems that could destroy entire nations is just fun for you?"Kaito chuckled. "Tell me, what was the original purpose of cannons? Their creators made them for safety, yet you people use them for war. It's the same concept."Another noble spoke up. "But most mages don't have the affinity or mana capacity to create golems. If we form an alliance, will you share these golems with us?"The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Kaito. After a pause, he simply said, "No. These golems are exclusive to NeoNexus. However, we can discuss other forms of trade."Kaito had already introduced many advanced products from his previous world, including:

Glass utensils and windows

High-quality steel and construction materials

Preserved foods and spices

Textiles and enchanted fabrics

Improved medical supplies

The meeting concluded with the nations agreeing to discuss their stance before giving a response. In the end, only Eldoria immediately agreed to an alliance with NeoNexus.With the discussion settled, Kaito left the meeting, already thinking about his next move.