Chapter 313
Chapter 313: Fishing’s Going Well
The brigade operates as an independent military organization. In other words, Ghislaine meant she wanted to create an army comprised solely of wizards.
Claude, who had been staring at Ghislaine with a blank expression for a moment, spoke up.
“How can we create such a thing? Officially, there’s only one mage in our territory.”
The mages in the Penris territory were, in fact, in an ambiguous position.
Officially, they were collaborative mages dispatched from the Tower of the Bloody Flame, but unofficially, they were Ghislaine’s contracted slaves.
Thus, they were in a situation where they couldn’t openly step forward. After all, they were formally affiliated with the Tower.
If it became known that the Tower actively participated in territorial conflicts, it would spell trouble for them.
Of course, they were already operating at a level of denial that barely held together, but, nonetheless, that was how justifications worked. As long as they didn’t make it obvious, they would be fine.
Ghislaine nodded and continued.
“As it stands, we have only Vanessa in our ranks. The others can do the same as now—engage in construction and battles.”
“…….”
“And magicians are gradually starting to appear at our territory, right? They seem to be sniffing around for something to eat.”
“Well, yeah. The rumor about a 6th Circle Mage has started to spread.”
After the war with Desmond, whispers began to circulate about the presence of a 6th Circle Mage in Penris.
In fact, many had witnessed Willow, the 6th Circle Mage, casting her magic just recently.
Given that the Kingdom’s army had come all the way here, it would be strange if the rumors didn’t leak.
“6th Circle Mages aren’t just lying around everywhere, you know? Even if they’re half-baked, that’s not important to the people.”
The 6th Circle is a realm that could rise to the top of the Tower. Thus, the nobles were eager to find out who this mage was.
Even mages without affiliations began to make their way to Penris, one by one.
Some were traveling the world to gain experience, but most were those without talent or opportunities, stuck in stagnation.
And so, they sought to meet a 6th Circle Mage, hoping to receive even a small lesson.
6th Circle Mages were not beings one could meet casually.
Ghislaine nodded in agreement with Claude’s observations.
“Exactly, so let’s gather them. That will increase our number of mages, doesn’t it? The magical forces must be increased somehow.”
There was a limit to what they could procure from the Tower. The Tower wouldn’t be providing much more.
However, in order to fight against the Duke Faction and other great nobles, expanding their magical forces was essential. They likely held far superior mages compared to Desmond.
Eloise, the mage from the Duke Faction, had reached the 7th Circle, and the head of the Tower of the Crimson Flame was also a 7th Circle Mage.
They needed to raise Vanessa’s standing and increase the number of mages quickly.
Claude understood what she meant. But what needed to be done and what was actually possible were two different matters.
“Um, but do you think they will willingly want to belong to the territory? Those cast out for lacking talent might accept it, but those who prefer roaming freely will reject it. You know how mages’ pride and tempers are.”
“Do you think a 6th Circle Mage would turn down an offer for teachings? Plus, we’ll provide ample compensation.”
“Certainly, that might pique their interest. After all, they’re thirsty for advancement. We just need to keep Vanessa’s half-baked mage status under wraps.”
“Right. If they become mages of our territory, they’ll also have access to the Mana Convergence Circle.”
“Please, be careful with your spending? Using too many runestones has us scraping by.”
“When it’s time to spend, we must spend wisely. Let’s get ready to promote this everywhere.”
“Hmmm… What about the Tower Mages?”
“We’ll keep living like this. All happy together.”
“……Let’s do that.”
Claude simply gave up on convincing her. What did the matters of the Tower matter to him? Whether it fell apart or not was none of his concern.
The busy dwarves and mages were drawn in to continue the construction.
Alfoy, twisted from sixty years as a slave, continued to curse without pause.
“What the hell! Why is this never-ending! This pathetic territory! This damn place! How does the man who defeated a god like me look at this!”
Galbarik watched Alfoy and said, “Still, it’s supposed to be a building for the mages, right? They’re pouring a ton of money into it.”
“Hmph! If they want to keep serving me, they’d better be ready to do at least that much!”
Alfoy had rationalized that he was still alive because he was revered here. He wasn’t a mere slave.
It was evident that the new building was extraordinary. There were private accommodations for many mages along with dedicated training facilities.
Massive magic libraries and various conveniences were being developed.
Naturally, Vanessa was the one leading the magical processes for all these facilities.
The dwarves also put in extra effort, taking special care in crafting this building at Ghislaine’s repeated insistence on its significance.
As Alfoy looked at the increasingly tall structure, he muttered, “It looks grand… but doesn’t it resemble the Tower? Is this really our accommodation?”
It was anything but resembling the Tower; it was unmistakably a Tower. Before the structure was even fully complete, Ghislaine gathered everyone and said,
“I’m sure everyone was curious about this building. It’s quite extravagant for a mage’s lodging. First of all, you all know that mages are increasingly arriving in our territory, right?”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Even amidst construction, rumors of the presence of a 6th Circle Mage were spreading more and more.
Belinda frowned slightly and said, “But what are we to do with those who come? We’re currently offering accommodations, but they’re all constantly pestering us to meet the 6th Circle Mage. Just today, two more have shown up.”
The wandering mages had not been able to meet Vanessa.
They couldn’t allow just anyone to meet their territory’s top secret weapon. After all, her identity needed to be kept under wraps.
As such, the mages were stuck, unable to leave the territory, simply sending meeting requests like a puppy desperate to relieve itself.
They existed under the strict control and surveillance of the Penris Army. Even a lower-circle mage causing problems would be a disaster for the commoners.
Ghislaine began to explain.
“The building we’re constructing is the Penris Magic Laboratory. And the head of it will now be Vanessa.”
Vanessa was taken aback by those words.
“Me?”
“Yeah, you’re obviously the highest-ranked 6th Circle Mage in our territory, so it’s only natural for you to be in charge of the laboratory.”
Although it was the truth, the bashful Vanessa’s face flushed red.
“Wait! Why can’t I be the head!?”
As Alfoy interrupted, Ghislaine shook her head.
“You’re the chief of the Tower branch. This is the Penris Magic Laboratory.”
“Um…”
Thinking it over, it made sense. Although it felt increasingly tangled in terms of affiliations, Alfoy had no choice but to back off.
“And we’ll start actively recruiting mages. Let’s first try to win over the mages who have already come to our territory. We plan to have them stay in the laboratory.”
“Wait! Wasn’t it supposed to be our own accommodation?”
As Alfoy chimed in again, Ghislaine nodded.
“It serves as accommodation as well. All mages will stay there to research magic together and train, all while contributing to the territory. When it comes to combat, they will operate as a magical brigade.”
The mention of a magical brigade surprised everyone. It signified they would now be dealing with magical forces in earnest.
Alfoy trembled and asked, “But… are we included in that as well?”
“That’s right.”
“That’s… isn’t that the Tower?”
Without even blinking, Ghislaine replied, “No, it’s the Penris Magic Laboratory.”
“That’s a Tower! We can’t be doing that!”
The idea of mages already affiliated with them joining an organization led by other mages? And conducting magic research and training together?
Helping out was one thing, but actively participating was something else entirely. If this got back to the Tower, there would be chaos.
Still, they could manage to pass it off to some extent. They could at least use the excuse of exchanging knowledge.
But a magical brigade? They had always covertly participated in wars; putting them on the list of a specialized unit could lead to problems regarding previous wars.
This truly seemed like a proposition for collective doom.
Yet, Ghislaine stated firmly, “It’s not the Tower; it’s a magic laboratory, so it’s fine.”
“That’s the Tower! It’s called a Tower!”
“It’s the Penris Magic Laboratory. Combat will only be conducted for defensive purposes, so there’s no need to worry.”
At least that was a bit more reassuring. Claiming they’d helped the territory in a defensive capacity left room for excuses.
However, Alfoy was a man who had experienced it all in Penris. He wouldn’t let such words slide easily.
“……So, you’re not implying that the best defense is an attack?”
“…….”
“Answer me.”
Ghislaine looked at Claude without responding and asked, “When’s the Slave Trader coming?”
“…….”
Claude fell silent, and Alfoy remained quiet too—everyone was silent.
As the quiet settled, Ghislaine continued seriously.
“Mages affiliated with our territory will now receive proper lessons in magic from Vanessa. While helping with territorial matters is important, we need to swiftly enhance their skills. Everything necessary will be supported by the territory.”
Vanessa was once again taken aback by these words.
“Me?”
“Yeah, now you’re going to teach magic to the mages. They all need to level up.”
“I-I can’t possibly take on such a big responsibility…”
“No, you can do it. You have the highest circle in this territory, right? And your explanations… you’re the best at them.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. If you asked Vanessa a question, you’d likely be stuck listening to at least an hour of explanation.
Vanessa enjoyed researching magic to the point of decomposition. Therefore, she could explain things more clearly and thoroughly than anyone else.
If the mages devoted themselves to research and training, their skills would surely rise quickly.
The decision was made; now only the execution remained. Despite Vanessa constantly showing signs of embarrassment and refusal, Ghislaine’s will was unyielding.
And so, the Penris Magic Laboratory was established, with Vanessa at the helm.
“Oh, and while Vanessa is the commander of the magical brigade, Lowell will serve as an advisor.”
Lowell was equally surprised.
“Me? I’m busy enough already.”
“It’s just an advisory role during warfare. Don’t worry about it.”
“Hmm…”
Although Vanessa was in charge, she lacked military insight. Someone who had studied military science needed to assist her.
Ghislaine was also considering reformatting their military structure soon. Until now, she had led everything single-handedly, but now the scale demanded a distribution of authority.
After the laboratory launched, meetings with wandering mages began to be steadily scheduled one by one.
Ghislaine called Claude.
“Listen carefully; don’t let any of the mages that come here leave the territory.”
“Huh? Why? Am I supposed to keep them locked up?”
“No, no. Convince them to make them all affiliated with our territory. You can do that, right?”
“……Why do I have to do that? Why can’t you, Lord? I’m busy with so much already.”
“No, you’re the best fit for this task. I trust you.”
“……Great.”
With her mild praise, Claude nodded with a smirk.
The first mage he met was a middle-aged 3rd Circle Mage. Sticking out his legs arrogantly, Claude tilted his chin up.
“Hm, so you want to meet our territory’s 6th Circle Mage?”
“Yes, if given the chance, I’d like to receive even a small lesson.”
The mage gazed at Claude with eager eyes.
He looked a bit arrogant, but he was rightly cautious since he was conversing with the Chief Officer of a great territory. How could a mere 3rd Circle Mage dare act rudely?
In a subtle tone, Claude responded to the mage.
“It’s not just anyone who can meet her… What about becoming our territory’s exclusive mage? You’d get to learn from a 6th Circle Mage and receive full support from the territory.”
“Exclusive… mage?”
“Right, it’s not a big deal. You already know our territory is wealthy, right? We’re also constructing a new… no, a laboratory, and we plan to offer personal Mana Convergence Circles to mages.”
“Gasp!”
The mage was taken aback. There wasn’t a place that would extend such support to someone like him—a talentless wandering mage.
It was a staggering offer. He had been tired of wandering around, studying alone, so the idea was appealing.
However, as a mage, he held a healthy level of skepticism.
“Why… go so far for someone like me?”
“Because our territory is more short-staffed in terms of mages than you might think; we’re providing exceptional treatment to the first to arrive. If you decide late, there may not be any slots left. Opportunities like these should be grabbed quickly.”
It sounded a bit like a salesman’s pitch, but it was also persuasive enough. As the mage gulped and pondered, Claude pressed on.
“We’ll take care of your accommodation and make all necessary arrangements; you won’t need to worry about other things. Just focus on training and leveling up.”
“Will that really be enough for me?”
It was the perfect dream job. Not only was it rare to have a 6th Circle Mage teach you, but to receive a Mana Convergence Circle too?
And all he had to do was train hard? For a mage, it was the best condition.
Claude nodded with a gentle smile on his lips.
“Of course, you’d only need to help out a little whenever things get busy at the territory. Our territory isn’t too hectic. Right now, it seems a bit ‘busy’ just because we’re stabilizing it.”
The mage nodded. It was only natural for an affiliated mage to contribute to the territory’s development. There wasn’t anything particularly special about that.
Claude subtly slid a document across and continued,
“It’s a 30-year contract. Not too long, right?”
Compared to the absurd length of the previous 278-year contract, it was indeed a short one.
