For reasons unknown, Felix still made his way to the palace.
In front of the palace, at the Heroes' Platform, he saw a crowd, a dense mass of people draped in raincoats. They stood on the main thoroughfare of the palace, pale-faced and drenched. Among them, some had already fallen ill from the cold, yet they bit their teeth and persisted.
From others, Felix learned that these people had been standing for three whole days, with many fainting in the square. Yet, there was no movement from within the palace. Instead, the Mage's Guild, a non-official organization, decided to send a team of mages to aid the disaster victims.
The manpower of such an unofficial organization like the Mage's Guild was quite limited. Despite its size, its influence was restricted, especially for unrewarded, life-threatening tasks like these.
Disasters are an inevitable part of human proliferation. Felix sympathized with these people but felt powerless. If he were a legendary figure, perhaps he could change something with his significant influence. But now, as a minor mage, he was incapable of affecting the grand scheme of things.
Mobilizing mages to combat natural disasters was only possible during the era of the empire's founding, when army mages had yet to retire.
That era had a high degree of cohesion and honor. At the mere command of Emperor Aristotle Titans, it wasn't an issue to stoop to labor or even sacrifice one's life for the country!
But now...
The significantly weakened imperial power clearly lacked such compelling influence!
Mages capable of combating disasters were at least of the Silver Domain level, and these high-ranking mages were too proud to be easily moved.
Everyone has compassion, but when it comes to personal interests, considerations become more complex.
…………………………
"Natural and man-made disasters…" Felix glanced again at the crowd kneeling below the palace, shook his head, donned his cloak, and walked back the way he came.
"If natural disasters have occurred, can man-made ones be far behind?"
Felix firmly believed that these people's appeal to the palace was not without someone's orchestration. This was clearly a challenge for the Titans royal family. If mishandled, the royal family's popularity in the capital's central region would plummet, even affecting the whole country. Anyone knowledgeable about history knows that natural disasters are a key factor in overturning a dynasty.
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"A mage troop of four hundred. Unless summoned from the borders of the capital, they could only seek help from the large noble houses." The nobles had the habit of nurturing private armed forces, but few could afford mages.
Raising a family's Central Knights required no less than thirty thousand Caesar gold coins, not to mention other expenses like a small piece of land or a small castle. Training a family mage required even more resources, at least three times more for a mage with average talent.
The growth of a caster is slow. In fact, if conditions allow, over eighty percent of people in this world could become mages. But the question is, how many have the means and the perseverance?
The empire's professional reserve has always been a key determinant of national power.
A standard knight group of 136 Central Knights could easily crush a regular army of ten thousand. This absolute suppression of power is terrifying! And a high-ranking caster can single-handedly combat thousands of soldiers and remain undefeated.
In the war between lions and lambs, numbers don't always dictate the outcome.
Felix had once researched these theories and came to an interesting conclusion.
Knights are tanks, mages are planes, and other non-professional soldiers are all infantry.
A tank can chase a group of infantry, and a plane can suppress the infantry without them having any power to retaliate. However, one thing remains unchanged: whether it's planes or tanks, in the end, they prepare the way for the infantry to occupy the territory. Ultimately, it's the infantry that controls and occupies the area.
This is why, despite their strength, professionals cannot replace infantry as the main force in warfare.
This discovery almost made Felix believe he had become a military strategist, but unfortunately, reality proved that being a military strategist was not his calling.
"It's undeniable that Princess Helen has become the first in line to the Titans' royal succession. The crucial question now is, has Emperor Jupiter Titans passed away?"
If Felix's guess was correct, the internal contradictions within the Titans Empire would soon erupt, and this natural disaster would be the trigger!
If the royal family fails to settle the homeless disaster victims, a rebellion is inevitable. Many ambitious figures eyeing the Titans crown would be pleased to see this happen!
Enemies lurking in the shadows fear Emperor Jupiter's wrath but certainly wouldn't fear a princess who had been exiled for many years. Perhaps only Felix and Lady Elizabeth would show respect to this low-profile returning princess.
Underestimating women seems to be an inadvertent habit of men.
Before returning to Felendia, Felix visited Saint Erde Cathedral.
The doors of Saint Erde Cathedral were still closed. Inside, nuns were chanting "Holy Hymns," and the rich aura of holy light made Felix feel slightly uncomfortable, but not the bone-piercing burning sensation he expected. This might be because deep in his heart, he still harbored faith in the holy light.
"May the Lord forgive my sins!"
Felix made the sign of the cross with one hand, then redonned his grey cloak and turned to leave.
A week had passed, and Felix hadn't received even the slightest news about the middle-aged nun. He was curious about her fate, as it would affect how he would face the followers of the holy light in the future.
Punishment? Purification? Forgiveness? Redemption?...
Or perhaps, did this signify a new beginning?
Maybe this was a matter of concern for the judge at Notre Dame Cathedral. A nun with firm and devout faith, her body corrupted by darkness, but her soul remained pure.
The Lord is merciful, starting from the moment she decided to return to Notre Dame Cathedral seeking redemption.