Blackstone Code-Chapter 392: A Swift Strike

In the conversation between the President and the Emperor of Gephra, there was one crucial factor Lynch didn’t mention—but everyone understood it well.

That unspoken factor was, in fact, more critical than anything else: the sudden course change of the Federal fleet toward the Amellia region, which had already brought it close to Amellian waters.

This fleet posed a far greater threat to the stability and security of the Amellia region—and to the two remaining battleships of Gephra’s First Fleet—than any political maneuver or diplomatic tactic.

If negotiations broke down, the Federation would continue to pursue and blockade the Gephran fleet under the pretense of a pirate suppression operation. Once driven out of Amellia, Gephran rule over the region would be thoroughly destabilized.

External interference would embolden local resistance forces and give them legitimacy. The ruling class would find itself isolated, and Gephra’s overseas interests would suffer greatly, shaking the very foundation of their nation.

So, regardless of the circumstances, the Emperor of Gephra had no choice but to agree to a proper resolution. Naturally, to affirm cooperation between both sides, the Federation fleet reported that while eliminating Preyton’s forces, the remnants of the Preyton pirates had fled around Amellian waters toward Nagaryll—and the fleet had followed.

Though it was underhanded, the President and other officials couldn’t help but smile.

Underhanded or not, it beat being pushed around.

“Mr. Lynch, your form…”

In an office within the Federal Ministry of Defense, a young woman handed a form to Lynch. There was curiosity and intrigue in her eyes. The young man before her had become something of a phenomenon.

Everyone wanted to get close to him, hoping to learn the secret of his success.

He seemed incapable of failure. No matter the business, he always came out on top. That was what made people envy him the most.

Even now, with the economy sluggish and the financial sector languishing, Lynch continued to rake in massive profits.

There were no secrets in Congress, and none in the financial heart of Eminence either.

Following a series of events that day, the Gael currency suffered a devastating blow in the foreign exchange market, plummeting seven percent—the steepest single-day drop in history—and it might continue falling.

Not long ago, Lynch had been loudly predicting Gephra’s inevitable defeat and Gael’s crash at several financial salons. Many thought he was irrational.

Even if his analysis was sound—pointing out three fatal weaknesses in Gephra—who would step up to challenge them? No one wanted to provoke Gephra without reason. As long as no one did, Gael wouldn’t crash.

But who could have imagined that in less than a month, the Federal Navy would seemingly wipe out Gephra’s fleet during a pirate-suppression mission on the high seas, triggering an immediate collapse in Gael’s value?

No one knew how much money Lynch made from the forex market, but everyone knew he was wealthy.

He succeeded in everything he did. That aura of constant success was magnetic.

And reportedly, Lynch was still single, unmarried. The female clerk suddenly felt her outfit was too conservative, not vibrant enough. She regretted not dressing differently today.

Unbeknownst to Lynch, something utterly trivial and unrelated to him had begun to change people and spark new possibilities.

“Thank you,” Lynch said, taking the form. After carefully reviewing it, he pulled out his custom fountain pen and began to fill it in.

After sending off the curious Mr. Truman, he made a stop at the Ministry of Defense.

According to the Federal Defense Act of Baylor, any private military company operating domestically must register and be subject to strict oversight, as such forces pose significant public safety risks.

Licenses for these companies are difficult to obtain. Local permits are somewhat easier if one has connections in the state—there are localized private security firms in various regions.

These private military firms are tightly restricted. Some are only authorized within a city or state. Expanding beyond that requires registration with the Ministry of Defense.

As of now, only seven companies have been federally approved, with four already deregistered at various times.

Compared to registering such a company and dealing with federal oversight, it’s far easier to hire gun-licensed employees and let them carry personal weapons on duty.

In the Federation, gun ownership is a freedom. That’s how most security firms operate. It’s a gray area—not exactly legal, but not illegal either. The cost and complexity are much lower.

Formal military companies face too many restrictions, and any incident becomes a major legal headache. Informal setups shift liability onto individuals. Even if something happens, it’s seen as a rogue decision by a manager, not the company itself.

So most avoid forming Ministry-licensed armed companies and instead run security consultancies with armed staff.

But Lynch came today for something else—to officially register his company, Blackstone Security, as a private military firm.

His goal wasn’t idle ambition. To take on military contracts—especially international ones—registration with the Ministry of Defense was mandatory.

This registration was a threshold, a key.

Previously, the Federation had little involvement in international affairs. Poor transportation and limited global interaction meant there were few overseas military operations.

That’s also why domestic private security companies preferred to exploit legal loopholes and avoid federal scrutiny.

But now things were different. Global interaction was easier, and the Federation was stepping into world affairs. Opportunities were growing.

Lynch’s overseas ventures, especially in Nagaryll, couldn’t proceed without military protection.

Even if Nagaryll and the Federation became allies, direct military intervention by the Federation would harm its image as a benevolent global power.

To safeguard his interests from local militant groups, Lynch’s simplest solution was to establish a legal private military company.

With Ministry approval and authorization from Nagaryll’s central government, Lynch could establish a legally ambiguous territory—effectively a no-go zone.

Once warning signs and Private Military Zone placards went up, anyone entering would do so at their own risk—life or death.

Beyond Nagaryll, Lynch also had his eye on Amellia.

Gephra had lost more than ships in the naval battle—it had lost its sense of security. With the Federation now releasing detailed data, other nations would soon begin developing submarines and torpedoes.

These weapons were cheaper and quicker to produce than battleships, which took years and required cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary technology.

From both a cost and timeline perspective, the Federation had introduced a new way to neutralize battleships.

Battleships were no longer safe. Given how many nations Gephra had antagonized, they were unlikely to deploy their fleet again on a large scale until they found countermeasures for submarines and torpedoes.

And wary of the Federation’s unpredictability, they would likely keep their fleet close to home.

Looking at it now, the decision to station the remaining fleet in the ports along the Opelier Strait wasn’t just to prove their navy hadn’t suffered a catastrophic defeat—it was also to protect it.

Out at sea, no one could say for sure who had ambushed them. If some small country had made a technological breakthrough and launched a few submarines in revenge, or if the whole thing had been orchestrated by the Federation, there would be no way to prove it. Without evidence, no one would admit responsibility, and Gephra would suffer the losses for nothing.

If Gephra’s warships couldn’t demonstrate their power near Amellian waters, regional stability would remain a constant problem. At that point, they would need someone to help them.

And who would be their best partner?

Naturally, it would be the Federation. The Federation had a powerful navy, an unpredictable but formidable army, and a geographical advantage.

But the Federation would never do it directly. Doing so would damage its international image, painting it as a tyrant’s accomplice rather than a champion of the oppressed.

However, private forces could step in. For example, a private military company named Blackstone Security, legally registered with the Federation’s Ministry of Defense, was authorized to accept outsourced military operations—including pacification and suppression.

This would allow Lynch to fully mobilize his assets, such as his list of rebel organizations in Amellia or even access to some of their accounts…

In short, the establishment of such a company was inevitable.