There were so many things that Maximilian needed to do , weapons, infrastructure and transportation being the main focus .
He was busy designing a magic shield, a device that could stop attacks better than regular armor.
He knew that firearms were not invincible and with how fanatical this world was, it wouldn't be a bad thing to start formulating counter measures for any kind of situation.
Suddenly there was a quick knock on the door, it was hurried , panicked.
" Come in . "
" My Lord, an ISB patrol team just arrested a group of imperial knights causing a nuisance in the market district, one of the knights got shot in the knee.
His armor stopped the bullet but the force shattered his knee.
Also Duke Enoch is demanding to see you now, he plans on attacking the town if you don't meet him. "
Max could feel a slight headache creeping in, he needed to be careful in the way he handled this because any little mistake would cost lives , either his own or someone innocent.
Few minutes later, he was back in the conference room sitting face to face with Duke Enoch.
" Your grace, today has been too much of a bother for both of us, but the truth of the matter is that your men broke the law ... "
" ... So what if they broke your wretched laws, they are imperial knights and some weastrel injured and arrested them. " Duke Enoch interrupted.
The way Maximilian looked at the Duke after that was like where a teacher was looking at an errant child throwing a tantrum .
Then he speaking as if to educate the Duke ,
" Laws, your grace is one of the things that differentiates us from animals, the moment people start showing blatant disregard for laws , the world will fall to anarchy."
"...So let me be clear your grace, your men will be punished according to my laws, not because they are Imperial Knights, but because they are now subject to the same justice as any man who sets foot in Valum. The injured one will be treated by my best medics, and the others will serve a brief term of hard labor."
Duke Enoch's face darkened, his control snapping. He slammed his fist onto the polished wooden table.
"Hard labor? For imperial soldiers, you insolent bastard! You are a vassal, Scorpia, and you risk a war you cannot possibly win! I came here seeking a dialogue, but you have chosen defiance. You believe your crude little firearms can stand against the might of the Western Imperial Garrison?" Enoch leaned forward, his eyes burning with controlled fury. "I command one hundred thousand men, Scorpia. I am the Emperor's Shield in the West. If you do not release my men and surrender the design for that weapon by morning, I will not starve your city; I will burn it to the ground and scatter its ashes."
Maximilian did not flinch, though the raw weight of a hundred thousand bayonets pressing on his small town was palpable. He leaned back in his chair, his expression remaining utterly placid—the teacher still lecturing the child.
"Burning Valum, Your Grace, would be an impressive achievement, provided you could get within ten kilometers of the walls." Max spoke with a quiet confidence that was more chilling than any roar. "But since you force me to speak plainly about my 'crude little firearms,' I shall. Your knights were stopped by a conventional, defensive projectile. That is not the technology that concerns you."
He paused, letting the scale of Enoch's power and his own hidden defense settle on the Duke.
"The technology that truly concerns you, Your Grace, is the one that has yet to be used. As you sit here, my engineers are completing the installation of a new defensive system. It is not a wall, nor a cannon. It is a large device—let's call it a strategic deterrent—and its deployment is irreversible."
Duke Enoch scoffed, but the noise lacked conviction. The image of his best knight, his knee pulverized inside his mythril armor, flashed in his mind.
"A bluff!"
"Is it?" Maximilian countered, picking up a pen and tapping it softly on the table. "You believe I am a rogue noble playing at war. I assure you, I am a scientist solving logistical problems. You threaten to burn my city, a city of barely twenty thousand people, with a force that represents the bulk of the Empire's defense. I, in turn, can ensure that if you attempt to move your one hundred thousand men against Valum, every single one of your supply lines, your centralized mana reserves, and every concentration of your troops will be rendered extinct. We are no longer discussing medieval siege warfare, Your Grace. We are discussing unanswerable power."
Max pushed himself up from the table, his posture demanding respect. He had established the terrifying truth: Valum was protected by an invisible, lethal shield of unknown power.
"So, here are the terms for the release of your men and the end of this standoff," Maximilian continued, his voice shifting from educational to executive. "I do not want your titles, your gold, or your lands. I want one thing, and one thing only."
He locked eyes with Duke Enoch. "You will sign a document, witnessed by Duke Alexander, granting Valum a sovereign charter of economic and scientific independence from the Western Duchy and the Empire. This means Valum is exempt from Imperial taxation, military conscription, and all oversight concerning trade and technology development. In exchange, Valum will agree to two conditions: First, we will guarantee the immediate treatment and return of your injured knight, and the prompt release of the others after their sentence."
Max waited a beat, allowing the sheer audacity of the demand—total economic freedom—to sink in.
"And second," he concluded, his voice ringing with absolute, final authority, "Valum will never sell its advanced weaponry, including its firearms and its strategic deterrents, to any enemy of the Empire. This is your best, and only, guarantee of safety. You will not conquer us, Your Grace. You will deal with us as equals, or face annihilation."
Maximilian looked past the stunned Dukes and addressed the empty space in the room.
"My security staff will escort you back to your residence. I suggest you contemplate your answer before sunrise, Your Grace. Valum's defenses are now active."