Chapter 398: Chapter 251: Heavenly Flowers Fall, Golden Lotuses Spring
Even the calmest of individuals became exceptionally fervent under the prolonged indoctrination and the hypnosis of Extraordinary Power.
The calmer individuals simply expressed their fervor more subtly, their only outward sign a physical trembling.
Nevertheless, their minds had been utterly captivated by Fang Zhen.
After speaking for two days straight, Fang Zhen felt confident. ’It seems that manipulating human souls, becoming an engineer of the soul, is truly the path of least investment for the greatest return,’ he realized.
Barring extreme, low-probability events like soldiers on the brink of starvation, the noble officers—the backbone and de facto leaders of the Augustus and Balenzuo armies—would now be completely loyal to him.
Fang Zhen couldn’t help but reflect, ’No wonder some people are born leaders.’
’With my current oratory skills—not even counting my eloquence, just the ability to incite such passion—I could, on a smaller scale, become a motivational speaker and earn tens of millions a year like it was child’s play.’
’On a grander scale, I could be a positive figure like Martin Luther King or a religious leader. Or, to take a negative example, I could become a figure like Hitler.’
Fang Zhen’s confidence soared.
When he unsealed the church, Mansa and the other Mages were finally allowed inside. As they entered and saw the nobles’ bizarre condition, they were all left dumbfounded.
The armed nobles, all of Knight rank or higher, thronged before Fang Zhen as if terrified of being too far from him. They practically crawled forward, vying to kiss the back of his hands and the tops of his feet. One after another, they dropped to one knee, swearing oaths of fealty.
This was the kind of reverence these nobles might show to the King himself, but even then, they could not possibly be more respectful to the King than they were now to Fang Zhen.
This scene unfolded before the very eyes of Mansa and the other Mages, shocking them into stunned disbelief.
At that moment, Fang Zhen descended slowly like a Sect Leader. He looked at Mansa and said, "It seems subduing these nobles wasn’t as difficult as you made it out to be, Mansa Mage."
Mansa was so shocked he was almost speechless.
After a long moment, the Elder Mage let out a deep sigh and bowed his head to Fang Zhen.
"Sir, your abilities are beyond my comprehension. My previous doubts stemmed from my own ignorance. Please, allow me to offer you my respect," Mansa said, his head still bowed.
Fang Zhen chuckled.
Proving his doubters wrong with facts was a great source of pleasure for Fang Zhen.
In truth, even he hadn’t expected such a powerful outcome before his oration. But all in all, the seemingly impossible task of winning over the territory’s nobles in such a short time was complete. For him, it had been both easy and enjoyable.
Gazing at the many Knights and nobles still staring at him with fanatical eyes, Fang Zhen smiled at Mansa. "Alright, now that the issue of loyalty is resolved, let’s move on to the next matter."
Fang Zhen actually agreed with the point Mansa had raised earlier.
He lacked legitimacy and needed the King to recognize his status as Duke to have a legal claim to his position.
However, Fang Zhen already had his own plan for this matter.
...
「The next morning.」
Fang Zhen sat in the main command tent, having switched from his persona as a Sect Leader during the oration to his current one as Commander-in-Chief.
His confidants had once again gathered in the main tent.
Although Tahar, Finn, and the others had been in a state of fervent zeal yesterday and the day before, that state had now faded. They seemed no different than before.
The other hypnotized nobles appeared the same, seemingly having snapped out of their zealous state.
But Fang Zhen knew. ’The effects of the hypnosis are now deeply imprinted on the subconscious minds of the nobles and officers.’
’It can be triggered at any moment, given the right conditions.’
’Of course, this fanatical, hypnotic state can’t last forever on its own. True loyalty must be built on a foundation of shared interests and reinforced with tangible actions.’
’Otherwise, when self-interest is at stake, even the strongest hypnosis can be overcome. Some people might still act against their own subconscious urges for pragmatic reasons.’
’But regardless, the problems of loyalty and security within the territory have been satisfactorily resolved. That Chapter is closed.’
Fang Zhen looked at his elite subordinates.
"Mansa, Maso, are we ready to transmit the Magic Letter to the Kingdom?" Fang Zhen asked.
He needed to resolve the issue of his legitimacy as a Duke.
Mansa replied, "Yes, the Magic Array has been constructed. We can send a message to the Royal Capital at any time."
Fang Zhen nodded slightly. He already knew the principle behind this Magic Array.
Maso had explained the principle to him. There was a permanent Magic Array located at the Royal Mage Association in the Royal Capital. This array had a parameter that functioned like a set of coordinates, and nearly all Mages above a certain level knew them.
From almost anywhere in the Kingdom, one could set up a temporary terminal Array to connect to the main Magic Array in the Royal Capital.
The connection was initiated one-way, much like individual telephones calling a central switchboard. This method only allowed messages to be sent from the field to the Royal Capital, or for the Royal Capital to send a reply. Direct communication between two temporary Arrays was impossible without their own established coordinates.
"Good." Fang Zhen turned to look at Ottis and asked, "Have you finished drafting the letter I assigned you?"
