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Chapter 77

"Will you cooperate?"

Barus\'s face as he spoke showed he had already made up his mind.

No matter what I said, the outcome wouldn\'t change.

It seemed he was planning to use me as a hostage to get help from the academic society...

\'Then they\'ll probably release me only after the war is over.\'

If that happened, not only would I not receive the reward for participating in the war, but my growth would also be halted while I was captured.

An absolutely unacceptable scenario.

\'I can\'t let that happen.\'

To break the situation, I slowly looked around.

Dozens of spearheads aimed at me.

The door locked, closing off the room.

And a device to suppress magic.

\'A frontal breakthrough is impossible.\'

It was absurd to try to defeat all these people and escape in this situation.

Even if it were possible, there was another problem.

What kind of repercussions would follow?

They might frame me for everything and make it impossible for me to even set foot in Asternon.

They seemed to have enough power to do that.

Therefore, I had to find another way.

Preferably a win-win situation for both sides.

\'If possible, it\'s best to give them what they want...\'

Actually, if that happened, there wouldn\'t be any problem at all.

That is, if I could get the elder mages of the academic society to participate in the war.

Then Barus would have no reason to hold me hostage any longer, and I could get my reward.

However.

\'Would that be possible?\'

It was easier said than done; it was a preposterous idea.

Who am I to make such a request to a high-ranking mage?

Even if I begged them, they probably wouldn\'t even look at me...

Probably...

Wait a minute.

\'...Is it possible?\'

Thinking about it carefully, it seemed possible.

Until now, I had only thought of asking high-ranking mages from the academic society whom I had never met before, but there was no need for that, was there?

Instead, I could ask a mage I was acquainted with.

There was even someone who immediately came to mind.

A man who almost broke off relations with me when we met again after a long time, but who was still friendly towards me in the end.

The head of the academic society, Asion Gale.

\'If not anyone else, if it\'s the head of the academic society...\'

If I could persuade him well, it might be possible.

Moreover, if I got help from the head of the academic society, there was a high possibility of additional benefits.

Other high-ranking mages who were close to Asion Gale or followed him.

They wouldn\'t just stand by and watch the head of the academic society participate in the Great War alone.

They would naturally lend their support.

When my thoughts reached that point, I slowly began to speak.

"Yes, I will cooperate."

"You\'ve made a wise choice. As expected of a mage, you\'re a quick thinker. While you\'re here, I\'ll make sure you\'re comfortable..."

"No. That\'s not the kind of cooperation I\'m offering."

"...What do you mean?"

As you know, negotiation should be done on equal footing.

At Barus\'s question, I leaned back against the backrest behind me.

The situation had changed.

From a damn hostage situation to a one-on-one business meeting.

"You mentioned high-ranking mages. Would an 8th Circle mage suffice?"

"That\'s true, but... Are you saying you\'re going to ask for their support directly?"

Perhaps flustered, Barus\'s tone rose slightly.

Instead of answering right away, I nodded my head towards the guards.

"First, please dismiss them."

"..."

After a moment of contemplation, Barus quickly made up his mind.

"Everyone, leave."

"Yes, sir!"

Chuck, chuck.

Thump, thump, thump!

With a single word, the guards rushed out.

Seeing this, I realized that power is indeed a good thing.

As the room became quiet, Barus spoke first.

"I hope you\'re not bluffing. I hate those who play tricks."

Shing.

With a low voice, he drew a thin sword that had been mounted on the wall.

The blade was gleaming, clearly a fine sword.

The fact that he had such a thing meant that he knew how to use a sword.

Of course, there was no reason for me to be intimidated.

"Don\'t worry. I hate bluffing too."

"Is that so?"

Tap, tap, tap...

Returning to his seat, Barus repeatedly tapped the table with his finger.

Seeing him staring at my face, he was probably trying to read my expression.

"I\'m glad. You don\'t have the face of a liar."

"Because it\'s not a lie."

"Good, then tell me. How exactly are you going to bring an 8th Circle mage here?"

Barus quickly decided to believe me, and I began to tell him my plan step by step.

Of course, it wasn\'t anything special.

The plan was just to go to the head of the academic society and ask him for help.

"So, you\'re saying there\'s an 8th Circle mage you\'re acquainted with?"

"Yes. If I ask him politely, he\'ll probably listen to me. He\'s very fond of me."

"Huh..."

"However, there are a few conditions."

"Tell me."

The reason I set conditions was that no matter how friendly Asion Gale was towards me, I couldn\'t just receive help one-sidedly.

\'He\'s not a pushover.\'

From special privileges related to the academy to the admission of Kayla and Thompson. And even the support of materials for the war.

The head of the academic society had already given me a lot of support.

\'Honestly, it\'s burdensome now.\'

Just as there\'s giving, there should also be receiving.

I was determined to settle this with this opportunity.

I spoke of the items I had in mind beforehand.

"I would like you to provide me with magic-related elixirs, a top-grade magic book that has been kept confidential, and 10,000 gold coins that can be used for support."

"...What? Are you serious?"

Barus asked back with a dumbfounded look, but I nodded without any hesitation.

"Of course."

Asion Gale had already reached the 8th Circle and was running a prestigious academy along with the academic society.

As such, ordinary things wouldn\'t even catch his eye.

This much was needed to satisfy him.

In fact, I had carefully chosen things that would appeal to the head of the academic society.

First, magic-related elixirs.

\'No mage can refuse this.\'

From elixirs that increase maximum mana to those that increase mana regeneration rate, mana density, mana sensitivity, and so on.

There are many types, but the production process is complex and time-consuming, so the demand for elixirs is absolutely higher than the supply.

In other words, they are precious.

Because of this, mages tend to rush towards elixirs like starving people.

That\'s because they are not easy to obtain even with a lot of money.

Surely, Asion Gale would be similar.

Well, I don\'t know if he\'s aiming for the 9th Circle.

Anyway.

\'The same goes for magic books.\'

In Asternon, there is a separate space where magic books that are deemed unsuitable for public release are kept.

It\'s called the \'Forbidden Library,\' and only those related to the royal family can access it.

And the magic books there have a value similar to elixirs.

Not because of their effects, but simply because of the content they contain.

Mysterious magic books that the royal family has directly prevented from being circulated in the market.

What better way to satisfy a mage\'s endless thirst for knowledge?

And finally.

10,000 gold coins.

The reason for this was simple.

\'Money is always the best.\'

Asion Gale is famous for sparing no expense when it comes to the development of the academy.

As such, he would always need a lot of money.

10,000 gold coins is a huge amount, enough to cover the cost of running the academy for a while, so the head of the academic society would surely be happy.

In other words, all three are attractive rewards for the head of the academic society.

With this much, I thought I could persuade the head of the academic society without any problems.

Of course, on the premise that Barus agrees.

But...

"That seems a bit difficult. Would you lower the conditions?"

Was it too burdensome?

After much deliberation, he conveyed his refusal.

Because the conditions were too high.

Honestly, to me, it just sounded like he was testing me.

Lower what? This is a great deal.

"Please reconsider. This is about bringing in an 8th Circle mage."

"But acquiring elixirs and undisclosed magic books isn\'t as easy as you think. Especially to enter the library, I need permission, and that process is more complicated than you might expect. 10,000 gold coins is also... honestly, a burden."

He was saying this and that, but in the end, it meant that the deal wasn\'t profitable enough for him.

However, from my perspective, Barus had miscalculated.

"Then are you really going to take me hostage and threaten the academic society? Something like, \'I\'ll kill him if you don\'t participate in the war\'?"

The outcome of that was obvious.

The academic society and the Asternon government would be completely at odds.

They would harbor animosity towards each other, waiting for an opportunity to devour the other.

In the long run, there was no worse choice than this.

"I wonder if it\'s the right decision to turn your back on the academic society to overcome a momentary crisis. Well, it\'s up to you."

"..."

With that, I calmed down the excitement that had risen from my frustration.

I had explained enough.

Anyone with a proper mind would make the right decision.

Fortunately.

"...Alright. I\'ll do as you say."

Barus was a man with a proper mind.

He also seemed a bit indecisive.

In any case.

"That\'s a wise choice. There will be good results."

"However, there\'s something we need to clarify."

"What is it?"

"Tell me what you\'re going to do with all those things. I need to know that to make a decision. Oh, and tell me who the 8th Circle mage you mentioned is."

Barus said so and added an explanation while holding up his teacup.

"If they\'re not as powerful as I expect, they won\'t be able to fill the shortage of our forces."

Come to think of it, I hadn\'t mentioned who it was yet.

"I can answer that all at once."

I spoke, anticipating Barus\'s reaction inwardly.

"All the support you provide will go to the academic society."

"...To the academic society? Not for your own use?"

"Yes, it\'s a reward for him for participating in the war."

"Wait, does that mean...?"

"Yes, you\'re probably right."

Even if I only said this much, Barus should be able to understand.

Because there\'s only one 8th Circle mage belonging to the academic society.

A magic genius who reached the 8th Circle at a young age.

The current head of Asion Academy.

The creator of Body Transformation magic.

My reliable backing.

Asion Gale.

Was he surprised by that fact?

"...Keuk, Kuahahaha!"

Suddenly, Barus started laughing.

Even while laughing, his gaze was fixed on me, as if he was fascinated.

"What\'s so funny?"

"Ah, I\'m sorry. This situation is just so amusing."

Barus, who was still laughing, said while holding his head with his hand.

"Hehehe, I thought I brought in a novice mage... but I brought in a monster! I can already see your potential!"

For some reason, Barus seemed to like me.