A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 454 Did you get the wrong script?

In Byrne, which has just entered summer, the temperature fluctuates between cold and hot, but fortunately, it doesn't have the unpredictable foehn winds of the Central Mountains. However, another kind of "foehn wind" is raging at this time.

The Wool and Textile Guild received a devastating blow: from the states along the Tam River to the north of the empire, all customers were canceling their contracts and the last orders for finished yarn. Even wool was subject to a simultaneous increase in tax rates. The workshop owners were bewildered; before the war, members of the empire in both the north and south had never acted in such unison.

And those who do business with Valuwa can only issue IOUs now, so they can't do anything. The workshop owners in Bain are just as inflexible as the Imperials; even in a downturn, they can't come up with advanced methods like operating at a loss or having employees take out loans to work.

The workshops, feeling abandoned by the world, first laid off employees and then went bankrupt, releasing more skilled but unstable elements into society. It's like cells rupturing, releasing cellular fluid and inflammatory factors.

People who have lost their jobs, subconsciously choosing the ubiquitous beer halls to kill time, are surprised to find they offer free entertainment. Every now and then, young people, imitating scenes from the old days of the People's Republic, stand on large wooden tables and give passionate speeches:

"Our enemy is not the Valois, nor the Empire, nor the other states that have betrayed our alliance. Obviously, the enemy is within, among us, and above us."

A inflammatory speech at a beer hall in Munnick is not a good thing.

Because customers don't have enough money, if they want to drink freely, they can only choose light beer that's as bland as water, and they can't even get it iced. In the early summer, it's like slightly sour horse urine.

The milder the beer, the more irritating it is to drink.

Bang! The sound of a glass being smashed and the cop kicking down the door happened to overlap. The patrons fled in a panic, trying to avoid paying their bills, while the speaker who was standing on the table was caught red-handed.

Similar speeches and arrests became increasingly frequent, eventually attracting the attention of the Byrne royal family and the city hall.

"This must be a Valuvan conspiracy! We have to teach them a lesson, and let the Imperials know that Byrne is not to be trifled with!" The eldest prince slammed his fist on the table, his demeanor and tone somewhat resembling those of a speaker in a beer hall.

Prince Otto, frowning in thought, successfully piqued the King's interest. Albert nodded: "Otto, what do you think?"

Otto, who had been keeping a close eye on the Imperial Chancellor of the same name and the Empire's movements, proposed a possibility that seemed impossible at first glance:

"Could it be the imperialists instigating this?"

To his elder brother's astonishment, the second prince explained, "As far as I know, the Imperial Diet is about to begin reforms, attempting to promote a single-member constituency system. Right now, the biggest obstacle is us."

The news has spread like wildfire, with many astute brokers active and numerous forces vying for a seat maneuvering.

If so, it means that the Empire and Byron are colluding from within and without.

At first glance, the call to emulate Valois seems the loudest, but in reality, large trading companies and families holding positions in the city hall are more willing to bow to the empire and return to its trading system. The former's calls may simply be a means for them to leverage their influence and put pressure on the royal family.

Thinking about it that way, it really might be true. The eldest prince clenched his fist again and slammed it on the table, shouting, "They want to take a piece of our Ludwig family fortune!"

The king frowned and glanced at the impulsive and easily angered eldest prince, then turned to ask the second prince.

Otto hesitated for a moment: "What I'm most worried about right now is the Special Administrative Region—if, no, if Rorschach were willing."

The king nodded in agreement: "Let's not provoke them for now, and see how the spring wheat and the new batch of military equipment are delivered."

The second prince then suggested, "We could contact the members of the self-governing council and free up one or two seats in the existing Imperial Council, so they don't keep circling around that mage guild."

".Can."

In fact, neither the eldest prince nor the second prince was entirely wrong. Now, Bain is caught in a pincer attack by the Empire and Valuva.

Through the southwestern border, also known as the special region, printed materials and newspapers from the Republic flooded in, and even "dissidents" wanted by the Empire and seeking refuge in Valois were deliberately released back to stir up trouble.

Meanwhile, the Empire put pressure on Bain's commerce. After gaining complete control of the South, it immediately imposed punitive tariffs on Bain and used various means to reduce trade between Bain and its trading companies.

Until Byrne yields and accepts the small constituency plan.

On the continent of Ferroren, it's natural and beautiful for the eldest and second eldest to fight while the third eldest gets beaten up. In the early stages, the two fought so fiercely that they had no time to pay attention to each other. But when the intensity of the fight subsided, they discovered that Byrne was actually quite well-fed. How could they tolerate that?

The "Imperial Strict Father Flying Kick" and the "Republican Sister Brainwashing Wave" have finally arrived.

So, will this have any impact on the Kempson-Lanster District? Yes, it will have a huge increase in orders.

Inside the Mage Tower, in Rorschach's workshop, Andrei was reporting to Big Boss, who had been out having fun for several days.

"How much?" Rorschach thought he'd misheard and repeated, "You want to order 50,000 tons of steel ingots? And process them into steel bars and plates?"

If production isn't expanded, a single order could consume nearly half of Luo Xia's capacity, which would delay his plans for a "gas car factory" and mass-producing magic puppets. The Special Administrative Region's workforce has already reached its limit.

"The project will be delivered in phases over the next year, with the eastern section of the Black Forest to be completed first, which is expected to use 1.2 tons of steel."

These steel materials will be used to build the most powerful and impregnable fortress defense line in the history of the continent of Ferroron, named after the new Marshal Helmut.

Luo Xia and Andrei did not know the name of the defensive line, but the steel mill had been selected as one of the main suppliers, and according to the news from the Baldorum Chamber of Commerce, the Empire was preparing for the construction of the defensive line. The first line included the currently occupied areas and the disputed areas of Valuwa, and the second line was based on the southern border before the war.

The defensive line was of extremely high standard, with fortresses and permanent fortifications included, and it is said that many mages were mobilized to assist in its construction in order to speed up the process. The design even took into account a large construct that had only appeared once before. To prevent such assault weapons, anti-ramming ramps and high-speed barbed wire were required to slow their attack and ensure that they could be destroyed by artillery or spellcasters within the fortresses.

Wait, this script isn't right, did we get the wrong one?

Andrei compiled the known information and handed it over to Rorschach. The cost of the defense line was divided into three parts: funds allocated by the capital after parliamentary audit, special bonds, and local funding. Local funding referred to the areas where the defense line was to be built, namely the southern states.

Now Rorschach understood. What Mahermut Line? It was clearly the "Zheng Guo Canal"!

The Republic is rebuilding the central-local system through "terror"; while the Empire is integrating the southern states. In addition to reforming the electoral districts, it is also using the Republic to intimidate these disobedient members of the Imperial Diet, making them invest a lot of manpower and resources in the future, leaving them breathless and without the energy to stir up trouble or challenge the capital.

Good, good, good, my foot! Rorschach still thinks the imperialists have the wrong script. Shouldn't they continue to try to create miracles?

Unbeknownst to him, the Empire's blitzkrieg plan had essentially failed. The new marshal and the entire military had undergone a shift in thinking, mythologizing the "turtle strategy" that had played a crucial role. Constructing a large defensive line had become a way to consolidate the gains in both a practical and institutional sense.

Theoretically, this isn't wrong. The National Guard likes to launch a single, overwhelming attack, so let's stop them from charging and then launch a counter-attack, which is like waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out.

Rorschach suddenly realized a crucial question: "How will the military pay for our orders? Don't tell me Byrne is also being paid out."

Andrei didn't understand why Rorschach used "also": "Cash, all cash. If we take it, the first installment payment and the iron ore will be in place by the end of the month."

Bain mainly produces coal, and its iron ore production can no longer keep up with the special zone's pig iron and steel production capacity. The Empire not only provides money but also guarantees the supply of raw materials, which shows its sincerity.

"Hiss. Is this some kind of bribery of the Special Administrative Region?" Rorschach gasped, rubbing his hands together. "Hey!"

With money in hand, he needed to expand recruitment and poach talent. His first thought wasn't about manpower: "Andrei, don't you think we have too few spellcasters? Could we poach some from the Arcane Tower?"

(End of this chapter)