NOVPUBHubert and the elders had a particular memory associated with those three fingers—one that instantly made them feel exasperated.
*“Damn it, here he goes again...”*
*“Three times the current price? How much is that even?”*
*“Does he have some kind of obsession with the number three or what?”*
The mages refrained from speaking out. They’d learned the hard way that objecting too much could end with an even higher price. However, paying three times the market price would seriously drain their coffers.
*‘What should we do? We could blow through everything we’ve saved up for the past few years.’*
Even if they funneled all of the tower’s earnings into this, securing two years' worth of food might still be impossible. While they hesitated, Ghislain leaned in and spoke in a suggestive tone.
"Or... there is another option, if you’re interested in hearing it."
“What’s that?”
“Send twenty additional third-circle mages, and we’ll supply half of that amount in food by reducing the amount of runestones traded by half.”
"Deal!" Hubert shot up, pounding the table.
Currently, the kingdom’s finances were all being directed toward procuring food. Trade with other countries had also shifted focus to importing food from regions less affected by the drought.
While food prices had soared, resources like runestones were easier to acquire. Although rare, runestone availability had slightly improved compared to before.
Getting food instead of runestones in this situation was a no-brainer.
The elders, too, quickly voiced their agreement with Hubert’s swift decision.
*“Food is the smarter choice right now. This is a huge gain for us.”*
*“We’ll make much more reselling it than we would selling magical items.”*
*“Training can wait a bit. We can even send the weaker ones—kill two birds with one stone.”*
Training had never been Hubert or the elders' favorite thing, so reducing the supply of runestones wasn’t much of an issue for them.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Ghislain smiled broadly.
*‘Perfect. I needed more hands for the construction projects. An extra twenty mages will be a big help. And now I can save on the runestones as well.’*
Most of the Mage Tower’s members were third-circle mages, who tended to be in an awkward position: powerful enough to be useful but often stuck at that level if they lacked further talent.
While second-circle mages could handle most construction spells, Ghislain didn’t want to take away valuable training time from those still growing in skill. The third-circle mages, on the other hand, were typically stuck and could use the work to potentially break through their limits.
Hubert wouldn’t send his best, of course, but even the less talented mages would benefit from the experience.
*‘They’ll either grow stronger or stay where they are—it’s a win-win for both sides.’*
"Shall we draft up a new contract then?"
"Yes! Let’s do it right now!" Hubert excitedly pulled out a pen, one adorned with gold and encrusted with an array of tiny jewels.
It was so overly decorated with jewels that it looked almost grotesque.
Ghislain smirked at the sight.
*‘Some things never change.’*
With the renewed income from runestone sales, Hubert had indulged his taste for lavish trinkets again, seemingly forgetting that his excessive spending had once strained the tower’s finances.
He was an enigma—capable of managing a prosperous mage city and gaining respect yet bafflingly obsessed with opulence.
After signing the contract, Hubert shook Ghislain’s hand and said, “The mages will arrive as soon as possible. But... would it be alright to take some food back with me now?”
“Of course. But are you leaving immediately? Not even stopping to see Alfoy?”
“Ah, that’s fine! As long as he’s doing well, there’s no need. He’s the head of the branch now, after all. It’d be rude to impose out of nowhere. Let the young folks do their thing.”
Hubert’s outward expression was warm, but his thoughts were anything but.
*‘Are you kidding? I need to get out of here before he changes his mind. There’s no reason to linger.’*
Just as Hubert prepared to leave, Ghislain seemed to remember something.
“By the way, you must have heard about the Crimson Tower visiting to procure food?”
"Absolutely! I heard that arrogant bastard Glenn tried to show off but ended up humiliated. I loved it! Really, you did well!”
Hubert and the elders burst into laughter, looking thoroughly amused.
Watching them, Ghislain continued, “I heard he swore revenge. What if the Crimson Tower disregards all norms and joins a war against us?”
Hubert and the elders’ faces grew icy at the thought. The Crimson Tower getting involved in war? Unforgivable.
After a few silent seconds, Hubert narrowed his eyes and replied, “If that happens, just call us. I’ll personally incinerate them.”
Ghislain nodded in satisfaction. After all, an enemy’s enemy is often a friend. Today, Hubert’s shiny, bald head seemed to gleam more impressively than usual.
---
It wasn’t long before the twenty mages arrived in the territory.
Upon being assigned to the construction teams, they immediately voiced their discontent.
“What is this?! Making mages do this kind of work? Have they all gone mad?!”
“I refuse! This is beneath us!”
“Why are we reduced to menial labor like commoners?!”
Of course, the existing mages weren’t about to tolerate such whining.
With the extra hands, Alfoy saw this as the perfect opportunity to establish order.
“I’m the head of the branch here, and you do what I say! This is your new Mage Tower!”
No longer the struggling mage he once was, Alfoy roared with newfound confidence. Surrounded by allies, he feared nothing.
Alfoy gathered energy into his hands and shouted, “If you don’t listen, I’ll make you regret it!”
“Just try it!” one of the new mages retorted.
The newcomers put up a spirited resistance, only to be beaten down in no time.
Although Alfoy and his original team were only slightly more skilled, the constant work had sharpened their magic and reflexes considerably.
The newcomers, shocked, asked, “What’s going on?! How did you get so strong?”
Alfoy scratched his head, equally puzzled. His magic flowed more naturally and with greater speed than ever.
With a shrug, he finally replied, “Hard work makes you stronger! So just work hard.”
It was an offhand remark, but it was the truth.
Resigned, the new mages nodded. Alfoy, now fully embracing his role as the branch head, took it further.
“It’s not enough to just say you’ll work hard. Contracts keep people honest, after all.”
He quickly dragged the new mages off and had them all sign slave contracts, his twisted sense of justice unwilling to let them have it any easier than he’d had it.
The mages, now enslaved in one stroke, could barely contain their anger. Looking for someone to vent on, they set their sights on Vanessa, who was hard at work nearby.
“Hey! Vanessa! Do this for me!”
“Have my laundry done by evening!”
“Still so slow, I see? Move it! Do you want to be punished?”
It was natural to them; after all, Vanessa had been the Mage Tower’s servant for years.
Caught off guard by the sudden commands, Vanessa was stunned.
“What? Um, what?”
Even though she had recently ascended to the sixth circle, her magic power remained limited. The fear ingrained in her from years of mistreatment hadn’t disappeared.
Seeing her falter, one of the mages shouted, “What are you doing? Hurry up! Don’t make me repeat myself!”
Suddenly, Alfoy stormed over and delivered a powerful kick to the offending mage.
“Are you out of your mind?!”
*Thud!*
“Argh!”
As the bullying mage fell, the other original mages piled on, kicking and hitting him.
*Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!*
“Ahh! Stop! Why are you hitting me?!”
The mage couldn’t comprehend the situation. These people weren’t acting like mages—they were acting like thugs.
But the older mages didn’t stop, kicking even harder.
“You think you can boss her around here? Do your own damn laundry, you lowlife! Just drop dead! The world would be better off without scum like you.”
“Can’t you read the room? Are you trying to kill us all? She’ll burn the whole place down with a fire pillar if she gets mad!”
The newcomers were utterly bewildered. In the Mage Tower, Vanessa had been nothing more than a servant. Here, they assumed she was still doing menial tasks.
Why were they suddenly defending her?
Then Alfoy’s authoritative voice rang out.
“Enough.”
The older mages stopped, and Alfoy pointed at Vanessa as he addressed the newcomers.
“Vanessa is the Assistant Branch Head here. Show her the same respect you show me.”
“A-Assistant Branch Head?”
The newcomers had never heard of such a thing. Vanessa, too, looked at Alfoy in surprise.
Unfazed, Alfoy glared at the newcomers, his voice loud and clear.
“Did you hear me? Now, shout, ‘We’re sorry, Assistant Branch Head!’” 𝚗ovp𝚞b.𝚌om
No one could defy a superior in these conditions. Pride and dignity had to be set
aside.
“We... we’re sorry, Assistant Branch Head....”
“Louder!”
“WE’RE SORRY, ASSISTANT BRANCH HEAD!”
Satisfied, Alfoy turned to Vanessa, his tone soft.
“If any of them give you trouble, just let me know. Alright? You’re the most skilled mage here after me, so feel free to ask for help anytime.”
“Uh... sure, thank you.”
“Oh, by the way, about that spell circle you were working on earlier—it seemed to have some issues, but I’m a bit busy right now....”
“Oh, I can take another look at it.”
“Thanks. She’s so reliable; she even manages to keep up with my work.”
The older mages smiled, pleased with Vanessa’s contributions.
They had quickly come to realize how valuable she was. When it came to knowledge, none of them could even come close to matching her.
*‘Vanessa knows so much more than any of us. Without her, we’re just pests living off scraps.’*
They had grown dependent on her. Every time she worked on something else, the tasks without her help became increasingly burdensome.
The mages had become so reliant on Vanessa that they now competed for her attention, even regretting their past mistreatment of her.
*‘We can’t survive without her! We need to treat her well and not offend her!’*
So, if anyone dared to mistreat her, they were dealt with mercilessly.
Their protection of Vanessa was, at its core, a desperate fight for survival.
Watching this unfold, Ghislain chuckled softly.
*“So, she had this skill all along? If she’s the heir to the Mage Tower, then perhaps she has potential... or maybe she’s just bad-tempered.”*
If Alfoy had overheard this, he would have been incensed at the irony.
Regardless, with Alfoy firmly establishing order, the mages played a vital role in the rapid development of the Fenris territory.
