Chapter 151 --151
"The system is corrupt and inefficient. Yes, I’m dismantling it. That was always the plan." Elara made more notes. "The question is whether I can dismantle it faster than they can organize effective resistance."
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## Week Three: The Secret Project
But Elara knew better than to announce her plans openly.
The conversation with Petra had been useful for clarifying her thinking. But the actual implementation? That needed to happen quietly.
So while publicly she continued negotiating with resistant nobles, conducting interviews, managing daily crises—
In secret, she pulled aside one of her newer administrators. Roland, a former military logistics officer who’d been dishonorably discharged for refusing to participate in a noble family’s embezzlement scheme. He’d been homeless when Elara’s recruiters found him. Now he was Deputy Director of Military Resource Allocation.
"Roland. I have a confidential project requiring your expertise."
He straightened immediately. "Yes, Your Highness?"
"I need feasibility analysis for establishing independent military unit staffed entirely by beast knights. Officer training curriculum, equipment requirements, operational doctrine, legal framework, political risk assessment. Complete proposal within two weeks. Tell no one you’re working on this."
Roland’s eyes widened. "That would... Your Highness, that would fundamentally challenge noble military authority."
"Correct. That’s why it’s confidential. The nobles can’t organize resistance to something they don’t know exists until implementation is too far along to stop." Elara handed him a folder. "These are preliminary specifications. Modify as necessary based on professional military assessment."