Mage? Magic Engineer!

Despite the standoff between rioters and the Guard just outside the Royal Palace, it was exceptionally quiet within. The dinner was proceeding in an orderly fashion. The kitchen, as was customary, had prepared extra food, so Rorschach’s sudden visit hadn’t thrown anything into disarray.

This tranquility, however, was limited to the kitchen and the banquet hall. The ones whose plans had been severely disrupted were the King and the Second Prince. The King delivered a formulaic speech, thanking Feuerbach and Elizabeth for accepting his invitation, and... offering a dry welcome to the uninvited guest.

Elizabeth Ouyeni looked relaxed and cheerful. "Congratulations, Rorschach! It’s only been a few months since we last saw each other, and you’ve already become a Great Mage. It’s unbelievable! If others were even half as fast as you, the Tower of Secret Techniques wouldn’t have so many apprentices being held back or dropping out..."

"I only had my breakthrough recently, and I have Master Feuerbach to thank for his guidance."

The two chatted while they ate, completely disregarding any semblance of etiquette and seemingly ignoring their host, as casual as they had been when they’d shared lunch in the dining hall of the Tower of Secret Techniques.

Hearing that the Chief of the Tower of Secret Techniques also deserved some credit, Elizabeth cast a questioning glance at her former superior, Feuerbach.

The Chief hadn’t wanted to join the conversation, but he finally confirmed Rorschach’s statement. "...Yes. Many things have changed at the Tower of Secret Techniques since you left." Compared to the sauce meticulously simmered by the royal chef, it was Feuerbach’s words that held a thousand complex flavors.

After overhearing this exchange, any hope His Majesty Albert and Prince Otto had was finally extinguished. Just as Elizabeth was about to ask for more details about these "changes," the host of the banquet seized a brief moment of silence to interject. "Congratulations on your promotion, Master Rorschach. With three Great Mages now residing in our kingdom, it is truly an honor for Bayern!"

He was the first to stand, raising his glass. "To Master Rorschach, and to Bayern!"

The Prince scrambled to his feet, followed slowly by the three Mages. But Rorschach didn’t raise his glass. Instead, he placed a hand over its rim. "There’s a saying where I’m from: wine is the essence of grain. I’m truly moved that His Majesty would serve such fine wine to entertain us, especially with the current food shortage."

"But that saying just reminds me of how precious grain is right now... The Special Zone had a bumper crop in its first year, but we also have a great many more mouths to feed..." Rorschach shook his head. "We have the refugees we’ve taken in, workers who migrated to the Special Zone after losing their jobs, and a great many newborns..."

The King’s and the Prince’s glasses froze in mid-air. Prince Otto looked as though he wanted to crush his glass. ’Are you fucking blind? This is a sparkling aperitif! It’s made from grapes! Gra—pes—!’

The old King, however, possessed far greater composure. His expression remained unchanged, a calm smile fixed on his face. He played along, lowering his glass and gesturing for everyone to be seated. "Master Rorschach, you truly are concerned for the people of the Special Zone. Please, rest assured. The wine at tonight’s banquet is all from my own treasured collection. I invite you all to drink and be merry."

He then returned to the topic Rorschach had so clearly raised. "I am aware of the Special Zone’s difficulties, but the entire Kingdom of Bayern is also in dire need of grain. As long as the Special Zone is willing to help us in our time of need, the specific amount can be negotiated."

"I don’t see any need for further discussion. Let’s settle it now." Rorschach said, tracing the rim of his cup, his words clearly prepared in advance. "We can provide the grain, but I propose we do it in two parts. First, we will deliver the same amount of grain to the Kingdom as the territories now in the Special Zone provided last year. The remainder of our payment, which will bring the total to double last year’s amount, will be converted to funds at the current market price for grain."

At this... even the Second Prince’s expression softened. Although receiving cash for the additional portion based on current grain prices was less beneficial than receiving it all as actual grain, it was still essentially free money. The fact that the Special Zone was willing to match the previous year’s quota at all had already exceeded the father and son’s expectations.

"But..." Rorschach continued, "this money and grain cannot be wasted or simply vanish without a trace. Therefore, they must be earmarked. The money will be used to repair roads, build railways, and expand the telegraph network. The grain will be used to pay the workers who build them. The planning, construction standards, and final approval for all of these projects will be decided by the Special Zone—with the cooperation of the City Hall, of course."

What? ’Does this mean... we won’t get to touch any of the money or the grain?’ The father and son were no longer calm.

Feuerbach, however, nodded in approval. "This way, the unemployed vagrants can all find work. Once organized and managed, they will no longer threaten social stability. Furthermore, by delivering grain directly into the hands of the commoners as wages, bypassing petty officials and grain merchants, it will do the most to stabilize grain prices. Yes, it’s a good plan."

Elizabeth was now certain that things really had changed at the Tower of Secret Techniques. She couldn’t believe the Chief understood such intricacies. "Master Feuerbach, I had no idea you were also versed in economics."

"Ahem, I know a little, a little..." Feuerbach suppressed a smile, feigning modesty. He’d learned his lesson the hard way; after being burned once, he had spent a sliver of his energy brushing up on the kind of knowledge Great Mages usually ignored. Feuerbach had to admit that as the Helmsman of the Mage Tower, he also had duties similar to a manager, and Kano had done a better job of it than him. He’d even raised a good Apprentice...

After complimenting her former superior, Elizabeth didn’t forget to praise her junior. "And to think of such a brilliant plan, Master Rorschach, you’re quite amazing yourself!"

’It’s a simple trick,’ Rorschach thought. ’The wisdom of my ancestors. It’s called "work-for-relief"—it solves two problems at once... Most importantly, if all that money was invested in infrastructure, the raw materials would have to be procured from the factories in the Special Zone. In other words, most of the funds nominally being paid as taxes would boomerang right back to us.’

’First, the payment’s value shrinks when the grain is converted to cash at a fixed price. Then, that cash is used to purchase our own goods—at our own procurement prices, of course—shrinking the value again... We’ll be turning actual, tangible grain into GDP for the Special Zone...’

The King’s stomach churned. ’Good? What’s so good about it, my dear Elizabeth? That boy is a rogue, and he’s bullying our house!’

Prince Otto conceded to Rorschach’s proposal, but he was more concerned with the present situation. "Rorschach... Master. Your plan is sound, but it doesn’t solve the immediate problem. The rioters are still surrounding the palace. I don’t know how much longer the Guard and the City Hall can hold out... After dinner, could the three Great Mages help us resolve the Royal Family’s current predicament?"

"Most importantly, how do we prevent a similar situation from happening in the future?"

’It’s fine,’ Rorschach thought. ’A good number of the people outside are just actors hired by Valon.’ Of course, he couldn’t say that aloud. He dropped the act and stated bluntly, "It’s simple. Accept the Empire’s small-constituency reforms, divide the Bayern Kingdom into three electoral districts, and return to the Empire’s trade network..."

"I’ve heard that the Emperor of the Far East strives to govern his country without lifting a finger. The opposite example would be none other than Charles XVI. I hear His Majesty the King has a penchant for the arts, especially opera. In the future, you could go to the Imperial Capital and live as an Exiled Lord, or you could remain in Bayern and enjoy yourself as a patron of an opera company. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful life?"

"You!" Rorschach had all but told the old King to abdicate. His Majesty Albert’s composure finally shattered. He shot to his feet, and instantly, attendants and guards brandished their blades.

Elizabeth also frowned. "Rorschach, you..." Feuerbach kept his eyes downcast, silently eating the meat on his plate.

Rorschach also stood, shaking out his red robes. Instantly, every guard who harbored hostile intent toward him found themselves locked in place as a deep, soul-piercing chill shot up through their bodies.

Ouyeni wanted neither to attack nor to let the situation spiral out of control. She attempted to freeze time within the banquet hall, to "stop" Rorschach. Yet as her Magic expanded, a brief but violent tremor shook spacetime itself, causing her Static Force Field to dissipate without a sound.

The young man spoke, his voice tinged with reminiscence. "Ever since I came to Bayern to start my venture and build my tower, I have tried to negotiate terms with the Glass Guild. They refused me. I tried to negotiate terms with the Tower of Secret Techniques, and they, too, refused me."

"So today, I am not here to negotiate. I am here to make demands."