"Hm?"
Sylvia arched a delicate brow and said,
"Forge an entire Army of Light? Are you sure? That’s not a wise move. As a mber of the Royal Family, your first priority should be a base of operations that can provide you with tax revenue. No matter how you look at it, a territory is the most important thing."
"Besides, even if you want to command a legion right from the start, the Army of Light isn’t the best choice."
The so-called Army of Light was a modification technology that the Radiant Holy Tree had bestowed upon mortals.
A second heart, multiple lungs and kidneys, skeletal reinforcent, muscular enhancent, bloodline reconstruction, Spirituality-detecting organs, tabolic improvents, an anti-Chaos mbrane, a Radiance shell...
A multitude of procedures would transform a mortal’s flesh-and-blood body from the inside out, turning them into a Transcendent who required no food, produced no waste, could not reproduce, never tired, possessed a long lifespan, was emotionally detached, and would only ever be loyal to their master’s commands.
After a series of surgical modifications and even an infusion of Divine Power, each mber of the Army of Light had three hearts and two lungs, with bones of steel and blood of iron. They could spit acid and were, in essence, biological weapons.
Equip them with Light-Forged Weapons, and they beca pure stat monsters.
In ages past, the Imperial governnt had forged vast numbers of the Army of Light to combat the Dragon Race and Chaos. Tens of thousands from the Army of Light had rendered ritorious service in the war between the Imperial governnt and the Demon Dragons, and during the Great Expedition, they had struck a heavy blow against Chaos.
One could say that the Army of Light was the pride of the Imperial governnt and the martial backbone of the Holy Tree Path. They were the direct equivalent of combat professions from other Realms of Order, such as the Yonglan Knights or the Azure Sky chas.
While their individual strength might be slightly inferior, the terrifying advantage of the Army of Light was that they could be mass-produced on an industrial scale.
However, from Reiya’s perspective, Sylvia did not recomnd directly taking control of an Army of Light contingent.
Because for all their many advantages, the Army of Light also had significant drawbacks.
First was the cost. Forging a single mber of the Army of Light required a massive amount of resources and effort, an expense that was considerable even for the fabulously wealthy Imperial governnt.
Second were the political factors. After the war against the Dragon Race ended, the Radiant Holy Tree stopped proactively forging the Army of Light. Their numbers gradually decreased during the Great Expedition, and anyone could see that the Divine Ancestor was not interested in maintaining a large-scale Army of Light. Naturally, no one would dare to defy the Divine Ancestor’s will.
Finally, there was the issue of logistics.
Although these super-soldiers seed to operate on nothing but air, they actually required a vast Magic Pool to supply their power. Without Magic Pool nodes, it was difficult for the Army of Light to advance, making their logistical requirents far stricter than those of a mortal army.
"I want one hundred mbers of the Army of Light."
However, even after listening to the Regent King’s detailed analysis of the pros and cons, Reiya did not change her mind, instead repeating her request with emphasis,
"The forging of the Army of Light must be completed within the next few days so they can hurry to Qinghui Territory as soon as possible... West needs ."
Upon hearing this, Sylvia revealed a knowing smile.
"Is this to support Duke Qinghui’s efforts to reclaim his holand? In that case, the Army of Light will indeed be very useful."
She had long since known Reiya’s intentions. She was rely feigning concern for her, as the Regent King knew full well that the Silver-haired Princess’s decision was unchangeable.
She cared nothing for power or status; all she wanted was to help her beloved.
’Excellent, excellent. Being love-struck is just perfect!’
’I’m shipping this couple so hard. It would be best if Reiya remained forever entangled with Duke Qinghui. That would remove one of the strongest contenders for the Imperial throne.’
"Since that’s the case, I have no choice but to help you fulfill your wish."
Sylvia imdiately seized the opportunity and said,
"I’ll help you redeem your rits right now. If it’s not enough, I’ll cover the difference with my own. And I’ll throw in a batch of logistical supplies as a bonus."
Reiya’s brow softened at her words, and she said softly, "Thank you."
’Look at that! She even has to thank for it!’
Sylvia was in an excellent mood. Seeing how dedicated the White-haired Dragon Lady was to this matter, she imdiately took Reiya with her to handle the arrangents.
The forging rituals and surgeries for the Army of Light were held in the Holy Hall and perford by professional Light Casting Technicians.
"Speaking of which, there are certain requirents for candidates to be forged into the Army of Light. Do you have enough suitable people under your command?"
Sylvia asked Reiya on the way to the Holy Hall,
"Or rather, how many of them are willing to beco part of the Army of Light?"
Although the Army of Light sounded incredible, the technology was undoubtedly inhumane. It transford living human beings into unfeeling, tearless biological weapons. They were called super-soldiers, but in truth, they were little more than expensive tools.
Becoming one of them ant that all worldly pleasures would beco irrelevant to you. You would no longer feel most emotions; only battle and honor would remain.
For the Imperial Nobility, this was absolutely unacceptable. ’We still have wealth and glory to enjoy... oh, no, I an, we must preserve our useful bodies to better serve the Divine Ancestor. We cannot so lightly abandon our minds!’
Sylvia wasn’t very familiar with the composition of Reiya’s subordinates. She only knew that after the Silver-haired Dragon Lady had her status as Princess restored, a large number of opportunistic nobles from the Imperial Capital had sent their children to serve under Reiya.
Perhaps they were seeking forgiveness, or perhaps they were making an early investnt. In any case, the first retainers Reiya took on when she established her own household were these very children of the Imperial Capital, who had flocked to the Silver-haired Princess’s banner, even providing for their own upkeep.
"I have never trusted the nobles of the Imperial Capital. Their hearts are rotten. They possess high Tiers and martial strength, yet they see battle as re entertainnt to adorn their family’s prestige. They think they can easily achieve legendary feats, but their performance is always disappointing."
Despite not having wielded a Sword Spear for very long herself, Reiya spoke with the detached tone of a seasoned veteran, saying lightly,
"In contrast, the people in the remote borderlands of the Imperial territories, who live in hardship and poverty, struggling on the brink of death every day, are far more resilient. They are worthy Warriors. They are all willing to give their lives for their faith. My forces have recruited many from the borderlands, and they are fit to beco the Army of Light."
"The Borderland... yes, that’s a good source indeed."
Sylvia considered this for a mont and nodded.
His Royal Highness Regent King agreed with Reiya’s assessnt.
It wasn’t that the faith of the Imperial Nobility in the Divine Ancestor was false—they were certainly believers. But there were differences among believers. The pampered nobles could never be as unrestrained as the fanatics who had nothing. The latter, in order to live out their faith in the Divine Ancestor and embrace the glory of battle, would willingly accept the price of becoming part of the Army of Light.
"Speaking of the Borderland in Qinghui Territory, there’s an interesting story related to Duke Qinghui."
Hearing the Regent King say this, Reiya’s expression imdiately showed interest, and she looked at her Imperial Sister.
Sylvia didn’t keep her in suspense and said directly,
"It’s about how White Rock City, the Pioneer Territory of the Golden Iris Clan in the Borderland, was brought under Duke Qinghui’s command. As for how it happened... well, that’s quite interesting..."
She then recounted Westheid’s glorious achievents.
After listening, Reiya showed no signs of being perturbed. Westheid’s romantic escapades didn’t make her feel the slightest bit of jealousy.
Because when she recalled Westheid’s confession that night, she knew West was rely forcing himself to play along, suppressing his own disgust.
Instead, the Silver-haired Princess clenched her fists, her expression turning incredibly grave.
"So that’s how it is. To resort to such thods just to seize resources... Is West... really that desperate?"
"It seems I must hurry to his side."
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