A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 476 Moving Forward

Luo Xia instructed the Special Administrative Region to set aside the commissioners who were to investigate the fields and delay the process as much as possible, in order to wait for a certain moment.

If the kingdom can successfully accept the single-member constituency reform, the royal family will receive a luxury car as a gift, as well as a series of "gifts." If not, those who try to stop the tide will face another production line of products.

However, he had one last concern: these mass-produced weapons and a powerful industrial system alone were not enough, at least not in this world, where other factors were at play. Rorschach began writing letters to Archmage Cano and Archmage Kober, and also paid another visit to Feuerbach.

"How do you advance to the rank of Archmage? You..." Feuerbach scrutinized the young man, whose progress was incomprehensible and whose spellcasting talent was even more outrageous—he mastered a Tree of Law, and all his magic required no materials or ritual assistance; he could cast spells completely silently.

However, until today, Rorschach's file and his rank registered with the guild were stagnant, still listed as "Intermediate Mage." It seemed that this young man had deliberately distanced himself from the magic guild after arriving in the Kingdom of Bain. A 20-year-old intermediate spellcaster was indeed exceptionally talented among spellcasters, but not unique. On paper, Rorschach and his classmate Richard were at the same level.

Why did you suddenly have this idea?

"In the past, I thought that the ranking system that the Magic Guild set for mages was just self-deception." Rorschach frankly admitted his thoughts: "True strength should not be divided by simple ranks. The qualitative changes that can be truly reflected are only two or three major stages. Further subdivision is just a sociological concept."

Feuerbach nodded: "That's right. The 'nominal titles' of the third tier are just a means to encourage mages to communicate and share knowledge. In the past, when the Church was powerful, the isolation and concealment among mages caused our group to suffer greatly. In fact, the effect is quite good, isn't it? Your 'Spell Cloud' also follows this ranking system."

Rorschach nodded: "The level of 'Spell Cloud' can definitely increase the casting restrictions."

"But you are actually encouraging users to break the restrictions." The master pointed out incisively that Rorschach made the rules that restricted the caster's ring rank and the number of times the spell could be used because of the Tower Spirit's processing ability, but then loosened them when the spell was made into a magic circle or when multiple people cast spells. Even though Valentine and others discovered the loopholes and bypassed the restrictions, Rorschach did not improve the mechanism or guard against it.

"This is my attitude. The most valuable thing for a spellcaster is creativity. We cannot turn cultivation into a game of earning points and climbing an existing hierarchy."

"So you didn't go back to the guild to retest and certify your spellcasting skills."

"Because up to now, I don't need the guild or any other organization to acknowledge me, nor do I need to conform to other people's standards to determine my own value."

Rorschach looked up at the ceiling. This was the top floor of the Arcane Tower. Due to the effect of constant magic, the number of floors inside the tower was far greater than the number of floors that appeared from the outside. But no matter how many floors there were, this was undoubtedly the top of the Arcane Tower: "To put it bluntly: I am the one who creates value and sets prices, not the one whose prices are set."

Some so-called grand masters are still people with set prices. The realm they reached at their peak and the recognition they gained were merely labels for them to raise prices and sell to someone. Then, they died, leaving only the title of "Count Granor".

"So now, are you planning to put yourself up for sale? Upgrade your product level before listing?" Feuerbach couldn't help but mock the young man. He admitted that Rossha wasn't being arrogant, but he still remembered the losses and troubles he had caused the Arcane Tower.

If June Rorschach's treatment of the royal family was a slap followed by a sweet treat, then his treatment of the Arcane Tower was like wiping out most of the tower and then giving some compensation.

"No, it's just my personal judgment that the current situation requires me to become a Grand Mage."

"The Special Zone needs a Grand Master to oversee it," the master said, his expression turning serious. "What are you planning to do now?"

Why use "again"? What have I already done? Rorschach's expression was innocent: "The Empire's small-district reform has begun. The special district has become a free district, which is more in line with the interests of the vast majority of the people in the special district. Accepting the small-district reform will also benefit the future of the Byrne region. Naturally, many people will be unhappy about it, and I hope that those who are unhappy can keep their thoughts to themselves."

"Based on my observations of Master Kano and of you, the influence and deterrent power of an archmage might be able to achieve this goal. If I can be promoted, and you and the Arcane Tower you represent can support me, then our idea can certainly become a reality."

"It's yours. I've said it from the beginning: I hate emperors and empires."

Rorschach continued staring at the ceiling: "What happens after there are no kings and emperors? Some systems must be destroyed, while others should be preserved until the next upheaval. An empire should not be tied to an emperor. Compared to regional separatism, conforming to the unification of the empire is the only way to bring prosperity, stability, and peace to the people after the end of the imperial system. Otherwise, even without hereditary rulers, the continent will still be plagued by frequent wars."

If Rorschach has any identification with this world's "homeland," it's only in its inclusiveness and unity compared to other countries in the other world. He's not some war criminal player, and he won't interrupt the process of unifying the empire and its states just for his own "fun," nor will he sit idly by and watch the Byrne royal family's ulterior motives sprout and grow because of his arrival.

Feuerbach could not understand the otherworldly soul's obsession with "unification," but he still acknowledged Rorschach's idea. At least this young man proved that he was a person with ideals and acted accordingly, rather than merely serving to acquire money, power, and strength.

"Let's put your ideas aside for now. Getting the Tower of Arcane Power's support is simple: you just need to actually advance. Now, let's get back to magic itself. Each major advancement has a distinct experience; can you feel it?"

This is what troubles Rorschach: "There is a way to go from beginner to intermediate, but there is no such experience after intermediate." Or rather, it is the potential that can be stimulated to go up. When he faced the remains of the gods in the sub-plane, his panel underwent a long upgrade process.

The panel was upgraded again later, but Luo Xia felt that his strength had not changed significantly.

Feuerbach shook his head: "Then most likely you haven't been promoted." But thinking of Rorschach's outrageous performance, he still took out the arcane mark, the same one that Cano used to test Rorschach's level back then: "This shouldn't be your first time being tested, come on."

This secret mark points to the god Thoth, so Rorschach has kept his distance ever since. But with Feuerbach here today, and the atmosphere set, he might as well give it a try. Rorschach channeled his magic and infused the mark with it.

Under their gaze, a rich purple hue bloomed on the secret seal's path, pulsating continuously. Then, the purple hue began to shift, turning into an ambiguous purplish-red.

However, it was still significantly different from crimson. Rorschach exerted all his strength, pouring all the environmental magic into his body and concentrating it, even tinging every corner of the office with a purplish-red aura.

As the "domain" centered on Rorschach expanded, the magic lamps on the upper levels of the Arcane Tower began to flicker and go out, and even the stable spatial expansion showed signs of disorder.

Rorschach himself was unaware, but Feuerbach, who was connected to the Arcane Tower, could sense that the entire tower's magic was being brutally absorbed into the boy's body, then concentrated and violently forced into the badge, having lost the control of the Red Dragon Tower Spirit. The gargoyles in the office fell to the ground, their limbs and wings shattering into pieces, revealing the stone fractures.

He's now a super-powerful magic pump.

(End of this chapter)