I am a wicked dragon, and you want me to fall into goodness?

Chapter 119 How can we revitalize Xinghui (4k)

The chaos of Red Fruit Garden was gradually repaired by Cedric's magic.

Because Puse smashed the western wall of Starfall City, destroying half of the Dragon Royal Court, Cedric's proficiency in earth magic increased.

Cedric faced no challenge whatsoever with Karen having only punched through a few walls, and easily made the repairs.

The crack healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The scattered pebbles were gathered and piled up by earth magic, and even the remaining burn marks on the ground were wiped away by water elements.

The chief mage of Starshine focused intently on restoring the dilapidated courtyard bit by bit.

Karen stood in the center of the courtyard, gazing at the Red Fruit Courtyard gradually returning to its original state, then looked up at the distant outline of the royal city, still frowning.

In the past six months, the Star Kingdom has indeed been moving in a positive direction.

Compatriots who had fled in all directions due to the war are gradually returning home following news of peace and stability.

Neat wooden houses were erected on the open spaces around the royal city, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys.

The formerly barren woodland was systematically cleared, and the sturdy trees were used as timber for building houses.

After being thoroughly plowed and leveled by farmers, the bare land has sprouted tender yellow buds from the sown wheat seeds, which ripple with light green waves when the wind blows.

The western forests were no longer forbidden territory; the Silver Leaf Knights and the Moonbow Knights explored them in batches, eliminating the lurking monsters.

They demarcated territories suitable for cultivation and settlement, and a constant stream of pioneers came and went.

The fear and displacement of the past are gone from the streets and alleys. Children chase butterflies, and the clanging of blacksmiths can be heard from the workshops.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of wheat and the aroma of cooking.

Such a peaceful and tranquil scene was something he wouldn't have dared to dream of just six months ago.

Karen raised her hand and brushed against the newly grown wood grain on the pillar beside her. The warm touch made her fingertips feel warm, but a sense of confusion inexplicably rose in her heart.

From a young age, he shouldered the mission of revitalizing the Levi people. In the past six months, he has worked day and night, leading troops to eliminate monsters, resettling refugees, supervising agriculture and sericulture, and planning development, personally handling every single task.

He watched as the kingdom slowly rose from ruin, but suddenly fell into deep thought.

He was pushing forward with clearing forests to reclaim wasteland, cultivating land, providing shelter for compatriots, and expanding territory.

The kingdom did indeed become more stable, but is that all there is to revitalizing a country?

He had witnessed the power of the Crimson Empire.

Xinghui's current stability is more like making up for past damage; it's merely at the stage of "surviving."

But the word "revitalize" must be a deeper expectation, right?

How can the Starshine Kingdom stand tall on this continent, no longer become food on the Blood Empire's table, and escape its fate of destruction?

Karen gazed at the setting sun on the horizon, its golden rays bathing his shoulders.

He gripped the sword at his waist, a sword capable of slaying demons and protecting his homeland, yet unable to resolve the confusion in his heart at this moment.

He can maintain the current stability, but he can't see the end of the road to revitalization.

They were even more uncertain whether everything they were doing at this moment could truly allow Xinghui to rise and stand tall on this land.

Never again will we be bullied, never again will we be ruined.

Light footsteps sounded beside him. Cedric had already dispelled his magic and walked slowly to his side, saying softly, "Your Highness seems to have something on your mind?"

Karen snapped out of her reverie, turned to look at the old man who had watched her grow up, hesitated for a moment, and finally just sighed softly.

Karen's calloused hands, Jin Jing or Jian Bing: "Grandpa Cedric, I always feel that the current stability is like a city built of sand, which will be blown away by the wind."

"Building Starfall City and reclaiming wasteland were merely to allow the Levi people to survive, but survival is far from enough."

"The knights of the Crimson Empire are very powerful. If Starshine only has this foundation, it will eventually become fish on the chopping block and will still be unable to escape the fate of being devoured."

He turned to look at Cedric, the confusion in his eyes clearly visible, his brows furrowed with an unyielding heaviness: "I often wonder, how can I truly enhance Star Power's strength?"

"These days I've been pondering this repeatedly. The blacksmiths' skills are improving day by day, but the existing armor can't stop the Crimson Empire's specially made spears."

"The swords in the knights' hands will become dull after slaying monsters for a long time. If we could forge stronger armor, the soldiers would suffer less damage in battle."

"If we forge an even sharper and stronger longsword, capable of defeating the enemy in one strike, wouldn't that allow us to safeguard this hard-won peace?"

"If the equipment had been better, there would have been fewer casualties during the westward expansion."

"I even considered using up all the national treasury reserves, no matter how time-consuming and laborious, to create an army and weapons that could rival the Crimson Empire."

Karen's thinking was influenced by the Sword of Excalibur, and she subconsciously regarded force and military equipment as the greatest reliance for revitalizing the kingdom.

This is perfectly understandable.

Cedric listened quietly, his mute eyes showing no sign of rebuttal. Instead, he nodded slightly, his tone gentle and earnest: "Your Highness is absolutely right."

"Superior military equipment and a powerful knightly order are the foundation of Starshine's existence. Without sharp swords and sturdy armor, even the most secure territory cannot be defended."

"Your intention to use all your treasury to forge powerful weapons is truly for the benefit of the people of the Starshine Kingdom. This is a sound and correct path."

Cedric's voice was steady and powerful: "But Your Highness, having a well-armored knightly order alone is ultimately lacking a layer of support."

"Knights are like a strong shield and a sharp blade, an indispensable part of Star Power, but if you want to be truly powerful, you also need a powerful mage army."

Seeing Karen listening intently, he continued slowly, his words carrying a clear understanding: "Mages don't have the physical strength of knights, but as long as they have enough magic power, they can display astonishing destructive capabilities."

If the Knights are like human bulldozers, then the Mage Order is like a glass cannon, with many flaws, but also a more prominent advantage in terms of destructive power.

However, whether it is the Silver Leaf Knights of the Levi people, the Moonbow Knights of the Long-eared tribe, or the Red Fang Knights, the number of mages is very small.

Within the Knights, these mages serve more of a supporting role than being the main force.

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly earnest: "I am not denying the idea of ​​forging more powerful weapons. Weapons must be forged, and they must be forged to be superior to those of the Crimson Empire."

"However, the mage corps must also be established; neither can be lacking."

Karen pondered Cedric's words, the confusion in her eyes lessening slightly, before turning to look at Puse.

"Your Highness, what are your thoughts on this? Do you think it's the right thing to do?"

Pu Se toned down his nonchalant demeanor somewhat, but did not directly answer Karen's question.

"Karen, do you know how many people it takes to support a proper knightly order capable of going to war?"

The Knights are now completely self-reliant, hunting for themselves in the forest.

When Xinghui was first established, survival was a major issue, and no one complained about poor treatment; everyone was in the same boat.

However, as Starshine gradually got on the right track, this was no longer acceptable. A knightly order should prepare for war, not focus on hunting.

To be more realistic, I work myself to the bone for Star Shine, and you don't even pay me a penny?

Knights are clearly a profession that requires full-time employment.

Caught off guard by the question, Karen paused, then subconsciously frowned in thought: "A standard knightly order requires at least five hundred men, and with the support knights, squires, and logistics personnel, the total number is close to two thousand."

He paused, then began to list: "Warhorses must be strong and healthy; one good warhorse is equivalent to the annual harvest of three farmers."

"There are also heavy armor and fine iron spears. It takes half a month for the workshop to forge a qualified spear."

"A set of heavy armor consumes hundreds of pounds of iron and requires craftsmen to polish and temper it."

"The knights' provisions, medicine, and wartime supply transport—"

Karen wanted to continue, but Puse scoffed, "How many people could Starshine feed in a single season's wheat harvest?"

"The western territories you've expanded into haven't yielded any produce yet, food is still scarce, and as for warhorses, you don't even have a proper horse farm."

Based on this calculation, it's already quite good that Starfall City's population of 20 can support the existence of the Silver Leaf, Moonbow, and Red Fang knight orders.

Puse tilted his head to look at the Great Sage personally appointed by Kavismas: "Cedric, tell me, how much would it cost to train a mage order worthy of the Knights?"

"We can't just assemble a few low-level mages who know a little bit about magic missiles and mage's hand, and call ourselves a mage group, can we?"

Cedric had already considered this, and upon hearing this, his aged eyes lowered slightly: "The cost of a mage order is a hundred times more complicated than that of a knight order, and it cannot be accomplished in a short time."

"The first issue is training. Not everyone has magical talent. Out of ten people, you might not be able to find one who can sense magic. If you want to build a mage corps of a hundred people, you must at least train mage apprentices first."

"Talented buddies need to be personally mentored by low-level mages, and low-level magic crystals are required to assist them during the mentoring stage."

"The value of a single low-level magic crystal is equivalent to the annual food supply of five farming families, and the enlightenment magic crystals for thousands of apprentices would amount to an astronomical figure."

He paused, then continued, "After enlightenment comes nurturing. Studying elemental magic requires high-level magic crystals and magic scrolls, and a special mage tower needs to be built for them to meditate and cultivate."

"The Mage Tower needs to be built with rare materials such as Star Silver and Obsidian to quickly gather magic power."

The cost of building a basic mage tower —

Cedric's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke. According to his plan, the resources required to train them would be enough to train more than a dozen knight orders.

Ignoring Karen and Cedric's expressions, Puse continued, "If you want to build a mage order, you should know the price involved."

Cedric had no choice but to continue, "Training low-level mages requires instruction from intermediate-level mages, but Starshine currently has very few intermediate-level mages."

"Not to mention the daily expenses of a mage. When magic power is depleted, magic crystals are needed to replenish it. Casting high-level spells requires rare materials. The expenses of a mid-level mage can support more than ten elite knights."

"The resources consumed by a mage order of one hundred people in a year are equivalent to those of a knight order of one thousand people, requiring the resources of tens of thousands of people."

Puther glanced at Karen, whose expression was grave, and then looked at Cedric, who looked troubled: "You two have both overlooked the most crucial detail."

"These supplies have already been used up, not even counting the food rations that need to be set aside."

"Whether they are farmers, ironworkers, or laborers who mine ore, they are all real producers."

"They need to eat, and their families need to feed them. We can't just take all the harvest from everyone to support the Knights and the Mages."

"If that happens, within six months, the fields will be deserted and the workshops will be deserted; internal strife will break out first."

"Take the wheat harvest for example. You have to first reserve enough food for the farmers who cultivate the land, enough wheat seeds for next year, and also store surplus grain to cope with famine years. Only the rest can be given to the Knights."

"The farmland that has been developed in the west has just sprouted new shoots. It is still uncertain whether there will be a harvest this year. At most, we can get 50% of the wheat fields around Xingluo City as tax revenue."

"This amount of food is not enough to feed a knightly order of tens of thousands of men, and it wouldn't even last a thousand elite knights for half a year."

He took two steps, continuing to unveil this painful reality.

"Iron smelters need to eat, charcoal burners need to eat, and when forging heavy armor, it's all about mining, forging, and quenching."

"Every step requires manpower and resources. These people need to be fed, so we can't let them work on an empty stomach."

"If you want to collect a hundred sets of heavy armor, you must first ensure that the artisans have enough food."

"Otherwise, if the craftsmen run away or scatter, even if there is iron ore, we won't be able to smelt refined iron, let alone forge heavy armor that can withstand the spears of the Crimson Empire."

"The situation is even worse on the mage corps side. You said that the annual consumption of one intermediate mage is equivalent to that of ten elite knights."

"The magic crystals and potions consumed in training this mage during the apprenticeship and enlightenment stages are the result of the blood and sweat of countless planters and miners."

Magic crystals are obtained by adventurers hunting monsters. Adventurers need to carry food and prepare medicine, all of which require food.

The herbs for magical potions need to be picked and dried by herbalists, who also need to eat.

Cedric calculated the mage's own consumption, but he didn't account for the consumption required by the producers who provided resources to the mage's group.

"Their food reserves are the foundation of the entire support system. Without this link, even the most perfect plan is just a castle in the air."

"Take the mage tower you want to build, for example. Star silver and obsidian will have to be mined by miners going deep underground."

"The mineral veins in the western forest have just been discovered. Miners need to build huts, prepare tools, and carry dry rations. They may also encounter underground monsters during the mining process, and injuries and losses are common."

"Supporting a mining team requires a considerable amount of food."

"The materials consumed in mining a basic mage tower are enough to feed the people of the royal city for several years, not to mention the manpower and food supplies needed for its subsequent construction."

Cedric's aged face was full of helplessness, and he sighed softly: "Your Highness is right, I did not consider this carefully."

Xinghui is already facing a food shortage.

Producers' food supplies must be prioritized; otherwise, if the production chain breaks, not only will the mage order be unable to continue, but even the knight order's military equipment forging will be difficult to sustain.

Without the help of fairies, the income from grain production would be cut again.

"Based on this calculation, the support for a hundred-person mid-level professional mage group, or even tens of thousands of people, is far from enough."

"This doesn't even take into account the risk of famine and crop failure; it's truly an astronomical figure."

Karen stood there, the last rays of the setting sun completely disappearing, and twilight spreading out like thick ink.

Food shortages, warhorse scarcity, magic crystal depletion, and a lack of artisans—each of these presents formidable hurdles.

Starshine had just gotten on track. The Knights needed to be supported, the Mage Corps needed to be consumed, and the producers needed to make a living. Layer upon layer of pressure weighed on his shoulders like a boulder.

"Isn't there any other way?"

Karen's voice was slightly hoarse; he was unwilling to accept that the hard-won peace could not withstand the harsh reality.

They were unwilling to let the Levi people forever struggle to survive, unable even to muster the strength to protect their own territory.

Pu Se chuckled: "It's simple, just increase the population."

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