Looking at the distant shadows of the 15 iron ships, Seraphine stood at the bow of the ship with her teacher, looking inexplicably unaware of what she was thinking.

"Teacher..."

Seraphine said with some melancholy:

"Am I doing this right or wrong?"

Binding Bilgewater to the Empire on a deeper level, and sucking blood on these violent births, was a plan proposed by Zben at the time, and was tacitly approved by her.

According to news from Bilgewater Bay, Zben's plan was a success, and even Sarah readily agreed.

Not a single Bilgewater could refuse a profit, let alone the power of the Empire's steel ships after seeing the power of the Empire's steel ships.

Now that the empire has shown a clear path, cooperation has become inevitable.

"It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong, you're Seraphine, you think it's worth it, just do it."

Grad paused, then replied flatly:

"Birgewater is located on the southern route of Piltover, and it is far from the mainland, and for a combination of reasons, the Blue Flame Islands and Birgewater Bay have become what they are now."

"Dirty, messy, and poor, it is a paradise for criminals, a hell for the virtuous. Thousands of people come every day to pan for gold, and countless more die at sea. ”

"The cycle went on and on, and it took Bilgewater to become what it is today."

Seraphine's eyes flashed slightly, but there was not much hesitation in her eyes.

She doesn't really have much affection for Bilgewater. Knowing who lived here, her emotions were mostly driven by humanitarian sympathy.

She cared about something else.

Unfortunately, even if Mr. Grad was only a doppelganger of her own teacher, she couldn't hear the soul voice.

Standing on the deck, letting the sea breeze blow for a while, Seraphine suddenly raised the corners of her mouth and smiled self-deprecatingly, as if she had figured out something, and there was melancholy in her tone that was difficult to hide:

"Teacher, people's hearts... Is it really a complicated thing? ”

Grad looked at her sideways: "I thought you already had the answer in your heart. ”

The reply was quickly blown away by the sea breeze, and I don't know if it was an illusion, Seraphine felt that there seemed to be surprise in the teacher's tone.

Seraphine's hand rubbed the hem of her skirt with a little uneasiness, she bit her lower lip, but still crossed the hurdle in her heart, and said truthfully: "No... It's just that... I had thought the empire would be a little different. ”

There seemed to be a silent sigh in the wind, and in the unbearable silence, a low, magnetic male voice came:

"Xiao Sa, what is the empire in your eyes?"

"Empire?"

Seraphine tilted her head and thought about it, and gave her answer, half hesitantly and half tentatively:

"A group of people fight for a belief or a belief, and this group of people builds a collective, which is the empire."

Grad neither nodded nor shook his head, but smiled and replied briefly, "Good answer." ”

Hearing the teacher's answer as usual, Seraphine's heart sank.

It's not the first time, but it's been a long time.

After answering the questions myself, I saw a rare smile on the teacher's face.

That smile she could be sure of... It's not that I'm relieved, my own teacher doesn't have that kind of emotion.

The smile on Grede's face... It took her back to a few years ago, when Piltover would be, and the teacher often smiled like this.

"Teacher." Seraphine couldn't help but exclaim, "Are you implying that I'm naïve!" ”

"Not really."

Grad smiled and touched Seraphine's little head, as if he was spoiling his own daughter:

"You're not talking about an empire, you're talking about a church, or a mutual aid team, not even a kingdom or a power, and the concept of empire is much bigger than that."

"Teacher, what is the bigger concept?"

Seraphine looked up and winked curiously.

If she wants to say that she doesn't know, she actually has a vague answer in her heart.

But after all, she still wanted to hear from her teacher.

Grad seemed to see through her thoughts, and his voice was still as calm as before:

"It's simple, people!"

"People?"

Without hearing the follow-up, Seraphine frowned and repeated what Grede had said.

"Back to your original question, the human heart, in my eyes, is an incomparably complex thing."

With a gentle smile on the corner of his mouth, Grad said in a soft voice:

"When there are not many people in a group, they always have a strong will to fight for their dreams and ideals, and they will be unusually pure. But..."

Grad Weiton, the conversation changed:

"When you go through the initial stages, the organization either disappears for various reasons, or it grows slowly, and it always takes in all kinds of people."

"It's like—" Seraphine thought for a moment, "the Trifali Council? ”

"Nice analogy."

Grad nodded with a smile, and Seraphine was relieved, and the teacher's smile finally brought recognition...

Not caring about the apprentice's small movements, Grad then said:

"In the beginning, after the Battle of Presidian, in order to change the empire, in order to counter the darkness behind the empire, we decided to create a group that belonged to the empire. Its original name was 'Trevary' by the Commander. ”

"Trevary," Seraphine said, "Teacher, I heard from Sister Caterina that Black Rose once invited you?" ”

The darkness behind the empire, after joining the empire, she also has a lot of understanding, it is the black rose led by LeBlanc. Congressman Elise and Congressman Vladimir are among the members.

"They invited me and even made it difficult for me to refuse."

"However, the teacher still refused!" Seraphine said.

No one would have thought that Ryan, who had always been the lieutenant of His Excellency Svein on the surface, was the real controller of Trefali.

But Seraphine still doesn't know why the teacher chose the empire, and why he is willing to do this for the sake of the empire.

Archarch Svein was born as Noxus, and he grew up seeing the Empire as the most important thing in his life.

But unlike him, his teacher was not originally a Noxian, but joined the empire halfway through, and thus came to this point.

Not only her own teacher, but also the other vice-president of the council, Darius, had a very similar experience to her teacher.

It was also later that he joined the empire, but he gave everything he had for the empire. Even not long ago, if it wasn't for the teacher's appearance, maybe he really killed his wife...

Imperial...

In these days of the Empire, she could feel the madness of all Noxians.

But it has never been possible to define this emotion.

Whether it's a farmer, a toiling blacksmith, or a valiant soldier... And finally, to the Parliament Chiefs, who represent the will of the Empire.

These all kinds of people, they seem to be able to give everything for the empire.

She could detect this emotion in every person in the empire, and while she was deeply shocked, she couldn't help but want to go back to the source and explore all the desires...

Empire, what kind of existence is it?

Perhaps, in her own heart, she actually faintly feels the same as everyone else.

Watching the roads and buildings of the Immortal Fortress change day by day, and looking at the smiles of those people from the bottom of her heart, even in her heart, she couldn't help but have an urge to protect the empire and witness the rise of the empire.

"It's not hard to understand." Grad glanced at Seraphine with a little meaning, and still spoke without hurry:

"Back to your question. The Trifali Council was initially consisting of me and the Commander, but after that, we absorbed Darius, who shared the same aspirations. By this time, in fact, Trevary was still pure. ”

"For the Empire," Seraphine muttered.

Each of the original trio was a man with a heart set on the Empire.

Grad nodded, and continued, "But in order to develop faster, Trefali needs to absorb more elites. It so happened that I met Camille in Piltover. ”

Fortunately? That's no coincidence at all...

Seraphine was scolded, but nodded obediently.

Aside from the fact that Councilor Camille had to return to Leather City because of his own teacher, Ms. Camille is indeed a different existence from the original three of Tripfary.

"Her heart is to Piltover, her heart is to her family. But she was still able to be a part of Trefali and become a fan of the Empire. ”

"Because, the rise and fall of the family and Piltover have long been tied to the empire?" Seraphine said uncertainly.

"Not bad." Greed reached out and stirred the sea breeze, "Oriana and Victor are similar. Countless elites come together for common interests to form a power or a kingdom. ”

"Elite... Is this the difference between a kingdom and an empire? Seraphine was keenly aware of the word.

Grad tapped his chin to confirm her statement: "Broadly speaking, empire refers to countries or forces led by the emperor, but also refers to those powerful countries in general. But for us, it's much more than that. ”

"Because," said Seraphine earnestly, "man! ”

When she said this word this time, she didn't have the doubts she had before.

There are many things that can be understood by thinking about the difference.

The difference between the empire and the kingdoms in other regions is that the generals and citizens of the empire always want to fight for it from the bottom of their hearts.

This, in contrast to Demacia's righteous and noble character, is that the empire satisfies the premise of allowing all people's personal ideals and goals to coexist, binding all of them together and striving for a common goal.

In the current empire, farmers who cultivate the land may be able to become local agricultural officials one day with their excellent agricultural skills. Businessmen, with their nimble business acumen, may be able to participate in national affairs like the Boxue father and son.

Even just an ordinary blacksmith might be able to shine at the War College. The professor of the mechanical department in the college used to be an ordinary blacksmith.

And Associate Professor Oriana, a few years ago, was just an ordinary person in Piltover.

Different people, in different industries. But everything they do, they can find their place in the empire.

No matter what you do, as long as you do something, you can get the respect of others.

Seraphine suddenly remembered that before leaving the Immortal Fortress, Councillor Morgana seemed to be planning another imperial wonder.

It seems to be called something... The stele forest of the capable.

It is said that hundreds or thousands of magic steles will be planted there, each representing an industry owned by the Empire.

Historians look to the thousands of years of imperial history for the names of those who have made outstanding contributions in various industries, or who have left a strong mark on them.

These names will be engraved on the stele by magic, and every time someone stands in front of the stele and looks at the names of their predecessors, they will recall in their minds the life of their predecessors, as well as the contributions they have made to the empire in their own fields, and the great deeds they have done...

"The Empire... A place where everyone can pursue their aspirations and ideals equally..."

Seraphine looked at the endless sea in front of her and muttered to herself.

The empire is like the sea in front of you, embracing all rivers and all things.

And this is the reason why my own teacher and those countless imperial people are willing to fight for it...

Grad stood beside her, his eyes looking at the sea: "The empire in everyone's eyes is not necessarily the same place. The idea of me and the Commander is to give everyone a chance to chase it. ”

"It's like Ziben, with his identity there will be no stage for development in Demacia, and with his physique he will not even survive in Freljord. And in the Empire, because of his talent, we are willing to give him a chance to develop himself. That's why you recruited him into the Department of Magic when you interviewed him at that time, wasn't it? ”

Hearing her teacher's words, Seraphine laughed dumbly.

Yes, with Ziben's mediocre magical talent, she didn't just admit the other party into the magic department.

Originally... Isn't it because of his fiery heart that wants to prove himself?

At this moment, Seraphine seemed to have figured out everything, and a bright smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

Looking at the appearance of his apprentice, Grad couldn't help but smile to himself.

Seraphine is uncertain today, and the root cause of it is a series of plans of Zben.

In any case, a young child has come up with a basically flawless counterbalance plan for Bilgewater, such a thing is always a little unacceptable.

What's more, Seraphine herself is not big.

It's only natural for Seraphine to have all sorts of thoughts about the cold-bloodedness and casualties in her plan.

But ah...

Glade's eyes twinkled with meaning.

Let countless amazing and brilliant geniuses be able to bloom their talents earlier, even if they do not hesitate to spend manpower, material and financial resources to deliberately create a platform for them.

This is the beginning of an empire...

( = )