A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 412 Caroline's Worries

"Yes, it looks very trendy, but it's made using traditional techniques."

Caroline wasn't fooled by Rorschach: "So you used necromancy?"

It seems that Mage Caroline has also heard of the principles behind the Sixth Ring "Enlightenment".

"Don't worry, it doesn't contain a person or a fairy; it comes from a monkey that was on the verge of death after an experiment."

Looking at it this way, the "Gardener's" every move does indeed resemble a monkey, and compared to the creatures in Rorschach's previous life, it is similar in form to a gibbon. Apes are not native to the continent of Ferroron; they were initially brought back by ocean-going sailors for performance purposes.

Later, the Forest Tower cultivated a batch of monkeys as test subjects, and Rorschach also spent a lot of money to buy "a family of monkeys". The birth of "Gardener" was Rorschach's first attempt at the necromancy-based [Enlightenment] spell, with the dual purpose of practicing magic and not wasting anything.

To his surprise, it was a success on the first try. Rorschach even began to doubt himself – did he really have the potential to be a villain?

Caroline sighed: "I shouldn't have interfered too much with you, Mage Rorschach, but please be careful with magic and magical creatures in the future. Some things cannot easily leave the magic tower and your laboratory."

The sixth-circle spell, Enlightenment, is considered one of the less anti-human and anti-social spells in the Necromancer school. It was even widely used in ancient times to create servants. Mages with a modicum of principles would avoid using their own kind.

There are also people who control it in the Thirteen Magic Towers. For example, in the mystery quiz: where did all those gargoyle servants in the Arcane Tower come from?

Answer: Petrify and deform the unwelcome intruder, bind its soul to the statue, and use the [Enlightenment] spell to obtain a cute little creature with fluttering wings.

It's said that studying magic too much, like law, can gradually erode one's humanity. Caroline didn't want to see Rorschach delve too deeply into the realm of necromancy.

Rorschach crouched down, level with "The Gardener," and teased the flexible arm, feeling the hydraulic tubing and connecting keys inside: "The law doesn't leave the house? Teacher, quite the opposite, I want to promote it. There are too many constructs that the Tower Spirit has to manage now, I'm worried it'll go insane. The constructs created by [Enlightenment Spell] are a good supplement."

"If it's an 'Enlightenment Technique' that doesn't control the created being, can it also be used on people? For example, for someone dying on the battlefield, could a better vessel be created for them to preserve their combat experience, and their lifespan extended?"

For those severely injured, such as someone whose body has been sliced ​​off by a cannonball, even healing scrolls or ordinary healing magic cannot bring them back to life. In the Silent Generation, the legendary divine magic that could resurrect the dead was lost along with the vanished gods.

Therefore, even a "mind-enlightenment spell" that only requires a complete brain can have value in perpetuating the existence of the soul, provided that the caster does not brainwash or control the recipient.

Giving up the caster's "Domination" effect is something no necromancer or other mage has bothered to develop; for most, such a [Enlightenment] spell is a nerf.

Rorschach, however, did not believe that relinquishing the dominion effect should be an improvement, as it would lessen the constraints of worldly morality in promoting it. Furthermore, he argued that combining it with the mycelial life of elves and the symbiotic life forms of living water might even create intelligent beings with spellcasting abilities.

Even without considering such distant possibilities, the two technologies mentioned above can also be used in the next generation of constructs, which do not rely on tower spirits and can achieve a greater range of movement.

Only in this way can constructs leave the mage tower and factory and gain practical combat value.

Rorschach revealed his thoughts to Caroline, who remained silent for a long while before saying, "Who else knows about this?"

"I exchanged letters with Professor Kober and Professor Humboldt, and proposed ideas. They also provided theoretical and biomaterial support."

"In the mage tower, Andrei was involved in the execution, as was that Martin who had no magic power."

Caroline shook her head: "I'm not skilled in the magic related to these experiments, nor do I possess specialized knowledge in them. Secondly, I don't entirely agree with you on this matter. So, Rorschach, I'm sorry I can't help you with this."

"Even if you don't agree, you've shown me a lot of respect, thank you." As long as Teacher Caroline doesn't leave the Mage Tower, Rorschach won't feel anxious or insecure, because her area of ​​expertise is indeed not there. As long as there are no arguments or objections, that's enough.

"I have one last question. You want to participate in this war, right? So what do you hope to gain from it? At first, I thought your ideals were similar to mine, hoping that more people would have the opportunity to learn magic, but after observing you firsthand, I found that it is clearly more than that."

How did things escalate to such a serious topic? Rorschach struggled to find the right words, his intuition telling him that his answer would determine Caroline's fate.

"Ms. Caroline, what do you think of the lives of ordinary people in the Special Economic Zone?"

"Not too good, but not bad either." However, this is in comparison to the past. During the war, it was incredible that the living standards of the old farmers in Kempson and Lanster had actually improved.

"Is it possible for me to make the whole of Bain like the Special District?" Rorschach asked himself and answered, "Impossible. It can't escape the circle drawn by the royal family. They won't allow cities like Munnik and Wirtz to follow me. That's their territory, their 'field'."

"If Bain couldn't do it, the Empire certainly can't. Fortunately, Valuwa offers hope now. But this hope doesn't fall from the sky; it has to be actively fought for."

"Finally, you have a slight misconception. It's not that I want to join the war. Judging from the orders at the food factories, the Empire is about to launch a large-scale campaign, and incidents of logistical supply lines being ambushed and intercepted by the Valois rebels are also increasing."

"The war is about to enter a more intense phase, and the Kingdom of Bain has little time left to remain unscathed."

Temporary Imperial Army camp in northern Valuana.

"How is your injury healing?" General Carl walked into the young officer's tent, patted Richard on the shoulder, and nodded to the young officer who shared the tent with Richard.

"After I came back, I used rollers and medicine to treat it, and it's all fine now." In theory, the injuries from the last battle could be completely healed, but Richard always felt that his shoulders and arms were a bit stiff. He suspected that it was due to accumulated injuries, such as fascia and muscle misalignment, which even rollers could not fully restore.

In any case, compared to ordinary wounded soldiers who were struggling to find medicine, Richard was already enjoying the luxurious treatment of a military magistrate.

Karl spoke briefly, the gist of which was that the battle order needed to be reorganized, and his legion would be mixed with other legions that had suffered heavy losses and thrown into the next battle. He might no longer be Richard's superior.

"If you want, you can still lead the original regiment." Karl, whose organization had been disbanded, felt relaxed. He even applied to the military headquarters to return home for recuperation—the First Army Corps had captured the regional capital, and General Karl's record of achievements was enough for him to lie down comfortably.

After General Carl left, Richard took out a small booklet from his storage ring.

"What kind of book do you need to hide from the general to read?" The young officer, who had become acquainted with Richard during this time, snatched the book from his hands. After reading only two pages, Richard's eyes widened: "You...you're reading this!"

Richard watched as his temporary roommate became increasingly engrossed in his reading, unable to stop turning the pages. Gradually, he calmed down and said, "Since we have suffered a defeat, we should understand our enemies better, especially those who have suddenly become stronger."

"We should all figure out what makes a rabble so fearless."

Richard didn't believe, like most people, that the fundamental reason for the defeat was the presence of mages on the Valuwa side. He wanted to understand why those mages would rather leave their guilds than not join the National Guard.

At the artillery position, the faces of the two spellcasters were vividly clear in Richard's mind, and the tricolor flowers on their hats were deeply etched into his memory.

(End of this chapter)