Mage? Magic Engineer!-Chapter 132 - 129: Wishing You a Smooth Cooperation

When Pierre Nixingen established the Hercules beverage company separately from the Hercules potion workshop, he was actually pulling a little trick. The Tower of Stars held a sixty-percent stake in the first company, the workshop, with Mr. Pierre acting merely as one of the partners and the general manager. However, the subsequently founded Hercules company was, in terms of equity, unrelated to the Alchemy Department.

It was just that the Hercules company had a long-term agreement to purchase large quantities of concentrated Energy Potion extract from the Hercules workshop for use as a raw material. This caused the potion workshop’s cash flow to grow in sync with the beverage’s popularity.

Furthermore, Pierre had given the chief professor’s student a twenty-percent stake in the beverage company, maintaining a cooperative stance with the Guild and the Magic Tower. As a result, the old-timers in the Alchemy Department, who were making more and more money, stopped bothering with this rather clever merchant.

As for Rorschach’s shares, everyone agreed it was what he deserved, since he was the one who had improved the process and developed the new product. It was considered just as natural as the Alchemy Department holding a sixty-percent stake without investing any money.

Now, Hasse, who was unaware of the inside story, had originally planned to bypass the beverage company and contact the Alchemy Department directly. This was contrary to Rorschach’s goals. He hoped the Balderom Chamber of Commerce would expand the channels for the Hercules company, allowing his dividends to grow larger and larger.

The ideal scenario would be for the Balderom Chamber of Commerce to import the technology, open a joint-venture subsidiary, and build a beverage factory within the Empire. As for the Energy Potion, Rorschach didn’t think it was particularly important. The "happy water" alone could fill the entire continent with joy; after all, humans are fundamentally incapable of resisting the pleasure derived from sugar.

"Mr. Hasse, if you have no other plans, you can come with me. I can give you a direct invitation to tour the purple soda factory."

The beverage factory on the outskirts of the city had already expanded considerably, and a line of horse-drawn carts waited to be loaded. The guards at the gate recognized Rorschach and immediately welcomed him before notifying Pierre Nixingen.

"Rorschach Mage, what brings you here? It’s been a while! Production Line Number Two has been running smoothly ever since the last adjustment, so we haven’t bothered you..."

The brightly dressed man spoke to the young man—who was about the same age as his own children—in an almost fawning manner. The onlooking Hasse found it somewhat comical, and he also realized that his young master’s classmate, like the young master himself, was not just a Mage who only dabbled in magic.

"This is Mr. Pierre Nixingen, the ’King’ of the Hercules beverage company," Rorschach said, making the introductions. "And this is Mr. Hasse from Bayern in the Empire, representing the Balderom Chamber of Commerce, who wishes to tour our factory."

"The Balderom Chamber of Commerce! Back when I was a nobody, just a traveling merchant, your esteemed organization’s fame was known by all from the Duma River to the Seine River." Aside from his colorful clothes, Pierre’s gestures also seemed overly flamboyant in Mr. Hasse’s eyes. For instance, he was now gripping his guest’s hand so tightly that Hasse couldn’t easily pull away.

"But may I ask how you two know each other?" Pierre finally asked.

"You may find this amusing, but Rorschach Mage rescued me from robbers," Hasse said, not revealing Rorschach’s connection to the chamber’s young master.

Pierre’s beaming smile turned serious. "Sir, how could that be amusing? You are a guest from afar. For you to be robbed in this city is a disgrace to us Valois people! I am deeply sorry."

’Have we had enough pleasantries? If not, can’t we at least continue inside...?’ Pierre’s bad habit of blocking guests at the door in the cold wind had struck again. Rorschach decided he would have to remind Mr. Nixingen about this privately someday.

During the tour, Pierre introduced the facility to his potential partner:

"This... was designed by Rorschach Mage... That... its efficiency was improved by Rorschach Mage..."

"Rorschach Mage, are you a member of the Alchemy Department?" This utterly astonished Hasse; the factory’s entire process had been designed or improved by Rorschach.

"No, I was just fortunate enough to be able to turn theory into practice." Rorschach was quite proud that his designs had materialized into the largest and most advanced beverage factory in Valuva. He didn’t feign modesty, and with a smile, he elaborated on Pierre’s less-than-professional explanations.

After the tour came the discussion phase. It was merely a "discussion" because Hasse, the representative from the Chamber of Commerce, was only a Middle Level partner. His original mission was limited to "inspection" and "investigation," so for now, he could only draft a letter of intent for cooperation.

The general content and method of the cooperation were as Rorschach had expected. The two parties would form a joint venture to build a factory within the Empire. In the Bayern Kingdom, the Chamber of Commerce could guarantee a smooth process through every stage, from importation and construction to production and sales. In the Imperial Capital, however, it would require stricter approvals and more costly promotions.

The factory within the Empire would only be allowed to mix and bottle the soda. The concentrated Energy Potion extract would be supplied by Hercules at a "reasonable price" (even though it was technically just a middleman). The potion version and the Energy Potion-based cocktails could only be imported from the Holy Kingdom and were not permitted to be produced within the Empire.

Hasse didn’t mind this last point. From his observations, the Empire loved to chase after high-end foreign liquors. They were particular about sparkling wine from Valois and distilled malt liquor from Istani. Now, with a magical "fortifying wine" imported from the Holy Kingdom, the profit margin was bound to exceed that of domestically produced and sold products.

During the talks, whenever Rorschach offered an opinion, both sides would scramble to accept it, making the meeting exceptionally smooth. What was advantageous for him was that the subsidiary would also grant him shares and would continue to pay a considerable consultant fee.

"I wish you a successful partnership."

"Rorschach Mage, *we* will have a successful partnership," the two businessmen said in unison, one with a southern Imperial accent and the other with a Valuvan one.

...

After a long day, the young man declined Pierre’s dinner invitation and finally found some peace and quiet in his small dormitory.

That afternoon, Pierre had vaguely sensed that Rorschach was very keen on building a factory in the Empire. The reason was that Rorschach was also considering his own future after his research project ended.

Although he hadn’t even been at the Tower of Stars for a year, Rorschach had to prepare for his departure, regardless of whether his research was complete. He still remembered the Mechanical Director’s warning. Even if there were no movements in the near future, once war broke out between the Holy Kingdom and the Empire, he would need to find a way out and ensure he didn’t implicate the Mercer family.

Besides the Thirteen Magic Towers, there were also small-scale Mage associations, and even individuals who established their own Magic Towers. Some were recognized by the Guild, while others were not, or they simply chose to distance themselves from the Guild entirely.

Some of these scattered Magic Towers were well-concealed, hidden away in unknown regions. Others were built by Mages who had been recruited by a Lord, serving as a Magic Consultant and receiving the Lord’s patronage to build their tower.

In the Empire, a Town Mage who had made outstanding contributions might be honored by the council, a governor, or their liege lord with the construction of a tower. Such a tall structure standing in the middle of a town already had a commemorative meaning, and looking down upon the low-lying residential houses made it seem all the more transcendent.

Rorschach now had a vague, immature idea of his own: to build a personal Magic Tower in the future. However, his "Magic Tower" would certainly not be just a single tower, nor would it consist only of a tower. Construction would require a massive investment. Perhaps the Balderom Chamber of Commerce could be a partner. At least now, they were taking the first step...

After some brief contemplation, Rorschach began to write a letter:

"To Bart:

It’s Rorschach. Since we parted ways after graduating from the academy, I haven’t heard any news from you, and I’ve missed you very much.

Then yesterday, I happened to run into Mr. Hasse, a partner in the Balderom Chamber of Commerce, here in Valuva, and learned where you are stationed. It was an interesting evening, starting at a restaurant with a rustic flavor..."

Rorschach wrote until night fell, then let out a yawn.

By this time, most of Valuva’s residents were asleep. At the end of Montoglie Street, a nocturnal hoodlum emerged from a small alley, only to be immediately restrained, unable to move or make a sound.

Late at night, more than a dozen people surrounded all the entrances to the Old Red Bar, which was hidden in an alley. They were on high alert, ensuring not even a mouse could slip in or out. These people wore dark gray or ultramarine cloaks that obscured their faces. Upon closer inspection, the ultramarine cloaks were embroidered with stars.