Chapter 942: Alternate Timeline: I want an Island

Even after completing the quest, she had not fully decided. The rewards were too significant for an impulsive choice.

So she asked the system for clarification, like the skills held by them, and see which is more suitable to her while navigating the seas.

But what system replied took her by surprise.

[Ding! The host has a choice. For both rewards, you may select either a single ether-powered warship or a normal warship that can be mass-produced by the system and sold to customers.]

Kiara blinked.

Then she leaned back and folded her arms.

"Well," she murmured, "that changes everything."

Originally, she had assumed the reward would be a unique vessel under the system’s control, like a treasured sword bestowed by fate.

Instead, she was being offered a blueprint and a production license.

That was not a weapon.

That was an industry.

And industries, she knew, were the true engines of empires.

Kiara began to weigh her options.

"If I choose an ether-powered vessel," she said softly, "then the submarine makes more sense."

Her fingers tapped lightly against her arm.

"The deep ocean is like a dark forest. Powerful beasts hide where sunlight never reaches, and no one knows what sleeps beneath those waters. A normal submarine would be as fragile as a paper boat in a storm."

She paused.

"But a destroyer is different."

Her eyes sharpened.

"Destroyers thrive in numbers. They dominate the surface, escort fleets, hunt ships, and project force across the seas. Most terrifying marine beasts rarely come to the surface anyway."

A faint smile touched her lips.

"With enough destroyers, I could turn the ocean into my personal highway."

Still, uncertainty lingered.

The king had promised her any reward she desired. But promises made in gratitude and promises honored after a night of reflection were not always the same.

The human heart, she knew, could change as swiftly as the tide.

Then she considered the larger picture.

Once she brings the Phoenix Empire to its ruins, she will need another home to settle in.

And if she intends to make Celestra her new home, then she needs to protect it as well.

In that case, a large number of naval warships would be necessary for sure to patrol the seas. Of course, she could use them as transportation to other northern empires and faraway ones in other continents.

Kiara’s eyes narrowed.

"For the sake of defending territory," she said at last, "there is only one sensible choice."

She selected Destroyer.

[Ding! Choose a type: Destroyer V (ether) / Kidd-class Destroyer (mass-produced)]

"Kidd-class Destroyer..."

The name stirred something distant in her memory, like hearing a forgotten song from another life.

In her previous world, they were built by the US in the 70s and 80s, long considered older technology to the point that all of them were retired and became extinct from the world by the time Kiara was born.

However, in this world, where even normal pistols and revolvers were becoming popular, they would be more than effective, especially due to their firepower and long-range air defense capability.

She was sure that their use would be recognized by every power in this world.

But recognition was not necessary.

What mattered was utility.

Without hesitation, she chose the mass-produced option.

[Ding! Kidd-class Destroyer has been unlocked. Please check the Gallery for details.]

[Ding! You unlocked 127mm ammunition.]

[Ding! You unlocked the RIM-66 Standard missile.]

[Ding! You unlocked the Harpoon missile (anti-ship).]

[Ding! You unlocked the Mk 46 torpedo.]

Kiara’s eyes lit up like a child who had just discovered an entire arsenal hidden beneath the Christmas tree.

She immediately opened the Gallery and selected the newly illuminated ship icon.

A detailed schematic appeared before her.

Name: Kidd-class Destroyer

Type: Guided missile destroyer

Grade: N/A

Displacement (full): 9,782,954 kg (~9783 tons)

Length: 172 meters (563ft)

Beam: 17 meters (55ft)

Draught: 9.6 meters (31.5ft)

Max. Speed: 61 km/hr

Range: 6000 km – 11000 (Depends on the type of fuel and speed of the ship)

Fuel Capacity: 32000 liters

Armament:

I) 2x 5-inch (127mm) 54 caliber Mk 45 dual-purpose guns (20 round capacity)

II) 2x Mk 26 launchers for RIM-66 missiles

III) 2x 20mm CIWS (close-in weapons system) Mk 15 cannons

IV) 2x Mk 141 quadruple Harpoon missile canisters

V) 2x Mk 32 triple 12.75 in (324mm) torpedo tubes

Aviation facility: Flight deck and hangar for helicopters.

Description: This mighty warship is capable of destroying enemies under the 7-circle rank with its firepower.

Price: 35000 gold coins

Create?

Kiara stared at the number.

"Thirty-five thousand gold coins."

She let out a low whistle.

"That is seven times the cost of the PzH 2000."

Her mind immediately began spinning with possibilities.

The destroyer had superior range, tremendous versatility, anti-air capability, anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes.

And if she wished, she could even mount additional artillery on the deck.

In this world, where no navy possessed anything remotely comparable, a single Kidd-class Destroyer would be like releasing a steel dragon into a pond of wooden boats.

The temptation to press Create was overwhelming.

Her finger hovered over the button.

Then she stopped.

She drew her hand back.

"No," she said quietly. "There was no urgent need for such a vessel at the moment."

Creating it now would plunge her into unnecessary debt.

And debt, she knew, was a chain that glittered like gold but tightened like iron.

Reluctantly, she closed the Gallery.

The glowing screens vanished one by one.

The room became quiet again.

Before sleeping, she contacted Noah to check on the situation back in the city, with Arceus.

After confirming that everything was proceeding smoothly, Kiara lay back on the bed.

The pillow was cool beneath her head. Kiara closed her eyes and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

*

The next morning, while the first golden rays of sunlight were only beginning to spill across the domes and marble corridors of the royal palace, Kiara requested a private audience with Caleb Crescent.

The king received her in a quiet chamber adjacent to his study, a room lined with shelves of maps, scrolls, and old records that smelled faintly of parchment, cedarwood, and the lingering scent of ink.

Sunlight filtered through the lattice windows and cast shifting patterns across the polished stone floor as Caleb sat opposite her, his expression calm but attentive, as though he were listening to a trusted advisor rather than a foreign guest.

Kiara did not waste time with flowery words.

"Your Majesty," she said, folding her hands before her, "there is one reward I desire above all others."

Caleb Crescent nodded.

"Speak freely, Miss Kiara. A king’s promise should be like a mountain. Once spoken, it should not move because of the wind."

Kiara inclined her head slightly and replied, "I want an island that is under the control of Ceestra."

For a brief moment, the king’s brows rose.

Even a ruler who had weathered betrayal, imprisonment, and the return to his throne could not completely hide his surprise at such an unusual request.

Kiara continued before he could ask.

"I need an island large enough to build a small town, one that is stable and not in danger of sinking, but where no native population resides. I wish to build a manufacturing facility there. If it has monsters residing there or not, it wouldn’t matter. I will take care of it."

The room grew quiet.

Caleb’s fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of his chair as he considered her words.

An island.

Not gold.

Not a duchy.

Not even a royal marriage.

An island.

At first, the subtle shift in the king’s expression made Kiara tense inwardly.

Her heart gave a single heavy thud.

Had she asked for too much?

But after several moments, Caleb let out a slow breath and nodded.

"That can be arranged," he said. "I do not know every island and settlement under the kingdom’s control, but Prime Minister Philip knows the demographics of the realm better than anyone. Once he confirms which islands meet your conditions, I will transfer one to you."

The knot in Kiara’s chest loosened.

She slightly bowed her head. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The king smiled faintly.

"You saved my life and restored my throne. Compared to that, an island is only a stone resting upon the sea."

Kiara left the chamber feeling considerably lighter.

Still, the matter was not officially settled until the documents were signed and the land deed placed into her hands.

So she waited.