A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 425 The Moment When Lies Are Most Easily Born

Not only was Chancellor Otto surprised, but even the eldest prince was taken aback. He had accompanied his father on the trip. The Kingdom of Bain, from the former king to the current Albert, had been a supporter of the Imperial Council, which was why the Empire was able to integrate the southern states that were more influenced by Bain.

Historically, during the reign of Charles XIII, the incomplete empire, the Kingdom of Marin and the Holy Kingdom, fought a war on the continent. At that time, the Kingdom of Byron still supported the Church of Order and mistakenly sided with the Holy Kingdom in that war.

Unexpectedly, the Kingdom of Marin achieved a resounding victory, its military might seemingly invincible, causing its former opposing neighbors to tremble in fear. To the surprise of the Kingdom of Byrne, the Kingdom of Marin did not purge them, but merely demanded that the royal family renounce their church faith. Moved and hesitant to act, Byrne immediately sided with the Kingdom of Marin, becoming a crucial member in the consolidation of the empire.

But now, it seems poised to become an open challenger to the system. The only improvement over history is that this time Albert didn't side with Valois, but simply said: Let's break up, and remain friends, okay?

Are you kidding me!

The prime minister did not reply immediately. He gripped his pipe tightly, then relaxed it, and replied somberly, "Your Majesty, my mission here is not so simple. Even if I make any promises here, they require the final authorization of the Emperor and the Imperial Council. But whatever your wishes may be, we will listen carefully and respond prudently."

"So what's your purpose in coming here? To get my troops back to the front lines as soon as possible?"

"That's right, and it also conveys His Majesty the Emperor's greetings to you. And... I'd like to handle a personal matter."

The prime minister's last words piqued the king's interest, given his reputation for being ruthless and incorruptible; such acts of using public office for private gain were extremely rare for Oto: "Oh? Would you mind telling me?"

"I'm getting old!" The meeting room contained only the two members of the royal family, the prime minister, and his most trusted secretary. The prime minister frankly admitted, "I've been looking at estates for my retirement recently. The area near the capital is nice, but unfortunately, some unpleasant things have happened recently, so I have to consider other alternative locations within the empire. I need a place with pleasant scenery and that is not easily disturbed."

"I don't know if you'd welcome this old geezer, or if you'd allow me to conduct some on-site research for the future."

"Then I think Byrne is the perfect place. You want quiet, with alpine meadows; you want liveliness, with traveling markets and festivals, and opera tours sponsored by our family," Albert proudly introduced his country.

The prime minister, leaning on his cane for support, stood up, a smile appearing beneath his imposing beard: "But I have one condition for choosing my retirement place: it must be within my homeland, not Marin, but the Empire."

"No matter what the future holds, whether you change your mind or not, Byrne will welcome you."

His smile vanished, and the prime minister grabbed his hat and bowed, saying, "Farewell, Your Majesty. If you insist on your demands, we can organize a formal meeting."

After leaving the palace, the secretary, who had been listening in the entire time, quietly asked the prime minister, "Are you really going to agree to Byron's conditions for independence?" Since a formal meeting was to be organized, it meant there was room for discussion. The secretary couldn't understand how the prime minister, who had always advocated for the expansion of the great empire, could tolerate this.

"I'm not sure whether to talk or how to talk. His Majesty the Emperor and I have already anticipated the worst regarding Albert's attitude. Besides, you've been with me for so long, you should understand one thing."

"Your subordinate is dull-witted, please enlighten me, sir."

"Lies, lies are most concentrated in three moments: after a hunt, during a war, and before an election. Okay, now let's move on to the first thing: a trip to Kempson."

"For your health reasons, please rest first. Even if you leave now, you won't arrive in Kempson until early tomorrow morning."

"What, are you secretaries and guards less energetic than an old man?" After saying that, the prime minister climbed into the carriage, closed his eyes and pretended to doze off, while ordering, "This time it ended badly, and neither of us got to have a banquet. Have them pack a meal for the road."

"I want half a roast goose with potatoes, two pounds of smoked sausage, a whole pickled herring, and dessert as you like. Buy enough light beer for everyone, and I want Würzburg red wine—don't forget the eggs."

Although it was said that the prime minister and his personal secretary were eating together, judging from past experience, this capable minister with superhuman energy and memory also had an astonishing appetite, and most of the food he ordered would probably end up in his own stomach. In his prime, he could eat 16 eggs for breakfast, but recently he often complained of a decreased appetite, only able to eat 8 after waking up.

"If we're eating on the go, is a hard-boiled egg in its shell okay?"

The prime minister nodded, and the secretary stopped asking questions. Now that the lord had entered a moment of silence and contemplation, no one but the emperor should disturb him.

The next stop was the outlying city of Kempson, ostensibly to "find a place to retire." Before Rorschach arrived, that peaceful town might have been a viable option, but now, with his brain seemingly under a spell of "idiocy," he chose an industrial city as the location for his retirement estate.

Based on the information gathered from various sources, a significant steel mill has emerged in Byrne, and the person in charge behind it appears to be a spellcaster.

In the Empire, the Thyssen steelworks, which produced everything from seamless steel train wheels to cannons and muskets, was treated with great respect. Its founders had access to the court and palace, and the emperor was willing to personally bring his princes to visit the Thyssen family estate. Every musket and cannon bore its steel stamp—the family crest of three interlocking rings. Even if some weapons were not manufactured by Thyssen, they most likely used raw materials from Thyssen.

The Chancellor needs to see for himself, to personally inspect the Kempson Steelworks to see if the actual situation matches the data collected by the military, and to assess whether it can rival the Empire's Thyssen Steel.

The company's strength was tied to his and the Empire's attitude towards Bain, and the young man who had invented a wondrous vehicle to welcome him would also be considered. If he could win him over, the Bain royal family's opinions might even lose some weight. He firmly believed that as a spellcaster, Rorschach would never pledge allegiance to a kingdom's monarch.

As the carriage set off, Chancellor Otto, who had been feigning sleep, suddenly opened his eyes, demanded a confidential file from his secretary, and upon opening it, the documents inside came into view once again:

Rorschach's basic information, background investigation, and all records after he was recruited by the agency.

The story abruptly ends after his friend Sabines's airship crashes, bringing the entire organization to a standstill. After all, it was all about one person, and with the death of the key leader, chaos ensued. Even the original agents of the organization couldn't figure out how the accident happened, and many people went missing, including "Falcon," Rorschach's former head.

The necromancer, the Imperial Army's chief archmage, took over the entire organization, but the Chancellor disliked him. With the Chancellor's support, the organization was a force he could mobilize, and now that it had been swallowed up by the Crown Prince's chosen leader, Otto was even more displeased.

The only legacy his old friend has left is the documents and archives that the prime minister promptly transferred. He hopes that one of these archives can be put to good use now.

He put on his reading glasses and looked again, feeling that there was something strange about this boy from the countryside. His observations while riding in the carriage only deepened this thought, but did not allow the prime minister to figure him out.

(End of this chapter)