Mage? Magic Engineer!-Chapter 87 - 84: Cheap Labor Worth One Credit
William Cavendish, a pitiful Apprentice on the verge of being held back a year.
"William, let me put it this way. Unless you can get a perfect score on the chanting exam after the Saints’ Day Festival, you being held back is a done deal."
Kano suddenly felt he had too many problem students under his supervision. In truth, Cavendish’s grades in subjects like astronomy and Shaping Power weren’t bad. He decided to give the student a chance.
"But I’m not a monster, and your situation isn’t *that* terrible. As the chief professor, how about I give you a chance to earn some credit? You can follow our tower’s youngest Middle Level Caster in recent years. Broaden your horizons. Watch and learn."
And so, Cavendish traveled overnight to get here. A single Copper Coin might not hire a laborer, but one academic credit could attract a whole flock of apprentices who were literate, numerate, and even knew a few Tricks. Cavendish was exactly that: one-credit cheap labor.
"I’m Cavendish, from Storm City! Rorschach Mage, I’ve even taken your class!"
Rorschach had no memory of this apprentice, who looked to be about his own age. "You’re an Istani?"
"Yeah, but I couldn’t stand the weather or the food back home, so I chose to enroll at the Tower of Stars."
He unslung his pack, took out several boxes of various sizes, and opened them to reveal an assortment of instruments. "I plan to map the star chart above the Black Forest. I hope I won’t be too much of a bother to everyone."
Rorschach’s eyelid twitched. ’An Istani studying in the Holy Kingdom is coming to the Empire to conduct surveying?’ "You can, but you’ll need to give me a copy of the chart once it’s finished."
"No problem at all!"
In any other year, the Black Forest would have been a vast expanse of white by now. But the first snow of the new year was arriving later than usual.
The members of the investigation team rode donkeys and ponies, making their way along a small path toward a human settlement in the woods. The mountain trail was difficult, rugged and winding, and a cold wind accompanied them. The cleared path had become a corridor for the frigid air, which stole their body heat as it swept past. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Rorschach was dressed in thick furs he’d purchased in Pema City, which likely came from this very natural treasury. The others were also prepared for the cold. The only one who wasn’t was Cavendish, who, despite carrying several large and small bags, had forgotten to pack extra clothes.
"Why are we investigating now? Why not wait by a warm fireplace until spring?"
Master Humboldt walked at the head of the group, with Rorschach and Peterson bringing up the rear, sandwiching the apprentices between them.
Alexander von Humboldt, at the front, heard the Istani’s complaint and gave a serious reply:
"We have learned of the situation in the Sub-plane. Considering the connection between the Divine Spirit Deryats and the Black Forest, we are concerned that a similar anomaly might occur in the corresponding region of the Main Plane. This is a matter of great importance and cannot be delayed."
"This is the responsibility of the Tower of Forest, and we are grateful that the Tower of Stars was willing to inform and assist us."
"It’s the least we could do," Rorschach agreed from the rear of the line. Only Cavendish was completely baffled. ’What’s a Deryats? How is a Divine Spirit involved? Is this really a one-credit job?’
"As for the timing... by any standard, the environment here could be considered mild and pleasant. We are Mages, after all." With a raise of his hand, he cast a Protection of [Elemental Resistance] on Cavendish, who instantly stopped feeling the cold.
"That may be true, but this trip is still a bit dangerous. Then again, that’s what makes it exciting, isn’t it?" Peterson caught up to Rorschach at the back of the line, riding alongside him.
He spoke quietly with the young man. "If you ask me, it might not be appropriate for a lady to be on this mission. But Ella’s perception is the strongest among us. She might discover clues in the forest that we would otherwise miss."
Finally, Peterson smoothed back his hair, causing his hairline to recede just a little more, and said with great regret, "Actually, there was once an apprentice with even greater insight and a stronger affinity for nature. If she hadn’t transferred, she’d be on this team with us instead of Ella."
"My star pupil. She was a genius at Natural Magic, a born Druid! Alas... Anastasia. That name isn’t too common, is it?"
Rorschach replied directly, "In the Jabber Language, it means ’resurrection.’"
"Exactly. A fine name for a fine student of the Tower of Forest. And can you guess where she ran off to? Rorschach Mage, you’d never believe it..."
The party ventured deeper and deeper into the forest. The surrounding trees grew taller and denser, their leaves devouring what little sunlight the winter day had to offer, as if swallowing the investigation team whole.
...
The outpost closest to the heart of the forest was a fragmented settlement. It was fragmented in the sense that it had no farmland or mills; livelihoods here were sustained by hunting.
Master Humboldt did not approve of humans hunting wantonly in the natural environment. In his eyes, humanity had already cleared enough land for farming; they should strive to increase crop yields rather than continuing to take from the forest for pleasure and pelts.
The meat from a hunter’s lodge couldn’t possibly feed everyone. The more effective and proper path was to cherish and diligently cultivate the lands already developed and to raise livestock.
But as he looked at the huts adorned with whole animal hides, he said nothing. He didn’t want to condescendingly single out and rebuke any one person.
And with the rising trend of Nobility traveling for leisure, this village deep in the forest had even opened an inn to serve hunters and adventurers. A massive mounted deer head served as its sign.
In the past, the owner would have enthusiastically welcomed guests from afar and the coin they carried. But now, his face was grim.
"Sorry, sirs—oh, and a lady—we’re closed for business! For your own sakes, please go back before sunset!"
Rorschach noticed that many of the houses were also empty, their doors and windows bolted shut. The perimeter of the settlement was lined with cheval de frise and barricades, but some were clearly scattered, and a few had toppled over, left unrepaired.
"What’s going on here?"
The owner bared his arm, revealing a mix of old and new injuries. Some of the gashes were clearly from animal claws.
"Every winter, there are always a few of us who stay. We count on the snow making it hard for the animals to find food, which is when they’re easiest to trap."
"The winters here are brutal, but if you can survive it, one season’s earnings are worth more than the rest of the year combined."
As he spoke, the owner angrily slammed his hand on the counter, then winced in pain. "OW... But this year has been damned strange. The snow just won’t fall, and at night, the beasts in the woods go crazy, running wild."
"Can you imagine it? Baring their fangs, Wild Boars, deer as big as horses, and a few of the meat-eating kind, all of them attacking the people and houses here like they’ve lost their minds."
"At first, the beasts were still afraid of fire, but now even Firearms can barely hold them back! Some unlucky family even had their kid snatched away. I’m getting out of here, so you should too..."
The owner hadn’t finished speaking, too agitated to even roll his sleeve back down. Master Humboldt listened to his complaints with a gentle smile, then wordlessly grabbed his injured arm.
The owner was shocked to find that the man’s strength was no less than that of a Hunter who could kill a bear. An alternating gold and green light spilled from the large hand gripping him.
He felt a slight tingling in his flesh, and then something even more incredible happened. "By the Tree God, my wounds are healed! You’re a Lord Mage! Are you the Town Mage?"
The smile never left the Great Mage’s face as he continued to hold the owner’s arm in a firm grip. Master Humboldt asked slowly, "And this ’Tree God’ you mentioned... could you please tell me what kind of being it is?"
