Arcane Empire, Earth, Archon Palace.
Ian was sitting on a chair, with a huge holographic screen suspended in front of him. Like those Steel-Skin Folk people who had survived, he was also watching the live broadcast of this genocidal bombing.
He watched helplessly as the flames engulfed everything in its path.
No one, whether women, children, or the elderly, was spared.
Although separated by countless light years, he seemed to be sitting in the front row of the concert, and the mournful cries of 23 billion dying creatures clearly echoed in his mind.
Before making the final decision, he thought of countless reasons to defend himself.
For example, Steel-Skin Folk has committed numerous crimes against other races, and this is considered punishment for them; for another example, for the future of the Empire, this is a necessary sacrifice, and today's killing is to prevent more suffering in the future; he even deceives himself into thinking that it was not him who pressed the launch button, so the sin is not entirely his fault.
However, in the end, he could not deceive his heart.
This was a coldly calculated decision.
Since he has chosen this imperial path, Warpath will surely be accompanied by countless wars in the future.
By then, destroying a planet may be just a trivial matter. What will be on the balance in the future will be the survival of the entire galaxy, or even the universe.
If he can't even bear this psychological burden now, it would be better for him to abdicate as soon as possible and make way for someone more worthy.
Does he regret today's decision? Yes, even if his reason tells him that it is right, there will still be emotional waves.
If given another chance, would he do it again? The answer is still yes.
The goal of Ian has long been established: to plant the flag of the Arcane Empire in every corner of the universe and spread the fire of pursuing Truth and knowledge to all civilizations.
He wants to build a dazzling civilization with power and knowledge as Cornerstone.
Only by gathering the wisdom of millions of races can magic develop at an unprecedented speed and reach unimaginable heights, allowing him to touch the ultimate essence of magic and explore the Source of all things.
Of course, some people will accuse him: no one asked you to spread civilization, you did it purely because of your "Mary complex".
Regarding this accusation, Ian will admit that they are right.
But this will not shake his will, because this is the path he has chosen, and he has to walk it on his knees.
"As that crazy purple Titans said: 'The most difficult choice requires the strongest will.'"
Ian murmured to himself.
Then, he remembered his aunt Amelia's warning: don't become numb to this kind of killing.
He decided to keep this sentence in his heart as a warning for the future.
Ian waved his hand, and a bottle of liquor appeared out of thin air in his hand. Without any hesitation, he raised his head and poured the entire bottle of liquor down his throat like drinking water.
One bottle was finished, followed immediately by another.
At the same time, outside the room.
His wives were standing at the door, worries written on their faces.
"He hardly drinks alcohol at ordinary times, but now he drinks wine as water. It's obvious that something is wrong with him." Pheobe said with a frown.
"Then what should we do? Go in and stay with him?" Bellatrix asked.
"No, let him vent tonight." Rowena shook his head, "Based on what I know about him, by tomorrow morning, he will be back to normal - at least on the surface."
"Is there nothing we can do?" Luna was a little sad.
"Ian is actually a very honest person, especially about his feelings. Give him a few days to buffer. When he figures it out, we can ask him again and he will tell us."
Olivia·Armstrong interjected. For this matter, she secretly left the army and came back.
Although she was the last wife to cross the border, in the world of <Fullmetal Alchemist>, she had fought side by side with Ian for the longest time. Even Rowena's experience in the parallel timeline cannot compare with her in terms of "sharing weal and woe".
Therefore, she was the one who understood Ian's state best at this time. After listening to her suggestion, everyone nodded and decided to leave some space for her husband to be alone.
Blackwood Star System, Empire flagship.
After watching the live broadcast, Commander Sisko's hand on the armrest was shaking violently.
He clenched his fists tightly and tried to use the pain to calm himself down, but it was to no avail.
Breathing became increasingly difficult, and a dusty memory suddenly flooded into my mind.
That was the scene when he was studying the history of Old Era at the Naval Academy. The book talked about Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, and his famous confession and regret after the nuclear explosion.
When I read this paragraph, Sisko was full of disdain for Oppenheimer, thinking that he was a weak-willed person.
But today, he finally understood that feeling. When he thought about 23 billion lives being wiped out because of his orders, the strong sense of suffocation made him almost have a panic attack.
But after all, he is an elite who has undergone rigorous training.
Without any hesitation, Sisko cast [Mechanical Mind Charm] on himself.
In an instant, all the fear, guilt and trembling disappeared, replaced by absolute reason and coldness.
He ordered his men to connect the broadcast to Steel-Skin Folk again.
On the screen, Sisko's face was expressionless and his voice was as cold as iron:
"As you can see, this is the price of resistance. According to the Empire law, we will give your race a second chance."
"Surrender, or annihilate the clan."
This time, Steel-Skin Folk Council did not hesitate at all and immediately chose to surrender.
In the face of that kind of power that destroys the world, any will to resist seems so feeble.
The next day, Ian came to Blackwood Star System in person, dressed in costumes and wearing a crown, accepted Steel-Skin Folk's surrender and signed the treaty.
He sat on the golden throne, looking down at the Steel-Skin Folk King and several members of Congress in front of him.
Through Legilimency, he easily read the hearts of these people.
Fear, hatred, disgust...
There are even a few people thinking in their minds whether they can take advantage of this opportunity of close contact to assassinate or kidnap Arcane Emperor.
Boom!
Ian suddenly released [Spiritual Pressure].
A terrifying mental pressure came instantly, pressing all Steel-Skin Folk executives present to the ground. Not only were they unable to move or breathe, but even their thinking became stagnant.
In the face of this divine power, the ridiculous rebellious thoughts in their minds disappeared instantly.
"In view of your actions of waging war and resisting, your race will be classified as second-class citizens, and your rights and freedoms will be restricted."
Ian took back Spiritual Pressure and pronounced the verdict calmly.
"However, everything is not hopeless. As long as you join the army and make enough meritorious service for the Empire, you will eventually have the opportunity to be promoted to official citizens."
"At that time, you will have equal educational rights, the qualification to learn magic, a long lifespan, top-level medical care, and everything Empire citizens enjoy Fawley."
When the members of Steel-Skin Folk Council heard this decision, they all looked surprised.
They had been mentally prepared to be slaves for generations - just like they had done to those conquered races.
Although they know that the days ahead will still be difficult, this at least gives them hope.
Although I don't know whether this Arcane Emperor will keep his promise, it is better than complete despair.
In fact, Ian never intended to completely turn Steel-Skin Folk into a slave.
He knew very well that it was extremely difficult to enslave an intelligent race because the fire of resistance would never be extinguished.
No matter how long it takes, no matter how harsh the rule, an uprising will eventually occur.
If you want to perfectly enslave a race, there are only two ways:
The first one is like house elves, through long-term brainwashing, they are made to think that "serving the master is the supreme honor" from the root of their thinking.
The second is to use the powerful Bloodline Curse. But this is not safe. As time goes by, the magic may fail, or a genius may be born in Steel-Skin Folk to break the curse.
Therefore, Ian chose the third path: domestication of civilization.
First of all, let Steel-Skin Folk suffer some hardships and let them exchange for freedom through hard work, so that they will know how to cherish it.
In the process of their struggle for freedom, by showing the superior life of the Empire citizens, the yearning for the Empire identity is subtly implanted.
Eventually, when they are free, their sense of Self identity will no longer be "Steel-Skin Folk", but "Empire people".
Although this process is long and slow, it is the only way to achieve long-term peace and stability.
(Note: A new world will open in the next chapter or two.)