The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 315: Chapter 314: The Bait is Working Well (3)



At Claude's words, the mage was slightly startled and asked again.

"Thirty years?"

"Yes, for becoming the territory's exclusive mage, that's about right. It's not really that long. We even have people who've been here for over 200 years... No, anyway, isn't it the same for other territories? Come on, anything less than this, and it wouldn't even count as exclusive."

"That, that's true."

The mage nodded involuntarily, but in reality, it wasn't true. The duration of a mage's service varied greatly depending on their skill and research goals.

Some stayed only a few years before leaving, while others signed long-term contracts. It simply differed from person to person.

However, Claude pushed forward with such charisma that the mage couldn't help but go along with it.

"Hmmm..."

The mage hesitated for a moment. He was middle-aged now, and thirty years would essentially mean spending the rest of his life here.

Still, the conditions were too good to pass up. The workload was light, he could use a mana concentration circle, and he'd receive guidance from a 6th-circle mage.

The only thing that worried him was that, while Fenris was currently thriving in the north, there were whispers it might have fallen out with the ducal family.

Mages usually weren't in the loop when it came to rumors, but as a wandering mage, he had picked up bits and pieces.

Seeing the mage deep in thought, Claude called for Vanessa.

"You called for me, head butler?"

"Hey, Vanessa, this gentleman here seems curious about you. He's got a lot of questions, it seems."

The mage was shocked when he saw Vanessa.

"Th-this woman is a 6th-circle mage?'

She was far too young. He had never heard of such a young 6th-circle mage in the kingdom.

And her appearance-her hair was a tangled mess, and it was unclear when she'd last bathed. She looked like someone who spent all her time holed up in a library.

Looking at her innocent face and blinking eyes, the mage asked cautiously,

"Are you truly someone who has reached the 6th-circle?"

"Yes, well... I still have much to learn..."

Vanessa replied with a shy expression, twisting her body in embarrassment.

The mage frowned. There was no dignity to her that a 6th-circle mage should possess. Mages confident in their abilities never behaved this way.

The higher a mage's rank, the more prideful they tended to be.

'Was it all a hoax? Are they trying to scam me?'

He wanted to ask her to demonstrate a 6th-circle spell, but he didn't dare.

Mages were often mentally unstable. She might seem harmless now, but she could flip at any moment.

If she suddenly took offense and lashed out, it would be disastrous.

So, he cautiously asked again.

"I've been studying something recently that I'm struggling to understand. Could you offer me a bit of guidance?"

"Oh, feel free to ask me anything. I'll help as much as I can."

Encouraged by her gentle tone, the mage took out a book.

"I've been researching the resistance of lightning, but I'm stuck at a certain point."

When the mage pointed to a section in the book, Vanessa glanced at it briefly and clapped her hands.

"Oh, you're stuck here! The principle behind this is... The main reason lies in the clash of mana flows, which inevitably generates resistance. When mana collides, it impedes the flow of lightning, resulting in heat energy loss..."

"Oh, ohhh!"

As Vanessa's explanation continued, the mage's face lit up with exhilaration.

Her explanation was so detailed that it cleared up his confusion completely.

'It's real! She really is a 6th-circle mage! Even if she's not 6th-circle, she's definitely at least 5th- circle!'

Her understanding of magic was on a completely different level. He had never encountered a mage who could explain things so clearly.

Not even his own master had been this articulate. It felt like she was breaking down magic into its smallest components and reassembling it into a comprehensible manual.

'I never imagined someone would teach like this! She's nothing like other mages!'

Most 6th-circle mages, even if present, wouldn't share their insights. Mages were notoriously secretive, doling out scraps of knowledge only after putting their disciples through years of hardship.

But Vanessa's explanations were systematic and straightforward—something truly rare.

After over an hour of explanations, Claude had started dozing off, while the mage was bursting with excitement.

"I see! I understand now! So that's how it works!"

"Yes, exactly. And next, the flow of mana should shift to..."

The two mages enthusiastically continued their discussion. With the exception of the dozing Claude, the scene resembled an academic debate.

Once Vanessa's explanation ended, the mage bowed deeply, almost in tears.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! I've finally understood something that had been troubling

me for so long!"

"I'm glad to hear that! Do you have any more questions?"

When Vanessa asked, the mage eagerly pulled out another book from his bag.

Just as he was about to open it, Claude woke up and wiped the drool from his mouth before

grabbing the mage's arm.

"Tsk, tsk, let's not get greedy. That's enough for today."

"But why? Just one more question..."

"No, no. There are others waiting. How long do you plan to monopolize our mage here? That

won't do."

"Fine! I'll sign the contract!"

"Oh, really?"

"If I sign, I can continue to receive guidance from her, right?"

"Of course! You'll be working and researching together. Whenever you have questions, just

ask. You'll probably get sick of magic after a while."

Claude wasn't lying. In this territory, you could use magic more in one year than most mages

did in a lifetime.

The mage quickly stamped his seal on the contract.

He figured his talent wasn't enough to break through his limits anyway. It seemed better to stay here, receive guidance, and live comfortably.

"Looking forward to working with you."

"Likewise. The staff will take you to the research lab and assign you a room."

Once the mage left, Claude leaned back in his chair, muttering arrogantly,

"What a hassle. Why not just sign right away instead of playing hard to get?"

Vanessa had no words. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was complicit in turning mages

into laborers for the territory.

In any case, all the mages who came to the territory were convinced by Claude to sign contracts. Some even begged for the chance after glimpsing Vanessa's knowledge.

In total, 20 mages were recruited, an unprecedented feat.

Of course, the mages were content.

"I heard this territory was wealthy, but not to this extent." "The buildings were built with dwarves, right? Functional and aesthetically pleasing."

"How much money do they have to provide mana concentration circles for everyone?"

Many of these mages had never even seen a mana concentration circle before. Any mage capable of obtaining one wouldn't remain unaffiliated for long.

They spent their days learning from Vanessa and focusing on their personal training. They wanted to train all day, but Vanessa always seemed strangely busy during the day.

"Of course, a 6th-circle mage would be busy."

"She's often away during the day. What could she be doing?"

"She's probably immersed in personal research to reach the next level."

The mages held Vanessa in the highest regard. After all, they had learned so much from her.

One day, as they were chatting, a messenger from Claude arrived.

"It seems you'll need to help with some territory work."

"Hmph, well, it's about time. Lead the way."

Though they were humble around high-ranking individuals, mages were often arrogantn/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

toward ordinary folk. They followed with haughty expressions but were led to an open field

near the research lab.

A series of wagons arrived shortly after, and the drivers shouted,

"Fire mages! We need fire mages here!"

Some mages stepped forward.

"I specialize in fire magic. What's the matter?"

"Hop on! Quickly!"

"What?"

"No time to explain! Get on board!"

The mages were bewildered but complied.

Other wagons were equally noisy.

"Wind mages, over here! We need road leveling too!"

"This one's for support magic to help laborers!"

"Big rocks need clearing! We need destruction experts!"

|| ||

The mages fell silent. This felt like a labor market recruiting day laborers.

"Are they seriously asking mages to..."

Before the mages could complain, Alpoi and the veteran mages from the lab appeared.

"Hey, hurry up and get on!"

At Alpoi's urging, they boarded the wagons. The veteran mages looked at the newcomers and

spoke.

"What are you waiting for? Get on. We've got work to do."

"If we're late, it'll only get harder."

"These guys are still clueless. Don't they get it yet?"

The newcomers stammered.

"W-what kind of work requires this sort of... crude behavior?"

Alpoi smirked.

What

work? Mostly construction. Clearing rocks, emptying septic tanks, turning over

soil, building structures, moving supplies. There's plenty to do."

"M-mages doing such work?"

"Who else? Magic is the fastest."

"I-I've never done such things. It's beneath the dignity of a mage..."

"Hey, even 'the man who defeated a goddess' does this. You think you're too good? I'm the

team leader at the site. Don't make me wait."

Intimidated by Alpoi, the mages reluctantly boarded. They weren't ready to fight against the

veterans, who outnumbered them.

Just as they were about to protest further, Vanessa hurried over and boarded one of the

wagons.

"What are you all doing? Hurry up! The project will fall behind."

||

||

They now understood why Vanessa was always absent during the day. This insane territory

even had a 6th-circle mage doing manual labor.

It was impressive, in a way. She worked on construction during the day, then taught and

researched at night.

There was no refusing her. In the mage hierarchy, circle rank was everything, and Vanessa was

at the top.

Clattering along, the wagons carried the mages to various sites. Alpoi patted one of the sulking newcomers on the shoulder.

"Everyone feels like this at first. 'Why did I even become a mage?' But you'll get used to it. I'll

teach you gambling later."

"...Alright."

"Cheer up. Think you're special? Around here, mages are nothing. Sometimes even goddesses

stop by."

11

||

A few mages tried to resist or escape but were swiftly dealt with by Alpoi and his team. Those

who tried to flee were chased down and brought back.

"Didn't you say you were a 3rd-circle?"

The captured mage asked in disbelief, and Alpoi answered smugly,

"Construction work makes you stronger."

"...That's ridiculous."

"Does this look like a joke? Somehow, it works. And if you don't know anything, you can ask

Vanessa. Anyway, think of it as training. If you try to run again, you'll regret it." With more mages joining, the work got easier. Alpoi had no intention of letting them go.

The mages resigned themselves to their fate. While they were bound by contracts, it was Vanessa's teachings and the mana concentration circles that kept them going. After all, advancing in magic was every mage's dream.

The veteran mages, however, had long since abandoned such dreams. Their goal was just to

live well each day.

Claude continued to promote the benefits of 6th-circle guidance and mana concentration

circles.

Word spread beyond the north to other regions.

Not many, but a steady trickle of wandering mages began arriving, and they all ended up bound to Fenris territory.

"Hm, the bait's going well. With more mages, construction's speeding up."

Each cast of the fishing line brought in another catch. Vanessa and the mana concentration

circles were irresistible bait.

Of course, as the number of mages grew, new problems inevitably arose.

"We're almost out of runestones. There's not much left to mine."

Claude brought this issue to Ghislain.

Over the years, they had used up an enormous amount of runestones to develop the territory.

Selling to the magic tower had only sped up their depletion.

Even after cutting back on sales, the supply had finally run dry.

After hearing the report, Ghislain nodded calmly.

"Well, they were bound to run out eventually. We did use them well. It was worth it."

"What do we do? If we run out of runestones, a lot will slow down. Even maintaining the

mana concentration circles will be a problem, not to mention our relationship with the magic tower."

"What else? The solution's obvious."

Ghislain grinned. If they were running out of runestones, they'd just have to go and get more.

After all, the place they had come from was filled with runestones. [T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]