A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 48 Business Trip: To Go or Not to Go?

Snow the Wizard, having dealt with too many engineering problems, believes in theoretical models as long as experimental verification confirms their correctness and their ability to solve practical problems. Alchemists, especially those who craft magical artifacts, exhibit a more pronounced tendency towards "I think that's enough" and "that's good enough."

To convince Archmage Cano and the other mages, logical argumentation was needed. Rorschach's subsequent task was to organize the data, draw experimental conclusions, and then propose a mathematical model to generalize to the general conclusions.

The dormitory was illuminated by the [Light Spell] for many nights, all because Luo Xia tirelessly contributed to the thermodynamics of this world.

Kano studied the newly revised and supplemented paper for a long time: "Master Rorschach, you've really surprised me." He stroked his smooth, rounded chin.

"Our next research direction could be the conversion of heat, electricity, kinetic energy, and ether, as our research group happens to have a large amount of data and records."

"OK."

"I will submit your paper to the Magic Guild as the initial reviewer." Rorschach is a low-level mage, and his thesis needs a mid-level or high-level mage to act as the "initial reviewer" to endorse and submit it for review, similar to a corresponding author.

"Master Rorschach, you've proven that heat is energy, not matter. So what do you think ether actually is?"

Magic? The Empire and the Dwarves generally refer to it as "magic power" or "magical energy," while the Holy Kingdom and the Elves call it "ether" and "mana" respectively, implying a conflict between the theory of energy and the theory of matter.

"The students don't understand enough; we can't jump to conclusions." Perhaps it's mass-energy equivalence? That's magic! Rorschach couldn't help but think. Don't force me to come up with a mass-energy equivalence equation; I've never understood relativity anyway.

"Snow agreed to make us a new engine machine, you did a good job. Put this matter aside for now, go on a business trip for me, I'll get a raise this month."

"Business trip? Where to?"

"A sub-plane." Kano turned around, unlocked the "arcane lock" on the cabinet behind him, and handed a file folder to Rorschach: "This is the first sub-plane we've discovered that is stable and where humans can live for a long time."

The atmosphere and starry sky of the prime plane are separated by a thick layer of transmutation dust, a barrier rarely breached even by archmages. However, rare entrances to secondary planes can be discovered through magical rituals or in some ancient ruins.

However, those planes are often filled with extreme elements. For example, the water plane is an endless ocean, and it also has an atmosphere, but the boundary between gas and liquid is not obvious. There is also the gas plane, with ceaseless storms, water constantly vaporizing and condensing in the gas clouds, and lightning flashing between the gas clouds.

The discovery of a secondary plane with solid land and a breathable atmosphere is unheard of; such a mysterious realm is only imagined in poems passed down from ancient times.

Kano whispered a guess: "Perhaps it's an abandoned divine kingdom."

Such speculation is not uncommon. Since the Age of Silence, mages and priests have been unable to help but ponder: Where did the vanished gods go? What is their condition? If they have passed away, what will they have left behind?

After multiple confirmations and trips by high-ranking mages, the Magic Guild and the Tower of Stars planned to organize a team of about one hundred people to be sent in batches to the designated location in that plane in an attempt to establish a semi-permanent stronghold.

"You really want me to go? I'm here to study abroad." Luo Xia is an Imperial citizen, shouldn't he slip in quietly for such a good opportunity, instead of turning down the offer?

"It's impossible to hide it. The Empire has its own people who know about the news from the sub-planes through the Magic Guild. The current large-scale exploration is only semi-public after the initial investigation." Kano tapped the table: "As for why I asked you to go, Paulina is very busy, and Pascal is beyond help, so I had no choice but to ask you."

The exploration revealed the subplane to be a desolate land of sand and gravel, roughly the size of a region of the Holy Kingdom, its edges sealed off by transmutation dust and rendered imperceptible. Although the land was devoid of life, the plane possessed a high concentration of ether.

"The archmage in charge of the initial exploration has a powerful family behind him. He hopes to carve out a territory in the sub-plane and make it a family fief recognized by the Holy Kingdom. There are many other old guys with similar ideas, which gives our King an excuse to intervene." Kano sneered.

Rorschach asked, somewhat puzzled, "Then why didn't the discoverer claim ownership of the entire plane?"

"The exploration was a collaborative effort by the archmages of the magic guild. I've been there once myself; it was a desolate wasteland with nothing in it. Compared to the land itself, the title that comes with converting it into a fiefdom is far more significant. Besides, even if I gave it to him, he couldn't possibly take it all! What use is a wasteland the size of one-thirteenth of a kingdom? If he wants to develop it, he needs more mages and ordinary people to participate in the construction; he needs the intervention of mortal forces."

His Majesty's finance minister, chief guard, and the magic guild negotiated, hoping the guild would recognize the sub-plane as kingdom territory, and then appoint the discoverer and some archmages as lords within the plane. They also demanded 10,000 acres of central land as royal territory, approximately one-fifteenth the size of the plane.

"Would the Magic Guild agree to this?"

"Rorschach, what is a magic guild?" Kano shook his head: "It's not a tightly knit organization, it's just an association that mages join for common interests."

Compared to handing it over to the Magic Guild and making it the property of all mages, receiving a royal recognition would clearly be more beneficial to the discoverer, who, like many of the archmages here, was originally of noble birth. Archmages of merchant origin, on the other hand, need titles and fiefdoms to ascend to nobility, making them easily bribed by the discoverer and His Majesty the King.

When these guys sit in the Arcane Senate, they represent the Holy Kingdom's branch of the Magic Guild; but when it comes to dividing the spoils, they represent their own and their families' interests. What guild are they anyway? Kano shrugged.

"Teacher, aren't you from an aristocratic family?"

"Your teacher, me, Kano, looks down on these wastelands, looks down on these people. Hmm, by the way, don't you think there's anything strange about this place?"

Rorschach thought for a moment: "His Majesty the King has already intervened, so there's no reason for the Church not to get involved."

"That's right, that's the strange thing. The church has not made a statement, and His Majesty the King does not want the church to take a share of the pie."

"Will there be any danger?"

"I won't send my students into a fire pit! It's been a year since this plane was discovered, and we old folks have been back and forth countless times. We've confirmed it's just a wasteland. This time, besides the mages, it's mainly ordinary construction workers going into the base. As one of the accompanying mages, you need to keep an eye out for any emergencies."

I've said so much, my throat is dry, so are we going or not?

Having come this far, Luo Xia had no reason to refuse. He took a deep breath and said, "I'll go. Remember to pay for the travel expenses."

"Excellent. I'll take you to the portal to the other dimension in four days."

(End of this chapter)