Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 270 Is This the Truth of History?
"In the spring of 1127, Helmut, the first minister of the Kingdom's War Affairs Department, gave a speech, declaring that it was time to 'purge the country of pests.' These words were considered in the history of the mystic system to be a signal of the challenge from the magic system, just like the 'Ten Days of Darkness' in the past."

Listening to Rochelle's story, Linger couldn't help but sigh: "How ironic."

In the past, magicians helped the kingdom win the Hundred Years' War, and the kingdom spared no effort to support them in promoting the magic system. The relationship between the two sides was inseparable. However, as time passed, the positions changed, and the magicians now stood in the position of the former extraordinary people, becoming pests that need to be eliminated by the times.

"Those in power have always been like this." Rochelle said calmly: "What they need is a sharp blade that can only be pointed at the enemy, not a double-edged sword that hurts others and themselves. If the extraordinary people in the past were the biggest destabilizing factor due to erosion and loss of control, the magicians at this time are only slightly better than them. Because erosion and loss of control can be corrected by improving the system, but the greed and ambition in people's hearts are infinite. The more power they have, the more they will want to gain corresponding power. The strongest people, such as the former Minister of Magic Ursula, the magician of the Seven Crowns, and the great sage Nicolas Flamel, can do whatever they want and are difficult to counter. In comparison, it is obvious that the cold magic machinery is easier to control."

"So, after the extraordinary left the stage of history, the magicians who had ruled the mysterious world of the continent for five hundred years faced the same dilemma as their predecessors, and the conflict between magic and wizardry broke out fiercely. However, this time, it was not one system replacing another, but a controlled system trying to eliminate another uncontrolled system. The significance of both sides is fundamentally different."

Rochelle narrated in a solemn and serious tone: "As an outstanding military strategist and commander of that era, Helmut, who was responsible for instigating the war, knew the importance of intelligence. Therefore, long before the outbreak of this war, he had already planted the kingdom's nails in the holy land of magicians: the Modern Magic Seminar Society. Although it has been quiet, it has a special status and has formed alliances with many magic organizations and secret societies. Now, all this information is on Helmut's desk, and it is clear at a glance."

In this case, the ending is naturally self-evident.

"Rather than calling it a war, it's more like a one-sided massacre." Rochelle used two cold words to describe its cruelty: "The magicians did not expect that their allies who had fought side by side would wield the butcher's knife against them, so they were defeated at the beginning of the war. Once the wild magicians who lived in seclusion in cities or villages were exposed, they were broken into by the special mobile forces of the Dragoon Regiment and directly eliminated; those who belonged to secret societies and the Church of the Evil God were found in their lairs and crushed head-on with a large army. Finally, the heavily armed magic soldiers formed a formation to force the magicians who survived by chance to be cut and beheaded."

Without using magic, the physical strength of a magician is not much different from that of an ordinary person. Even if magic is used, there is a time limit. Therefore, facing the offensive of the army, they appear to be more vulnerable than extraordinary people.

"Five years passed like this. By 5, all the magicians in the kingdom had died or fled. The remaining ones who could not escape or did not intend to escape gathered together and prepared to fight to the death. Their combined strength should be considered very strong, but they were still defeated in the end. This was not due to mistakes on the front battlefield, but because someone inside, who theoretically would never betray the magicians, betrayed them and passed the information about the alliance to the kingdom, causing the war to be declared a failure before it even began."

But he suddenly thought of what Rochelle had just said, and his pupils suddenly dilated.

Five hundred years have passed since the end of the Hundred Years' War and the emergence of wizards. Can wizards have such a long lifespan?

He laughed sarcastically again: "It seems that the kingdom was able to plant the nail inside the Modern Magic Research Institute. Whether it was Helmut's foresight or Master Merlin's deliberate act, it is a mystery that is difficult to explain."

"This is not surprising." Rochelle said calmly: "Transcendents and magicians above Sequence 4 can all call themselves demigods, which means that their life forms have surpassed the boundaries of mortals. Since their strength can surpass that of mortals, their lifespans can naturally surpass that of mortals, reaching a realm that cannot be seen by the naked eye."

After the shock, Ling'er's first reaction was not "Why did Master Merlin betray?" This was destined to be a question that would never get an answer. The first thing that came out of his mouth was: "Master Merlin is still alive?"

"The founder of magic, Merlin Ambrosius." The fertile earth sect walker uttered a shocking name: "He led the members of the Modern Magic Research Society to collectively betray the magic world and join the magician camp."

Theoretically, someone who would never betray the magician chose to betray him... Linger couldn't imagine who would betray the magician for the sake of profit, even though they were theoretically impossible. Both seemed possible, but combined, they seemed so absurd.

"So," Linger asked immediately, "since the great wizard Merlin was still alive at that time, what about the other magicians in the Modern Magic Research Society? Didn't they stand up to stop it?"

The great sage Nicolas Flamel, Minister of Magic Ursula, the magician of the seven crowns, and the beast wizard Aleister Crowley...the backbone of the magical age, could they watch the system they created collapse?

"No." Rochelle's answer was negative, but at the same time she was also confirming something: "They may still be alive, but they have all disappeared. No one has stood up to speak for the magicians. It's as if... even they have given up on magic, believing that this system is backward and will be eliminated."

"Incredible." Linger murmured, "It's even harder to imagine."

The history of mysticism is much more complex and profound than the history of anthropology.

Rochelle ignored his opinion and continued, "The alliance was betrayed by the Archmage Merlin and was defeated in the Fernet Wilderness of Mount Lamond. This war was later called the 'Final War of the Kingdom's Magic World', so the Fernet Wilderness was renamed the Final Wilderness. The Ministry of War Affairs then produced more magic devices, armed more soldiers, and formed two other legions, imitating the past Ministry of Magic: the Night Owls and the Pegasus, which were responsible for maintaining law and order inside and outside the city respectively. The former was renamed the Night Watch under the management of the Night Roost, and the latter was renamed the Balance of Order after the Inquisition took over."

The history narrated by Rochelle is moving towards the era familiar to Ling. The names that are so close at hand gradually integrate the thoughts of modern people with the disputes and chaos of the 12th century AD.

"Faced with the bad news, all magicians were worried that the fate of the extraordinary people would befall them. At this time, the magician Solomon, known as the 'Father of Modern Magic', stood up and called on all magicians in the Western Continent to unite and resist such brutal acts. On behalf of the magic organization he led, the 'Society of Truth', he joined forces with twelve other magic organizations and secret societies to form an alliance, known in history as the Thirteen Hermits Society."

"The Thirteen Hermits..." Linger repeated in a low voice, and then showed a puzzled expression: "Who is Solomon?"

The father of modern magic, this title seems to be second only to Merlin, the ancestor of magic.

"He was a member of the Modern Magic Research Society. He was considered the greatest magician after Merlin, the founder of magic, because he established the standard unit of magic power, O'S (Otho), and the measurement system, laying the foundation for magic. But later, Solomon rebelled against the Modern Magic Research Society because of his different ideas from the great wizard Merlin, joined the Truth Society, and soon became its leader. At this critical moment for the survival of the magic world, he stood up in time, which was a huge encouragement to the magicians at that time."

When Solomon was mentioned, there seemed to be a strange look in Rochelle's eyes, but he concealed it well, so Lingge didn't notice it. After sighing about the many talented people in the magic world, he continued to listen to him quietly.

"Solomon, on behalf of the Thirteen Hermits and the magicians in the Western Continent, tried to reach an agreement with the White City-State Republic, which had established a republican system under the leadership of Joan of Arc, and the Great Empire of Mindreas, which was unified under the iron fist of King Barbarossa the Red Bearded. These two countries have always been eager to overwhelm the Great Brittany Kingdom and become the hegemon of the Western Continent. Solomon won their support by promising that many great magicians would join the military of the two countries to serve, help them train more magicians, and exchange magic potion formulas and material resources. However, the officials of the two countries did not come forward to express their views, but instructed the great nobles in the country to provide Solomon with material, financial and manpower assistance."

"Ironically, several supernatural organizations that are still surviving in the Western Continent have also provided support to the magic coalition army led by Solomon. Because although they want to see the magicians who once suppressed them suffer the same fate, they hope to regain their past status. Therefore, they support the magicians in fighting against the kingdom, hoping that the civil strife between the two sides will weaken the magicians' power and give them an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

"Such a small move could not be hidden from the eyes and ears of the Great Brittany Kingdom, so they decided to strike first and found a random excuse to brazenly invade the lands of the two countries and launched an offensive against the official representatives they put forward to support the magicians. Mr. Ling, at this point, history has overlapped with what you know. You should be clear about the identities of the two official representatives who support the magicians that they want to attack, right?"

Of course Lingge knew this, because he had just told this history to his companions not long ago.

"The White City-State Republic, General Bockner; the Great Empire of Mindrias, Grand Duke Mainz..." He whispered to himself, but his palms clenched unconsciously: "This is what is called-"

"The Battle of Rectification?"

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)