Chapter 201: Three Times the Current Market Price. (2)
Hubert and the Elders had a special memory tied to three fingers. A memory that made them want to swear.
“Damn it, here we go again.”
“If it’s three times the current price, how much are we talking about?”
“Is this guy obsessed with the number three or something?”
Hubert and the Elders chose to stay silent for now. After all, speaking up too much might just drive the price even higher, like last time.
It was a wise choice based on experience, but paying three times the market price would mean a serious loss.
“Ugh, what do we do? It feels like I’m about to lose all the money I’ve saved over the past few years.”
Even if they brought all the profits from the Mage Tower, it was questionable whether they could buy two years’ worth of food.
While they were caught in indecisiveness, Ghislaine whispered in a subtle tone.
“Well, there are other conditions we could talk about… would you like to hear them?”
“What is it?”
“If you send twenty more 3rd Circle Mages and reduce the Runestone trading volume by half, I’ll fill that half with food.”
“Call!”
Hubert slammed the table and jumped up.
Right now, all the kingdom’s funds were pouring into food. Even trade with other countries was focusing on bringing in food from those with less damage.
Naturally, food prices were skyrocketing, but on the other hand, materials like Runestones were becoming much easier to obtain.
Runestones were originally rare minerals, so they couldn’t be acquired in huge quantities, but it was still an improvement compared to before.
In a situation where they were offering food instead of Runestones, it would be foolish to oppose.
The Elders also agreed with Hubert’s swift resolution.
“Right now, receiving food is definitely more beneficial. A great deal, indeed.”
“Even if we resell it, we’ll make much more than selling magical tools.”
“Training can be pushed back a little. We can do it later. It’s also a good chance to cut down on the mouths to feed; let’s send those who are slacking.”
Hubert and the Elders had never been keen on training. The fact that they wouldn’t be able to train if the Runestones decreased was not a hindrance for them.
Seeing their proactive stance, Ghislaine smiled brightly.
“Oh, we were short on construction personnel, so this worked out perfectly. Adding about twenty will be a big help. We’ll save a lot on Runestones now.”
Typically, the Mage Tower had the most 3rd Circle Mages. That level was the most average.
In fact, 2nd Circle Mages could cast magic for construction just fine. However, they didn’t want to take away from the time that those who were currently learning and improving their skills could use.
Once you hit the 3rd Circle, if you lack talent, it becomes tough to level up. There were likely many stuck in the Mage Tower, unable to move forward.
If there’s nothing more to gain, it’s tough to climb any higher. There are probably many people stuck in the Mage Tower, unable to advance or retreat.
Hubert won’t send over any talented individuals, so only those lacking talent will likely gather here.
‘And if I work hard here, I might be able to break through my limits.’
Stuck due to lack of talent? Then just grind like hell.
It helps their growth and benefits the territory, a win-win situation.
Of course, the other party will never think that way.
“Shall we draft a new contract now?”
“Sounds good! Get on with it!”
Hubert immediately pulled out his dedicated pen from his pocket.
It was a pen with a golden nib embedded with countless small gems.
There were so many gems that it looked grotesque, like a barnacle.
Ghislaine chuckled at the sight.
‘Still the same, I see.’
He received Runestones and earned back his money, only to create the most vulgar pen in the world.
Seems he forgot that his extravagance brought trouble to the Mage Tower.
Considering he was the one who developed the Mage Tower city and seemed well-respected, he wasn’t without skill, but he was an intriguing person.
After finishing the contract, Hubert asked Ghislaine for a handshake and said,
“I’ll send the mages over as soon as possible. But… can I take a little food with me now?”
“Of course. But are you leaving right away? Aren’t you going to see Alfoy?”
“Ah, it’s fine. As long as he’s doing well. He’s the Branch Leader now, and it might be awkward for me, his master, to just drop by unannounced. Young people should get along well.”
Though he smiled kindly on the surface, Hubert’s true feelings were entirely different.
‘Are you crazy? I need to leave before I change my mind. What else is there to see here?’
He was afraid Ghislaine might change the topic if he hesitated. When dealing with this guy, the best plan is to finish quickly and run.
As Hubert was about to leave, Ghislaine, as if remembering something, asked,
“Oh, I heard that the Tower of the Bloody Flame came looking for supplies before; did you catch wind of that?”
“Of course! I heard! That punk Glen strutted around and got humiliated by you, right? Hahaha! I was so pleased to hear that! Well done. Really well done!”
Hubert and the elders laughed heartily, their expressions genuinely delighted.
Watching those mages, Ghislaine continued,
“I heard they won’t let it go… if the Tower of the Bloody Flame joins the war and fights against us, what will you do? Ignoring laws and customs and all.”
At that, Hubert and the elders’ expressions turned cold. The Tower of the Bloody Flame joining the war? That was absolutely unacceptable.
Hubert twitched his lips a few times before speaking with a sharp glare.
“Then just call us right away. I’ll burn those bastards’ heads off.”
Ghislaine nodded with a smile mixed with satisfaction. After all, the enemy’s enemy is my friend.
Today, Hubert’s smooth head seemed to shine with an especially striking brilliance.
*
Before long, twenty mages arrived in the territory.
As soon as they arrived, the mages were thrown into construction and protested fiercely.
“What is this! To make a mage do this nonsense! Has everyone lost their minds?”
“I can’t do this! It’s beneath my dignity!”
“You’re not mages anymore! Doing such trivial tasks!”
“How could this happen!”
Of course, the existing mages weren’t just going to sit back and watch such a scene unfold.
With more people to order around, it was time to establish some discipline quickly.
“As your Branch Leader, if I say jump, you jump! This place is officially a Mage Tower from now on!”
Alfoy, who had suffered through a lot, began to go wild like never before.
With several allies around, he felt invincible. Nothing to fear.
Alfoy gathered magic power in his hands and shouted.
“If you don’t listen, I’ll take you down!”
“Go ahead, give it a shot!”
The newly arrived mages jumped in eagerly, but they were all smashed to pieces in an instant.
While Alfoy and the existing mages were indeed slightly stronger than them, the gap wasn’t this drastic.
The newcomers gaped in shock and asked, “What is this?! Why suddenly so strong?”
“Right? It’s like you all got stronger!”
Even Alfoy was perplexed. His magical prowess was now more natural and incredibly faster than before.
He had never fought anyone and had lived long enough to take it for granted.
After a moment of thought, Alfoy declared, “Working hard makes you stronger! So, you all better put in some effort!”
It was a phrase thrown out without knowing the reason behind it, but it turned out to be the truth.
The new mages nodded helplessly. Of course, being a man who had gone through everything in this place, Alfoy was thorough.
“Just saying it isn’t enough to make you work hard! We need contracts to really get you motivated!”
He immediately took the newly arrived mages and forced them into slave contracts. His nasty spirit couldn’t stand things being too easy.
Suddenly turned into slaves overnight, the mages couldn’t contain their anger.
Looking for someone to vent their frustrations on, they turned their rage-filled arrows towards Vanessa, who was diligently working.
“Hey! Vanessa! Do this for me!”
“Finish my laundry by tonight!”
“Still slow around here? You not moving fast enough? Want a good beating for a change?”
To them, it was a perfectly natural thing to do. After all, Vanessa was just a maid in the Mage Tower.
Startled by the sudden threats, Vanessa, who had been living peacefully, gasped.
“W-What? Me?”
No matter how high she had risen to the 6th Circle, her magic was still significantly lacking. Plus, the fears she had faced since childhood wouldn’t just disappear.
As Vanessa stood there, perplexed, one mage shouted loudly.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and do mine first! Are you out of your mind?”
Seeing this, Alfoy suddenly rushed over, leaped high, and kicked!
“Are these fools insane?!”
Boom!
“Argh!”
As the mage harassing Vanessa fell over, the existing mages also rushed in and stomped on him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Ah! Why are you doing this?! Why are you hitting me?!”
The mage couldn’t comprehend it. These were not noble mages but just plain thugs.
Even after hearing their protests, the existing mages didn’t stop stomping.
“Hey, who do you think you’re ordering around? Don’t you have hands? You do your own laundry, you jerk. Honestly, I wish you’d just drop dead.”
“Can’t you read the atmosphere? Got a problem with common sense? Are you an assassin? Who sent you?”
“If he gets mad, everyone here will be dead. Want to try being a human torch? You better come to your senses!”
The newcomers couldn’t make heads or tails of what was happening.
I couldn’t make sense of the situation at all.
When she was at the Mage Tower, Vanessa was basically just a maid. I thought she was just there to assist with tasks and do menial work once we got here.
Back when we were at the Mage Tower, we used to torment each other, so why the sudden change now!
Just then, Alfoy’s dignified voice echoed.
“Stop.”
As the beatings ceased, Alfoy pointed at Vanessa and continued.
“Vanessa is the Deputy Director here. From now on, treat her with the same respect you show me.”
“D…Deputy Director?”
The newly arrived mages had never heard of such a thing. Of course, Vanessa was hearing this for the first time too, looking at Alfoy with a bewildered expression.
Ignoring the mages who were hesitating, Alfoy shouted loudly.
“Did you hear that! Shout out ‘Sorry, Deputy Director!’ loudly!”
No mercy for the weak. With him hammering them down, they had no room to rebel.
They had to drop their pride for the time being.
“D…Deputy Director… Sorry…”
“Louder!”
“Deputy Director! Sorry!”
Alfoy nodded in satisfaction and then spoke gently to Vanessa.
“If they bother you, just let me know, alright? You’re the most talented mage after me. If you encounter anything you don’t understand while studying, feel free to ask anytime.”
“Yes, yes…”
“By the way, about that magic circle we were working on earlier… it seems like there are some problems, but I’m kind of busy right now…”
“Oh, I can take another look at it.”
“Uh, sure. Thanks. Oh, you’ve studied a lot. You can continue with what I was doing.”
Alfoy and the existing mages looked at Vanessa with warm smiles.
It was only natural they were acting sensitive. They had realized through their work that without Vanessa, things just wouldn’t run smoothly. If there were problems related to magic, they had to consult her.
‘In terms of knowledge, there’s no way we can catch up to Vanessa. It’s not even comparable.’
‘We’re just a bunch of crazy bookworms. We’re like real bugs that just eat and poop.’
‘Without that vast knowledge, we’d just drop dead while working.’
If she wasn’t around, the work would be at least twice as hard. No, it’s not just double; it would be completely stuck and halted for sure.
In fact, whenever she was busy with something else, the struggle to get help turned particularly draining.
The mages became obsessed with getting Vanessa’s assistance every time they worked. If they had known it would turn out this way, they would have regretted not treating her well back at the Mage Tower.
Everyone felt the same way.
‘We can’t live without Vanessa! We have to treat her well! We mustn’t upset her!’
While they cherished and adored her like royalty, did anyone dare to make her do menial tasks or torment her?
Those guys need to die. Otherwise, they would be the ones to perish.
The mages’ efforts to protect Vanessa were a desperate struggle for survival.
And Ghislaine, who happened to witness this scene, chuckled.
“Did you have that talent? They said you were the heir of the Mage Tower. Guess you’ll be something to watch later. Or are you just a bit of a temperamental brat?”
If Alfoy had heard this, he would have angrily asked who was saying what to whom.
In any case, Alfoy firmly established order among the mages, making a significant contribution to the development of the Penris Territory.
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