Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Modern Magic Lecture (6)
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Geas.
It was an Irish term from Celtic mythology, often carrying the forceful meaning of a binding oath of obligation.
However, in Midgard, it was commonly used to mean 'contract'.
The kind typically associated with lifelong slaves or binding deals—not your standard verbal agreement or thumbprint contract, but one sworn on the soul itself.
Coercive. Dangerous. Handing over your life and death to another in the literal sense. Something no one in their right mind would ever accept...!
But.
"I'm doing it."
"......"
The genius—or psychopath, as one might read it—nineteen-year-old hate magnet declared boldly.
"Have you lost your mind?! Do you even know what you're saying?!"
In a rare moment, Alicia dropped her usual demeanor and offered something akin to advice to Luxy.
"The moment you're bound by the geas, you won't be able to defy Luke's words from then on! If he says die, you die. If he says spread your legs, you spread them. You'll have to obey even the most humiliating commands! Do you want to become a living doll?!"
Alicia flew into a frenzy, unleashing a tirade, while Luxy...
"So? What of it?"
"You...!"
Only then did it hit her what kind of person Luxy really was.
The incarnation of insatiable curiosity, capable of killing thousands or even tens of thousands for her own satisfaction—a black mage in all but name!
Had she dabbled even slightly in black magic, she would have been branded a public enemy of Midgard and executed!
"You really haven't changed a bit!"
"That's rich coming from you."
"----!"
Alicia, whose temper had truly flared, led with insults and picked a fight in a rage. But Luxy remained utterly indifferent, as if the barbs caused zero damage.
One might think Alicia would stop after being ignored so thoroughly, but she pressed on. And Luxy ignored her to the end.
Spear and shield, through and through.
They weren't usually on bad terms, but their compatibility was disastrously poor.
While those two clashed like that, Yuseong...
"Here’s the contract draft. The blue highlights are non-negotiable essentials; the red ones can be adjusted through discussion."
"Hmm, doesn't look bad..."
"Isn't 'twenty unconditional commands' a bit much?"
"I-I'd prefer an item saying no sexual demands, if possible."
"You always think with your dick. Can't you see Article 2? It already says nothing like that."
"Ah...!"
"The saintess is the horniest of them all."
"Th-that's not what I...!"
Sylvia, who had no stake in the matter, chimed in unnecessarily and got burned for it. The other three clamped their mouths shut and pored over the contract meticulously.
One of the key life lessons Yuseong had drilled into them was to read contracts carefully before signing.
Despite the geas's unfairness, these four top students could also weigh the contract's benefits like adults.
"Why's the party’s eldest acting like that?"
"L-Luke, even you shouldn't comment on a woman's age..."
"Did I say something wrong? After 400 years, she should have some maturity. That... tsk tsk!"
"......"
To be precise, she was 397.
...It took over two hours of bickering before the eldest finally came to her senses, her face flushed as she approached.
"O-Of course I knew. That you wouldn't treat us like slaves, Luke..."
"From the way you talk, it sounds like you thought I was some trash slave owner."
"Shut your mouth, you wench!"
"Make me~."
"!!?"
Ignoring whether another fight would break out, Yuseong spoke concisely.
"The contract has a lot, but it boils down to three main points."
Do not refuse his orders, even in life-or-death situations.
(Provided they don't involve sexual acts or deprivation of human rights.)
Never reveal anything about the vision to anyone. The moment it leaks, directly or indirectly, it's hell.
Pay back 100 billion won within ten years.
"Th-that... how much is 100 billion, exactly?"
"You learned the currency units."
"I-I just can't gauge it precisely..."
"Skipping class to mess around, huh? Classic."
"......"
Even snarky remarks couldn't rile Alicia up.
It wasn't wrong, and Yuseong's gaze was too icy.
"...In Midgard terms, it'd be worth about a hundred sacred gold coins."
"I-is that so? A hundred gold coins. An enormous sum."
As she tried to reassure herself it wasn't unattainable, Sylvia added,
"Alicia. He said sacred gold coins, not regular ones."
"Ugh-!?"
Just the word 'sacred' added before gold coins turned Alicia's shock into outright soul-crushing dread.
Sacred gold coins...!
"Th-the ones worth a hundred regular gold coins each...?"
"Yes, those sacred gold coins."
"......"
"Please, just get a proper sense of money values, at least. It'll save you headaches later."
"......"
It was an irrefutable truth.
To explain sacred gold coins would take over 1,000 words, but in summary... they were gold rarer and more valuable than regular precious metals.
Rumors said merely possessing one brought luck and cured minor ailments—something like that.
Thus, regardless of race, their value was immense; the consensus was they rivaled a thousand regular gold coins, not merely a hundred.
Even she, with nearly 400 years of life, had barely glimpsed ten, let alone a hundred.
"Well, it might not hit exactly a hundred sacred coins, but whether it's that or 100 billion, it's the same unattainable fortune for a commoner."
"Y-you're saying we have to pay back that kind of sum in ten years?"
"I bled and sweated for ten years to do it. It's not impossible—just damn near."
"......"
With the man who'd achieved it right there, no arguments were possible.
Or more accurately, they weren't in a position to argue.
Alicia read the terms carefully, closing her eyes tight as she weighed her options.
Slavery. To an elf, no history was more humiliating or wretched.
But...
'If I have mana power...'
The [friends]...
She might see them again.
It was a historic moment: the arrogant high elf kneeling before the solitude of being left alone.
'Who'd have thought?'
Truth be told, Yuseong hadn't imagined Alicia would go for the geas.
In his memories, Alicia loathed slavery and men with extreme disgust—fiercer than any radical feminist.
What on earth had happened during their separation to cause such a dramatic change?
For Yuseong, whose creed was that people couldn't be fixed, it was astonishing. It even sparked his first curiosity about their past.
'...I'm losing it.'
Clearly, turning one year older had addled his brain.
"...L-Luke, aren't we moving on?"
"Yeah, we are..."
Yuseong, who'd briefly lost his thread, massaged his temples, postponing self-reprimand for his apparent senility, and continued.
"Io, your turn."
For once, Io adopted a solemn tone, speaking gravely. But coming from a high school girl figurine, it carried zero dignity.
Her power, however, was real.
The contracts, bearing their names and drops of blood, began to glow with the goddess's divine light. They melted like water and were absorbed into their bodies.
"【Thus, the contract is sealed. This geas is enacted under my name, Io. Violate it, and divine punishment shall befall not only you, but your bloodline, friends, and acquaintances as well.】"
⟨ Geas Contract ⟩
A geas notarized by a goddess herself. Now, they were bona fide debtors.
This debt followed them even into death; without repayment, no salvation or anything else awaited.
The ideal contract any loan shark could dream of.
"Haa..."
Even if self-imposed, starting with a sigh and faces darkening was inevitable. The group fell silent, hit by a wave of reality.
All but one.
"Now, teach me."
"......You're really consistent."
"A mage needs unwavering stubbornness!"
"......"
Never mind...
Exasperated, Yuseong stuck out his tongue and pulled something from his pocket.
"...A syringe?"
It was a syringe, but an unusual one.
Like something out of a futuristic sci-fi flick he'd sneaked a peek at in the dead of night?
"You watched movies without me last time, right?"
"Y-you knew!?"
"Purchase history's all there. I'd be an idiot not to. Scolding comes later, anyway."
"...So we are getting scolded."
"This is... well, like a nanomachine."
"......?"
Everyone tilted their heads in unison.
Not because they didn't understand the word.
They'd grown familiar with modern life, terms, and common knowledge, including what a nanomachine was.
That's why it puzzled them.
"Isn't that tech not practical yet?"
"True, it's impractical now. But with magic? Different story."
Among the connections Yuseong had built through his many endeavors was a scientist.
Through chance connections, in exchange for favors, Yuseong borrowed his knowledge and ideas.
Countless attempts followed.
Yuseong pooled every bit of knowledge from Midgard. The scientist bled from the nose daily.
The fruit of a year's blood, sweat, and tears—a miracle the scientist himself called impossible to replicate!
'Modern mana engineering' suited it perfectly—!
The scientist wanted names like Exceed (transcendence) or Miracle (miracle), but Yuseong simplified it.
To something rustic yet intuitive, easy even for fools to remember.
"[Mana Semiconductor]. The name of the third mana organ that will form in your bodies."
...For a miracle, it was an awfully mundane name.