A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 601 Truth and Choice

"Of course. The Mother Goddess's resurrection began long ago; it's a continuous and slow process, although it has accelerated in recent years. But overall, we still have time to deal with it."

"First, there exists an Outer God called 'Is,' which does not belong to our plane, not just the Prime Material Plane, but also to any region under the influence of any astral plane. The Senate's idea is to explore the 'Outer Planes,' to go to worlds unaffected by the Mother Goddess."

"The first step is to evacuate the Prime Material Plane and leave the Earth. Currently, the Mother Goddess's power is coming from underground, and she cannot directly penetrate the surface or project it into the Astral Plane or other planes."

"I'll find a way to escape this world later." Or rather, Rorschach felt that the universe model of this world did not completely correspond to his previous life. Since he was able to travel through time, it meant that the world was not a unique and infinitely extending existence.

"Furthermore, will the Mother Goddess inevitably destroy the world? We studied mythology at the Royal Magic Academy, and one sentence left a deep impression on me: peel back the layers of mythology to find the core of the truth."

"The question is, how big is this 'Core of Truth'? Does it truly possess supreme power, comparable to the Creator? At least based on its current performance, the pollution it has caused is not insurmountable. In past myths, there are often accounts of incarnations of the Earth Mother being defeated by other gods or heroes."

"Moreover, the only openly active deity in the world, the God of Order, is still actively fighting against Him. Does this mean there is still hope for suppression? We don't have to leave our homeland and abandon the abundant material plane."

"so."

"So the Alliance and the Empire represent two options for the Senate at this moment." Rorschach looked at the bustling space center:

"Whether it's a large-scale migration to other planets or defending against the Mother Goddess's invasion, both require the concentration of national resources and the mobilization of the nation. Currently, the 'relocation faction' is in the lead. In the future, Valuwa and the Alliance will devote all their efforts to developing methods for mass departure from the Prime Plane under the guidance of the guilds, while the Empire will receive covert support from the 'steadfast faction'."

"This is also from a realistic perspective: no matter how hard we try, we cannot relocate all the people from the main plane. Whether we can escape the Mother Goddess's resurrection and find a breakthrough in the outer realm is still unknown."

In Rorschach's view, the average manufacturing level of this world is roughly the same as before World War I in his previous life. The starships that can enter space are entirely due to magical enhancements. If it weren't for the obstruction of the metamorphic dust flow, adding shields to wooden ships and casting spells might have been enough to send them into space. But for large-scale migration and deep space travel, the advancement of space programs could never continue so smoothly.

"Therefore, the Empire is necessary as the vehicle for the plan of remaining in the garrison. Although His Majesty the Emperor's original intention was simply to abolish us mages."

Richard was initially somewhat dissatisfied, believing that Bart had been blinded by power and that Rorschach was a mastermind behind the scenes. However, as the truth was revealed, Richard realized that he had indeed misunderstood Rorschach.

"Admittedly, I look down on emperors and don't think we should bring outdated systems to the Star Realm. When we conquer countless planes and travel freely in the Star Realm and other worlds, do we still need to respect a master whose lineage is passed down through blood? That would be ridiculous."

"However, at this point, we no longer have the energy to overthrow Mr. William. Perhaps someone within the Empire will step forward, and we will not need to interfere."

Rorschach worked hard to improve Byrne's productivity and the living standards of its residents. He confessed to Richard that there was no time or resources to make everyone in the Alliance live the same life as the residents of the Special District, but he was certain that it would bring about improvement.

What impressed Richard most was Rorschach pointing to the school and the factory and saying, "My wish used to be very simple: magic creates a better life. What a great slogan, isn't it?"

"Now that we are facing an apocalyptic disaster, my thoughts have changed somewhat."

"I want to provide better education, I want to popularize magic and other knowledge, and train engineers. So that they can have their own value in the apocalypse, so that they can build more spaceships, send more people away, and give people a chance to save themselves."

"Otherwise, in the eyes of the guilds, and in the eyes of most powerful people and the upper echelons of society, they are nothing more than population that can be discarded at any time, numbers without power, without names, and without a voice."

"For the empire, those who remain should also vigorously develop production and organize the population through industrialization. Only in this way can the people have the ability to resist the invasion of divine power, and the vast anti-magic device system can be operated and maintained. When facing the rulers, whether it is an emperor or a senator, there will be enough leverage to restrain them, at least to prevent them from squandering the lives of the people at will."

Rorschach sighed. "So, for me, it doesn't matter whether you choose to stay in the Empire or join the Alliance. My expectations for you are the same, Rick. If you feel that the Empire should no longer undergo bloody changes, then change it in a way that you approve of, so that the people of the Empire can survive when the end comes."

"I'm just a person, your expectations of me are too high."

"You are no longer human, but a magical creature," Rorschach corrected. "If you insist on returning to the Empire, take Libs and his parents with you. We can contact each other anytime. Soon I will need your assistance in completing an experiment to trace the process of your resurrection."

".good."

Richard really left, taking the Libs family away from the Alliance and back to his unit's base.

At first, Bart was incredulous, then he went on to make wild claims, saying that he would regain his status as a military mage and lead the Byrne Legion to defeat that "arrogant noble boy" on the battlefield and capture him alive.

Rorschach ignored him. Although the gathering ended somewhat unpleasantly, he had achieved his goal: revealing the truth about the Mother Goddess and the Senate's plans to Richard. As a general trusted by the Emperor, he could serve as a valuable fulcrum for Rorschach and the Guild to exert influence over the Empire.

That makes it sound like he's using his brother as a tool, but Rorschach himself has been a tool countless times, and besides, he has respected Richard's choice.

Next up are spring planting, opening air routes on the galactic plane, and the start of the new school term. The numerous matters are giving Rorschach a headache, not to mention dealing with the "heavily polluted zone" in the central part of the Empire.

One of the most recent projects being addressed is the launch of Starship VII, Kepler, named after the famous astrologer, with the aim of realizing Carnot's grand vision: to observe the Primordial Layer.

Upon reaching the Astral Plane, it will expand and transform into a permanent Astral Observatory, with two core structures corresponding to its two most important functions. One is the Primal Reading System, which uses ritual magic as its core to attempt to collect data from the Tree of Truth. The other is the Deep Space Telescope, which explores unknown planes and seeks rifts leading to the "Beyond the Planes."

(End of this chapter)