A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 487 What is the intention?

Outside the palace, the guards watched as the rioters lit torches, and surprisingly, several mule carts brought light beer and bread, which were distributed as orderly as possible to the vanguard members on the front line of the standoff.

The guards and the city hall officials, witnessing this bizarre phenomenon, were all incredulous—shouldn't these troublemakers be looting? How could they be so orderly, one group eating while another stood guard, even passing food and drinks around? These rioters...they're not chaotic at all!

Could they be professional rebels?

For a moment, the two sides were relatively calm again, and the guards' stomachs and throats made rumbling sounds.

After the mule carts left and everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, one of the leaders kicked an empty wine barrel, signaling the resumption of shouting: "We want to see the king!" "Let that old tortoise out!" "Or let us in!" Clearly, the rioters, now replenished with supplies, were shouting even louder and more forceful.

You went back to work right after you finished eating. You're not only professional, but you also have a lot of work ethic!

The captain of the guard, unable to contain himself any longer, cautiously approached the consul and whispered, "They're toying with us! Just give the order, and we'll shoot these scoundrels dead!"

The governor did not want to take responsibility. He had a vague feeling that these "professional players" were not simple people. Moreover, given the current tone of the newspapers and media, if he dared to order the shooting of these people tonight, he would be heavily criticized on the front page tomorrow.

If someone is actually killed, the governor will see it as the destruction of his own career.

Therefore, he insisted on waiting for the king's order, and so the situation dragged on. The patience of both sides gradually ran out, and they were finally on the verge of a fight breaking out and getting out of control.

"Let us in!" "Get out of the way!"

Just as the volume from both sides was about to reach its maximum, the world suddenly fell silent. The thousands of people in front of the palace couldn't understand what was happening. At first, they panicked, thinking they had gone deaf, but they quickly realized from the equally bewildered expressions of those around them that they weren't the only ones suddenly enveloped in absolute silence.

A soft crackling sound signaled that everyone's hearing had been restored, and then a huge sphere of light floated in from the palace, illuminating the open space in front of it as if it were daytime. After everyone's eyes had adjusted to the sudden light, His Majesty the King appeared beneath the sphere of light.

He was expressionless and alone; at least to ordinary people, there were no three invisible red-robed mages floating beside him.

King Albert, like a puppet, produced a hastily drafted document and read it aloud to the astonishment of the guards and the chief regent. The king admitted that his past wrong decisions had alienated Byrne from the Empire, leading to the current economic blockade, and that his past autocratic rule had prevented the Kingdom of Byrne from embarking on the right path.

"Looking at the world's powerful nations, they all rely on collective wisdom and effort, inviting representatives from all sectors to discuss national affairs, in order to achieve stability, prosperity, and development. Today's unfortunate events have made me deeply realize that the era in which kingdoms were the private property of nobles and monarchs ruled arbitrarily is over."

"Having listened extensively to opinions from all sides, I have decided to accept the Empire's reform proposals. This includes re-electing representatives to the Imperial Diet, establishing a Senate with open elections, and incorporating these measures into the legal code of the Kingdom of Bain. I will personally travel to the capital to repair relations with the Empire and dedicate myself to the well-being of my people."

This "edict of self-reproach" was written on the spot, and its sincerity was questionable, resulting in rather awkward wording. But this did not prevent the audience from being deeply moved, and even their anger vanished. Some people even squeezed out a few tears and led the applause.

Suddenly, eerie applause resounded in front of the palace, and the king turned as pale as paper under the enormous magical orb of light.

Feuerbach, frowning as he witnessed everything, solemnly spoke using the [Communication] spell: "Mage Rorschach, you have coerced and manipulated a monarch, setting a terrible precedent since the Silent Era."

"Is that so? But even without my acceleration, the Ludwig family's rule might not last long." Rorschach made no attempt to hide from Eugénie, who was of royal lineage: "His Majesty Albert's throne is like a reef sandwiched between two ocean currents, which will be repeatedly washed away by the Empire and the Republic."

"Compared to the cataclysmic collapse and his or his successor's fall from the throne, we are giving him a helping hand, allowing him to live a peaceful and leisurely life as a nobleman. In a time when commoners cannot eat without working and cannot survive without fighting, he can still watch operas and reminisce about the glory days when he held great power."

"Oh, and you can also enjoy a super luxury car gifted by the special economic zone."

Feuerbach found Rorschach's words rather harsh, but couldn't refute them. Rorschach, however, wasn't about to stop: "Besides, I'm not trying to create a puppet. With Byrne divided into three, all I can influence is the Special District. As for the future of the entire kingdom, I respect the public's choice."

He can strike hard against industry associations and nobles—things that hinder his actions—but for ordinary people, Rorschach is willing to guide the situation and exchange benefits for public opinion.

"Hmph, once you have Byrne in your hands, will you 'respect' the fate of the Empire and Valuva again?" Feuerbach sneered. What worried him most was not the present, but that Rorschach was too young! Moreover, he did everything very quickly, so quickly that everyone was caught off guard and allowed him to grow and act boldly to this point.

"If that day ever comes, and you still think I've done something wrong, then let the Arcane Senate, the Owl Tribunal, and that Brotherhood of whatever name they are, all come at me together, and call all the 'righteous archmages' to gang up on me." Rorschach didn't care at all; he was more concerned about whether the extras Valon had hired were putting on a good show.

Yes, the incitement was very effective. Tonight is a victory banquet, a unity banquet.

Feuerbach finally lamented, "I hope history will not record me as an accomplice of you and your master."

"You're getting more and more humorous; we're clearly in a business relationship."

But let's get back to the main point. The chief of the Arcane Tower rallied: "Mage Elizabeth, although you have temporarily left the Arcane Tower, as an archmage and a substitute member of the Arcane Senate, there is an important project that needs your assistance. It will lay the foundation for the future existence of a transcontinental magic guild."

Why are such important matters happening one after another while we're having a meal? Elizabeth Eugénie and the other two archmages moved to Munik's guild for a detailed discussion. After relaying Cano's plan, Feuerbach said, "The Arcane Tower and Master Roscha's Magic Tower will cooperate to jointly monitor the Tree of Truth's transformation system - the second branch."

The types of spellcasting monitored by the thirteen magic towers have been determined. Rorschach added, "Spellcasting involving the 'Spell Cloud' system will be reflected synchronously on the Tree of Truth, but the spellcaster's information will likely be mediated by the Spell Cloud, making it more difficult for the Senate to observe. Therefore, we will regularly report the activation status of high-risk nodes to the Senate."

If nodes such as "Withering," "Corruption," or "Polarization," which involve the Necromancer system or pose other risks, are activated, the Tower Spirit will record the information and Rorschach will report it to the Senate.

"How far have you gotten?" Elizabeth thought Rorschach was arrogant enough, but it turned out that Feuerbach, who seemed mentally stable, was also trying to monitor the spellcasting activities around the world—no, the actions of the entire Senate's high command.

"So far, only Master Kano has successfully reached the Primal Layer and observed the legendary Tree of Truth."

"In other words, we haven't even finished the first step." Rorschach was optimistic: "But I believe that with the combined efforts of 13+1 magic towers, we will soon be able to turn our vision into reality, and the projects we are responsible for can begin immediately."

Elizabeth felt a chill run down her spine, but she accepted Feuerbach's invitation nonetheless. She couldn't even imagine what the outside world, the world of mages, would become if she stayed any longer in the Würzburg palace.

(End of this chapter)