Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: The Magic Tower's Gambit
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The Magic Tower reduced its search party.
That held many implications.
—They had failed to find the culprit.
For the Magic Tower, this was an indelible disgrace. Nevertheless, they could push no further.
"The atmosphere is different now."
Rumors were circulating that the emperor was keeping the Magic Tower in check.
And when the Lennox family, who were at the forefront of this movement, were elevated to the rank of marquis, the rumors were accepted as fact.
—The Magic Tower was not an absolute power.
People had come to realize this.
The implications of this were immense; donations to the Magic Tower plummeted immediately.
"It's only natural, since they have to be wary of the emperor."
Oh Min-jae had just received a visit request from Romez, a 7th-floor mage.
He had deliberately told him he would be free after lunch, and that time had now come.
Once, a 7th-floor mage of the Magic Tower held a position that even nobles wouldn't dare to trifle with, but not anymore.
*People change when they want something.*
Romez greeted him with far more courtesy than usual and sat on the drawing-room sofa.
Watching him, Oh Min-jae spoke.
"I've been very busy lately, so I don't have much time. I hope you'll understand."
The pressure began immediately, but Romez was in no position to argue.
*I have to succeed.*
He had come with only that thought in mind.
Before, he had come for personal gain, but not this time.
He was acting on the orders of a high-ranking mage.
Seeing his expression, Oh Min-jae knew what he was thinking.
*With donations down, they must be desperate to secure investments.*
Oh Min-jae lifted his teacup, displaying his composure.
He wasn't the one in a hurry, after all.
*It was bound to turn out this way.*
This was due to the distorted structure of the Gate industry.
Gates required massive investment, but less than five percent of them actually turned a profit.
While the profits from that five percent were enormous, the problem was that the Magic Tower took too large a share.
Ultimately, investors also contributed money to maintain their relationship with the Magic Tower, but with the emperor openly expressing his displeasure, they had no choice but to lay low.
An industry where investment was more likely to result in a loss.
And now, even its political significance had faded.
*There's no reason to pay up.*
They had recently made a huge profit from the Summoning Gate, but there was a problem with that too.
*How many people actually received the Life Stones?*
The profits were concentrated among a small number of investors, most of whom were nobles.
*They looked down on merchants too much.*
Merchants reinvest their profits, but nobles prioritize watching the emperor's mood.
"Since you're short on time, I'll get straight to the point."
Romez continued without even glancing at the tea in front of him.
"When do you plan to resume the sale of magical ingredients?"
The royalties from the magical ingredients Oh Min-jae sold had been a significant source of income.
A predictable, fixed income at that.
The most essential part of running an organization.
"I have no plans for that at the moment."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Because I've developed new ingredients."
"New ingredients..."
"I plan to sell full tokens, not half tokens. And since this is an invention of the Alchemist Guild, which I support, not the Magic Tower, I can't pay royalties."
"Ah..."
It wasn't something Romez could argue about.
All the magical consumables sold until now had been items that performed at half their potential.
They had sold in bulk because they were so cheap.
But now, Oh Min-jae was declaring he would sell the complete items.
"From my perspective, it's far more profitable to stop selling half tokens and sell full tokens instead."
There was no need to do the math.
*A monopoly...*
Romez finally understood why Oh Min-jae had invested so heavily in the Alchemist Guild.
This meant they couldn't expect royalties not just now, but in the future as well.
"As it happens, I was planning to discuss a bulk supply contract with the Magic Tower. Since we have a history, I'll give you a ten-percent discount off the market price."
Oh Min-jae said it as if doing him a great favor, but Romez swallowed nervously.
*Have we become a relationship where we have to pay for things now?*
Until now, they had received the half tokens practically for free under the guise of royalties.
But now, they were in a position where they had to buy them at several times the price.
*But if I refuse...*
Their magical experiments would immediately become difficult.
*What is this...*
Romez felt dizzy.
"Here are the prototypes. Take them and discuss it."
Oh Min-jae pushed a box wrapped in luxurious cloth toward him.
Inside the box were twenty magical ingredients, along with a friendly explanation.
"I-I'll discuss this. But what about donations or investments in the Magic Tower...?"
"I can certainly do that."
"Ah! You can."
Romez's expression brightened for a moment before Oh Min-jae handed him a document.
"What's this?"
"An investment contract. As I mentioned before, there will be no more blind donations or investments. I believe we need a safety net to cover the company's losses."
In truth, it was a standard investment contract.
—The designer shall explain in advance the technology, process, and expected outcome of the Gate.
—Losses from the Gate investment shall be borne jointly by the designer and the investor.
—If the designer is unable to cover the losses, the magical records used in the Gate's construction shall be handed over to the investor.
There were several clauses, but these three were the core.
The loss-sharing ratio depended on the designer's skill, and until now, the Magic Tower had maintained a zero-liability policy.
Even if they failed, they suffered no loss.
Furthermore, the contract itself lacked other clauses, and the distribution of profits wasn't clearly specified.
"This is unacceptable."
"Then there will be no investment."
"Didn't you profit greatly from the last Gate?"
Romez demanded. Oh Min-jae replied without any change in his expression.
"Do you think that was adequate compensation for the amount I invested?"
"What?"
"As the largest investor, I should have received the largest share. But I heard most of those Life Stones are with the Magic Tower. Am I wrong?"
Romez was at a loss for words.
"That was the only Gate that turned a profit. And the Magic Tower took most of that profit. Listen carefully. I'm not a child. 'It's fine because you got back more than you invested?' Just how much of a fool do you take me for to even think that?"
The largest investor should naturally receive the largest return. Everyone knew that.
"Think back on everything the Magic Tower has done to me. Have you ever treated me fairly, even once? And did you think I would just overlook you using mind magic on my partner?"
Cornered, Romez could only listen in silence.
"I'm ready to invest anytime. But bring me a contract that reflects an equal partnership. This is a very reasonable demand."
Oh Min-jae emphasized his last words and stood up.
At that, Romez grew desperate.
"The Gate we are constructing this time will absolutely succeed."
"You always say that. But can I trust the one leading this Gate? Isn't he the one who failed spectacularly last time?"
He was referring to Falcon.
Indeed, the Death King Gate led by Falcon had ended in a massive loss.
Seeing Oh Min-jae speak as if he had anticipated everything, Romez's pride was wounded, and he finally resorted to his last card.
*I must secure the Mirje Trading Company.*
Having made up his mind, Romez spoke.
"If this Gate does not gather a certain amount of investment, it will proceed independently."
This statement was shocking even to Oh Min-jae. He tried to hide his expression, but couldn't completely conceal his surprise.
Noticing this, Romez immediately continued.
"It means we are certain of its success."
"It sounds like you're giving me an opportunity."
"That's right. We at the Magic Tower admit that we have not treated the Mirje Trading Company properly until now. But things will be different from now on."
"And what if you fail again?"
"That will not happen."
"Bring me that confidence in writing. Then I'll invest to your satisfaction."
"Understood."
Romez was satisfied with having secured the promise of investment. He judged that it wasn't the right atmosphere to be greedy.
*Once the Gate is built, our positions will reverse again.*
There was a reason for his confidence.
*Because it's a joint creation of the 9th-floor mages.*
He never revealed that inner thought.
After Romez left.
Oh Min-jae returned directly to the Giam Island headquarters. He relayed everything he had heard from Romez.
"They're that confident? Even after Lilia died?"
They had killed the highest authority, yet the Magic Tower was showing even more confidence.
"Are they really planning to proceed on their own?"
Oh Min-jae nodded at Min Ha-na's question.
"They should have enough funds. The last Gate was a huge success. If I don't invest, they really will build it themselves. It's the best way to show off the Magic Tower's power."
"Then why did they come to you to propose an investment?"
"There are several reasons. First, it's for the future, not just the present. Regardless of whether the Gate construction succeeds, their structure is unsustainable without investments and donations. So they need to keep their funding sources secure. And since our company is the best on the continent, maintaining a relationship with us has symbolic meaning."
It was a well-known fact that the Mirje Trading Company was the Magic Tower's top investor.
But what if the Mirje Trading Company suddenly stopped investing?
Moreover, with the emperor politically checking them, if something like this happened, other trading companies would also become reluctant to invest.
"Anyway, if this Gate is a massive success..."
"The power struggle with the emperor begins in earnest. The Magic Tower knows that too, which is why they're trying to create a special Gate."
The atmosphere in the meeting room grew heavy.
It was a moment that was bound to come, but it was still suffocating every time.
It was Wang-sik who broke the long silence.
"We have to invest for now. We need to find out what their plan is."
It was an unavoidable conclusion.
The Gate wouldn't simply disappear just because they didn't invest.
"I'll pressure them as much as possible to create a structure where we can get information. I've already set the tone, so they won't be able to hide everything like before."
Oh Min-jae, seemingly sharing Wang-sik's thoughts, immediately laid out a detailed plan.
"Good. This could be an opportunity."
Wang-sik said, changing the somber mood.
"If this Gate fails, the Magic Tower will take a massive hit. The top Gate organization will be shaken. I'll move with Min-jae."
Oh Min-jae smiled at his words.
"A two-pronged attack. I'll play the collaborator, and you'll play the disruptor."
Once a rough conclusion was reached, Min Ha-na, who had been listening, asked.
"What should we do?"
"We need to find those Barak bastards. They'll definitely use them."
"That's politically problematic, isn't it?"
"We can be a little rough. This is an emergency."
"Good. I've been waiting to hear that."
Min Ha-na felt as if shackles had been released from her body.
"Everyone, prepare thoroughly. What happened last time must not happen again."
Lilia's Summoning Gate came to their minds.
It was only natural for expressions of displeasure to appear on everyone's faces.
"That will never happen again."
"We will protect it, no matter what."
The ones making this vow were just over ten people in the meeting room.
An absurdly small number compared to the entire planet.
But they knew.
That if Mad Castle failed, a terrible disaster would befall them.