A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 192 The Gravedigger of the Mage?

Only after the three men left the research lab and separated themselves from the apprentices did Mr. Hassai speak up to confirm, "Master Rorschach, do you think this product has a very good future?"

Pierre was already a staunch supporter of Rorschach: "Please don't question Advisor Rorschach's judgment!"

"Yes, I don't think we'll have to worry about sales after it's launched." Rorschach observed Hassai's nervous round face and understood what the businessman was asking.

"So when do you think mass production should begin?"

"The sooner the better, at the latest, before this winter." As soon as Luo Xia said it, he felt that winter was a bit slow: "Whether I'm still in Byrne or not, I will keep an eye on the landing progress. If it can't be completed in time, I will participate in the research and development design."

Pierre finally realized: "Is there going to be a war?" Although the name Newsingen had been very popular in Valuana's social scene in the last six months, he was still a newcomer and not very aware of the latest developments.

Aside from bishops, powerful nobles, and archmages, the people with the keenest sense of war are steel, grain, and cotton merchants. However, those who possess this invaluable information always secure their own positions for profit before revealing it to other related individuals or having their actions discovered, such as logistics merchants.

By the time ordinary people realized what was happening, the conscription order and the news of tax increases had already arrived simultaneously.

Rorschach made a shushing gesture and said as he walked, "I didn't say such nonsense, nor can I be sure. You don't need to panic, and you must not spread panic. Whether there is a war or not, those with insight will recognize the value of what we have done."

"Currently, the headquarters of the Holy Kingdom is providing support here. After the factory in Byrne produces canned goods, it will also share the process technology with the Holy Kingdom."

The technology behind this product isn't very advanced, but once the secret is out, there will likely be counterfeiters. Rorschach reminded the two of them that they should follow the guild's example, establish technical standards, and proactively propose and specify indicators such as shelf life, loss rate, and solid content to the purchasing party, and do their best.

"Regardless of whether the military has a large demand, the shipping industry is so developed now that there will be a demand for ocean-going vessels. If such an unfortunate day really comes," Rorschach took the hands of the merchants from both countries and gave them a warm smile, "we should also make sure that the soldiers on both sides of the battle are well-fed, and we can also make a little more money in the process."

After saying goodbye to the two bosses, Luo Xia finally had time to complete his real purpose for entering the factory: to collect the accumulated degradation and metamorphic dust from production.

Inside the basement were two technicians on duty. They weren't maintenance apprentices, but rather two smarter workers selected from the factory above ground. They were instructed to memorize the regulations for starting and stopping equipment, how to weigh and record output, and how to check for abnormal operation.

The final safety training instruction was: ignore everything except the levers and the tower. If the equipment malfunctions (the simplest way to understand this is—the pointer points where it shouldn't), run for your life. Only call an apprentice to check what happened if the basement hasn't exploded.

"Master." The guard on duty stood up abruptly when he saw Rorschach enter the basement.

"Playing cards, it's fine." Luo Xia told them to calm down: "Keep going, just remember to take samples on time and keep an eye on the pointer." He took out his notebook, noted that he had taken all the output and obtained more than a pound of blue crystals.

"It's not safe to pile them up like this, and taking out too many at once would look cheap." Rorschach changed his mind, dividing the product into glass bottles and keeping the rest for himself. Before leaving, he added a rule: each batch of products must be boxed separately and not piled together.

"If I mix it with oscillating crystal powder, could I make a magic interference bomb?" Rorschach suddenly had a flash of inspiration while packing the crystals.

In an instant, he thought of two structures, took out his notebook and began to draw sketches.

The first type of "bomb version" can be a three-layered charge, filled from the inside out with gunpowder, transmutation dust, and crystal powder. The gunpowder explosion breaks the instability of the passivated transmutation dust, and the released ether is absorbed by the oscillating crystal, generating an ether interference wave.

Another idea is to consider that only a certain impact is needed to destroy the passivated transmutation dust. In this case, the projectile could have a firing pin at the front. Upon impact, the firing pin would destroy the transmutation dust and release ether. If it were a projectile, the amount of oscillating crystal powder could be made very large, and the effect would be astonishing.

However, Rorschach quickly put the painting away after finishing it. Ultimately, these are all methods to "allow ordinary people to fight back against spellcasters and those with divine favor." Should it be made public? This isn't a question of whether to donate "I really have a cow," but rather "I have a cow, should I hand it to someone to slaughter it?"

"Hopefully, I'll never need to use it."

However, Rorschach wasn't the only one who witnessed the mysterious count's research on oscillating crystals and magical interference. If high-performance, one-time-use energy storage materials like passivated transmutation dust become widespread, similar designs will likely emerge sooner or later. Of course, currently, both the theory and the materials are in the hands of the mages themselves.

It's quite possible that Rorschach will have to consider in the future whether he should become his own gravedigger and earn the title of "inventor of the Luoyang shovel".

"Sigh, don't think too much about it. Let's go to the Tower of Mystic Arts as planned!" Rorschach could only put aside his wild thoughts and head towards the forbidden library. This time, he was determined to get it.

The Tower of Arcane Arts still stands majestically, but the apprentices and mages who have just participated in the celebration seem to have a much improved appearance.

As soon as Rorschach entered, he heard the tower's guardian beast, the red dragon on the golden throne, complaining about not participating in such fun activities: "Princess! Rorschach, you and the other bastards in the tower didn't mention a word before you set off, but now they're spreading the word that you even kidnapped the mage Elizabeth!"

"That was her own choice, and it was only a temporary position as a court mage." Judging from Old Master Kober's age and Eugénie's rate of aging, the lifespan of a grand mage is significantly beyond that of ordinary people. According to her own wishes, becoming a court mage was only a temporary way to protect her niece under unknown threats.

After saying goodbye to the chattering little red dragon, Rorschach was taken aback when he entered: the atmosphere inside the tower had changed completely. It seemed that many doors in the dormitory area had been decorated with "May trees," not only made of birch branches, but also with elderberry and holly, which had a magical feel to them. They were all tied with silk scarves and moved on their own without any wind.

Even the gargoyles that constantly move between floors have been painted with oil paint and given hats, seemingly evolving into little elves.

"Rorschach?" someone greeted him. Since the previous two visits and the collaboration on the wedding performance, many mages and young men had become familiar with him.

These are

"The May tree," the monk said, assuming Rorschach was an outsider and unfamiliar with the area. He then briefly explained the customs before adding crucial information:

"Although we don't have that many single ladies here, most of the scarves you see are tied together by the male apprentices. If anyone is feeling down and takes one off, the little magic on it will bring a 'surprise'."

"Alright, thanks for reminding me." Rorschach explained his purpose: "I still hope to visit your tower's library. Here's what I brought."

"No," the monk said with a smile, refusing again.

(End of this chapter)