Chapter 682 The Meeting (02)


    Seeing the room still in silence, indicating their curiosity for more details, Aron decided to elaborate.


    “I received what you call a blessing a few years before the formation of the empire,” he began. “This gave me the opportunity to delve into the study of mana well before it became widely known. Coupled with my company’s advancements in quantum computing and VR, I had access to time acceleration and advanced simulation capabilities.


    These technologies allowed me to effectively spend centuries, alongside my AI assistant, developing and refining the system from the ground up. We went through countless trials and errors, and I personally experienced many failures, including several catastrophic ones, before mastering the basics and discovering how to harness mana for various effects.”


    Aron’s explanation was a blend of truth and strategic omission. He carefully avoided mentioning that he had acquired foundational knowledge from the system and that his wife’s and his citizens'' awakening was the reason he bought it in the first place, since he couldn’t use magic in that way and could only harness mana through runes that he had already bought previously. Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    Although Rayyan and the tree folks were surprised by the explanation, it couldn''t compare to the shock Ayaka and Lee felt. They had always believed that the foundational knowledge of mana was the result of collective efforts by many knowledgeable individuals who analyzed awakeners and used simulations to discover the basics and teach others.


    But now they were learning that all the foundational work had been done by the Emperor alone, over centuries spent by himself. This revelation greatly increased their respect for the Emperor, which was already immense to begin with.


    “Does that mean you discovered the means to use mana of all different affinities?” Crabapple asked, his curiosity yet to be satiated.


    "We will take you up on that offer. Now, taking over our children would mean you are also responsible for their protection. On what level are you confident in protecting them?" Birch asked, swiftly returning to the main topic, this time speaking not as a representative, but as the creator of the elves.


    “At present, we are in the process of building a formidable military to ensure the safety of our empire. Should your children join us, they will be integrated into this military, especially considering we have a potential visitor on the way. We are confident that within a few years, our military will be powerful enough to ensure both our safety,” Aron replied calmly.


    He then pointed to Lee, who now wore a look of surprise from the unexpected shoutout from the emperor. “Also, if we’re talking about the obligation to protect them, aren’t we also considered another parent?” Aron continued with a hint of humor, “After all, the empire aided in their upbringing just as much as he also aided in their creation.”


    A few people in the room chuckled at his attempt to lighten the mood, while others remained silent, their expressions serious.


    “So it means that you can’t protect them at this moment?” Oak asked, his voice cutting through the lighthearted atmosphere Aron had just created, instantly bringing the discussion back to a more serious tone.


    “I don’t think you can take that from my previous answer. Although I mentioned that we are in the process of building our military, it doesn’t mean we are defenseless. The level of threats you’re concerned about is not beyond the capacity of our current defenses, provided we have early detection. Our military will be prepared well before any significant threat arrives,” Aron responded in a tone matching Oak’s seriousness.


    “I don’t think so,” someone said, but before anyone could even care who said it,


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.