One million soldiers! Thirty Star Destroyers!
The Soul Saint Wizards and Imperial Councilors looked at one another, all stunned by the emperor's army expansion plan. Some even thought it was too crazy.
Even over a thousand years ago, during the emperor's reign, when the Empire's military was at its peak, it had only a little over three hundred thousand soldiers. After the seven legions merged with the Duke's Guard, the resulting force of three hundred and fifty thousand had already broken the Empire's historical record and reached its highest point.
Yet the emperor actually wanted to triple it!
A genuine million-man army!
These weren't ordinary soldiers. Every one of them was a Transcendent. Transcendents held a status far above ordinary people, and getting them to join the army and obey orders required paying a great price. Their salaries alone amounted to an enormous figure.
On top of that, there were various benefits, potions, facilities to aid cultivation, Demon Souls, training, weapons and equipment, magic items, and so on. None of these were cheap.
A standing army composed of over a million Transcendents would require terrifying military expenditures every year.
There was no need for such a massive army to rule the Empire!
What was the emperor trying to do?
Everyone looked at one another, but no one spoke for a moment.
Ansiwodoss was just about to speak when Oruoin beat him to it. The founder of the Combat Wizards had always been outspoken, and he asked directly, "Rayne, I want to know why you're building this million-man army. You have absolutely no need for so many people. No one can shake your position in the Empire."
"Master, the sword of the Empire Defense Army is pointed beyond the Empire, not at the Empire itself," Rayne explained. "That's why it's called