No Rights for the Dark Mage (2): A Doting Father's Investment
Thud!
"I-I can't do this anymore! No, I won't!"
A tattered gray robe collapsed onto the floor of my spacious bedroom like a heap of rags. The dark mage looked absolutely wretched. Having spent days and nights rolling around in the rubble to salvage treasures, his already pale complexion now resembled that of a fresh corpse.
"Don't worry. There's nothing left to do anyway."
"Please, spare me...! My mana... my mana is completely depleted..."
"There's a mana potion right next to you. Drink it and rest up."
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
The dark mage chugged the potion down like a man who hadn't had a single drop of water in days. Meanwhile, I looked down at the glittering spoils of war filling a corner of my room.
...The secret manual left behind by the family's founder. Centuries-old spiritual herbs, artifacts imbued with ancient magic, and even heavy sacks of gold coins piled high.
Man, this is sweet.
Humming a tune, I patted the shoulder of the dark mage sprawled on the floor.
"Hey, you're surprisingly efficient. Honestly, I didn't expect you to finish this quickly."
"Heh, hehe... To be honest, the way you worked me like a dog is completely absurd. Do you have any idea how much I'm worth? Excluding the one treasure of my choice, the gold the Patriarch promised me was a whopping one hundred gold—"
"Look at you getting cocky just because I gave you a little praise. Want me to ship you off to the Heresy Inquisition?"
"...My apologies."
Although I kept a straight face, I actually agreed with him to some extent.
He really is incredibly competent.
Sifting through that massive pile of plaster debris and delicately extracting only the buried treasures using magic was no simple feat. It wasn't a task that could be solved by raw mana capacity alone; it was a highly complex job that would normally require at least four experienced civil engineering mages.
And a dark mage, who doesn't even specialize in this field, did it all by himself?
To think someone with this kind of talent was wasting away studying gloomy dark magic in the shadows. There was definitely more to this guy than met the eye.
Looking down at the dark mage face-down on the floor, I casually tossed out a question as if I couldn't care less.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"What's your name?"
"...Pardon?"
Startled by the sudden interrogation, the dark mage raised his head. Judging by how fast his eyes were darting around, I knew I shouldn't give him too much time to think.
"Do you want to die? I can practically hear the gears turning in your head."
"M-Miel. Why do you ask?"
"Miel?" I narrowed my eyes. "That's not an alias, is it?"
"...I'm just a street orphan who isn't even registered in any nation's census. Does it really matter if it's a real name or a fake one?"
I gave a small nod at Miel's self-deprecating reply. Well, he had a point.
"No other names you usually go by?"
"None. I swear on my honor!"
"What honor do you have?"
"...Now that you mention it, you're right. But I'm telling the truth!"
Judging by his reaction, he seemed to be telling the truth. The moment I verified this, my mind began to race faster than ever.
No matter how much I search my memories, I've never heard of a dark mage named Miel.
That meant he was either a complete extra or someone who would adopt a different name later on. My gaze shifted back and forth between the mountain of treasures and Miel.
Originally, I had planned to give him a small cut of the loot and kick him out of the territory once this job was done.
...But this guy.
I wanted him. His cost-effectiveness was just too good to pass up. However, keeping him by my side came with a mountain of concerns.
What should I do?
Right now, I held a fragile advantage gained through blackmail. But from Miel's perspective, what he truly feared wasn't me as an individual, but the massive shadow of the Brace Ducal House. Forcing him into submission using my family's influence would never yield genuine loyalty.
Moreover, he was a snake who had tried to switch sides the very moment my father reached out to him just a few hours ago. If I took him in half-heartedly, I might end up with a knife in my back.
Sigh... What a dilemma.
Just as I rested my chin on my hand, lost in deep thought—
Crash!
The firmly shut bedroom door burst open as if it were about to shatter, and a squad of fully armed knights poured inside. In an instant, the air in the room froze.
"What is the meaning of this disturbance?"
I frowned and stood up. The knight commander leading the squad hastily bowed and shouted.
"Forgive our insolence, Young Master! However, we have received strict orders from the Patriarch to execute that dark mage on the spot!"
"H-Hieeeek?!"
The one who reacted first wasn't me, but Miel, who was still sprawled on the floor.
"Summary execution? I thought the agreement was fully settled in the office just a moment ago."
At my question, the knight commander pointed the tip of his drawn sword at the back of Miel's neck and replied.
"The Patriarch commanded me to deliver these words directly to you, Young Master!"
The knight commander cleared his throat, then spoke, mimicking Baltar's characteristically heavy, authoritative tone.
"—'As a Patriarch who has protected many things for a long time, I offer you this advice. If you keep such a black-hearted wretch by your side for long, you will surely regret it in the future.'"
"..."
Ah. The moment I heard the message, a sudden realization flashed through my mind.
...My father, Baltar Brace!
How arrogant of me to act like I knew everything just because I was a 10,000-hour veteran player! Baltar wasn't some stingy miser; he was actually a doting father and a charitable angel!
At first glance, it might seem like Baltar was just meddling in the affairs of his son who was finally starting to make something of himself, but...
"P-Please spare me, Young Master!! I'll bark like a dog if you tell me to, I'll crawl on all fours! Please, please, just save my life!!"
"..."
Looking down at the crown of the wretched robe, I bit my lip to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside me. Talk about impeccable timing. Does this extra's body actually possess some kind of protagonist buff?
I patted Miel's back with a benevolent expression and spoke.
"Do not worry. Didn't I promise to let you go safely?"
"Young Master...!"
"However, my father's command cannot be ignored. He surely believes he cannot leave you alive because you might pose a threat to our family."
"T-Then what should we...?"
Sensing something ominous in my tone, Miel tilted his head in confusion. I immediately reached into my coat and pulled out a necklace... no, a dog collar, and handed it over.
"Take this."
"What is this...?"
"A dark mage of your caliber should recognize it. Put it around your neck."
"Fuck!! I knew it!"
As expected of a veteran in the field, he seemed to recognize it instantly. The Necklace of Subjugation. An absolute contract item that, once worn, could never be removed without the master's permission, completely surrendering the wearer's life and death to the master.
Although originally designed for beasts, it had been left in the treasury, likely a relic from ancient times when buying and selling slaves was legal.
It's not like I hadn't thought of using this, but the catch is that it requires the absolute consent of the target to activate.
Therefore, Baltar, who had engineered this perfect situation, was indeed a doting father who spared no expense for his son. Whether he intended it or not, hadn't he ultimately made yet another investment in me?
"Choose. Do you want to live with me? Or do you want to die?"
"Fuck, fuck, fuck...!"
Miel was about to throw the necklace to the floor in a fit of rage, but stopped dead when he saw the cold, blue gleam of the sword tip right before his eyes.
"...You Brace family bastards, I'll curse you! All the way to the depths of hell!"
"Uh-uh. Keep that up and I might change my mind... If you don't want to, just say the word."
"Aaaaagh!"
Click.
In the end, Miel's survival instinct won out.
'Miel' has been registered as your property.
The target's life-and-death authority and mana control have been bound to you.
Red mana erupted from the gem of the old necklace, carving a vivid shackle brand around Miel's neck. I turned around with a satisfied smile. The knight commander was staring at me as if looking at a demon.
"Judging by your expression, I don't think I need to explain. This fellow is now entirely my property."
"..."
"Tell the Patriarch that he doesn't need to worry. The snake's fangs have been pulled, and the leash is securely fastened."
"...Understood. I shall report as much to the Patriarch."
The knights, who had been exuding a murderous aura just moments ago, lowered their swords and calmly filed out of the room. *Thud.* As the door closed once more, a heavy silence descended upon the bedroom.
"Sob... My life is over..."
Clasping the necklace, Miel curled up on the floor, shoulders trembling.
...What must it feel like to lose one's freedom and be reduced to a mere slave?
Honestly, I don't really care to know.
I spoke coldly.
"Hey."
"..."
Miel kept his head bowed, refusing to answer. Deciding he needed a lesson in discipline, I drew my sword and said,
"Your master is standing right in front of you, and you're still wrapping yourself in those rags? Do you want to die?"
"—Hic!"
"Show me your face."
Startled by my chilling tone, Miel hurriedly pulled back his hood with trembling hands. Yes, this was how it should be. The most effective way to make someone move was a clear hierarchy.
Of course, I didn't want to know either.
I thought with my bad back, I'd at least get a public service desk job. But the Military Manpower Administration, those absolute bastards...
Rustle.
"...Huh?"
Just as I was drowning in those unpleasant memories of military injustice, the hood slipped off, and I couldn't believe my eyes.
Short purple hair, which had been hidden away, spilled out. Though covered in dust and plaster, her fair skin and youthful features suggested she was, at most, only three or four years older than me.
Well, I had expected some tattoos on her arms. That was standard for dark mages. But the real problem was...
"P-Please, just don't do anything weird..."
"..."
Beneath those innocent, pleading eyes, there were bandages wrapped tightly around her chest, desperately binding it down.