03. Is Bari a Great Mage?
03. Is Bari a Great Mage?
More importantly, what era's Java is that?
You're still using that snail-paced thing.
"All right, everyone heard that, right? Magic is nothing to our Bari."
"...I have no idea what you're talking about."
Yu Ina furrowed her brow seriously and spat out, 'Anyway, she has great talent for magic.'
It's not even on the level of just 'talent,' but oh well. These folks know zilch about advanced science.
To begin with, an AI on Bari's level is something that even if you gathered the world's top ten million human scientists from my home planet, they'd only understand 0.001% of it. That's how incredible she is.
"With such outstanding understanding of magic, she just needs to learn how to gather mana now, right? I was supposed to guide her, but she might not even need it."
"Didn't she just use mana to cast Fireball? She used a ton of it."
She's still floating around right now.
So much it's practically scorching hot.
"That was my mana."
"Huh?"
"I don't have mana yet, so I borrowed Instructor-nim's link."
I don't know the details, but that's it, right?
Like linking magically to share or supply mana.
You know, like in anime where they do all sorts of stuff with familiars to supply mana.
Yeah, something like that vibe.
"Well, since it's Bari, she'll master gathering mana in no time."
"No matter how great the magical talent, gathering mana is a completely different story."
"No, why are there so many 'completely different stories'? They say magic is a whole different thing even after sensing mana, and now understanding magic makes gathering mana another whole different thing. Is this some half-baked discipline?"
"That's the truth."
Hmph. Bari can overcome anything.
"Anyway, this means I'll have to guide you again."
"Your words flip so much. At this point, aren't you a liar?"
"What? Liar?!"
She got super worked up.
Her massive bust jiggling noticeably for some reason.
"Ah. Calling you a liar might be too harsh. What should I say then?"
"Just shut up. Every time you open your mouth, it pisses me off."
"That's too much. Telling me to shut up."
"I told you to shut up, didn't I?"
"Why do I have to hear that crap? More importantly, aren't you scared of Bari?"
"A master relying on their slave? How pathetic."
"If the slave is competent, the master doesn't need to be outstanding. Simple logic. As expected of barbarians who know nothing of civilization."
"H-Hey, barbarian?? A mere 'human' calling me, a 'Noblesse,' a barbarian?!"
"Honestly, everyone's a barbarian below me."
I can do everything with a flick of my wrist without any magic bullshit, and I can even create simulations as vast as the universe, so from my perspective, yeah, total barbarians.
This isn't discrimination; it's just facts.
"Now I see you're not just arrogant. You're a total asshole."
"Can an instructor use words like that? You should use proper, refined language. Your basics are lacking."
"Um..."
Right in the middle of our back-and-forth, someone butted in.
I thought it was Bari since I'd accidentally aggro'd hard, but nope.
It was a blonde elf.
Eleonore, with her long ears twitching slightly.
"Out of pure curiosity, when did you two get so close?"
""What??""
The exact same syllables bursting out in unison.
It was a perfect duet, a first.
"No... time-wise, does that even make sense... Come to think of it, someone said they saw Sihwan-ssi coming out of Instructor-nim's house..."
She tossed out a bombshell topic and then got lost in her own delusions, muttering something dangerous.
"No way... you two...?"
Then she tilted her head in disbelief for the grand finale.
Yu Ina's face turned red as a ripe apple.
Not from embarrassment—clearly pure rage.
"El...f..."
"Eek, sorry!"
"You're saying some real funny shit. Me, a proud 'Noblesse,' having a fling with a 'human' of all things?"
"I didn't say it that far..."
"Shut up! How much do you have to look down on me to say crap like that! Grr...!!"
She's overreacting big time.
No one even mentioned a fling, but she jumped straight there.
You know, like planning kids after just holding hands.
"It's terminal."
Now I see she even has delusions of grandeur.
Cool girl act with klutz vibes and megalomania to boot.
She's got it all. At this point, shouldn't Bari cure her?
"The Chief Instructor too, and you...!"
"Chief Instructor? Why's the Chief Instructor coming up?"
"...It's nothing."
She'd been fuming hot, but suddenly cleared her throat and deflated.
Usually all expressionless and icy, but when that mask cracks, a soft face comes out.
Pretty varied expressions, huh.
"Wow... you guys really are close. So casual like this. First time seeing it."
"I told you no! As if I'd get attached to a mere human!"
"Yeah. I won't either. Barbarian."
"Everyone, calm down first. Anyway, without me, you're all the same, right?"
"No, why are you getting in on this too."
With Bari's slightly upturned nose joining in, things got weird.
+++
"So... for the future of this human slave, you're gritting your teeth and transferring her to Sihwan-ssi... that's what you're saying."
"Not transfer. Selling. You human trafficker wannabe."
"Hmph. What's the problem? Selling goods for money is basic common sense. And way below market price too."
Somehow, we ended up at Yu Ina's house.
With Eleonore in tow.
While eating the meal Luna brought, talk naturally turned to me and Luna.
It stemmed from that conversation on the training field.
Trying to explain our weird master-instructor relationship brought it up naturally.
"Wow. But 10,000 gold... is that even an amount a human can gather?"
With trainee pay, impossible.
Plus, Yu Ina says buy her within a year... is that even feasible?
I'm skeptical, but Yu Ina thinks differently.
"More than possible."
"Oh?"
"This one became A-Class class president. Class president gets an extra 10 gold allowance per month."
What? There's extra pay like that?
"And if you become trainee representative, another 30 gold extra. Total 70 gold a month."
70 gold... about 7 million won in old currency, not chump change.
Enough to live comfortably.
Man, they pay extra just to hassle people.
Kinda scary.
"And since it's representative by ranking, everyone below must obey. Once full enrollment hits, at least 300 under you."
"Yeah, got that, but how's that help gather 10,000 gold? 70 a month is 840 a year."
"Heh."
Yu Ina sneered.
Feels shitty.
"As expected of a human, your brain's rigid."
"Yeah. Next delusion of grandeur."
"I'm so used to your bullshit I don't even get mad anymore."
"Want more?"
"Salary's peanuts, but a rep obeyed by trainees has other means."
Now she's straight-up ignoring me.
"All trainees get 30 gold allowance monthly, class pres 10 extra, vice 5. Collect it."
"...Huh?"
What.
Did I hear wrong?
"Well, 'collect' doesn't mean squeeze till they starve or they'll rebel, so moderate it."
So, extort the trainees?
From an instructor's mouth?
"Say 5 gold for rent, 10 food, 5 misc—leaves 10 spare. Squeeze tighter, 12 per head."
"No, hey."
"Of 600 survivors, 500 pass final—6,000 gold a month. Three months training: 18,000 total. Buy Luna, still 8,000 left. Enough for Rina too. Nice, right?"
"No, you crazy bitch."
Her head's full of slave-selling.
"What's the problem now, human."
"Extorting? Can an instructor say that?"
"Why not? You're the beneficiary. What's your beef?"
"Ha... fine, whatever."
Not a big deal...
More money's good...
But...
"You're sneakily steering to your advantage, but I never committed to buying Luna. Said I'd think about it."
"Don't make me laugh. A human male, lust incarnate, passing on a pretty girl? You expect me to buy that?"
"Not all humans are that one-dimensional."
Dunno where she heard that, but I'm not.
Plus, no basis I'd shell out 10,000 gold for Luna—
"After exclusively taking an elf girl, your mouth sure runs. Clear out the one next to you first."
"..."
"Ahem... cough..."
Eleonore, mid-spoon of soup, startled into a cough.
Ah... Eleonore...
Playing dirty with facts.
"N-No, I didn't pick her for that."
"Didn't?"
Pfft.
Yu Ina laughed openly.
"I'd bet my entire fortune you touch the elf."
"Entire fortune? How much?"
"1,200 gold."
"What. You're broke as hell."
"B-Broke? 1,200 gold is a fortune!"
Sure. About 120 million won.
But that's human scale, and you're Noblesse.
Hang on, a centuries-old being can't afford 10,000 gold for Luna?
Makes no sense.
"...I'm just thirty."
"Huh?"
"Oh my! Thirty? Seven times younger than me... ahem... sorry."
Thirty...
Human terms, like three or four?
Total toddler?
"What. All that attitude at that baby age?"
"Attitude!"
"What was it? Average..."
"Humans average 40, max around 60. Age matters to you. But meaningless to us. We live at least twenty times longer."
"Oh. Right, yeah."
Bari, spot on as always.
"N-Not wrong, but so what? Don't change the subject!"
Yu Ina's face turned beet red.
Not as apple-red as before, but cute in its own way.
"Me, changing subject?"
"You said you didn't pick the elf for that? Prove it!"
"Me? Why?"
"Hmph. All talk, no confidence, huh. I get it. Humans are like that."
"You think cheap provocation works on me?"
What do you take me for...
You'd fall for it easier.
"You seem super confident, so wanna bet?"
"...Sihwan-nim?"
"Bet?"
"Yeah. If I don't touch Eleonore till graduation, what'll you do?"
"Hmph. Graduation? Hilarious. Won't last a month. I'll bet my fortune."
"Then if I don't for a month, you owe me 120,000 gold."
"W-What? 120,000?? What nonsense!"
"Chicken? Drop dead then."
Bang!
"Bullshit! I said my fortune's 1,200 gold!"
"This house isn't yours? These dishes? Too lazy to haul, so call it 120,000 even."
"House not in my name, and all dishes combined don't hit that absurd number. Enough sophistry."
"Include potential assets. Fresh out of society with 1,200 saved means fat allowance, right? Academy instructor pay beats trainees, plus 'Noblesse' prestige maintenance fees. Adds up way over 1,200. 120,000's a steal. Or you think you're worth less? Noblesse ain't shit, huh?"
Crunch.
Crunched.
Crunch crunch.
Ooh, grinding teeth.
Great sign.
"Or no confidence in your words. Either way, you're nothing."
Grrrrind.
Holy shit.
Crushing the desk with grip strength.
Aggro'd too hard?
"L-Like... that...?"
Dark voice echoes.
Bad vibe.
"Sihwan-nim...! I told you not to aggro!"
Bari whispered urgently.
But I didn't mean to...
Wasn't intentional...
Thought her klutz side meant easy to manipulate.
"F-Fine... if you put it that way, I can't refuse."
Oh. Bit.
See, easy to—
"But you're yapping this crap assuming you'd stake equal collateral, right? For 120,000 gold value. Can't accept a worthless human's IOU with no assets."
"..."
120,000 gold collateral...
I got none.
Ah.
Obvious in hindsight. Got too heated.
Now I stoked rage with no gain.
"No choice. 1,200 then—"
"Fuck off. Backing out now? Dream on."
"..."
Madder than thought.
"If you win—i.e., 'Ryu Si-hwan' doesn't sexually touch 'Eleonore' for a month—I'll write a 120,000 gold IOU. Can't cover alone, so my family guarantees, sworn on mana and Nobling.
Conditions: First, 'Eleonore' and 'Ryu Si-hwan' share 'same house,' 'same room,' 'same bed,' sleeping 'together' for the month. Second, I, 'Yu Ina,' stay in same house to monitor. Third, 'Ryu Si-hwan' and 'Eleonore' together 16+ hours daily."
A torrent of insane terms.
Thought she was total airhead, but pissed turns silver-tongued??
Way too unfavorable? Same bed??
"How's that? Worth it?"
Yu Ina grinned slyly at me.
Soup forgotten.
120,000 gold value...
Obviously none.
Gotta apologize and bail? Bruised ego.
"N-"
"No? Pay with body."
"Huh."
"Precisely the doll's value, but you're owner, so your value works."
"What."
"I, 'Yu Ina,' acknowledge your body worth 120,000 gold. Now you have stake value."
Yu Ina swung her arm.
Tableware flew aside, table cleared.
Revealed: That magic circle I'd only heard of... and seen in games.
"Come on, accept."
No way, oath magic? Soul-binding swear like in novels/anime.
She's dead serious;
Aggro'd too much.
"Why? Can't?"
I hesitated; she bared white teeth.
"Chicken? Drop dead then."