Chapter 356: Finally Arrived (2)

Ghislain's head spun as he tried to comprehend the situation, his expression uncharacteristically confused.

"Um... What exactly is going on here?"

"What do you mean? I'm catching runaway slaves, that's what. A lot of these bastards have been trying to escape lately. Do they really think they can get away from me?"

Alpoi spat on the ground, looking every bit like a street thug.

'Wasn't this guy a little more mage-like when I first met him?'

Though he'd always been a bit of an airhead, Alpoi had once exuded the haughty elegance typical of mages. Now, not a trace of that remained.

While Ghislain stood speechless, Alpoi tapped the armband on his arm and spoke with pride.

"I'm the manager for the mages now, boss. The research director's too soft for this kind of thing, so I took over."

Ghislain turned to Claude for clarification. The man shrugged nonchalantly.

"He volunteered. And, well, someone has to do it. You can't always be the one hunting them down and disciplining them, can you? It's not a job for the Master of Arms or the Head butler, either. So, we let him handle it."

"Does that mean Alpoi and his group aren't working?"

Alpoi immediately bristled.

"Who else is supposed to catch and manage these guys if I'm out there working too? Do you even know how many escapees we've had since the mage numbers started growing? I'm working myself to death over here!"

The intensity of Alpoi's complaints made Ghislain instinctively nod in agreement. Indeed, someone had to manage the growing influx of mages.

Alpoi seemed to enjoy his new authority, as it required little actual labor. Instead, he got to discipline runaways, delegate tasks, and oversee operations—work that clearly suited him perfectly.

"This job is just right for me! Now you won't have to discipline anyone directly, boss. Leave it all to me!"

It was clear Alpoi and his friends had learned only the worst habits from Ghislain.

Inside Ghislain's mind, Dark observed the scene and thought to himself:

'So this place isn't run by just one lunatic, huh?'

The sight of mages being treated like slaves was surely unique not just in the kingdom, but across the entire continent.

Ghislain briefly considered the situation. Seeing this, Alpoi hastily added to his defense.

"These mages are different from us. They're wanderers—they'll just run away and disappear if we're not strict. Someone has to keep them in line!"

He wasn't wrong. Mages recruited under the guise of establishing a Scarlet Flame Magic Tower branch differed from those brought in by the new contracts. These new recruits had no obligation to stay. They could flee, hide, or even cross into another kingdom.

Given the circumstances, Alpoi's argument made sense. The contracts Ghislain had created, and Claude had convinced the mages to sign, only worked because of Alpoi's enforcement.

Clearly, Alpoi understood better than anyone how to torment fellow mages.

If Alpoi could handle managing the mages effectively, Ghislain only needed to manage Alpoi, forming a convenient hierarchy.

Ghislain looked at Alpoi and asked, "But you're a mage too. Are you okay with this? Your reputation among mages will take a hit."

Alpoi smirked, wiping his nose with a finger.

"Hehe, I'm used to playing the bad guy by now."

"...Alright."

Was he playing the bad guy, or just embracing his inner villain? The way Alpoi reveled in his role was almost unsettling.

With an internal sigh, Ghislain shook his head and said, "Fine, I'll leave this area's management to you. Do a good job."

Hearing this, the other mages looked visibly disheartened. From what they'd experienced so far, Alpoi and his friends were utterly ruthless.

Alpoi, meanwhile, clenched his fists in triumph.

'Phew, that was close.'

Alpoi and his group had feared being reassigned to construction work. Relieved, they all let out quiet sighs of relief.

Ghislain added, "But if there's an emergency, you'll need to step in and help."

"Of course. That's only fair," Alpoi replied with a sly grin.

Ghislain, satisfied, moved on to inspect other areas and asked Claude, "What's the status of the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower?"

"Ah, don't even get me started. They're thriving. They've been expanding aggressively ever since they got their hands on those Rune Stones you provided."

The Scarlet Flame Magic Tower had been able to revive its operations and produce various goods thanks to the Rune Stones Ghislain had sent.

"And now they're recruiting lots of mages."

"Are they concerned about the branch here?"

"I doubt it. They probably think they've already written this place off. They sent mostly low-level mages who'd hit their limits."

Ghislain chuckled. The Scarlet Flame Magic Tower would never guess how much those mages had grown. Even Alpoi and his friends, who were only 3-circle mages, could beat and capture a fleeing 4-circle mage.

The conventional wisdom of mage rankings didn't apply here. Practical experience was proving its worth.

"Send them a few more Rune Stones."

"What? Why? Why would you do that?"

"The bigger the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower grows, the more attention it'll attract from potential rivals."

Ghislain grinned slyly, and Claude clicked his tongue. Clearly, he was up to something.

Rune Stones were abundant now, with a much larger haul from the last trip than before.

For the next few days, Ghislain focused on handling delayed administrative work. Then, Claude brought unexpected news.

"The lord of the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower has arrived."

"Finally," Ghislain said with a smirk, pleased to see things unfolding as planned.

***

Thanks to a booming business, the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower was thriving.

With an influx of Rune Stones, their disciples were improving rapidly, and they were attracting many new mages.

Though briefly overshadowed by the Crimson magic tower's ascension with their 7-circle lord, the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower's traditional strength was beginning to show once more.

"Hah! At this rate, we'll be the best in the north again! Isn't this my rightful place?"

Hubert, lounging in an opulent chair studded with gems, grinned as he raised a glass of wine.

He had become a spoiled brat since he had money.

'Oh my, I really don't know why he's like that.'

'That guy is the tower lord.'

'He just got lucky.'

While the tower's elders silently clicked their tongues at his ostentation, they didn't openly criticize him. His extravagant habits were nothing new.

Still, they couldn't deny that Hubert had been lucky.

'If it weren't for Count Fenris, we'd have gone under long ago.'

'Why is that guy giving us so much? First food, now Rune Stones. He's not the charitable type.'

Their unease mirrored Hubert's own suspicions. He wasn't foolish enough to think the support came without strings attached.

"Why is that kid from Fenris suddenly so generous?"

"Not sure."

"There's no way he's giving us this for free. If anything, he's the type to take more."

"True."

"Ugh, it's unsettling."

Both food and runestones were important resources. Since they were receiving all that support from Fenris, the tower could only grow.

Of course, since the one giving was the one receiving, Hubert couldn't be purely happy while receiving.

The elders were also uncomfortable, but they had no choice anyway.

"Just take what he gives us."

"We're doomed without Count Fenris."

"You don't want to go back to the way things were, do you?"

Hubert nodded at those words. He really didn't want to go back to the way things were.

"What would have happened if that kid hadn't come back then?"

Hubert muttered with a hazy look in his eyes. It was horrible just thinking about it.

It felt like he had been robbed and taken, but in the end, he survived thanks to Count Fenris. Now, he had grown to the point where he was aiming for the top spot in the North.

He felt a little grateful to Count Fenris. Then, the elders spoke without missing a beat.

"Since things have come to this, why not prepare a generous gift and pay a visit to show your gratitude this time?"

"That's right. When you receive such grace, it's only proper to show respect."

Hubert pouted and waved his hand dismissively.

"Later, later. I'm in a good mood right now, so don't bother me."

He knew he needed to visit and express his gratitude, but he wanted to delay it as much as possible. Now that Ghislain was a count and a high-ranking lord, Hubert couldn't approach him as an adult anymore.

He'd have to bow his head, and he wasn't ready to do that yet.

Seeing the sharp gazes from the elders, Hubert quickly changed the subject.

"Ah, right. Didn't the Crimson magic tower propose a mage exchange?"

At Hubert's question, the elders sneered.

"Those fools must be desperate."

"Why would we agree to that? We're not exactly on friendly terms."

"They're definitely up to something."

Hubert nodded in agreement with the elders' comments.

"Those bastards must be trying to humiliate us."

Mage exchanges inevitably included competitions between disciples, showcasing their skills. It was clear the Crimson Magic Tower intended to show off their superiority and disgrace the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower.

If they lost, it wouldn't just be their pride at stake—they could lose business relationships with noble families and merchants as well.

"Just keep ignoring them. So what if they've got a 7th-circle mage? As long as we maintain control like this, they'll wither away."

Hubert growled, grinding his teeth.

The elders nodded in unison. There was nothing to gain from an exchange. Winning might bring some benefits, but the losses from defeat would be far greater.

By now, they understood the broader situation. Following Ghislain's hints, they had discovered that the Crimson Magic Tower had been monopolizing Rune Stones all along.

"Let's keep ignoring them and stick to our current strategy. And as for Count Fenris… ugh, I appreciate his help, but I'll see him later."

While Hubert stubbornly clung to his complacency, bad news started trickling in.

"Several mages on assignment have been attacked and killed!"

"The Stevil Merchant Guild has terminated their contract!"

"Our shops selling magic tools have been looted!"

The Scarlet Flame Magic Tower's operations began to falter. Their stores were being raided, their trading partners were withdrawing contracts, and worst of all, mages on assignment were being ambushed and killed.

"Those bastards!"

Hubert roared in fury upon hearing the reports. Just as the tower was finally regaining its footing, disaster struck from all directions.

It was obvious who was behind it. The Crimson magic tower.

The elders, equally outraged, shouted in anger.

"They've gone insane!"

"Those madmen! There's no other explanation for this behavior after we declined their exchange…"

Hubert rubbed his smooth forehead, deep in thought.

While noble intervention in mage conflicts was rare, there were limits to how far the fighting could go before mediation was enforced.

Too much violence or destruction would draw the attention of local lords, and no magic tower wanted to antagonize the nobility.

In fact, direct confrontations between magic towers were exceedingly rare. The Crimson Magic Tower's brazen actions were unprecedented, especially during these politically volatile times when reckless aggression could attract the scrutiny of the Royalist or Duke factions.

"Why are they doing this? Do they really want this exchange so badly? Are they so determined to humiliate us?"

"Tower lord! You must make a decision!"

Despite the elders' pleas, Hubert hesitated.

If the opponent were another magic tower, he'd have rallied his disciples and launched a counterattack.

"They're clearly trying to push us to the brink! It seems like they're ready to see this through to the end!"

"We can't sit idly by!"

The deaths of mages were a grave matter. The problem was that the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower had no choice but to resolve this on its own.

Conflicts between magic towers were traditionally resolved internally to avoid noble involvement and potential political entanglements.

However, the Crimson Magic Tower's lord was a 7th-circle mage. Even if Hubert and all his elders combined their strength, they might only manage a stalemate.

And even if they could hold off the Crimson Magic Tower's lord, they lacked the manpower to contend with his elders.

Although the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower had more disciples, the overwhelming power of a 7th-circle mage made the risk of defeat very real.

After agonizing over the situation, Hubert gritted his teeth and made a decision.

"Accept the exchange."

"What? You can't mean that—"

"Yes, I do. If they're so desperate to humiliate us, we'll beat them at their own game."

"But… the exchange tradition stipulates that tower lords and elders don't participate. Our disciples aren't strong enough to beat theirs, especially with the Crimson Magic Tower's 7th-circle lord training them…"

The Scarlet Flame Magic Tower had more disciples, but the Crimson Magic Tower's were undoubtedly stronger, given their lord's level.

Hubert, however, dismissed the concerns with a determined glint in his eyes.

"Let's visit Count Fenris."

"What?"

The elders were bewildered by the sudden suggestion, but Hubert's face was resolute.

"We'll borrow Vanessa."

When in doubt, turning to Ghislain was always the answer.

[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]