Friedrich spoke slowly. "Instead of spending a massive price now to destroy an ideal kingdom that doesn't actively threaten us—and in fact helps us share the pressure—should we not focus on our own internal affairs first?"
"Strengthen ourselves first, or perhaps... unite with the Kingdom of Ersten to completely solve the major threat of the Demon Race?"
He looked at the Emperor earnestly. "After all, given Ersten's national policy, it has no ambition for expansion. In reality, it cannot stop the Empire's ultimate great cause of unification."
"Is it really necessary for us to be so hasty?"
Legate listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the armrest of the throne.
He knew his teacher's words made sense. From a long-term perspective, there was indeed no need to move against the Kingdom of Ersten.
But he was unwilling!
Legate suddenly raised his head. "Teacher, you are right. But what I want to beco is a legend!"
"An existence like the Holy King Norne, sung by bards for thousands of years!"
His voice rose abruptly, filled with unquestionable determination. "Norne is rembered for creating the first human kingdom! What about ? Even if the Empire's territory is vast, in the long river of history, it is but another powerful dynasty!"
"How prosperous was the Dwarven Kingdom of old? Did it not fall? Even the new Dwarven Kingdom rebuilt afterward cannot restore the glory of its ancestors."
"As for the Elven Kingdom and the legendary Heavenly Kingdom of Dol-Anor, there is no need to even ntion them. One is constantly declining, and the other has long vanished into the river of history."
"Therefore, I must surpass him! Surpass that Holy King Norne!"
"I will thoroughly fuse the entire continent into one, forging a colossal empire unprecedented in all of history!"
"And the Kingdom of Ersten, this nation built by Norne's own hands, symbolizing his idealism, must be destroyed by my own hands!"
"Only in this way can I prove that my path is the correct one! My great cause... without this step, is incomplete!"
Legate's words echoed in the secret chamber, filled with paranoid fanaticism and an extre thirst for eternal fa. Watching the Emperor nearly consud by the fire of ambition, Friedrich knew everything was already irreversible.
It seed His Majesty's plan included not only moving against Ersten but also the Dwarven and Elven Kingdoms.
It would be an incredibly mad and bloody war.
Either the Southern Unified Empire would beco the Continental Unified Empire, the true master of this land, and his Emperor's na would surpass that of the Holy King to beco a legend eternally rembered by humanity...
Or... the Empire would collapse, and everything would end up as nothing but a dream.
He slowly lowered his eyelids, swallowing all remaining words of admonition, which transford into a sigh.
"I... understand," he bowed. "I will obey Your Majesty's decree in all things. I will go prepare the relevant magical runes now."
Legate nodded in satisfaction. "I trouble you, Teacher."
anwhile, at the Magic Association, within the Tower Library.
The mage Carlo had his head buried in a thick ancient to, flipping through it constantly while muttering to himself: "No... the energy nodes here are wrong. How did ancient mages solve the problem of mana dissipation here? How did Lord Rhodes do it?"
Just then, a gentle voice sounded beside him. "Excuse , are you Mr. Carlo?"
Carlo looked up sowhat blankly and saw a man standing before him, wearing a mage's robe with a badge pinned to his chest that Carlo had never seen before.
Wait, he had seen that badge.
Oh right! It's the First-Class Mage badge! He had seen the sample when he first took the Magic Association's entrance exam.
But when did soone pass the First-Class Mage exam? Isn't the highest rank currently Second-Class?
"I am Carlo. May I ask who you are? And is that... a First-Class Mage badge on your chest? Has the exam already started?"
Carlo subconsciously pushed up his glasses and fired off a series of questions.
He didn't recognize this First-Class Mage, but he didn't think the man was faking it.
After all, this was the Magic Association's territory. Lady Serie was right above their heads. If she discovered soone daring to fake the First-Class Mage badge representing the Association's highest honor, they would have been thrown out long ago.
"I am Linn," the man introduced himself with a smile, then expressed surprise. "You actually didn't know the First-Class Mage exam has already ended? The Association made quite a commotion about it. I thought everyone knew."
After all, it was the Association's first First-Class exam. Coupled with the reward promised by the Saint Serie, almost every Second-Class Mage had participated.
But it seed the Carlo before him was the sole Second-Class Mage who hadn't taken the exam.
Carlo was instantly embarrassed. "Ah, well, I have been researching sothing recently and haven't paid much attention to news from the outside."
He had practically lived in the library during this period, trying to conquer the difficult problem that had plagued him for over a decade.
Especially after receiving Flam's help, he finally had a train of thought. He was at a critical mont in his research and knew nothing about what was happening outside.
Linn smiled understandingly, showing no sign of mockery. "It seems the rumors are true. Mr. Carlo really is a seeker of the way who devotes himself wholeheartedly to magical research."
"What rumors? Am I famous?" Carlo was completely baffled.
If he were famous in his original city, he could understand—after all, a stubborn, useless mage who researched magic for over ten years without a single result was famous in a certain sense.
But he was in the Kingdom of Ersten now. How could anyone know him?
Linn's tone carried sincere admiration. "Yes. Actually, you are quite famous among mages. After all, it is rare to see soone like you who focuses on a single subject for over ten years without giving up, even without any results."
Carlo froze, subconsciously assuming the other party was mocking him. After all, a mage who produced zero results in over a decade yet refused to change direction indeed deserved ridicule.
Flushing red with anger, Carlo began gathering the materials on the table, intending to leave. "If there is nothing else, I—"
"Please don't misunderstand!" Linn waved his hands hurriedly. "I am not here to mock you. To tell you the truth, I specialize exclusively in defensive magic. I don't know a single offensive spell. In a way, I have also walked an extre path."
"So, seeing soone as persistent as you, I just wanted to get to know you and make a friend."
Carlo paused. He looked at Linn. The man's eyes were clear, and his attitude sincere. It didn't seem like sarcasm.
He relaxed slightly. "So that is it... I apologize, I was a bit sensitive."
"It is fine," Linn laughed. "Speaking of which, I might be leaving the Association soon."
"Leaving? Where are you going?" Carlo asked curiously.
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