Stepping Out of the Shadow of War

More than twenty days had passed since the aftermath of the empire's fallen soldiers was settled. During this time, Mo Fei had remained unusually taciturn and quiet.

Just as everyone was growing deeply concerned about him, Mo Fei suddenly issued over a dozen executive orders:

1. The Magic Continent shall retain only a single wing of the fleet, while all other stationed troops shall completely withdraw upon the completion of their missions;
2. The islands previously occupied in the Dark Continent shall be immediately surveyed for their usable value. Those deemed worthless shall be marked with permanent markers designating them as the property of the Empire's mainland. Aside from naval patrols, no troops shall be garrisoned on these islands. Once the empire dispatches personnel to survey them and confirms they hold no utility, the original garrisons shall be withdrawn back to the empire together;
3. As for the Dark Continent, construction personnel shall be dispatched immediately to fortify Napo City, a key coastal hub, into a sturdy stronghold. Once completed, the empire will station twenty thousand infantrymen there and convert the adjacent harbor into a military port, garrisoned by a wing of the imperial fleet. All other regions shall be administered by the Bear Clan. Following the conclusion of the war, landing parties will survey the Dark Continent and notify the Bear Clan to dispatch troops for protection. If exploitable resources are found, the five empires of the imperial mainland shall share the benefits equally with the Bear Clan, with each party receiving one-sixth;
4. Regarding the Diamond Continent, aside from routine troop rotations, the stationed forces shall be reinforced immediately;
5. The imperial shipyards shall immediately accelerate the production speed of the Invincible Warships to form a thousand-ship fleet. Future external patrols and military deterrence missions shall be entrusted to this fleet;
6. The families of the fallen imperial soldiers shall be properly cared for. In addition to regular living allowances provided by the empire, any commercial ventures undertaken by these families shall be exempt from all taxes. Furthermore, the empire shall dispatch personnel to assist these families' commercial institutions until they succeed, after which the personnel will be withdrawn;
7. The relocation of the families of fallen soldiers shall be governed by a policy of free migration. Administrative organs at all levels shall facilitate this and grant privileges to the families of the empire's fallen soldiers. Local authorities shall not obstruct them arbitrarily;
8. ……
……

Mo Fei's orders were implemented immediately, which made the families of the imperial soldiers feel the tangible care of the empire, rather than merely receiving empty, verbal favors.

At the same time, Mo Fei also exerted pressure on the other empires, demanding that they treat the families of the fallen allied soldiers in the exact same manner. If the families of the allied coalition soldiers sought help from the Death Empire, the Death Empire would consider matters of alliance with that respective empire. Should any empire dare to pressure these families of the fallen coalition soldiers, the Death Empire would consider replacing them entirely.

That final sentence was a pure, unadulterated military threat.

When the coalition soldiers in the imperial training camps learned that Mo Fei had issued such decrees within his own empire while simultaneously influencing their respective homelands, they trained with even greater fervor. They felt an overwhelming sense of shock upon seeing the new slogan newly posted in the coalition training camp:

"More sweat in training, less blood in battle!"

They had never experienced such a realization before. Their routine training was meant to secure victory on the battlefield, rather than marching wave after wave to their deaths in pursuit of a pyrrhic and tragic triumph.

When they discovered that these words were spoken by Mo Fei, His Majesty the Emperor of the Death Empire, their hearts grew even warmer. Even the newly arrived relatives of the fallen coalition soldiers felt a profound sense of care from the Emperor.

…………

Mo Fei's intentions were thoroughly understood and executed by the various empires, which allowed him to heave a massive sigh of relief. These warriors had fought desperately on the battlefield, seizing victory after victory for the glory of the empire. How could the empire allow them to die with eternal regrets?

The mages from the Magic Continent had finally arrived.

Vader had repeatedly received requests from the Magic Continent for reinforcements of warships. Fortunately, after Mo Fei led the army back, the empire's largest Delduo Fleet had also managed to return in time; otherwise, Vader truly would not have known what to do.

When Mo Fei learned from Vader that the Magic Continent had actually dispatched over sixty thousand mages for training this time, he was momentarily stunned.

Mo Fei had not expected the Magic Continent to make such a grand gesture!

Without hesitation, Mo Fei instructed Vader to rebuild a separate training camp exclusively for mages. This time, not only would these visiting mages enter the camp for training, but any mages on the imperial mainland who wished to do so were also welcome to join.

Over the past few years of continuous civil strife and warfare, the number of mages on the imperial mainland had dwindled pitifully. In every major battle, few mages ever survived to the end. Since the imperial mainland had never possessed an abundance of mages to begin with, successive wars left only a handful remaining.

The castle on the Magic Continent had long been completed, and the elders of the Magic Continent had all moved inside. The three thousand mages who had originally accompanied Mo Fei on the expedition had shown remarkable advancements in their magic after that battle. Following the arrival of the sixty thousand mages at the imperial training camp, Mo Fei recalled those three thousand mages back to the Magic Continent. Together with over ten thousand slightly older mages, they were tasked with jointly defending the continent's sole castle.

As for these three thousand reluctant mages, the phrase they repeated most often to His Majesty was that their magical cultivation was still too poor—not even reaching a tenth of the sixty mages from the Bear Clan. In short, they simply did not want to return just yet.

It was only after Mo Fei promised to dispatch personnel to their castle to construct a spatial magic teleportation array—allowing them to receive training at any time—that they reluctantly returned to the Magic Continent.

…………

The immense profits gained from the Diamond Continent forced Mo Fei to increase his troop deployments there. Intelligence reports from that continent indicated that their wars had long since dissolved into utter chaos. Unfriendly actions directed against the empire-occupied port had also grown more frequent. Had it not been for the fact that the first two battles had crushed the fighting spirit of most local armed groups, the imperial garrison at the port might well have had to fend off a military assault against the main imperial forces every single day.

Once Mo Fei reinforced the Diamond Continent, Udos would undoubtedly withdraw the tens of thousands of Bear Clan garrison troops stationed there to participate in the conquest of the Dark Continent. This was precisely why Mo Fei had streamlined troop numbers elsewhere while reinforcing the Diamond Continent.

Only by enabling the Bear Clan to dispatch more troops into the war of the Dark Continent could the conflicts there be brought to a swift conclusion. Since there were no other critical matters demanding attention on the imperial mainland right now, tightly gripping this immensely profitable region was the correct path to follow.

The riches of the Diamond Continent filled the other empires on the imperial mainland with burning envy. The diamond jewelry flowing out through the largest commercial alliance on the imperial mainland—an organization closely tied to the Death Empire—caused the royal families of those various empires to fight over them tooth and nail. The profits the Death Empire reaped from these luxury items brought a perpetual, beaming smile to Elder Ouro's face every time he laid eyes on them. By now, Elder Ouro's gemstone processing techniques had gradually matured. At the very least, Elder Ouro now knew how to cut and polish those unimaginably hard diamonds.

Yet none of this was Mo Fei's primary concern. As for whether to hint that the other empires on the imperial mainland could join in the development of the Diamond Continent, Mo Fei was still weighing his options. He had no desire to wage war purely for profit, but if he permitted them to participate, he feared it might eventually lead to a war whether he wanted one or not.

Regarding the matters currently under Mo Fei's consideration, the other empires on the imperial mainland did not dare to apply any pressure. They understood Mo Fei far too well by now: take things slowly, and everyone would eventually get their share; act recklessly, and things would become exceedingly difficult.

The Golden Stone Empire, ironically, was the least enthusiastic about this entire affair.

What did they have to rush for? Whenever there was any stroke of good fortune, Mo Fei never left them behind. They were currently the largest empire on the imperial mainland. Had it not been for Mo Fei, where would they be today?

From the neighboring empires that had been incorporated into their own territory, the Golden Stone Empire had also surveyed several fine gold mines, all of which were currently in active production. Surveys of other regions were still underway; whenever they discovered an iron deposit or any other kind of ore, the Golden Stone Empire would simply mark the spot and notify Elder Ouro: if you want it, come dig it up!

Elder Ouro had already dispatched personnel to take charge of opening over a dozen such mineral deposits. Countless tons of iron ore and other rare minerals were continuously shipped back to the Death Empire every day via both sea and land routes.

The cooperation between the two empires sustained countless local residents. The high compensation offered by the Death Empire filled the citizens of the newly annexed territories with boundless excitement. The changes in their daily lives were monumental compared to the past.

After being incorporated into the Golden Stone Empire, they never experienced the slavery they had previously feared. Now, with the Golden Stone Empire and the Death Empire jointly excavating the stone mountains surrounding them, they reaped benefits they had never dreamed of before. They no longer had to toil underground in the mines every day, nor did they live in constant terror of mine collapses. The Death Empire utilized open-pit mining methods; once a deposit was exhausted, the site was transformed into an artificial lake. This approach not only prevented severe environmental degradation to the surrounding areas but actually improved the local microclimate and scenery.

In short, they no longer needed to descend into the mines day after day, and if they grew tired, they could simply take time off to go home and rest. For the citizens of these former empires, this existence was infinitely better than their previous lives, and their loyalty to the new empire slowly began to coalesce.

Mo Fei was completely oblivious to these developments. All he knew was that the Dwarven Clan no longer personally engaged in mining much anymore, showing a general trend toward shifting entirely to craftsmanship and forging. Mo Fei was vaguely aware of this, but since dwarf-related matters were managed by Elder Ouro, he had no need to worry. Currently, Mo Fei's mind was entirely consumed with how to expand the empire's benefits and gains. The welfare for imperial soldiers was currently at an all-time high, and regular living supplies were periodically distributed to the families of fallen soldiers. In fact, this scheduled stipend alone was enough to sustain a family of five comfortably without needing to work until the next distribution.

These spoils had been won with the very lives of the empire's soldiers. Distributing them generously to their families was only natural—such was Mo Fei's unwavering belief.

"Young Master, would you like to go out for a walk?"

"True, I haven't been out for a stroll in a long time." Mo Fei finally spoke, which instantly filled Caine with excitement.

Mo Fei was normally a man of few words, but after suffering such heavy casualties, he had grown even more taciturn, while Eileen had also lapsed into a much deeper silence. Seeing Mo Fei finally emerging from the shadows of war, both of them wore bright smiles on their faces.

"Am I truly unsuited to be the ruler of this empire?" Mo Fei pulled Vivienne and Eileen close, holding them tightly in his arms. "After every major battle, I am filled with grief, yet furious at the same time. I know the consequences of showing leniency to our enemies, but fighting with our full might results in countless casualties among our brave soldiers. Ah..."

"You have always done wonderfully well. Look at the families of the fallen soldiers—even they understand that if we were to let those greedy enemies go, the empire might plunge into an even greater catastrophe next time. They all support the empire's decisions. They know that the life they enjoy today was carved out by you and the imperial soldiers under your leadership. Look at them; after finishing the funerals of their loved ones, didn't they send other eligible relatives from their families right to the imperial training camps? If they didn't understand or support you, how could such a thing ever happen?"

Vivienne's words finally brought a considerable measure of peace to Mo Fei's heart.

"Let's go out for a walk. Shall we visit Mother in the Elven Kingdom?" Mo Fei suggested.

"Really? I miss Mother too," Eileen murmured, burying her head deeply into Mo Fei's embrace. It had been so long since she had last done this.

…………

When Mo Fei, accompanied by Eileen and Vivienne, flew out of the imperial capital on the back of the Purple Lightning Thunder Dragon, the residents of the capital could instantly sense that their Emperor had finally stepped out of the shadow of the great war. Just as they always did, they simply bowed slightly toward their beloved Emperor and watched him leave with warm smiles.

The capital's citizens knew how deeply Mo Fei grieved for the empire's fallen soldiers, and this only made them adore and respect him all the more. In the past, not a single general had ever shed a single tear for fallen soldiers; now, their Emperor had wept with sorrow and fainted repeatedly over the fallen warriors. Such a profound sentiment had never before filled their hearts.

Compared to the past, their current lives were beyond reproach. The rare treasures brought back from the outside world—items that would cost astronomical fortunes in other empires—could be acquired by the citizens of the Death Empire for a mere pittance. If they wished, they could casually resell them for a massive profit. Yet, to this day, not a single person among them had ever done so. They knew that each family could only purchase such items once—it was the empire's way of sharing its external gains with them. They all cherished these hard-to-come-by treasures; if they resold them now, the chances of ever encountering such an opportunity again were virtually zero. Besides, they were no longer lacking in gold coins anyway.

As they had done so many times before, Mo Fei and his companions rode leisurely through a major thoroughfare of the capital, heading out onto the road leading toward the Death Forest, the domain of the Elven Kingdom.

Both Eileen and Vivienne loved leaning against Mo Fei as they traveled, feeling that being held in his arms was the sweetest and most blissful place in the world.

Strange as it seemed, both Eileen and Vivienne had sensed subtle changes within their bodies over the past few days. Neither of them was an innocent, naive little girl anymore; they both knew they might be carrying a child. Yet neither of them mentioned it to Mo Fei, each wishing to give him a delightful surprise.

Twenty elite cavalrymen of the Death Empire closely trailed behind the trio, maintaining a respectful distance so as not to disturb their beloved Young Master.

Ever since Elder Ouro realized just how vital Mo Fei was to the empire, countless elite scouts were deployed ahead of any path Mo Fei traveled, conducting meticulous, net-like sweeps of the terrain. Behind him followed a squad of twenty elite cavalrymen, and further back still marched a ten-thousand-strong regiment of elite cavalry guards. Together with the vanguard scouts, they formed an impenetrable protective net, leaving zero margin for error or potential danger.

Elder Ouro had absolute confidence in the empire's current scouts. Forged through the trials of multiple wars, these elven scouts had grown terrifyingly fierce. They could now effortlessly handle ordinary berserkers in a state of frenzy; if a berserker failed to take down these cunning elite scouts instantly, they would find themselves flat on their backs. Armed with specialized curved blades and repeater crossbows, these elite scouts were vastly different from the ordinary elven warriors of the past.

Mo Fei remained completely unaware of these elaborate precautions surrounding him. All he knew was that there were twenty elite imperial cavalrymen bringing up his rear, while the scouts specifically assigned to protect him had deployed their defensive perimeter far ahead. Even with heightened senses, it was impossible for him to perceive elite elven scouts who harbored no hostility and were stationed miles away.

The three of them continued their leisurely ride on the back of the Purple Lightning Thunder Dragon, slowly making their way toward the Elven Kingdom.

The Purple Lightning Thunder Dragon had not wasted its time over the past few years. Mo Fei had never ceased feeding it; among the magic cores Mo Fei obtained from the Magic-Martial Empire, some were explicitly given to the beast, but many more were secretly devoured behind Mo Fei's back when he wasn't looking. Since Mo Fei had no urgent use for them anyway, there was no harm in letting it eat. Though it invariably resulted in a stern reprimanding from Mo Fei, Eileen would always step in to speak on its behalf. Grown weary of scolding, Mo Fei eventually just let the matter drop.