Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Indefinite Contractor is Mistaken
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"Haa."
The cold pre-dawn hours. Daniel let out a sigh.
For him, night shifts had always been the sweetest time—like savoring a marshmallow—while steadily building human connections through efficient late-night socializing.
But starting a few days ago, an unwelcome visitor had halved his enjoyment.
"Still at it today, I see. Your diligence is truly a sight to behold, Sir Daniel."
'Ugh.'
Daniel's head snapped around at the familiar voice.
"Welcome, Young Lord Rainer."
"Thanks for the warm reception. The night air feels especially biting tonight. Mind if I warm up with a cup of tea?"
"...Sure. Of course."
Daniel handed over a steaming cup of Frost Red Tea.
Though his exterior wore a businesslike smile, inside he was brimming with dissatisfaction.
'Give it a rest already. So persistent. Are all politicians like this?'
It was always the higher-ups who killed the motivation of hardworking folks.
Reaffirming this eternal truth, Daniel brought the tea to his lips.
What had once been the pinnacle of teas in his life now tasted utterly bitter in this moment.
At first, he'd thought it was just a routine night patrol.
'Reminds me of the army. The company commander or battalion commander would pop up for random night rounds when bored.'
A one-off event from the bigwigs to enforce discipline and morale. Up until then, that's what Daniel figured.
It took less than a day to realize how overly optimistic that was.
"Good work, Sir Daniel."
'No. Why do you keep coming?'
There had to be a reason for this, right?
One day, two days, three days—and now a full week.
Daniel couldn't for the life of him understand why this man kept doing it.
If he weren't the son of one of the empire's top elites, Daniel would've asked outright.
[Huh?]
The hint came last evening.
During the regular report session.
Titania shared the latest scorching-hot scoop from the Magic Tower, and Daniel blinked in surprise.
[Is that lie for real?]
[Great minds think alike. That's exactly what I thought at first. But it's true.]
[Whoa.]
[What can you do? To avoid getting on the Northern Archduke's bad side, we had to show this much sincerity.]
Titania's sigh flowed through the crystal orb.
The Magic Tower had been extremely unlucky this time.
For a typical noble's complaint, they'd just pay compensation and call it a day. But this was the Northern Archduke—one of the empire's foremost powerhouses.
Falling out of favor with someone like that would mean endless headaches for the Magic Tower, known as the empire's ivory tower, in operating anywhere in the realm.
To avoid that, they needed a grand apology on par with a full grovel—and the Tower had decided to deliver exactly that.
[That's pretty extreme, if you ask me. Dispatching three more 5th Circle mages?]
[For free, too.]
The so-called 1+1 service!
Buy one 5th Circle mage, get another free!
He never dreamed he'd see a clearance sale like that from the Magic Tower, one of the empire's mega-corporations.
But as extreme as it was, the effect was tremendous.
The Northern Archduke's full-course wrath ended with a statement expressing "profound regret."
Not a moderate injury? Pfft! As long as it wasn't fatal! No need to get greedy!
Just dodging the Archduke's fury was a godsend for the Tower.
[The other departments are in chaos. From what I know, two passed over for promotions, five on the pre-demotion list. Most'll get sidelined to dead-end posts.]
[Brutal. Lots of tears flowing.]
[Yeah. But not everyone's crying?]
She grinned.
[I'm one of the happy ones. Pays to have good subordinates.]
[No need for that. I was just doing my job.]
[Hehe. Still so humble. You've always been like that. That's why you're so reliable.]
She added slyly.
[When you get back, expect performance bonuses, extras, and a special reward. Look forward to it.]
[Can I ask what the special reward is?]
[Hehe. Where's the fun in spoiling it?]
[Ooh. Guess I need to wrap up here and head back ASAP.]
[Hehe. You should. I'm praying to see you back at the Tower soon, too.]
Might've been his imagination, but she looked genuinely pleased.
'Well, with her rivals out of the picture, that's only natural.'
[One more thing. Watch out for Rainer.]
[The young lord?]
[Yes. We got forgiveness from the Northern Archduke, but the Magic Tower's image took a hit—that's unchanged. No guarantee the heir won't nitpick over it. So absolutely! Stay cautious around him. Got it?]
[Whoa! Yes. I'll keep that in mind!]
Only then did it start clicking for Daniel about Rainer's behavior.
This guy's here to play the irate customer!
Looking for slip-ups to demand massive compensation like extra mages, just like the others! What an evil scheme!
'Yeah, 1+1 is tempting. But isn't this too blatant?'
He'd heard politicians were greedy by nature, but this was next level.
'Talk about excessive greed. They say the haves always want more. People are the same everywhere.'
He was flustered, but not angry.
He was a Foreign Legion Indefinite Contractor mage.
How many times had he dealt with entitled clients at postings?
Reacting to every tantrum would leave your stomach in knots from stress.
As a reincarnator, Daniel knew exactly how to handle it.
'Don't sweat it. Play along just enough and let it slide.'
Karens weren't people—they were phenomena.
As foolish as wasting emotions on typhoons or downpours.
Best to accept them as natural events and move on. Keeps your peace.
'At least he has some conscience. Not nitpicking over nothing—just monitoring and checking. That's decent, all things considered.'
Seeing Rainer's visits as an annoying but necessary customer service overtime, Daniel reached a conclusion.
Just nod along, humor him, keep him happy.
That eased his mind considerably.
"That hit the spot, Young Lord. But are you sure you're okay with this?"
"With what?"
"Coming out every night like this. You must have daytime duties, too. I'm worried it might strain your health."
"Don't worry about it. This is nothing."
Rainer smirked inwardly.
He'd thought they were getting closer, but that comment showed they still had a ways to go.
'Hinting it's a burden. Guess a week's effort isn't enough to close the gap.'
The midterm results were disappointing, but Rainer burned with resolve instead.
'Fun. Now it's a real challenge!'
"Haha. I'm a son of the North, after all. Saying I'm tired from a few nights in the wind? Others would call me soft. Besides, chatting with you is quite enjoyable."
"Is that so?"
"Of course. Especially watching your magic—it's eye-opening every time. I never knew adding one technique could boost efficiency this much. Regret not meeting talent like yours sooner."
"Haha. Honored by the praise."
'Look at this guy. Politician through and through—silver tongue's an art form.'
A typical Indefinite Contractor would've melted at the praise, dreaming of regular status. But with Daniel's "Regular? What's that? Edible?" mindset, no dice.
Instead, mistaking it for a sly ploy to lower his guard, Daniel resolved to stay even more vigilant.
'Gonna cut back on marshmallow time and stay sharp. For those bonuses!'
The Indefinite Contractor mage clenched his fist, steeling himself.
Utterly unaware of his colossal misunderstanding.
"Syril. Is this real?"
"Yes. The messenger just brought it."
"Heh. Unbelievable."
On his way back from meeting Daniel, Syril suddenly appeared, calling him to the office for something urgent.
Rainer couldn't hide his shock upon reading the letter on the desk.
"Three more 5th Circle mages assigned. The Tower went big."
"Makes sense. Anything less, and they couldn't have put out the fire on their feet."
"True enough."
Rainer thought of his father.
Edgar von Carta, the Northern Archduke.
Ruler of the North and a political veteran of decades in the imperial court.
What if the Tower hadn't groveled this hard?
'Probably five years minimum of headaches operating in the empire.'
He was certain. Because...
'If I couldn't inherit his seat, he'd strip my qualifications without hesitation.'
Rainer pondered.
For the empire, this was shocking news. For the North, joyous.
Effectively doubling their 5th Circle specialists against the Highland Tribes.
But what troubled Rainer was something else.
"Father's making a tempting offer, too."
He reread the letter's end.
"Kazan can request additional mages if needed."
Rainer set the letter down and drummed his fingers.
One more 5th Circle mage for Kazan.
On the surface, a no-brainer acceptance.
But Rainer felt zero pull.
The reason was clear.
"Gotta turn this down."
"You sure? It's a huge power boost."
"True. But if the reasons to refuse outweigh accepting? No choice."
Syril guessed why.
"Because of Sir Daniel?"
"Exactly."
Rainer nodded.
"Accepting might make him misunderstand. Think I'm insecure with just one Indefinite Contractor, so I requested regulars. That'd wound his pride. Kazan’s Magic Knight Daniel would be lost forever."
Rainer chuckled.
"Two mages for three months' safety, or one Magic Knight for lifelong security. Which would you pick?"
"You know the answer. Why ask?"
"Hahaha!"
Laughter filled the office.
"Draft the refusal letter now. Get paper and seal ready."
"As you command."
Choosing Daniel over the Tower's free mages, Rainer took up his pen.
His eyes burned with determination to cast Daniel as his Magic Knight.
'Maybe bring some sweets to go with the Frost Red Tea tomorrow?'
How much closer could he get than today? The heir-to-be scribbled away, unable to hide his excitement.
Utterly unaware of his own colossal misunderstanding.
Sometimes, ignorance truly is bliss.