Mage? Magic Engineer!

Everyone else thought Rorschach’s brother could be used as a bargaining chip in the negotiations, but Kano never saw it that way.

Franz would only have value as a bargaining chip if Rorschach truly cared for his relative. But if that were the case, using his own flesh and blood to threaten him and barter for advantages would be a grave offense.

’What a bunch of emotionally stunted morons. They don’t understand that the most expensive things are those you get for free, nor do they know what can be put on the table and what must be handled behind the scenes...’ Kano felt that without him in the Tower of Stars, leaving matters to those one-track-minded idiots would only result in them doing more harm than good.

So, he decided to use Franz to do his former student another favor, leading him to the lounge next to the Meeting Room. "There’s someone who has been waiting for you."

’Huh?’ Rorschach saw that Kano’s expression was complex, a strange mix of tense and relaxed. ’So it can’t be Pascal and the others.’ He couldn’t help but reflect on his life; he had always been on his best behavior while studying abroad, so there was no way he had any romantic entanglements. ’Then who could be waiting for me?’

"Brother!"

’Who’s that?’ Rorschach heard a completely unfamiliar voice call out to him. He took a closer look. The boy’s eyes and brows seemed somewhat familiar... ’Oh, it’s Franz!’

In Rorschach’s defense, the kid had gone through another growth spurt and his voice had changed. That, combined with his appearance in this utterly bizarre place, left Rorschach stunned for a moment. ’Who the fuck are you?’

But in Kano’s eyes, this was a touching reunion between brothers. Rorschach’s stunned silence was clearly due to overwhelming emotion and surprise...

The Chief Mage was a sentimental man himself, and his voice softened slightly. "You two brothers take your time and catch up. Don’t worry about the trivial matters outside." With that, he gently closed the door.

Rorschach, unaware that he was being mistaken for a deeply caring and righteous older brother, just wanted to understand the situation. He fired off several questions at Franz.

After finding out how the kid had been captured in his very first battle, Rorschach could only muse to himself, ’Should I call you lucky, or unlucky? You were caught in your first fight, but you didn’t lose any arms or legs, and you even ended up right in front of me.’

Franz was ecstatic to finally see his older brother. As far as Franz was concerned, he could count the number of times they’d met in his living memory on one hand. But after going through battle and being taken prisoner in a foreign land, the sight of his brother brought him an immense sense of security.

He took a good look at Rorschach and nodded in confirmation. "So it’s true. Brother Rorschach, you really are a powerful Mage."

"How did you know?"

"The Mage who came in with you just now—everyone else was so respectful to him. He was wearing a red robe, and you’re wearing a red robe, too. Plus, he treated you really well."

’Hmm... the kid’s pretty sharp.’ Rorschach patted his shoulder. "I’m here, so you’ll definitely get out of this place. But what about after? ...Why don’t you come back to Bayern with me? If you can read and do arithmetic, I can get you into school. If you pass the exams, you could even get into the Engineering College."

Getting him into a class would only put him through the basic curriculum first. At most, Rorschach could tutor Franz himself or hire a teacher to accelerate his learning. But whether he could get into the Engineering College would still depend on his own exam results.

"Or you could go to the Refining Factory and learn a trade under a Master." This was also a good option. The Refining Factory was the safest and most relaxed, and the pay after completing an apprenticeship was quite high—much better than the other factories with their high temperatures, high pressures, and risk of explosions.

To Rorschach’s surprise, Franz just shook his head. Here, on Valois soil, he declared, "If I can go home, I’m going to reenlist."

Rorschach hadn’t expected Franz to still be willing to fight. "If that’s what you really want, I can find a way to get you a safe position in the army." He’d already greased the palms of someone in the Empire Army’s logistics department and found the right contact. He could try to change the terms of their deal or just add more money to get Franz a job in logistics.

But he was still puzzled. "Before we get to that, though, I want to know why you’re so insistent on being a soldier."

Franz fell silent for a moment before saying haltingly, "Because... our commander told us we had to earn honor for the Empire, for His Majesty the Emperor..."

"You really believe that?"

"And for the military merits..."

Rorschach felt that his brother was holding something back, and he stared straight at Franz.

Franz felt like he was being seen right through. Finally, he gave up all pretense and blurted out, "Because I want to get married! To a woman from the city!"

After the Mercer family came into money, they tried moving into town. At first, they were amazed that town houses could have so many rooms, indoor toilets, and beds that were so soft. But problems quickly followed.

At school, for instance, Angela and Franz were badly ostracized. Franz himself gave up on his studies, choosing instead to become an apprentice and learn a trade. But the thing that left the biggest impression on him was how refined the city women were, and how they all had a pleasant fragrance.

So he secretly swore to himself that he would marry a woman from the city.

The problem was, the Mercer family were outsiders. They had no social circle in town and never integrated with the locals. After the war began, the old couple simply moved back to their village. Besides, no family would marry their daughter off from the town to someone in the countryside. Only Franz still clung to his dream of marrying a city girl.

Since Rorschach almost never returned home, no one in town, aside from the local Town Mage, knew that the Mercer family had produced someone so extraordinary. Even if they’d heard rumors, Rorschach’s absence meant it had no real impact or left any lasting impression on the townspeople.

Franz decided to rely on himself. He would walk the path his older brother had not taken—earn military honors, obtain a small fiefdom, and change his station in life to marry into a prominent family. Of course, his idea of a "prominent family" was merely one on the level of the town mayor.

There was another reason, too. If Franz returned home now, the Mercer family would surely become the subject of vicious gossip, with everyone calling him a deserter.

Franz was still shy and hesitant, and it took Rorschach a bit of indirect probing to understand the sixteen-year-old Shonen’s thinking. ’This is...’ Rorschach then asked, "But what if you had actually died out there, instead of ending up here?"

"But the family would still have you, Brother! You’re such a powerful Mage, you’re probably not afraid of Firearms or cannons. You won’t die. If I... couldn’t make it back, you’d be there to take care of Mom and Dad. If I devote my life to the Empire, our family will be glorious! In town, when a soldier’s family has lost someone, the mayor himself comes to offer condolences, and they even give them money..."

"But what about you? Your life would be over. You’d never get the chance to marry."

"Can’t you bring me back to life, Brother?"

Rorschach shook his head. "Life isn’t so cheap, nor is it so easily reclaimed."

Franz looked a bit dejected, but he stuck to his guns. "It’s okay, I have a piece of Armor... the village chief gave it to me before I left." He pulled open his jacket, revealing a piece of old Leather Armor.

Rorschach glanced at it. There was indeed a Magic Circuit, but it was ancient. Without a Mage to maintain it and charge the circuit, it was equivalent to a First Ring [Spirit Armor] at best. "It can block a single bullet for you. That’s it."

Seeing Franz’s confusion, Rorschach stood up from the sofa in the lounge. "Perhaps you haven’t thought this through clearly yet. That’s alright, there’s still time. Have some dessert here for now. I’ll be back in a bit."

’In truth, Rorschach was confused himself. He wasn’t sure if he could truly consider this person his brother, or what the responsible thing to do for him—and for Old Mercer’s family—was.’

Kano was waiting in the hallway. When he saw Rorschach emerge, he didn’t lead the young man back to the negotiating table. Instead, he brought him into his own office. "Let them haggle over the tedious details and annoying clauses! Between us, master and apprentice, let’s talk about something real. About that ’Starship’ proposal you’re backing."