Chương 370: Madmen and Professional Mages

From the top of Rowan Keep, a lookout called down an alarm.

"Something just left Sedgewick and is coming up the road fast. It'll be here in a few minutes." That brought a quick visit from the decurion on duty, who watched through the telescope. From Sedgewick to Rowan Keep was ten miles. Anything that could make it in a few minutes was traveling fast with the aid of magic.

"Red roan and the rider is in white; that's an imperial courier. But damn, that's a big horse and moving twice what it should be. Keep an eye on it and let me know if anything else happens." He dropped down the ladder and ran to alert the Centurion.

"Courier with their tail on fire, sir. Might be important, if we hurry, we can get to the front gate to meet them." Marcus rose from his chair and the two of them ran to the gate, along with two squads and a few curious onlookers. Maybe it was a high-level courier showing off his mount's speed, but it was equally likely that something horrifying had happened and the Legion would be marching to war in a half hour. When told the description of the Courier, Marcus relaxed but kept his thoughts to himself.

Ben hadn't expected a big greeting, but he wasn't going to pass up a chance to show off a little. They'd made the trip from Sedgewick in record time, at well over 100 miles per hour, and Mudhead wasn't even at top speed. His ability, Run like the Wind, more than doubled Mudhead's speed, as did the Horseshoes of the Traveling Oatburner. He started slowing the horse at a mile out, and came in at a leisurely fifty miles per hour, stopping easily in front of the crowd.

He bowed in the saddle and almost fell off as Mudhead also bent a knee and then straightened.

"Something important, Courier? Or just taking that beast for a run. That can't be the same horse you had before, can it?" Marcus was eyeing Mudhead. The color and markings were the same, but his horse was taller and, somehow, much faster. It wasn't even winded after that run.

"Getting used to a few upgrades, what can I say? It would be a poor courier that didn't enjoy a fast horse. But my reason for visiting is to talk to the Baron and check on your teleport upgrade. Our mission to the Fae Realms was successful, and now it's time to get back to work." Billy pushed his way through the crowd. His eyes appraised the horse and courier, noting the increase in power of each.

"Good attitude, there's a lot to do, starting with knocking some sense into a few heads. I'm getting a lot of static from some of the Emperor's finest mages who don't seem to agree with my plans." The two walked to the teleport stone in the center of the keep, now with new walls surrounding it in a much larger courtyard. The stone couldn't be moved, so the keep had been rebuilt around it.

Two dour faced mages, dressed in traditional robes of Mage Guild teleport specialists were staring at the large round stone in another section of the courtyard. Ben recognized the stone as the one they had stolen from the ghouls. Surrounding it and arguing with the two Guild Mages were the professors who hoped to build a college in Gadobhra. The walls of the courtyard were filled with intricate diagrams done in multicolored chalk with many calculations.

Ben saw that in several sections, the equations ended with '?????' or 'Help?!' indicating weakness in the theory. Volminous was waving his hands around and shouting.

"Of course, we don't have a complete set of calculations! You need to give us the Master Code for this location so we can finish them. How can we calculate mana expenditure and dimensional friction without the exact code!" Neither mage seemed moved by his arguments.

"If you need the code that badly to help you with your mathematics, perhaps you should have calculated that first?"

"That could take months, with thousands of ethereal measurements to the nearest three locations in the empire, and we'd need the codes for those locations! You can't actually expect us to recreate all the work done by Vladimir TwoSouls, Detrick the Mad, and Damien Franklin just to upgrade a teleport stone!"

"Oh, but we aren't. You've chosen to do this work yourself rather than employ trained guild mages. Don't blame us if you find the work too hard. And I will tell you once again that unless this work is done by an accredited mage with the proper credentials, we will not be handing out Master Codes for teleport locations! Nor can we approve that stone for use; it isn't finished. The rune carving is properly done, but the runes will never stand the strain of that much mana being used on a daily basis.

You need to reinforce the runes with a proper conductive metal of a matching Tier! Plus, an expanded teleportation array, for which you don't have the components. Preventing this type of half-assed hedge wizardry is the main reason that the Guild was formed in the first place." Billy interjected before the professors could start another rant. He'd been listening to them argue with the guild mages for two days.

"Yes, and you'll help out, but only for a million gold. Seems to me that having a monopoly on teleportation was also a reason to form the guild. Easier to extort money from hard-working Barons."

"Your Excellency, as we have told you, this is delicate work that only a few people can do. Of course, it is expensive. You are the person wanting a Tier Four teleportation stone, so the burden is on you to pay for it." Billy's face turned red.

"No, I don't want it! Your damned paper pushers want it and want me to pay through the nose or fail to complete this fortress." Ben took the opportunity while they were arguing to look at the equations, and compare them with a book from his ring. After a quick look at Experimental Theories of Teleportation and Why the Mages in the Empire are all Idiots Vol. 1, he walked over to Billy and waited for a moment to enter the conversation politely.

"My apologies, Baron William, but these learned gentlemen are correct. The runes will lose integrity after a year of operation or quicker in the event of an emergency and heavy use. The grooves need reinforcement, the array needs to be increased to handle the power of a Tier Four stone, and we still have the complexity of linking the blessed stone to the Hermetic Shield in the walls. I'm sure Priestess Suzette knows how to handle the latter, but unless your... Professors...

know where to get two hundred pounds of a high-mana-conductive metal with a low smelting point, I don't think those runes can be reinforced properly. Teleportation is one of the highest forms of magic and involves precise calculations, careful safety precautions, and the proper materials. Only a madman tries to construct something like this without proper knowledge and tools. And certainly not without the approval of the Mages Guild. It just isn't done!"

"Dammit..."

"No, not another word, sir. It is beneath you to argue about things you barely comprehend and have been ill advised by academics of questionable sanity. But I am available to explain further this evening. Shall we say, 6pm at your splendid tower? I can show you where these people went wrong in their theory. I fear their desire for your patronage has led them to exaggerate." Billy stared at Ben, his cigar dangling from his mouth, then seemed to deflate a bit.

"Right, guess I'm beat on this one. Time to see how many coins I have left in my coffers and talk to the Kallvek family about a loan. Come on, you lot of disgraced kindergarten teachers! I'm not leaving you here to cause more trouble. You can help me count out a million gold coins." He walked away dejectedly leading the confused professors to trail behind him. The mages turned to Ben.

"Well spoken, young man. The Baron and his people have been quite unpleasant to deal with. I like how you put them in their place and reinforced what we have been trying to tell them. I am Orland of House Brandenstein, and my companion is a traveling sage from the south, Copulcius the Inquisitive. We are both employed by the Mages Guild to oversee any problems with the teleportation system and are currently stuck in this backwater for nine more days."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Both shook hands with Ben.

"Honored to make your acquaintance. I am Benjamin of House Franklin, serving the Emperor as a Courier and occasionally working with Inquisitor Diego to keep a close eye on this Barony." The two mages looked at each other.

"House Franklin? We've heard quite a bit about your house." Ben rolled his eyes and sighed, looking remorseful.

"And not all of it good, I'm sure. We've had our share of heroes but also far too many villains and scoundrels. Just recently, I was in the capital on business for the Inquisition and afterward was called to help the head of our little clan clear out the rooms formerly occupied by my great-uncle Damien. A madman, if there ever was one! It will take the good deeds of seven paladins to erase his stain upon my house." Orland grew excited.

"Oh, you're the one who brought down multiple Flame Strikes to deal with a daemon-infested Paladin? I heard about that. Nicely done. Have you thought of teaching at the Arcane College of Fire? That technique is difficult to do properly, even if you can manage the mana output. I imagine you resorted to mana crystals to manage it?"

"It would have made things much simpler, but remember who I was working for at the time. The older Inquisitors won't spend a few silver on a new robe, let alone the cost of mana crystals. I had to muddle through on my own reserves and was quite tired afterward. I will admit to taking a nap before I returned to my sword practice in the evening. As for teaching, it certainly would be nice to relax for a bit at the College. Perhaps when I finish this sordid affair of keeping the Baron in line.

Nine more days, and then I think things will be changing around here if you know what I mean." Orland winked at his partner. They certainly did know. It was no secret that many people wanted Baron William to fail in his reconstruction of Rowan Keep and suffer the consequences. An apprentice walked nervously up to the two Guild Mages.

"Master Copulcius? A message from Master Rastfian in Wolfsburg. They are running low on mana in their network and requesting any extra we might have. The stone here is at 50k, and they are required to keep at least 20k available for emergency use." Mana was always scarce these days. Gold was rolling into the Mages Guild for teleports for players, but they were using more mana than could be easily collected. Each mage was tithed a small amount, and paid for all the mana they gave after that. Copulcius turned to Ben.

"Pardon us a moment; our duty calls. We are each going to donate the rest of our available mana to the system. It's not like we'll need to use it in the middle of a Legion fortress. Join us if you like, we always can use more, and the bonus for supplying mana can buy an extra bottle of wine tonight."

"Of course, glad to help out, and more wine is always good."

"Apprentice Jolo! Please keep an accurate count of our 'donations' and see that this generous Courier is paid at Guild rates. Include his donation with mine and pull his share from our traveling stipend." Copulcius went first, the stone glowing as he emptied his mana. They'd each donated 1000 at dawn and now threw almost all of their mana into the stone, trading exhaustion for a small amount of gold. It also looked good on your overall record when it came time for promotions.

The apprentice whistled softly, recorded the number, and called out, "Six-thousand, four-hundred and forty-three mana." Orland helped him to stand and patted his shoulder.

"Well done. I see that earning Extra Mana 3 has increased your reserves. You're pushing me hard this time." Again, the apprentice called out the total.

"Six-thousand, seven-hundred and fifty mana." Orland was white as a sheet and had trouble standing. Ben handed him a mana potion from his pouch.

"Well done sir, but please, accept this to help with recovery." It was gladly accepted and Ben gave one to the other mage and then with a wink, to Jolo, the apprentice.

"My turn now. Time to earn that bottle." Ben cracked his knuckles, stretched, and then placed a palm upon the teleport stone. It glowed, and he began pushing his mana into it. As the process went on, the two mages looked at each other, and then at the small crystal Jolo was using to measure the input. The apprentice gasped and shouted out excitedly, "Twelve-Thousand, Five Hundred mana, exactly." Ben straightened up, not seeming to be taxed at all by the expenditure.

"Always glad to help out. And please, don't worry about my share beyond some wine and cheese from the merchants to help with our recovery."

"As he says, Jolo. Be a good lad and purchase some bottles and snacks while we converse with our brother in mage craft." As the boy ran off, Orland turned to Ben.

"Zounds, man! We had no idea you had attained such a lofty tier. Forgive us if we said anything rude." Ben smiled.

"No harm. I downplay my abilities; it makes it simpler to move about. Something Diego taught me."

"Oh, of course, of course." Ben gestured to the current teleport stone.

"It occurs to me, while speaking on the failings of their makeshift stone, to wonder about how well this stone's array is faring. The keep is seeing a lot of traffic, and it might need to be repaired soon. Not before the Baron defaults, of course, or is forced to pay the proper cost, but either way, that stone will need to be inspected. Knowing ahead of time might open up opportunities." Both mages nodded. Opportunities could be turned into profit quite easily.

"Let's find out, shall we? Jolo, have you been taught the cantrip used to levitate the stone for inspections?"

"No sir, I think that is a Journeyman cantrip."

"Well, you get to learn early then; the three of us are quite fatigued after doing our duty to the Empire. Let me walk you through the Destabilization and Inspection cantrips and then you can reverse the process after." Ben and Copulcius ate cheese and sweetmeats, enjoying a bottle of sweet red wine as Orland instructed his apprentice in the spells needed to lift the stone four feet in the air and expose the teleportation matrix beneath it.

Ben had seen diagrams in Uncle Damien's books and knew the general theory but had never seen a working array. He took a step forward to peer at it.

"Overall, it seems in good shape. The decision to put a Tier 2 stone in this keep is certainly justified. But I notice some darkening of tube seven and some deterioration of the runes on the copper accumulators. I can't help but think truesilver might have been a better choice. Costly, but cheaper in the long run." Orland nodded.

"Agreed. I think this stone will be fine to retain here, not that I'd let the Baron know that. A little work to replace those accumulators and a large bill to the Guild, and it will be fine. Go ahead and lower it down, Jolo, and use the Restabilization cantrip to return it to service."

Ben sat with his new friends for a few hours, trading news of the Mage Guild for tales of his recent travels in the Fae Realms He promised to send both of them copies of his upcoming scholarly paper that detailed the runes he had observed in his travels, carved into the gateways used to travel between realms. Sadly, he had to travel to his meeting with the Baron but they made plans to meet for lunch in Wolfsburg in four days.

The mages would return to the Guild soon, give their reports, and then travel back in nine days for the ceremony where Baron William would either pay up a million gold or forfeit the city of Gadobhra for not paying his taxes. Ben insisted on bringing the wine for that occasion.