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Chapter 661
Chapter 661
For Justice. (3)
Everyone who heard Ghislain's words was left speechless.
Thirty percent of the gold mine's revenue? That was practically a demand to keep profiting from it indefinitely.
Julien and Deneb let out hollow laughs, dazed.
Ё ń ú ma.іd
'His nerve is on another level.'
'He's fundamentally different from us.'
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Kyle and Dark both nodded together.
'That’s a valuable lesson.'
'The master is the master for a reason.'
Rio swallowed hard.
W̌е̃b̀ ň о v е l̊ Е́ n̆ ū mӓ
If he followed Ghislain’s terms, he wouldn’t have to pay 30,000 gold immediately, but in the long run, he would end up giving much more forever.
It was certainly an excessive condition, but given the urgency of the situation, it wasn't entirely unacceptable. The real issue lay elsewhere.
As Rio hesitated, Ghislain smiled leisurely.
"If you don’t like the deal, I’ll just leave."
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"N-No, it’s not that. There’s just a problem with agreeing to such terms."
"What problem?"
W̌е.b̌n̈о v ӗ l Еńu m̀ a
"I was planning to give up the gold mine. My priority is saving my family and the merchant guild. But if you demand a share of the mine’s revenue…"
Rio trailed off. If he agreed to such terms, he wouldn’t be able to abandon the mine.
So, he offered a different condition.
"How about thirty percent of our merchant guild’s shares instead? I believe it would be better to transfer the gold mine to the lord."
Rio had no intention of being greedy. If he lost, he would lose everything anyway. He had no choice but to bet everything on Ghislain.
Ghislain smirked and nodded. In truth, from their conversation thus far, he had already deduced that the Larks Merchant Guild intended to give up the mine.
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He had simply been waiting for Rio to propose such a condition himself.
"Agreed. But how about adjusting the wording slightly?"
"In what way?"
"Instead of specifying the Larks Merchant Guild, let’s include everything under the Larks family. If the contract only names the guild, you could just change its name to get around the agreement."
Rio nodded without hesitation. To him, there was no real difference. Most of the family’s assets came from the merchant guild anyway.
That, of course, was exactly what Ghislain had been aiming for.
E ńŭmä . і̀d_
"Understood. I’ll agree to that. Shall we draft the contract now?"
"Don’t you need your family head’s approval?"
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"No. My father was already suffering from old age, and after this incident, he’s in such shock that he can barely move. He has entrusted all authority to me."
Even if his father opposed it, Rio would have pushed forward regardless. Losing everything was not an option.
Right now, securing the survival of his family and the guild took precedence over any minor losses.
The contract was quickly finalized. Now, all that remained was for Ghislain to win the duel against the war chief.
Е̌ n̂ ù ṁ а
The three men watching Ghislain clicked their tongues in awe.
‘He actually managed to pull that off.’
‘Is this even okay?’
‘If he gets 30% for life, that amount will be astronomical.’
Even as Rio signed the contract, he felt a chill run down his spine.
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‘Why… does it feel like I just made a deal with the devil?’
It was as if he had sold his soul to save his family.
Ê n ū m̄а̀
But Rio quickly shook his head, clearing away such thoughts. These were the only people who knew his circumstances and were willing to help him.
Mistaking such a kind person for a devil he should be ashamed of himself for being so ungrateful.
As the contract was finalized, Ghislain smiled.
"By the way… since things have worked out well, we’ll be seeing each other a lot in the future. How about we drop the formalities a bit?"
"Huh?"
"I think I’m older than you."
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"Older…?"
Rio looked at Ghislain suspiciously.
As a proper mage, Astion rarely saw sunlight, which made him look much younger. His small frame only added to the effect.
To anyone looking, Rio clearly seemed like the older one.
Had it been Julien, Deneb, or Kyle saying something like this, he might have accepted it. At least they looked close to his age but Ghislain declared it so boldly that it almost seemed shameless.
"It’s because I’m a mage. I’m actually quite a bit older than I look."
Е̌n ú m̌ а
"I-Is that so?"
"So just think of me as an older brother. Let’s be comfortable with each other."
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Who was he to refuse? Ghislain was the one holding his family’s lifeline.
With a gentle personality matching his innocent-looking face, Rio nodded without resistance.
"Understood. If anything, you’ve extended a hand to my family in our time of crisis. I will address you as my elder brother, Lord Astion."
Ghislain was publicly using Astion’s name since the latter would need to step into the spotlight later.
Ё nŭ m̊a
Satisfied that Rio had accepted his suggestion, Ghislain smiled.
"Good, let’s get along from now on."
He genuinely intended to maintain a close relationship with Rio. After all, he planned to milk no, receive assistance from him for a long time.
And for Rio, who had such a kind heart, Ghislain was preparing a truly grand gift.
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Something so shocking that it might just make him faint.
Now, all that was left was to wait for the duel.
É n u m ӓ. і d̊
As Ghislain grinned while holding the contract, Astion’s voice rang inside his head.
— You… What are you scheming this time?
‘Oh, you’re awake?’
— Yeah… What’s going on right now? Why did you make such a contract?
Astion was still unaware of the current situation, having just regained consciousness.
Ghislain explained everything honestly.
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After listening, Astion was utterly stunned.
— W-What do you mean?!
‘I mean, I just set things up so that if I win, I’ll be getting 30% of all revenue from the House of Larks. A very, very good situation.’
— Y-You idiot! That means you’ll be going against the lord! He won’t just sit back and watch!
‘I know.’
— You know, and you’re still doing this?! Those kids aren’t strong enough to handle something like this!
Е̇ n̄ úmă
‘Tsk, tsk. I’ve got everything under control. No need to worry. From now on, the House of Larks will be an endless source of money for our mercenary corps and a great sponsor.’
— Uuuugh…
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Astion felt like he was going insane. He had trusted Ghislain to guide their friends and make them stronger, but then he pulled something this reckless!
There was a reason Astion had been so cautious until now. He had always tried to avoid making powerful enemies.
And yet, this lunatic was openly planning to turn the lord into an enemy?! Did he not even understand the concept of fear?
— Baron Magrel is the absolute ruler of this region!
Èn u m̈ а . i.d̈
At those words, Ghislain couldn’t hold back his laughter.
‘Pfft! Absolute ruler, you say?!’
Dark, who had been listening, burst into laughter as well.
‘Master! These guys are hilarious! If they saw Duke Delfine, they’d probably pass out! Puhahaha!’
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Astion was taken aback by their reaction.
— W-Why are you laughing? W-What’s so funny?!
Wẽbn̄ ӧv̀_êľ Е́ n̆ ü m̃a
‘He’s just the lord of a tiny barony. Isn’t calling him an absolute ruler a bit much?’
— You idiot! He’s still a noble! How are those kids, who only just left the countryside, supposed to handle a lord?!
‘Sigh, don’t worry about it. It’s not like this is my first time dealing with nobles like him.’
Ghislain had fought against kingdoms and shaken the entire continent. There was no reason for him to be afraid of some minor baron.
But since Astion had no idea who he truly was, he kept freaking out.
— And you can’t even use magic! Hurry up and learn some spells from me at least!
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Astion was a 5th-Circle Mage. If the enemy was just some baron’s soldiers, he could escape with the others without much trouble. That’s how powerful a 5th-Circle Mage was.
The problem was that Ghislain couldn’t use magic at all.
But he simply replied with confidence.
‘I don’t need it. 5th-Circle magic is too weak.’
— W-What did you just say?!
‘Why would I bother wasting time studying something weak? If it were 9th-Circle magic, maybe I’d consider it.’
En̆ù m̃а̀. і d̀
— You dumbass! How is 5th-Circle weak?! Do you think 9th-Circle magic is a joke?! Have you even seen 9th-Circle magic before?!
‘I have.’
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He had nearly died from a dragon casting 9th-Circle magic.
As he recalled his battle with Asterion, the name Alfoi suddenly came to mind.
‘Come to think of it, I guess 5th-Circle isn’t that weak. A 5th-Circle mage can at least block a dragon’s 9th-Circle magic… though they’d need some preparation.’
― Stop talking nonsense! How could a 5th-Circle mage possibly block a dragon’s 9th-Circle spell!
Еnum ä . id́
‘Ha, this is frustrating. Even Alfoi could do it.’
― Who the hell is Alfoi?! Stop spewing crazy talk!
Astion kept ranting, but Ghislain simply ignored him. After throwing a fit on his own and exhausting himself, Astion eventually gave up.
― Ugh… If things get dangerous, call me right away. Promise me!
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‘Hm? What do you mean? Didn’t you say it was hard for you to stay conscious?’
― I meant exactly what I said. Now, if you call me, I can wake up for brief moments.
Ê n̊ ǔmӓ . їd̄
‘That’s possible?’
― I’ve been working on expanding my mental world. Your consciousness is too vast for me to coexist with… and with Dark in there as well…
‘Aha. You’re not ordinary either, are you?’
Ghislain smirked with admiration.
Expanding one’s mental world wasn’t an easy task. Even Ghislain himself had only managed to do so after overcoming countless experiences and hardships.
Thanks to that effort, he had been able to accept Dark’s consciousness without much difficulty.
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But Astion lacked such experience. That was why he hadn’t been able to withstand Ghislain’s overwhelming consciousness.
Yet, it seemed he had figured out a way on his own.
Astion spoke again in a weary voice.
― I can’t stay awake for long. If I want to handle your presence, I’ll need to expand my mental world even more… But if you wake me up, when necessary, I can give you brief advice. It’s also a form of training for me.
Forcing himself into meditation - in a way - but for a mage this was crucial. The more one grasped the laws of the world, the closer one could get to transcendence.
‘Got it. I’ll call you whenever I need guidance.’
Ẇеb̀ n о̊v ê l Е̊ n̊ ŭḿ а
― I’ll rest for now, but make sure to wake me if things get dangerous. Got it?
‘Yeah, don’t worry and get some proper rest. As for magic… I’m thinking of learning some convenient spells later, but I’m too busy for that right now.’
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― Ugh… Of all the people I could have ended up with, it had to be an unreasonable brute like you…
Astion grumbled a few more times before falling back into slumber. It seemed he was determined to focus on meditation and expanding his mental world.
After the conversation ended, Rio cautiously asked,
“Are… are you alright?”
E̊ nūm̆ а́
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Well, you just looked like you were in pain for a moment…”
Rio’s face was filled with concern.
Ghislain had suddenly smirked to himself and shaken his head several times, as if he were conversing with an invisible person.
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From an outsider’s perspective, he seemed seriously unwell. It would be a huge problem if the one going into battle ended up losing his mind.
Seeing Rio fidget nervously, Ghislain clicked his tongue.
Ẇ ӗ bn̈_ov̂ еĺ Еň_ŭm̈ӓ
“It's fine, so don’t worry.”
‘I should be a bit more careful from now on.’
It seemed that to others, he really did look quite unsettling.
After that, there was no need to call Astion for a while. As Ghislain spent his days being treated lavishly by the Larks Merchant Guild, the long-awaited duel day finally arrived.
The duel location was set at the headquarters of the Larks Merchant Guild, as per Baron Magrel’s insistence. His intention to make a spectacle out of the fight for the guild members was blatantly obvious.
“The lord is here! The lord has arrived!”
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Several people shouted in loud voices.
Rio led Ghislain’s group forward at a slow pace, his face tense with anxiety.
Baron Magrel was an elderly man. His greed was so apparent that one could almost see the kind of life he had lived just by looking at him.
He arrived accompanied by several knights and dozens of soldiers. Even that much was enough to strike fear into the guild members.
Baron Magrel sneered as he looked at Rio, whose face was stiff with tension.
“I’ll give you credit for not running away. I heard you found a mercenary to fight as your champion?”
Е́ ǹũ m̆ ă . і d
“Y-Yes, that’s right.”
Timid as ever, Rio couldn’t even meet the lord’s eyes and kept his head lowered. His body was already trembling.
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Baron Magrel’s smirk deepened. The outcome was already clear to him.
‘I’ve found you irritating for a while, but this worked out perfectly.’
He had tolerated Rio so far because the guild paid a hefty sum in taxes. But the more the Larks Merchant Guild grew, the more he wanted to seize it for himself.
When part of a gold mine ended up under the guild’s ownership, he could no longer hold back. That was why he had bribed the guild’s chief overseer.
Ė nu m а.і́ d̊.
It had been an easy task. The moment he promised a hefty reward, the chief overseer betrayed the guild without hesitation.
‘Well, I’ll have to kill that fool soon too.’
There was no benefit in keeping someone alive who knew too much. Even if it was a so-called open secret, it was still better to erase all loose ends.
Before long, a large crowd gathered in the open space. Some were spectators, while others were nobles from neighboring territories who had come to officiate the duel.
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None of them doubted Baron Magrel’s victory. They were simply here to exchange pleasantries and enjoy the banquet afterward.
As the crowd settled, one of Baron Magrel’s retainers stepped forward and shouted,
Е n̄u_ṁа̌
“A knight who wields an unyielding sword and upholds an unbreakable vow! A guardian of honor who fights for his lord with pride…”
The retainer went on and on, his voice full of admiration as he introduced someone. Since the challenging side was required to present their champion first, it was a lengthy introduction.
Once the grandiose speech finally ended, a knight clad in armor stepped forward.
Thud, thud, thud.
With heavy footsteps, the strongest knight of Baron Magrel’s domain, Bendoc, walked into the arena. His rough features and massive build left a strong impression.
“Who will face me?”
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Bendoc’s voice was rough, perfectly matching his intimidating appearance.
His overwhelming presence alone was enough to justify his title as the strongest knight in the barony. Most of the spectators shrank back, unable to meet his gaze.
Rio, visibly afraid, glanced at Ghislain. Julien, Deneb, and Kyle also looked at him, assuming he would be the one to step forward.
But Ghislain had no intention of participating in such an easy (?) fight.
He raised his voice and shouted toward Bendoc,
“The commander of our Julien Mercenary Corps! Sir Julien will be your opponent!”
Е n̈ǔ m а̂
Then, as if presenting him to the crowd, Ghislain extended his hand toward Julien.
All eyes turned to him.
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“…Huh?”
Caught completely off guard, Julien could only blink in shock.
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