The Contract (Lorsch's Perspective)
I inherited a jewel containing the power of a Spirit King, passed down through generations of my family. Everyone else coveted that power, but neither my father nor I ever wanted to use it. We were both people who valued hard work, after all. The moment we relied on that power, everything we'd poured our sweat into would be dismissed as nothing more than a gift from the jewel.
[Father, in that case, wouldn't it be better to just sell a trinket like that?]
I'd thought it would be smarter to sell it for a high price and use the funds for research. In response to my naive words, my father gently stroked my head and said,
[Everything has its proper time. If a moment comes when you need power so badly that you're willing to abandon your convictions... there will be no more reliable tool than this jewel.]
At the time, I couldn't understand those words. I believed nothing was more important than the value of my own efforts or the strength of my convictions.
Time flowed on like gentle water. When my aging father passed the position of Tower Master and the Spirit King's jewel to me, he said,
[Lorsch, I once told you that power would become a great help in times of desperation... but you must avoid using it if possible. The moment you do, your children's children will be bound to the contract for eternity. Only use it if you're willing to discard all of that.]
If I used that power, it meant my descendants would be forced to live bound by the contract whether they wanted to or not. That alone was more than enough reason never to touch it. After all, hurting innocent people for my own benefit was something only trash would do.
Who said that? My only true friend and first love.
But the one who spoke those words suddenly disappeared. Because I couldn't follow him.
If I had stayed by his side and protected him, none of this would have happened.
Even so, desperate to hold onto him, I told him to at least become my assistant. Without realizing how deeply those words would wound a proud boy who loved magic more than anything.
Because of what I said, the distance between us grew. It felt like a vast river now flowed between us. But I didn't have the courage to swim against that current. I was afraid that doing so would hurt him even more.
When I first heard that he had become engaged to the daughter of a grand duke, I cried for three days and nights straight. By the time my blankets and bed were soaked through, a different emotion bloomed in a corner of my heart instead of sorrow.
Regret.
If only I had protected him. If only I hadn't said those rude things to him. If only I had confessed first... maybe a day like this would never have come.
I wanted to find him the day before the engagement ceremony and tell him how I felt. To say I loved him, that we should throw everything away and run.
But by the time I searched for him, he had already vanished like a dandelion seed carried away on the wind.
What kind of wind had carried that dandelion seed away? The rotten gazes of the nobles? The unbearable workload? The pain of wounds he could no longer suppress? Or perhaps... the words I had spat at him? The fact that I wasn't by his side when he was struggling?
Call it egomania if you want. I prayed desperately for him to appear and mock me for it.
But even then, he never showed himself.
At the palace, the nobles rained down protests over his desertion. Only after Werner disappeared did they finally bare their fangs.
Disgusting, repulsive vermin bastards.
These were the same worms who had only ever flattered him to his face...
I raised my hand and stepped forward before the emperor.
"I am Lorsch McKellin, Master of the Water Magic Tower. Though it is presumptuous of me to speak before Your Majesty, Sir Werner did not irresponsibly run away."
The old fox of an emperor showed interest in me. It wasn't a sticky, lustful gaze directed at a woman. It was the look of someone who had found something decent among a pile of garbage.
"Hooh... Would you care to explain what you mean?"
"I am Sir Werner's successor. From now on, could all imperial requests be directed to the Water Magic Tower?"
"Hmm... From what I hear, the duties of a Tower Master are no easy task. Are you saying you can handle the notoriously grueling work of an imperial mage on top of that?"
I bit my lip. Yes, even the work of a Tower Master was exhausting and overwhelming. Just reviewing documents, allocating budgets, conducting personal research, and supervising other mages left me with barely any time to sleep.
But this was for him.
"Is there anyone who would ignore a request from a beloved friend? If so, that person isn't a friend at all... they're nothing but trash who approached for status or connections."
The latter part was aimed at the trash nobles present. They must have felt a sting, because they began clearing their throats awkwardly.
The emperor appointed me as the imperial mage. As I left the audience chamber, I warned the noble vermin.
"And one more thing... While I have taken on this position purely out of friendship for my dear friend, I will fulfill my duties with the same care I hold for him. Therefore, if anyone dares to slander my friend while I am faithfully carrying out those duties... I will take their life on the spot."
I continued living on three hours of sleep a day, with the possibility of taking even a single day off per year uncertain.
I could never forgive those Black Round Table bastards.
They were the trash who had only ever hurt him. Not once had I forgotten my hatred for them.
But I knew the difference in our abilities was obvious. The one who called himself Gawain was undeniably strong. And the one called Lancelot, who simply observed the situation, along with the masked woman, were even stronger.
They were on a completely different level from me or from Werner, who could no longer use Grand Magic.
In my pathetic state, I spat out curses. Out of my unwillingness to lose, I hurled insults.
Then, in that moment, Gawain melted my magic and charged at me. I resigned myself to sacrificing at least one arm.
But suddenly Werner stepped in front of me and took the attack head-on.
Werner deflected the blow and stepped back.
What wrong have you ever done to me...
I can't forgive this. I couldn't let myself lose him again. I wouldn't allow anything to be stolen from Werner ever again.
Rage overtook my reason, and I spat out curses too shameful to repeat.
And then I made my decision.
I took out the jewel I had kept safe all this time.
For the briefest instant, my mind sank into a dark abyss.
[Don't worry, child. This is merely an incredibly short moment, no more than 0.00001 seconds.]
What stood before me was an enormous whale. A whale larger than most cities, adorned with deep blue patterns, smiled at me.
[Do you truly approve of this contract?]
"Yes. So just give me the power already."
[Since the time of the Mother Goddess's creation, I've never seen a child as bold as you. Still, you understand what price this contract demands... don't you?]
Even if the value of all my hard work turned to foam. Even if my descendants resented me. It didn't matter anymore.
I didn't want to have any more regrets.
It wouldn't matter even if I regretted this later. Because right now, I was going to save what was right in front of me.
"Lorsch McKellin, head of the McKellin family and Master of the Water Magic Tower, consents to forming a contract with the Water Spirit King, Valena."
[I, Valena, the Water Spirit King, shall lend you my power in accordance with the laws established by the Mother Goddess.]
The water of the abyss into which my mind had sunk, the immense power of Valena, flowed into me.
It was certainly painful. It felt like a massive volume of water rushing into my lungs. But I could endure any pain like that.
Because I knew what true pain was.
Yes, I might come to regret this decision. My descendants might resent me for it.
But I no longer wanted to watch the people I cherished get hurt while fearing things that might never even happen.
With this decision... I'll save you, Werner.