Alpoi and the mages appeared with relaxed smiles.
They, too, had heard the rumors circulating widely throughout the estate.
The rumor was that Ghislain had made a bet he absolutely couldn't win.
The mages were convinced that Claude would win the bet.
'Heh heh, that wicked fellow is finally going to be humiliated. Well done, Head Butler. I trusted you!'
Alpoi made no attempt to hide his laughter.
How could he not be pleased, knowing that Ghislain was on the verge of a major disgrace?
He snickered to himself, thinking he should've treated Claude better if he'd known this would happen.
The other mages looked equally pleased.
Only Vanessa had her head bowed with a somber expression.
Alpoi cleared his throat a few times and looked Ghislain directly in the eyes.
"Ahem, what was it you called me for?"
Since Ghislain was now a lord, Alpoi couldn't act as casually or speak informally as before.
Even as the heir to the Magic Tower, he didn't receive noble treatment like the tower lord or the elders did.
Ghislain replied with a nonchalant expression.
"Why else would I call you? I need to use some magic. It's an important task, so pay close attention."
"I've heard the rumors. Surely you're not thinking of using magic to artificially enhance the land's fertility, are you?"
"What?"
Ghislain frowned, and Alpoi hastily continued.
"It's impossible for us alone to handle that much reclaimed land! If you forcefully increase the land's fertility, it'll only make the soil even poorer next time, you know that, right?"
With powerful magic or holy power, one could boost soil fertility momentarily.
But no lord actually used that method.
Using it even once would ruin the land. It was a cost paid by forcefully draining its life force.
To resolve the side effects, one would need to draw in surrounding mana every time, which was only possible with high-level mages or priests.
It was much more cost-effective to buy food with that money rather than hire them.
Of course, Alpoi didn't care whether Ghislain's land became a mess or not.
Even if there were no side effects, he wasn't about to help.
"I haven't even learned such magic, and using underhanded methods goes against the spirit of a fair bet."
"What are you talking about? I'm going to set up a magic circle in the clearing behind the castle."
"A magic circle?"
Alpoi clicked his tongue internally.
Since it wasn't for the farmland, but behind the castle, it was probably for some other pointless endeavor.
"Yes, I'm going to create a mana concentration circle using runestones. I'll overlap it with a regeneration magic circle and add other circles as well… No, forget it. What's the point in explaining further to you? I'll skip the detailed explanation."
The mages tilted their heads, puzzled by his explanation.
Not only was the explanation unenthusiastic, but it was also a type of magic circle they had never encountered before.
Feigning confidence, Alpoi asked,
"And what kind of magic circle is this supposed to be, exactly? Do you even know what you're doing?"
"It's something very important. Just get it ready. I'll be checking carefully, so do it thoroughly and quickly. Got it?"
"Tch, it's obvious from the mana concentration circle being the core. Do you think I wouldn't know at least this much?"
A mana concentration circle is a magic circle that uses runestones to artificially gather mana in one place.
If someone trained in mana cultivation techniques within it, they could accumulate mana slightly faster than usual.
Any knight or mage who used mana dreamed of having such a magic circle.
But not just anyone could use it.
The number of runestones needed to create even one concentration circle was immense, and despite that, the circle would last no more than a week.
After just a few days, the runestones would lose their power and shatter.
Unless one was a highly esteemed knight in a wealthy estate, most would never experience a mana concentration circle in their lifetime.
Of course, it might be different in Ghislain's case, who had access to runestones.
'Even Count Balzac, the swordmaster from the famed Delphine Duchy, only got to use it for about a month when he was young due to sponsorship.'
Even the wealthy Delphine Duchy only provided it to a few promising talents for brief experiences.
"Are you going to use it yourself, my lord?"
"Why would I use it?"
Ghislain responded, looking bewildered. Alpoi lifted his chin as he asked,
"If you're not using it yourself… then are you planning to make multiple?"
"Oh, a sharp question. So you're starting to get an idea of what it's for?"
"Hmph, of course. So, how many do you need?"
"About… 200?"
"Pardon?"
The mages were all taken aback by Ghislain's response.
To create 200 mana concentration circles would require an immense number of runestones.
It would likely take as many as were sold to the Magic Tower in previous transactions.
But Alpoi soon nodded as if he understood.
"That does make sense… you'd need that many."
Currently, there are nearly three hundred mercenaries.
To allow all of them to train, that number would indeed be necessary.
"It's great to invest money to grow them quickly, but… spending this much won't allow it to last for long."
Ghislain, a bit surprised, replied,
"Once will be enough. You're sharper than I thought. To have already figured it out, I guess I underestimated you."
Alpoi shrugged, as if inviting more praise.
"Considering what my lord has been doing so far, it would be strange if I didn't know. You always seem to be in a rush."
"You know me well. Anyway, I'm busy, so get everything prepared quickly. If you're unsure about anything, ask Vanessa. She's the best at magic circles here in the estate."
"But why overlap it with other magic circles? I've never seen something like this before… which magic tower's method is this? Unverified magic circles are quite dangerous. Are you confident? And with something this complex, the setup time…"
"You're certainly learned, but do you have to talk so much? Just get it done."
Filled with curiosity like a mage, Alpoi was prying further, but seeing Ghislain's fierce expression, he held back.
He was curious, but any more questions might earn him a punch.
"Well, since you're asking so nicely, I'll give it my best shot."
"Make sure it's perfect. I'll be checking. I guess you're smarter than you look, after all."
Ghislain left with a comment that was hard to tell if it was praise or insult.
Somehow feeling a bit proud, Alpoi puffed out his chest.
"Vanessa, you heard, right? Get ready to make the magic circles. Let's carve them in properly so they last a few days."
"Yes, yes, understood."
Vanessa couldn't hide her surprise.
She had no idea why they were making mana concentration circles, yet Alpoi seemed to understand the lord's intentions right away.
Despite everything, she thought he did live up to his role as the Magic Tower heir.
Alpoi began directing the mages to start inscribing the magic circles in the clearing.
Though they began confidently, their momentum didn't last long.
"Ah, how was this supposed to go?"
"If we do it this way, the magic circuit won't connect properly."
"This isn't really my field…"
Magic circles require careful study to be inscribed properly.
If there's even a minor mistake, the circle won't activate, and sometimes it can even result in dangerous explosions.
And here they were, needing to draw 200 of them, overlapping with unknown magic circles.
Seeing the mages struggling, Vanessa stepped in.
"I-I'll try to fix this part."
"Oh, okay. Give it a try. Here's your chance."
Vanessa carved out each line of the magic circle with meticulous precision. Though it took time due to her low mana, she didn't miss a single line.
She checked parts that others hadn't noticed, and soon, Vanessa held a commanding presence among the mages.
Gradually, Vanessa took control of the situation among the mages.
Alpoi, gradually pushed to the background, kept clearing his throat in embarrassment.
"Wow, she really studied hard. When did she manage all this while doing laundry?"
The other mages nodded in admiration.
They had realized during the last war that, while she lacked mana, her knowledge was substantial.
But now, it was clear she wasn't just 'competent.'
She carved the magic circles without any hesitation, her knowledge perhaps even surpassing that of the elders at the Magic Tower.
Feeling relieved thanks to Vanessa, Alpoi muttered to himself as he helped her from the side.
"What even is this magic circle? I've never seen it before—are we sure it's a proper one? Where did she even get it? Just cramming in good stuff doesn't mean it'll work."
"W-Well, we're just doing as the lord ordered…"
"Maybe it's some secret technique of the Perdium family? But I've never heard of a mage in that family."
After running through various guesses, Alpoi eventually shook his head.
"Eh, let's just follow orders. If anything goes wrong, the lord will take responsibility. Honestly, he's doing all this just to win a bet, huh? Trying to win over the mercenaries with this… Pathetic."
Vanessa's face soured at his muttering, though Alpoi didn't notice.
"Fine, fine. Now fix the circuit over there… No, not there, here… Wait, do you not know? Haven't you studied?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Here, right?"
Her remarks to Alpoi and the other mages began to carry a subtle rebuke, but none of them picked up on it.
***
News of the mana concentration circles spread quickly.
And not just one, but 200!
There was no way the mercenaries, who lived off of rumors, wouldn't hear about it.
Before long, talk of gambling and drinking vanished, and all they discussed was the mana concentration circles.
"The captain will teach us mana cultivation techniques too, right? Most of us don't know them?"
"He's mentioned several times about making us an elite force, so he probably will."
"Well, then, we'll have to sign a long-term contract."
The mercenaries now realized they couldn't keep renewing their annual contracts.
Soon, a new proposal would come, and they'd have to make a choice, one way or the other.
Most likely, they'd use the mana cultivation techniques and mana concentration circles as bait to secure long-term contracts.
Days passed with the mercenaries' anticipation, and finally, the mana concentration circles were completed.
"These mana concentration circles, made by… well, me and Vanessa! Have you ever seen anything like this in your life? Hahaha!"
Alpoi bragged, but the mercenaries ignored him, rushing straight to Ghislain.
As Ghislain inspected each magic circle to ensure they were properly inscribed, he looked slightly surprised at the approaching mercenaries.
"Why are you all coming over so suddenly? I didn't call for you. Is something up?"
Gillian answered on behalf of the group.
"It seems everyone is quite interested in these mana concentration circles."
Seeing the curiosity and anticipation in their eyes, Ghislain smirked.
"There'll be a chance for each of you, so don't worry. Just don't get greedy."
That statement assured the mercenaries.
These mana concentration circles had indeed been prepared for them!
Impatient, Gordon stepped forward.
"So who's going in first? And what about the mana cultivation techniques?"
"Who goes first? …these guys are going in first."
Ghislain answered offhandedly as he extended his hand to the side.
Claude, looking exhausted, placed a pouch on Ghislain's hand.
Ghislain opened the pouch and took out a handful of plump, glossy grains.
As everyone blinked in confusion, Gordon asked again.
"Wait… do you mean those are going in first?"
"Yep."
"But… those are grains?"
"Right."
"Did those grains somehow learn the mana cultivation technique?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Gordon swallowed and asked the final question.
"So, grains are going in first in those expensive mana concentration circles…? Not me?"
"Oh, that's right! How many times do I have to tell you? And why would you be first anyway?"
Ghislain snapped irritably.
Realizing it wasn't a joke, the crowd's expressions twisted.
To think they'd be burning those costly runestones on mere grains, not people!
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]