Chapter 172: The Territory

Ace touched his somewhat gaunt face and looked at his slightly dirty black robe. He did not rush to respond to the mirror image’s question.

He activated the Advanced Magical Trickery floating above his Soul Sanctuary, chanting: “Fresh and Clean! Ice Crystal Mirror!”

Accompanied by his incantation, Mana, like a powerful detergent, washed him and his clothes. An ice crystal mirror then appeared before him.

Ace looked at himself in the mirror. Raven-black hair, with a single cowlick hanging limply. His features, inherited from Marina, were soft but had now fully matured. Standing at 1.8 meters tall, with a robust physique inherited from Romon, he looked handsome and upright.

Dressed in a clean black scholar’s robe and black leather boots, holding the Grimoire, he radiated an extremely academic aura.

He was already 17 years old. According to the secular view of this world, where 16 is the age of adulthood, Ace was already a fully grown, vigorous young man.

Sunlight streamed through the open door into the barbarian mud hut where Ace lived, illuminating him.

Shielding his eyes with his hand, he looked out at the barbarian-style settlement under the sun and said to the mirror image:

“I have already decided on the name of the territory.

This is a desolate virgin land. I will build a magical small town here, and eventually, a city of Wizards. Using the power of the entire territory, I will construct a magical high tower belonging to Wizards.

Therefore, this territory shall be called High Tower!”

Ace turned back. Under the sunlight, only his silhouette was visible. He continued to speak to the mirror image:

“In our territory, Wizards will replace Nobles. However, every mortal in the territory, provided they pay a sufficient price, will have the opportunity to embark on the path of Wizardry. Of course, I believe the vast majority will remain Lesser Apprentices for their entire lives.

The society of the territory will eventually evolve into a magical society with Lesser Wizard Apprentices as the base. This may take decades, or even a century. As long as I can advance to Formal Wizard, time will be on our side!

To rule such a society, we need a new approach.

We will implement a system of governance led by a Lifetime Archon, assisted by the High Tower Magic Council.

The supreme ruler of the territory will be the Lifetime Archon, which is me, Ace the Torch-Bearer.

The seats on the Magic Council will be temporarily vacant, reserved for outstanding Wizards in the future.

Everyone with Mental Overdrive or above must enter the High Tower to study basic magical knowledge for five years. Afterward, there are three paths: Graduation, Deferred Graduation, and Incompletion.

Those who achieve initial magification, generate Inherent Mana (becoming a Mid-level Apprentice), and publish a graduation thesis in a future low-end magical journal can graduate successfully.

Those who become Mid-level Apprentices but fail to publish a thesis, or vice versa, can apply for Deferred Graduation.

Those who fail to become Mid-level Apprentices or publish a thesis within five years are considered to have Incompleted their studies.

Graduates automatically become members of the High Tower Magic Council and are qualified for higher-level study and research in the High Tower.

Those who Incomplete their studies automatically become public officials in the Magic Department of the Territory Administration Office, contributing to the territory’s construction.

If an Incomplete student later meets the graduation standards, they will be issued a graduation certificate retroactively and automatically become a member of the High Tower Magic Council.

Beneath the Lifetime Archon are the Territory Administration Office and the Territory Jury Court.

The Administration Office will have one Chief Magistrate and two to four Deputy Magistrates, forming the leadership of the Administration Office.

Under the Administration Office, there will be the Magic Department, Civil Affairs Department, Public Security Department, Construction Department, Agriculture Department, Culture and Education Department, Health Department, and Workshop Department, responsible for coordinating all Reserve Citizens and Freemen in the territory.

This is the general form of governance for the territory. In 20 years, after we achieve a population explosion through plundering barbarian populations and recuperation, we will consider optimizing the governance structure.

As for the promotion channels, every child of appropriate age will attend school. Those who pass the Wizard Apprentice Selection Exam will receive a free Grimoire, forge a covenant with the Torch-Bearer, and receive a Lesser Permanent Mental Blessing.

Those who do not pass can accumulate territory merit to exchange for Mental Overdrive Potions and Lesser Permanent Mental Blessing, and spend a certain amount of Gold Thales to exchange for a Grimoire and forge a covenant with the Torch-Bearer.”

The mirror image looked at the host body under the sunlight and said calmly: “If development proceeds smoothly, in a few decades, we will have a base that continuously provides reserve talent.”

Ace walked out of the mud hut, saying without turning back: “Precisely!”

He walked briskly, activating the Soul Spell Insight Perception to find his emissary, Bayen. Bayen had just returned from fetching water by the river and was washing up outside his barbarian mud hut.

When Bayen stood up, he saw Ace approaching in his clean black scholar’s robe. He quickly wiped the water from his hands on his clothes and bowed to Ace.

Ace waved his hand and said to Bayen:

“No need for formalities. I have a task for you. After breakfast, gather the apprentices and their families in the clearing at the center of the settlement immediately. I have something to say to them.”

Bayen bowed slightly again and said seriously:

“I obey the will of the Torch-Bearer.”

At the same time, in the barbarian mud hut where Betty’s family lived, the former Chief Magistrate of the Northern March Fortress felt a huge sense of disparity.

His face was haggard. His blonde hair, the same shade as Betty’s, was dry and messy like a bird’s nest. His white robe with the red ribbon was tattered beyond recognition.

Since fleeing the Northern March, he knew he could never return to the city-state. His daughter Betty had also completely let herself go, showing no semblance of a lady’s image, which infuriated him but left him speechless.

After all, Betty was a genuine Wizard Apprentice possessing supernatural power. In this valley, the family’s livelihood and status depended entirely on her.

“No, I must find a way to regain my family status and social standing!”

He muttered to himself, pacing in the mud hut. He hadn’t been idle these past few days. The settlement wasn’t large, and he had explored almost all of it in a day.

Development was underway here, but the barbarians were too uncivilized. So far, it was just a large village with barely some cultivated land outside.

His pacing back and forth made Betty dizzy as she knelt on the ground, her twin tails hanging down, drawing blueprints for a new machine on parchment.

Betty stood up, puffing out her cheeks, and said angrily: “Father! What are you…”

Before she could finish, the former Chief Magistrate walked up to her, took her hand, and said with hope: “My dear daughter, what do you think about your father recommending himself to Lord Ace?

I served as the Chief Magistrate of the Northern March Fortress for nearly 10 years and have rich experience. Moreover, I have carefully studied Lord Ace’s masterpiece Intensive Farming. Lord Ace needs to pursue the path of the supernatural with you all, so he surely needs a capable assistant to help him manage the entire valley territory!”

Two hours later, in the clearing at the center of the valley settlement. Ace instructed Bayen to arrange for the apprentices’ families to wait in several mud huts first, gathering only the apprentices in the clearing and dismissing the others.

Ace, spirited and neatly dressed, looked at the crowd in the clearing, who appeared somewhat dispirited, dressed in tattered clothes, and slightly dirty.

He used his mental power to directly condense multiple Lesser Repair Spell Models in the air. Accompanied by the pulse of Mana, he repaired the tattered clothes of the crowd.

Then Ace chanted the incantation, “Fresh and Clean!” The bodies and clothes of the crowd became as clean as new. He looked around and said with satisfaction:

“My apprentices, it is a new day. I see you are somewhat listless. Were you thinking about the question I raised last night? Who can tell me their thoughts? Please raise your hand.”

Looking at Ace before them, the apprentices felt an immense sense of closeness and trust. They eagerly raised their hands high, desperate to voice their thoughts.

Ace randomly selected a tall, robust male apprentice.

“Lord Torch-Bearer, I thought about it all night yesterday. Regarding why the mental link didn’t achieve the effect of a grand dream, I think we can try holding the Grimoire while sleeping and performing the mental link in our dreams!”

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