Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 43: The Reason

According to the Magical Arts Society’s own estimates, if the selection of spellcasters were sufficiently fair, on average about one in every two hundred people would be able to sense the presence of “qi” (equivalent to magical elements in the West). Although the vast majority might ultimately not even qualify as entry-level apprentices, there would always be some who could make significant progress. Among those who can sense “Qi,” approximately one percent go on to become true apprentices. Based on this ratio, even excluding slaves and commoners, there should be 9,000 spellcasters at the true apprentice level or higher among the 180 million civilians and citizens of all of Huaxia. But what is the reality? The number of registered members of the Magical Arts Society doesn’t even reach five percent of that figure. Taking into account the spellcasters affiliated with sects, clans, and recluses—not to mention those practicing heretical arts—who are not members of the Magical Arts Society, their combined total still falls far short of even ten percent of the estimated number. Moreover, according to recent research, if instructors were truly dedicated to teaching and not stingy with resources, the actual proportion of individuals capable of becoming spellcasters should be even higher than estimated. What does it mean to increase the current number of spellcasters tenfold? Even spellcasters who can merely sense “qi” would be able to craft simple magical items under the guidance of a mentor. Take, for example, the Clarity Talisman mentioned earlier, or the Courage Talismans commonly used by the military. Perhaps these items would become standard issue for the military—at least for field forces. As supply increases, military orders would naturally bring a steady stream of revenue to the Magical Arts Society. With more people crafting these items, labor costs would also decrease—the Magical Arts Society, in order to save funds, currently sets the minimum requirement for membership at the apprentice level; previously, they simply couldn’t make use of the larger pool of human resources whose spellcasting skills were too low. If all goes well, the reformed Magical Arts Society is very likely to enter a major virtuous cycle: because it accepts all students without discrimination, there will be more spellcasters; because there are more spellcasters, revenue will increase; because revenue increases, the Society won’t hesitate to spend, allowing it to recruit even more people; and because more people are recruited, there will be even more spellcasters… This was precisely the outcome Yu Xuanji had long dreamed of. “Crystal, go fetch my homemade ‘White Jade Ice,’” Master Yu instructed the young girl at his side. Then, she bowed solemnly to Ou Yang: “Regardless of whether this reform succeeds, consider me in your debt. If you ever need my help in the future, you can speak directly to Zuo Yunyi—he’ll know how to find me.” It had to be admitted that Master Yu’s cooking was delicious, but having lived two lifetimes as a die-hard carnivore, Ou Yang could only say this all-vegetarian banquet had left him half-full. Glancing at the other guests, Master Yu needn’t say much—Provincial Governor Lan and Wei Xuezheng were also full of praise for the vegetarian dishes. It was Master Zuo Yunyi and his son, however, who, like Ou Yang, looked as though they hadn’t had their fill. True to their military backgrounds, a feast without meat simply wasn’t a proper feast, no matter how delicious it was. After the meal, the two high-ranking civil officials, emboldened by the wine, began playing drinking games against the backdrop of the swirling snow. Master Yu seemed quite skilled at this as well, responding with ease and ease. Just as they were having the time of their lives, young Wang Lin, her eyes sparkling with admiration, watched these scholars and cultivators play their word games, while the three soldiers seemed as if they’d been forgotten in a corner. However, the less attention paid to them at that moment, the better it was for them. General Zuo Yunyi, Commander Zuo, was a seasoned veteran; he had prepared large chunks of pre-sliced dried meat well in advance and seized this opportunity to distribute them to his two subordinates. From his previous life, Ou Yang knew the importance of having cigarettes and a lighter on hand when dining with superiors. However, at Master Yu’s banquet, he dared not bring out cigarettes, though alcohol was no problem. The liquor he’d stashed away was actually more like rubbing alcohol—originally intended for medical disinfection—but here, it proved more popular with the Commander than Master Yu’s homemade “White Jade Ice.” The three soldiers sat side by side like three bears, gnawing on the meat while discussing topics of interest to them. To Ou Yang’s surprise, Zuo Shuijing didn’t join her master in discussing poetry; instead, she slipped over to Ou Yang’s group, grabbed a piece of dried meat, and began crunching away merrily like a squirrel. Judging by the way she pricked up her ears to listen intently to their conversation, she was indeed very interested in military life. “Qubing is indeed talented,” Zuo Yunyi remarked. “He’s a scholar, too. But why did he come all the way to Lingxi? Wouldn’t it have been much better to go straight to Haibei?” Haibei Road is currently the Empire’s northernmost territory, on par with Lingxi Road in status. However, it is closer to Ou Yang’s hometown in Qi Province, and geographically, it is considered one of the provinces in the Liaodong region—the hottest spot for capital investment in the interior today. It’s true that going there offers no career prospects, but at least there’s no shortage of financial opportunities—it’s far better than Lingxi, a place with absolutely nothing to offer. “The Scientific Society organized a large-scale survey of the entire world, as well as predictions regarding unknown lands,” Ou Yang replied calmly, choosing his words carefully. “The Emperor, the Cabinet, officials from all circuits, members of the Scientific Society, and the common people throughout the realm were all elated by the results of that survey. However, as a young man of limited knowledge and shallow learning, I am concerned only with how these findings can be put to use.” The first time I saw the globe, I was startled to realize that Lingxi isn’t nearly as far from the Western Barbarians as I’d imagined. If a few enlightened rulers and virtuous ministers were to emerge among the Western Barbarian states—with us moving westward and them eastward—a major clash is inevitable. It’s merely a matter of when it will happen… and how well prepared we’ll be when war breaks out. Personally, I hope Huaxia will remain vigilant against the threat from the west, and that I, too, might find an opportunity to distinguish myself and achieve greatness.” Sensing danger on the empire’s western frontier and smelling an opportunity to take a gamble—that is why Ou Yang abandoned the North Sea Route, which was within arm’s reach, and came all the way to Lingxi. In fact, there was one more point Ou Yang hadn’t explicitly mentioned—if his guess was correct, the exact location of the newly discovered major gold mine on the Northern Sea Route roughly corresponded to what had been Alaska in his previous life. In other words, the Empire had already reached the edge of a new world. That was why he had once seriously considered going to the Northern Sea Route; once he had accumulated enough connections, money, and manpower, he planned to organize an expedition to explore the New World—for that was the true foundation upon which an empire could become the “Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets.” However, in his previous life, the mountain ranges stretching across the west coast of the New Continent had been far too inhospitable to colonists arriving from the west. He suspected that even in this life, the dangers faced by small-scale expeditions crossing those mountains would be no less severe, which is why he ultimately abandoned the idea. The West of the Mountains route ranked second among Ou Yang’s goals for establishing his legacy. The reason was simple: if the Cossacks could accomplish it in his previous life, there was no reason the Empire couldn’t do the same in this one. The Great Forest might look dangerous, but in reality, it was far more hospitable than 17th-century Siberia on Earth. At the very least, caravans from the Empire and Di Yi have indeed crossed the Great Forest multiple times; with guides who know the way, they won’t end up like the Cossacks, drifting from Lake Baikal all the way into the Arctic Ocean. Hasn’t that lion already set a fine example? “Speaking of the possibility of Western nations expanding eastward, after reviewing your report, our General Staff—based on descriptions of that country provided by merchant caravans that have visited Ok—has speculated on the reasons why that beast came over here,” Zuo Hengbai continued. “The most likely possibility is that they intend to cultivate some proxies here. The lion’s provision of ironware to the Di-Qiang tribes and its permission for smaller tribes to join their confederation are the most obvious evidence.” This was indeed a clever strategy. There were tens of thousands of Di and Yi tribes scattered throughout the Great Forest; the larger ones numbered up to three hundred able-bodied men, while even the smallest had over a hundred—otherwise, they simply couldn’t survive in the harsh environment of the Great Forest. At least half of these tribes are Di people, who have a natural affinity for the Orc beastmen. The Oak Empire need only provide a small amount of ironware to obtain vast quantities of local produce—such as furs, magical beast crystals, gold sand, and gemstones—as well as the loyalty of the Di tribes. Take the achievements of that “Lion,” for example: with no more than a dozen men under his command, he arrived at the Empire’s border no more than three months ago and has already unified three Di-Qiang tribes of varying sizes and conquered two additional Yi tribes. At this rate, if left unchecked for a year or two, it would be entirely normal for him to amass an army of over ten thousand. This also gave the officers of Huaxia a very clear hint—if the Orcs can do it, the Empire can certainly do it better. As long as they are well-prepared and enlist the assistance of some indigenous tribes from the Great Forest, a campaign across the Great Forest is by no means impossible. A vast new world awaits the Empire’s warriors to explore.