It was the year 856. Eren had one year and eight months left to live, while Sasha had five years and ten months.
The Inledi Kingdom suddenly announced that it had successfully developed jet fighters. At the same time, it established the Royal Air Force and expanded it aggressively, assembling a combat force of two thousand fighters within just a few months.
This revolutionary news shook the entire northern hemisphere, including the Mid-East continent, the Marley Continent, and the Far East-and, naturally, Paradis Island.
Chen Si immediately contacted the Empire's Cabinet and the Military Corps' senior leadership for an emergency discussion on expanding the army.
"How many troops can we mobilize nationwide right now?" Chen Si asked.
"Fewer than fifty thousand, if we exclude the Marley Volunteers, the Aima people, and the black people," Pixis said evenly.
Chen Si counted on his fingers and thought for a moment. "How many soldiers could we conscript if we reduced domestic production while ensuring people could still meet their basic needs?"
Everyone present looked somewhat stunned by his words.
"Has the situation really reached that point?" Zackly asked.
"Yes." Chen Si nodded.
Pixis stroked his mustache. "Our economy is now more than ten times what it used to be, and we have sufficient grain reserves. But if we expand the army on a massive scale, there will be no one to farm the land. I'm afraid people's quality of life will fall back to where it was ten years ago."
"Minister Pixis, if we can't resist an enemy invasion, I'm afraid we won't even have our old lives left. Isn't that right?" Chen Si said.
After a long silence, Pixis said, "The island now has a population of 1.5 million, including 1.2 million Eldia people. Two-thirds of them are in their prime. Conscripting