Bai Shi ordered the sorcerers who had surrendered to come and clean up the area. Meanwhile, he began to consider his plans for the Academy of Magic. The remaining ordinary sorcerers would be allowed to stay. They could continue their studies and eventually take on teaching roles. While the top leaders couldn't remain, a good number of elite sorcerers from the various conspectuses were left, all of them quite skilled. Sellen had been right. Although these sorcerers had a history of betraying the Carian Royal Family, they were far more powerful—and more useful—than those who had been driven out. He would put Sellen in charge of the academy. By bringing in some of the sorcerers from Sellia to handle administrative duties, the academy would be firmly under his control. The elite sorcerers from each conspectus were perfect to serve as instructors, passing on the knowledge of their respective schools. Once things settled down, he could allow large numbers of Tarnished to come here and study sorcery. A sorcerer's destructive capability on the battlefield was not to be underestimated. The academy had probably not always been called Raya Lucaria, as the name itself carried the meaning of "Royal Carian Academy." The name was likely changed only after the Queen of the Full Moon conquered it and the Carian royal family took control. As for its original name, it was lost to the mists of time. Even after their rebellion, the academy's sorcerers hadn't changed the name, likely because they lacked a single, powerful leader to unite them. After all, they were just a loose confederation of various conspectuses and factions, probably incapable of reaching a consensus on the matter. Bai Shi figured that if the Carians could do it, so could he. From now on, this would be *his* academy of magic; it was time to make a clean break with the past. However, Bai Shi couldn't think of any name with profound meaning, so he decided to leverage his unique advantage as a transmigrator. Namely, direct appropriation. When it came to magical schools in other worlds, none were more famous than Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from the global phenomenon, the "Harry Potter" series. A new name for a new beginning. Bai Shi also asked Sellen for her opinion. Although Sellen had no idea what significance his new name held, renaming a conquered institution was common practice. If her student wished to do it, she would let him. Besides, it was only a name; what it was called didn't matter. What truly defined the academy was the knowledge within. As for the Cuckoos in Liurnia, who had always maintained a cooperative relationship with the academy, Bai Shi hadn't yet decided how to handle them. He would have the academy arrange for a parley to negotiate with them. If the Cuckoos were willing to maintain the relationship, then there would be no need for conflict. For now, however, Bai Shi was going to meet the sorcerer-smith imprisoned within the academy. Bai Shi was quite interested in this smith, a man personally mentored by Iji himself. He desperately needed such talent under his command. It was time to recruit him to serve the Empire... ahem, the Royal House of Stormveil. Before long, Sellen led Bai Shi to the study hall of the Lazuli Conspectus. This was the location of the smith that Iji had pinpointed through the decrypted message. The room had been modified. It was once an ordinary study, and not very large. Bai Shi pushed open the door and took in the dim scene inside. The room had been transformed into a suffocatingly cramped space, similar to the cellar where Sellen had been held. The surroundings were dark, the windows completely sealed to block out any light, with only a single lamp in the center providing illumination. A Haima sorcerer was imprisoned here. His ankles were bound in shackles made of glintstone crystal, which were connected to the block of stone he sat on—his "chair." The style of the shackles was almost identical to the ones that had bound Sellen, designed not only to restrict magic but also to inflict pain. Before him were two anvils of vastly different designs. One was an ordinary, common iron anvil, the type any typical smith would use for forging weapons. Beside the iron anvil was another, special one. This other anvil was rather small, about half the size of a normal one, and was crafted entirely from grayish-white stone. The small anvil was embedded with sparkling glintstone crystals and covered in grooves. Deep blue magical energy flowed through them, forming strange patterns that made it instantly clear this object was related to sorcery. The Haima sorcerer remained completely still at the sound of the door opening, sitting on his stone block without even bothering to lift his head. Bai Shi walked up to him and sized him up. There was nothing particularly unusual about the Haima sorcerer's appearance. But he wasn't moving at all. Could he be dead? Seeing the unresponsive sorcerer, Bai Shi spoke. "Are you Hettis, the one Iji told me about?" "A sorcerer who's learned smithing is a rare sight." At the mention of Iji's name, the Haima sorcerer finally reacted. He lifted his head and looked toward Bai Shi. "...Yes. And you are?" Seeing that he was alive and apparently sane, Bai Shi breathed a small sigh of relief. "My name is Bai Shi, the Lord of Stormveil. Master Iji has helped me a great deal." "After learning of your situation, he thought you might be able to help me. He said I could come rescue you while I was here." "I've conquered the academy. You're free now." "So, are you interested in working for me?" Hettis was astonished, his mouth agape beneath his glintstone crown. The academy had been conquered? It sounded incredible, but since this man was standing before him, it must be true... Hettis swallowed hard. "What... what would happen if I refused?" "Nothing. I'm not some kind of devil." "I need a skilled smith, but you're not entirely indispensable." "If you don't want the job, I'll let you go. You'll be free to do as you please." Hettis didn't know what a devil was. He thought Bai Shi might have misspoken, perhaps meaning to say Omen instead of devil. But this man before him didn't seem like a bad person. "No, it's not that I'm unwilling to serve you. You've freed me from my prison, and I will repay that kindness no matter what." "It's just that I have a few questions for you, if I may." Bai Shi stroked his chin, his eyes on Hettis's glintstone crown. Hettis asked, "Do you believe that one day, war will vanish from the Lands Between?" Bai Shi raised an eyebrow. He had expected Hettis to ask about the benefits of working for him, not a question . Bai Shi contemplated the question, searching his own heart. "More than anyone, I long to see that day, and I've been striving toward that goal." "But it's a pity. No matter what, war will never truly vanish." Fınd the newest release on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚑𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥 "I aspire to become Elden Lord. At first, I thought that by becoming Elden Lord, I could end all war in the Lands Between and bring about peace." "But as I've drawn closer to that position, I've realized that even as Elden Lord, war won't disappear." "There were Elden Lords in the past, yet war never vanished then, either." Bai Shi paused, then let out a laugh. "But who can say what will happen in the distant future?" "I can only say that for a time, the Lands Between should be able to enjoy a period of peace, however long it may last." "The Shattering is not yet over, but I will be the one to end it." "I will start the Shattering anew. This time, it will be the war to end all wars." Hettis was shocked by Bai Shi's ideas. The Shattering was no small skirmish; it was a world-altering war that affected the entire Lands Between. He asked again, "You want to continue the Shattering?!" "The Lands Between have already been devastated by the Shattering. If the war continues..." Bai Shi shook his head. "What's the alternative? Do you think maintaining the status quo is a good thing?" "There's a saying in my homeland: better a short pain than a long one." "The Lands Between is a sick and twisted world. Only by the sharp edge of a blade can it be corrected, so that a new era of peace can be written." "War and power are the only paths to peace." "Peace is never won by waiting for it, or by having it bestowed upon you. It must be fought for and seized." "If I want peace for the Lands Between, I must crush every enemy before me." "Without war, there is no way to end the current situation, and no way for the Lands Between to return to its former peace." If the Lands Between had been a peaceful place, Bai Shi wouldn't have been in such a rush to snowball his power and level up. If he had been transported to a game like Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing, he wouldn't have had to struggle so hard; he could have just peacefully farmed. But in a place like the Lands Between, the only way forward was to become Elden Lord, to possess the power to suppress all others. Only then could there be a chance for peace. As for how long his future dynasty would last, who could say? "Hettis, pledge your loyalty to me." "I will end the wars." Gazing at the man before him, a flame called hope suddenly ignited in Hettis's heart. Bai Shi was right. Was the current state of the Lands Between truly any good? It was a cesspool, a world where even order had collapsed. Perhaps only such measures could truly bring an end to the endless conflict. "In that case, I will serve you."