Seven in Ten Thousand

"A gift? Why pike? Hmm, it's preserved. Not bad spellwork."

Rorschach set a bag of pike on the table, and Kano naturally opened the paper bag to inspect it. Rorschach explained what had happened on the way to Starlight Torch Tower.

Kano nodded. "If you act again in the future, be more discreet. There are always religious fanatics and charlatans looking to cause us trouble. Those monkeys can't do anything to us, but they can always waste our precious time."

After saying that, he pushed the plate of meat sauce and beans toward Rorschach. "You haven't eaten, have you? Try some."

"Thank you, but I have eaten."

"What a pity. I was hoping you'd help me finish it. These days, whenever I eat too many beans, I end up embarrassing myself."

"Is it not to your taste? I'll—" the waiter asked nervously. Kano waved his hand. "Don't be like that. I don't want to make things difficult for the cook; he works hard enough. Please tell our chef: it's delicious, but don't prepare beans for me unless they're in soup. Also, all of you may leave. Rest. Go rest."

The waiter nodded, and the other attendants also dispersed, keeping their distance from Rorschach's table.

"How is Caroline doing in the Imperial Capital? Is she well?"

Rorschach nodded. "Teacher Caroline is an excellent educator. She teaches us Space, Time, and Astronomy."

Kano finished his pancakes and began eating the rest of the food—opposite to most people, who ate dessert after their meal. "Sigh, that child never wanted to stay in the Holy Kingdom."

Rorschach recalled their conversation before his departure and remembered a detail. "Teacher Caroline once said that, compared with the Thirteen Magic Towers, she preferred the Royal Academy."

"Oh? Why?"

"Teacher Caroline said that students like me being able to study magic at the academy was the reason."

"Oh, you were born in the countryside, weren't you?" Kano concluded before Rorschach had even finished. He began on the fish, first cutting away the fattest, tenderest portion from the belly of the whole grilled fish.

Rorschach nodded.

"She's always been like that. Little Rorschach, what do you think of this restaurant?"

"It's better than the restaurant beside Moonlight Lake at our academy."

"What kind of answer is that? Of course the food is better than in the Empire! What I mean is, why doesn't such a fine restaurant open during brunch hours?"

Mage Kano waved his silver fork, still spearing a piece of fish belly. "Because I eat here, and because I don't like dining with too many people.

"So unless the visitor is His Majesty the King or a cardinal, the waiters will simply say to those grand lawyers, grand nobles, and the like, right in front of them and their female companions: 'Sorry, sir, we are not open.'"

Rorschach quietly watched Mr. Kano perform. After finishing, Kano put the fish into his mouth, and a little juice ran from the corner of his lips.

Kano dabbed at his mouth with a napkin and continued. "So here is the question, Mage Rorschach. You should understand that such status is like the very tip of a tower. How many people can stand on that 'tip'?"

"Seven in ten thousand. That includes priests and bishops in monasteries, and people like us. Because we can manipulate aether—oh, you call it magic power—we can enjoy such treatment, such fine food and wine, as well as the vast resources consumed by magical research."

As if he knew Rorschach did not understand, Kano kept talking while eating. "Second question, little Rorschach: how many humans can manipulate aether as we do?

"Three in a thousand! That is the result of the Mage Guild's secret sampling studies across the continent. Oh, the result itself is secret too—a secret that can be disclosed to bastards like you and me.

"Perhaps some of the luckier ones become other kinds of professionals, using Internal Aether to strengthen themselves into more powerful warriors, more agile rangers, or paladins able to receive divine grace. Most people go their whole lives without knowing what magic even is!"

"You mean the Empire's Magic Academy hopes that the proportion of mages in the Empire will be higher relative to the population."

"The more, the better! If everyone with Internal Aether could cast spells, would we be sitting here enjoying fine food while we met? Would His Majesty the King be polite to endless rows of mages he couldn't even count?

"The Empire wants Spellcasters to be plentiful and cheap, and that desire is why you, a farmer's son, can study magic!"

Kano realized that his words had been rude and hastily amended them. "Forgive me, Mage Rorschach. I wasn't criticizing your background. I only meant that if mages are cultivated like poets and philosophers in the Thirteen Magic Towers—oh, except they also possess wondrous, marvelous powers—they can enter magnificent palaces and possess inexhaustible wealth and glory.

"If mages are mass-produced like officers and craftsmen, then when those in power order them to the battlefield or the workshop, they cannot refuse!"

Rorschach smiled. "And then workshops and armies with wondrous powers will defeat countries that have only poets."

"Yes, yes, you are a clever man. Oh, what mage is stupid? Then tell me, do you like such an outcome?"

"What I hope for is an outcome where anyone, even if they were not born to nobles or wealthy merchants, can choose to become a poet, philosopher, or mage as long as they have talent and ideas. Uh... no, not an outcome. That should be called a new beginning."

"I'm starting to suspect you aren't a stuffy Imperial at all, Mage Rorschach. You really are romantic!"

"Our world has gods and magic. There's nothing wrong with being a little romantic."

"You're right. Heavens, you're the most interesting Imperial I've ever met!" Kano finally began eating the meat sauce and beans he had been reluctant to touch. "How did we end up talking about this? Let's discuss something practical: your arrangements at the Tower of Stars."

Archmage Kano picked up a bottle of Sparkling Wine and handed it to Rorschach. "Show me how you froze the fish."

Rorschach accepted it and held the bottle, cooling it to the right range according to the feeling of iced cola from his previous life.

Kano poured a glass for both himself and Rorschach. Fine droplets of moisture formed on the crystal stemware, proving that Frost Touch had been applied perfectly.

"Ahh, excellent. Simply perfect!" Kano praised after tasting the chilled Sparkling Wine.

"Caroline was vague about your spellcasting ability. She kept praising your theory, to the point that I was worried. This perfectly chilled glass of Sparkling Wine at least proves that your control over aether has reached an exquisite level."

"I improved a great deal during the journey. I also have Teacher Caroline to thank for pushing me."

"All right, all right, she can't hear you. Why flatter her from so far away?

"I hear you're rather strapped for money. How about this: aside from research and the classes you need to attend to adapt to the research, could you cover another course for me? I'll give you a teaching assistant's authority and salary. Hmm, five His Majesty the King a month. You'll have to work a little harder."

Using "His Majesty the King" to refer to gold coins carried the mages' mockery of the Holy Kingdom's ruler, especially when discussing how many coins there were.

"A reasonable arrangement. Thank you for looking after me." Was he supposed to clink glasses next? Rorschach prepared to grasp the neck of his wineglass.

"If you really want to thank me, help me deal with some of these beans. Hurry up."