It turned out that even in the world of magi, there were differences in status and nobility. Silver-bloodline magi and black-iron magi weren't like the fantasy novels he read on the internet in his past life where magi pursued the truth and explored the mysteries of knowledge. That was all nonsense.
Claude was still basking in the moonlight on the rooftop. Transcribing and deciphering the eleventh page of the magic cookbook had left him rather exhausted. For safety's sake, he decided to rest for a while.
However, the impact of the eleventh page was too great. It completely overturned the impression he had of magi from the novels he read.
He had originally thought that magi were mysterious and omnipotent, that any problem could be solved with a few incantations and that they were the epitome of supernatural power.
He didn't expect that low-level Mages would have to work for high-level Mages and even become cannon fodder and coolies. Not only that, but they would also be unable to level up due to the lack of magical resources. This was similar to the philosophy class he had learned in his previous life. Wasn't it the same as the development of a capitalistic society demonstrated by dialectical materialism?
When the upper class controlled the distribution of resources, the lower class would forever be squeezed and exploited. They would lose the chance to climb up the social ladder.
That was because those with vested interests would put an end to any challenges to their interests and social status. It was another form of society where the strong preyed on the weak, just like how wild beasts occupied their own territory.
That should be what it meant, but perhaps it wasn't quite right.
After all, it had been almost ten years since he graduated from university in his past life.
Back then, philosophy classes were boring and he often skipped classes.
But now that he thought about it, it made a lot of sense.
Even in this other world with magic, it was still applicable.
But then again, it made sense. In his past life, during the peaceful era, it only took thirty years for his country to become the largest economic entity on the Blue Planet, catching up to the self-proclaimed number one superpower in the world.
All of this was carried out with the interference of those international hostile forces.
Because they were not familiar with the international rules, they had suffered many losses since the reform and opening up, but their motherland still quietly worked hard to catch up. In the end, they even forced those self-proclaimed impartial international organizations to slap themselves in the face and change the rules to deal with them …
But at the same time, the price to pay for becoming the largest economic entity on the Blue Planet was an exponential increase in demand for resources. Before the transmigrator came to this world and became Claude, half of the Blue Planet's raw materials were exported to the motherland. Those resources were all controlled by the international mining groups. As the motherland's economy soared, the international mining groups reaped the greatest benefits. Like leeches, they leeched on the motherland and would continue to do so.
Thirty years of peaceful economic development had turned a populous country from a resource exporter to the world's largest resource importer.
Compared to the world of Faslan, it wasn't inconceivable that the world's magic resources had been depleted for over three thousand years.
The mages of that era didn't have the concept of sustainable development, which was why the Silver Mage nobles who controlled the distribution of magic resources naturally suppressed the development of the Black Iron Mages.
It was no wonder that Tawari said that the magic era was deteriorating.
Just like in modern society, when energy sources were running low, finding a substitute source of energy became a matter of great urgency.
The magi in the diary responded by finding another plane with abundant resources, but that plane would be rather difficult for them.
Hmm, this reminds me of that cartoon I saw on television in my past life. What was it called again?
A few robots in a barrel-shaped spaceship were searching for some endless source of energy in the universe.
After letting his imagination run wild for a long time, he returned to the attic and continued copying and deciphering the twelfth day's diary, which was the thirteenth page of the magical cookbook.
The 22nd day of the 8th month, 3341 Nomartin calendar, sunny.
The messenger finally arrived today with the latest instructions from the board of magi. They wanted us to reach St. Pass before the end of the month.
The council's fifth-ring magus invited the messenger to a banquet on behalf of all the magi on standby in Golddew Town. Tawari attended the banquet as well.
When he returned, Tawari gathered the eight of us and informed us of the confirmed news.
"After we arrive at St Perth City, we will carry out a thorough maintenance of the Tower of Babel for half a month. Then, we will be the first batch of personnel to be sent to Kempeth Plane. Our goal is to build a magic base there. All the basic construction materials will be sent from St Perth City through the Tower of Babel.
"Now, I know why Baron Riggs O 'Shiel organized such a huge transport team.
Why don't we just mine the basic construction materials on the spot?
Clermondo asked.
We don't have enough manpower.
Tawari replied in a low voice.
However, everyone seemed to understand something and didn't say anything else. The meeting was quickly dismissed.
Golden Water Dew Town quickly descended into chaos. Many Mages were shouting and yelling on the streets like madmen. They kept pouring alcohol into their mouths, and some were even throwing fireballs at random. A few houses were set ablaze.
Strangely, the council didn't do anything and allowed them to do as they pleased.
They were venting their frustrations.
"Everyone knows that going to Kempeth is a dead end, but no one dares to disobey the council's orders.
Was Kempeth Plane really that scary?
Not scary, but certain death. "
The Council of the Nine Rings has seven archmages of the ninth circle and more than forty archmages of the seventh circle and above. Almost all of Faslan's high-end magical forces have gone to Kampeis, but in the past year and a half, they haven't even been able to control a single tribe of goblins and kobolds. They can't even mine the most basic of stones, and they still need us to transport manpower and materials for them.
"Think about it. What can low-ranked magi like us do there? We're nothing more than cannon fodder and manual labor. Everyone knows that.
I wanted to look for Tawari, but I couldn't find him. I don't know if he's gone to the transport team again.
I took a break and went to the rooftop to bask in the moonlight. An hour later, I'll continue copying and deciphering.
August 23rd, 3341 Nomartin Calendar. Sunny.
In the afternoon, Baron Riggs O 'Shiel visited Tawari at the tavern.
Brother Tawari pulled me into his room.
The baron asked me to give him the explosive formula again, but I refused.
I told him that the formula wasn't practical for him. He needed to infuse mana into the runes to detonate it. He wasn't a magus, so he didn't have any mana.
Tawari suddenly said that he could use it.
I was stunned.
Tawari told me to give him the formula. He had a use for it, and he hoped that I could help him out on account of our many years of friendship.
"What are you going to do?"
I asked in shock.
"I'm going to blow up the Tower of Babel."
Tawari replied.
Are you crazy?
If not for the soundproofing spell in the room, I'm sure the entire town would have heard my scream.
I won't go to Kempeth. If I blow up the Tower of Babel, none of us will go.
But I'm just a fifth-ring magus. My spells are useless against the Tower of Babel.
The explosive formula you designed is equivalent to a ninth-ring magus' forbidden spell, Annihilation Explosion. The Tower of Babel won't be able to withstand it.
Tawari said calmly.
But you'll be caught. The Magic Enforcement Board is in St. Perth City. They won't let you go. Right now, the only thing I care about is Tawari's safety. He was the one who brought me from a fisherman's child into the world of magic.
Without him, I would have been bullied in the Tower of Babel. Also, my parents and siblings are still in the fishing village. I don't want to leave them and go to Kempeth City.
They won't be able to catch Tawari.
The baron said, "Do you really think I brought 50,000 men to transport the magic stones?"
Tawari didn't want to blow up the Tower of Babel, but the magic barrier of St. Perth City.
Once the magic barrier is destroyed, my fifty thousand men will immediately turn into musketeers and attack St. Pass City.
Once we take over the city, we'll have plenty of time to blow up the Tower of Babel.
What … I felt dizzy. He wants to take over St. Perth City? That's the holy land of magic for us magi.
Why are you doing this? I shook my head and tried to calm myself down. I had to be patient when talking to a madman. I couldn't agitate him.
The baron didn't say anything and only handed me a warrant.
It was an official order from the Magic Board. The baron was to recruit and train 30,000 musketeers and recruit 10,000 young women to St. Perth City within a year.
They want to send these young men and women to Kempeth City as well. You're going to build a magic base to expand the portal there so that it can receive these young men and women.
The baron said.
Are they crazy?
It's said that a rabbit there is as strong as a fifth-circle magus here. Sending these young men and women there is no different from sending them to their deaths. Even if they're musketeers, they'll only be able to hit some rabbits there.
They're not crazy. This is what they learned from the goblin tribe.
It's said that the goblins there are the weakest of all monsters, but because they can reproduce, their tribe is huge and can effectively scare and defend against enemies. That's why they want to learn from the goblin tribe and recruit young men and women there. These 40,000 people are just the first batch.
Let me tell you something. The master of our magic tower, the seventh-circle Archmagus Loenk, is dead. He died at the hands of a kobold wizard.
Senior Tawari said.
This world is crazy. Senior Tawari wants to blow up the Tower of Babel, the baron wants to attack St. Perth City, and the Magic Board is going to recruit 40,000 young men and women to Kempeth City without any reliable protection. Are they going to send food to the goblins?
The master of our magic tower, a seventh-circle archmagus, died at the hands of a kobold … I must be having a nightmare.
You … You want to attack St. Perth City? The ninth-circle and seventh-circle magi in Kempeth City will immediately teleport back … I told the baron. I'm sure this isn't good news for him.
The baron laughed. Is he mocking me?
They definitely won't come back.
Why?
Haha, you don't know this, but we only need to spend ten magic crystals to teleport someone from the Tower of Babel to Kempeth City. But in Kempeth City, ten magic crystals multiplied by ten, and they can only send back a letter.
To teleport someone back, we need an astronomical number of magic crystals.
With their abilities, they can't do this at all. This is the limit of the plane's laws.
That's why we can only teleport magic resources over for them to use up.
Oh … the laws of the plane … I forgot about that. No wonder I only heard of some archmagi going to Kempeth City, but never heard of anyone coming back …
But St. Perth City still has the Magic Board and magic crystal cannons … I muttered.
There are only two seventh-circle archmagi in the Magic Board. The other dozen or so have gone to Kempeth City as reinforcements. They've also brought the sixteen magic crystal cannons on the city walls and magic tower to Kempeth City. It's said that it's at the request of the ninth-circle archmagi.
Without the cannons, they won't even be able to sleep soundly there.
That's why St. Perth City's defenses are at their weakest. Even the seventh-circle archmagi are afraid of concentrated fire from our guns.
Apart from my fifty thousand men, I've also arranged for two other groups of thirty thousand men. As soon as the magic barrier of St. Perth City explodes, we'll immediately attack.