Chapter 378: Chapter 375: Don’t Shun Kin for Profit
When Rorschach revealed he possessed the technology for wired communication, the staff reported it to their superior, who in turn quickly sent a message to the branch president in Munich.
"Are you available? The president would like to discuss this with you."
"Do I have to go to Munich?"
"No, he’s coming here himself. Immediately."
The Magic Guild had been observing Rorschach. A Mage like him, who actively intervened in mundane commerce and engaged in large-scale industry, was an anomaly—especially in the Bayern Kingdom. If he were still in the Holy Kingdom, such actions wouldn’t have seemed so out of place.
The Tower of Secret Techniques and other Magic Towers within the Empire suddenly realized things were different now. Their former position was one of aloof superiority, like looking down from the heavens. Now, their privilege was built upon a vast system, interwoven with the Empire’s authorities and mercantile society—a system where pulling one thread could affect the whole.
This trend would have continued if not for the war. With the outbreak of hostilities, both sides were forced to scrutinize their relationship.
Thus, the Magic Guild in Bayern was evaluating Rorschach’s every move. The investment from the Tower of Secret Techniques was more of a probe, a way to test the waters and see whether they should follow his lead.
Combined with the threat of the "Forbidden Magic Device," and, most importantly, the fact that the Thirteen Magic Towers and the Guild could no longer monopolize magical knowledge, a new dynamic had emerged: the Empire could now use mages to keep other mages in check.
Secular authorities courted magical forces, while the Guild sought technology independent of Magic. It was a reciprocal maneuver in their ongoing strategic game.
The Communication Array was cleared, and all message transmissions were halted. After an operator channeled the maximum amount of crystal and Magic Power into it, the light from the array’s circuits flared to its peak—it was no longer transmitting documents, but teleporting the Bayern branch president.
As the light on the array’s circuits faded, it left scorched and cracked marks along the edges of some nodes and intersections. It seemed the restrictions on teleportation were indeed for the maintenance of the Communication System. If it were frequently used to transport large objects and people, the Magic Array would constantly operate at full capacity, resulting in staggering wear and tear.
Of course, dedicated, permanent Teleportation Arrays existed, but... that would cost extra. If everything were built to the highest specifications, the cost of the Guild’s communication network would skyrocket.
This president wasn’t as flamboyant as the one from Valuva. He was an old man with a large belly, a bushy beard, and a drinker’s nose. If not for the Mage Robe he wore, he would have looked more like a farmer ready for a couple of pints of beer after a long day’s work. "Mage Rorschach, how much do you know about this new communication technique from Valuva?"
"You rushed here without having your subordinates verify my claims first?"
"This shows our Guild’s respect for you, as well as the importance we place on this matter. It concerns the safety of the Guild and the interests of all Mages." The president may have looked rustic, but he adopted the formal tone with practiced ease.
’If this is for all Mages, then why didn’t the Guild in Valuva just share all the technology?’ After the president arrived, Rorschach was shown the blueprints and a thin manual sent from the Valuva branch. They contained diagrams of the transceiver machines and even the design for a switchboard by Master Poincare.
’A fine show of sincerity, to be sure. But is this enough for the Guild in Bayern to build a telegraph network? Of course not.’ Rorschach knew that the training of personnel and the myriad difficulties of laying the lines weren’t things a small booklet could explain. Even the Technical Manual itself was like a publicly filed patent—intentionally vague in all the crucial places.
Worse still, the Guild staff couldn’t even understand it. For example, the symbols related to electricity had all been standardized by the Alchemy Department—a project Rorschach himself had been fortunate enough to participate in. But in the manual, these symbols were only explained in a couple of lines of fine print, followed by long strings of formulas that made the heads of the Guild members spin, as they were proficient in neither mathematics nor the magic of the Shaping Power Energy System.
As Rorschach explained the basic principles and their implications, the branch president’s small eyes gleamed. Although he still didn’t understand the specifics, he was convinced that this "Outstanding Youth of the Empire" and "Duma River Scholar" who had studied at the Tower of Stars was the real deal.
Rorschach noticed that these managerial types weren’t taking any notes, just staring at him as he lectured. Deciding not to waste any more of his breath, he abruptly changed his approach. "Mr. President, do you know what the real difficulty in building this system is?"
The president was quick to respond. "Go on."
"It requires laying physical lines! Those lines need land to be installed, and they require maintenance and management. All the wiring is made of metal. What do you think will happen if they’re left unguarded?"
In this era, there’s no distinction between "precious metals" and other metals. To a farmer or a commoner, it’s all valuable! Without constant maintenance and deterrence, you’re bound to get people with ’auto-loot’ turned on who will help themselves.
The president’s first instinct was to ask who would dare touch something belonging to Mages, but then he pictured it. With lines strung up through the remote wilderness, someone was bound to be tempted. They could even run a mobile theft operation with an ox-cart.
"The solution in Valuva is to string the lines within city limits and post patrols. Outside the cities, they bury the lines in conduits whenever possible. Each Guild branch dispatches Mages to dig trenches and lay ceramic pipes using [Earth Shaping Skill], then they cast [Vitalizing Rope] on the cable, controlling it to thread itself through the pipes underground."
Without Rorschach to point out these problems and their experienced solutions, there was no telling how much time and money the Guild in Bayern would have wasted on trial and error.
"Also, the telegraph system needs a power source," Rorschach continued. "If it’s just for temporary emergency use, there are many simple methods, like hand-cranked generators or using power storage devices called ’batteries.’
"But this project is going to be incredibly expensive, so it would be best to put it into daily operation and open it to the public to amortize the costs. And for that, you’ll need power plants that don’t rely on Magic."
His audience nodded along, and the president was already starting to feel overwhelmed, but Rorschach wasn’t finished. "All these facilities need to be built on the Kingdom’s land. That includes installing the lines. You’ll have to coordinate with all the local Lords and landowners, as well as obtain permission and support from the Royal Family and the City Halls..."
The president took out a checkered handkerchief and wiped his forehead and his drinker’s nose. "When you put it like that... this really is a massive undertaking. No simpler than the Guild’s Communication Array Network." Building the Teleportation Arrays had been a point-to-point effort established long ago; laying a wired telegraph network would present a host of new problems to solve.
"As for that last problem, I believe the Guild should find an intermediary to handle the coordination. In fact, the telegraph system itself should be operated by a nominally independent commercial entity, bringing more influential people in as stakeholders.
"That way, the telegraph becomes a public enterprise for Bayern, benefiting its public users and its shareholders alike. And who would act against their own interests?
"As for the intermediary I mentioned, I recommend the Balderom Chamber of Commerce."
This recommendation from Rorschach wasn’t born of any selfish motives or old school loyalties. The most prominent commercial house in Bayern right now was the Bart Family’s enterprise—they were connected by marriage to the Royal Family, after all. As a logistics company, the chamber of commerce had sufficient connections and footholds in every region. With them taking the lead, even the local powers-that-be would show some respect.
As for the raw materials for the telegraph lines, the necessary machinery, and how to build the thermal power plants...
Well, what a coincidence. The industries under Rorschach’s control just so happened to be able to supply everything.
