"If possible, I’d like to stay and teach at the Tower of Stars," Paulina said quickly. It was clear she had given this so thought already.
Kano steepled his fingers, only speaking after a mont. "To be honest, Paulina, it would be easy for to hire you as a teaching assistant, just like Rorschach is now. But becoming a full instructor... that is indeed difficult. Snow was also exceptional, but as you know, the only way he could stay was to join the Alchemy Departnt."
Paulina nodded, showing she understood. Master Kano continued, "But you aren’t suited for the Alchemy Departnt. You... have wasted a lot of ti. Compared to this place, you might be a better fit working for the Magic Guild. I will write a letter of recomndation for you.
A job at the Guild would still allow you to stay in Valuva, and you could still see Pascal often. You could see each other every day if you wanted—just not during the day." Kano finished with a mischievous smile.
"I’m not... Very well, I’ll consider it," Paulina said with a nod.
"And you?" Kano tapped the table, turning to Rorschach.
"? Master, you should really be talking to my senior brother about this. I’m just a kid!" ’At least, this body of mine won’t reach the age of majority from my past life until next year.’
"You, a kid? Hmph. Psychologically, Pascal is more of a child. We’ll talk about him after he’s spent so ti by my side and figured out what he wants to do!" Kano seed worried as he drank his tea this ti. "I’m concerned that a difficult situation will arise for you in the near future."
Rorschach knew exactly what kind of "difficult situation" soone from the Empire like himself might face.
"I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but the consensus among the Magic Guild’s upper echelons is that the Empire is preparing to pick a fight with the Holy Kingdom," Kano said casually, setting down his teacup.
"How did they reach that conclusion?" ’This corroborates what Sibins said.’
Paulina stood up to take her leave. Kano nodded, and after she had left and closed the eting Room door, he continued, "Do you think the Holy Kingdom’s economy was in a terrible state before Minister Nekker ca to power?"
Rorschach nodded.
Kano chuckled. "And do you think the Empire’s is any better?"
’Huh?’ Rorschach really hadn’t sensed anything of the sort. In fact, his perspective had been quite limited when he was in the Empire; on the contrary, he’d had more opportunities to move among the upper echelons in the Holy Kingdom.
"According to public reports, the Empire’s last parliant delayed finalizing the annual budget until January. I teach Magic History, and you substituted for for a sester. Do you know what that implies?"
Rorschach hadn’t expected Kano to have paid attention to this. "The representatives—that is to say, the various regions of the Empire—have conflicting interests, and the conflicts must be quite intense."
"I won’t presu to lecture you on your own country’s affairs. In short, based on intelligence from our branch in the Empire, the Magic Guild Elder Council has concluded that this misshapen, cobbled-together Giant has irreconcilable internal contradictions. But your successive Emperors have been very good at hiding them."
"Through war."
Kano nodded. "The Empire’s core, the Marlin Kingdom, was founded on martial might. It drags the entire Empire into wars against the Barbarian Race of the Northern Ice Sheet and the Eastern Grassland. It uses military achievents to grant small manors to Nobility who are directly loyal to the Emperor. The captured populations beco serfs in the north or laborers in the southern workshops. The resulting wealth fills the national treasury and fattens an army that can sweep across the continent...
"Fighting any further north would an clashing with the Dwarves, and expanding further into the Eastern Grassland is beyond the Empire’s limits. But a war machine like that doesn’t just stop. So, I want to know: when the Empire marches south, what will you choose?"
Rorschach didn’t answer imdiately. "Will the war between the two nations happen soon?"
"No. The Holy Kingdom isn’t just full of decadent fools. I estimate there’s enough ti of peace for you to at least finish your current project. The two largest Giant Beasts on the continent don’t just go to war at the drop of a hat. But it certainly looms over the continent like a dark cloud. You and I must at least consider the possibility of war when deciding your future."
Rorschach thought for a mont. "If war breaks out, I won’t stay in the Holy Kingdom." ’Sibins’s instructions were to get the hell out if things went south. He probably wouldn’t want getting involved in any behind-enemy-lines operations anyway.’
"Then it’s best you stay at the Tower of Stars. For a Mage, especially from the Middle Level onward, you have the ability to transcend national allegiances. Neither King nor Emperor can coerce you, and both the Guild and the Tower of Stars are willing to offer sanctuary."
"There are people I care about in the Empire." After his contact with the Balderom Chamber of Comrce, an idea had ford in Rorschach’s mind. He wanted to build his own "Magic Tower" in the Southern Empire, preferably one that could mass-produce certain "specialty goods" that this world had yet to see.
"The pressure you’ll face in the Empire will be just as great."
"...Master Kano, would I have the chance to use the Magic Guild’s Teleportation Array network in an ergency?"
Kano rubbed his palms together, sidestepping Rorschach’s question. "Are you interested in establishing your own independent Magic Tower? The Guild is willing to support you, kid. And that’s coming from ."
’Why bring this up all of a sudden? Did the old man use Mind Reading on ?’
"If you’re willing, the Magic Guild can provide assistance. Building a Fixed Array connected to the teleportation network is a trivial matter." Kano took out a map. "If you can establish your personal Magic Tower within the Bayern Kingdom or the territory of another mber of the Duma Alliance, the Guilds in both the Holy Kingdom and the Empire will lend their support."
’...Is Master Kano just handing out free lunches on behalf of the Magic Guild?’ Though he thought this, Rorschach kept his expression perfectly composed. "I will consider it."
"Do you want the Empire to win?"
Rorschach froze, then shook his head solemnly. "I am a Mage." In his eyes, there was no essential difference between shouting "Long live His Majesty the Emperor" and kissing the boots of Charles XVI. Becoming a noble through military rit and then turning people into slaves to work his own manor was not the future he wanted.
’It would be best to knock down all the crowns, be they royal or imperial.’
Kano smiled, seemingly very satisfied with Rorschach’s answer. "So am I."
After Rorschach left the eting Room, Kano poured out the cold tea and replaced it with a glass of wine. He recalled the most recent secret eting of the Aurora Elder Council, where the only attendees were the wills of the Thirteen Magic Towers. During the eting, the representative of the Tower of Secret Techniques in the Bayern Kingdom displayed a very interesting map:
The area of the "Duma River Trade Alliance" and the States surrounding the Black Forest were circled, clearly separated from the northern part of the Empire by a national border.
"His Majesty the Emperor’s reach grows ever longer, a concern for us as well as for the Dukes and the Southern States. Discontent is accumulating and has reached a critical point. We judge that a new map like this would be more beneficial to the entire Guild and all Mages, and its realization is possible. As long as the ’great His Majesty the Emperor’ declares war on the Holy Kingdom, the Tower of Secret Techniques will fully support all of Prince Albert’s actions."
Prince Albert is the King of Bayern. The "all actions" he was referring to obviously pointed to only one thing, but the ti was not yet right to announce it, not even in the most secret eting of the Aurora Elder Council.
"We support this assessnt and will cooperate," the representative of the Tower of Forest chid in. If Rorschach had been present, he would have definitely recognized the voice.
The other representatives did not show their stance, but the representatives from the other Magic Towers within the Empire’s borders neither confird nor denied it.
The representative from the "Tower of Storms" in Istani let out a sneer. "Since when did the Tower of Forest get so bold? Did you grow a Kabbalah or a Yuke Terahir from one of your trees?"
The representative from the Tower of Forest ignored the mockery and began discussing intelligence about an Underground Sect with the representative from the Tower of Stars.
The scene was like any other eting. It was an illusion connecting the thirteen Great Mages, bound by multiple oaths and locked tightly within the minds of the attendees, making it absolutely impossible to recount directly. However, that didn’t stop the representatives from acting on what was discussed in the eting.
The consensus reached this ti was that the Guild would support Mages in establishing Magic Towers in the Southern Empire under their own nas, especially outstanding young Mages. Rorschach was one of the key targets for support on that list, having been miraculously handpicked by the representatives of two Great Magic Towers.
DONG—DONG—DONG. The bells of Saint Miller Cathedral rang out.
"War... a fight between whom and whom?" Kano drained the last of the amber liquid from his glass.
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