Chapter 1900: Civilizational Diplomacy

The Emperor of the Dawn Empire struck Sein as surprisingly approachable.

During their conversation, he not only asked about the current state of the Magus Civilization but also inquired about Lady Bev, its leader.

As a mere Rank Five, Sein naturally had no direct contact with figures of her standing.

So far, the only overlord-level powerhouse he had interacted with most was Klopp of the Western Archipelago.

To Sein’s surprise, the Emperor was not only aware of Klopp but also quite familiar with the Western Archipelago of Magus World.

Although Sein had never met Lady Bev in person, he had seen her once during the 25th Magus Alliance Conference.

He explained that after the Magus Civilization declared war on the Gallant Federation at that conference. The conflict had since escalated into full-scale war, with fighting growing more intense by the day.

At first, the Magus Civilization had held the advantage.

While there had been setbacks on certain fronts, they had largely maintained control of the overall situation.

Recently, however, things had begun to shift with the intervention of the Amenkha Empire.

Sein did not have a full picture of the current state of the war. He could only share what he knew, while emphasizing that the Magus Civilization urgently needed support from the Dawn Empire.

When Sein formally raised the request for aid, the Emperor did not give an immediate answer.

For the Dawn Empire, joining a Clash of Civilizations on this scale would be a decision that could affect the fate of the entire nation.

This was nothing like the smaller campaigns they had fought in the Rongyue Star Domain over the past few centuries.

Even with its strength, the Dawn Empire would be little more than a minor player compared to top-tier powers like the Magus Civilization, the Amenkha Empire, and the Gallant Federation.

If they won, the rewards would be significant—the Magus Civilization would not treat them poorly.

But if they lost...

For tens of thousands of years, the Dawn Empire’s policy had focused on “recovery” and “steady development”.

That likely had something to do with the passing of the First Emperor.

The current generation of powerhouses seemed far less willing to venture into distant battlefields for a war that did not directly concern them.

Crown Prince Gongsun Qi, for instance, advised the Emperor to approach the decision with caution.

Meanwhile, the older generals, most of them at Rank Five or Rank Six, looked visibly stirred.

Even so, none of them pressed to join the war. They simply turned their attention to the Emperor.

They trusted him to make the right call.

The atmosphere in the court quietly split into two camps.

Gongsun Wudi, one of the most respected figures in the Dawn Empire, had held immense prestige in the military for tens of thousands of years. Yet she chose not to take a clear stance that might upset the balance.

From beginning to end, she sat silently to one side of the hall.

In terms of rank, she stood above even the Crown Prince, second only to the Emperor himself.

After all, Gongsun Qi had to address her as “Aunt”.

In the end, the audience concluded without any firm decision.

A matter as significant as committing a large-sized world civilization to war was never going to be settled quickly.

Still, Sein gained quite a lot from the meeting.

The Emperor rewarded him with a large number of rare materials and resources—many of them specialties from regions surrounding the Dawn Empire. Some of these were elemental materials that had been difficult to obtain even through the Magus Alliance.

Among them, several types of rare elemental fire caught Sein’s particular interest.

In addition, the Dawn Emperor also granted him the honorary rank of Fourth-Grade official.

It was only a title; Sein would not command any of the empire’s forces.

Even so, when the imperial edict and seal were bestowed upon him, Sein clearly felt a vast surge of Dragon Qi above the capital flow into his body.

He did not cultivate Dragon Qi, but the energy fascinated him.

He even considered channeling this one-time influx of energy into a forbidden spell or some form of high-tier destructive magic.

To Sein, the Dragon Qi of the Dawn Empire bore some resemblance to the power of faith in divine systems.

The exact connection, however, would require careful study back in his laboratory.

After leaving the imperial palace, Sein felt both happy and also slightly disappointed.

What he wanted most was to return to the Magus Civilization as soon as possible.

Gongsun Wudi walked beside him.

Noticing the hint of frustration on his face, she said, “Don’t worry. My brother is a decisive man. If he intends to send troops, you will have an answer soon.”

Sein forced a smile. “And what do you think, Your Highness? Should the Dawn Empire support the Magus Civilization?”

Gongsun Wudi was silent for a moment before replying, “Whatever the circumstances, I’ll support the Emperor’s decision.”

“Personally, though, I’m inclined to help the Magus Civilization. When my father was alive, he often taught me to repay kindness. He also spoke to me about the Magus Civilization,” she added.

Sein nodded, then cast one last glance at the towering imperial palace behind him.

***

In the days that followed, the rewards bestowed by the Emperor of the Dawn Empire were delivered to Sein one after another.

By then, construction of his magic towers was mostly complete, and he was finally able to begin conducting experiments inside.

As for the question of whether the Dawn Empire would send troops to support the Magus Civilization, there was still no news.

Discussions were likely ongoing at the highest levels. Gongsun Wudi would occasionally enter the palace to report to the Emperor, but she spent most of her time training at her residence.

Sein had once observed her training up close.

In some ways, it resembled the methods used by knights in Magus World, but with a much stronger focus on comprehending the laws.

He often saw her standing silently by the lake in her residence, as though she had become one with her surroundings.

To someone like Sein, this approach to mastering the laws was both unfamiliar and deeply fascinating.

Given his background in body tempering and physiological research, he could not help but feel tempted to study her more closely.

Unfortunately, their relationship had not reached that point.

There was no way he could treat Gongsun Wudi like one of his test subjects and strap her to an experimental table to satisfy his curiosity, as he had with Kram or Reina.

After all, she was a peak Rank Six powerhouse.

While he waited and continued his research, still without any clear answer from the Dawn Empire, Sein received unexpected news—an official envoy from the Magus Civilization had arrived!

It turned out there had been no need for him to come in person after all. The Magus Civilization had already sent a formal diplomatic delegation through proper channels.

This envoy not only brought a formal request for assistance but also delivered a handwritten letter from Lady Bev to Emperor Gongsun Wuji.

Unlike Sein, who had come empty-handed, the official delegation carried detailed proposals outlining exactly what the Dawn Empire would gain by joining the war against the Gallant Federation, including terms on benefit distribution and troop deployment!

This was what true civilizational diplomacy looked like.

And it gave the Dawn Empire a real choice.