NOVPUBAlfoy wasn't originally someone who was easily swayed by praise.
Back at the Mage Tower, he had been an arrogant and confident man.
With his background and talent, he believed he lacked nothing.
'Yes, I am Alfoy. The man who knows no defeat.'
However, after joining Ghislain, he had been through so much hardship that his self-esteem had taken quite a hit. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
These days, he often found himself wondering what he was living for, and sometimes, he felt melancholic for no apparent reason.
But now, after hearing such a shower of compliments after so long, it felt as if the confidence from his days at the Mage Tower was returning.
"Of course, I can do it! It’s just... I was feeling a bit tired, so I thought I'd tease the lord. It’s not really that difficult. If I couldn’t handle something like this, could I even call myself the successor of the Mage Tower?"
As Alfoy spoke arrogantly, the wizards nearby looked at him in astonishment.
They knew Alfoy well enough to recognize his flaws.
He was full of bravado and easily lost himself when praised by others.
Before the wizards could stop him, the flattery continued to pour in.
"As expected, truly the spirit of a successor of the Mage Tower. Not just anyone can display such dignity."
"This is why the Red Flame Mage Tower is hailed as the greatest in the North!"
"With someone like him as the successor, the future of the Mage Tower is indeed bright."
Even Ghislain joined in, raising a thumbs-up and playing along with the mood.
"You're really the best, Alfoy."
For Ghislain, giving someone such praise was a rare occurrence.
"Tch... wasn’t I always the best?"
Alfoy, now putting on a haughty expression, began to show off more.
Claude then pointed at Alfoy's hand, adding to the drama.
"Hey, bro! Do you even know what kind of hand that is, the one you use to cast your magic?"
"...My right hand?"
"No, you idiot! The magic that starts from your hand will create miracles for this territory! So, your hand is none other than the hand of miracles! It’s not about right or left, you fool!"
"Wow! The hand of miracles, Alfoy!"
People cut off Claude's words with cheers. Having already begun this emotional labor, it was better to see it through to the end.
Clap clap clap.
As the applause echoed, Alfoy's confidence soared.
Claude, watching him, whispered to Wendy with a sympathetic look.
"That guy needs to experience the harsh realities of society. Growing up pampered in the Mage Tower left him totally oblivious. How on earth did the Tower Master raise him?"
‘You’re the worst.’ Wendy thought but didn't say it out loud.
As the applause and cheers continued, Alfoy's pride grew even higher.
The wizards, worried, tried tugging at his sleeves, but it was no use.
When the mood was fully heated, Ghislain asked in a sly tone,
"So, can you handle it within the deadline? We need it done as soon as possible... Or is this too difficult even for the genius wizard, Alfoy?"
Everyone held their breath and turned to look at Alfoy.
Scanning the expectant faces, Alfoy slowly ran his hand through his hair, then raised one hand with a conceited and arrogant expression.
"Rest assured, I, Alfoy, will take care of everything!"
"Wow! Alfoy, you're amazing!"
A huge wave of cheers and applause followed, and Alfoy raised his chin high, while the other wizards, having lost their composure, hung their heads.
'Why did I say that, knowing full well it’s impossible?'
Alfoy sat in front of the runestone, filled with regret.
After being bombarded with so many compliments for the first time in ages, he just couldn’t bring himself to say no.
Because that would have wounded his pride.
But now that the task was in front of him, there was so much to do that he didn't even know where to start.
Even now, the mages from the construction sites were desperately looking for him, and the administration was pressuring him to quickly supply the runestones for the new fields.
Where had all the flattery gone? As soon as the work began, everyone became coldly demanding.
Especially Claude, who maliciously sent people to check the schedule every hour.
― Hey, miracle hand! Show us your miracle already! When will the work be finished, you idiot?!
‘That bastard! How dare he manipulate me with those sweet words? That bastard must be casting spells with his mouth.’
How could a genius wizard like himself fall for such tricks? It was as if that guy’s words were laced with some kind of enchantment.
If anyone had overheard his thoughts, they would have laughed out loud, but Alfoy was unaware.
He continued biting his nails nervously, muttering under his breath.
"No, this is impossible. How am I supposed to finish all this? If I’m to create the mana condensation array in a week, there’s no time for anything else. The schedule just doesn’t add up."
Even with all the mages working together, they couldn’t meet the deadline.
And saying he couldn’t do it wasn’t an option either. His pride wouldn’t allow it.
As the successor of the Mage Tower, Alfoy had to be dignified and flawless at all times.
While he sat there, lamenting, Vanessa cautiously approached and spoke.
"Um... I might have a solution."
"What is it?"
"I can inscribe the magic circle... but the problem is the lack of mana."
In fact, Vanessa had been the one leading the work on the magic circle.
But due to the severe lack of mana, the others could only follow her instructions, which slowed down the progress.
Alfoy responded curtly.
"So? Are you bragging about leading the magic circle work? Wow, look at you showing off. Hey, I’m the successor of the Mage Tower, okay? I’m better at everything else, except for magic circles. That’s just a minor field I didn’t study much."
"No, no, that’s not what I meant. If you transfer mana to me... I can try to finish it as quickly as possible."
"What?! No way! You want me to do that again? Are you insane? What if I die!"
Alfoy and the other wizards recoiled in horror.
During the war, they had no choice but to endure such things, unsure of what would happen to them. But in a peaceful state of mind, they had no intention of repeating that dangerous process.
However, unlike her usual self, Vanessa was determined.
"If we don’t do it, we won’t meet the deadline! And if we fail, it will affect the entire development of the territory! You said yourself that you could do it. If you fail, it’ll be a disgrace!"
"A disgrace? That’s out of the question... How about replenishing the mana with runestones? There are plenty of those."
Vanessa quickly responded, her speech accelerating.
"You can’t just waste those expensive runestones! Even if we use them, they don’t have as much mana as the wizards. To match the mana of a transfer, you’d need an enormous amount. Plus, the lord won’t allow it because we’ll need those runestones for future tasks."
"Wow, you suddenly... got very eloquent."
Alfoy couldn’t refute the practical reality of her argument and just scratched his head in frustration.
Vanessa, sensing his hesitation, softened her tone.
"I won’t drain all your mana like during the war. It won’t be as dangerous, and we can finish the work quickly. Plus, you’ll receive even more praise."
"...”
"If we finish early, you’ll even get to rest a little. Isn’t it better than being disgraced?"
Vanessa’s persuasive argument lured Alfoy and the other wizards into considering it.
"If we transfer mana, how fast can you finish?"
"Two days! I can finish in two days. Then, at least, we’ll have two more days to rest. And if we all work together during the remaining time, we can complete the runestone work for the fields."
"Are you sure... you can finish in two days?"
"Yes!"
After pondering for a long while, Alfoy, driven by both his pride and the need for rest, decided to take the risk.
"Fine... just be gentle with it, okay?"
"Absolutely!"
Once Vanessa received the mana transfer, she displayed remarkable concentration.
Her determination to help the territory created a small miracle.
In just two days, she managed to complete a hundred mana condensation arrays.
If anyone deserved the title ‘hand of miracles,’ it was Vanessa, not Alfoy. The only person unaware of this was Alfoy himself.
However, everyone paid a price for this rushed schedule.
After finishing the last stage of the process, Vanessa was barely standing, and twenty-six wizards had already collapsed around her.
"Ugh... It’s actually possible..."
"Damn... I think I’m going to die. You said you’d be gentle..."
"She’s completely crazy..."
Their bodies were emaciated to the point of looking skeletal.
Vanessa, who had promised to go easy on them, had instead drained their mana like a madwoman the moment the transfer began.
There was definitely a hint of personal grudge involved.
Alfoy, now almost a walking skeleton, trembled as he spoke.
"We... we’ve done everything, right? We can really rest for two days now, right? Make sure everyone knows I led this project successfully. I don’t want to be humiliated..."
"Y-yes..."
Vanessa nodded with a pale face.
Hearing the response he wanted,Alfoy and the other wizards collapsed.
Though they all looked exhausted, faint smiles appeared on their faces.
‘The lord can’t expect us to work if we’re too drained to move, right?’
In the end, the wizards' plan succeeded.
They had completed a task that should have taken over a week in just two days, so now they could lie down and rest for at least two days to recover.
Even Ghislain was shocked when he heard the news of the completed magic circle and rushed over.
"What? You actually finished all this in two days? But... is everyone okay? They’re not dead, are they?"
Looking around at the collapsed wizards, Ghislain gulped.
While it was good that the task was done quickly, everyone’s condition looked terrible.
Seeing his concern, Vanessa smiled reassuringly.
"If we rest for about two days... we’ll be able to work again. The next task is just simple runestone work for the fields."
"Well, you should rest for now. You look like you need it."
"No, no. Alfoy did everything, so I’m fine. I just need to double-check a few things..."
Drip.
Vanessa paused mid-sentence and wiped her nose.
When she looked at her fingers and saw the bright red liquid, she quickly added,
"A-also, this magic circle will last much longer than the previous ones... It should hold for at least two weeks..."
This was incredible news. A longer duration meant fewer runestones would be needed.
Truly a display of genius magic skill.
Ghislain didn't believe for a second that Alfoy had done all the work. He knew well that Alfoy and the other wizards had always been lax in their study of magic circles.
But this wasn’t the time to get caught up in those details.
The blood dripping from Vanessa’s nose began to flow faster. Ghislain, alarmed, quickly spoke.
"I’ll handle the checks. You need to rest. You’re bleeding from your nose, for crying out loud!"
"It’s fine. This is just from being exposed to a large amount of mana suddenly and using too much mental energy. The way to resolve it..."
In the middle of her lengthy explanation, Vanessa suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed forward.
"Vanessa!"
Ghislain caught her by the shoulders before she hit the ground.
Even though she had reached the sixth circle, it hadn’t been an easy feat.
With her lack of mana and the enormous mental toll, it had been an overwhelming task.
And yet, Vanessa had pushed herself to her limits, determined to help the territory.
"Hah... seriously..."
Ghislain gently patted the unconscious Vanessa's back and chuckled.
Normally, she was hardly noticeable, but when it mattered most, she performed better than anyone else.
Her determination was palpable, and Ghislain felt grateful.
And despite the circumstances, he also admired Alfoy and the other wizards for using the dangerous mana transfer and still managing to complete the task.
"At least as the successor of the Mage Tower, he managed to pull through. I’ll have to reward them later."
Ghislain had the servants carry the wizards away and immediately summoned Gillian.
"You called for me."
"Gillian, from now on, we’ll need to divide the training and security duties into morning and afternoon shifts."
"Does that mean...?"
"Yes, we’re starting the constitutional reform."
Ghislain smiled as he turned his head.
Before him, a hundred magic circles glowed softly in a radiant blue light.
