Chapter 16
“Are you interested in this item?”
“Can it be mass-produced?”
“Anyone can make one, as long as they can inscribe the magic circle exactly the same. Carve it into wood or stone, and it’ll last nearly forever.”
“Unbelievable…”
Serpens guildmaster stood dazed, as if his mind had stopped working for a moment. Then, snapping out of it, he began calculating profits in his head.
“If you’re planning to produce and sell them in bulk, you’ll need to find a way to hide the magic circle. I can employ a few tricks to disrupt the pattern, but eventually, mages will uncover its secrets.”
Guildmaster nodded, his expression full of confidence—he clearly believed he could handle it.
By my calculations, this magic tool could yield around 3,000 gold in profit. It would vary depending on business acumen, but that was the estimate I’d come up with while still at House Breio.
“You could inscribe the magic circle inside the device so it only emits wind. Price it low and commoners can use it to beat the summer heat. Price it high and servants can carry it around to cool their noble masters. You could even carve it into castle gates to draw in cool air. The applications are up to you.”
“You mean… you’re entrusting this magic circle to me?”
“I’ll take the slaves as your down payment.”
“Is that all…?”
“I believe I just said it was a down payment.”
“Ah…!”
The Guildmaster clicked his tongue with regret. No matter how much he calculated, he couldn’t predict the full potential. That uncertainty would inevitably fill him with inflated expectations.
“Send me a skilled artisan and one of your guild’s mages.”
“A guild mage specifically?”
“What, don’t you have one?”
“We have two… both are third-class mages.”
“Then use this opportunity to hire a fourth-class one. Preferably someone familiar with magic circles. This is worth the investment, wouldn’t you say?”
The 3,000 gold I projected was net profit.
Of course, that meant it would require a significant initial investment.
“I’ll start making arrangements immediately. But… are there any other magic circles?”
“There aren’t. And there probably never will be. The lineage of this type of magic has long since been broken.”
The Guildmaster nodded but didn’t take his eyes off me. He clearly believed I was still hiding something.
‘Good. Keep expecting more. I’ll show you far more than you anticipate… but you’ll pay handsomely for it.’
“For now, keep my name out of it. You know what they say—the nail that sticks out gets hammered. If anyone tries to bribe or threaten you, let me know. But the profits are fifty-fifty.”
I had no intention of hiding forever—just taking minimal precautions to avoid unnecessary conflict.
“Yes, young master.”
“Can you send a merchant carriage to Hebron every month?”
“That’s something I was hoping to propose myself.”
“You’re welcome to keep one stationed here permanently.”
A glint appeared in Guildmaster’s eyes.
Before Hebron’s decline, Nurha had once been part of Hebron territory, and guildmaster’s ancestors had served as Hebron’s retainers.
Geographically, Hebron had the upper hand over Nurha in terms of trade—if the eastern forest road and the western Cloud Bridge remained intact.
Before the Cloud Bridge was built, Hebron had been little more than a rural village beside Nurha.
“But I have one condition.”
“Name it.”
“Sign an exclusive contract with the Serpens Guildmaster.”
“Can you handle that?”
“I’ll stake everything on it.”
I liked the guildmaster. He might not match a top-tier merchant in skill, but he had a keen eye for people. He had already seen the brilliance of my future.
“Bring the contract. And if I find even a hint of trickery in it… you know what’ll happen, right?”
“Of course, young master. I’m staking the guild’s fate on this as well.”
“Good. Then I’ll trust you.”
The guildmaster got busy.
His secretary and the guild’s merchants huddled together to draft the contract.
Meanwhile, I gave orders to the manor staff.
“Wash them up and feed them.”
The slaves actually looked fairly healthy. They’d clearly been treated better than most of Hebron’s peasants—well-fed, even a little plump.
“Distribute flour and jerky to the townsfolk. Double rations for the soldiers. And give the tenant farmers who lost their crops enough flour to last through next spring.”
The merchant carriages had brought plenty of flour, bread, and jerky.
If a merchant carriage remained stationed in Hebron, life here would become significantly easier.
It would mark the end of a long struggle for self-sufficiency.
* * *
That night, Serpens Guildmaster came to see me.
“I was too preoccupied earlier to mention this, but… there are more rumors about that mark.”
“What kind of rumors?”
“They say the marked monster wasn’t the only one. It wasn’t just that one orc.”
“Makes sense. I’ve got proof of that.”
The Trickster’s mark had appeared on both the orc and a goblin.
It seemed the species didn’t matter. However, the locations where the orc and the goblin had appeared were only about 10 kilometers apart—because beyond the western cliff of Hebron lay the territory of Viscount Zylson.
“About two months ago, powerful monsters started appearing across the continent. Some say they saw a mark on those monsters’ foreheads. It's unclear if it was the same design, though...”
“Were the ones with the forehead mark going berserk?”
“Yes, young master.”
“Then it’s certain.”
Those marked had turned into monsters. Just like the goblin that had dared threaten my life, they must have awakened into something far beyond normal.
“Do you suspect anything in particular?”
“No. But if I find something out, I’ll let you know.”
“Yes, young master.”
‘The world is becoming unstable… Is this an opportunity, or a test?’
Unfortunately, the chaos had already begun, and Hebron was entirely unprepared.
‘The slave soldiers are just the beginning.’
The Duke of Breio considered slaves to be worthless, with limited potential and no loyalty. Despite having numerous secret techniques at his disposal, he never trained slave soldiers. After all, there was always a line of talented people waiting to serve outside his gates.
‘I must gather the discarded.’
I knew those who had once been chosen by the duke, only to be cast aside shortly after. Some now lived like losers after returning to their hometowns, while others were treated with respect in different territories—purely because they had once served House Breio.
“There’s something I’d like you to do.”
“Just say the word.”
“I need to recruit a few individuals.”
“People of talent… is that what you mean?”
To anyone else, I was just a young lord who had stayed holed up in Hebron.
They would assume I only knew locals from around here.
But instead, I listed names of people living across the entire Kingdom of Xenon and handed the Guildmaster a sheet with their personal details.
“I don’t care how much it costs. Recruit as many as you can. And this one…”
“‘Amy de Ludwig’… the daughter of Baron Ludwig.”
“Whatever it takes, you must bring her. I’ll write a letter—make sure she receives it.”
In the Kingdom of Xenon, there was no place for women in high positions.
At best, a few high priestesses existed. Even if a woman had talent, her greatest achievement was to become someone’s wife.
But Amy de Ludwig stood out among them. If she’d been born a man, House Breio would have recruited her long ago.
I recalled one of the many theories stored in my mind and included it in the letter. It was the preface of my own creation, <Royal Administration of Xenon: Proposals for Simplification>.
I used similar methods to lure the others. I let them know I possessed the knowledge they desperately sought—and hinted that only those who belonged to me would gain full access to that knowledge.
Of course, the number of talents I could attract this way was limited. After all, true talent referred to those who had reached the pinnacle of their field.
Finally, I added one more name.
“If the opportunity arises…”
I carefully included one more person.
He was in his early fifties. He knew neither magic nor swordsmanship, but had served the Breio family faithfully for over thirty years. He might still be with them—or perhaps nearing retirement.
Dante.
In the cold, merciless House Breio, he was the only one who had ever treated me like a human being.
“Treat this man with the utmost respect.”
“How do you know all these people?”
Guildmaster’s curiosity only grew.
As history records, many heroes succeeded because of curiosity—and far more perished for the same reason.
So I offered him a truth of history.
“Will you live with curiosity… or die with it satisfied?”
“…I’ve already boarded your ship, young master.”
“Then you know my answer.”
Serpens' guildmaster handed me the exclusive contract.
Even after reviewing it several times, I found no tricks or hidden clauses. The terms were entirely in favor of House Hebron—as if it had been drafted for a high noble like a marquis or duke.
“Here’s another secret. A civil war will break out soon.”
“War? Between whom?”
The guildmaster’s eyes lit up.
War was a catalyst that rapidly grew merchant guildmasters.
“Hebron and Nurha.”
“…What?”
“Baron Nurha’s army will invade Hebron. If they think they can keep poking us without retaliation, I’ll show them what happens when a snake bites back.”
“Huh?”
* * *
“I am Louis de Hebron. I am the master you will serve.”
The neatly groomed slave soldiers had gathered again at the training ground.
They stood in a line, wearing their casual clothes.
“Use this dagger to make a cut on the tip of your finger. Don’t go too deep—we only need a few drops of blood.”
This time, it was to test for spirit affinity.
Those bound by contract could not refuse my orders.
Drip, drip.
Drops of blood fell onto the summoning circle.
I wasn’t expecting much. Spirit affinity was a rare trait. Even a slave with the lowest level of affinity was worth at least 100 gold.
“A half-blood?”
“My grandmother was an elf.”
The woman’s ears were a bit pointed. She didn’t have the usual elven features like straight silver hair or pale skin. Instead, she had curly brown hair and freckles that gave her a plain appearance.
‘Got lucky.’
All the slaves Serpens guildmaster brought were of mixed races—either half-elves or half-orcs, or full-blooded orcs. Not that these orcs had the monstrous strength you’d see in knightly tales. Those types were sorted into a different category and sold off to gladiator arenas.
Even among those with elven blood, it was extremely rare to have an affinity for spirit.
Swooosh…
The girl formed a contract with a low-tier wind spirit.
It was thanks to Breio’s secret techniques.
Like me, the girl didn’t have enough mana to properly wield a spirit. But unlike me, she had awakened her spirit power. It was said that spirit power could naturally increase over time through living alongside a spirit, or could be expanded through certain cultivation techniques.
Even spiritists with high aptitude usually started by summoning the lowest-tier spirits—so they could steadily expand their spiritual capacity.
“Name.”
“El.”
“El, go to the rooftop of the manor and stand there naked.”
“Yes, young master.”
El followed my command without hesitation. If she had been a fire spiritist, I would’ve sent her to the forge. If she had been a water spiritist, I would’ve tossed her into the river.
For a wind spiritist, the first step was becoming familiar with the wind.
In the first place, they were protected by wind spirits, so there was no worry about catching a cold.
“Mariam, give El some dried oyster mushroom powder. El, chew on it while you stand up there. It’ll keep your body warm and help prevent any illness.”
