"So, Your Majesty the Consul, what brings you here?"
Albus Dumbledore looked at the still young emperor in front of him, his eyes Blink shone with wisdom.
Prior to this, Ian's attitude towards the expansion of the universe has always been to "dig holes deep and accumulate food widely", being extremely cautious, and even a little conservative. This is why Dumbledore has been wandering outside for so many years, but the intelligence collected is relatively limited - limited by his strength and authority, it is difficult for him to get in touch with Core Circle's son Milky Way Galaxy.
But today, Ian's attitude has obviously changed.
"As you guessed, Albus."
Ian stood with his hands behind his back, and the starry sky background behind him was distorted by a strange magic wave. "Empire has completed internal integration. Now, it is time for us to adopt a more active and aggressive diplomatic strategy."
"So I brought you some 'supplies'."
Ian hit the Snap, and the surrounding scene changed instantly.
The first gift: Authority of knowledge.
A huge black server tower rose out of thin air, with a faint blue data stream flowing on its surface.
"This is [Arcane Grand Library]'s interstellar distribution server."
Ian introduced, "I placed it in this independent pocket dimension, and only you have the highest access rights. No matter where you are in Milky Way Galaxy, you can connect here through Skynet and obtain the latest magical research results of the Empire."
"Of course, according to the Empire law, knowledge is priceless. You still need to pay Arcane Merit to redeem it."
Dumbledore nodded and had no objection to this. As one of the few Empire veterans with a Level 4 security clearance, he enjoyed an amazing discount when exchanging knowledge. Moreover, the intelligence he had collected over the years was a huge meritorious asset in itself.
The old principal couldn't wait to connect to the network. When he saw the document about [Fourth- and Fifth-Tier Ascension Guide], his breathing became faster.
As long as he has this, relying on his century-old magic accumulation and outstanding talent, breaking through Fifth Tier is just around the corner.
He signed the confidentiality agreement with strong soul binding without hesitation.
Seeing this knowledge that could subvert the world, Dumbledore felt mixed emotions.
He looked at Ian, and he couldn't help but have a complicated emotion in his heart: If he had not chosen to suppress the development of wizards back then, but instead led civilization forward in a wild but orderly way like Ian, what would Wizarding World look like now?
He admitted that he was a qualified Guardians, but by no means a qualified pioneer. He lacked the ambition and courage of Ian who dared to devour the world.
Of course, this does not mean that he will give up his principles.
"If one day you get lost in power and become the second Dark Lord..." Dumbledore silently reiterated that vow in his heart, "I will still be the one to stop you."
"Just a reminder."
Ian's voice interrupted the old man's contemplation, "This pocket dimension is bound to a self-destruct program. Once it is detected that your soul is controlled, or an external force tries to forcibly crack the coordinates, this place will Annihilation become nothingness in an instant. So, take care of your brain."
The second gift: The Thousand-Faced Spy.
Ian brought Dumbledore and Pheobe to another area.
There are hundreds of sleeping cabins lined up here. Through the glass cover, you can see the young faces sleeping inside.
"This is a masterpiece of collaboration between masters Genetic Engineering Department and Transfiguration - [Mimics(Mimics)]."
There was a chill in Ian's tone, "They are born spies. We injected Metamorphmagus's blood factor into their bodies and trained them Human Transfiguration like Hell."
"They can transform into any race - humans, elves, orcs, or even some non-carbon-based creatures. Not only their appearance, but also their genetic map, magic power fluctuations and even soul breath can be perfectly simulated."
Dumbledore immediately understood the purpose of these "people".
This is a ghost force used to infiltrate Milky Way Galaxy major civilizations.
"Speaking of Metamorphmagus...Tonks, how is the child?" Dumbledore suddenly asked.
"She is very good. She originally clamored to join the first batch of 'Mimics' troops, but Lupin firmly opposed it. The two had a big fight over this."
Ian shrugged, "In the end, they reached a compromise: Tonks will be the instructor responsible for training the second batch of students and will not perform field missions for the time being."
Dumbledore breathed a sigh of relief. The first batch of infiltration missions often have the highest mortality rate. Lupin's worries are not unreasonable.
"But be careful," Ian added, "Their disguise is not absolutely perfect. There is still a risk of exposure when encountering priests with high-level detection Divine Arts or extremely sensitive races."
The Third Gift: War Fleets and Commercial Ambition.
Finally, Ian showed a small fleet parked in Void. Although the number was small, each battleship was equipped with the Empire's latest models, Magic-Guided Railgun and Void Shield.
"These are your military guarantees."
Ian looked at Dumbledore, "I want you to form a mercenary group of your own."
"Mercenary?" Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.
"Yes. But this is just a cover. Your real mission is to become the largest arms dealer in Milky Way Galaxy."
Ian's eyes flashed with the light of a shrewd businessman.
"Using Empire's powerful 3D magic printing technology, we can mass-produce various low-level magic weapons at low cost. I want you to sell these weapons to every corner of Milky Way Galaxy."
"This will touch the interests of many people." Dumbledore pondered.
"I know. But we have a strategy."
Ian stretched out three fingers and began to analyze the market:
"First, Elves. Those arrogant long-eared people only do high-end customization and look down on the low-end market at all, so they won't care about us."
"Second, Dwarves. They are good at forging, but not good at enchanting. We can seek cooperation or even hire them to form a complementary industrial chain."
"The third and most troublesome--Gnome."
Mentioning this race, Ian's expression turned cold, "This group of greedy green dwarves controls most of the low-end trade routes. They will definitely come to cause trouble, and even want to suck blood from us."
"Don't be polite to them."
Ian issued an order to Dumbledore, "It's okay to give them a little sweetness as toll, but if they dare to open their mouths... use that fleet to tell them what Truth is only within the range of cannons."
"If you don't show off your muscles, these greedy guys will suck all your marrow out."
"Last and most important - human beings."
Ian's vision became far-reaching, "Use the arms business to contact the human civilizations scattered throughout Milky Way Galaxy. Empire needs a population, a massive population. They will be our future compatriots and the Cornerstone that Empire expands."
This is an economic war and a population plunder war.
"I understand."
Dumbledore nodded and accepted this important task. Although the span from the principal of Hogwarts to an interstellar arms dealer was long, for the future of Wizarding Civilization, he was willing to become a businessman holding a sword.
After explaining everything, Ian was in no hurry to leave.
He took Pheobe to spend a few days in this pocket dimension as a two-person world, which was regarded as compensation for his wife who had been silently supporting him.
A few days later, Voidwalker set sail again.
Target: Earth.
With the departure of Ian, a large web with trade and espionage as threads, woven in the shadow of Milky Way Galaxy, officially opened.