Night gradually fell, and the lights in Saint Sunil City lit up one after another.
This ancient city that had experienced the crisis of destruction was exceptionally quiet in the night. After so many days, it finally welcomed a night without shouts and explosions. The Sunil Saint Sunil was like a wounded beast, quietly licking its wounds in this rare quiet night.
The lights in this city were much less than those in Cecil City, and the bright magic crystal lights were basically only maintained in the castle area and the inner city area. Outside of this area, the streets were lit by candlelight and flickering braziers. However, it was this kind of dim light that created a peaceful atmosphere in the night.
Victoria stood in front of the window, looking at the scenery in the distance. After a long time, she turned around and asked, "When do you plan to hold the coronation ceremony? Or … some other ceremony to announce the establishment of the empire? "
"Tomorrow, the news of the establishment of the empire will be sent to the entire territory to stabilize the situation. As for the so-called coronation …" Gwen shook his head. "There's no rush. Let's talk about it after we solve the biggest crisis."
"Are you referring to the remaining crystal cluster monsters in the southeast of the Holy Spirit Plains?" Victoria blinked. "A large number of their main forces have already been dealt a heavy blow, and it looks like they don't have the ability to launch another attack … What other threat are you referring to?"
Gwen nodded. Here, at this moment, he felt that it was time to let the two guardian dukes know about the existence of that 'ticking time bomb'.
"I suspect that the Everything will eventually activate an ancient god's legacy, and the reason those crystal cluster monsters went into a frenzy was because of this legacy that suddenly went out of control. I've already obtained relatively accurate evidence and confirmed that this god's legacy is' active ', and it's deep in the east of the Holy Spirit Plains … near the east. Now, my army is thinking of ways to collect information about the relevant areas, but we haven't found any clues yet. Its energy reaction is increasing day by day, and it's only a matter of time before it erupts … and it won't be too long. "
Victoria and Bai Dewen subconsciously looked at each other and saw the shock in each other's eyes.
This disaster … this disaster that had already destroyed Ansu actually had an even deeper level of danger?
"I know what you want to say. The soldiers have already done their best to protect Saint Sunil during the disaster, sacrificing a lot, but they only managed to stop the first wave of this disaster. Now that we suddenly know that it's far from over and that there's an even bigger crisis ahead, this is definitely not easy to accept. However, fate has never catered to our ability to accept it," Gawain said before the two guardian dukes could speak. "What we're about to face is a challenge that may affect the fate of humanity. This is not only referring to the crisis created by the Everything's Endgame but also the situation for a very long time to come.
"The shadows of the Gondor wastelands are ready to move. the Demon, the Demon wave, and the shadow of the Giant Dragon has appeared in the world.....
"Our neighbor, Typhon, has risen. It is also a great threat. In the future, in order to survive, in order to survive, in order to survive, in order to survive, in order to survive, we have to rise and become the strongest …
"I can be honest with you here. Building an empire is not the best plan for reform. It will leave behind many hidden dangers in the reform. I can still think of a more thorough reform and a more advanced social system, but there's no time. We can't choose the best and can only choose the most suitable for the time being.
"We have to survive. I'm already prepared, and I hope you're prepared as well."
Faced with Gwen's sudden speech, the two guardian dukes fell into a short silence.
This was not the first time they had heard such words from Gwen. At the very beginning, when this founding hero had just been revived, he had brought a warning about the Demon Wave. After that, he had also reminded people of the crisis in front of them from various angles. However, at that time, no one had taken these warnings seriously.
Today, no one would think that these things were just alarmist words to frighten people.
"We should restart the research on the Demon Wave and the wastelands, restart those ancient libraries and archives," Bai Dewen said. "It's time to wake up from our numbness. Compared to this world, we've been sleeping for too long."
"The crisis of the Everything will end is a top priority," Victoria said. "But now, the kingdom's army, the Northern Territory, and the Western Territory armies have almost no fighting power left. If we rely on the Cecil Army … can we solve the crisis you mentioned?"
"I've already made arrangements, so there won't be any big surprises," Gwen said. "What I need you to do is to maintain stability. No matter what method you use, before the dust settles, the Western Plains and Saint Sunil Plains must not fall into chaos. The year is almost half over, and the following Month of Harvest will be the key to whether we can safely survive this winter. We've already lost half of our grain production land and a lot of our food reserves. If bandits and refugees appear in the Western Plains again … then even if the Cecil Army solves the cult crisis, we'll still face the winter crisis."
The two guardian dukes nodded solemnly. Gwen then looked at Victoria and asked, "How many reserve troops do we have in the Northern Territory?"
"The mountain army has suffered heavy losses. Even if we include the reserve troops that were left in the Northern Territory, we only have four to five thousand people left. If we include the conscripted soldiers, private soldiers, and mercenaries, we have about ten to fifteen thousand people."
"Have we eliminated the troops guarding the border?"
"Yes. The army guarding against the northern countries will not be moved out of the Northern Territory under any circumstances."
"Ten thousand people … is not enough, but we can't ask for too much." Gwen sighed. "Send someone reliable to lead the troops to the Eastern Territory through the hills north of Solin Castle. The Cecil Army has already built a safe passage there. Before summer ends, take over Longwind Fortress in the Eastern Territory to guard against Typhon. In addition, I will also send my second army to the border to guard against Typhon. The reorganization and modernization of the mountain army will be carried out in the Eastern Territory. Our time is limited, and we must seize every second. "
Victoria nodded lightly. "I understand."
"The Western Army will remain in the Saint Spirit Plains to recuperate and maintain the order of the grain production land." Gwen then looked at Duke Bodwin. "The reorganization and modernization of the Western Army will also be carried out in the plains."
Bodwin lowered his head. "This arrangement is very appropriate."
Gwen looked at the two of them. When talking about the reorganization and modernization of the army, the two guardian dukes' faces were indifferent.
"I hope you understand that the reorganization and modernization of the Northern and Western Army is the process of reclaiming your military power," Gwen said. "I will replace their command system and rebuild their discipline. They will be loyal to the Cecil Empire instead of you. Of course, considering the stability of the army and your personal ability, the reorganized army will still be under your command, but at that time, they will no longer be private soldiers …"
There were some things that he had to say more clearly. Even though he had already made clear the contents of the military reform, he had to emphasize it again when it came to the two guardian dukes. This was because this issue was both sensitive and important, and due to the limitations of the current situation, he couldn't completely deprive the two guardian dukes of their authority to command their original armies. This was partly because he couldn't find anyone capable enough to replace the two dukes, and partly because he had to consider the stability of the morale of the two original armies.
If it was peacetime, he would certainly choose the reform plan that would leave no hidden dangers. However, now there were internal and external troubles, and the Empire did not have many available troops. He had to try his best to avoid the decline of the existing army's combat power, even if it was temporary.
After all, a country's weakest stage was not before the reform, but during the reform.
And under the premise of preserving this huge hidden danger, he had to ensure the reliability and cooperation of Victoria and Bodwin, at least within the constraints of the rules.
After all, he did not want to see the emergence of warlords in the new Empire.
"Of course we understand." Duke Bodwin laughed. "And we will make sure that every family in the Northern and Western Territories understands this."
Gwen nodded slightly. Then, before the long discussion ended, he mentioned one last thing.
"Finally, regarding the capital of the Empire, when the dust settles, the center of this country's governance will be moved to Cecil City."
Victoria and Bodwin looked at each other, but they were not too surprised.
"You want to completely cut off the foundation of the old forces, right?" Victoria said with an indifferent expression and a cold voice.
"Not only that, there are also a few other factors," Gwen said. "Saint Sunil has been severely damaged, and its ruling function as the capital has actually stopped. The old noble system has disintegrated, the military force is almost gone, and a large number of transportation routes are covered by polluted areas. It won't be able to recover in a short period of time, so there's not much meaning in continuing to use it as the capital.
"Secondly, the new order of the Empire is built on the foundation of the magic industry. The high production capacity provided by the magic industry is the key to ensuring the rapid recovery of society and the foundation of our rise. Saint Sunil's industrial foundation can be said to be a blank. Although there are some new factories, they have all stopped operating. There are a few places with the magic network, but they are not systematic. Cecil City is already a more mature industrial center, and at the same time, it is a developed commercial and cultural center. There are also a large number of well-functioning new cities around it. Compared to Saint Sunil, Cecil City is more suitable to be the capital of the new Empire.
"Lastly, which is what you mentioned just now, Victoria, to completely cut off the foundation of the old forces."
The various families of the Sunil Saint Sunil had been in business for many years, and their family tree was deeply intertwined. Their influence network had even reached deep into the gangsters and rascals on the streets, and this complicated mess would not dissipate in a short time. Gawain did not have the time to guard a dilapidated ancient city and fight a battle of wits and courage with this mess. Moving the capital directly was obviously the most time-saving and labor-saving solution.
"But if the capital is set in the South, from a geographical point of view, wouldn't it be too far south?" Duke Baldwin thought for a while and raised his doubts. "On one hand, it would be too far away from the population centers in the north, and on the other hand, it would be too close to the wastelands …"
"Being close to the wastelands is not a problem, because I am already expanding toward the south and building multiple layers of defense. One day, we will take back the land at the foot of the Gloom Mountain Range. Also, to be honest, the southern area is more suitable for living than the north. The land is fertile, and the climate is relatively mild. If not for the wastelands, it would have been a better place to produce food than the Divine Spirit Plains, and the north … is just too cold.
"As for the other point, if you understand the new transportation methods in the south, you will not have this concern. From the map, Saint Sunil is located in the middle of the Ansu intersection. This is limited by the situation back then and the decline of technology after that. Without convenient transportation, the capital can only be set in the middle of the territory, but if the transportation problem is solved, the geographical location will not be so important. "
Duke Baldwin thought for a while and nodded slightly. "If that is the case, then I have no concerns."
As the night deepened, a cool wind blew through the study. Gwen rubbed his eyebrows, then let out a long sigh. "The things we are discussing today are not things that can be completed in a day. Also, other than the general framework, the details are still to be discussed. Let's call it a day. Rest early …"
Dong … Dong … Dong …
A melodious sound of a bell with a hint of holiness suddenly came from afar, interrupting the latter half of Gwen's sentence.
It was the sound of a bell coming from the direction of the Cathedral of Holy Light.
The three people in the room — Heti had already hung up the communication — looked up at the same time in the direction of the bell.
"The lock on the Cathedral of Holy Light has been lifted," Duke Baldwin said. "… Looks like we will have to wait for a while before we can rest."
"Let's go and take a look," Gwen said as he looked out the window. At the same time, he could not help but let his thoughts wander. "I wonder what the people in the cathedral will think after knowing the changes in the outside world …"
After the end of God's Descent, the Cathedral of Holy Light had been in a sealed state, probably to calm the turbulent holy light energy, or perhaps because the severely exhausted Priests needed to rest. It was only now that the seal was lifted.
Gawain could not help but make some interesting conjectures.
Before the door was closed, the king of Ansu was still commanding the defense of the city.
After the door was opened, not to mention the king, even Ansu was gone.
The people in the cathedral would probably be shocked.
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