A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 501 Who hasn't had a youthful spirit?

Kano's real purpose in seeking out Rorschach was about the starship; he wanted Rorschach's promise.

He looked at his student and said solemnly, "I can compromise on other issues, and even if I can't satisfy you at the negotiating table, there's only one thing I need your help with, Luo Xia."

"Please speak."

"Regardless of how the war progresses, the entire guild and the thirteen magic towers will still invest a great deal of manpower and resources to advance the observation project of the Tree of Truth. The Tower of Stars has no spare capacity to support the Republic of Valuva, but the Tower of Thunderstorms will test-produce a manned starship within a year."

"So fast?" Rorschach hadn't expected the guild to be so determined.

"It must be said that we have to hurry and continue. On the one hand, it is to prevent the malign magic from getting out of control. On the other hand, the Senate believes that this cooperative project will be a link between the guilds of various countries, in order to prevent the guilds from really falling apart after the war."

Rorschach nodded in understanding.

The war has changed for spellcasters. For them, direct attacks have decreased significantly, with each group now focusing on supporting from the rear, or at least from the back lines. Mages across the continent can cooperate, yet also fight each other in the name of their nations, using this game to define post-war spheres of influence.

Kano finally stated his request: "Whether it's the Tower of Stars or any other magic tower, many mages have already died on the battlefield. Spellcasters are precious, so the exploration of the astral plane cannot afford to lose any more lives."

"You mean..."

"When I escaped from the Primal Layer, I almost fell into the Transmutation Layer and was likely swept away and died without a burial place. You saved me, thank you."

No, you may have misunderstood.

"Now the Senate knows that you have a separate piece of space, right there in the interplanetary plane. Since everyone supports the starship program, Feuerbach and I will let it go. But please promise me you'll act as the final safety net for future manned test flights, okay?"

Master Cano spoke sincerely, explaining that the second plan was originally intended to reach the border area, but since Rorschach refused, he naturally wouldn't force him. Instead, he chose to ask Rorschach for a promise.

Rorschach did not disappoint his teacher's expectations. He readily nodded and said, "If the Forerunners really encounter an accident in the Transmutation Dust Stream or in the Astral Plane, come to me, and I will definitely bring them back safely."

"Okay. It's a deal!"

The private conversation between the two was irrelevant, no matter how heated the argument was in the nearby conference room. The overall tone had been set. For Cano, the so-called transmutation dust supplier had only two meanings: first, it seemed very profitable; second, the more transmutation dust collectors there were, the lower the risk of the starship breaking through laminar flow.

As for Rorschach, he didn't care what benefits he could gain from Valuwa, since almost all of its power was focused on fighting the Empire and preserving the fruits of the Great Transformation. Besides, Byrne had already returned to the Empire's system and could no longer openly interact with this southern neighbor.

If we have to talk about gains, Franz could be considered one, albeit barely.

Rorschach returned to the lounge, where his younger brother was lounging listlessly, picking at the cracks in the leather sofa. Seeing his older brother arrive, he tried to pull his hand back, but then thought he'd already been seen, so he simply changed his position and continued vandalizing the sofa.

"Are you a reincarnated husky?" Rorschach asked, making him sit up straight and running his hand over the crack. The damage to the sofa upholstery disappeared instantly, but Rorschach noticed the leather was still dry, indicating that the [Repair Technique] couldn't reverse aging, and the leather would soon crack again.

This is true of most magic spells; a single spell can only reach what it cannot.

"Don't you read the newspaper?" Rorschach noticed that only the pictorials of the newspapers in the lounge were open, which gave him a general idea of ​​this young man's cultural background: "papermaking."

Franz curled his lip: "I've seen that before, it's boring."

"Can't you read?"

"You can read!" Franz retorted defiantly, but his bravado quickly crumbled. "I don't know many." If he were truly capable of learning, the Merkel family's wealth would be more than enough to support the two children's education, and they wouldn't have had to drop out of school halfway to apprentice in a trade.

"Ah, that won't do," Rorschach said seriously. "Without education, you won't be a good soldier, even in war. You can't be a soldier who takes orders for the rest of your life, can you?"

"What you need to fight is courage! And the ability to endure hardship. I'm not afraid of that."

"Okay, let's say you've earned a military merit and returned home with a reward or pension. Right now, old Merkel can still keep an eye on you, but once you start your own business, they won't be watching you anymore, and a bunch of idle scum will be eyeing the money you risked your life for."

"They will become your drinking buddies, leading you to alcoholism, bad habits, or borrowing money under various pretexts and sharing 'get-rich-quick' opportunities with you. Only after they have eaten and eaten their fill and gone their separate ways will you come to your senses, but by then you will have nothing left."

Rorschach didn't have the heart to say more, such as the fiefdoms of the empire. Soldiers could only get very little; it was mostly officers who retired. And officers—whose name didn't have "Feng" in it? Even a poor family had a place in the world. Excluding Rorschach, an "outsider," the old Merkle family had no chance at all.

The Archmage could offer Franz many options, but he didn't think continuing to join the Imperial Army was a good choice.

To protect this guy's safety, we either need to put him in a logistics position, but his education level doesn't seem to be enough; or we need to send a clone to protect him. Rorschach is too bored to do such a thing; if we arm him with alchemical items to the teeth, what if he gets too high a KD with divine equipment and becomes the Empire's number one Baturu?

"Then what should I do? I have no talent! Let alone casting spells, I can't do anything right!" Obviously, Rorschach's manipulation had gone too far, and Franz was starting to give up on himself.

Is this what a rebellious sixteen-year-old boy is like? Rorschach thought, what a nuisance. He reached out and gave Franz a good whack on the head: "Fine, I'll find a way to send you back to the army!"

"Really? Big brother is the best!"

Young people have a youthful spirit, always wanting to rely on themselves and prove themselves, looking down on those who depend on their older brothers for a comfortable life. Luo Xia also somewhat admires this quality, having been like that himself in the past, disdainful of the "interpersonal skills" short videos his parents shared, and scoffing at classmates surrounding counselors and teachers. He wanted to stay true to himself and be a super white lotus flower that could cleanse the mud and purify the air.

But he considers himself an adult now, with a duty to make the boy realize how dark a society filled with connections and favors truly is. Rorschach wants this guy to know the difference between "your older brother is nice to you" and "your older brother is nice."

Regarding Rorschach's connections within the Imperial Army, the Logistics Department is one line, and there's also the recently promoted brigadier general.

That evening, the Tower of Stars hosted a simple cocktail party, which marked the end of the secret raid. Byrne's special district delegation set off to return home, and Rorschach, as usual, teleported alone, but this time he was accompanied not by Varon, but by his underlings.

"Where are we going?" It was Franz's first time stepping into the magic guild and onto a magic circle. Curiosity, nervousness, and excitement were only natural, but he tried to pretend to be calm, which only made his awkward emotions more obvious.

"Didn't you want to continue serving in the army? I'll take you to see a general."

"Huh?" Franz had no doubt that his older brother could keep his word. He was first surprised and delighted, but quickly tensed up: "According to regulations, I must wear a uniform to meet with the commander during peacetime."

"Come on, you prisoner."

(End of this chapter)