Chapter 472: The Development of Typhon

Daniel had never been just Gawain’s informant within the Sleeper faction; he was also his eyes and ears inside the Typhon Empire.

Though the old mage lived a reclusive life, isolated in a remote corner of Typhon far from the imperial center for many years, he was still, at heart, a Typhon native. As a mage, he retained some influence and connections, and the intelligence he could provide about the neighboring empire was invaluable to Gawain. Moreover, Typhon was a rapidly developing and ever-changing nation. Its remote regions were not like those of Ansu—despite delays in information flow, every inch of Typhon’s territory remained under the direct influence of Emperor Rosetta’s decrees. There was no risk of the kind of disconnect between the southern borderlands and the kingdom’s heartland that Ansu suffered.

Through Daniel, Gawain could learn much about Typhon. The information might not always be immediate, but it was far more reliable than the tales spun by adventurers or wandering bards.

At this moment, Daniel felt a flicker of relief—his female apprentice had just returned from town with a wealth of news. He dared not withhold anything and shared all the new information he had gathered.

“…Emperor Rosetta Augustus is expanding the army. He previously established a standing army system to replace conscription. Now, over half of Typhon’s military is composed of these professional soldiers, who undergo rigorous training…”

Gawain listened attentively, nodding slightly. Whenever something was unclear, he would ask Daniel to pause and elaborate.

Though Gawain had already inquired extensively about Typhon, his knowledge was still incomplete—not because Daniel had hidden anything, but because the old mage himself was unfamiliar with places beyond Typhon. To Daniel, everything about Typhon was common knowledge, so without specific questions, he didn’t know what details to report. Inevitably, some gaps remained.

“…Recently, Emperor Rosetta ordered the establishment of more schools and increased the number of rural teachers, mandating that farmers learn to read during their free time…”

Gawain frowned and lightly tapped the table, signaling Daniel to stop. “What is the current literacy rate among Typhon’s common folk?”

Daniel replied respectfully, “About 40% of farmers can spell common words like grain names and farming tools, and can understand grain collection receipts. Around 20% can read simple notices or write rudimentary letters. This percentage is steadily increasing.”

“How long has literacy education been promoted?”

“Six years ago, the emperor lifted the ban on literacy for commoners, but few took the initiative to learn at that time. It wasn’t until four years ago, when schools were established and teachers dispatched, that literacy rates began to rise. However, the real motivation came after the ‘Land Lease Act’ was enacted—farmers could rent imperial land and apply for seed grain themselves. To avoid being cheated by scribes or officials, more and more commoners started learning to read and write…”

Gawain’s expression darkened slightly. Daniel nervously watched the change on his face but continued when Gawain gave a slight nod.

“…Currently, acidification workshops using ‘burnstone’ are being established across the empire. Since last year, these workshops have been rapidly increasing. Emperor Rosetta likely intends to set up such workshops in all major grain-producing regions…”

Gawain interrupted again. “Stop—what exactly is a burnstone acidification workshop? Burnstone refers to that white sedimentary rock mined near the coast, right?”

Gawain had heard of “burnstone” before. It was a coastal specialty, especially abundant in Typhon. This grayish-white, porous mineral could ignite, hence the name “burnstone.” But its combustion was inefficient and produced irritating gases, making it unsuitable for heating or lighting. Could it be that the Typhonians had found a new way to utilize burnstone?

“Yes, burnstone is exactly that white rock,” Daniel replied, unaware of Gawain’s thoughts but reporting earnestly. “The chief alchemist of the Typhon Royal Mage Association discovered the burnstone acidification process several years ago. By crushing burnstone into powder and mixing it with acidified stone, then heating the mixture in a sealed container at high temperature, they produce a dark brown powder and a large amount of translucent crystals. The crystals, called ‘gray crystals,’ are somewhat valuable magical materials. The dark brown powder is known as ‘Dust of Abundance’… which can promote crop growth.”

As Daniel explained, Gawain tapped the table lightly, then suddenly stopped.

“Promote crop growth?”

“Yes. When diluted with plenty of water and used to irrigate fields, it’s far more effective than wood ash or manure. Burnstone is extremely cheap and easy to process. However, the Dust of Abundance quickly degrades upon contact with moisture in the air, making transportation difficult. That’s why Emperor Rosetta ordered the construction of acidification workshops near grain-producing areas to process burnstone locally…”

Daniel added, “Also, to facilitate burnstone transport, Typhon is massively expanding its road network…”

Gawain’s heart skipped a beat, though he kept his expression calm and asked in a low voice, “How exactly do these workshops operate?”

After Daniel answered, Gawain fired off a rapid series of questions: “How many literate farmers choose to work in these workshops? How many merchants have been involved in building them over the past two years? How many nobles? Is Emperor Rosetta encouraging nobles to engage in commerce after reforming their status? How are the roads constructed? What standards do they meet? How many people can one li-tian of fertile land support? And one li-tian of average farmland? What is Typhon’s approximate population?”

Daniel struggled to answer, sweat beading on his forehead. He sensed the hidden connections between these questions but couldn’t provide all the answers.

Though he retained some contacts from his days in the capital, Daniel was primarily a scholar absorbed in research. He could speak fluently about Typhon’s magical achievements, but questions about agricultural yields, workshop scale, and population were beyond his full grasp.

Answering even a third of Gawain’s inquiries was impressive.

Gawain’s face grew increasingly grim. Daniel, unsure of the true intentions of this “Wanderer from Beyond,” felt a powerful pressure coursing through his nerves. After answering all he could, the old mage fell silent, awaiting further orders.

Gawain ignored Daniel’s reaction, his mind racing to calculate Typhon’s development trajectory.

From the start, he knew Typhon was more advanced than Ansu and that Emperor Rosetta Augustus was implementing a series of effective reforms. With rising productivity, Typhon’s society was bound to undergo profound transformations.

Yet Typhon’s progress still exceeded his expectations.

Though the Typhonians hadn’t found a way to industrialize alchemical potion production, they had discovered a cheap alternative. Burnstone acidification workshops would greatly boost grain yields and free up a large agricultural workforce. Emperor Rosetta’s professional army was taking shape, supported by ample food supplies that allowed for a larger, better-trained force. The new workshops would have plenty of workers, and road construction within Typhon would benefit from abundant labor.

More importantly, Emperor Rosetta recognized the greater value of literate commoners. Judging by the timeline, the emperor began promoting education almost immediately after the discovery of the burnstone acidification process. This showed the visionary ruler had quickly grasped two key points:

First, although burnstone acidification was an alchemical process, it didn’t require magical talent. This meant many non-magical commoners could participate in production, and the Dust of Abundance they produced could rapidly increase the empire’s grain output.

Second, literate commoners were better able to operate the reaction vats than illiterate ones.

Gawain took a deep breath.

None of this had just happened—it had been underway for years. But due to delays in information flow and production constraints, the construction of burnstone acidification workshops in Typhon’s borderlands was only just beginning. Meanwhile, Ansu…

Ansu remained completely unaware.

After a long silence, Daniel finally broke it. “My lord, would you like me to gather data on Typhon’s recent population changes? I can contact old acquaintances in the imperial capital…”

Gawain snapped out of his reverie and glanced at Daniel. His tangled thoughts quickly sorted themselves into clarity.

Typhon’s development was an established fact. For such a vast empire, the momentum was difficult to disrupt or halt. Moreover, given the current situation, the Duchy of Cecil had no chance to impede Typhon’s progress.

Amber once said, “When your opponent is too strong, a poisoned dagger is better than any sword.”

Though she added, “But slipping away is better than a dagger,” Gawain thought the first half was enough.

“Don’t rush other matters for now. Take the magical network data I gave you and respond to Emperor Rosetta Augustus’s recruitment,” Gawain said solemnly to the old mage. “Remember, don’t reveal everything at once. First, see how far their research has progressed, what resources they have on hand, then gradually share your findings. If necessary, share some credit with your apprentice. You must establish yourself firmly within Typhon’s Mage Association, just as you did in the Sleeper Order. Be careful not to expose yourself.”

Daniel bowed deeply. “Yes, my lord. I will not disappoint you!”

“Good. Once you join Emperor Rosetta’s mage corps, you’ll have more opportunities to access their technical intelligence. Report to me promptly—I will have new orders for you,” Gawain nodded, then shifted tone. “But this will increase your risk of exposure. Your Sleeper traits are too obvious. Though few know about the psychic network, your frequent connections to it are abnormal.”

“My lord, you mean…”

“It’s time to bring in reinforcements,” Gawain said calmly. “I previously asked you to research non-implant neural cords and more efficient brainwave amplifiers. Any progress?”

(End of chapter)