A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 198 College Students in the Old Era

Rorschach, whose time in the Kingdom of Bain was running out, took Hasey on his next trip the very next day.

"I'm still organizing the acquisition documents! Why did you go to university and drag me along?" Hassa witnessed the energy of the young man and also experienced the days before becoming a senior partner—following the boss like a secretary, doing his job for several days for every word the boss said.

Rorschach is definitely going to pull something now.

What's wrong with you, fellow member of the company leadership? Your enthusiasm isn't even as high as Pierre Newsingan's! Rorschach discovered that after his "number one fan" returned, his successor, Mr. Hassel, wasn't as efficient at work. However, Rorschach didn't mind, and instead explained his purpose for going to university:

"Didn't I talk to Prince Otto all morning before the wedding? I got all sorts of permits from him."

"So that's how it is." When Hassai was still closely aligned with the Bardorom Merchant Guild, he wondered why Pierre and Rorschach were able to bypass the guild and obtain a stack of priceless royal warrants. It turned out that Rorschach had directly used his young master's connections to contact the prince.

Young Master Bart, do you realize how much initiative your own merchant guild has lost? Hasai found himself detached from the world of young people, finding it difficult to determine whether his young master and the mage before him were reliable or unreliable.

"Of course, we're not taking advantage of the royal family for nothing! At least now we have something to start working on. Prince Otto hopes that 'Fonda' Company can cooperate with the Munnik Royal Bain Institute of Technology."

Although it's an academy, it's considered one of the top institutions in the kingdom; Rorschach would simply call it "Mu's University of Technology." Originally, it was the royal family's hope for dismantling the guilds, and its sponsorship was intended to promote the development of industry and commerce in Byron. Back then, the old scholars touted it to the old king, making it seem like building a first-class university and disciplines would boost tax revenue, but by the time the previous monarch and his people said goodbye, the money invested hadn't yielded any significant returns.

Otto discovered that the investment seemed to have failed. Every year, the principal would lead the heads of various departments to the palace to whine about being poor, saying that education was a long-term plan and that we couldn't just look at the present. The prince really wanted to kick the respected old swindler away. He hadn't seen any of the benefits he had given his grandfather. The various guilds were still doing well, and the rate of tax revenue growth couldn't keep up with the rate at which the professors were demanding a raise.

Moreover, it's not just the apprentices of the Tower of Mystic Arts who have the problem of delayed graduation; university students in this era also have the legacy of the old empire, liking to take a year off from their studies to contemplate life and see the magnificent landscapes of the empire, euphemistically called a gap year; some even take a letter of recommendation halfway through their studies and go to other schools as exchange students, inheriting the "studying abroad" trend from the apprenticeship system of the handicraft guilds, with some having to travel to several universities across the country to complete their major.

Thus, university students in the old days could generally be divided into three categories: those who couldn't graduate, those who graduated and inherited the family business, and those who graduated only to be unemployed but whose families could afford to support them. After all, who wouldn't have a poor family background if they could afford to attend university for six or eight years without having to support their family during their prime?

The royal family is the one who's hurt. Prince Otto wanted to shout: "Although you don't go to school for free, the royal family still subsidizes and sponsors you. Your food, clothing, and daily necessities are all paid for with our money! My money!"

Rorschach's solution was, of course, "industry-academia-research collaboration." Otto certainly knew there was roughly such a path, but the problem was that the royal family's assets consisted of fields and ranches. They couldn't expect university students who had studied grammar, natural history, mathematics, philosophy, and other "sacred books" to till the fields and herd sheep, could they? Rorschach didn't care, but Otto was worried. Besides, the official positions in the Kingdom of Byron didn't offer much after the "sponsorship" from noble children and big merchants. At least for now, there were no conditions for "holding an imperial examination."

Rorschach's final mission in Munnik was to establish a talent development mechanism that aligns with the new development philosophy in the new era, relying on "Fonda," including but not limited to funding and recruitment.

"We're planning to hire college students? Ah, they're all young men who only know how to recite poetry, drink wine, and seduce girls." Hasai himself wasn't highly educated; he was only at the level of writing and calculating through his professional experience. His impression of the past was that universities produced liberal arts students who discussed classics and art decades ago. As for the company, he only needed to hire accountants and people who could handle legal matters.

Rorschach has always been dissatisfied with the Tower of Arcane Arts' disregard for the mages and apprentices trained through alchemy. Currently, the few useless individuals in the research department are still in the training phase; they are indeed highly intelligent, but their expertise is mismatched.

He explained to Hasai, "If you only look at the cost of hiring university students, it is indeed very expensive, but everything is relative. Compared with the apprentices of the Arcane Tower, isn't the cost-effectiveness better?" Rorschach had no choice but to explain the rules of the game he wanted to set: "This is the engineering college, so there must be disciplines related to our business. Let's donate to the department first, establish a long-term cooperation, learn what we need, and then have the school arrange for students to intern at 'Fonda'. Of course, the salary during the internship can be considered accordingly."

Hassai listened more and more clearly, his eyes becoming clearer and clearer: "I understand, Mr. Rorschach. This kind of training is exactly the kind of talent we need. Moreover, after learning and internships, they can become skilled workers, which shortens our training time. In addition, we can also assess outstanding people during the internship period, which makes it easier for us to screen them when recruiting." Hassai never thought that he could let pampered young ladies and gentlemen work for free like apprentices.

"Good, you've grasped my point." This is far superior to any master-disciple system or any kind of personal dependency relationship. Such dark things don't exist. You, the talents second only to the Dharma Masters in this era, are all here to learn and work voluntarily!

Two wicked individuals, claiming to be princes, demanded entry to the university. The campus indeed possessed a utopian atmosphere; although it was only the "Engineering College," its ambiance was no less vibrant than that of universities renowned for their literary pursuits. Spacious and beautiful courtyards teemed with youthful students, their smiling faces and lively conversations a common sight under the trees and on the lawns. The teaching buildings here were designed to palatial standards, their elegant designs providing bright classrooms, fully equipped libraries, and research labs.

Looking around, Rorschach saw that although time and people had changed, the familiar feeling remained. Compared to the magic academy, the eerie magic tower that made "bungee jumping" convenient, the fantastical Star Tower, and the fledgling Valuwa High School, Rorschach felt an urge to run back to his dorm room and open his gaming laptop.

The two walked around without looking out of place; one blended perfectly into the student body, while the other would be mistaken for a faculty member. After asking around, they found the university president and the head of the Department of Architecture and Engineering.

Interestingly, Rorschach happened to witness the professor and students disassembling the dwarves' power machine, just like the alchemists had done back then. The department head was quite excited to learn that Rorschach was the author of "Investigating the Efficiency Limits of Thermodynamic Conversion and Heat Engines" and wanted to discuss related issues with him.

So the dissemination of this paper has already extended beyond the Magic Guild? Rorschach hadn't expected that.

The headmaster, a remarkably intelligent old man, disdained to wear a wig to conceal his identity and warmly shook hands with both Rorschach and Hassai: "Since it is His Highness Otto's request (and for the sake of money), we welcome cooperation."

I've been having a hard time getting into the flow lately. Could it be that I've caught the infamous writer's block? I feel like my typing speed has slowed down since I started writing about the wedding, and I'm not very satisfied with my writing these past few days.

I need to organize the upcoming major plot and adjust the pacing. Feedback from readers is welcome. I'll post these two chapters first; I'll continue writing the third one, possibly releasing it around midnight. Readers who have been following the story may see a fourth chapter plus an acknowledgment tomorrow. Sorry.

(End of this chapter)