Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: The President's Compromise
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“You…… What the hell have you been up to?”
The academy president scanned the contract, his face visibly flustered.
I’d shoved the contract under his nose without any warning, so it was understandable.
From his perspective, though, it was far from a bad deal.
“Take a look. I negotiated hard to make sure your side gets the sweet end of it.”
“It’s impressive, sure, but……”
The president pointed to one clause in the contract.
His finger rested on the provision stating participation in the war outlined in the [Prophecy of the Red Moon], requiring faithful obedience to the command post’s orders.
“Isn’t this basically telling me to join the war right now?”
The president’s face soured.
Of course the reward wasn’t the issue for him at this point.
It was something he could take or leave.
Still, backing down here wasn’t an option.
I stepped forward boldly instead.
“Yes, I’m asking you. Please sign this contract and join the war.”
“Ha, hahaha……”
Was it my audacity?
The president let out a hollow laugh before asking,
“Alright, Yoo Hanes. There must be a reason you brought this contract to me, right?”
“……Yes.”
As expected, I couldn’t convince him without explaining the whole process.
I nodded once and laid out everything that had happened.
Starting from receiving the letter at the checkpoint, nearly getting locked up there, and dramatically negotiating my way out.
After spilling it all, Asion Gail’s reaction was unexpected.
I figured the grand archmage would listen calmly.
“……What? Those bastards threatened you? A student from our academy, no less?”
His face twisted in fury.
Far from calm—he seemed angrier than me, the one involved.
The rumors about Asion Gail cherishing academy members must have been true.
“How dare they forget their place……!”
Swoooosh—.
A chilling mana began swirling around the president alongside his enraged voice.
As expected of an 8th-circle high mage, the pressure was immense.
Just standing nearby made breathing uncomfortable.
Instinct told me,
‘……He’s far stronger than Dershion.’
Asion Gail was much stronger than Dershion, the former lord of Aldeon Tower.
I could tell just from sensing his mana.
It was a moment that drove home how vast the gap could be even among the same circle.
“……I need to see those bastards’ faces.”
Thud.
Asion Gail muttered as he grabbed the staff propped nearby.
He looked ready to storm the command post right then.
I desperately blocked his path.
“You can’t go.”
“Out of my way. Those who cross the line need a lesson!”
“……Are you planning to make an enemy of the royal family?”
“I wouldn’t mind. Lately, they’ve been treating the academy like a pushover. Peace has lasted too long—they’ve forgotten how great mages are.”
“No, even so……!”
“What, you think I’ll lose?”
“…….”
Hard to say.
An 8th-circle mage charging solo into the war command post.
That Varus guy seemed strong, but……
I couldn’t picture Asion Gail losing to him.
Even if someone stronger than Varus showed up to back him.
But that was beside the point.
“……This puts me in a tough spot. No, it could shake all of Asteron.”
“Asteron shaken?”
“War’s coming soon. This isn’t the time for internal fractures.”
Especially if the rift came from the royal family and the academy……
The outcome was obvious without seeing it.
I wondered if he didn’t know that.
“Demons? We’ll just sweep them aside. That’s how Asteron’s always survived.”
He wasn’t unaware—he just lacked any sense of crisis.
Fair point, not wrong.
They’d gotten through past wars that way.
However.
“This one’s on a different scale. Why else call it the Great War? Don’t you think you’re too complacent?”
This war was unlike any before.
The [Prophecy of the Red Moon] made that clear.
It was serious enough to be written in the prophecy.
“…….”
Had I gotten through a bit?
Asion Gail pondered for a moment before speaking.
“You’re not wrong. The timing couldn’t be worse.”
He seemed somewhat convinced.
I breathed a silent sigh of relief.
If Asion Gail charged in recklessly, the command post would’ve been wrecked for sure.
A huge blow when they were already short on forces.
To drive it home, I said once more,
“Please hold back. I’m begging you.”
I bowed politely, feeling his gaze fixed on me.
When I looked up, the president spoke softly.
“Fine. I’ll let it slide for now.”
At that, the oppressive mana around us faded.
He’d shelved the idea of storming in.
And moreover.
“The contract? War participation? All good. If that’s what you want, I’ll do it.”
“Yes?”
“I mean I’ll go along with what you want.”
He suddenly accepted my proposal.
“By your reasoning, this is the only option anyway, right?”
“……Yes, pretty much.”
The situation flowed too smoothly, almost awkwardly.
It only made me uneasy.
Proving my hunch, the president continued.
“But this is no small matter—we can’t just let it go. You know that, right?”
“…….”
I had no retort to his question.
He was right.
No matter the reason, they’d crossed a line they shouldn’t have, and the president had to respond.
They’d openly disrespected the academy.
An organization that always kept a delicate balance with the royal family couldn’t stay silent.
As I silently acquiesced, the president spoke again.
“I’ll join the war and follow their orders. But those bastards will pay. After the war ends. You gonna stop me then too?”
He stared straight into my eyes.
I had no choice but to nod.
“Good. After the war…… do whatever you want.”
I’d done all I could.
They needed to face consequences for their actions.
Whatever the president did afterward—rampage or otherwise—wasn’t my problem.
“Deal.”
With the compromise struck, Asion Gail signed the contract without hesitation.
He handed it straight to me.
“Deliver it.”
His voice, the heavy strokes of his signature…… his anger hadn’t fully subsided.
For a moment, he reminded me of someone.
For some reason.
‘Kinda like Uncle…….’
An oddly similar vibe to Thompson’s personality.
Not just temperament.
The massive build, muscular frame…… up close, they were spitting images.
If Thompson’s magic somehow skyrocketed to grand archmage level, would he end up like this?
‘……Gotta keep an eye on it.’
Looked like I needed to monitor Thompson’s body-altering magic for a while.
***
Morning arrived after a comfortable rest in the dorms.
A proper break for once—my body felt refreshed.
Probably the same for Thompson.
“Ah! Slept great!”
Thompson bolted upright, stretching with a refreshed face.
No wonder—by the time I got back from seeing the president, he was already asleep.
Full sleep meant no lingering fatigue.
Anyway.
“Huff, huff……!”
‘Vivid as ever.’
I watched Thompson crank out hundreds of push-ups at dawn, lost in thought.
‘Preparations on this end are done.’
A few bumps, but the tasks here were mostly wrapped up.
Got Thompson and Kayla into Asion Academy, secured special training from the president and Professor Jairen, and sealed the contract between the president and the war command post.
That covered the war prep basics.
Of course, I had plenty left to do outside of them.
‘One at a time. One by one.’
First, Barundel.
I’d signed up as a war mercenary at the checkpoint, so I needed to inform him.
Unlike Kayla or Thompson, Barundel was handling his own application.
He’d let me know once it was confirmed.
‘Eh, just drop by and tell him—easy enough.’
The real hassle came next.
Heading to the black market.
I’d promised Barundel, so a visit was mandatory.
Not just for his weapon, either.
If other good items popped up, I planned to buy.
They’d help shine in the war, even a little.
Lena’s request reward should be ready by now—plenty of funds.
The issue was……
‘……Is the black market even open?’
Whether it was operating.
Hadn’t I seen it already?
The shopping district deserted, shops shuttered after the hunt.
With war looming, the black market might’ve followed suit.
Only one way to find out—go see.
After that,
‘About time.’
I’d finally hit up the info broker.
I’d asked them to find folks researching ‘light magic.’
Separate from mana circuits, density, or spell handling—I needed deep knowledge of light attribute itself.
Master that understanding, and light magic’s potential was endless.
Grasping its unique properties, uses, limits—unlocking ever-higher levels.
Aldeon elders wielded it diversely, after all.
Illusions, veils of light, that sort.
I couldn’t handle those yet.
Before war hit, max out light attribute intel for prep.
“What? Light magic? Hmm…… Any left out there?”
Thompson was skeptical of my plan.
Fair—the tricky attribute meant few mages specialized in it.
Especially with Aldeon School, its biggest hub, wiped out in that incident.
Truth be told, I wasn’t expecting much.
I’d already braced to self-study and level up.
But if.
‘Luck’s on my side…….’
If I lucked into someone who fully grasped light magic……
My level might skyrocket beyond now.