Rothfurd's office was a statement of minimalism. The room was almost monochromatic, with all the decor chosen from a palette of cool grays and whites.

Everything within seemed to exist only for a purpose, with no extra embellishments or clutter to distract from the work at hand. The atmosphere was one of focus, efficiency, and calm, making it the perfect sanctuary for those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

"So, Mr Zanus, what is the outcome of your evaluation?" Rothfurd looked away from the long stack of reports in front of him, and turned to face the middle-aged gray haired man who perpetually sported a frown.

"We have created production-ready artifacts from Norman's designs and extensively stress-tested them. We could not find a single defect. All our testers have given the go-ahead for mass production." Zanus spoke in a neutral voice, but an undertone of stress was evident.

"Interesting. Very interesting." Rothfurd grimaced. "Unfortunately, we will not be mass-producing this product."

Zanus was surprised at that, "But sir, why not. The solution is right here in front of us. Is there some licensing issue?"

"No," The last few days had been a sequence of some rather bizarre events for Rothfurd, "I received a mail from Mr. Norman this morning. Apparently, this design was leaked to Helicon rebel groups without his knowledge."

"Oh." This was the last thing Zanus had expected to hear, "So now if we try to sell it, it may look like we have been collaborating with these rebels."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"But perhaps we can ask him to revise his designs and iterate on a better model." Zanus massaged his temples.

"Perhaps. However, Mr. Norman does not appear interested in pursuing this as part of his primary dissertation. He has instead proposed a more radical project for us to sponsor."

"Oh, what is this project?" Zanus secretly hoped it was not something that would put his position at risk again.

"He wants us to get into Zythramine production."

"But that is crazy." Zanus was astounded, "It is fiendishly difficult to manufacture, and all the current mechanisms of synthesis are patented and protected. It will take many years to get someone to develop production-capable pipelines."

Manufacturing Zythramine made perfect sense from a business perspective for Zenith Fidaeus. And they had actually attempted to get into it. Unfortunately, right after their announcement, the patent holder who had licensed the product to them got sued by another for malpractice, and their investors had set their foot down until the issue was resolved. Though it was open knowledge that the bogus litigation had been funded by Ortimus guild, it was all coordinated behind the scenes. Thanks to the deep pockets of the Ortimus conglomerate the legal resolution dragged on for years and the project didn't go anywhere.

"Then perhaps you would want to evaluate this sample of Zythramine that he has sent across." Rothfurd pushed forward a small vial towards Zanus. A small sample of viscous, pale blue liquid glimmered within.

Zanus felt the ground shifting under him, "This is something he has synthesized himself? Already?"

"Yes. In his own room. Apparently using materials that he was able to procure from academy supplies without any license." Rothfurd steepled his fingers.

"That is impossible." If this actually was true, Zenith Fidaeus could well be on track to disrupt the entire industry.

"Mr. Zanus, as we increase our dealings with Mr. Norman, you might want to refrain from using that word going forward." Rothfurd smiled.

"So you will approve this sponsorship?" Zanus already knew what the answer was going to be.

"I already have. And while I have yet to receive a final confirmation from Mr. Norman, minutes after I sent the updated contract proposal, I received a notification..." Rothfurd gestured to his tablet, and a letter adorned by the unmistakable seal of the Imperial Magisterium was projected before them.

Zanus felt like he was struck by lightning, "The God King has summoned us!"