In mid-April, the beverage factory—backed by supernatural forces—began its trial operations. Theoretically, it was a subsidiary of Hercules, but since it operated across two countries with a less-than-friendly relationship, the Bayern branch opted for relative independence.
For instance, the new factory broke from the Holy Kingdom's tradition of naming things after mythological figures and was called "Fanta," which means "joy" in the common tongue. At Rorschach's insistence, the Fanta Beverage Factory also hired two former apprentices from the Tower of Secret Techniques who couldn't graduate, forming the initial core of its Research and Development Department.
If the Holy Kingdom and the Empire were to one day go to war, Fanta would have to produce its own syrup.
Rorschach's funds were now nearly depleted. The bulk of the cash he had acquired from Duke Melovinca by trading stocks had been invested into the construction of Fanta.
