[Time flies. In the first year after the end of the Victoria War, you promulgated the 'Imperial Integration Act'.]
[With Londinium as the center, the old Victorian Duchies were redrawn into thirteen provinces, governed by Governors appointed personally by you, thoroughly ending the history of Victorian aristocratic separatism.]
[You ordered the abolition of all old aristocratic privileges, distributed land to the tillers, and established the Imperial Bank. You used the new Imperial Mark system to exchange for Victoria Gold Notes, seizing the economic lifeline of this old power in one fell swoop.]
[In the second year, the implementation of the New Deal encountered resistance.]
[Remnants of the aristocratic forces incited the populace, organizing small-scale riots in various places under the guise of 'protecting Victorian traditions'.]
[You did not resort to bloody suppression. Instead, you authorized Empress Vina, in her capacity as the heir to the Victorian royal family, to tour the regions and soothe the people.]
[She also presided over the establishment of the 'Victoria Culture and Heritage Protection Association', promising to preserve Victoria's language, art, and ethnic customs to the maximum extent within the framework of the Empire.]
[Vina's personal intervention gradually smoothed over Victoria's wounds.]
[In the third year, Ursus completed its digestion of the four Northern Victorian counties, and Fyodor's imperial power became unprecedentedly consolidated.]
[Kazdel established the first industrial city belonging to the Sarkaz in Cornwall County; Theresis named it 'Newborn'.]
[Resources and manpower from Siracusa and South Kazimierz flowed continuously like fresh blood into the heart of the Empire.]
[The old order of the Terra continent has collapsed. A colossal empire centered on Trullinczentyr, spanning the middle of the continent, has risen like the morning sun.]
[Your name, Lacey, is seen by some as a liberator and the pioneer of a new era, and by others as a conqueror more terrifying than the Witch King.]
[In the fourth year, after confirming that the situation in Victoria was thoroughly stable, you took a special train back to the long-departed Imperial Capital—Trullinczentyr.]
When the train slowly pulled into the Trullinczentyr Central Station, the platform was already a sea of people.
Lacey had already sent word that the government need not organize a special welcoming ceremony, but the residents of the entire city flocked there spontaneously.
People held high slogans they had hastily written—"Welcome Home, Emperor", "Long Live Lacey", "Glory to the Empire".
Lacey watched all this through the train window, his expression calm.
He had taken off the imperial robes symbolizing supreme power and changed back into the green standing-collar uniform of the Workers' Party.
There were no complicated decorations on his shoulders; only the Medal of War's Flame on his chest shone brightly in the sunlight.
This was a medal Lacey had earned through his outstanding performance during the War of the Four Emperors over a decade ago, and he had always kept it well-preserved.
The train doors opened, and deafening cheers rushed toward him like a tangible wave.
After Lacey stepped off the train, he turned around and extended his hand to the Victorian officials and scholars accompanying him.
"Welcome to Trullinczentyr. This will be your home from now on, too."
This tiny gesture caused the cheers to pause briefly, only to erupt again in an even more enthusiastic manner.
What the people saw was not a conqueror high above, but a monarch with a broad mind.
On the way back to the Royal Palace, the streets were packed with citizens on both sides.
Their faces overflowed with heartfelt smiles and pride.
The rise of the Empire brought them not only spiritual glory but also tangible improvements in their lives.
Factory orders piled up like mountains, trade routes extended to every corner of the continent, and the economy, once withered by war, was recovering and prospering at an unprecedented speed.
That night, Lacey did not hold any celebratory banquet.
He simply held a brief meeting with several core ministers in his study to hear reports on the current state of the Empire.
"Your Majesty, the integration of Victoria is going smoother than expected, but our talent gap is too large."
Finance Minister Count Leinia rubbed her temples; the documents before her were piled like a small hill.
"Whether it's staff for the provincial governors or auditors for the State-owned Asset Management Committee, we are in extreme need of capable and trustworthy middle-level cadres."
"Many positions are currently filled by inexperienced young people, or even officers temporarily drafted from the army. If this continues, problems are inevitable."
The Minister of Industry nodded in agreement. "The industrial sector is the same."
"We have taken over Victoria's massive industrial system, but we lack enough engineers and managers to digest and upgrade them."
"The efficiency of many factories is even lower than before the war."
Lacey listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the desktop.
He knew that the strength of an empire could not rely solely on one or two genius leaders and an invincible army.
It needed a massive, efficient, and loyal bureaucratic and technical system to support it.
And this was precisely what Leithanien lacked most.
The old aristocratic system had been smashed by his own hands, but the new edifice still needed enough bricks and stones to fill it.
"I understand." Lacey nodded.
"The Empire's expansion is too fast, and talent cultivation hasn't kept up. It is time to replace this machine with a batch of new gears."
"Pass my order: one week from now, in the Trullinczentyr Central Square, we will hold the launch ceremony for the 'Imperial Youth Talent Selection Program'."
"Send invitations to all young people under thirty across the entire Empire, including the provinces and grand regions of Victoria, Siracusa, and South Kazimierz."
"Tell them that birth, background, and wealth are no longer the things that determine their future."
"The only things that can determine their status are their talent and their loyalty to the Empire."
"The Empire will provide them with the best education and the broadest stage."
"Whether they want to become high-ranking officials guarding the borders or top-tier scientists, as long as they have the ability, the Empire will pave the way for them."
"I want the young people of all Terra to know that a brand new era has arrived—an era that belongs to them."
One week later, Trullinczentyr Central Square.
The place was packed with young people from all over the Empire.
They wore all sorts of clothing, their faces carrying expressions of nervousness, curiosity, and excitement.
There were Kuranta knights from Kazimierz with sharp eyes; Lupo youths from Siracusa with a shrewd air; Feline students from Victoria with complex expressions; and even more were the children of ordinary citizens from Leithanien itself.
In one corner of the crowd, two Kuranta women with similar appearances attracted quite a few gazes.
The elder sister, Margarete Templight, had her long golden hair tied in a ponytail. Her posture was upright; even in casual clothes, it was hard to conceal that knightly aura.
The younger sister, Maria Templight, seemed much more lively, looking curiously at the surrounding crowd and whispering to her sister from time to time.
"Sister, do you think His Majesty the Emperor will really do as he says? Not looking at background, only at ability?" Maria's tone was full of yearning.
Margarete did not answer immediately.
She thought of the knight competitions manipulated by the Commercial Federation in Kazimierz, and she thought of the dirty deals behind the title of "Champion."
She had witnessed the rot of the old order, but she held similar doubts about this new order built on war and iron blood.
Not far away, a silver-grey-haired Lupo girl, Cellinia Texas, was sitting quietly.
She seemed isolated from the surrounding clamor, simply staring indifferently ahead.
Beside her, another Lupo girl, Lappland Saluzzo, appeared extremely restless.
Her gaze swept over everyone present like a hunting beast, the corner of her mouth hanging with a faint, chilling smile.
When her gaze occasionally met Texas's, Texas simply frowned slightly and looked away.
And on the other side, a girl with black hair reaching her waist, possessing an aura like someone who had walked out of a classical oil painting, was quietly reading a book on the history of Leithanien classical art.
She was Vivianna Droste, the daughter of Culture Minister Wolner. Her identity as an old noble made her seem somewhat out of place here, but the composure and focus on her face gave off a unique temperament.
At ten o'clock sharp, Emperor Lacey slowly walked up to the high platform in the square.
He brought no script, simply standing there, his gaze sweeping across the entire venue.
The surroundings of the square instantly fell silent. Thousands of pairs of eyes focused on him.
"Good morning, the future of the Empire."
His opening remark was like an elder greeting the younger generation.
"I know that many of you sitting here today are full of questions."
"You might be thinking, what exactly does this man who started a war and overturned the continental order want to do?"
"Is the future he promised real?"
"Before answering this question, I want to ask you a question first." Lacey's gaze became sharp.
"What do you think power is?"
Silence fell below the stage; there were too many answers to this question.
"Is it the lance of a Kazimierz Knight Champion? Is it the main cannons of a Victorian warship? Or is it the ancient witchcraft inherited by the Sarkaz for a thousand years?"
"These are all power, but they are also not."
"True power is allowing a miller's son to become the Empire's top engineer through study, designing war machines more powerful than warships."
"It is allowing a girl from a remote small town to sit in the office of the Central Bank through hard work, controlling the flow of hundreds of millions in funds."
"It is allowing everyone present, no matter where you come from or what your background is, to use your own hands to create a future you wouldn't even dare to imagine!"
His voice gradually rose, full of infectious power.
"The old era has passed!"
"That era where bloodline and inheritance rights determined everything, that era where a minority monopolized knowledge and power while trampling the majority underfoot, has been thoroughly buried under the ruins of Victoria by the Empire's army!"
"I, Lacey, was born in a border town. My father was a music teacher, and my mother was a factory worker."
"I was once like you, looking up at the spires of Trullinczentyr, thinking that was a paradise beyond my reach."
"But now I stand here, and as the Emperor of the Third Holy Leithanien Empire, I tell you—no paradise is beyond reach!"
"As long as we are willing, we can build it with our own hands right here on the solid earth of Terra!"
"I need you!" His voice echoed throughout the square.
"I need your wisdom, your passion, your hands!"
"The Empire is an edifice whose foundation has just been laid, and you are the beams and pillars needed to complete it!"
"From today on, the 'Imperial Youth Talent Selection Program' is officially launched."
"The Empire will establish three new universities—the Imperial Institute of Technology, the Imperial School of Administration, and the Imperial Military Academy."
"All those who pass the selection will receive full scholarships and accept the best education in all of Terra."
"After graduation, you will enter various departments of the Empire to manage cities, design weapons, command armies, and explore unknown fields!"
"I promise you, as long as you maintain loyalty to the Empire, your talent will be your only pass!"
"Now, tell me, are you willing to build this unprecedentedly great Empire with me?"
After a brief silence, unknown who was first, someone stood up and shouted loudly:
"Willing!"
This voice was like a spark igniting dry wood.
In an instant, the entire square boiled over.
"Willing!"
"Long live the Empire!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
The passion of the young people was thoroughly ignited. They stood up, waving their arms, shouting with all their might.
Maria Templight's cheeks were flushed with excitement as she tightly grasped her sister's arm.
Vivianna Droste also closed her book, a strange light flickering in her eyes.
Even the always calm Texas found her breathing becoming somewhat rapid.
Only Lappland Saluzzo did not shout. She just stared obsessively at the man on the stage, a fanatical flame burning in her eyes.
She seemed to have found what she had been seeking for so long—a supreme existence capable of containing all her madness.
And Margarete Templight, looking at the fanatical crowd around her, then at the man on stage who had pried open an entire era with words, felt her resolve waver for the first time.
Perhaps... what this man said was not entirely a lie.
Perhaps the glory of a knight could truly find new meaning in this broader world.
The speech ended, and Lacey walked down from the podium amidst thunderous applause.
Gertrude came up to him, handing over a list.
"Your Majesty, this is the list of the first batch of key observation targets, based on preliminary recommendations from the provinces and screening by the intelligence department."
"A total of thirty-seven people. Their detailed files are all here."
Lacey took the list, his gaze lingering on a few names for a moment.
"Margarete Templight, Maria Templight, Cellinia Texas, Lappland Saluzzo, Vivianna Droste..."
He smiled faintly.
"Arrange it. Starting tomorrow, I want to talk to them personally."
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