A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 486 The Wisdom of Our Ancestors

Despite the standoff between rioters and guards outside the palace, the palace itself was unusually quiet, and the banquet proceeded smoothly. The kitchen, as usual, had a surplus of ingredients, so everything was not thrown into disarray by Rorschach's unexpected arrival.

The above applies only to the kitchen and the banquet. The King and the Second Prince were the ones whose plans were severely disrupted. The King gave a formulaic speech, thanking Feuerbach and Elizabeth for their invitation and offering a dry welcome to the uninvited guests.

Elizabeth Eugénie looked relaxed and cheerful: "Congratulations, Rorschach! It's only been a few months since we last met, and you've already successfully advanced to Archmage! That's incredible! If everyone else could achieve half your speed, the Arcane Tower wouldn't have so many apprentices left behind or dropouts."

"I also made a breakthrough not long ago, and I have to thank Master Feuerbach for his guidance."

The two chatted and ate, completely disregarding etiquette and seemingly ignoring their host, just as casually as when they had lunch together in the cafeteria of the Mystic Tower.

Elizabeth, upon hearing that the chief of the Arcane Tower had also contributed, cast an inquiring glance at her former superior, Feuerbach.

The chief initially didn't want to respond, but in the end he echoed what Rorschach said: "Yes, many things have changed in the Arcane Tower since you left." Compared to the sauce carefully prepared by the royal chef, Feuerbach's words were full of complex flavors.

Having overheard the conversation, His Majesty Albert and Prince Otto were finally heartbroken. Elizabeth wanted to ask more about the changes, but the host of the banquet seized the brief silence to interject: "Congratulations to Mage Rorschach on his advancement! It is truly an honor for Byrne to have three archmages presiding over our country!"

He was the first to stand up and raise his glass: "To Archmage Rorschach, to God!"

The prince quickly stood up, and the three mages slowly rose as well. But Rorschach did not raise his cup; instead, he held it to the rim: “In my hometown, it is often said that wine is the essence of grain. At a time when food is scarce, Your Majesty’s willingness to offer such fine wine is truly touching.”

"But thinking of the proverb from my hometown, I realize how precious food is now. The special zone had a bumper harvest in its first year, but there are also many more mouths to feed." Luo Xia shook his head: "There are resettled refugees, unemployed workers who moved to the special zone, and many newborns."

The king and prince's glasses froze in mid-air. Prince Otto wanted nothing more than to crush the glass: "Are you blind? This is sparkling aperitif! Made from grapes! Grapes!"

The old king, however, was more cultured. He remained calm and composed, still wearing a smile. He obediently put down his cup and led everyone to sit down: "Master Luo Xia truly cares about the people of the special zone. Please rest assured, the wines at today's banquet are all treasures from my wine cellar. Please enjoy yourselves."

He returned to the issue that Rorschach had explicitly stated: "I am aware of the difficulties in the Special District, but the entire country of Byrne is also in dire need of food. As long as the Special District is willing to provide relief, the specific amount can be discussed further."

"I think there's no need to discuss it anymore. Let's finalize it now." Luo Xiamosuo Cup revealed his plan: "The grain can be delivered, but I want to divide it into two parts: the total amount of grain delivered by the special zone last year will be the same amount delivered to the kingdom this year, but the extra portion after doubling will be converted into cash based on the current grain price and delivered."

Even the second prince's expression softened. Even though the extra amount, calculated at today's grain price, would result in a significant loss compared to paying the full amount, it was still free money. The fact that the special zone could pay the full amount according to previous years' quotas already exceeded the father and son's expectations.

Unfortunately, Luo Xia had a "but": "Money and food cannot be wasted, nor can they be lost without explanation. Therefore, we must use the funds for their designated purposes. The money should be used to renovate roads, build railways, and expand the telegraph network, while the food should be used to pay the workers involved in the construction. The planning, construction standards, and acceptance of the above projects will all be determined by the Special Administrative Region, and of course, the City Hall must cooperate."

What? Does this mean we won't get a single penny of money or grain? The father and son were no longer calm.

Feuerbach nodded approvingly: "In this way, unemployed vagrants can all have jobs, and being organized and managed will no longer threaten public order. And food will be delivered to the common people as wages, bypassing petty officials and grain merchants, which will stabilize grain prices to the greatest extent. Yes, it's a good plan."

Elizabeth was certain that something had really happened to the Arcane Tower, and she couldn't believe that the Chief had come to understand such matters: "Master Feuerbach, I didn't expect you to be knowledgeable in economics as well."

"Ahem, I know a little, a little." Feuerbach shrugged his lips modestly. He had learned his lesson after being tricked once, and after that, he had spared a little effort to brush up on the knowledge that the archmage had previously overlooked. Feuerbach had to admit that as the head of the mage tower, he also had the responsibility of managing it, and Kano had done a better job than him, even training a good apprentice.

After praising her former boss, Elizabeth didn't forget to compliment her junior: "Rorschach is also very impressive for coming up with such a brilliant plan!"

Luo Xia thought to himself that it was no big deal. This was the wisdom of his ancestors. As the saying goes, "work relief" can solve a dilemma. Most importantly, if all the money is invested in infrastructure, the raw materials still need to be purchased from factories in the special economic zone. In other words, most of the tax deductions that are nominally to be handed over can be returned to the special economic zone.

First, the grain was converted into cash, but due to fluctuations in grain prices, the value decreased once. Now, the money is being used to purchase its own goods, so naturally, the price will be quoted based on the purchase price, resulting in another round of depreciation. The actual grain is being converted into the GDP of the special economic zone.

The king felt a sudden stomachache: Sister, what's so good about it? That brat is being a scoundrel and bullying our family!

Prince Otto accepted Rorschach's proposal, but he was more concerned about the current situation: "Master Rorschach, what you said is very good, but it cannot solve the current problem. The rioters are still on the outskirts, and I don't know how long the guards and the city hall can hold out. After the banquet, can the three archmages help to get rid of the royal family's predicament?"

"Most importantly, how can we prevent similar situations from happening in the future?"

"It's alright, there are plenty of extras outside hired by Valon." Of course, he couldn't say this aloud, and he stopped acting, saying directly, "It's very simple: accept the Empire's district reforms, divide the Kingdom of Bain into three districts, and reintegrate it into the Empire's trade system."

"It is said that the emperors of the Far East seek to govern their countries effortlessly. The worst example is none other than Charles XVI. I've heard that His Majesty loves the arts, especially opera. Wouldn't it be wonderful if he went to the capital to live a life of leisure, or stayed in Byrne to enjoy himself, or even become a patron of an opera company?"

"You!" Rorschach practically begged Albert to abdicate, finally breaking through Albert's composure. Albert jumped to his feet, and immediately the servants and guards drew their swords and spears.

Elizabeth frowned as well: "Rorschach, you..." Feuerbach lowered his eyes, eating the meat on his plate without saying a word.

Luo Xia also stood up, shaking off his red robe. Instantly, all the guards who were hostile to him found themselves frozen in place, and a deep chill that penetrated to the soul came from below.

Ou Yeni didn't want to attack or let the situation get out of control, so she tried to imprison time in the banquet hall and make Rorschach "stop". However, when her spell was halfway through its expansion, spacetime suddenly trembled briefly but violently, causing her static field to dissipate silently.

The young man reminisced, "Since I came to Bain to start my business and build the tower, I have negotiated terms with the Glass Guild and been rejected; I have also negotiated terms with the Tower of Arcane Arts and been rejected."

"So today we're not talking about conditions, I'm here to make demands."

(End of this chapter)