Chapter 60: What Good is a Fool? (3)
The mages clicked their tongues inwardly.
‘Ugh, crazy guy.’
‘Tsk tsk, he was definitely off his rocker.’
The three people accompanying Ghislaine were secretly surprised as well.
Ghislaine was mischievous and playful, but he wasn’t the type to threaten the weak without reason.
‘Wasn’t he just trying to comfort him?’
‘What are you going to do by threatening someone who’s already scared, Young Master!’
But regardless of the people’s surprise, Ghislaine continued coldly.
“First of all, the Mage Tower has already handed you over to me. Even if you don’t follow me, it won’t be easy to stay here. Even if you say you can stay… well.”
Ghislaine shrugged his shoulders.
“If someone wants to die, I can’t really stop them.”
Vanessa trembled in fear.
There was no emotion in Ghislaine’s words. Unless he was radiating some murderous intent about killing her if she didn’t follow him.
His tone was so detached and matter-of-fact, as if he were reciting the truths of the world, that it only heightened her fear.
In the end, Vanessa trembled her lips and spoke in a voice mixed with tears.
“A-Alright. I will serve you sincerely, My Lord.”
At that, Ghislaine smiled again, seeming relieved, and spoke gently.
“Good, I’ll be counting on you. You won’t be disappointed.”
The mages and Ghislaine’s group were momentarily at a loss for words in disbelief. His sudden switch in attitude, as if he had never threatened her, was infuriating.
Hubert was the first to regain his composure and approached Vanessa discreetly.
“Good, good. Smart decision. Your mentor, Ronato, will be pleased from the heavens.”
Sporting a satisfied smile, Vanessa simply lowered her head in silence.
To these people, her opinion was worth no more than a dog barking.
Her only hope was to find an opportunity to ask Ghislaine to let her continue her studies.
‘Hmm, I was so naive back then.’
Ghislaine thought for a moment as he looked at Vanessa.
‘Calling her a moron, what a lack of vision. Here stands the greatest genius of the Tower of the Bloody Flame. A failed genius, sure, but still…’
Vanessa was, after all, the biggest reason why Ghislaine had come to the Tower of the Bloody Flame.
Of course, part of that was the fact that it was a situation where it was easy to take advantage of her, but without her, he wouldn’t have bothered to make such a long journey and invest his time and effort.
Ghislaine, who was lacking in every respect, felt he needed a powerful “ace in the hole.”
He was certain that Vanessa would fulfill that role perfectly. Even if she refused, he was planning to drag her along by force.
“Staying here will only lead to a miserable result.”
Ghislaine wasn’t lying. It wasn’t a threat either. He was merely stating the facts.
If Vanessa continued to remain in the Mage Tower, not only would she be in danger, but many others would be at risk as well.
If left alone like this, she would become an unimaginable murderer.
*
Ghislaine first learned about her during a time filled with chaos in the world.
A follower, who was overly interested in rumors and information, blabbered about news regarding the “Crimson Nightmare.”
“Crimson Nightmare?”
“She’s a crazy woman from the Ruthania Kingdom. Apparently, her skills are quite formidable? They say she’s a 7th Circle mage.”
“Ruthania Kingdom, huh…”
The fact that she was from the Ruthania Kingdom, his homeland, stirred some nostalgia.
“Isn’t the title totally cool? ‘Crimson Nightmare’ sounds amazing.”
Seeing him show interest, the follower got even more excited.
“What was her name again… oh, it’s Vanessa. They say she turned the whole northern Ruthania into a sea of flames. A mage who learned the Mana Circulation Method, or something like that?”
“A mage who learned the Mana Circulation Method?”
A mage who mastered the Mana Circulation Method? Ghislaine, who had experienced all sorts of bizarre things while working as a mercenary, had never heard such a tale before.
“Yeah. That’s probably why she’s gone insane. She burns things here and there and kills everyone, causing lords a real headache. They say she doesn’t even have a purpose; she’s just a woman crazy about playing with fire.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. To reach that level using the Mana Circulation Method.”
“Was that what you were admiring?!”
Both the mage’s circle and the Mana Circulation Method fundamentally involve storing mana in the body.
So theoretically, it is possible to cast spells using the Mana Circulation Method, but no one does it. It’s because the efficiency of magic decreases.
However, to produce firepower stronger than your average mage using the Mana Circulation Method? Isn’t that truly remarkable?
Ghislaine clicked his tongue in regret.
“What a waste. If she weren’t insane, she would have been a huge help to the world. I wish she would have been under my wing instead.”
With that level of skill, she could have been an asset to fight against the countless disasters ravaging the continent.
“No, wait. Is it possible even now? I have plenty of crazies under me, but they all straightened out after a few beatings.”
Hearing Ghislaine’s muttering, the follower turned pale with fear.
“What are you planning to do to her?”
“We need to bring that ‘Bar-something’ girl here.”
“No way, how do you plan to use a crazy arsonist?!”
“That’s something you’ll have to figure out.”
“…I beg your pardon?”
Without answering, Ghislaine grinned. He meant for them to find out immediately.
The follower’s face turned a ghostly color as he bolted out.
*
The story about Vanessa that the follower dug up was a common one.
An orphan who barely survived without parents during childhood and was taken in by a mage.
However, Vanessa couldn’t feel mana, so she couldn’t become a mage.
Even though she didn’t give up and continued to work hard, no one believed or recognized her. Then, by chance, it seemed she managed to acquire and learn the Mana Circulation Method.
Though she had failed repeatedly while trying to learn it at the Mage Tower, for some reason, it seemed she could master that alone.
As someone who had repaired their family’s circulation method, Ghislaine could easily guess why Vanessa had gone insane.
“Without a teacher and with a Mana Circulation Method of unknown origin, there’s no way she could truly master it. But if she were properly guided, who knows what might happen?”
The more talents available to counter disasters, the better.
Ghislaine glanced back at the follower, who was loitering beside him.
I turned to the sluggish Follower.
“Where is he now?”
“Well, the last report said… somewhere near a mountain. Come to think of it, there’s been no news lately. I wonder where he’s hiding.”
Ghislaine furrowed his brow.
“Release the kids and track him down. As fast as you can.”
As he stood up, the Follower asked, surprised, “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to look myself.”
“Why the sudden change? You usually don’t even bother taking requests for locations.”
The news that the usually sedentary lord was taking action shocked the Follower, but Ghislaine paid no mind and headed outside.
I had a bad feeling about this.
*
Before long, Ghislaine found Vanessa hiding in the mountains.
“Found you. You were hiding well, huh?”
“AAHHHH!”
As soon as she was spotted, Vanessa screamed and unleashed magic haphazardly.
Though reduced to a beast-like instinct, she immediately realized her opponent was a dangerous predator.
BOOM!
A massive Magic Circle appeared around the floating Vanessa.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Fire pillars erupted and giant fireballs rained down.
But Ghislaine nonchalantly deflected and avoided them, getting closer and closer. He wasn’t the type to be taken down by such aimless, thoughtless attacks.
“AHHHHH!”
As she continued to miss her attacks, perhaps frustrated, Vanessa began pouring all her strength into the fight.
Dozens of Magic Circles started appearing around her.
“Wow, you’re even doing multi-casting? And this many at that?”
Ghislaine was astonished.
Multi-casting is a skill that requires pure talent, regardless of how much mana you have stacked up.
Even if someone is a high-circle mage, they cannot perform multi-casting without the innate senses.
“I really envy that.”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Fireballs crashed into the spot where Ghislaine had been standing.
As he always had, he easily dodged, but flames soared as thick smoke engulfed the area completely.
Ghislaine clicked his tongue and released his mana. The swirling mana blew out the flames around him.
“Calm down!”
Extending his arm toward Vanessa, he clenched his fist tightly. In that moment, her body jolted and froze.
As he retracted his arm, she was pulled helplessly toward him.
“AHHHHH!”
“Stay still.”
Ghislaine grabbed Vanessa’s neck with one hand and forcibly infused mana into her body. Mana spread through her entire body via her blood vessels.
But after examining Vanessa’s condition, Ghislaine frowned without realizing it.
‘This is…’
Her core was already shattered. Thanks to reaching the 7th Circle, she was merely hanging on.
Given that she had been hiding in the mountains, she likely hadn’t been in good shape for a while. Exhausted beasts instinctively look for safe places.
And in the brief moment she attacked Ghislaine, her condition had further deteriorated.
“Tsk, what a pity. It’s already over.”
If I had come just a bit sooner, I could have picked up a useful subordinate.
Since she was going to die anyway, with a mind to send her off comfortably, Ghislaine tightened his grip.
In that moment, he locked eyes with Vanessa, who had raised her head.
Thanks to the mana Ghislaine poured into her, it seemed she had regained her senses; her eyes reflected relief and regret instead of madness.
Thanks to something, whether she regained her senses or not, her eyes reflected relief and regret instead of madness.
“…You’re back to your senses, huh?”
Ghislaine set Vanessa down on the ground. She wobbled, struggling to maintain her balance before finally standing upright.
“…Who are you?”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“The strongest and most famous mercenary in the world.”
After a moment of contemplation, Vanessa nodded.
“So, you’re the legendary Mercenary King I’ve only heard rumors about.”
As she said this, she intermittently swallowed hard.
“Did you come to capture me by any chance?”
“No, I came to recruit you.”
“It’s such an honor for someone like you to come and find me…”
Vanessa, who had been wearing a faint smile, painfully hunched forward. A pool of blood spilled onto the ground. Ghislaine clicked his tongue.
“I was hoping to recruit you, but looking at this, it seems you can’t join our mercenary group after all.”
“…Is that something to say in front of someone who’s coughing up blood?”
Vanessa replied with annoyance, but Ghislaine scoffed.
“Why should I worry about someone I can’t even recruit? It’s not like it’s profitable.”
As he spoke, he seemed to realize something and exclaimed.
“Wait, if I take you in, I could collect a bounty!”
“Get lost, you bastard…”
Vanessa fired a fireball at Ghislaine. However, the magic extinguished in midair before it could reach him.
“I’m cutting your life short. You ended up like this because you’re so clueless.”
She couldn’t respond, too busy coughing up blood. Instead, she shot him an annoyed glare.
Ghislaine grinned.
“Well, if you have any last words, go ahead. I can at least hear your will.”
“A will… for someone who won’t be left behind…”
“Then maybe whine about your life or something.”
She let out a hollow laugh and sank to the ground. It seemed she had lost the strength to stand.
“I just liked magic… and wanted to become a mage… that’s all…”
Vanessa curled up, hugging her knees.
“It wasn’t supposed to be about mastering some mana circulation method I don’t even understand… Because of me… so many people died…”
“Your regrets shouldn’t be about that.”
Ghislaine clicked his tongue in reproach.
“Why didn’t you come find me sooner? I’m known for fixing crazy people. You’re back to your senses, aren’t you?”
“Do you… often hear that you have a bad temper?”
“What kind of harsh words are those? Where else would you find someone as kind as me?”
Vanessa looked at him as if she found it ridiculous and shook her head.
“You really are living easy…”
“Well, I’m a mercenary.”
Ghislaine added with a sly grin.
“Next time, don’t hesitate and come straight to me. Talents are always welcome.”
Vanessa blinked silently. The speed of her eyelids gradually slowed.
In a faint voice, like a flickering candle, she whispered her last words.
“Yeah, mercenaries… seem interesting…”
With those words, her breath finally ceased.
A single tear fell, drawing a clean line across her dirty face.
Ghislaine briefly gazed down at Vanessa’s corpse.
Under normal circumstances, he would have taken the body to collect the bounty…
He clicked his tongue quietly and set the corpse ablaze.
It might have been the first and last act of kindness he showed to someone who could have been his subordinate.
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