Chapter 164: Chapter 161: The Gray Market’s Protective Umbrella Turns Out to Be Kano

Rorschach was no longer a wet-behind-the-ears rookie. He now knew that the minor Levels for Mages were merely "Honorific Titles," and that only the ratings of Basic Level, Middle Level, and Great Mage were truly tied to one’s power.

However, this was the first time he had heard of the "Moon-Feeding Stork" medal.

Storks were uncommon in the Empire. They were native to the riverbanks of the Quicksand Land, where the locals revered them as holy birds... When Rorschach looked up the information, he saw that the creature had a long beak, and its white wings were ringed with black feathers when spread.

"As the incarnation of the Thoth God’s wisdom, they are often mummified or their skulls used to make Magical Artifacts..." ’Wait, do these people have something against Thoth?’ This Divine Spirit had a profound influence even on the Ferolun Continent, especially in the Magic Realm. A prime example was the ubiquitous "Thoth Alchemy Ink."

’For some reason, this medal doesn’t seem very auspicious.’

But Rorschach accepted it anyway. Two days later, he and Kano arrived at the Magic Guild Building. The building itself looked no different from his first visit, but it was now bustling with people. The temporary worker who used to sleep on the job was gone, replaced by receptionists who were swamped with work.

"The Guild’s mail delivery system has seen a lot more customers lately," Kano explained as they entered. With the stock market booming, the speed of information had become a crucial factor in winning or losing, making the Guild’s information network, based on its Teleportation Arrays, highly sought-after.

But the Guild wasn’t a place just anyone could enter. Unlike the previously deserted state of its halls, the Holy Kingdom’s branch had recently become so overburdened that it no longer offered messaging services to clients who weren’t registered Mages or Apprentices.

But rules were made to be bent, especially when there was profit to be made. Many Apprentices and even Low Tier Mages had started acting as middlemen, sending and receiving messages on behalf of traders and securities firms. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

As the chief professor, Kano had received feedback from the Guild staff and had personally issued a ban prohibiting teachers and Apprentices from the Tower of Stars from acting as scalpers. Thus, he had some knowledge of the situation.

"My senior brother isn’t involved, is he?" Rorschach asked. ’It’s exactly the sort of thing he would do.’

But the answer surprised Rorschach. "He... isn’t personally involved." Kano’s lip twitched as he said this. Pascal was the middleman of middlemen; he had built an entire industrial chain linking securities firms, Apprentices, and the Guild, taking a cut from every transaction. Kano had only discovered this big fish under his nose when he was speaking with other Apprentices.

Pascal, that business prodigy, was able to make a name for himself for two reasons. First, his past experience working at the Guild allowed him to connect with the staff. Second, he hinted to others that he was the student of the chief professor of the Tower of Stars. When clients and Apprentices looking to make a quick buck saw that this guy had connections inside the Guild *and* someone in a high position, they thought, ’This senior brother is untouchable!’

Kano, who had unwittingly become the protector for this gray-market enterprise without seeing a single Copper Coin, was furious. This was one of the reasons the Alchemy Department and Rorschach had angered him so much that night—his rage meter had been refilled before it had a chance to empty.

Rorschach had been too busy lately to notice that his senior brother had been confined to the archives by the Great Mage to copy and organize documents. Today was the fourth day of his confinement.

"A letter, a letter! Prioritize mine, there’s a tip in it for you!" All the Apprentices in the hall were in a frantic rush, practically shoving their sealed envelopes into the staff members’ faces. But the moment they saw the Great Mage enter in his red robes, they all fell silent.

Kano swept his gaze across the room, and the Apprentices all lowered their heads or turned away. A receptionist quickly jogged out from behind the front desk.

"We’ll head upstairs ourselves. You can get back to your work."

Kano waved his hand dismissively and, moving with practiced familiarity, led Rorschach to the great hall on the top floor.

As they ascended the spiraling staircase, Rorschach couldn’t help but ask, "Why not just raise the price for postage? Not only would it increase revenue, but it would also limit the number of letters being sent."

Kano replied, "The Guild has studied countermeasures before. If we raise the price for everyone, the burden on Mages, especially Apprentices, would be too great. If we only charge commoners a higher price, the phenomenon of people hiring Apprentices as intermediaries would persist. The Guild’s primary concern isn’t profit, but ensuring the postal system operates stably and doesn’t get overloaded."

"Perhaps some merchant guilds will try to build their own teleportation networks." Efficient communication has always been a core societal need.

"It’s not that difficult to establish a fixed, two-way Teleportation Array. What’s not simple is finding qualified personnel to operate and maintain it. If merchant guilds could manage such a system, the Magic Guild wouldn’t have stood unchallenged across the continent for hundreds of years."

Hiring Mages who understand Teleportation Magic and Magic Arrays would be astronomically expensive. The entire system has also been refined over hundreds of years and is supported by a large number of trained Apprentices who never became full Mages. People are the key.

’But the Guild might not be able to monopolize this business forever.’ Kano thought about the ecosystem of Mages within the Empire and the current Valuva High Master, but he left many of his thoughts unspoken.

"Master Kano, I have been waiting for you!" The one who greeted them was a Mage. Though he was merely a Low Tier Mage in blue robes, the splendor of his attire far surpassed that of Rorschach or even Kano, and both of them had dressed formally for the award ceremony.

Golden thread tassels, velvet fabric that revealed vast, intricate dark patterns under the light... If it was all handmade, the craftsmanship of the King’s own garments could hardly compare.

Rorschach was secretly taken aback. His attention first fell on the man’s clothes; only on second glance did he focus on his face. A sycophantic, horse-like face was beaming at Kano. Gold-framed Single-Lens Goggles were perched on the bridge of his nose.

Although the man was smiling obsequiously, Rorschach felt an inexplicable sense of disgust. Perhaps this welcoming Mage was simply trying too hard.

"The guest of honor today isn’t this old man. It’s him, Rorschach Mage." Kano introduced Rorschach, then turned to introduce the other man. "This is Morel, the Guild Director for Valois."

The Guild branches in the capitals of the three great nations had no presidents or branch heads, as they were directly governed by the Elder Council. But why would the Elders stoop to handling such mundane affairs? Thus, the position of Guild Director was born—a title similar to a secretary, tasked with managing the Guild’s various matters and overseeing the other branch heads.

Whether by the Elder Council’s design or by coincidence, every director without exception had been a Low Tier Mage.

"I’m responsible for the Guild in the entire Kingdom, yet they won’t even give me the title of president! It even robs me of time to practice my Magic!" Morel often complained to his subordinates, but in front of Kano, he couldn’t have been more deferential.

"Rorschach Mage! I have long been an admirer of your reputation!" The director gripped Rorschach’s hand tightly. His own hands were soft and his skin smooth, clearly unused to labor. The only difference between them and a noblewoman’s hands was their large bone structure, which squeezed Rorschach’s hand painfully.

The man’s expressions, words, and body language were all so exaggerated that Rorschach didn’t even register the lavish praise being heaped upon him. He subconsciously focused on the sensation of the physical contact, ’wondering when he could pull his hand away and put some distance between himself and this detestable man.’

The Great Mage was also growing tired of this display. "Let’s not waste any more time. We should go in."

"Of course. Please." Even as he opened the door for the two of them, Morel bowed low, pulling the large door open as if he were Kano’s Jester.

The moment he stepped through the door, countless eyes fell upon Rorschach, scrutinizing him from head to toe. The main structure of the building also had a vaulted ceiling, and beneath it was the Guild’s true great hall, a place only Mages could enter.

Tiers of circular stair-like seats rose one after another. Only a few Mages were seated on them. Far more numerous were the owls, which stared with eyes like Copper Bells, their pupils reflecting the young man’s figure.

Both the people and the owls were completely silent, making the scene somewhat eerie.