Briggs Fortress, in the major general's office.
The portal leading to the sea of stars has been closed, and the cold military style has returned to the room. But the magic power fluctuations remaining in the air, and the shock in Olivia·Mira·Armstrong's eyes have not faded away, all indicate that what just happened was not an illusion.
Ian slowly walked up to the female general who was still in a state of shock, raised her right hand, and spoke politely but with unquestionable control:
"If you don't mind?"
Olivia frowned, her instinct as a superior made her reject the touch of others, but after witnessing that destructive power, she finally nodded stiffly.
Ian's fingers gently rested on both sides of her temples, her fingertips feeling slightly cold.
"The process may be a little painful, so bear with it."
The words have not yet fallen.
Boom!
A huge flow of information was like a flood that burst a dam, instantly overwhelming Olivia's mental defenses and forcefully pouring into her cerebral cortex.
It did not involve the core secrets of the Empire. Ian only transmitted a "Arcane Empire common sense package for ordinary citizens".
But even so, for a native who is still in the steampunk era, this is still a cognitive nuclear explosion.
In the spiritual world, Olivia saw the magical city suspended in the clouds, the transmission network connecting the planets, the automated factory that perfectly integrated magic and technology, and the glorious epic that recorded the rise and fall of civilization for thousands of years.
She saw what the real "Empire" looked like - it was not a regime huddled in a corner of the continent, fighting bloody battles over territorial disputes, but a behemoth that conquered the plane and held the stars in the palm of its hand.
A few minutes later.
Ian Take your hand back.
Olivia stumbled, holding on to the desk before she could barely stand still. She gasped for breath, and cold sweat soaked her golden temples. Although it was just "common sense", the density of information in it still made her brain ache.
The most important thing is that Ian still has a secret.
The information he transmitted has been strictly screened. In view of the fact that the being named "Truth" may be spying on everything at all times, Ian does not dare to reveal too many secrets about his identity as a time traveler or the core magic system. He is guarding against the "god" of this world.
"Huh..."
Olivia calmed down his breathing, raised his head again, and looked at Ian with a completely changed look. If there was a trace of doubt about the "magic stick" before, now he only has a look at the strong man.
"I didn't expect... you actually control such a huge power."
"So-so." Ian shrugged, his tone as calm as if he was commenting on today's dinner.
"Did you know? Excessive modesty is the ultimate arrogance in the eyes of others." Olivia snorted coldly.
"A lot of people have said that."
Ian smiled nonchalantly, pulled up a chair and sat down, even crossing his legs, "Okay, the presentation session is over. Now it's time to talk about business."
Olivia was silent for a moment, and the question that troubled her came to her mind again.
"In your plan, you plan to let me airborne directly to command that... star fleet capable of destroying the world?"
In the vision just now, she witnessed a fully equipped space fleet sailing away from Solar System. That kind of scale of force made her, a so-called "major general," feel deeply powerless.
Ian shook his head.
Olivia frowned. "You want to regret it?"
"No, you misunderstood."
Ian explained patiently, as if teaching a student who has not yet started, "Although as the emperor, I do have the power to make a promise and can directly appoint you as the commander-in-chief of Imperial Starfleet. But I hate trouble."
"You should be able to imagine how much political games and power struggles are associated with such a high position. I am not interested in helping you deal with those unconvinced old guys, nor do I want to listen to those nobles buzzing in my ears."
Ian's fingers tapped the armrest lightly and said his arrangement:
"So, my plan is - you join the army as an ordinary private. Use the war, use your talents, and climb up from the mountain of corpses and sea of blood step by step."
"When your military exploits reach an unparalleled level, I will naturally hand over the marshal's scepter to you. By then, no one will dare to question your authority."
"This is not only a training for you, but also to save me unnecessary political costs."
"Aren't you afraid of public opinion?" Olivia asked, "If I disobey, or I have different intentions..."
"Look into my eyes, Olivia."
Ian suddenly interrupted her, his blue eyes as deep as abyss, showing absolute coldness and confidence, "You seem to have made a mistake. That is my Empire."
"In this huge machine, I can do whatever I want. The reason why I let you take this path is purely because I am too lazy to appease those politicians, and I also feel that this is more conducive to your future rule. That's all."
"If I want, I can put the crown on your head right now and kill all the opponents. Although it's a little rougher, the result is the same."
Olivia was silent.
She understood. This was the self-confidence of an absolute dictator. The reason why he chose moderate methods was not because of restrictions, but simply because he was "lazy".
This is a terrifying power.
A full half hour passed.
There was deathly silence in the room, except for the ticking of the clock on the wall.
Finally, Olivia raised his head, Blink's eyes that were as cold as the ice in the north shone with determination.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ian. I still have to reject your proposal."
"Oh?"
Ian did not show surprise, but raised his eyebrows with interest, "Give me a reason."
"First, I have my responsibility."
Olivia stood up and walked to the window, overlooking Briggs Fortress in the wind and snow.
"Although compared to your Arcane Empire, Amestris is as weak as a joke. But this is where I was born and grew up. My soldiers are here, and my family is here. My dream has never changed - to seize power from those corrupt senior leaders and lead this country to prosperity."
"I will not be a deserter when this country needs me most."
"Loyalty to the motherland is a good reason." Ian nodded in appreciation, "What about the second one?"
"Second, there is no emotion between us."
Olivia turned around and looked directly at Ian, "We have only known each other for a few days. You can't expect me to marry you just because you look strong or you are pretty. I am a soldier, not a nymphomaniac."
"I didn't expect that the famous Ice Queen actually cares about love? It's really surprising." Ian joked.
Olivia ignored his taunt and raised his third finger:
"Third and last. As far as I know, you have more than one wife."
"That's right, there are four of them now." Ian admitted frankly, "Is there anything else?"
"No more. Just these three points."
"Very good."
Ian stood up and walked to Olivia. The distance between the two was very close.
"I have the perfect solution for your concerns."
"First of all, regarding your responsibility to Amestris. I don't mind waiting."
Ian's voice was full of temptation, "You can stay here to fulfill your ambitions, seize power, and govern the country. Even if it takes fifty years, it doesn't matter if you become an old woman."
"At that time, as long as you no longer care about this country, I will use magic to bring you back to your youth. Then I will take you and your family away."
Olivia's pupils shrank. "Return to youth? How old are you this year?"
"This body is about sixty years old. But if you include the age of the soul..." Ian touched his chin, "About two hundred years old? I can't remember the specifics. Because I have experienced time travel and hibernation, it is very troublesome to calculate. In short, I am immortal."
Looking at this "old monster" who looked only twenty years old in front of him, Olivia was extremely shocked.
If immortality is real, then the passage of time is indeed meaningless.
"As for the second point, emotional issues."
Ian continued, "In the same way, time solves everything. In the next few years, as you climb the political ladder in this country, we have enough time to get to know each other and build trust."
Having said this, Ian paused and his tone became a little playful.
"As for the last point... unfortunately, this is not negotiable."
"As you can see, I am a philanthropic person, or rather, a womanizer. I have no intention of changing that."
"So, if you want to board my battleship, you must accept this 'flaw'. If you cannot accept it, it only means that our fate has not come."
This is a naked ultimatum.
Olivia fell into deep thought.
She doesn't care about secular moral values. In Armstrong family's family motto, the law of the jungle is the only Truth. The strong have more resources and spouses, which is the law of nature.
Since Ian is so powerful - even beyond the mortal dimension, it seems... logical that he has multiple partners?
As long as he is strong enough.
"I can accept that."
After a long time, Olivia raised his head with an aggressive smile on his lips.
"But I have a condition."
"Please speak."
"If one day... I become stronger than you."
Olivia took a step forward, and the queen-like aura burst out, staring into Ian's eyes:
"Then you must send away all your other wives and keep me alone."
Ian was stunned for a moment.
Immediately, he touched his chin and a bright smile appeared on his face.
"Although I know that several people in the family will definitely be unhappy when they hear about this bet... but I have to say that I really like your ambition."
"Deal."
Ian stretched out his hand and held the hand wearing military gloves.
"I accept your challenge, my queen."