Mage? Magic Engineer!

Kano’s real reason for finding Rorschach was about the Starship. He wanted to get a promise from him.

He looked at his student and said with great seriousness, "I can make concessions on other issues, even if I can’t give you what you want at the negotiating table. But there is one thing, and only one, that I need your help with, Rorschach."

"Please, tell me."

"Regardless of how the war progresses, the entire Guild and the Thirteen Magic Towers will continue to invest vast amounts of manpower and resources into advancing the Tree of Truth observation project. The Tower of Stars has no resources to spare due to its support for the Valois Republic, but the Tower of Thunderstorm will build a prototype for a manned Starship Flying Device within a year."

"That fast?" Rorschach hadn’t expected the Guild to be so determined.

"You could say we have no choice but to be fast and press on. On the one hand, it’s to guard against catastrophic magical meltdowns. On the other, the Elder Council believes this joint project will serve as a bond to link the Guilds of every nation, preventing our organization from truly fracturing after the war."

Rorschach nodded in understanding.

For Casters, this war had changed. Direct confrontations between them had become far less common; instead, they had shifted to providing support from the rear, or at least from the back lines. Mages across the continent could cooperate, yet at the same time, they fought one another in the name of their nations, using this "game" to define the post-war spheres of influence.

Kano finally revealed his request. "Whether from the Tower of Stars or the other Magic Towers, many Mages have already died on the battlefield. Casters are precious. Therefore, for the upcoming exploration of the Star Realm, we cannot afford to throw any more lives away."

"You mean..."

"Previously, when I escaped from the Original Layer, I nearly fell into the Transformation Layer Flow. I would have likely been swept away, lost without a trace. It was you who saved me. Thank you."

"No, you may have misunderstood..."

"The entire Elder Council now knows you possess an independent spatial fragment within the Star Realm. Since everyone supports the Starship plan, Feuerbach and I won’t pursue it any longer. However, I need you to promise me something. When the time comes for the manned test flight, will you act as our final failsafe? Please?"

Master Kano spoke with sincerity, explaining that their second option had been to target the Boundary Land. But since Rorschach was unwilling, Kano naturally wouldn’t force the issue. Instead, he chose to ask for a promise.

Rorschach did not disappoint his teacher. He nodded readily. "If the pioneers have an accident in the Transformation Dust Layer Flow or the Star Realm, come to me. I will absolutely bring them back safely."

"Good. We have a deal!"

With the two of them having this private discussion, it no longer mattered how heated the arguments in the nearby Meeting Room became. The general tone had already been set. For Kano, the so-called Transmuting Dust supplier was only significant for two reasons: first, it looked very profitable, and second, the more Transmutation Dust Collectors there were, the lower the risk for the Starship when breaking through the layer flow.

As for Rorschach, he didn’t much care what other benefits he could get from Valois. After all, nearly all of its power was focused on fighting the Empire and preserving the fruits of its great revolution. Besides, Bayern had already returned to the Empire’s fold, making open dealings with its southern neighbor impossible.

The only real gain, if you could call it that, was Franz.

Rorschach returned to the lounge. His younger brother was lying on his side, thoroughly bored, picking at the cracks in the genuine leather sofa. When he saw Rorschach arrive, he started to pull his hand back, but figured he’d already been caught. So, he simply changed his position and went right back to destroying the sofa.

’Are you a reincarnated husky?’ Rorschach made him sit up straight and brushed his hand over the cracks. The damage to the sofa’s leather upholstery vanished instantly. However, Rorschach could see the leather was still dry and withered; clearly, the Repair Skill couldn’t reverse the effects of aging. The leather would surely crack again soon.

Most Magic was like this. A single spell ultimately had its limits.

"Not reading the papers?" Rorschach glanced at the stack of newspapers in the lounge. Only the one with pictures had been opened. He now had a pretty good idea of his little brother’s literary "achievements."

Franz pouted. "Uh... I already looked at it. It’s boring."

"Can’t you read?"

"I can too read!" Franz retorted defiantly. But his bravado quickly faded. "Just... not a lot of words..." If he had actually been able to stick with his studies, the Mercer Family had more than enough wealth to pay for two children’s education. He wouldn’t have had to drop out and apprentice himself to a master craftsman.

’Ah... this won’t do...’ Rorschach said very seriously, "If you’re uneducated, you won’t even be good at fighting a war. You can’t expect to be a grunt taking orders your whole life, can you?"

"War is about courage! And enduring hardship... I’m not afraid of that."

"Fine. Let’s say you manage to win military honors and return home a hero, with a reward or a pension. Old Mercer can still look after you for now. But once you’re on your own and they aren’t watching over you, a horde of idle scum will come sniffing around the money you risked your life for."

"They’ll become your fair-weather friends, get you hooked on drinking and other bad habits, find all sorts of excuses to borrow money, and share ’get-rich-quick opportunities’ with you... And when they’ve finally bled you dry and scattered to the winds, you’ll come to your senses, but by then, you’ll have nothing left."

Rorschach didn’t have the heart to say more. For instance, about land grants from the Empire... a common soldier would receive next to nothing. Those were reserved for retiring officers. And the officers... how many of them didn’t have "von" in their names? Even a family from a humble background was still a family with some standing. But excluding Rorschach, the "man from beyond the domain," the Mercer Family had no standing at all.

As a Great Mage, Rorschach could offer Franz many options, but he wasn’t optimistic about him continuing his service in the Empire Army.

’To keep the kid safe, I could either stick him in a logistics post, but his education level seems too low for that. Or I could send a clone to protect him... but I wouldn’t do that even if I were bored out of my mind. Or I could arm him to the teeth with Alchemy Items... But what if he uses the Divine Armor to rack up an insane K/D ratio and becomes the Empire’s number one champion?’

"Then what am I supposed to do? I don’t have any talent! Forget Casting, I can’t do anything right!" Clearly, Rorschach’s lecture had gone too far; Franz was starting to wallow in self-pity.

’Is this what rebellious sixteen-year-old boys are like?’ Rorschach thought it was a real pain. He reached out and vigorously ruffled Franz’s hair. "Fine, then! I’ll figure out a way to get you back into the army!"

"Really? You’re the best, big brother!"

’A young man has his pride. He always wants to rely on himself, to prove his own worth, looking down on the idea of depending on his big brother for a comfortable life.’ Rorschach rather admired that quality. He’d been the same way once—scoffing at the "life advice" short-form videos his parents shared, sneering at classmates who flocked around counselors and teachers. He had been determined to stay true to his principles, to be a "super white lotus" capable of washing away the mud and purifying the air...

But he considered himself an adult now, with a duty to make the boy realize just how dark a society run on connections could be. Rorschach was going to make sure the kid understood the difference between ’your big brother being good *to* you’ and ’your big brother *being* good.’

As for Rorschach’s connections within the Empire Army, he had a line to the logistics department, as well as a recently promoted Brigadier General.

That evening, the Tower of Stars hosted a simple reception. Its conclusion also marked the end of the secret, impromptu visit. The Special Zone delegation from Bayern activated a Magic Array and departed. Rorschach still teleported separately, but this time he wasn’t accompanied by Valon, but by his little brother.

"Where are we going?" This was Franz’s first time stepping into a Magic Guild, his first time standing on a Magic Array. Curiosity, nervousness, and excitement were only natural, yet he insisted on feigning composure. The result was that his awkward mix of emotions was plain for all to see.

"Don’t you want to be a soldier again? I’m taking you to meet a general."

"Huh?" Franz had no doubt that his older brother could deliver on his promise. He was surprised and delighted at first, but then his body tensed up. "According to regulations, during peacetime, I have to be in uniform to meet a superior officer..."

"Give me a break. You’re a prisoner."