Chapter 1172 — A Suspicious Lead

"The Violet Kingdom's greatest suspiciousness lies in having gone too far—and not only for six hundred years on end, but always doing it in a furtive, concealed manner. That inevitably sets one to thinking," Hedy nodded. "After all, though the magitech devices we sell abroad contain 'core secrets,' we have always openly acknowledged as much. The Patent Protection Act is hardly a secret."

Gao Yang murmured an assent, lowered his head, and mused for a moment. He thought about the hidden dangers these "black boxes" might conceal and what the Violet Kingdom's purpose might be. After a while he raised his head and spoke thoughtfully: "Whatever the case… we are now gradually uncovering the technical principles behind these black boxes, and that direction is correct. Whatever purpose the Violet Kingdom had in creating these black boxes, keeping the knowledge in our own hands is surely right."

"There are still many black boxes in the traditional magic system. Now that these things have once again come into view and roused our vigilance, it is necessary to do something targeted… Hedy, continue cataloguing and tracing the traditional spell models connected to the Violet Kingdom. Trace and locate them as quickly as possible, and send them to the Runic Research Institute, where Jenny can organize a team to do targeted decryption. This may be a long-term project; if necessary, set up a permanent office in the corresponding technical department."

Hedy lowered her head at once. "Yes, Ancestor."

"Decryption is one aspect," Gao Yang continued. "Traditional magic is still a very important part of social production—among mages who use traditional spells, in remote regions where magitech is not yet developed, the old spell models still hold sway. Realistically, we cannot simply ban these things outright… so let the public messaging keep pace.

"We must make clear the existence of the 'technical black box.' Organize authoritative experts and scholars, and through the media promote the limitations and inefficiency of black-box spells, promote the advantages of the new spell models optimized by the Imperial Runic Research Institute in terms of energy utilization and ease of learning. Make mages hesitate a little when they use these 'backward spells,' and they will accept the new things faster.

"Also, take this opportunity to solicit help from all sectors of society: call on spellcasters to actively gather and report the 'black-box spells' they know. Issue bounties nationwide to scholars interested in mathematics and runic logic, encouraging the cracking of black-box spells. Those who make outstanding contributions shall receive not only monetary rewards but also medals issued by the Empire; their names may even be permanently engraved on the memorial wall in the capital. For many mages and scholars, such honors are even more attractive than money.

"We have been working to shift the attitude of traditional spellcasters, to turn 'analyzing classic spells' from a contemptible act into a glorious deed that contributes to the nation. These efforts have shown considerable results over the past two years. Now we must go further: we must not only encourage and praise those who actively break with tradition and analyze old magic, but also, in our public messaging, drive the stubborn factions who cling to the outmoded and defend backward black-box spells into the camp of the 'ignorant and benighted'—because that is, in fact, precisely what they are."

Hedy nodded as she listened, and only once Gao Yang's voice had trailed off did she venture another question: "And regarding the Violet Kingdom—in terms of public messaging…"

Gao Yang shook his head at once. "At this stage, do not promote any antagonism toward the Violet Kingdom. First, we have no evidence. Second, we are not at all certain of their purposes. Especially now, not long after the Alliance was founded, when we are still trying to establish further exchanges with the Violet Kingdom—promoting antagonism would be even more unnecessary at a time like this."

He smiled and spread his hands. "Besides, there's nothing to be gained from it—so just strengthen the messaging in the magical field. After all, black boxes are not unique to the magical knowledge transmitted from Violet; the human magic system itself is full of ancestral black boxes."

Hedy turned it over in her mind and nodded slowly. "I understand."

"Though we do not intend to take any antagonistic action against the Violet Kingdom at this stage, the necessary caution and investigation must continue," Gao Yang added. "That hermit kingdom in the north… whether or not they truly are a 'hidden danger,' their ways and their influence on the Loren continent over these six hundred years are far too alarming to ignore. I will have Amber continue to find ways to investigate the situation inside Violet. You continue collating and organizing those historical archives. Also, tell Victoria to focus her energies on monitoring the northern homeland—the Violet mages' main sphere of activity remains in the north… Now that they are right under our noses, they ought to abide by Cecil's rules."

Hedy carefully noted down every task Gao Yang assigned. Then, noticing that the Shuangmai Sect leader still wore a thoughtful expression, she could not help asking: "Is there anything else you wish to entrust me with?"

Gao Yang lifted his head from his reverie, his words carrying a pointed implication: "…I am thinking about who might understand that mysterious 'nation of mages' better than we do."

Hedy guessed what he meant: "You mean…"

"Who understands mages better than the god of mages?" Gao Yang crossed his arms and spoke in a low voice. "Even if she is a goddess who has spent tens of thousands of years insisting on minding nothing and asking nothing…"

Hedy's eyes widened slightly. After a stunned moment she drew a soft breath. "The Goddess of Magic, Mirmyna… that is indeed a bold breakthrough point, but the risks are not small, are they? After all, the Goddess of Magic is not in the same situation as the Dragon God Enya—the latter has completely 'decoupled' and can communicate many things with us. The Goddess of Magic took a gentler route out of her predicament; her divinity and her connection to the mortal world have still not been fully dissolved. If we have her speak of matters relating to Violet… might that not cause her to reestablish her connection to the mortal world?"

"We can try," Gao Yang said, taking it in stride. "If there is something she cannot answer, she need only remain silent. Of course, where divinity is concerned, the very act of 'asking' carries a certain risk in itself, so we will need anti-divinity barrier protection on site, and we must manage the specific questioning technique well—fortunately, I have considerable experience in that regard."

As he spoke, he thought of Metzen Ponia, who had once discussed those forbidden topics with him, and his confidence grew all the firmer.

In that regard, he was indeed quite experienced.