’He’s bringing this up again? Melovinca has nothing to do with the High Master, so he must be targeting me.’ Rorschach frowned and dropped a bombshell: "Which Melovinca are you referring to?"

"What, you have dealings with Duke Melovinca too?" ’Did Rorschach Mage beat up the Duke’s son and have to personally apologize?’

"Of course. Would you like to see?" Just as Gerard had done before entering the room, Rorschach produced a contract and flashed it by. The investigator couldn’t get a good look, only glimpsing Duke Melovinca’s signature, family crest, and a very long number.

’This young man has financial dealings with the Duke! The very same noble with the most influence in the banking industry...’ Then Gerard recalled how the background check revealed Rorschach was the majority shareholder of the Royal Capital’s most powerful liquor merchant. His mind raced, and his gaze grew shifty.

Seizing on this, Rorschach decided to strike while the iron was hot. He pulled out his gold pocket watch and feigned surprise. "Oh my! Look at the time. Mage Gerard, shall we get something to eat?"

Gerard’s eyes fell on the pocket watch, a royal gift. As if afraid Gerard’s eyesight was poor, Rorschach deliberately dangled it by its chain, letting the case swing right in front of him.

"This insignia..." As one of the up-and-coming members of the Noble Faction, Gerard was naturally well-versed in heraldry. The relief carving on the case depicted an armillary sphere and a musical instrument flanking a central goddess who held a banner—representing wisdom, art, and victory.

This particular combination was most often the work of the King himself. Rorschach "casually" flipped the watch over, showing Gerard its face. On the royal blue enamel were three golden fleurs-de-lis.

"You... You and the King..."

"Ah, this watch was indeed a gift from His Majesty the King. He told me he made it himself. Mage Vilfort, you have a keen eye."

"Please, call me Gerard."

Rorschach seized the opportunity to speak of the times he’d chatted casually with the King and Dipresy, while Gerard listened, his mouth slightly agape.

After a bit more small talk, Rorschach decided that was enough. Though Gerard thought he was keeping a neutral expression, Rorschach watched the man’s face shift repeatedly. The change from his earlier arrogance to his current deference was laughable.

’I never thought I’d see the day I’d be borrowing Charles XVI’s prestige to intimidate someone,’ Rorschach thought. He put away the royal gold pocket watch and again suggested they go to the cafeteria to eat.

"That won’t be necessary. I have other matters to attend to. Goodbye."

"Thank you for your trouble, Mage Gerard." Rorschach added, as if suddenly remembering something, "Oh, right, you haven’t looked for Master Pascal yet, have you? That guy is completely reckless!"

He shook his head in an exaggerated way, then lowered his voice to whisper one last thing as Gerard was about to walk out the door. "I even suspect he’s Master Kano’s illegitimate son. You should investigate that thoroughly."

"Thank you for this very important information. I will carry out my investigation properly. Goodbye, Rorschach Mage!"

Rorschach waved, thinking, ’I hope we never meet again.’

After leaving the Tower of Stars, Gerard met up with the other investigators. It was well-known that he was close to Granor, so he had been appointed team leader. As such, all the findings from the investigation were being compiled for him.

Yet now, as he reviewed the documents one by one, he periodically set certain items aside. He removed many of Rorschach’s lecture notes as well. He had no intention of submitting a complete report.

"Kano... Granor..." At that moment, Gerard de Villefort was like a balancing scale. On one side were Kano, Rorschach, and Pascal, weighted down further by Poincare and the Alchemy Department. On the other side were Granor and the rest of the Noble Faction.

Gerard never imagined Rorschach could be on such casual speaking terms with His Majesty the King and Duke Melovinca. He began to wonder who was really the one from a noble family—himself or Rorschach? On top of that, the kid controlled no small amount of assets and had dealings with multiple Great Mages...

’Damn it, he’s so young and he’s already at my level.’ Gerard had never heard the saying, "Do not scorn a youth for being poor," but he was keenly aware that the youth his original plan targeted was anything but poor.

He took a sharp breath. ’Then there are the Guild members loyal to the Great Mage... The manpower and resources they can mobilize far surpass the Mason Brotherhood.’ The scales were tipping toward Kano.

Another mage from the investigation team, a woman, entered the room, looking displeased. "I heard you went to the Tower of Stars today and made a big show of your investigation. Won’t that just expose our intentions on Kano’s own turf?"

"This is only the preliminary stage. Besides, we are acting under orders, so we shouldn’t be afraid to show everyone our progress. It demonstrates the openness and fairness of this investigation."

It may have seemed like Gerard was led around by the nose by a "strange apprentice" and Rorschach today, but he had already achieved his objective.

’Since this is a struggle between two Great Mages, and I’ve had the bad luck to be the soldier charging on the front lines, I have to make a big show of it with little actual impact. The best approach is to let everyone know Vilfort is conducting an investigation, but without provoking the key players. It’s all about knowing when to stop.’

The probing had indeed revealed their depths. Gerard mulled over the day’s results with satisfaction. He was certain now that Kano’s students were not to be trifled with. One had connections of the highest quality, hard as steel; the other was the suspected illegitimate son of a Great Mage, indulged and protected. He couldn’t afford to offend either of them, which meant a deep investigation was out of the question.

"If you think the investigation is lacking, you can take the lead on the follow-up!" Gerard dismissed the female mage and began to ponder a different problem—whether he should switch his allegiance to Master Kano, and if so, when would be the most opportune moment to maximize his gain.

TAP... TAP... TAP... He drummed his fingers on the desk, his other hand gathering the documents he planned to withhold and tucking them into his own possession.

...

"The investigation team paid me a visit. A Middle Level Mage named Gerard de Villefort spoke with me," Rorschach reported to Kano at his earliest opportunity. He was keenly aware of who called the shots here and who currently had the most power to change the High Master’s situation.

Kano, however, seemed unconcerned. "Gerard. I’m surprised he managed to get promoted before turning forty."

Rorschach spoke for a while longer, even mentioning Granor’s signature, but Kano simply continued to write furiously.

It was a long while before the Master finally stopped. He rubbed his tired eyes. "My apologies. I’ve been bogged down with worldly affairs lately."

"Hm?" Rorschach smelled an opportunity for intelligence. His monthly letter to the Mechanical Director had to contain something of value every once in a while.

Any "worldly affairs" that could entangle the Chief Mage of the Tower of Stars were sure to be valuable indeed.

"Sigh. I shouldn’t even be discussing this with an Empireist like you." He was smiling as he said it, though. Who else was there to ask but Rorschach, the "Idea Man of the Northern Lands" who could act as a temporary advisor to the King?

"Suppose—and this is purely hypothetical—His Majesty the King wants the Magic Guild and its subordinate merchant associations to give him more money. What should we ask for in return to make it worth our while?"

"The King’s treasury is short on funds again?"

"As long as our King is alive, there will never be enough money. Nekker’s only real accomplishment has been to postpone the debt repayment dates, and those are now rapidly approaching. The Minister of Finance is doing all he can to find new sources of revenue, but he’s like a futile groundskeeper trying to fill a pool while water gushes out. And the drain is a gaping abyss known as the Royal Family."

Rorschach thought for a moment. "If it’s just a unilateral deal between the Guild and the Royal Family, it probably won’t succeed."

"Is there any deal we can’t handle?" Kano’s curiosity was piqued.

Rorschach pulled out a paper note, a Gold Lang, and pinched the portrait of Charles XVI between two fingers. "Master Kano, don’t you see the huge problem with His Majesty and his finance minister printing money as they spend it? What’s to stop the Royal Palace from printing money for itself whenever it feels like it?"