"When the people from the 'Eye of the Loire' Mage Order confirmed my identity, what do you think was the first thing they did?" Heinrich turned his head, his cloudy gaze sweeping over everyone.
"Did they heal me? Did they offer me sanctuary?"
"Neither."
"The very first thing they did was lock me in specially-made anti-magic shackles, and then secretly escorted me back to Paris like a rare animal." His voice was flat, but everyone present could feel the humiliation he must have endured back then.
A Necromancy master with extremely high academic attainments, during a border operation, first encounters a suspected backstab from his own people.
Then he's captured by mages of an enemy nation that had just been defeated in a war...
The other side obviously wouldn't treat him with courtesy.
Seeing everyone remain silent, Heinrich continued:
"To the Gauls, a living, top-tier necromancer full of resentment towards the Saxon Empire is worth far more than a corpse."
"They gave me two choices."
"One, refuse to cooperate, and have all the knowledge in my brain forcefully drained by them, eventually becoming experimental material, spending the rest of my life in some sunless laboratory."
"Two, serve the Gallic Republic. They would provide me with the best laboratory, the most abundant resources, and... an academic environment far more lenient than the Saxon Empire."
Heinrich paused, then looked at Morin and chuckled hoarsely.
"Young Lieutenant Colonel, if you were me, what would you choose?"
Morin fell silent.
He knew this wasn't a multiple-choice question at all. Under those circumstances, unless Heinrich had some resolve to die, he really had no choice.
...And falling into the hands of Gallic mages, he indeed couldn't even easily achieve "death."
Heinrich paused, the unbearable past events seemingly playing out right before his eyes.
"However, I must also admit that the Gauls' restrictions on academic research are indeed far fewer than the Empire's."
"Here, I can at least continue my research and turn my concepts into reality... This is something that rigid Saxon Magical Research Association could never give me."
"So, I stayed... continuing to complete my unfinished work on a foreign stage where I could fully display my talents."
Speaking of this, a bizarre smile suddenly appeared on Heinrich's face.
"Speaking of which, the Saxon Empire should perhaps be thanking me."
This sudden twist stunned everyone.
"Thanking you?!"
Master Haber was so angry he almost spat out a mouthful of blood, prompting Morin to quickly step forward and support this "VIP target."
"You traitor, you still have the face to ask the Empire to thank you?"
Morin was also completely baffled, thinking this old man really knew how to spin a yarn. It felt like he was still trying to stage a "saving the country through a curved path" (doing bad things for a good cause) plot here.
However, after hearing Heinrich's next words, Morin indeed couldn't hold back his expression.
"Thank me? Of course you should thank me."
Facing Master Haber's fury, not only did Heinrich not show the slightest guilt on his face, but he showed an expression taking it for granted.
Leaning on his bone staff, he slowly paced a couple of steps in the room, his cloudy gaze sweeping over everyone present.
"Why do you think Chardonnet, that famous Necromancy master from the 'Eye of the Loire,' suddenly went crazy and returned to Paris..."
"And then forcibly took control of the Eiffel Tower and activated the Catacombs that had been buried for hundreds of years?"
This question made Morin, who had experienced the battle, and the Section III intelligence personnel prick up their ears.
The sudden Undead Scourge during the Battle of Paris had always been a mystery the Saxon General Staff couldn't solve.
Although the final result was beneficial to the Saxon Empire, the process of its occurrence was full of bizarreness and unknowns.
"Could it be... this matter is related to you?" the Section III Captain asked tentatively.
"More than just related."
The corners of Heinrich's mouth turned up, revealing a smug smile.
"It can be said that it completely originated from an 'academic exchange' I had with Chardonnet previously."
"Although Chardonnet had very high attainments in Necromancy, his ideas on how to channel and utilize such a massive scale of negative energy were still very immature..."
"Simply put, his mind wasn't open enough."
Heinrich clenched his fist, then made an explosion gesture, still wearing that "enigmatic smile" unique to major villains.
Making Morin feel more and more that there was something wrong with this old man as he watched.
"It was I who gave him some 'inspiration,' letting him see the possibility of turning the entire Paris Catacombs into a massive 'negative energy battery'."
"Because I indeed needed observational data from this kind of large-scale negative energy experiment, it's just that I didn't want to personally do such a risky thing..."
The necromancer surrounded by everyone in the center of the room spread his hands, his tone as relaxed as if discussing a trivial matter.
"So I didn't tell him how terrifying the consequences would be once negative energy of this scale fully erupted."
"I just slightly exaggerated the possibility of success and hinted to him that this would be his only chance to surpass all his predecessors! To prove himself to others who discriminated against the Necromancy School! To become the greatest grandmaster in the entire history of the school!"
"None of you have interacted with Chardonnet. You don't know what kind of paranoid person he is..."
"A mage blinded by ambition and arrogance is very easy to manipulate, regardless of their tier."
Hearing this, everyone present felt a chill run down their spines.
In the eyes of Master Haber and the Section III intelligence personnel, this old man was simply a devil!
Not only did he betray his own country, but like a mastermind behind the scenes, he casually orchestrated a disaster capable of destroying a city!
And in Morin's view, although there were still suspicious points regarding the border "backstab" incident back then, Heinrich's actions... indeed counted as somewhat anti-human.
Not to mention Morin himself was "skinny dipping" in the mountain of corpses and sea of bones in Paris at the time.
From a certain perspective, he was indeed screwed over by this old man, so naturally he wasn't in a good mood either.
"You... you madman!" Master Haber pointed at Heinrich, his fingers trembling with anger. "Why did you do this?!"
"Why?"
Heinrich stopped pacing, turned to look at Haber, his eyes full of pity, like looking at an ignorant child.
"For the academic research of the Necromancy School, of course. This is an experimental scenario rare in a century..."
The necromancer's tone was somewhat frantic, and only after seeing the indignant expressions of Master Haber and the others did he clear his throat and speak in a relatively calmer tone:
"Ahem... maybe it can also be considered for the Empire, hahahaha."
"Now, Paris has completely become a dead land. The Gallic Republic has lost their most important industrial, economic, and political center."
"In the coming decades, or even a century, they shouldn't even think about restoring their past glory, let alone posing any threat to the Empire."
"Tell me, Fritz Haber... Isn't everything I've done more valuable than the victories bought with the lives of thousands of soldiers by those generals on the front line?"
"I only used a small 'suggestion' to completely cripple the Empire's greatest enemy. Shouldn't the Empire thank me, this 'meritorious minister'?"
These twisted yet somewhat sophistical remarks plunged everyone into silence.
From a results-oriented perspective, Heinrich seemed to be right.
The destruction of Paris indeed fundamentally disintegrated the war potential of the Gallic Republic.
But this kind of "victory" bought with conspiracy and the lives of countless innocent people made Master Haber and the others feel a heartfelt disgust.
"You are just making excuses for your crimes! Gilding your own face!" Master Haber said in disgust.
Morin didn't entangle too much with this old madman on the moral level.
He had already seen that having this kind of discussion with this wicked old man was meaningless.
And he cared more about practical issues.
Morin took a step forward, interrupted their argument, and stared at Heinrich with burning eyes.
"So, you are the one directing the Gauls' 'Sentinel Project'?"
This question was like a basin of cold water, pulling the somewhat derailed atmosphere in the room back on track.
Master Haber and the others also calmed down. After all, this was the ultimate goal of their trip.
Whatever morality or immorality had to step aside in the face of national interests.
Hearing Morin's question, Heinrich moved his gaze away from Master Haber and landed back on this young Saxon Lieutenant Colonel. A trace of approval flashed in his cloudy eyes.
"Finally, someone who can grasp the main point."
He nodded, seeming quite appreciative of Morin's pragmatic attitude.
"That's right, the 'Sentinel Project' indeed achieved breakthrough progress under my leadership."
Heinrich didn't deny it, but rather admitted it with a bit of pride.
"But to be precise... I was not the initiator of this project. Before I came, the Gauls had already wasted a massive amount of money and time on this project, but with meager results."
"Their thinking was wrong from the start! Trying to use traditional alchemy and potionology to forcefully modify the human body and enhance soldiers' magical affinity..."
"This method not only has an extremely low success rate but also huge side effects. Most of what was produced were short-lived consumables."
Heinrich shook his head while speaking, as if evaluating a shoddily manufactured product.
"It was I who optimized their plan and provided them with a more direct and easier-to-realize technical route!"
"It was I who combined the knowledge of souls and life energy in the Necromancy School with biological modification technology, to finally create those 'Sentinels' you saw on the battlefield!"
Speaking of this, a look of regret appeared on Heinrich's face. He glanced at Master Haber, then at Morin.
"Speaking of which, it's truly a pity... If my research in the Saxon Empire could have continued back then, if those old fogeys in the Magical Research Association could have given me a little more time and support..."
"Then super soldiers like the 'Sentinels' should have been born on Saxon soil, becoming the Empire's sharpest sword."
His tone was full of unwillingness and regret, like an unrecognized genius accusing the world of its unfairness to him.
Morin couldn't care less about his self-pitying emotions. He keenly caught the key information in the other party's words and immediately pressed: "So you really have a way to make 'magical affinity'... No, based on your description, it's to make 'spellcasting ability' more easily popularized?"
This was the issue Morin cared about the most.
Whether it was the "Sentinel Project" or Heinrich's secret of treason... To Morin, neither was as important as the answer to this question.
If there was really a way to let ordinary people also gain the ability to use magical items, and then mass-produce a batch of low-tier spellcasters...
Then for the entire instruction unit, and even for the entire army of the Saxon Empire, it would be an earth-shattering revolution.
Morin didn't even extravagantly hope for all members of the instruction unit to become spellcasters. If he could let 10% of the veterans gain spellcasting abilities below Tier-3, he would already be very satisfied.
At that time, these flexible "tactical units" could put [Mage Armor] on themselves like he did, then use [Misty Step] to pull smoke and charge, quickly entering enemy trenches.
And then use "enchanted" automatic weapons in their hands to take out nearby enemies.
At this time, a large number of "Magitech Infantry" and "Plate Armor Supermen" possessing "magical affinity," wearing magitech armor and holding enchanted weapons, would charge up under the cover of smoke...
How spectacular that scene would be.
Hearing Morin's question, Heinrich raised his eyebrows somewhat surprised.
"Oh? I didn't expect a brute like you who looks like he only knows how to fight to be so attentive to research in this area."
"I think you have a prejudice against me. I'm a Tier-4 spellcaster no matter what..." Morin said grumpily.
Hearing this, Heinrich sized Morin up, a trace of exploration added to his eyes.
"What? You also want all those soldiers of yours to become spellcasters?"
"I have this thought." Morin didn't hide it, nodding frankly, "If soldiers can all cast spells, combat power will definitely increase greatly."
"Naive. Truly a brute who only knows how to fight."
Morin: "..."
Heinrich put away his smile and snorted coldly:
"Do you think the Gauls letting me direct the 'Sentinel Project' was truly to realize some grand ideal of universal spellcasting?"
"Don't be silly. Those mages in Gaul are essentially no different from those guys in Saxony. They are all a bunch of selfish guys."
"They similarly do not want to see the popularization of 'magical affinity,' thereby threatening their lofty status."
"What they wanted was merely to use my technology to build a unit of super soldiers completely under their control."
Heinrich's words confirmed Morin's previous guess once again.
It seemed the solidification and xenophobia of the mage class was a common problem in this world.
But the question is, is it really just this reason?
Could it be that the Gallic Republic, a country that had gone relatively "openly" in magitech, didn't realize the benefits brought by the popularization of 'magical affinity'?
Morin looked at Heinrich somewhat suspiciously.
Intuition told him this old man's words couldn't be completely trusted.
"Master Heinrich, can you clarify whether it's the Gallic Republic that doesn't want to do this, or... is this technology unable to reach this step?"
Just as Morin wanted to continue pressing some key questions regarding the popularization of 'magical affinity,' Heinrich waved his hand and interrupted him.
"Too many questions you want to ask, young man... But now is not the time to chat."
He turned around, leaning on his bone staff, and slowly walked to the massive console in the center of the Monitoring Center.
"Before answering those questions of yours, why not accompany this old man to watch a good show first."
Saying this, he reached out his withered fingers and rhythmically tapped several buttons flashing with runic light on the console.
Following his operation, a slight noise came from other directions in this underground research institute.
Looking at the vigilant appearance of the others, Heinrich spoke:
"Don't be nervous. This is merely activating the backup power..."
Immediately after, the lighting in the room was restored, and various instruments seemed to start running again.
And that massive one-way observation crystal at the front suddenly emitted a slight humming sound.
The originally pitch-black crystal surface began to glow with a faint fluorescence.
Following that, a clear picture with an effect similar to full-color low-light night vision appeared before everyone.
On the massive crystal observation window, the full view of the "Practical Combat Testing Area" in Area F was clearly displayed before everyone's eyes.
"The effect of permanent [Darkvision]. The Gauls' ability to attach spell effects to equipment is indeed very strong, but the cost isn't low either."
"Just this crystal alone, who knows how many people it could feed."
Heinrich was like a "gold-medal salesman" introducing it at this moment, occasionally commenting on the Gauls' technical path.
And on the other side of the one-way crystal, it was a massive underground space completely hollowed out, with an area of at least a standard football field.
The interior of the space had been carefully arranged into a simulated battlefield.
Crisscrossing early-stage trenches, scattered foxholes, a few sturdy bunkers poured with concrete, and even barbed wire and chevaux-de-frise were all available.
The entire scene looked like a portion of the fortresses deployed by the Gauls on the border had been recreated.
And at this moment, in a section of the main trench of this simulated battlefield, that group of captured Britannians was huddled together, shivering.
Around them, there were also quite a few soldiers wearing Gallic military uniforms, as well as some figures looking like researchers.
And Morin also finally understood why no one could be seen in the underground research institute.
It turned out they were all brought here...
Major Hamilton's arm had been simply bandaged by the other soldiers, but his face, having lost too much blood, remained as pale as paper.
He leaned against the cold trench wall, looking around despairingly.
Those out-of-control "Sentinels" didn't kill them immediately, but threw them into this trench like garbage.
What made them feel even more bizarre was that the "Sentinels" subsequently threw some things into the trench—
Several Gallic or Britannian standard-issue rifles, a few ammunition boxes, and even some bandages and first-aid supplies resembling medicines.
This behavior left everyone in the Monitoring Center baffled.
"What are they doing?" 1st Company Commander Kahn frowned, his face full of confusion. "Do they want them to kill each other?"
"No."
A hoarse voice sounded behind everyone.
Heinrich had walked to the observation window at some point.
He looked at the scene outside the window, an indescribable light flashing in his cloudy eyes.
"This is also a part of the 'underlying logic'." He slowly explained, "This is the practical combat testing ground, naturally, a 'practical combat test' must be conducted."
"Those Britannians and Gauls are the 'Sentinels'' test subjects, or rather... sparring targets."
"Now, the test is about to begin."
As soon as Heinrich finished speaking, Morin keenly caught a detail and immediately pressed:
"Master Heinrich, why did these 'Sentinels' go out of control? Furthermore, their fighting style seems completely different from the 'Sentinels' I once saw on the Creil battlefield."
Hearing Morin's words, Heinrich was truly somewhat surprised this time.
He turned his head, re-examining this young Lieutenant Colonel before him.
"You... encountered 'Sentinels' on the Creil battlefield?"
His voice carried a trace of surprise:
"And you successfully survived?"
"Just lucky." Morin shrugged noncommittally.
Heinrich gave him a deep look, seemingly raising his evaluation of him a few notches.
"No wonder... no wonder you could lead your men all the way here."
He nodded, seeming to have figured something out.
"It seems you are not a pure brute."
He paused, turned his gaze back out the window, and opened his mouth to explain:
"You're right, these outside are indeed different from the ones you encountered before... The ones you encountered in Creil were first-generation 'Sentinels'."
"Although they are powerful, they still retain their reason and tactical thinking as 'humans'... or rather, 'flaws'~"
"But these outside..."
He pointed out the window at those humanoid creatures standing like ghosts.
"Are second-generation 'Sentinels,' optimized iterative products I made based on the first generation."
"Second generation?" Morin immediately pressed, "Optimized in what aspects?"
"All aspects."
Heinrich's tone was full of pride. Every time he talked about these "Sentinels," he would become so proud.
"Greater strength, faster speed, a tougher body, and... a higher affinity for magic."
"Theoretically, a second-generation 'Sentinel' is enough to easily deal with three to five first-generation 'Sentinels'."
"But theory is ultimately just theory."
Heinrich changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat regretful.
"During the final practical combat testing phase, a minor problem occurred... I thought I could control the negative energy within the 'Sentinels'' bodies, but I didn't expect it to produce an unpredictable chain reaction."
"The final result is that they completely lost control... Their reason was swallowed by a frenzied desire to kill, turning them into a group of monsters who only know how to fight and destroy."
"If I hadn't, during the research and development phase, implanted a few basic 'underlying logic' rules deep into their souls through an enhanced [Dominate Person] spell, I couldn't possibly hide safe and sound in this Monitoring Center for so long."
Morin gasped inwardly listening to this.
Good heavens, body modification and negative energy; this old man really played wild.
Isn't this a typical scientific research accident, creating a bunch of uncontrollable bio-weapons?
Just then, Heinrich suddenly pointed to the observation window.
"Look, the good show has begun."