Chapter 359: Chapter 356: Strange Phenomenon and a Strange Visitor
News of the Holy Knights mustering began in the Holy Kingdom and spread along their route, eventually reaching Bayern and Rorschach’s ears.
He was currently with Andre in Kempson, a city in the southwestern corner of Bayern known as the Kingdom’s "Mining Capital." Unlike other places with their pastoral scenery or tranquil towns, it had long been transformed by coal furnaces and smokestacks into a place of perpetual gloom. In Rorschach’s eyes, however, this was its own kind of "vibrancy."
Andre picked up a newspaper from the inn’s lobby. "Teacher, the Kingdom’s Holy Knights have been mobilized. They..." Andre quickly scanned the article. "They aren’t hiding their movements at all. They’re marching and preaching as they go. Now, even the newspapers in Bayern are predicting their route."
This confused Andre. "Who wages war like this?"
"Some people do," Rorschach replied casually, checking his blueprints for errors as he addressed his student’s confusion. "Every holy crusade since the Age of Silence has been conducted with great fanfare."
He needed to correct Andre’s misconception. "Conventional military forces rely on strategy and tactics. But the Holy Knights are the armed fist of the Church, the steel gauntlet of the Lord of Order. Their strength comes from faith and Divine Arts. I imagine the current leader of the Holy Knights wants to replicate a small-scale holy war—the grander the spectacle, the better."
It was true. Even though the Kingdom had fallen into chaos, every Monastery had preserved its wealth and supplies. The Church still had a vast following, so the "Holy Army" assembling within the Kingdom had no need to worry about provisions.
Inspired by the Holy Songs, whenever the Knights’ steeds passed through towns or villages, wealthy Lords and rich merchants would donate money and goods. Commoners who lacked money but had faith would volunteer to join the ranks of the Servant Army.
Even thieves, bandits, and other criminals joined the procession. Some sought to atone for their sins, while others planned to follow the army and plunder the Empire’s villages. In short, this army defending "the Lord’s earthly kingdom" was now exactly like those of the holy crusades of old:
In the past, hosts of Monks, Knights, commoners, and even bandits, driven by faith or greed, would march mightily toward the domain of the Formless God in the Kingdom of Sand to plunder its wealth and "reclaim" the Holy Land.
With every toll of the Holy Bell, the Knights’ armor grew stronger. With every day the Holy Song was sung, their blades grew sharper... As long as their will was united and their faith firm, the Holy Knight Order was invincible!
But Rorschach felt the Church was suffering from a bit of path dependency. The Empire must have anticipated the emergence of such a force and prepared countermeasures. ’If Dipresy Prime Minister were still in control, the Holy Kingdom probably wouldn’t have stooped to this...’
But there was no point in "what ifs." He’d heard the Cardinals had already headed south, and to this day, the Holy See in the Eternal City had yet to issue any strong statement or call to action regarding the upheaval in the Holy Kingdom or the war between the two nations.
It remained as silent as its god.
While the Steel Factory was still under construction, Rorschach had Andre test the new system of Magic. The effect was the same as being near the Tower Spirit’s main body, but Rorschach noticed that his own connection felt stronger when Andre was Casting, and it even cost him some of his Endogenous Magic Power.
’So I can act as a "server" too, which means I’m also an interfering variable...’ Rorschach regretfully declared the experiment a failure.
On his second day in Kempson, Rorschach received a letter from the training officer of the "Sky Cavalry." He informed Rorschach that during training and patrols on the northwestern border of the Bayern Kingdom, their mobility devices had failed on several occasions.
In the letter, the officer couldn’t help but praise a female soldier named Tanya. She had saved a teammate’s life during a sudden fall and, despite breaking her leg in the process, was still insisting on participating in training.
Moved by her dedication, the officer speculated that there might be Ancient Magical Ruins or an unknown Death Magic Area in the Kingdom’s northwest. He invited Rorschach to investigate and also hoped he could improve the stability of the devices as soon as possible.
’Ruins? I don’t have time for that...’ Rorschach folded the letter, pondering how to feign interest in the invitation while politely declining. Just then, Andre brought him a strange visitor, who was, surprisingly, accompanied by Mr. Hasse.
Everyone in Kempson was involved in mining, so while you couldn’t find a single teahouse, there were more than enough beer halls. Rorschach met the client in a private room on the second floor of one such establishment. The man was sharp and trim; despite the deep winter cold, his clothes weren’t bulky, and he maintained a crisp, energetic air.
The moment Rorschach entered, Mr. Hasse left the room, ushering Andre out with him.
Once only the young Mage and the man were left, the latter spoke. "It’s an honor to meet you. I am Lieutenant Adolf, from the Empire Army’s logistics department."
’So direct?’ Rorschach quickly took a sip of water to calm his nerves. "Your candor is shocking, but I’m still not sure of the purpose of your visit."
The man’s eyes were a cloudy, pale blue, so light they were almost gray. Rorschach knew this because Lieutenant Adolf was looking straight at him. "On behalf of the Empire Army, I wish to procure Lightweight Flammable Element."
’Tsk, how did the Empire Army find out I had something good?’ Rorschach couldn’t help but take another drink of water. "It seems the Empire Army is very well-informed."
"Lightweight Flammable Element is classified as a strategic material, so we pay close attention to it. First, our procurement department noticed a price drop in the Southern Empire, which was unusual—the Dwarves, who hold a firm monopoly, have always operated on the principle that earning less is as good as losing money.
"Next, we discovered that as of half a month ago, Bayern had stopped importing Lightweight Flammable Element from other parts of the Empire, yet products that require it were still being exported. Our logistics department deduced that a company producing Lightweight Flammable Element or a substitute must have appeared within Bayern. That’s how we eventually found your company, Basif."
The lieutenant offered a restrained smile, one that could also be interpreted as the victorious grin of someone who had unraveled a mystery. "After making contact, I was informed that neither Mr. Horn nor Mr. Hasse could make the final decision. It was only after I proposed terms your company could not refuse that Mr. Hasse decided to introduce me to you.
"I didn’t expect the person calling the shots to be so young, and a Mage at that."
The lieutenant’s words successfully piqued Rorschach’s interest. "Could not refuse?"
"Before negotiating with your company, our logistics department did a little more digging. We found that Fanta Company, the firm that invested in Basif, is a food factory that primarily produces sugary drinks. I imagine importing raw materials has become rather difficult recently, hasn’t it?"
With the Holy Kingdom acting up, the concentrate for Hercules’s Energy Potions could no longer be imported, and sugar imports were also threatened. Mr. Hasse was arranging to establish plantations and cooperate with farms to grow sugar crops, but that would take time. Fanta’s main business was on a countdown to a raw material crisis.
"If the Empire Army can procure Lightweight Flammable Element from you, we will provide you with a sugar quota. And if you are willing to support us in building a Lightweight Flammable Element factory on the front lines, then no matter how the war develops, your company’s procurement of raw materials will be our top priority."
So that was it. The terms were indeed too generous to refuse. Rorschach didn’t agree immediately. "You and your colleagues have investigated our company very thoroughly."
As a mere logistics officer, Lieutenant Adolf wasn’t quite seasoned enough, and a smile remained on his face. "Even in a place as independent as Bayern, you shouldn’t underestimate our intelligence network."
’Whoa there, sir. You really shouldn’t be saying that out loud!’ Rorschach thought, then extended his hand. "I hope this is the beginning of a fruitful partnership. I agree. Please discuss the specific details with Mr. Hasse!"
