[After you personally presided over the launch ceremony of the 'Imperial Youth Talent Selection Program'.]
[In the Central Square, you painted a grand blueprint for thousands of talented youths from all over the Empire—a new Empire without prejudice, where talent is the only standard, filled with infinite opportunities.]
[Your words ignited the flames in their hearts.]
[Among these young people, a few were particularly dazzling: the Templight sisters from Kazimierz, Margarete and Maria; two old acquaintances from Siracusan families, Cellinia Texas and Lappland Saluzzo; and even the daughter of the former Elector Wolner, Vivianna Droste.]
[You personally summoned them. In your conversations, you keenly perceived each person's qualities and desires, and based on their talents, entrusted them with heavy responsibilities sufficient to change their destinies.]
[Margarete Templight, the golden Pegasus, was filled with contradiction when you appointed her as a military advisor for the armored forces.]
[She was both grateful that you gave the Kazimierz Knights a new identity, yet felt lost regarding the new order you established, which was based on absolute strength.]
[Lappland Saluzzo was the complete opposite. Her eyes were filled with fanaticism for you; the powerful force and absolute order you represented were exactly the sanctuary she had been seeking all along.]
[The taciturn Cellinia Texas, relying on her cool head and unparalleled execution ability, was personally recommended by you to Intelligence Minister Gertrude, quickly becoming a rising star in the Imperial intelligence network.]
[Maria Templight, carrying her love for mechanics, entered the Imperial Industrial Technology Research Institute.]
[The injection of this young blood blew away the stifling air that had long existed in the Imperial bureaucratic system. The efficiency of various departments improved significantly, and the dilemma of talent shortage was alleviated.]
[They are the future of the Empire.]
Trullinczentyr, Twin Towers, Throne Room.
Lacey put down the document in his hand; it was the report on the first quarter's tax revenue and infrastructure progress for the Victoria Province.
The numbers were not ideal, but they were steadily improving.
Vina's work was effective. Those small-scale riots were subsiding, and the populace was beginning to find new livelihoods in the 'work-relief' programs.
The office door was gently knocked, and Serafina walked in carrying a steaming cup of coffee.
"Your Majesty, you have been working for six hours straight," she said, her voice as gentle as ever.
"If Minister Gertrude knew I let you work this hard, she would probably say I was derelict in my duty again."
Lacey took the coffee, feeling the warmth transmit through his fingertips.
He took a sip; the rich bitterness carried a hint of sweetness, driving away some of his fatigue.
"Gertrude would only think I haven't squeezed enough out of myself," he joked, the corners of his tightly drawn mouth relaxing rarely.
"How is the situation in Siracusa and South Kazimierz?" Lacey asked.
"Very smooth."
A gratified smile appeared on Serafina's face. She pulled a report from the file bag she carried and handed it over.
"The 'Cultural Exchange and Education Revitalization Plan' is being implemented very successfully."
"We have established standardized Imperial public schools in all major city-states of Siracusa and the Grand Knight Territory of Kazimierz."
"Unified teaching in the Leithanien language is used, and the textbooks are also uniformly compiled by the Ministry of Propaganda."
She paused, then added, "We did not forcibly abolish their dialects and traditional courses, but retained them as electives."
"At the same time, we have significantly increased the number of scholarships to encourage outstanding young people to pursue advanced studies at universities in Trullinczentyr."
"This year, the number of students from Siracusa and Kazimierz applying to come to the capital has tripled compared to last year."
Lacey flipped through the report, which listed detailed data and a few photographs.
In the photos, children of different skin colors and races wore unified school uniforms, sitting in bright classrooms, their faces overflowing with a thirst for knowledge.
"Well done, Serafina," Lacey praised sincerely.
"Military conquest can only obtain land, but the identification of thought and culture can truly cast a great empire."
"This is far more profound than the significance of our annihilation of one hundred thousand enemy troops at Silverstone Cliff."
"Wars will end, armies will grow old, but these children who grow up in our schools will become the most solid foundation of the Empire."
"Their future is the Empire's future."
Serafina listened earnestly, her eyes sparkling with light.
She followed Lacey precisely because of this magnificent and bright vision he depicted.
"Now, it is time to extend this experience to Victoria."
Lacey's gaze turned back to the window, as if piercing through the barrier of space to see that land which had just undergone the baptism of war.
"Victoria's heritage is deeper than that of Siracusa and Kazimierz, and their aristocratic culture and national pride are also stronger. Heavy-handed methods will only be counterproductive."
"I need you to make a personal trip to Londinium," Lacey turned his head, looking at Serafina.
"Serve as the Inspector General of the Culture and Education Department for the Victoria Province. I authorize you to take full charge of Victoria's educational reform and cultural propaganda work."
"Go tell them that the Leithanien language is the key to a broader world, and learning the history of the Empire will allow them to see the direction of the future clearly."
"Go tell them that loyalty to the Empire does not conflict with retaining their afternoon tea tradition."
"Vina will fully cooperate with you; she will be the best bridge between the new and old cultures."
"I understand, Your Majesty." Serafina nodded solemnly.
One week later, Londinium.
The former royal city had shed the gloom of war. Under Leithanien's efficient organization, reconstruction work was proceeding like a raging fire.
The streets had been cleaned spotless. Beside the ruins of bombed buildings, the foundations for new buildings had already been laid.
However, it was no longer the Victoria City Guard patrolling the streets, but Leithanien soldiers wearing green uniforms.
Victoria First Imperial Public School—this school, converted from the old Royal Academy, welcomed the opening ceremony of its new semester.
Serafina stood on one side of the ceremony platform. Beside her was Empress Vina, dressed in a simple, elegant long dress.
Below the stage, thousands of Victorian adolescents wore brand-new school uniforms.
Their parents, mostly the middle class of Londinium and the descendants of the old aristocracy, stood further away, watching all this with complex expressions.
Vina walked up to the podium, facing her former subjects.
The Originium-powered loudspeaker transmitted her voice clearly throughout the entire square.
"The war has ended, but our future has just begun."
"We have lost an old era, but we are also about to welcome a new era filled with hope."
"His Majesty Emperor Lacey has promised me that Victoria's culture and traditions will be respected and preserved, but we also cannot be complacent and conservative."
"From today on, this school will use the most advanced textbooks in all of Terra, teaching the most cutting-edge knowledge."
"The Leithanien language will become a compulsory course for you; it will open a window for you to see a broader world."
"I hope you can learn to think here, learn to distinguish, and learn how to build a better home."
"Not for the glory of Victoria, nor for the flag of Leithanien, but for yourselves, for every person living on this land."
Her speech did not have too many flowery words, yet it was sincere and frank.
A round of applause rang out in the square.
After the ceremony ended, Serafina accompanied Vina to inspect the campus.
In the brand-new library, the shelves were filled with all kinds of books shipped from Leithanien, ranging from science and technology to literature and art.
Of course, in the most conspicuous positions were placed Emperor Lacey's works: My Struggle and New Theory of Empire.
"Will they accept it?" Vina asked softly, watching the young figures weaving between the bookshelves.
"They will," Serafina answered with a smile.
"Young people are always the easiest to accept new things."
"They might resist, they might be confused, but knowledge and a superior life are things they cannot refuse."
"When they obtain better jobs and see a broader world through learning the Leithanien language, they will understand that today's choice was correct."
She pointed to a blonde youth not far away who was flipping through a mechanical engineering atlas.
"Perhaps in ten years, he will become one of the Empire's most outstanding engineers, designing war machines more powerful than the Tiger I."
"By that time, he will be proud to be a member of the Empire."
Vina fell silent.
Serafina spoke the truth.
Lacey's strategy was open and aboveboard, yet irresistible.
What he gave Victoria was order, a visible future.
And what he took away was Victoria's independence, their identification with their own identity.
Was this a rebirth, or a cultural genocide akin to boiling a frog in warm water?
She turned her head to look at Serafina. This Liberi woman from Ursus always wore a gentle smile on her face, yet her eyes were always resolute.
She was sincerely and earnestly promoting the cause she believed in.
"Inspector General Serafina," Vina suddenly spoke. "Do you... miss Ursus?"
The smile on Serafina's face froze slightly, but she quickly returned to normal.
She gazed into the distance and said softly, "I miss the winter in Saint Petersburg, and I miss the pies my mother made."
"But I rejoice even more that I left that place."
"My motherland is walking further and further down a wrong path. Its strength is built upon the pain and lies of countless people."
"But here, I see another possibility."
She turned back and looked at Vina seriously. "Empress Vina, the root of pain is often not change, but the obsession with phantoms of the past."
"His Majesty is creating an unprecedented era. To be able to participate in it is my honor."
Vina did not speak again.
She looked at those young faces, a hundred feelings mixing in her heart.
Perhaps Serafina was right.
For these children, a powerful and prosperous Empire that gave them infinite possibilities was far more practical than the title of an empire that was long decayed and existed only in memory.
With the gradual promotion and deepening of the new education system, more and more young Victorians began to contact and accept Leithanien thought.
They began to read Leithanien newspapers, listen to broadcasts from Trullinczentyr, and discuss the Empire's latest decrees.
A new identity was quietly sprouting on this land.
And Vina, as the symbol of the fusion of new and old cultures, frequently appeared in the public eye.
She supported Serafina's cultural policies, personally cut ribbons for new schools, and even delivered speeches in the Leithanien language at the Imperial Art Festival.
Her presence greatly alleviated the resistance of the Victorian populace, winning precious time and public support for Lacey's rule.
Londinium is forging Victoria's future generation into the shape the Empire needs.
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