Alpoi wasn't originally someone so vulnerable to praise.
Back when he lived in the Magic Tower, he was an arrogant and confident man.
He believed he lacked neither background nor talent and lived with that self-assurance.
'Yes, I am Alpoi. A man who doesn't know how to give up.'
But the constant hardships he faced after coming to Ghislain had significantly diminished his self-esteem.
Lately, he didn't even know why he was alive, and sometimes, he would feel inexplicably melancholic.
However, hearing such an outpour of praise after so long made him feel as though the confidence of his Magic Tower days was returning.
"Of course, I can do it! It's just, well… I'm a bit tired, so I was testing the Lord. It's not actually that difficult. If I couldn't handle something like this, could I even call myself the successor of the Magic Tower?"
When Alpoi spoke arrogantly, the mages beside him looked at him in shock.
They had known him long enough to be well aware of his flaws.
They knew he was full of bluster and lost his sense of reality whenever he was showered with praise.
Before the uneasy mages could stop him, the praise poured in again.
"As expected, truly fitting of the successor to the Magic Tower. Such boldness is rare."
"This is why the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower is considered the best in the North!"
"With someone like him as the successor, the Magic Tower's future is indeed bright."
Even Ghislain joined in, giving a thumbs-up and stoking the atmosphere further.
"You're amazing, Alpoi."
Such high praise was rare coming from him, making the compliment even more significant.
"Tch… When was I not?"
Alpoi, with a smug expression, began to bask in the glory.
Claude sealed the deal by pointing to Alpoi's hand and saying, "Hey, bro! Do you know what kind of hand that is, the one you use for magic?"
"…My right hand?"
"That's not what I meant, you idiot… No, the magic that begins with your hand will bring miracles to this estate! That's why your hand is none other than a miracle hand! It's not about right or left! You idiot…"
"Wow! Alpoi, the miracle hand!"
Interrupting Claude's words, the people erupted in cheers. Having started the emotional labor, they decided to see it through to the end.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
As the applause rang out, Alpoi grew increasingly confident.
Watching this, Claude whispered to Wendy with a pitying gaze he didn't bother to hide.
"That guy needs more of life's bitter lessons. Growing up pampered in the Magic Tower like that, he has no sense of reality. How did the Tower Lord even raise him?"
'You're the worst of them all.'
Wendy didn't reply and just thought to herself.
The more the applause and cheers continued, the higher Alpoi's nose lifted.
The flustered mages tried to pull at his sleeves and stop him, but it was no use.
As the atmosphere reached a fever pitch, Ghislain asked in a subtle voice.
"So, do you think you can finish it within the deadline? It needs to be done as soon as possible… Or is it too difficult even for the genius mage Alpoi?"
At those words, everyone held their breath and looked at Alpoi.
He scanned the faces filled with expectation and slowly ran a hand through his hair.
Then, with an exceedingly arrogant and pompous expression, he raised one hand.
"Don't worry, I, Alpoi, will handle everything!"
"Wow! That's Alpoi for you!"
More cheers and applause poured over Alpoi.
With his chin held high to the heavens, Alpoi looked triumphant, while the other mages wore blank, defeated expressions.
***
'Why did I say that, knowing I couldn't do it?'
Alpoi was now staring at the Rune Stone before him, full of regret.
Receiving a lethal dose of praise after so long had made it impossible to say he couldn't do it.
It would've been too damaging to his pride.
But now that he was faced with the work, there was so much to do that he couldn't even figure out where to begin.
Even now, the construction sites were urgently calling for mages, and the administrative department was pressing him to quickly supply the Rune Stones for the farmland.
Where was all that praise now? Once the work started, everyone had grown unreasonably cold and demanding.
Claude, in particular, was relentless, sending people every hour to check the progress.
― Hey, miracle hand! Hurry up and show us your miracle! When will the work be done, you idiot!
'That bastard! How dare he try to manipulate me with such sweet words? That guy must be casting magic with his mouth.'
That a genius mage like himself had fallen for such words was shameful. It felt as if some sort of 'charm' spell had been cast from that guy's mouth.
If anyone else had heard him, they would have laughed in his face, but Alpoi remained unaware.
He simply bit his nails with a worried expression, muttering to himself.
"No, this won't do. How am I supposed to finish all of this? If I spend a week setting up the mana concentration circle, there won't be time for anything else. The timeline just doesn't work."
Even if all the mages worked on it, they couldn't meet the deadline.
And saying he couldn't do it wasn't an option either. His pride wouldn't allow it.
As the successor of the Magic Tower, Alpoi always had to be dignified and perfect.
As he sat, lamenting his predicament, Vanessa carefully spoke up.
"Um… I might have an idea."
"What is it?"
"I can inscribe the magic circle, but… the problem is mana."
Vanessa was already leading the work on the magic circle.
However, the severe lack of mana meant others had to follow her instructions, slowing the process down.
Alpoi replied bluntly, "So? Are you bragging that you're leading the magic circle work? Wow, what a show-off. Hey, I'm the successor of the Magic Tower, okay? Except for magic circles, I'm better at everything else. I just didn't study it because it's such a niche field."
"No, no, that's not it. If you transfer mana to me… I can try to finish it as quickly as possible."
"What?! No way! You want me to do that again? Are you crazy? What if I die?"
Alpoi and the mages recoiled in shock.
During the war, they had no choice but to endure it, but no one in their right mind would willingly undertake something so dangerous now.
However, Vanessa, unlike her usual self, firmly insisted.
"If we don't, we won't meet the deadline! If we don't meet it, the entire development of the estate will be in jeopardy! Didn't Alpoi say he could do it confidently? If you can't, you'll be humiliated!"
"Hu-humiliated? That can't happen… Uh, then how about using Rune Stones to replenish mana? There are plenty of those."
Vanessa's tone grew even more urgent at the suggestion to use the estate's resources.
"Those are too expensive to use recklessly! No matter how many we have, they don't hold more mana than the mages themselves. To match the amount we'd get from mana transfer, we'd need to use a ton. And we'll need them for future projects too, so the Lord won't approve it."
"Wow, you're suddenly so… articulate."
Alpoi couldn't argue against her perfectly reasonable points and scratched his head, letting out a sigh.
Vanessa coaxed him further.
"I am not going to drain all your mana like during the war. It won't be as dangerous… and the work will finish much faster. Plus, you'll receive even more praise."
"…"
"And if we finish quickly, you can rest for at least a little while. Isn't that better than being humiliated?"
Vanessa's strong persuasion eventually swayed Alpoi and the mages.
"If we transfer mana, how quickly can you finish?"
"Two days! I can do it in two days. That means we'll have at least two more days to rest. If we work together during that time, we can also finish the Rune Stones for the farmland."
"Really… two days?"
"Yes!"
After a long moment of contemplation, Alpoi decided to endure the fear of death for the sake of his pride and some rest.
"You'll do it… gently?"
"Yes!"
When Vanessa received mana transfer, she displayed an incredible level of focus.
Her determination to contribute to the estate's development resulted in a small miracle.
In just two days, she completed a hundred mana concentration circles.
If anyone deserved to be called a 'miracle hand,' it wasn't Alpoi but Vanessa. The only one unaware of this fact was Alpoi.
Regardless, pulling off such a demanding schedule came at a cost.
After finishing the final task, Vanessa was surrounded by twenty-six collapsed mages.
"Ugh… I can't believe we actually did it…"
"This is insane… I feel like I'm dying. Didn't she say she'd do it gently…?"
"That woman… is unhinged…"
Their bodies were emaciated to the point of looking skeletal.
Despite her initial promise to be gentle, Vanessa had drained their mana voraciously once the transfer began, as if venting personal frustrations.
A trembling Alpoi, now almost a skeleton himself, muttered weakly.
"We, we're done with everything… We can rest for two days now, right? Make sure everyone knows I led the success. I can't… afford to be humiliated."
"Yes, yes…"
Vanessa, pale-faced, nodded.
Hearing the confirmation, Alpoi and the mages collapsed on the spot.
Their complexions were haggard, but faint smiles lingered on their faces.
'We're too mana-depleted to move. There's no way the Lord can make us do anything.'
In the end, the mages' plan succeeded.
A week-long task was completed in two days, guaranteeing them at least two days of rest.
When Ghislain heard that the magic circles were complete, even he was astonished and rushed to the scene.
"What the—! You really finished all this in two days? But… is everyone okay? They're not dead, right?"
Looking around, Ghislain gulped nervously.
While finishing quickly was great, everyone's condition looked alarming.
Vanessa, as if to reassure him, smiled faintly.
"Two days of rest… and they'll be fine. The next task is the Rune Stones for the farmland, so it's a simpler job."
"I see. Well, you should rest too."
"No, I'm fine. Alpoi handled everything, so I'm okay. I'll just… double-check a little more…"
Drip.
Vanessa interrupted herself to wipe her nose.
Noticing the crimson liquid on her fingers, she hastily added, "And this magic circle will last longer than previous ones… At least two weeks…"
This was monumental news. A longer duration meant significant savings on Rune Stones.
It truly was the work of a genius mage.
Ghislain didn't believe for a second that Alpoi had done everything. He knew perfectly well that Alpoi and the mages had neglected their studies on magic circles.
But now wasn't the time for such trivialities.
Blood was steadily dripping from Vanessa's nose. Alarmed, Ghislain spoke urgently.
"I'll handle the verification, so go rest. Your nose is bleeding!"
"I'm fine. This happens from overexposure to mana and excessive mental exertion, causing strain on the brain. The solution is…"
In the middle of her long-winded explanation, Vanessa suddenly lost consciousness and toppled forward.
"Vanessa!"
Ghislain caught her by the shoulders, preventing her from falling.
Even for a 6th-circle mage, this must have been no easy feat.
She was already low on mana and had exhausted an immense amount of mental energy.
Yet, Vanessa had pushed herself to the limit to contribute to the estate.
"Ha, good grief…"
Ghislain patted the back of the unconscious Vanessa and smiled.
Usually inconspicuous, she had risen to the occasion when it mattered most.
Her dedication was touching, filling him with gratitude.
And, despite everything, Alpoi and the mages had shown commendable resolve by using the risky mana transfer technique and pushing through.
"They do live up to being part of the Magic Tower when it matters. I'll have to reward them later."
Ghislain had the servants move the mages and immediately summoned Gillian.
"You called for me."
"Gillian, from now on, training and law enforcement will be divided into morning and afternoon shifts."
"Does that mean…?"
"Yes, it's time to begin structural reform."
With a smile, Ghislain turned his gaze forward.
In front of him, a hundred softly glowing, azure magic circles stretched out in neat formation.
[T/L: Please support me and read 15 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]