But if Ian really needed to maintain two armor suits, he was worried about the Elemental Crystals—there weren't enough even for his own use, let alone fuel for a second armor suit.
There was also the armor suit of Chief Zhenzhou by the river, which had simply been sliced in two by Ian. He could look for an opportunity to retrieve and repair it in the future... Not to mention, his own Cyclops Giant had suffered considerable damage this time. If it came down to it, salvaging it for repair materials could save a significant amount of money.
But the main issue was still the lack of fuel.
This was how the Imperial Capital restricted the power of the local nobility—they only provided Elemental Crystals, the lifeline of production, to those trustworthy high-ranking nobles, who in turn kept the minor nobility in check, and they only opened up the supply of this strategic resource during times of war.
