"I haven’t betrayed the Empire, nor has your tutor Gretchen."
In the moment the white light shone in the study, Ave’s eyes widened in disbelief, and the hidden Little Golden Hair raised its pointed ears. Seeing the figure formed by the white light, it immediately retreated.
Their eyes met, and Ave felt her heartbeat pause momentarily.
The one whose name could not be mentioned within the Empire was staring at her, "Until the last moment, she was still running around for the Commune."
Ethan tactfully left the study to the two of them, indicating they should continue their conversation. He then left the study and sat shoulder to shoulder with Miss Keroy at the door. Seeing the knights were all well-behaved and had no intention of eavesdropping, Miss Keroy took out her treasured alchemy book and began reading intently.
She was already prepared to brew a new Magic Potion.
The people here had high hopes for her to become the Empire’s leading Alchemist in the future, and she was working hard towards that goal.
The conversation between Lindong and Ave lasted a long time, with several groups of resting knights at the door being replaced. Finally, Ave opened the study door with a complex expression and spoke in a muffled voice, "Ethan, come in."
She had finally obtained the truth she had been seeking, but her heart felt no joy or relief.
She also learned that Valerie Tutor had always known about this but had never mentioned it to her.
Locking the door, Ave returned to her seat.
"Miss Lindong said, you have a plan."
In an instant, both their gazes focused on him. In the cemetery, Ethan hadn’t explained his thoughts in detail because how to implement this plan largely depended on Ave’s attitude.
Trust is the foundation of a team.
"When I was at Fireplace Bay, I heard some news, which is closely related to you."
"Wait a minute, when did you ever go to Fireplace Bay?"
"Heisenberg, that’s my identity there."
Ave was shocked again, pointing at Ethan, speechless for a while before saying, "Are you really Lindong’s teacher and lover!?"
To her, this seemed like a ridiculous story, but the facts were right in front of her. She had no idea when Ethan and Lindong got involved, but if she traced the time back two years, it would seem that Heisenberg heard about his student’s situation and came to the Empire’s border to receive her departure.
This accusation instantly destroyed the atmosphere Ethan had carefully brewed because he noticed Lindong also cast a surprised look at him, as if lost in thought. With Miss Witch’s peculiar way of thinking, who knows what she’s pondering now.
He hurriedly explained, "Those are just novels written by others, can’t be taken seriously! Don’t interrupt!"
Ave obediently crossed her legs.
Though she agreed verbally, it was evident that her strong curiosity had been piqued. She tried hard to remain calm, but the Little Golden Hair on her head perked up, darting its eyes between Ethan and Lindong.
"Let’s start with the Knight Commander’s matter. The one who truly wishes her dead is not Lindong, but the high-ranking officials of the Empire."
As Ethan narrated, the study fell silent.
He thoroughly sorted out the Empire’s situation he had been pondering over these days, not only informing the two of the impending war but also trying to make his thoughts more organized.
"The reason the Empire has been able to sustain its dominance is, on one hand, due to the solid alliance with the Neseriel Sanctuary, and on the other hand because of the invincible Golden Fleet left by the founding King. However, this situation is gradually being disrupted with the rise of firearms and Steam Technology."
Currently, the Empire’s Knight Order and Firearms Battalion can still maintain the balance, but with the birth of more powerful war machines, the balance is bound to be broken.
Ethan utilized his pre-transmigration knowledge, using Steam Technology from the Western Continent as a starting point. The current Empire’s naval power has already been left far behind, and he casually mentioned the mass use of war vehicles like tanks, which would ultimately make the old military structure obsolete.
Many mid to low-tier Transcendents would be eliminated, and steel torrents would become the mainstream on the frontlines.
And this was based on historical simulations without mystic powers, leaving Ethan to imagine what terrifying technologies this world might give birth to.
The prospects for High-tier Transcendents were also grim, as the Evil God was quietly eating away at the Empire.
The visit to the contaminated zone made Ethan realize that the belief in the Evil God was akin to raising insects, sacrificing numerous souls to create creations that could rival high-tier abilities. Once war erupted, coupled with the Evil God’s muddling in between, the collapse of the Empire was only a matter of time.
Ethan spared no effort in spreading anxiety within the study, and the youthful Ave indeed took the bait.
Imagining the scene Ethan depicted, the steel beasts tearing through the Knights’ defenses and marching straight into the imperial capital, she shivered with fear.
Lindong supported her chin with her hand, "Magic Tech Weaponry? Did you come up with all this?"
Especially the steel beasts mentioned by Ethan, impenetrable by swords and firearms, aroused her strong interest.
"If the Empire were to give birth to a wise ruler, initiate reforms immediately, nurture talents according to their strengths, conduct broad diplomacy, absorb others’ strengths, and devote themselves to researching Magic Tech, the Empire’s glory could continue to be sustained. However, the capital is now caught in internal strife, reaching a point of irreconcilability."
Ethan said, "It’s not that no one sees the crisis facing the Empire, but they’ve all been persecuted. As time goes by, only silence remains. But this is inevitable, as sweeping reforms must inevitably touch many interests."
The failure of the Violet Commune has already proven that top-down reforms are essentially unworkable in the Empire.
"So... you want to initiate reform?"
This statement made Ave realize Ethan’s extreme disappointment in the decaying Empire. Of course, reform was a euphemism; in the eyes of the high-ranking officials, this would be an unforgivable rebellion.
People who have attempted this in the past have failed, having their heads chopped off and hung on the walls of their hometown as a warning to everyone.
What surprised Ave even more was that she actually thought along with the idea of rebellion for a moment.
Ximu Town is just a border town of the Empire, incapable of stirring up anything significant in terms of soldiers or weaponry.
Now it was Ethan’s turn to stare at Ave in shock, having to stop analyzing and correct, "Your idea is quite dangerous."
He hadn’t noticed before that Ave had a rebellious nature!
Ave’s face reddened, stumbling over her words for a long time, "Isn’t that what you said!"
This guy now actually turns the tables, pinning the blame for rebellion on her!
How could there be such a despicable person!
"You can eat food recklessly, but you can’t speak recklessly. Don’t accuse me, I never said such a thing!"
Ethan was shocked, turning to Lindong, asking, "Did I say anything like that?"
Lindong shook her head.
Then it was Little Golden Hair on Ave’s head, "Little Golden Hair, did I say anything like that?"
Upholding justice, Little Golden Hair immediately shook its head too, then received a smack from Ave.
"Hitting it won’t help; the vote is 3:1, the situation is quite clear."
Ethan spoke righteously, "Haven’t you heard a saying? If you have rebellion in your heart, no matter what others say, you will think they are thinking the same thing."
If needed, he could still call Miss Keroy at the door in for a vote.
Ave, furious, lost her composure as a noble lady, "You—! Then after all you said, what on earth do you mean!?"
She found that no matter how the situation changed, Ethan always remained infuriating.
"Haven’t I made myself clear enough? Then I’ll say it again, I believe Magic Tech is the mainstream of the future, and we should start researching it from now to get ahead of everyone else!"