“You’re reckless. If you were so convinced that I’m a hunter, you should have been more cautious.”
“Why is that?”
“Soon, there will be a major announcement from the royal palace. It will state that hunters should be the first to be deployed when a gate opens. In return, they will be granted a status and authority equivalent to that of nobles.”
That was the key point.
“Hunters don’t face immediate punishment even if they commit crimes.”
It was almost like an exemption privilege.
A new class had been born in a world composed of nobles and commoners.
“Should I put it in simpler terms? It means that even a commoner like me wouldn’t be punished for killing a duke’s daughter.”
“That might be difficult. I’m a hunter too.”
“Just as not all nobles are the same, the same goes for hunters. They are divided into classes based on their power. Or do you need an explanation about the law of the jungle?”
“Ha…”
I was someone who reigned at the pinnacle of the survival of the fittest.
I was not the predator who devoured the weak, but the predator who devoured the strong.
But now, I was hearing such words from a newly awakened youth.
“I am the strong, and you are the weak. That’s the difference between you and me. Crawl on your own.”
It was ridiculous to hear such words.
I burst into laughter.
“Ahaha, how cute.”
***
“Ahaha, how cute.”
Kael’s gray pupils flickered.
It was a phenomenon that occurred when mana surged.
“Oh, please don’t misunderstand. I didn’t mean Magic Tower Lord is cute. I meant that your words were cute just now.”
Whether she sensed the atmosphere or not, she extended her hand and tried to explain herself.
However, the laughter remained. There was no trace of fear anywhere.
“So you’re not in your right mind. Then why don’t you know fear?”
I wanted to twist her fragile neck right away.
But I couldn’t move recklessly.
“Touching that would lead to a big problem.”
“That’s not something you should touch.”
“Touch it, and you’re done for.”
It wasn’t just because of the interference of the Holy See saying such things.
Ever since I faced her, I felt an indescribable sense of powerlessness.
Like facing a massive mountain.
“Since I heard something cute, I’ll give you some information. The monsters that came out of the gate yesterday were not all eliminated.”
“…The gate has been closed.”
“You saw it just a moment ago, didn’t you? The gate and the monsters are irrelevant. What’s important is the boss. The gate that opened yesterday was just a tutorial, so there was no appearance of the boss. Ask the Holy See for more details.”
As if signaling that she would stop answering questions, Astel took out a core from the storage box.
Fourteen cores spilled onto the desk.
Kael’s eyes widened.
“It’s really fourteen cores. Did you handle all of this by yourself?”
“Well, you know? I only brought back the ones that were worth using, excluding the ones that were too damaged.”
Kael slightly furrowed his brows and quickly relaxed them.
‘She must have dealt with at least fourteen of them.’
Even for a black mage like him, it wasn’t an easy task.
‘But she’s not a mage.’
To double-check, Kael examined her again, but the result was the same.
He couldn’t sense any mana from Astel.
Complete emptiness.
It was the first time he encountered a situation where he couldn’t even tell if the other person had mana.
‘It’s probably one of two possibilities. Either she has absolutely no mana… or she has so much that it can’t be detected.’
Even if she were a swordsman, it didn’t make sense.
If she had used a sword, there would have been sword marks on the monsters’ sides, not holes.
What kind of specialization could allow her to pierce through the monsters’ sides and extract the cores?
‘Repair the broken cores with mana and use them to create a barrier.’
‘Creating a barrier using monster cores…’
Astel was truly an astonishing person. How did she come up with such a groundbreaking idea?
The rumor of the crazy princess had spread in such a bizarre manner.
Kael concealed his admiration inwardly and calmly replied.
“What’s the difference between a normal barrier and this?”
“If we set up a barrier using the cores, monsters won’t be able to enter it. Of course, it would be useless if the gate were to open within the barrier. In that case, we’d be doomed.”
“The cores have such a function… I find it hard to believe. Did you hear this from the Holy See?”
“The source is a secret. But I can show you some evidence.”
“Evidence?”
Astel took out a rolled-up parchment from within her robe.
“Here, I’ll show you just a small part. Keep your eyes open.”
She partially unfolded the parchment and quickly rolled it back up.
“Did you see? Do you understand what it is?”
An expression of astonishment, which Kael had tried to keep composed, couldn’t be hidden from his face. Even without seeing the whole thing, he was convinced.
“…It’s a spell. A magic spell for creating barriers with cores…”
“As expected of the Magic Tower Lord.”
“Where… did you obtain it?”
“At a shop.”
“What? There are spells available at shops too?”
“Naturally. And there are probably plenty of them. You just have to search well.”
“I can’t believe it…”
Kael had undoubtedly opened a shop himself.
However, it was filled with letters smaller than grains of rice, and merely looking at it caused unbearable pain, so he ended it.
“After that, I didn’t even dare to look at it… It was a mistake.”
Kael’s bitter heart was filled with regret.
“What do you want?”
“I’ll lend you the spell. You can use it to create the barrier.”
“Lending it to me… It means you’re asking for a fee.”
“Our words are in sync. The fee is 80% of the selling price.”
“By distributing it like that, nothing will be left.”
“But there are leftover spells. Weren’t spells more important to mages than money?”
That statement was true. With just one proper spell, one could create new magic.
“If it’s too burdensome, there’s another option.”
“What is it?”
“You give 1% of the selling price as points.”
It was a striking proposition.
“The point part bothers me… but if it’s 1%, it’s manageable.”
“Good. Let’s make a contract.”
When Kael reached out his hand towards the parchment, Astel smiled and shook her head.
“It’s not over yet.”
“What else is there?”
“The barrier created with the cores doesn’t last long. The duration varies depending on the monster’s level.”
“The same goes for barriers created with magic stones, right…?”
“Well, those probably won’t even last two weeks. That’s why barriers created with cores need to be periodically replaced.”
After a brief pause, Astel lightly tapped the shining core with her finger.
As it rolled and fell under the desk with a thud, Kael caught it.
He quietly placed it back on the desk, and Astel smiled with satisfaction, as if praising him.
“This is my proposal. I’ll supply you with the spells and cores. In return, enter into an exclusive contract with me.”
If he borrowed the spells, Kael could memorize and use them.
That’s why the contract was crucial. It ensured that he would pay a fee for every item he created using the spells provided by Astel.
“This is like having a patent,” she thought to herself.
Astel had that self-assured smile, thinking along those lines.
Kael sighed lightly as he looked at Astel.
It seemed impressive just a moment ago, but it seemed like he had been mistaken.
Astel Luteous was nothing more than an ignorant noble girl.
She was clever and the spells were impressive, but that was as far as it went.
“Right now, you’re only demanding deals from the Princess, but it won’t be long before other hunters try to trade cores as well. However, if you enter into an exclusive contract with the Princess, you won’t be able to trade with them.”
“Of course.”
“In that case, are you ensuring that you will provide a quantity and quality that will be sufficient to reject them?”
“Yes.”
“Spella are useless without cores. Show me the evidence.”
“I don’t have it yet.”
“You need to study the basics of negotiation again. A trade is not just about trusting the other party’s words and proceeding. I decline the offer.”
Kael took a blank check from the drawer. After filling in the numbers, signing it, and stamping it, he handed it to Astel.
“I’ll calculate it at the level equivalent to 14 inferior magic stones.”
“Um, that’s fine.”
Kael looked at Astel once again.
She casually had her hood pulled up.
There was no trace of disappointment on her beautiful face.
Instead, she seemed even happier than when they first met.
“I guess you’re not disappointed.”
“I passed. It would have been more satisfying if there had been a feast, though.”
“…I mentioned the amount, didn’t I?”
“Oh, the amount is fine too. I didn’t expect much anyway; it was just for checking the market price.”
“Then what does ‘passing’ mean…!”
A belated realization struck hin.
Astel had only made the proposal today and had no intention of making a deal at all.
It was clear that she had shown him the spells just to see how he would react.
“…You tested me.”
Astel shrugged her shoulders.
“If you had accepted the offer based solely on my words, you would have turned back immediately. I can’t just trade with anyone, can I? You’re quite lucky, Magic Tower Lord.”
In other words, Astel had tested whether Kael was a suitable partner in business.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
“If I can find the same spells at a shop, that will be enough. It might have been difficult if I didn’t know about the existence of the spells, but now that I do, finding them should be easy.”
“Yes, please search diligently.”
“…So there’s still a corner of trust in you. What is it?”
“An indifferent man is not charming. Soon, you’ll discover the reason why you have no choice but to trade with me. Just wait.”
Astel put the check back in the pouch and stood up.
“When that time comes, come find me yourself. I’ll treat you to a cup of tea.”
Kael couldn’t stop her as she turned away.
