Chapter 201: Three Times the Current Price (2)

Hubert and the elders had a particular memory associated with the number three. A memory that instinctively made them curse.

'Damn it, this bastard is at it again.'

'Three times the current price? How much does that even come to?'

'Why is it always three times? Does he have some kind of obsession with the number three?'

The group chose to keep quiet for now. After all, protesting could lead to the price going even higher, as they had learned from experience.

It was a wise decision based on their prior dealings, but paying three times the current price would cause a massive financial loss.

'Ugh, what should we do? We're about to blow through years of savings.'

Even if they pooled all the Magic Tower's income, they weren't sure it would be enough to buy two years' worth of food.

As they stood paralyzed, unsure of what to do, Ghislain leaned forward and spoke in a suggestive tone.

"Alternatively, there's another arrangement we could discuss. Care to hear it?"

"What is it?"

"Send twenty 3rd-circle mages as reinforcements, and I'll halve the amount of runestones you owe me. In exchange, I'll provide food equivalent to that reduced quantity."

"Deal!"

Hubert slammed the table and jumped to his feet.

At the moment, the entire kingdom's resources were being funneled toward food. Even international trade was focused on importing food from less-affected kingdoms.

Naturally, food prices had skyrocketed, while other materials like runestones had become much easier to obtain.

Runestones, while still rare, were more accessible now than before.

Given these circumstances, trading runestones for food was an obvious choice. Only a fool would object.

The elders nodded in agreement with Hubert's swift decision.

'Taking food instead is a win. An absolute win.'

'Even if we resell the food, it'll bring in more profit than selling magical tools.'

'Training can wait for now. It's something we can catch up on later. Besides, this will help cut down on mouths to feed. Let's send the least talented ones.'

Hubert and the elders had never been fond of rigorous training. The reduction in runestones didn't bother them at all, as it would only give them an excuse to slack off further.

Ghislain, watching their enthusiastic reactions, smiled broadly.

'Perfect. I was short on labor for construction anyway. An additional twenty mages will be a big help. And now I can conserve more runestones.'

Most mages in the Magic Tower were at the 3rd-circle level, as it represented a middle-ground stage of ability.

Technically, the spells needed for construction could be handled by 2nd-circle mages. However, Ghislain didn't want to take valuable training time away from those still advancing.

At the 3rd-circle stage, those without significant talent often found themselves stuck. Hubert was unlikely to send any promising individuals, meaning most of the recruits would be stagnating in their growth.

'And if they push themselves here, maybe they'll break through their limits.'

Lack of talent could be overcome through relentless effort.

The arrangement would benefit both sides: the mages could grow stronger, and the territory would progress.

Of course, the mages themselves wouldn't see it that way.

"Shall we draft the new contract now?"

"Excellent! Let's do it immediately!"

Hubert eagerly pulled out his pen, a ridiculously ornate tool encrusted with so many jewels it looked almost grotesque.

Seeing it, Ghislain smirked.

'Some things never change.'

Hubert had apparently spent his newfound wealth on the gaudiest pen imaginable. His excessive indulgence had once brought the Magic Tower to financial ruin, and it seemed he hadn't learned his lesson.

Though Hubert was respected for developing the Magic Tower and earning the admiration of his peers, his eccentricities never failed to baffle Ghislain.

After signing the contract, Hubert extended his hand to Ghislain with a grin.

"I'll send the mages as soon as possible. But, uh… could I take a little food with me now? Just a bit to bring back right away?"

"Of course. Will you be leaving immediately? Not even saying hello to Alpoi?"

"Oh, no need. As long as he's doing well, that's what matters. He's the branch leader now, after all. It'd be awkward for me to drop in unannounced. Young people should manage themselves."

Hubert smiled warmly, but his thoughts were entirely different.

'Are you crazy? I need to leave before he changes his mind. What's left to see here?'

Hubert was terrified that Ghislain might reconsider the deal. When negotiating with him, the safest approach was to finish quickly and flee.

Just as Hubert was about to leave, Ghislain stopped him with a question, as if he'd just remembered something.

"By the way, you've heard about the Crimson Magic Tower's attempt to secure food from me, right?"

"Of course! I heard all about it! That arrogant bastard Glenn got completely humiliated by you, didn't he? Haha! When I heard that, I felt so refreshed. Well done! Really, well done!"

Hubert and the elders laughed heartily, their faces radiating schadenfreude.

Smiling at their reaction, Ghislain continued.

"He did say he wouldn't let it slide. If the Crimson Magic Tower decides to join the war against us—ignoring laws and customs—what would you do?"

At this, Hubert and the elders' expressions turned icy. The idea of the Crimson Magic Tower participating in a war was intolerable.

After twitching his lips for a moment, Hubert narrowed his eyes and spoke with a sharp tone.

"Then call me immediately. I'll burn their heads to ashes myself."

Ghislain nodded in satisfaction, a faint smile playing on his lips. After all, the enemy of his enemy was his friend.

For some reason, Hubert's shiny bald head seemed especially majestic today.

***

Not long after, twenty mages arrived at the territory.

They immediately began protesting their assignment to the construction projects.

"What is this nonsense?! Making mages do such menial work? Have you all lost your minds?"

"I refuse to do this! It's beneath my dignity!"

"You're not mages anymore! Look at this demeaning work you're doing!"

The existing mages were far from amused by the newcomers' tantrums.

Since they finally had more hands to share the workload, they moved quickly to establish order.

"I'm the branch leader, so if I say jump, you jump! You bastards! This is the real Magic Tower now!"

Having endured every hardship imaginable, Alpoi had transformed into a fierce taskmaster.

With allies now at his side, he felt unstoppable.

Gathering mana in his hands, Alpoi shouted,

"If you don't obey, I'll beat you to a pulp!"

"Go ahead and try!"

The new mages fought back but were quickly and utterly defeated.

While Alpoi and the existing mages had slightly better skills, the gap shouldn't have been this significant.

The defeated newcomers, stunned, asked,

"How… How did you all get so strong all of a sudden?"

"Good question. I feel stronger too."

Even Alpoi was puzzled. His mana control felt smoother, and his casting speed was noticeably faster.

Having no concrete explanation, Alpoi declared,

"Construction makes you stronger! Just work hard, and you'll see for yourselves!"

It was a thoughtless remark, meant to shut them up and get them working. But it was the truth.

Reluctantly, the new mages nodded. Alpoi, hardened by his experiences, wasn't about to let them slack off.

"Just telling them to work isn't enough! A contract ensures real effort!"

Dragging the new arrivals along, he forced them into slave contracts. His penchant for making everyone suffer equally had turned into a personal mission.

The newly enslaved mages, seething with resentment, sought an outlet for their anger. They targeted Vanessa, who was diligently working nearby.

"Hey, Vanessa! Take care of this for me!"

"Have my laundry done by tonight!"

"You're still so slow! Get moving! Want me to remind you how we used to handle this?"

This behavior came naturally to them. After all, Vanessa had been the Magic Tower's errand girl.

The sudden scolding left Vanessa, who had been peacefully living her life, utterly flustered.

"Huh? What? What's happening?"

Despite reaching the 6th circle, her mana reserves were still insufficient. Moreover, the years of abuse had left an ingrained fear.

As Vanessa stood frozen, one of the mages shouted louder.

"What are you doing? Get started already! Do I need to spell it out for you?"

Suddenly, Alpoi came sprinting over, leaping into the air to deliver a flying kick.

"You lunatics!"

Thud!

"Argh!"

As the mage harassing Vanessa hit the ground, the other mages pounced and began stomping on him.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Why?! What did I do?! Why are you hitting me?!"

The mage couldn't understand. These weren't mages; they were thugs in robes.

Even as he protested, the beatings didn't stop.

"Hey, who do you think you're ordering around? Don't you have hands? Do your own laundry, you bastard. Or better yet, just die. People like you should just drop dead."

"Can't you read the room? Are you that clueless? Are you trying to get all of us killed? Are you an assassin? Who sent you?"

"If you make her angry, everyone here is dead. Want to be blown to bits by a pillar of fire? You're the one who needs to get it together."

The newly arrived mages had no idea what was going on.

Back in the Magic Tower, Vanessa had been little more than a servant. They assumed she was still just assisting with odd jobs here.

Back then, they had even joined in on bullying her. Why was the situation suddenly reversed?

It was then that Alpoi's authoritative voice rang out.

"Stop."

The beating ceased, and Alpoi pointed to Vanessa as he spoke.

"Vanessa is the deputy branch leader here. From now on, treat her with the same respect you show me."

"D-deputy branch leader?"

The new mages had never heard anything like this before. Even Vanessa looked baffled as she turned to Alpoi.

But Alpoi ignored her confusion and bellowed at the hesitant mages.

"Didn't you hear me? Shout it out loud: 'Deputy Branch Leader, I'm sorry!' Now!"

There's no arguing with fists. Forced into submission, the mages had no choice but to set aside their pride.

"D-Deputy Branch Leader… I'm s-sorry…"

"Louder!"

"Deputy Branch Leader, I'm sorry!"

Satisfied, Alpoi gave a nod and then turned to Vanessa, his tone softening.

"Let me know if they bother you again. Got it? You're the second-best mage here after me. If there's anything you don't understand while studying, just ask me anytime."

"Y-yes…"

"Oh, by the way, the magic circle I was working on… I think there's a problem with it. I could fix it myself, of course, but I'm a bit busy right now…"

"Oh, I'll take another look at it."

"Great, thanks. See, she's been studying a lot. She can even pick up where I left off."

Alpoi and the other senior mages looked at Vanessa with pride.

It was no wonder they were so protective of her. Over time, they had come to a realization:

Nothing worked without Vanessa.

Whenever a magic-related problem arose, everyone turned to her for guidance.

'When it comes to knowledge, none of us can even come close to Vanessa. The difference is immeasurable.'

'She's an insane study machine. Compared to her, we're just regular bugs crawling around.'

'Without her vast knowledge, we'd all be dead by now.'

If she weren't around, their work would be twice as hard—no, several times harder. In fact, many tasks would come to a standstill entirely.

When Vanessa was occupied with other matters, progress slowed dramatically, leaving everyone feeling drained and frustrated.

The mages had grown so dependent on her that they practically clung to her for support. Looking back, they regretted how they had treated her at the Magic Tower.

Now, they all felt the same way:

'We can't survive without Vanessa! We need to treat her as well as possible! We can't afford to upset her!'

With that mindset, they pampered and protected her as if their lives depended on it. The idea of assigning her menial tasks or bullying her was unthinkable.

Anyone foolish enough to try deserved to die. If not, their actions might doom everyone else.

The mages' fervent defense of Vanessa was a desperate act of self-preservation.

And Ghislain, who happened to witness this scene by chance, let out a dry chuckle.

"Did he always have a knack for this? He's supposed to be the Magic Tower's heir, after all. This could get interesting in the future. Or maybe he's just got a nasty temper?"

If Alpoi had overheard, he would've been livid at the sheer irony of that statement.

Regardless, Alpoi continued to solidify discipline among the mages, contributing significantly to the rapid development of the Fenris territory.

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