Chapter 129

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Chapter 129: The Entire Empire

Mr. Victor, who rose to fame on Aryan’s gossip news section, slowly faded in popularity after causing a stir for a few months. That summer, the return of a wanderer caused a commotion in Ribe Lake.

Ludwig Springhall, also known as the "Orc Graffitist" painter.

People who heard the news flocked from all directions, causing chaos as the crowd swelled. Ribe Lake had to partially restrict access due to the unexpected enthusiasm. The Walke Artist Association organized a grand welcoming ceremony, and people from all walks of life were excited to receive an invitation. Many senior members of various associations attended the event, including the president of the association, Quintina, and the elderly original sponsor, Lola.

Guards maintained order as crowds holding flowers lined the streets to welcome the arrival. Everyone craned their necks, eagerly anticipating. "He’s here!" someone shouted excitedly. The magic carriage stopped at the intersection, the door opened, and the painter Ludwig stepped out, nearly overwhelmed by the cheers.

Some bystanders whispered in confusion, wondering why the painter was not an Orc as expected. If their voices had not been drowned out by the crowd, they would have been laughed at by others. The painter known as the Orc Graffitist was not actually an Orc but a regular human, Ludwig, who was born and raised in Ribe Lake and even came from a wealthy family. The long-lost wanderer stood bewildered for a moment in the flashlights and cheers before remembering to smile and wave.

President Quintina came forward to greet him; they were friends even before the association was established. Quintina, who had been the president for many years, was accustomed to such scenes. He guided Ludwig towards the venue, like leading a dazzled bird under bright lights. It was only when they finally entered the venue that Ludwig came to his senses.

"How does it feel to be back home?" Quintina asked.

"This reception is quite overwhelming," Ludwig chuckled, letting out a sigh.

"Why, weren’t you welcomed anywhere else?" Quintina joked, "Your reputation has spread throughout the whole Aryan even before Nightfall Line was dismantled. If the collection of works by those ‘unknown Orc painters’ were to pay you royalties, your wealth might even surpass that of your brother."

Ludwig laughed and said, "Let’s skip the welcome, Quintina. I am already content just not running away everywhere!"

"Then you shouldn’t be surprised by this reception," Quintina said, "Your fame is widespread, yet you have been running around with the rebels, disappearing and reappearing everywhere, everyone wants to catch a glimpse of the famous Orc Graffitist."

"I’m glad they see it now," Ludwig joked, "If they caught me earlier years, they would only see me hung after."

Orc Graffitist is not an Orc. He simply painted numerous propaganda pieces about the Orc revolution. These colorful, sharp-lined artworks were printed on leaflets of Orc Liberation Army’s "Spring of Nature," appearing at the scene after Spring of Nature events. In a humorous yet loud manner, they shouted out for Orc’s freedom and equality.

Ludwig traveled with the guerrillas for many years, spreading his artwork across the Empire during the years when the Orc Liberation Army continuously challenged the imperial authority. His artworks were reported by the imperial media, circulated privately after media restrictions, these witty satirical paintings, though not suitable for grand halls, spread widely among people. Images are a universal language, even if the slogans were removed when the images were spread, even if the Orcs couldn’t read a word, they could hear the deafening call within.

Initially dubbed as "unknown Orc painter", Ludwig was later called "Orc Graffitist", mocking those who drew vulgar little comics as unworthy of being called painters. Ludwig gladly accepted this title, not minding associating with Orcs nor admitting that his work was merely graffiti. What’s the difference? Fine art and street graffiti are just mediums. In the battle Ludwig participated in, he chose the latter as his weapon.

Amidst the bloody battle, war artist Ludwig wielded his pen as a sword. In the battlefield without gunpowder, his efforts raised the Empire’s attention and contemplation on the slavery system, as well as moved many confused or numb Orcs. Ludwig’s creations had an unprecedented impact, in the standoff between human empires and Tasmarin, in the historical tide of awakening and resistance by the Orcs, his paintings spread fire, and he became a torchbearer.

It has been nearly twenty years since he last returned to Ribe Lake.

Before the Nightfall Line was established, Terence led the Orc Rebel Army away from Ribe Lake, left Tasmanian, and entered the vast and dangerous Empire. Ludwig joined the army at that time. A preliminary contract was signed among the Orcs, the Empire, and Tasmarin. After the Nightfall Line was finally removed, during the difficult process of Orcs and the Empire getting along, Ludwig continued to travel between different parties and only triumphantly returned today.

Compared to his luxurious life before leaving home, these nearly twenty years of rough living and constant running away seemed like a whole different life, but Ludwig didn’t look thin or weak. On the contrary, he appeared surprisingly strong. His once pale skin was now tanned, his hands had become rough from using stones, tree branches, and the simplest and cheapest paintbrushes over the years. The young nobleman who grew up in a greenhouse had left home in his twenties, experienced hardships, and grew strong like a resilient tree.

"What about the Orcs?" Quintina asked, "Have you not been welcomed like this on Orc territory before?"

"There were welcomes, and there were curses, after all, I am a human," Ludwig said calmly, "Fortunately, in the end, there were more welcomes than curses."

In the eyes of the Empire, Ludwig was an Orc painter, but among the Orcs, Ludwig was primarily seen as a human. Orc leader Terence could see the intangible impact he brought to the Orc revolution. In various difficult situations, Terence prioritized protecting this unarmed painter, but among the Orcs, there were many short-sighted and hateful members. They questioned Terence’s decision to bring along this weakling and resented Ludwig for his human identity, even though he voluntarily entered the battlefield to fight for the rights of different races.

"It must have been very difficult," Quintina said sympathetically.

"Yes," Ludwig sighed, "but everything will eventually change, isn’t that why we strive for it?"

The beginning was always quite terrible; Ludwig had been attacked by Orcs and had stones thrown at him and been spat on while staying temporarily in an Orc tribe. Many Orc Warriors initially did not accept him as a non-combatant member until he gritted his teeth and endured hardships with them until his perseverance and artwork truly made an impact. Ludwig once risked leaving only five minutes before the arrival of the Imperial Army, just to complete a huge propaganda painting. The Orc who carried him away on his shoulders after that battle changed his attitude towards him, admitting that although Ludwig was not a warrior, he was indeed a brave man.

Initially, Ludwig’s departure was with thoughts of escape, but eventually, he truly began to enjoy this journey. Ludwig traveled to many places, met various people and Orcs, and his attitude towards the Orc revolution finally changed from pity to genuine understanding and sympathy. The naive idealism in the studio quickly faded away, and Ludwig realized that Orcs were neither pitiful slaves nor magical creatures from folklore; they were just people of another race.

So he found his place in this struggle, found the meaning of life.

Ludwig painted many paintings, leaving traces on the battlefield, spreading them behind enemy lines, and painting for the children in the tribe, teaching those willing to learn how to paint. Ludwig brought determination and awakening, as well as joy and hope. When he left, he was the youngest son of the Sprinhol family fleeing in disarray; when he returned, he was Orc Graffitist Ludwig.

The once famous Springhol family, due to their outdated traditional way of doing business, was increasingly declining in the face of the strong invasion by the Southeast Chamber of Commerce, transforming from a giant into just an ordinary member among many merchants. Ludwig, who once relied on and then escaped from the family, would no longer be overshadowed by the family’s wings and shadows.

"Let’s go, everyone is waiting for us." Quintina ended the small talk and quickened her pace. "Everyone has been safe these years, and there are many new members in the association now. They must be very happy to see you back."

"I am also very happy to see everyone again." Ludwig paused and said, "After the party, I want to pay tribute to Walke."

Quintina paused her steps, turned to look at Ludwig, and said with a smile, "Let’s go tomorrow morning together."

The establishment of the Walke Association, the appearance of the Orc Graffitist Ludwig, all started from the death of that idealistic painter Walke. Watching his good friend die in front of him, igniting his anger, dropping his paintbrush, and deciding to fight for the maintenance of free will; and finally feeling overwhelmingly ashamed for not enduring with his friend, self-exile, leaving the safe homeland with the Orc Rebel Army. The beginning of the story was not beautiful, but as Ludwig said, everything will eventually get better with effort, which is the reason why countless people strive for it.

Resentment and guilt will eventually fade away, those who stand up after crying, have no regrets about their lives, and even feel grateful.

The next day, Quintina and Ludwig paid tribute to Walke. It was not a holiday, but there were fresh flowers placed by Walke’s tombstone. Later, they visited the Nightfall Line Memorial Park. The paintings that caused Walke’s death, as well as many burnt and restored The Call of the Wild series paintings, were displayed in the memorial park.

The artworks from twenty years ago were displayed together with the new works commemorating the dismantling of the Nightfall Line, which suddenly made Ludwig think of Walke’s grave. Beside the ancestors’ graves, fresh flowers and plants were flourishing.

Ludwig’s successful return home indicated that the integration between Orcs and the Empire had gradually entered a smoother phase. The pressure of the impending Abyss accelerated the integration process, and although there were still many resentments between Orcs and humans, both sides could at least temporarily tolerate each other and cooperate temporarily before the upcoming major battle.

The proud Orc Liberation Army retained its highly mobile guerrilla unit, which continued to operate independently and play a significant role in mountainous and forested areas. With Tasmarin’s army serving as a bridge, some Orc professionals were selected and incorporated into the new alliance forces.

Orcs like Marion, who could rely on their ancestry for combat after reverting to their original form, were few in number. Most members with minimal non-human characteristics had mixed blood and were a hodgepodge of identities, similar to ordinary humans in terms of social and cultural identity. They relied on long-term training for combat, with outstanding individuals advancing to become professionals. In terms of strategy, the role of these Orcs was more important as professionals than their inherent "Orc" attributes.

For instance, Orc Shamans had healing abilities similar to priests, while their rallying and voodoo abilities allowed them to temporarily assume the role of wizards. Orc archers had a longer attack range than Orc warriors, and in large battles, they evidently needed to stand alongside other archers to maximize their effectiveness.

The Tasmanian army had set an example of a mixed army, with Orcs who had initially remained in Tasmarin integrating into the regular army. Apart from minor issues like "not feeding your sheepish soldiers meat pies," there weren’t many problems. Jacob, who had Mountain Lion Orc blood, was the captain of a scout team. People didn’t call him "Mountain Lion Jacob," but rather "Scout Jacob."

The organized mixed alliance would bring higher efficiency – as long as there was seamless cooperation and no backstabbing. The process of disbanding and reorganizing squads was quite challenging, and racial issues were causing headaches for every leader.

The solution was intense training and a plethora of military exercises.

They were physically exhausted and would collapse as soon as they returned, unable to even start a fight. Mentally drained, their minds blank, they had no time to think about love and hate. The higher-ups provided them with a balanced diet, the healthiest and most convenient living facilities, making the soldiers feel like they were stewing in the same pot, busy as hamsters on wheels every day. Everyone mastered the art of falling asleep with just one blink, busying themselves with catching up on sleep. Details like "former enemies as roommates" were temporarily ignored.

As for the military exercise, well, this time it was a serious military exercise, not a demonstration or protest.

Tasmarin, the Empire, and the Orcs jointly held a grand military exercise with many events. Tasha let a group of fake Little Devils come out to cause trouble more often. These coordinated enemies appeared near major military bases and human gathering places, improving the coalition’s ability to fight together, training city officials in evacuation and survival skills, testing the public’s knowledge of the Abyss, strengthening people’s courage in facing Abyssal monsters, an all-round benefit, truly the most cost-effective and dedicated supporting personnel.

The appearance of these red-skinned "vanguard units from the Abyss," combined with intense training, effectively eased racial tensions. If they collapsed from the same training, covered each other’s backs in battle, crawled together in danger, and fought bravely, it was hard for comrades who shared hardship to continue hating each other. Many were surprised to find that people they didn’t like had respectable qualities. Sharp exclusion turned into friendly competition, fighting side by side always promotes friendship, it has always been like this.

"So, the Abyss has always been the peace ambassador of the Primary Material Plane," Victor chuckled, teasing either the creatures on the surface or himself, "In reducing internal wars among humans, the influence of angels is not as effective as the outbreak of Decaying Disasters."

These battles and exercises not only promoted the easing of racial issues but also prepared the entire Aryan fighting force intensively for future wars.

The newly born griffins have grown up; this semi-magical, semi-natural growth stage is very brief. A one-year-old griffin can already fight with a person on its back. The devoted fans of griffins gradually gained recognition from the griffins and became Griffin Riders, enough in number to form a small-sized army. In the minds of the Empire’s people, the symbol of the ancient golden age, the Griffon Legion, finally reappeared in the world.

The training of Dragon Riders and Griffin Riders has many areas that can be mutually referenced. As the backbone of the Aryan air force, together with large airships and small mechanical birds/drones, they dominate the entire sky. People have become accustomed to the shadows passing overhead without panicking. Children even play games guessing what the passing shadow might be.

However, there are very few people excited enough to chase after the aerial shadows now. On one hand, wild griffins are birds of prey, and safety must be taken into account when encountering them in the wild, no provocations; on the other hand, unlike the magical pseudo dragons created by Tasha, griffins are living creatures needing normal food, water, and waste disposal… Imagine how it would feel if bird droppings fell on your head from the sky, then imagine the "bird" being the size of a lion.

A portion of the fixed salary of the Griffon Legion is automatically deducted to compensate for public and private property destroyed or consumed by griffins, as well as for cleaning up certain remnants of their disruptive activities affecting the urban landscape. The brave Griffin Riders, both in pain and joy, today also take pride in their handsome appearance.

The Dragon Riders from the Air Force and the Griffin Riders get along well, but they can’t fight together because their mounts don’t get along. The mighty dragon’s presence frightens the griffins, and when they encounter a pseudo dragon, the griffins see them as rivals and try to push them out of the sky. The coordination between the Air Force requires more timing compared to the close teamwork needed between the Army.

The Rangers and the native Orc guerrilla fighters in the forest are great at guerrilla warfare. The Druid not only enhances their strengths but also enlarges their advantage on the battlefield. The formations of various warriors and archers resemble the ancient times of Earth’s weapon use, but due to the extraordinary powers possessed by the Professionals, their effectiveness surpasses that of the actual ancient weapons era by far. The Professionals in the front line are supported by priests and white robe wizards on the battlefield. Some melee Professionals protect the spellcasters in the back, and the black robe wizard who benefitted greatly from the Ancient Mage Tower may become powerful artillery in the future.

Apart from the Professionals, there are more ordinary people who are not mere cannon fodder on the battlefield. They are armed with magical weapons, giving them great power despite being regular folks.

With the establishment of the new Magic Core in the Empire, magical weapons can finally be distributed to the grassroots of the army. Factories produce weapons tirelessly day and night, the cooperation between craftsmen and technicians successfully reconstructs non-combat golems, these precise steel workers work tirelessly without rest, freeing up a large amount of manpower from repetitive tasks, doubling efficiency.

The buildings in the dungeon are very helpful, as these special structures can be expanded as long as there is space – currently, no one stops Tasha from expanding underground, building as big and many rooms as needed. The kitchen illogically transforms magical energy into food, continuously increasing the military’s food reserves; the various herbs in the Medicinal Herb Garden grow well, Mavis, Druids, and witches prepare a large amount of potions for wartime in the pharmacy; the illogical forging room and workshop work at full capacity, conducting research and development of various new weapons and prototypes here; the Training Ground has training props that replenish themselves and now benefit the entire Aryan army.

Tasha’s dungeon, like a chain store, is underneath most of Aryan’s training grounds.

Both underground and above ground, both sides are running at full capacity to prepare for battle.

The magic stone made by slime and the magic flow provided by the Magic Core act like blood vessels, making the huge Aryan move. Its development speed is as fast as soaring, perhaps only in this magical world can such rapid progress be achieved. Sometimes, Tasha watches the magic working in various magic devices and sees a different version of the electrical age.

The black robe wizards and Druids have been intermittently debating about topics like "pesticides and environmental protection" for years, never having a big fight but not stopping either. Alongside the debates, there is also cooperation, and now both sides have reached a balance, utilizing materials that are degradable, easily decomposable pesticides, and the biological configurations of Druids cooperating with each other, resulting in Aryan’s remarkable per-acre yield.

Researchers in agriculture have always been working on feeding the most people with the least amount of land, highest efficiency, and minimal human labor. After the whole Aryan cooperation, ample resources and macro-control brought huge achievements. With the help of the Dwarf Craftsman and the Empire Magic Technician, agriculture made remarkable progress and even took on a semi-mechanized form.

"What’s wrong?" Victor said, "Is something not right?"

Mr. Victor was attending an agriculture demonstration with Madam Governor, holding Tasha’s arm as he spoke. Despite being able to converse through a link, he chose to lean in and whisper in her ear, causing a flurry of journalists to snap photos. The former Archdemon, with his vast knowledge, only raised an eyebrow in interest at the latest magical technology demonstrated, apparently finding Tasha’s unusual expression intriguing.

Tasha moved her mouth, unsure how to explain to him the complex emotions she felt when she saw the magical machines in Aryan dispersing pesticides like airplanes and what seemed like magical tractors.