Whence This Wisdom?

Brockman spoke slowly, his voice growing colder and colder. His right thumb and forefinger lightly toyed with the stem of the wine glass, a picture of composure, yet his perfectly manicured nails appeared starker, almost gleaming white.

Tendon-Severing hesitated for a moment, his long, slender fingers tapping on the tabletop. He spoke in a hushed tone, “My Lord Brockman, I regret to inform you that I personally inspected the ruins of the Turaam base. The damage marks indeed bear the unmistakable signature of your ‘Azure Tsunami’… It has been confirmed: there is indeed someone among the bandits who is your exact double! In both appearance and power!”

Snap! The wine glass shattered in Brockman’s pale fingers. He subtly shifted to avoid the spilling red wine, then let out a heavy snort through his nostrils. “This is indeed most disheartening news!”

Tendon-Severing added, “However, rest assured, My Lord. Lord Philip himself has vouched for you, confirming you have absolutely no connection to those bandits, so…”

“That is not what disheartens me. Their people using this against me was already well within my expectations. The true cause of my dismay is…” Brockman sneered, “My dear twin brother, Adams, is still alive! In this world, only he possesses my exact physique and appearance, and only his Secret Technique, ‘Green Mountain Rift,’ shares the same origin as my ‘Azure Tsunami.’ Though their intents are diametrically opposed, the power they manifest is strikingly identical!”

Tendon-Severing nodded in silence, at a loss for words.

“Alright then, I shall simply kill him once more!” Brockman said with a shrug and a laugh. “Seven years have passed. I wonder what good deeds my brother has been up to all this time, and why he attacked the Turaam base this time! However, for the majority of these years, I’ve been at Lord Philip’s secret base, so he likely has no idea what I’ve been doing either!”

Brockman rose to his feet. “Since it’s confirmed my brother is among the bandits, the next course of action is quite clear. If the Star of Turaam were to appear alongside me, Adams would likely go utterly mad on the spot. Trust me, I know my twin brother far too well, my dear brother…”

***

Dawn broke, with Newin Port bathed in brilliant sunshine after a night of gentle rain, as if even the heavens celebrated Du Chen’s return. The port, rejuvenated after the great calamity, brimmed with renewed vitality. A message spread among the common folk: “The most benevolent Lord in the world has returned! Our hope has come back!” Joyful anticipation shone on every face.

Their thoughts were truly simple and heartfelt: their Lord had returned. Though he could not, in a single night, reverse Newin Port’s dire state, nor could one man swiftly alleviate their hardships, their Lord was Francis! Two years ago, who had managed the Newin River floods? Who had provided homes for three hundred thousand commoners? And who had, squandering his own fortune, poured his heart and soul into helping them achieve a better life?

Indeed, Lord Francis was a man, not a god. He alone might not change everything in a mere few days, but his actions over the past two years, more than seven hundred days and nights, had proven he could give them hope! He had given them something to look forward to! And a single hope was enough!

Yet at this very moment, Du Chen, whom Newin Port regarded as their beacon of hope, was in the administrative hall of the Lord’s Manor, rubbing his temples.

Alas, there aren’t enough hands! Back at school, I never once felt a shortage of talent around me, but now, when it truly comes to governing a territory, this massive problem has been laid bare. Economically, the Charitable Foundation, operating for two years, has cultivated many professionals; they can hold the fort. For internal affairs, there’s Porter, an unexpected discovery, lending a hand. But who will handle communication with the Imperial government, other lords, and major merchants? Who will train the newly recruited army? Where are the people to monitor the movements of the city’s major factions and enemy activity along the coast…?

The Holy Church could indeed provide such talents, but Du Chen did not wish for them to seize this opportunity to embed numerous operatives within his territory, or rather, he dared not employ them. Yet, besides them, where else could he find people? A severe shortage of talent – this was a major headache!

“My Lord, the new army’s roster is complete; please review it!” Porter quickly entered the hall, placing a list on the desk before Du Chen and speaking rapidly: “On one hand, it’s thanks to your immense prestige, and on the other, driven by the desire for revenge for their families, the young men of the city have shown extraordinary enthusiasm to enlist. Furthermore, here are the reconstruction plans for the two major districts in the southeast; kindly provide your approval…”

“Sigh, you handle it. Your capabilities in this area far surpass mine!” Du Chen waved a hand dismissively. “Porter, there are no outsiders here. Don’t call me ‘My Lord’ anymore! Just call me Francis; it’s more comfortable that way!”

Porter smiled faintly. “Very well, I shall finalize these two matters for you. However, the Bishop of the Holy Church’s Newin Diocese just sent word that a series of measures to placate the populace within the territory are ready. You must personally oversee this…”

“Understood!” Du Chen said with a wry smile, winking at Porter. Then he stared intently at this handsome, pretty young man, his gaze rather peculiar.

Porter’s heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head.

“Tell me, Porter,” Du Chen began, “I’m buried under mountains of official documents, yet you handle them with such effortless grace. How is it that I never noticed this capability in you before? A true master conceals their talents!” Seeing Porter still with his head bowed, Du Chen pulled over a chair, motioned for him to sit beside him, and asked with a smile, “Where did you learn all this from? Don’t tell me Aunt Sherine taught you. Aunt Sherine’s theoretical knowledge might be passable, but her practical application…”

Patting Porter’s shoulder, Du Chen raised an eyebrow and chuckled, “Do you know? The officials in the territory are secretly saying that with just a little more experience, you’d be prime minister material! But as far as I know, while Aunt Sherine is knowledgeable, her strengths lie more in miscellaneous studies than in governance. She couldn’t possibly have taught a student with such exceptional practical political acumen as yourself! And how old are you anyway? A super prodigy!”

As he spoke, Du Chen picked up a scroll from the desk and slowly perused it. His previous question had been a casual one, never truly expecting Porter to answer.

Where did he learn all this from? A bitter ache stirred in Porter’s heart. He averted Du Chen’s gaze, looking out at the sky beyond the window…

“‘How do you read this character? Yes, it’s ‘Guó,’ meaning nation. And this one? Excellent, it’s ‘Lùn,’ from ‘discuss.’ You already know the character for ‘Mín,’ meaning people. So, the book is titled ‘Treatise on the Populace,’ written by Sage King Lanning Bovin, containing knowledge on how to govern a country. You don’t understand it yet, but you must diligently learn every character and memorize the entire text…’”

It seems my foundational texts were quite different from those of other children, weren’t they? Porter shook his head, a wry self-deprecating smile on his lips.

“‘My children, you are the direct bloodline of the Goddess of Wisdom and War, inherently different from other children! Therefore, my expectations for you are also different. Now, who among you can tell your father how we should respond to the Northern Keres’ request for trade? Hmm, scribe, record what Liya just said, then organize it and send it to the Keres!’”

“‘Hold the hearts of the people, and you shall command the world! Liya, since you grasp this principle, you shall attend court with me tomorrow to observe governance!’”

It seemed I was the first among all my siblings to earn the right to observe court proceedings? That year, I believe I had just turned thirteen…

Fierce flames mercilessly devoured everything. Palaces collapsed, the royal city was laid to waste. “‘Master, good news! Her Highness Hillmerya, who was inspecting trade and military affairs at the Northern Yamis Expeditionary Camp, is leading a division of the Northern Legion on a thousand-mile return to reinforce us! They have already arrived outside the city, and the vanguard has engaged the besieging Sea Clan!’”

“‘Damn it, what is Liya doing back here? Coming to her death?! All my other children may perish, but not her! Tell Liya, if she still acknowledges herself as a direct descendant of the Goddess of Wisdom and War, then she is to immediately withdraw her troops and preserve a lineage for our ancestors!’”

“‘Master, this is bad! Countless Sea Clan warriors have suddenly erupted from underground, cutting off Princess Liya’s retreat!’ ‘Alas, underground again! Why can those damned Sea Clan emerge from the very earth?! Why can they wield fire-elemental sacred artifacts of war on such a massive scale?! Send the order: the Cloud Demon Divine Guard are to abandon the defense of the Goddess’s Palace and rescue Liya at all costs! Send her to Battle God Isle! Find a person whose full name is Sherine St. Batulu Grete! Liya must be preserved! She is our last hope!’”

With a thunderous crash, the hundred-meter-tall ancestral statue in the city center toppled… And my father, who had stood vigilant on the raised palm of the goddess statue, perished as a martyr. His remains and the head of the ancestral statue plummeted together. This… this was perhaps the last image I ever saw of my homeland?

Where did I learn my political acumen? Heh… It truly is difficult to explain!

Porter remained silent for a long time, lost in a myriad of thoughts. When Du Chen had perused another page of the scroll and looked up at him again, Porter suddenly winked at Du Chen, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “My Lord, you must be quite troubled by the lack of talent in your territory right now, wouldn’t you agree?”

Du Chen blinked, then nodded. “Indeed, I am desperately short of people right now, lacking talents in every conceivable aspect! Porter, you still haven’t told me…”

Porter wagged a finger and chuckled. “Then allow me to offer you a suggestion: when it comes to talent, embrace inclusivity. Regardless of their origins or backgrounds, employ them first, let them contribute to your territory, and then dispatch covert observers. If any anomalies are discovered, devise a way to eliminate them immediately—Mister Brook seems quite adept at this! While this method is akin to drinking poison to quench one’s thirst, as long as you firmly grasp three key aspects—military power, financial authority, and the hearts of the people—then no one will be able to fundamentally shake your rule!”

Du Chen broke into a wry smile himself. “Well said, ‘embrace inclusivity, regardless of origins’! My young brother Porter, are you implying that if I still wish for your aid in governing this territory, I should cease my inquiries, is that it?”

“Interpret it as you wish!”

The two exchanged smiles. Porter rose and gestured towards the hall doors. “The Holy Church’s plan for pacifying the populace is ready, My Lord. It’s time for your appearance.”

Du Chen rose with him. As they reached the hall doors, Porter suddenly asked, “Francis, you’re… seventeen this year, aren’t you?”

“And what of it?”

“Oh, nothing. I merely wanted to say that, in truth… I am one year your senior! My young brother Francis!”