Chapter 20: Anel’s Levitation Spell

"Rebuilding a stable will cost approximately thirteen gold coins… rounding up, let's say twenty…"

"Forging a new ox cart will require two gold coins. The money isn't the biggest issue, though. The most important thing is that the ox pulling the cart was frightened… That ox is the healthiest one in the entire Idar territory, full of energy. Because of you, it might sire fewer calves this year. So, for emotional distress and recovery expenses… let's round it up to ten gold coins."

"If we add the white bread you stole and the cost of treating your injuries…"

Bruno put down his quill, lifted his head, and smiled. "My esteemed mage advisor, Anel Brad, you now owe me a total of forty-five gold coins. That means… you're already nine months behind on your wages."

Anel stared in shock at the long string of numbers listed on the parchment. After a moment, he muttered, "If thirteen gold coins are rounded up, shouldn't it be ten instead of twenty?"

"That's an Idar tradition—always round up, never down," Bruno explained.

"I see…" Anel nodded thoughtfully.

"So…" Bruno pulled out another parchment scroll and said, "This is a revised employment contract drafted by Old Ford. Take a look and sign it."

While Anel flipped through the contract, Bruno continued, "According to the new contract, until your debt is repaid, your monthly salary will remain at five gold coins, but two of them will be automatically deducted to pay off your debt. The rules for calculating interest are detailed in the contract."

Anel found the text on the parchment incredibly small and densely packed, making his head spin. "Couldn't you write it a little bigger?"

"Sorry, parchment is in short supply in Idar right now… If there's no problem, just sign it." Bruno smiled.

Anel didn't bother reading further. He grabbed the quill and swiftly signed his name.

Bruno took the contract, examined it carefully, then stamped it with the Stuart family seal. A perfect mage indenture agreement—done!

Bruno cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and said, "Mr. Anel, now we should discuss another matter… Your levitation spell."

"Levitation was the first spell I learned. Although I can't cast higher-level magic yet, casting levitation is absolutely effortless for me," Anel said confidently.

"How many times can you cast it in a day? How long does it last per use?" Bruno asked directly.

"And also, how do you feel about an eight-hour workday? Sounds pretty reasonable, right?"

Anel: "???"

I'm a mage, a mage!

And you're talking about an eight-hour workday? Even workhorses aren't this overworked!

"Bruno Stuart, Count of Idar," Anel finally said seriously, "Are you sure you're not joking?"

"I'm quite serious."

"Casting magic significantly drains a mage's mental and magical energy. Forget working eight hours a day—continuously casting spells for two hours straight is already unrealistic," Anel argued.

"I should remind you," Bruno said frankly, "that I hired you to assist in the construction of an hanging garden. If I relied solely on serfs, it would take an eternity to complete. That's why I need you to assist the laborers by casting levitation on stone and timber to speed up construction."

"Working alongside serfs is a disgrace to a mage! It tarnishes the nobility!" Anel fumed.

Bruno countered, "Serfs are neither foolish nor despicable. They earn their food and shelter through honest labor. What right do you have to look down on them?"

The room suddenly fell silent, as if the air had frozen. Bruno said no more and simply watched as Anel's expression shifted through a mix of emotions.

To Anel, Bruno's words were shocking, almost heretical.

After all, he was born in the west of the empire, likely the most oppressive place on the continent for serfs. More than half of Idar's serfs had been purchased from slavers in the empire's west.

Anel seemed to resign himself to fate. After all, when under someone's roof, one must bow. He sighed and said, "I can chant a levitation spell in about seven to eight seconds. But after casting it eight or nine times consecutively, I'll need to rest. As you should know, casting magic heavily drains a mage's mental energy."

Bruno nodded in approval.

In fact, Bruno wasn't completely ignorant of magic. After Anel's arrival, he had taken the time to study the subject. From what he had learned, Anel's efficiency was actually quite high.

For most apprentice mages, casting even three spells would require rest.

What surprised Bruno was that, given Anel's strong mental endurance—capable of sustaining eight or nine levitation spells in a row—he should have been able to cast higher-level magic. So why was he still stuck at basic spells?

Still, if Anel didn't want to talk about it, Bruno wouldn't press the issue. The most important thing was getting construction started.

As for the "eight-hour workday" that Bruno initially proposed, of course, it wasn't realistic. But that's how negotiations work—you start high, then settle at a reasonable middle ground. If he had asked for a more reasonable workload from the start, Anel, as a noble mage, would have definitely tried to push back even further.

After some thought, Bruno suddenly asked, "There's something I've always wanted to ask you. As you know, official letters between the Regency Council and nobles often have magical seals to ensure they haven't been tampered with. Once broken, the seal disappears. If that's the case… could a levitation spell be imbued into objects, allowing them to remain suspended for a period of time?"

"Hm?" Anel was taken aback. He had never considered such a possibility before.

"That should be… impossible, I think. After all, no one has ever tried it," Anel said uncertainly.

"Then how do magical seals on envelopes remain intact for so long?" Bruno pressed.

"That involves a special magic formation…" Anel pondered, as if grasping at a faint thread of insight, yet unable to fully comprehend it.