Chapter 165: By the River
Ace’s aura escalated step by step. The immense mental pressure, far exceeding that of the crowd, and the invisible will check awed the apprentices. He raised his hands high and said to them:
“A blank canvas is good! We do not need to smash old pots and pans. We can directly wield our brush and ink, painting the blueprint we desire on this blank canvas.
This place will be our Wizard territory. And I, the Torch-Bearer Ace, and my apprentices, will be the masters of this virgin land.
Here, we will not be hunted, we will not be suppressed, and we will certainly not be rats in the gutter.
We will rule this territory just as Nobles rule mortals, but we will not become new Nobles. We are the supernatural born from mortals. We are Wizards!
We will establish a magical society in this valley territory, different from the rule of the Divine Descendant Nobles!”
Saying this, Ace stopped. He stared at the apprentices with piercing eyes and asked: “What do you think a magical society is?”
The crowd was silent for a moment. Caruso stood up. He was lean, and the scar on his face twitched like a worm with his excitement, marring his originally handsome features.
He bowed to Ace and said: “Respected Torch-Bearer, I believe that a so-called magical society is a kingdom where Wizards lead and mortals assist.
We will lead the mortals here, accept their support, select talented individuals from among them, and cultivate them into Wizards.
We come from mortals. As long as mortals exist, we can continuously cultivate Wizards, and we will inevitably become stronger!”
Ace waved his hand, gesturing for the scar-faced Caruso to sit down. He looked around the crowd and said:
“Caruso has expressed his thoughts. Does anyone else want to share theirs?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Arno stood up. He hastily bowed to Ace and said:
“I have a different idea. I think we cannot just accept the support of mortals. We must also do our best to help them. We became supernatural from being mortal. With greater power comes greater responsibility!”
Ace looked at Arno’s sincere gaze and nodded appreciatively. Although he couldn’t be as wholeheartedly altruistic as Arno, it didn’t stop him from respecting such people.
Thought-Flow Knights, Knights among Wizards—truly interesting beings.
Ace thought this as he continued to ask: “Does anyone else have their own thoughts?”
The crowd was silent. Bayen seemed moved. Wearing his gray robe, he stroked his somewhat short beard but ultimately did not speak.
In Bayen’s view, this was not just a question, but a matter of the path. The guide of the Wizard Apprentices hadn’t spoken yet. If he spoke first and his direction differed from Ace’s, it would leave a bad impression.
Ace looked at the silent crowd and slowly voiced his thoughts:
“Before discussing the magical society, let me first share my views on the city-state society ruled by the Divine Descendant Nobles.
The city-state society actually has many excellent institutional setups. It absorbs the elite among mortals as Citizens, serving as the backbone of the city-state’s governance.
It grants Citizens considerable freedom, status, and rights.
They can freely participate in the governance of the city-state, convening the Citizen Assembly and the Council of Five Hundred to discuss and resolve ordinary affairs. These are worth learning from.”
A sea breeze blew from the coast east of the valley, carrying a salty and warm aura, gently caressing the crowd by the river. The primitive jungle of the entire valley was even more silent, save for the occasional sounds of a few Monsters.
Facing the sea breeze, Ace’s hair moved slightly. The plump cowlick on his head stubbornly resisted the wind, standing motionless.
His gaze carried the power of conviction (Suggestion Spell) as he said:
“However!
The city-state system does not benefit Freemen and slaves. Moreover, it strips mortals of their greatest right: the right to research the supernatural and achieve the supernatural.
We are forbidden from researching the supernatural, forbidden from becoming supernatural. Under this system, any amount of rights is merely the shepherd’s mercy. When the Divine Descendant Nobles wish to harvest, we have no more resistance than slaves.”
Under Ace’s suggestion and guidance, the crowd recalled their own experiences and couldn’t help but agree.
Daina looked at Ace with admiration. To be by his side, always learning from him, was happiness for her. If she could be closer, as intimate as during their journey to the Northern March, it would be even better.
Ancestar was weeping. He thought of the desperate charge against overwhelming odds ten years ago, the actual massacre, and her with the beautiful smile.
“Therefore, we chose to leave! We came to this barbaric land, this virgin territory, to build our domain, to build our magical society!
Our magical society should be like this: In this territory, everyone can become a Citizen, possessing all the ordinary rights a Citizen can have.
We will build a small town in this territory, which will become a city in the future.
The people here will follow the principle of equivalent exchange, exchanging diligent labor for a better life.
As long as they are not lazy, everyone will have food, clothing, and shelter.
Everyone has the right to education. Knowledge is no longer a monopoly. We will establish free general education schools, mandating the study of ordinary children of appropriate age.
Adults can also spend a small amount of Silver Thales to enter general education schools for further study and progress.
The content of study should include: the art of language, basic mathematics, basic logic, and magical ideology education, supplemented by courses in art, combat, etc., cultivating talents suitable for our selection as Wizards.
Selection will take the form of regular unified examinations, testing the candidates’ logical thinking, mathematical talent, research methods, ideological tendencies, and mental talent.
In the future, we will build a high tower here belonging to Wizards. All Wizard Apprentices will study magical knowledge in the high tower.
I will compile textbooks for you and systematically teach you magical knowledge.
Every Wizard Apprentice will study in the high tower for at least five years. These five years will lay a solid foundation for your magical career.
In the future high tower, during your first year, you will follow me to study basic subjects: Logic, Elementary Mathematics, Research Thinking, and Introduction to Lesser Meditation.
In the following four years, I will gradually teach you Lesser Runology, Deconstruction of Lesser Spell Models, Construction of Lesser Rune Arrays, Lesser Potions, Identification of Magical Materials, Complete Guide to Low-Level Monsters, Enchanted Martial Arts and Inherent Mana, Lesser Alchemy, Magical Trickery and Incantations, and other courses.”
Ace’s gaze was piercing, and rune structures seemed to flicker in his eyes. He stirred the atmosphere among the apprentices, and they began to fantasize about a beautiful future.
Ace did not continue speaking. He looked at the crowd, giving them time to digest.
A moment later, Arno clutched his head and said painfully: “Do we have to learn so many things in the high tower? Can I skip school?”
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