That evening, Stannis, Vitt, and Renly gathered in Robert's room. Renly used a Whispering Spell to isolate the room's sounds.
"Vitt! You've done a great job this time, and you've shown everyone the power of magic. You refused my offer of a reward earlier. What are you thinking?" Robert, though still slightly hungover, had clearly given this some thought.
He was King of the Seven Kingdoms. His second brother was the Duke of Dragonstone and Master of Ships. His third brother inherited Storm's End. Meanwhile, his youngest brother, the strongest of them all, had been forced into a political marriage with Dorne since childhood for the sake of his ambitions. Now, he was just a knight, and his territory was only a small fortress. Robert felt he owed Vitt a great deal.
"The power of magic is considerable, but the main thing is that the enemy wasn't prepared this time. If they had been prepared, for example, with heavy crossbows, or if they'd launched an attack while I had no magic, it wouldn't have gone so smoothly. Besides, I almost got killed that day." Vitt didn't need to put on a show in front of his brothers; he spoke the truth.
"And you strained your back, haha. Men have to be tested in battle eventually, you know. You two aren't even twelve years old yet, and you're already doing great."
Renly took a sip of sweet wine and said, "But I didn't accomplish anything this time!"
Vitt chuckled:
"It's all Robert's fault. He had to go riding a horse on Pyke. Horses aren't even as fast as people there. By the time he got there, the battle was already over. Following him just meant cleaning up the battlefield."
Robert patted his large belly. Years of eating, drinking, and having fun as king had made him almost forget how to fight. Even his current armor was designed to accommodate his gut. Stannis chuckled, a hint of disdain in his smile.
"Speaking of which, what about your refusal of the reward?" Robert brought the topic back.
Vitt sat up straight and said seriously to Robert:
"I want you to add a position to the Small Council: Chief Archmage of the Realm. This person's duty will be to lead all the mages in the kingdom, manage all magical affairs within the realm, and check the power of the Citadel."
Robert and Stannis were very shocked when they heard this. This would shake the power structure of the kingdom.
"For hundreds of years since the unification of the Seven Kingdoms, the Small Council has always had seven members: the Hand of the King, the Master of Coin, the Master of Laws, the Master of Ships, the Master of Whisperers, and the Grand Maester, plus the Captain of the Kingsguard. Now you want to add another seat?" Stannis, not one to adapt, couldn't see the bigger picture.
Robert was shocked but also thinking. He didn't speak. Vitt added:
"The magic of the entire world is recovering, and there will be more and more mages in the future. The rise of the mage forces is already unstoppable."
Renly chimed in, "I also feel that the magic recovery is much faster now."
Vitt continued:
"Everyone knows the power of magic. Renly and I are only twelve years old. I can guarantee that when we become adults, one person will be comparable to an army and can easily destroy a castle!"
"If this group of newly grown mages is not managed, no one's safety will be guaranteed in the future, and the only one who can manage this group is the strongest mage, currently only me."
Robert tapped the table incessantly, deep in thought. After a moment, he asked:
"Have you thought about how to manage them?"
"Establish a School for Mages, establish various standard systems and terminology for magic, accept young people with magical potential from all over the continent, and use a method similar to that of a knight's squire, teaching them in a more in-depth apprentice-style to increase the connection between master and disciple. Apprentices are divided into levels, and after graduation, they are registered in the kingdom. The king issues a Mage's Badge, and then they can decide whether to join the army or stay in the School for Mages."
"But what if these apprentices go elsewhere and take on their own students? Wouldn't that be outside of your control?" Robert asked.
"Other nobles can temporarily employ them, but completely breaking away from the mage system won't be possible, at least not within the next hundred years." Vitt took a sip of water.
"We invested a huge amount in teaching equipment just to train Renly. Most of the money Renly and I have earned has gone into it. Even with Renly's top-tier talent, it cost over a million gold dragons to reach the intermediate level. And the higher levels are even harder. Ordinary nobles simply can't afford it, nor can they produce the necessary resources."
Thinking about this, Vitt couldn't help but think: It's like training astronauts in the real world. And that's just the teaching, not even including mage equipment. Being a mage is seriously expensive!
Renly rubbed his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Robert also rubbed his nose, remembering how often he borrowed large sums of gold dragons from his two younger brothers for his own enjoyment.
Vitt continued, "Furthermore, my family name is Baratheon. I can't guarantee that every descendant of House Baratheon with magical potential will become a powerful mage – that depends on talent and self-discipline. But I can guarantee that they will receive a better education than other mages, and that this system will be controlled by House Baratheon until my death, just like the Targaryens and their dragons."
In truth, Vitt didn't mention that currently, only he and Renly possessed all-elemental attributes. After years of research, he found that people with magical abilities in this world generally only had one attribute. Very few with exceptional talent had two. Renly was an exception because of his identical twin status and Vitt's own arrival in this world.
Robert slammed his fist on the table.
"That settles it. After the tournament, I'll return to King's Landing and convene the Small Council. Vitt and Renly will both attend. Vitt will be the Chief Archmage, with Renly as his deputy. You two are always running around; someone needs to be present in King's Landing for the meetings."
Stannis didn't say much. The Small Council would undoubtedly vote in favor. He didn't have much to think about, but he couldn't stand the way Cersei kept interfering in the affairs of the realm. Now, all four Baratheon brothers would be on the Small Council, and they could soon push Cersei out of the power structure.
"Let's get the Chief Archmage appointed first. I still need a year to prepare for the School for Mages. Magical research and study are very dangerous. The school will be built on the ruins of the Dragonpit in King's Landing. It doesn't need to be very large; the area around the Dragonpit is deserted, which is perfect."
"Fine, but the money to build the school?" Robert sounded a bit down. He knew the advantages of being away from the city center of King's Landing. One was to avoid the dangers of magic, and the other was to stay away from those noblemen who formed cliques, but it would cost money.
"Renly and I will pay for it. We'll build it slowly. It doesn't need to be a big building, and it's not a fortress. It won't cost much each year."
"Also, I want to say, I don't like power. The scheming is exhausting. I prefer to cast a spell and solve the problem by wiping out all the enemies. After the School for Mages gets on track, Renly will take over, and I'll go to the Eastern Continent, to the ruins of Valyria, or even further, to search for traces of ancient magic."
"You're never coming back?" Robert had long realized that his brother's ambitions lay elsewhere. Hearing him mention going further away, he assumed Vitt wasn't planning to return.
"How could that be? I'll only be gone for a few years. Magic can't be developed in isolation; I need to broaden my horizons. Besides, so much Valyrian Steel and magical trinkets originate from the Eastern Continent, I have to go."
"When do you think you'll leave?" Stannis asked.
Vitt thought for a moment. "I'm only twelve now. I'll go after my sixteenth birthday."
"Then why are you even talking about it now!" Robert slapped Vitt on the head.
....
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