Chapter 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: The Unmelting Blue Ice
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4th Grade Mage Gordon was a veteran mage who had spent quite some time in the Mage Association.
Compared to the 9th Grade Great Mages, his skills might seem middling at best, but Gordon was more than satisfied with his rank.
'My weapon isn't the power of magic—it's my accumulated experience. And my opponents aren't high-ranking knights or mages; they're those weaker than me.'
Gordon embodied the law of the jungle: the strong prey on the weak.
And this wasn't limited to commoners who knew nothing of magic.
"Hey, you lot."
"Yes, Senior!"
Three rookie mages, who had joined the Association just one or two years ago, quickly gathered in front of Gordon.
"Tomorrow, you're coming with me to Winterguard territory for some ice-clearing work."
"Uh... tomorrow, you say?"
The 1st Grade Mages looked troubled, but Gordon's resolve was unshakable.
He'd drag them along even if their families died in the process.
Of course, this time Gordon had a legitimate pretext—which was precisely the problem.
"This is an Association order. You planning to defy it?"
"......"
"......"
The Winterguard territory's monopoly on monster byproducts.
This wasn't something Gordon could pull off with his will alone.
It likely bore the backing of his superiors—or perhaps the entire Association.
The 1st Grade Mages had a vague inkling of this, so they had no choice but to follow him to Winterguard territory.
The next morning, the four mages arrived swiftly in Winterguard territory via the teleportation circle at the Mage Association's northern branch.
As they headed to the Winterguard estate, they surveyed the state of the frozen roads ahead of time.
'It's worse than I thought.'
There was an eerily high amount of ice compared to last year, but it wasn't anything major.
A brutal snowstorm had swept through Winterguard territory just a few days ago, after all.
'...I can squeeze some extra pay out of that mad Grand Duke.'
In truth, Gordon secretly hoped the Grand Duke would choose triple the contract fee over the monopoly rights.
That way, there'd be more room to skim off the top.
The Association had recommended double the original amount, so if the deal went through, he'd pocket last year's entire contract fee.
Gordon's greed knew no bounds, and even now he schemed to bleed the Winterguard family dry.
Punishment from Winterguard territory? Retaliation?
He didn't even consider it.
'He's a madman to begin with. After years of madness, he's become a fool oblivious to the ways of the world. How could he possibly prepare countermeasures?'
There was the old Winterguard steward, but Gordon could just strong-arm that issue.
This foolish territory couldn't even manage smooth traffic or trade without mages, after all.
When the four arrived at the estate, its master, Cassius Winterguard, was waiting for them.
"We pay respects to Your Grace, the Grand Duke of Winterguard."
"W-We pay respects to Your Grace, the Grand Duke of Winterguard!"
Gordon led the three 1st Grade Mages in bowing to Cassius.
They had their pride as mages, but the moment they sensed Cassius's aura and presence, they naturally showed due respect.
Gordon felt a chill as if his whole body were freezing, but he'd grown accustomed to it over years of such encounters, so it didn't faze him.
"We'll get started right away, Your Grace. In about two days, all roads in Winterguard territory will be cleared of ice."
Though he himself planned to barely lift a finger, stepping in only where the 1st Graders failed.
Gordon sneered inwardly at Cassius.
Unaware or uncaring of Gordon's thoughts, Cassius nodded.
"Very well. I leave it to you. I trust you'll honor the contract. If not..."
Was it an illusion?
For a split second, Gordon felt as if Cassius's black eyes gleamed blue.
"You'll have to take responsibility for the job."
Gordon flinched at the sight of those eyes but soon exited the estate without betraying any sign.
Of course, he vented his momentary fear by bullying the innocent 1st Grade Mages.
"You lot, do the work properly. If that mad Grand Duke finds even one flaw... you'll answer to the Association—and to me personally!"
"......Understood."
.
.
.
Winterguard territory boasted vast expanse thanks to the Grand Duke's position and the northern terrain.
Of course, it was vast only in land size; habitable areas weren't all that plentiful.
Most of it was forests, mountains, or rivers, with villages scattered in spots shielded from the wind or on relatively flat plains.
As such, Winterguard's roads were longer and rougher than other territories', with many remote stretches.
The dispatched 1st Grade Mages split up per Gordon's orders to tackle the ice-clearing on each road.
Melting frozen roads was something even 1st Grade Mages could handle without issue.
Whoosh!
They laid out prepared materials at intervals along the road, then used magic circles and incantations to summon flames that melted the ice until the road dried.
Not all mages used this method, but after it proved the most efficient, most stuck to it for ice-clearing.
Once the ice was fully gone, Gordon applied a coating membrane to the road.
This kept it from refreezing until the coating wore off.
As the work began, nearby villagers came out to watch, and merchants halted to wait for the roads to clear.
Normally, it'd take two or three hours per road... but something was off this time.
"Um, Senior."
"......What?"
"W-Well, there's a bit of a problem..."
"Don't tell me you've hit ice that won't melt either?"
"......Yes."
The 1st Grade Mages' progress was agonizingly slow.
And their excuse? "The ice won't melt." Gordon was dumbfounded.
"Hah, why are this batch of 1st Graders so useless? Can't even handle a bit of ice..."
"......Sorry."
"Did you crank up the output? Try everything you can before bothering me."
"B-But you said not to bring extra materials..."
He'd told them not to bring extras to pocket them himself.
"Haa."
The fidgeting 1st Grade Mage. But since the other two had said the same before him, Gordon had no choice but to get up.
"Lead the way."
"Yes."
Following the 1st Grade Mage, Gordon saw a road where the incantation was proceeding as planned.
Yet amid the flickering flames, some ice stubbornly refused to melt.
The rookies were right.
'No ice should resist 1st Grade magic.'
Sometimes ancient ice from tundras or glaciers took longer, sure.
But it still melted eventually...
"Step aside. Cut the incantation."
"Yes."
Gordon moved over the mostly dried road to the unmelted ice.
Up close, it looked slightly different from normal ice.
Almost like it had a bluish tint...
"......Blaze."
With the incantation, Gordon unleashed a 3rd Grade fire spell.
The blue ice began to melt away.
But in that moment, Gordon sensed something off.
As if... his mana was draining faster than usual.
'......What the?'
Once the ice was cleared, Gordon scratched his head and glared at the waiting 1st Grade Mage.
"Don't call me unless you absolutely have to. Use your body, tools, whatever—just get rid of it, got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
Gordon coated the finished road and returned to rest.
And a few hours later...
"......What did you say?"
"S-Sorry. We tried every spell, even chipping at it with picks... but it won't budge."
"A-And whenever we try melting the ice with magic, it feels like our mana drains abnormally fast...!"
"I think we need your help, Senior Gordon..."
All major roads, except the one he'd personally cleared yesterday, were infested with this absurd blue ice.
"Hah."
With no choice, Gordon roamed every road the 1st Graders were working, melting the blue ice and applying coatings... and realized something was wrong.
'......I'm running out of mana.'
And time.
The contract stipulated two days to clear all roads in Winterguard territory...
At this pace and mana consumption, it was impossible.
'......'
Cold sweat broke out on Gordon unbidden.
He realized he had no excuse.
The triple fee or monopoly he'd demanded already accounted for such variables.
He could demand more pay—but only if he met the deadline.
Just extend the timeline, then?
The two-day limit was based solely on his judgment.
'I have to finish no matter what.'
Gordon shed his leisurely air and threw himself into the work.
The 1st Graders he'd brought were useless, so it all fell on him.
This was partly because he'd brought only rookies to cut costs.
The more he saved, the more of the Association's commission fee became his profit.
In the end, Gordon had tripped over his own feet.
As time dragged on, his anxiety mounted.
"......The promised time is up."
"......"
"And unless my eyes deceive me, some roads are still frozen."
"Th-That's..."
In the end, he failed to uphold the contract.
And what faced Gordon was...
"In that case, you'll have to take responsibility. 4th Grade Mage Gordon."
Cassius's eyes, glowing blue.