Everyone Is A Lord: My Talent Is A Little Too Strong Chapter 2520 1391: The Lord's Deliberation (Part 2)

Based on his previous interactions and the intelligence he had gathered, Leo Ray was already well-informed.

The middle-aged Minotaur general standing before him with a bowed head was Bruno. He was a commander of immense skill and personal might, recognized as one of the premier generals within the Minotaur hierarchy.

It was precisely due to his capabilities that the former Minotaur King had viewed him with suspicion, nearly turning him into an expendable pawn despite Bruno’s lack of subversive intent.

For Leo Ray, however, this posed no threat. Between his immense wealth, his unique lord talents, and various other strategies, he could guarantee Bruno’s total devotion and ensure there were no hidden agendas.

“Naturally, recruiting these Tier 6 powerhouses would be the best-case scenario. It is a pity that the required recruitment orders are of such a high grade, and I lack a consistent method to acquire them. I can only hope to find a solution to this problem soon.”

With those reflections, Leo Ray pulled his focus back to the present moment.

As Bruno performed the introductions, Leo Ray was presented to several members of the Minotaur royalty. Notably, there was no crown prince among them, only a group of young bulls.

This was hardly a shock. Given the tyrannical nature of the late Minotaur King, he had cleared away any potential rivals to his throne.

“The path forward is quite straightforward. We simply need to install a new king and have Bruno provide the necessary support; everything else will settle into place.”

With that thought, Leo Ray turned his attention toward the young Minotaur royals, inspecting them carefully from head to toe.

These young bulls were not the direct children of the previous king, but rather the kin of princes who had passed away, making them the most suitable candidates for the throne.

However, because these young Minotaurs were roughly the same size, lacked fully grown horns, and possessed nearly identical furry brown faces, Leo Ray found it difficult to tell them apart even after staring for a long time.

Observing Leo Ray’s intense scrutiny, the young Minotaur princes and princesses trembled in fear, looking as though they were terrified the human emperor might suddenly decide to snap off their horns.

“Never mind, I will have Bruno introduce them properly later.”

Leo Ray gave a faint, wry smile as he crossed the massive drawbridge leading into the Minotaur capital and passed through the city gates.

As they entered, the group was immediately hit by a sharp, briny aroma of salt and fish.

The streets were lined with vibrant shops displaying a wide array of seafood, creating a lively atmosphere. Many storefronts were even decorated with rows of fish hung out to dry.

This was to be expected, considering the city was surrounded by water and sat right on the edge of the sea.

“As you can observe, Your Majesty, Boundless City is centered around the fishing industry. We do not merely fish the shallows; we possess advanced deep-sea capabilities that allow us to challenge maritime magic beasts up to Tier 5. In our history, we have even successfully hunted Tier 6 magic fish dragons.”

Bruno spoke with a sense of pride as he continued his tour. “Your Majesty has likely heard that, in addition to our ground forces, we maintain a powerful navy—a rarity among the factions of the Outer Region.”

Leo Ray nodded slowly in response.

Just as Bruno mentioned, the majority of Outer Region powers lacked naval strength. Many were landlocked, and even those with coastlines, such as the wood fairies or dragonborn, rarely maintained warships.

The reasons for this were varied. Militarily, most focused on land-based dominance, seeing little value in coastal cities. Furthermore, a fleet at sea was vulnerable; a single high-level area-of-effect spell could wipe out an entire armada due to its lack of mobility.

From a commercial standpoint, the rise of the Shadow Market had made trade between Sects and factions much easier, reducing the need for sea routes.

Additionally, the Outer Region’s oceans were incredibly perilous, teeming with massive, high-tier sea monsters that were the bane of merchant vessels. Building a fleet capable of surviving such waters required a massive investment in resources and training that most found illogical and logistically impossible.

Under these conditions, it was far more efficient to send powerful individuals across the land, especially since Storage Rings in the Outer Region were large enough to transport significant cargo.

Considering all these factors, the lack of naval focus made sense.

“While most factions see a fleet as an unnecessary burden, my perspective is entirely different,” Leo Ray thought, a serious light flickering in his eyes.

His reasoning was tied to future conflicts with other regions.

The nature of those future encounters remained a mystery, but if other lands were reachable only by water, a grand fleet would become an invaluable asset.

Furthermore, based on the records left by King West and the warnings from the Grey Elder, the Great Catastrophe Rift might manifest in the seas of the Human Domain. To monitor and react to such a threat, a navy was mandatory.

“Establishing a fleet is essential. I have already begun preparations within the Human Domain, utilizing my lord talents to the fullest. With the Minotaurs joining us, the process will be much smoother, especially since humans lack experience with the terrifying monsters of the deep ocean.”

Reaching this conclusion, Leo Ray briefly mentioned the importance of the fleet to Bruno without revealing the deeper reasons behind his plans.

“I did not realize the Humans possessed such long-term vision. We are truly impressed!”

Admiration was visible on Bruno’s face as he responded without hesitation, “If you require anything, Your Majesty, you need only command us!”

Following this, Bruno provided a detailed breakdown of their naval assets.

The Minotaur navy consisted primarily of two Tier 3 legions. While they might not seem like much on land, they were a formidable power on the water.

Under Bruno’s guidance, Leo Ray and his retinue walked through the clean, misty streets until they arrived at a massive castle that shared the city's unique architectural style.

The design was reminiscent of the castle in Mystara City, situated on an island in a large body of water. However, given the salty air, it felt more like an island in the sea than a lake.

Bruno led them through the grand Castle Hall and down a long corridor, eventually arriving at the King’s Hall.

Taking his seat upon the throne, Leo Ray’s first order of business was to name the successor to the Minotaur crown.

After consulting with Bruno and the other Minotaur officials, Leo Ray’s gaze eventually settled on one specific young prince.

The boy’s father had been the commander of the navy but had vanished over a decade ago along with his flagship in the deep sea, supposedly killed by Tier 6 monsters. However, items from that ship had later been seen in the possession of the previous Minotaur King, making the truth painfully obvious.

At Leo Ray’s suggestion, Bruno and the others cooperated immediately to arrange the coronation details. The young prince was overcome with emotion, kneeling repeatedly to show his gratitude to Leo Ray.

To the young bull, this human youth had not only avenged his father but had also granted him the crown; his loyalty was now absolute.

Afterward, Leo Ray followed his usual routine of setting up a Teleportation Gate and discussing cooperation. To the shock of everyone watching, he then performed a massive series of upgrades on their equipment.

The foundation of the Minotaurs was even sturdier than that of the trolls, providing enough strength for the Humans to field ten additional Tier 3 legions.

Most importantly, Leo Ray was pleased to see the Minotaurs looking at him with expressions of pure reverence, as if they were beholding a god.

However, just as Leo Ray was finishing his tasks and preparing to head back to Ice Stone City, Bruno’s ears twitched. He had clearly received a magical message, and his face instantly twisted into an expression of extreme grimness.