Mage? Magic Engineer!

’Hold out until December...’ Maxim frowned. He was worried about this timeframe. The situation might be even more dangerous than last year.

The biggest problem was twofold: on one hand, the threat of the Empire Army was imminent; on the other, the National Guard’s main force on the Western Line had successfully penetrated deep into Empire territory. This very success could lull many into a state of complacent overconfidence and carelessness.

As he finally put pen to paper, Maxim’s mind was in utter turmoil. After signing the agreement, he couldn’t help but voice his doubts to Rorschach. "I think I can guess your intentions... but... your methods don’t seem like the work of Mages."

Rorschach didn’t understand Maxim’s words at first. He thought for a moment, then smiled. "And what is the work of Mages? Must it always be about one-on-one victories? Well, I don’t mind telling you that the Long-term Forbidden Magic Device can no longer restrict my Casting. In other words, I alone am powerful enough to kill that person..."

He finished, then shook his head. "But I, and we, will not do that. Master Kano already tried to prove to you all that Casters are still members of society. Perhaps there was a period in history when we kept our distance from the secular world, due to our conflict with the Church and a misguided sense of aloofness. But now, Casters and ordinary people should no longer remain in a state of binary opposition.

"So, suppose I or another Great Mage used violence to destroy an Emperor. What would we gain? A regime that submits to absolute violence? No. The new order we need to build is not one born of terror. Forgive my bluntness, but perhaps you yourself are a cautionary tale. Violence will only be a last resort. Even if we are to destroy the Empire, we will not be the ones to do it."

Compared to charging into the fray on the front lines, Rorschach preferred to give the wheel of history a hard shove from behind, crushing whoever stood in its way.

"But in my eyes, you and the Aurora Elder Council are still trying to manipulate the course of history." Just like this secret agreement, which was the script the Mages were trying to write for the war.

There was a time when the Aurora Elder Council seemed particularly slow to react to the world situation. The Guilds in various nations each had their own differing stances. But after a certain point in time, they suddenly united, intervening and interfering in this war in lockstep.

Maxim sensed a dangerous signal. His intuition told him this change was related to this young Elder—his unusual age, his radicalism, his defiance of common sense...

"Manipulate? That’s a rash accusation. Every group, every person, acts throughout history based on their own ideals, beliefs, and interests. We are no exception. Our actions today, including signing this agreement with you, are still being conducted according to ’your’ rules. Our willingness to play by the rules of the game is already a sign of our utmost goodwill."

Otherwise, they could have resorted to far more unscrupulous methods. Forgery, assassination, and the like were child’s play with Magic. In Rorschach’s view, however, such actions could at best destroy the rules, not build a better order.

It was just like the transformation he had brought to Bayern. While Rorschach had certainly played an irreplaceable, critical role, the change was ultimately created by the Bayern people themselves, and the final result was something everyone could share. If his only goal had been to dominate a Kingdom, Rorschach could have skipped many steps. But conversely, without the development in Bayern and the existence of the Spell Cloud, he never could have become such a unique Great Mage, one who could earn the compromise or support of the other Aurora Elders.

"If you are truly worried that Mages will one day rule the world, then you should strive to enable everyone to cast Magic or obtain power comparable to it." In Rorschach’s view, the ultimate way to eliminate privilege was to achieve equality.

"How is that possible..."

"It’s getting late. Let’s conclude our meeting here." Rorschach was unwilling to continue the topic; it was, after all, beyond Maxim’s understanding of Magic. He stood and shook Maxim’s hand. "One final piece of advice as we part:

"I hope you’ll look after your own safety and guard against being isolated and helpless. Not everyone is as ’unshakeable’ as you are." In his eyes, Maxim voluntarily distancing himself from the center of power was a disaster. A lion retracting its claws was giving others the chance to kill it.

"Is that a prophecy?"

"I have no talent for Prophetic Magic, but the danger you face is so clear that I don’t need it to make this judgment."

"...I will consider it carefully. Thank you."

Rorschach gazed at this idealist, this unshakeable man, and thought to himself, ’I hope this isn’t the last time we meet.’

...

Information about the National Guard’s Western Front Army flooded Paul’s mind.

Two hundred thirty thousand men, sixteen corps and grand corps, over a thousand artillery pieces, three hundred heavy cannons... cavalry... infantry... Casters... and eleven mechs held in reserve...

He had effectively become the de facto commander-in-chief of the front line, and his orders and strategies had earned the respect of the entire army. Of course, this also meant that the pressure on Paul’s shoulders was unprecedented.

After penetrating deep into Empire territory, the army had to be exceedingly careful with every step. They had to maintain the fastest possible advance. There was no time to spread the Republic’s ideals in the villages and cities they occupied, nor was there any room for sentimentality. Instead, they brutally swept up all supplies the troops could use.

The Empire’s Airships frequently flew over the Western Front Army, dropping large-yield bombs.

After their supply lines had been destroyed this way a few times, they were forced to consider organizing their Mages to fight for air superiority. At the very least, they had to ensure there were no more surprises dropping from overhead at any moment.

This was where the allied forces of the Istanis played a crucial role. Some short, unknown race of creatures could actually command animals. The Istanis called them Mouse Speakers.

These amazing little creatures could summon flocks of birds to circle over the army during the day, while swarms of bats took over the duty at night. With these flying creatures occupying the airspace, the Airships didn’t dare descend to bombing altitude, as their engines could be struck by the small animals at any moment. Once hit, an Airship would lose power and become a sitting duck for the Mages.

The only annoying drawback was that the good men of the National Guard had to endure the droppings that fell from the sky. Of course, that was far better than tons of bombs.

His train of thought was interrupted as the march halted. The troops began to set up a field camp. Paul asked Pascal, "Have we reached Sassan?"

Sassan was an Imperial province directly bordering the Marlin Kingdom. Its terrain wasn’t complex. If the National Guard could pass through it quickly, the Imperial Capital would seem to be within their grasp.

"Yes. We’ve detected Empire Army positions to the north and northeast. For the details... one moment."

Pascal brought over the new-generation communication system: a Mouse Speaker and a radio set almost as large as he was.

It wasn’t the Mouse Speaker’s first time operating it, but he was excited every time. His small hands picked up the microphone. A chaotic noise like the squeaking of mice came from the other end. He listened intently, then nodded and began to squeak and chatter in response.

After the two little ones on both ends finished their exchange, a Gray Elf translated for Paul and the others. "Intel from the forward scouts: the enemy has massed a large number of troops. They’ve deployed around Sassan Main City. There are enemy forces from the north to the east. We estimate this is the Empire’s main defensive force..."

The Mouse Speaker’s language was said to be a variant of the common tongue, but Paul and Pascal couldn’t for the life of them figure out how a single syllable corresponded to the continent’s common tongue. They also couldn’t understand how the Gray Elf understood it.

But this was a good thing. It meant that even if the enemy intercepted their calls, they wouldn’t be able to understand the content of the communications.

After compiling all the information, Paul took a deep breath. "Relay my orders to the entire army. Prepare for battle."