“What the hell is all this nonsense?”
Caesar was speechless.
They used such a large newspaper spread just for this kind of news?
Yumilia was still reading the content with relish. Caesar called out to her twice to interrupt her, then patted his small palm on another news article.
“Do you want to read this? My Little Casey is truly diligent and eager to learn.” Yumilia seemed very happy that he was so interested in the newspaper, and continued to read to him.
“The Ministry of Magic announced today that all twenty-three Magician from the fifth phase of the Highland Project have graduated. After assessment by the Mana Research Institute, three of them reached Fourth-Order Magician level, and seven reached Third-Order Magician level.”
“All Magician graduates will be deployed to the Red Forest Ruins Development Project, which means that the Fien Kingdom will continue to lead in the field of mana.”
After Yumilia finished reading, an expression of longing appeared on her face.
“Magician, how wonderful! It would be great if my Caesar could also become a Magician in the future.”
She picked up Caesar and rubbed her face against his little cheek: “But, the most important thing is for you to be happy.”
Caesar pushed her hand away and went back to look at the report.
The amount of information in it was quite significant for him.
Magician, this was the unified term for super-powered individuals who could control magical elements, and it hadn't changed after several hundred years.
But now there was a Ministry of Magic and a Mana Research Institute. It seemed that there was more advanced management and deeper research into Magician now.
However, he couldn't understand the rest.
Three Fourth-Order Magician and seven Third-Order Magician successfully graduated—was this considered graduation at this level? And only so few graduated?
A long time ago, they had classified the power levels of Magician into ranks. First to Fifth Order were basic ranks, and after Fifth Order, there were titles: Elite-tier, Brave-tier, Hero-tier, Great Hero-tier, and Mythic-tier.
Lien, before his resurrection, was at the very top, Great Hero-tier, having fallen after failing to break through to Mythic-tier.
However, logically speaking, Third-Order and Fourth-Order Magician were at the bottom of his team in the past. A regular vanguard group of about 200 people would be equipped with fifty Third- to Fifth-Order Magician, and at least ten Elite-tier ones.
Are a few low-order Magician enough to be considered leading the pack?
Perhaps, it could be that the current grading system had changed, and Fourth-Order was considered very high-order now, who knows.
But if this was still according to the old grading system, then what caused such a decline in power?
It couldn't be that the advancement of technology led to the abandonment of magic, a supernatural power. Caesar was very clear that the extent to which magic could achieve in certain aspects was unmatched even by modern weaponry.
Then something must have happened that led to the weakening of the Magician hierarchy.
And this Fien Kingdom, he had never heard of it before. From these few descriptions, it should be a very powerful country. If this newspaper was a domestic one, coupled with this tone, it was highly probable that the country he was currently in was the Fien Kingdom.
He really wanted to know how his empire was doing now.
Alas, in his current physical state, the information he could gather from just a newspaper was too little.
It would be best if he could get a history book to let him know what had happened over the years.
“Oh? There’s a very interesting piece of news here, it’s about Holy Yuan Emperor Lien Notting.” Yumilia said.
“About me?”
Caesar immediately perked up and looked at that section of the news.
Yumilia pointed to a news article in the corner and began to read:
“The Alexte Grand Theater is preparing to stage a fantasy historical drama, ‘The Holy Eldaria Empire’s Love Story.’ This play is adapted from the bestselling author Mary Qiu’s novel of the same name, telling the story of a young girl, Sophia, who travels back in time, uses her modern knowledge to compete for favor with Empress Gleisa, conquers the Holy Yuan Emperor with her charm, and is ultimately crowned queen.”
Caesar: “?”
What the heck is this?
Transmigration, competing for favor, conquering me, and even making her queen?
....
Giving up a full-power strike against nine generations for a fantasy? A bit interesting.
At this moment, Caesar felt only a slight amusement.
If this were in the past, he would have arranged a spectacular method of ascension for every member of this author’s clan, but alas, times had changed.
The first news about the Empire he received after his resurrection was actually this kind of nonsense...
However, this did give him a piece of information: if such an absurd story could exist so freely, then the dignity of the royal court was probably no longer cared for, which also meant that the Empire had become a thing of the past.
It seemed he himself had now become a part of history. If another few hundred years passed, he would probably even be gender-bent and shoved into shoddy gacha games.
Caesar looked at a black and white photo below this section, which showed a fair-faced man wearing the Crown of the King Founder embracing a woman in luxurious clothes.
He had thought it was some kind of GG before, but it turned out this seemingly energetic fair-faced man was actually him?
This image was too terrible.
“A stage play? I really want to go see it.” Yumilia said longingly, stroking Caesar’s head, as if speaking to him and to herself.
“I heard that many people perform many interesting stories on one stage, and some even invite the audience to interact, but it’s a pity, only big cities have them.”
She tilted her head as she looked at the newspaper: “But, isn’t this plot a bit wrong? I read in history books that the Holy Yuan Emperor was a very devoted person, only marrying Empress Gleisa once in his life.”
Caesar, held in her arms, let out a low huff.
“That’s because he was constantly fighting wars everywhere; how could he have time for romance? Even if there were women around him, they were treated like comrades and subordinates.”
There were indeed women who showed him favor, but beneath their sweet tongues, blades were hidden.
Except for that silly, awkward girl who couldn't even speak properly.
At first, he just saw her on the roadside, almost starving to death, felt pity, and gave her a bite to eat. He never expected her to completely cling to him, saying that as long as he gave her a bite to eat every day, she would recognize him as her master, be his slave, and he couldn't shake her off.
At that time, Lien was still just a mercenary group leader. She, a frail girl who couldn't use magic, accompanied him throughout the continent, serving him like a servant all the way.
Because he said he didn't like being taken care of, Gleisa learned to help him feed his horse, maintain his armor and sword, wash dirty clothes, and on cold days, she would get into his bed every night before he slept, warming his quilt with her body heat...
During the most difficult period, his army was reduced to less than fifty men, surrounded in the forest, starving to the point of digging for insects to eat, and the subordinates sent out to find food had also lost contact.
At the last moment, Lien, who had already made his final arrangements, told his subordinates that those who wanted to escape could take a bag of gold and leave. To his surprise, Gleisa actually came forward, took the money, and left without a word.
But half a month later, she returned, carrying a full bag of dry rations.
When she put down that bag of dry rations, the severely wounded Gleisa also fainted in his arms.
That time, she was hit by three arrows in her back, leaving a scar that could never be erased.
In half a month, she crossed the encirclement twice, walked over a hundred kilometers, and brought him life-saving dry rations.
This slave girl, only 1.6 meters tall, with a slender figure, a bit introverted, and who had once almost starved to death on the roadside, wore the noble Crown of the King Founder after the Empire was established.
Lien also did not take any other wives.
Sometimes when he was furious, all the ministers were trembling, and only a few words from Gleisa could calm him down.
So, the earlier talk about competing for his favor, she truly was tired of living and wanted to give her clan members a hard time.
“Gleisa…”
His eyes became melancholic.
Before entering the Returning Source Cocoon, besides the Empire, she was the second person he worried about most. He had told her he would return in ten years, but now over five hundred years had passed….
....
“Alright, it’s time to do chores.”
While Caesar was still lost in ancient sorrow, Yumilia picked him up and kissed him on his chubby cheek.
“Go away, you elf! One kiss a day is my limit, don’t push your luck!”
Caesar angrily extended his small hands, flailing and pushing Yumilia away, crying out in frustration.