Seeing the king still pondering, Dirk took a small step forward and said in an even more earnest tone, "Not all Spellcasters are as evil as the Church proclaims. We can develop potions to heal wounded soldiers, use magic to improve crop yields, and, like this time, use magic to solve problems for the kingdom. We only hope that Aldor can be like Horn Bay and Gabella, allowing Spellcasters to walk freely in the sunlight, no longer discriminated against, no longer hunted, giving us the opportunity to use magic to do things for this world."
The warm chamber fell silent instantly, save for the occasional crackling of the firewood in the fireplace. Rodney looked at the expectant look in Dirk's eyes and recalled Earl Merlin's report about Gabella. Information regarding Fire Dragon Legion's defeat of the Papal War Elephants.
For the first time, he seriously considered whether Aldor should really change his attitude toward Spellcaster.
The king gazed out the window into the distance, as if he could see through the layers of mountains the land of Northwest Bay, now enveloped in steam and steel. Alda's arsenal, the assembly lines of Lakeheart Town, and the endless stream of rifles and cannons unfolded in his mind like vivid images.
It must be admitted that the Royal Army's current combat effectiveness is almost entirely due to the support from Northwest Bay. Although Paul Greiman supported Crystal Radiance in building the West Port Economic Zone, allowing civilian factories to take root there, and civilian equipment such as textile machines and paper mills did improve the livelihood of the Royal Territory, Lakeheart Town tightly controls the manufacture of weapons, only selling finished products and never revealing any core technology.
Rodney recalled the recent attempt to replicate firearms. The Kingdom Government had gathered skilled craftsmen to try and replicate the Northwest's firearms, but the results were unsatisfactory.
Those hand-polished gun barrels look no different from the originals, but in actual use, some can only fire for 200 paces, while others can't even reach 100 paces. Worse still, their durability is questionable; some firearms explode after firing ten bullets, and others jam after a short time.
What infuriated the king most was the cost; the inferior firearms that the craftsmen painstakingly produced cost more than the genuine ones they could buy directly from Northwest Bay.
Perhaps Paul also encountered various problems when developing the firearm. He should have persevered and let the craftsmen overcome the difficulties one by one. But the readily available Northwest, which was of good quality and low price, was right in front of him. Alas, sometimes having more options is a problem, especially when finances are tight.
As for the even more crucial element—gunpowder—that was even more worrying. The army only knew the powder contained sulfur, but what other components it contained, their proportions, and how it was refined were all a mystery. Yet this stuff was even more important than firearms and cannons; without gunpowder, the latter two were nothing but scrap metal.
"Let Spellcaster walk freely in the sunlight…" he repeated Dirk's request in a low voice, his eyes gradually becoming serious.
If the restrictions on wizards were truly lifted and they were organized, could they become another reliable force for the kingdom? Like Gabella's Fire Dragon Legion, using magic to compensate for the lack of firearms.
He had considered completely breaking free from dependence on Northwest Bay, but for now, it seemed that firearms were an unavoidable option. However, having two legs was better than having one limp. Magic might not be able to completely replace firearms, but if, as Dirk suggested, magic could be used to breach fortresses and assist in combat, it would at least give the royal family more confidence and less passivity when facing Northwest Bay.
Rodney XVIII raised his hand to rub his temples, his gaze returning to the wizard.
After a long pause, he spoke slowly, his tone tinged with caution, "I need time to consider your suggestion. But I can assure you that as long as you can help the Royal Army take Paradise Basin, I will take this request seriously and will not let you spend your days hiding in towers like before."
Dirk's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he bowed deeply again, saying gratefully, "Thank you, Your Majesty! We will certainly not let you down!"
At the cabinet meeting the following morning, the long table was filled with the king's trusted ministers. Rodney XVIII recounted his conversation with Dirk the previous day, clearly conveying to everyone present his strategy of using magic to conquer the fortress, from the wizard's proposal to his request for Spellcasters to gain legal status.
As soon as he finished speaking, Prince Jassim's eyes lit up with excitement: "Your Majesty, this is a good thing! If we can use the power of wizards to our advantage, we can not only take down Veblen, but also balance the influence of Northwest Bay. Why not agree to Dirk's plan?"
Yuriko, standing beside him, nodded repeatedly: "That's right! Glaeman has firearms, and we can have wizards and magic too! Sigh, those wizards have been locked up for a while now, why didn't we think of that sooner!" He was clearly very much in favor of the suggestion to bring wizards into the fold.
However, Prime Minister Rupert frowned and retorted, "Your Majesty, I think this is inappropriate. The people of Aldor have worshipped the Lord of Light for centuries, and wizards have always been synonymous with heresy in their eyes. If we loosen the restrictions on wizards, it may cause panic among the people, or even lead to rebellion. The war at Horn Bay is a lesson to be learned!"
Intelligence Minister Merlin also expressed concern: "What's more dangerous is the Papacy. Even if we don't use wizards in open warfare for the time being, as long as rumors of cooperation between the royal family and wizards spread, the Holy See of Light will not stand idly by. Although we are not directly involved in the war between Gabella and the Papacy, what if the Papacy takes its anger out on Aldor?"
"The Papacy?" Prince Jassim sneered, tapping his fingers on the table. "They're being decimated by Gabella right now, their war elephants are almost all dead, how could they possibly have the energy to deal with Aldor?"
"But what if the Vatican makes peace with Gabella and then turns against us?" Rupert pressed, and the council chamber instantly erupted into debate, with those supporting the use of wizards and those worried about the risks each holding their own opinions, and their voices gradually rising.
Rodney XVIII raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, his gaze sweeping across the room: "Your concerns are all valid, but we cannot miss this opportunity."
Rupert pondered for a moment and proposed a compromise: "Your Majesty, why not let the wizards secretly prepare their magic to assist in the attack on Paradise Basin, but temporarily withhold their legal status? At the same time, send people to closely monitor the battle between Gabella and the Papacy. If Gabella ultimately wins, proving that the Papacy's power has weakened, then we can follow Gabella's example... no, it's safer to grant wizards legal status gradually."
This proposal gradually calmed the debate, and even Prince Jassim nodded in agreement that Rupert's plan was very comprehensive.
Rodney pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Do as Lord Rupert says. Lord Merlin, send spies to the Gabella border to report on the battle situation at any time."