Traditionalists and Reformists

But Li Qi also knew very well that this was clearly not what Bolent was asking.

As expected, upon hearing Li Qi's words, Bolent shook his head at him.

He sighed softly and said to Li Qi:

"When I say work for me, I don't just mean that. I want you to become my confidant, a true confidant that I can trust."

Bolent was openly recruiting Li Qi.

He really did want Li Qi to stand on his side.

Li Qi started thinking again.

Having lived at the academy for some time recently, Li Qi had also vaguely come to understand that within the Duchy... and even within the military, there were different factions.

Where there are people, there is conflict; where there is power, there are faction divisions.

Li Qi naturally knew this.

Not to mention far-off places, even on the front line where Li Qi was stationed, within a small battalion, there were different faction divisions.

Things like the Academy Faction, the Commoner Faction, the Magic Faction...

Although those divisions weren't obvious and they didn't fight amongst themselves, this method of banding together for warmth did exist.

If it was like this on the front line, how much more so in the relatively stable rear?

Currently, the military within the Royal Capital was divided into two distinct factions.

Li Qi did a little research.

These two factions were the 'Reformist Faction', which advocated for new policies, and the 'Traditional Faction', which leaned towards the Nobles.

And judging by Bolent's appearance, he was clearly a member of the Reformist Faction.

Li Qi was close with Wood, and Berry, the Head of the Medical Department on the front line whom he knew, also belonged to the Nobles; they were naturally part of the Traditional Faction.

Because of this, Li Qi should actually be closer to the Traditional Faction.

This might also be one of the reasons Wood advised Li Qi to stay away from the Intelligence Department.

The Intelligence Department was established by Bolent and belonged unequivocally to the Reformist Faction. Since they controlled the most important intelligence agency, they might be targeted and suppressed by the Traditional Faction.

If Li Qi stayed here, his future prospects might not be very good.

But directly refusing Bolent here would also not be a good thing.

At the very least, Bolent had currently extended an olive branch to Li Qi, and this was something the Traditional Faction had not yet done.

Li Qi thought about many things in a short moment. Bolent saw Li Qi's hesitation and his expression was calm:

"You have concerns."

"Yes..."

"You're worried that you'll get caught up in the military's faction disputes?"

Bolent directly pointed out the core of Li Qi's worries.

Li Qi hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and nodded:

"Yes, sir. This subordinate... this subordinate truly does not wish to participate in these factional struggles."

If Li Qi were a bit older, his current performance would clearly be subpar.

As a soldier, no matter when, one must not lose their courageous heart.

Even if the opponent might be one of their own.

But Li Qi's age was enough to compensate for all the mistakes he made.

After all, he was too young.

Only thirteen years old.

So Bolent displayed the attitude of a normal adult towards a child.

He said kindly to Li Qi:

"If those are your worries, then it's no problem. I can guarantee that within these two years, the Reformist Faction will definitely resolve the Traditional Faction issue!"

Bolent was quite confident when he said this.

As if he had already seen that future.

However...

Two years...

Li Qi pondered this timeframe.

Two years was exactly the duration of Li Qi's advanced studies at the academy.

The normal teaching period at Rolex Military Academy was two years, and after two years, Li Qi could graduate with the rank of Second Lieutenant.

If, at that time, the faction Bolent belonged to could indeed resolve the Traditional Faction issue, then Li Qi really wouldn't have to worry about the factional struggle affecting him.

But that was just the ideal scenario.

First, Li Qi wasn't at all sure if Bolent's Reformist Faction could really resolve the factional conflict quickly within two years.

Second, the academy itself was also affected by the factional conflict.

There was no guarantee these effects wouldn't reach Li Qi.

So, if that were the only issue, Li Qi could still choose to refuse Bolent's offer.

But Bolent seemed to understand that what he had said wasn't enough to win Li Qi over, so he offered other conditions:

"I know that even so, you might be attacked by the Traditional Faction within these two years, so... I have another condition that will definitely satisfy you."

"...?"

"It seems you are quite fond of magic?"

Seeing the look of confusion on Li Qi's face, Bolent suddenly changed the subject and asked.

Li Qi nodded in affirmation:

"That's right, I am indeed very fond of studying magic, and everything related to it."

This was no secret; Li Qi had cultivated this persona at the school as well.

Bolent continued:

"So, I can give you an opportunity to deeply study magic... You should have heard of the 'Magic Kingdom', right?"

"I have heard of it."

Li Qi nodded again.

The Magic Kingdom, 'Inglis', was the country with the richest magical knowledge in this world.

It was also one of the most powerful countries in the original world.

In the Kingdom of Inglis, there were the strongest mages in the world, and the most profound magical knowledge.

The Inglis Academy of Magic was the top-tier magic academy in the entire world; magic academies in other countries were actually imitating them.

Before firearms became officially widespread globally, the Kingdom of Inglis was undoubtedly the center of the world.

And even though it had declined now, the lingering prestige of the Kingdom of Inglis remained; it was at least a first-tier country in the world.

"I can arrange an identity for you to study at the Inglis Academy of Magic, for a period of... three years."

Bolent smiled as he extended an olive branch.

It had to be said, Bolent's condition truly struck a chord with Li Qi.

Nothing in this world held much attraction for Li Qi.

The economy was backward, the culture was backward, and entertainment was backward.

Whether it was firearms or various traditional games, they were all things Li Qi had seen in his previous lives.

The only thing that could pique Li Qi's interest was magic.

Even if the magic in this world wasn't as powerful as he had imagined, Li Qi was willing to immerse himself in it.

Therefore, Bolent's proposal genuinely made Li Qi's heart flutter.

It left him speechless, unable to refuse for a moment.

Bolent didn't press Li Qi for an immediate answer. After stating his conditions, he stood up and said:

"You don't need to rush to reply. You can come find me anytime before the end-of-month assessment. The door to my office is always open for you."

After saying this, without giving Li Qi a chance to speak, he continued:

"Alright, time is almost up. There's a second test coming up. If you don't want to stay here, just sign a non-disclosure agreement in a bit and head back to your dormitory."

"Yes, then I... will take my leave."

Seeing that Bolent had no intention of keeping him, Li Qi also stood up and left.

After signing the non-disclosure agreement and walking out of the Academy of Technology, Li Qi's mind was still occupied with what Bolent had said, and the Magic Amplification Orb Model 1 he had just used.

Li Qi decided not to think about what Bolent had said for now.

The struggle between the Reformist Faction and the Traditional Faction had little to do with Li Qi at the moment.

What truly surprised Li Qi was actually the Magic Amplification Orb researched by Dr. Riv.

That thing had indeed amplified Li Qi's Magic Power and successfully allowed him to augment the bullets with Magic Power, enhancing the power of the firearms.

It was foreseeable that if this thing could be simplified in the future and made into ordinary orbs that could be carried around, then future wars would definitely be centered around Mage Masters.

Dr. Riv had single-handedly pulled Mage Masters back from the brink of falling into the abyss; he was truly a genius.

"I want both the Magic Orb and the opportunity to study at the magic academy..."

Li Qi thought greedily in his heart.

He wanted to get his hands on a Magic Amplification Orb to study its specific composition.

But at the same time, he also wanted to visit the magic academy and learn more knowledge there.

And no matter which path he took, it seemed he couldn't avoid Major Bolent.

This gave Li Qi a major headache.

Caught up in this dilemma, Li Qi returned to the front of his Military Academy dormitory.

But before Li Qi could even step inside, he saw a familiar figure standing by the dorm entrance.

Was that...

Berry, the Head of the Frontline Medical Department?