Pressure Brings Results
People produce results when you pressure them.
The Alchemy Guild matter wrapped up easily.
“Exactly.”
Albert, who had returned to Legrian Territory, answered with a smile. He recalled what had happened just moments ago. After the commotion at the assassin guild, he came back. Bamil, upon spotting Albert, pressed his forehead to the ground and begged desperately, offering a full apology.
“P-please forgive me! I committed such an act without knowing who you were!”
“Ah, your apology isn’t really necessary.”
“Eh……? What do you mean by that?”
Albert held out a contract toward the man who was shedding tears and snot while groveling on his hands and knees.
“I don’t need an apology that sells your pride for tears and snot.”
The next moment, Albert’s face transformed into that of a merchant.
“What I want isn’t that. It’s just your signature with your soul behind it. See this contract? Sign it.”
An apology meant nothing. What sincerity could there be in an apology offered only to escape the current moment, one devoid of genuine feeling? It was meaningless. If one wished to apologize, a fitting price must accompany it. Mere words could never heal the wounds inflicted on the victim.
“T-this is……”
Four major clauses stood out among the many written in the contract.
1. The branch manager of the Landolf branch of the Alchemy Guild shall actively support the Flower Merchant Group by mobilizing his connections and authority.
2. The branch manager shall entrust the sale of potions produced by the Alchemy Guild to the Flower Merchant Group as an agent, with profits split 8:2 in favor of the Flower Merchant Group and the Alchemy Guild respectively.
3. The branch manager shall pay Albert 500,000 gold as compensation for mental and physical damages.
4. As long as the above conditions are upheld, Albert and Richel shall keep the recent events confidential.
“T-this is……”
It was no different from a slave contract. He realized it. The moment he signed, he would be mortgaging his life and falling into an inescapable abyss.
“H-how could this……”
“Why? Can’t sign it?”
“That’s…… This violates kingdom law……”
“Then die.”
At that threat, Bamil had no choice but to sign the contract. The law was far away, while fists and death were close—far too close. If he didn’t want to die, the only thing he could do was sign.
With this, the Flower Merchant Group will rise to the next level.
Following the flower soap, they’ll now receive potions from the Alchemy Guild as well.
‘Right.’
The prosperity of the Flower Merchant Group would lead to the prosperity of the territory. To earn money in the territory right now, the Flower Merchant Group had no choice but to stay busy. What made it even more vicious was this.
There was no time limit written in it.
For as long as he lives, Bamil will be the Flower Merchant Group’s slave for life.
Going even further, Albert had written “branch manager” instead of “Bamil” in the contract. That meant it wasn’t the individual “Bamil” but the position of “branch manager” that had to fulfill the contract terms.
‘Once you stick a straw in, you can’t easily pull it out. You have to keep sucking, don’t you?’
Forever. As long as the Alchemy Guild branch in Landolf Territory existed, its branch manager would forever have the Flower Merchant Group’s straw stuck in it.
Anyway, that matter had been perfectly wrapped up and he had returned.
“Gaster’s gone.”
After returning by taxi, Gaster had gone to reinforce the castle walls with enchantments. Enchanting such a massive wall alone seemed to take quite some time.
Albert immediately went to find Elena to report on the matter. Elena was in her office filling out documents, with Hans, the head butler, assisting her at her side.
“Ah! You’re back?”
“Yeah.”
“How did the matter you went for turn out? Lady Richel…… No, Richel?”
“She’s fine. I resolved everything and came back.”
At those words, Elena’s face brightened with relief, her worries melting away. When he had come out of the Alchemy Guild like that, she had thought the inevitable had finally happened. It was a clash she had already anticipated. From the moment they started selling flower soap, she had known the Alchemy Guild would eventually interfere. Though it had happened faster than expected, she never imagined they would hire assassins to kidnap Richel. She had heard many bad rumors about the Alchemy Guild, but never thought it would go that far.
‘Brother said it would be fine, but……’
She couldn’t help but worry. Just as things in this world didn’t always go as planned, she couldn’t shake the fear that some unforeseen variable might cause trouble. She had no choice but to fret. Still, it seemed nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
“While I was at it, I took care of the aftermath thoroughly too.”
“Aftermath? What exactly did you do?”
“I rescued Richel first, dealt with the guys who were there, and then cleanly handled the assassin guild that kidnapped her as well.”
“Ah, even the assassin guild!?”
“Yeah, it’s called the Blackout Guild. I cleaned them up as a warning.”
At that moment, Hans’s face turned pale with shock upon hearing the guild’s name.
“Y-you stormed into the Blackout Guild!?”
“Hans, do you know what the Blackout Guild is?”
Elena tilted her head at Hans’s startled reaction and asked. It seemed Elena didn’t know what kind of place the Blackout Guild was. But Hans did. He had heard rumors from time to time and learned more through acquaintances.
“T-the Blackout Guild is an assassin guild founded five years ago. It’s said that if their Four Heavenly Kings gather, they could even assassinate a master. It’s an incredibly powerful guild.”
“Oh, really?”
“To think you stormed into a guild like that…… I heard that even a count’s family once formed a knight order to get revenge after being targeted by an assassin guild, but they failed……”
Hans’s concern was understandable. Albert had explained everything about his abilities to Elena and the nanny, but he hadn’t said a single word to Hans. In the first place, he had no intention of telling anyone outside his family about matters from the other world. It wasn’t necessarily a secret that had to be kept, but he simply didn’t feel like bothering to explain.
“This is serious! If an assassin guild holds a grudge, there’s no telling how far their wrath will reach! We need to take countermeasures!”
“It’s fine. Those guys probably won’t even be able to pee in the direction of our territory anymore. I stomped them down properly.”
Thinking his words weren’t getting through, Hans turned to Elena this time.
“It’s fine!? M-my lady, this is……”
“If Brother says it’s fine, then it’ll be fine.”
“Haa……”
Normally, Elena should have been the one reacting most sensitively to this kind of situation.
“Brother, you took care of the aftermath properly, right?”
“Of course. I killed those so-called Four Heavenly Kings too~ and took out about half of the guys below them, so they won’t even think about messing with us again.”
“Why didn’t you kill them all……”
“Ah, it’s a warning. Touch us and you die. And to spread a warning, you need someone left to spread the word.”
He also needed people to use. From now on, he planned to obtain the information he lacked through the assassin guild. Those guys were good at handling information, after all. He had luckily secured free labor that would bring him information.
“Ah, I see! That’s amazing!”
“……”
Hans, who had been listening to their conversation, felt his mind going blank. What kind of nonsense was this? They killed the Four Heavenly Kings and most of the assassins under them? And they didn’t kill them all because it was a warning? Both Albert, who spoke of such absurd things so casually, and Elena, who accepted it as natural……
“……I don’t know anymore.”
Hans decided to stop thinking.
Several days had passed since that incident.
Grandel’s laboratory, deep within the mansion. It had originally been just an empty room, but after Grandel moved in, it gradually began to fill with the things needed for research. Elena spared no support. As a high-level talent, he deserved treatment befitting his status. After all, Grandel’s research would greatly contribute to the territory’s development.
Of course, if Hot were to hear this story……
‘That damn bastard!! I’m working my ass off here! I’m getting paid 22 gold while working at the forge, building buildings, and repairing the castle walls! That guy’s just doing research and gets support too!? I quit!!’
He would have rolled on the floor demanding a raise. It was entirely possible.
Anyway, with that support, Grandel was able to devote himself to his research. He had already been studying the faucet for several days. At first, it had been research filled with excitement, but as time passed, that excitement turned into despair and anguish.
“……It seems like it’s supposed to be like this…… but how on earth was this part made?”
“How does it make the water warm…… Whoa…… How many enchantments are there in such a small space?”
“Even a purification enchantment? With this level of purification magic, it could be used as drinking water.”
Though the faucet’s form was simple, the magic embedded within it was incredibly complex. The more he studied it, the more he found himself marveling at the level of skill involved.
“The one who made this is a genius! I swear on my honor, I’ll decipher it and make an exact replica!”
But as time went on, he began to look more and more haggard. After several days, all that remained were stress-induced hair loss, dark circles, and hemorrhoids. His initial passion had long since cooled. Only obsession and stubbornness remained. The madness born from them drove his ailing body to continue the research.
Time continued to pass. Research that went on through sleepless nights was utterly exhausting, but Grandel did not give up.
‘I will decipher it no matter what……’
And when several more days had passed, he finally produced a result.
“Kuh…… Khahaha! I finally did it! I did it! I made it!”
Though it was a bit rougher than the faucet Albert had given him, the function was solid.
“Press this side for warm water, and this side for cold water too! Perfect!”
He had properly enchanted the purification magic as well, so even the dirtiest water could be used like drinking water. Perfect! He had truly worked hard. Without blood, sweat, and tears, one couldn’t possibly understand how much effort it had taken to create just this one thing. After hundreds of failures, he had finally succeeded. If it had been anyone else, they would have given up long ago or failed to make it at all.
“As expected, I’m a genius! A genius, I tell you!! Uwahaha!! Who else could make this if not me!!”
At that moment, Grandel suddenly came to his senses and stood up.
“This isn’t the time for that!!”
He had researched and created a result. The satisfaction and sense of fulfillment swelled in his chest. Then there was only one thing left to do.
“I have to brag!”
Nothing but bragging. If he had made it, shouldn’t he announce it to the whole world and boast? He wanted to plaster posters everywhere, create portraits, and spread them across the continent, loudly proclaiming that he had made this. But before that, there was one person he absolutely had to show it to first.
‘That bastard comes to see me every day asking if I still haven’t done it, mocking me for not being able to do even that!!’
Albert’s irritatingly smug face surfaced in Grandel’s mind.
‘What? You still haven’t done it? Well, I guess it’s difficult.’
‘Huh? No progress? What, is that all you’ve got?’
‘Ehh~ You’re supposed to be a genius? The Mage Guild’s so-called great genius, and this is all you’ve got? Being a genius isn’t much, huh.’
‘Hades’s disciple, so I trusted you with it, but this…… If you can’t do it…… Well, whatever. You can stop now.’
Grind. His teeth clenched on their own. Perhaps the reason he had been able to succeed in this research was thanks to his determination to get revenge on Albert, who had been mocking him from behind. That determination had allowed him to overcome both hair loss and hemorrhoids.
‘In a way, you could say this research succeeded because of that guy.’
But that was all. His mind understood the guy’s actions, but his heart refused to accept it. All that remained was revenge on that guy! The determination to show him the result and force him to acknowledge it.
How long had he waited for this moment?
‘I’ll throw this faucet right in your face!!’
The time for revenge had come. Grandel found where Albert was and immediately threw the faucet at him.
“You bastard! I finally made it! What!? You said I couldn’t make it!? Uwahaha! How’s that!?”
“Oho……”
As expected, the faucet that flew toward the center of his face was caught in midair. Grandel hadn’t thought he would actually hit him. He knew such a thing wouldn’t work on that monstrous guy. It was just a proxy satisfaction. He was satisfied just by having thrown it.
“Not bad.”
Analyzing.
Purification enchantment confirmed.
Hot water enchantment confirmed.
Cold water enchantment confirmed.
It’s quite well made.
‘How does it compare to the original?’
75%.
Replicating it 100% perfectly was impossible from the start.
Still, this should be sufficient.
He removed the mana-charging magic circle and simplified it into a form that uses mana stones instead?
Still, this is excellent.
‘Pressuring him was worth it after all.’
If Albert hadn’t pressured him from behind, Grandel would have given up long ago. This was only possible because he had been wielding the whip like a madman from behind. Someone once said that mages and engineers were the same. Lock them up and pressure them, and they’ll eventually produce results.
‘Of course, a carrot is necessary too.’
“Hmm, so you removed the mana-charging magic circle and simplified it to just insert a mana stone?”
“Huh!? H-how did you……?”
Grandel was greatly flustered. He never imagined Albert would figure that out at a glance.
“Well, that magic circle is complicated and hard to implement. Plus, it could conflict with other magic circles, and even if you attach it, it might explode if you don’t adjust it carefully.”
“……”
That was information Grandel had barely managed to figure out through his research. He had tried to include the mana-charging magic circle somehow, but since it was impossible with his current skills, he had made it in a form that used mana stones instead. Yet Albert had instantly grasped something he had struggled so hard to discover.
“H-how did you……”
“What? You figure out this much after seeing it once.”
Liar!
You only know because I told you!
Albert, you don’t know anything about this field……!!
This is cheating!
‘It’s not like I cheated on the college entrance exam or anything, so what’s the big deal~’
Tsk.
“That…… in an instant……. I……”
Grandel seemed quite shocked. It was because Albert had instantly grasped and pointed out something he had barely managed to figure out. Albert awkwardly scratched his cheek.
“Well, you still made it well. This level is sufficient.”
The faucet was complete. Now there was only one thing left.
“Then you can make a few more, right?”
Mass production.
“What?”
“Once you’ve made the first one, the rest should be easy.”
Originally, the first one was always the hardest; the rest came easily. Especially in cases like this, if you could make one, you could make two.
At that, Grandel slowly nodded.
“Yeah, I can make them. Why? Want me to make more? Puhaha, just say the word. Two or three……”
“Fifty.”
“What?”
“Fifty.”
“……What kind of nonsense is that!? How am I supposed to make fifty of these…… No! What are you even going to use them for!?”
“What else? For the territory. I’m going to install one in each house where the residents live.”
“T-that many!?”
“Yeah, that’s what they were made for in the first place.”
“E-even so, fifty……”
Grandel’s voice trembled slightly with shock.
“What? Can’t do it?”
“……”
“Well~ then there’s nothing we can do. Still, making even one is impressive~”
At that, Albert raised one corner of his mouth and looked down at him with half-lidded eyes. It was an obvious sneer.
‘You can’t even do that? Your genius days are over.’
He didn’t say it out loud, but his expression and gaze said it all.
“What? Why? Are you mad? Why are you shaking like that? Ehh~ If you can’t do it, then don’t~. I’ll just have someone else do it~. It’s fine~.”
“You bastard! Are you looking down on me right now!? Fifty!? I’ll make you a hundred!!!”
He snatched the faucet from Albert and stormed off toward his laboratory with angry footsteps.
Wow…… Albert…… That was really irritating……
‘Perfect, right?’
Yes, I probably would have hit you if I were him.
( ง •̀_•́)ง=3=3
“This is what we call K-provocation.”
It was a perfect provocation. Grandel knew it was a provocation, but he had no choice but to fall for it. That expression was just that irritating.
“Now then.”
Since Grandel had started mass-producing the faucets, Albert had other work to do. He immediately went to the forge to order shovels. Then he headed straight for the guard unit.
Perhaps because they had been training for a while, everyone was drenched in sweat and panting heavily on the ground. Some were even dry-heaving. Aiden stood calmly in front of them.
“What brings you here?”
At Aiden’s question, Albert grinned.
“Let’s go dig some holes.”
It was time to dig the ground.