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In truth, Jorgus was unlike the others who believed a magical beast had saved him. His reasoning lay in the understanding that some perceived magical beasts as inherently savage and bloodthirsty, including the one who saved him.
Despite human efforts to tame them, it seemed all futile.
The longer Jorgus lived, the more he recognized the prevalence of this belief. Besides the horse-shaped beast that rescued him and the young magical beast he encountered, his experiences reinforced the notion that humans saw magical beasts as inherently hostile, even those raised by humans.
Aresia was uncertain how to evaluate magical beasts. She vaguely recalled an article that depicted them as intelligent beings, their intellect growing with their strength. The attempts by humans to confine their freedom out of fear mirrored forcing a powerful being into servitude, denying them freedom and dignity.
She couldn’t help but see the similarity to enslaving a powerful being, resembling the rebellion against oppression by ordinary people. If creatures with strength and intellect resisted, why should magical beasts choose submission?
Aresia found this viewpoint intriguing. In a world of survival of the fittest, the powerful didn’t yield to the weak. Human displays of affection for beasts seemed more about control and less about genuine care. True understanding might not always meet the eye.
Furthermore, magical beasts possessed formidable strength; their claws and fangs alone could cause harm. Raised amidst their kin, playfully roughhousing, they didn’t learn to restrain their power. Training them required patience, and in cases of accidental harm, humans branded them as evil without understanding, a prejudiced assumption.
Dealing with magical beasts required readiness akin to confronting savage beasts, necessitating preparation for potential harm.
“If you’re not strong enough to ensure your safety, seeking confrontation is foolish,” advised Aresia.
“Indeed,” chuckled Jorgus at her words.
Unperturbed, Aresia continued, “In reality, magical beasts don’t harbor particular animosity toward humans—they view everyone as potential adversaries, including their own kind.”
Magical creatures, guided by their genetics, would eliminate the offspring of enemies or competitors. However, they displayed unexpected compassion, especially among higher-ranking magical beasts. Encountering non-enemy offspring prompted their inherent compassion to assist struggling young ones.
During the mourning period of losing their young, some female magical beasts adopted orphaned offspring, mirroring wolf packs nurturing wolf cubs. Though rare, it wasn’t entirely absent.
The interaction between Stormwind Horse and humans remained scarce, with minimal threat perceived from each other’s side. Aresia speculated that perhaps the Stormwind Horse saved him only because the human cub was in peril.
Jorgus remarked, “Parting ways with a high-ranking magical beast is indeed challenging; their lifespan is considerably long. The Stormwind Horse travels with storms, rarely settling in one place. Encountering them requires luck or the blessing of the divine.”
Moreover, encountering a storm wasn’t something pleasant.
Aresia refrained from dealing a blow to Jorgus verbally, somewhat hoping for a different outcome.
Aside from this conversation, they touched on other subjects, like what they did during the summer break. Though a mundane topic, it proved challenging to bridge the gap between them. At least the awkwardness lingering between them gradually dissipated.
After a few moments, Grysenna felt relieved. It seemed like they were finally starting to feel somewhat like an engaged couple.
“It’s not exactly a romantic sensation. If we seem a bit closer, it’s just a facade to convince others,” said Aresia.
After all, they held the script of a romantic tale, but their interaction seemed more akin to an arranged meeting than genuine closeness between the two.
Aresia glanced at Jorgus…
“How others romance isn’t necessarily our guideline for intimacy.”
They briefly discussed how others engaged in romantic relationships, but considering their circumstances, it sent a shiver down their spines. Better to leave that topic alone.
Seeing their evident reluctance, Grysenna chose to let it go. “As long as you both remember to be a little closer in public.”
After a while, with tired eyes, Jorgus prepared to take his leave, intending to return to his quarters to prepare.
This time, Grysenna didn’t attempt to detain him, saying, “Please allow us to escort you out, just for courtesy.”
Jorgus nodded in agreement.
As he departed, Aresia hastened back to the laboratory to attend to the remaining work. In Jorgus’s presence, she managed to sneak into the lab during the quiet hours of the night to work through the night. Though not feeling fatigued, the pressure was palpable.
As she awaited Aresia’s return, new guests arrived.
Once again, emissaries from the palace, not merely couriers, but two esteemed dignitaries, came seeking collaboration with Isis.
Finally, they had come.
Upon hearing the news, Aresia felt a wave of relief. The past few days had been unusually quiet on the imperial front. The delay made her wonder if the higher-ups in the empire were out of their minds, delaying even this matter. Were they hesitant to the extent that they might sell the teleportation array to the Mage Guild?
Moreover, if they had come later, it might have been too late.
The Duke and Duchess indeed wielded considerable influence. With this unexpected visit, it wasn’t entirely unforeseen that representatives from the Mage Guild received word and came knocking at their door. It was somewhat expected.
The Mage Guild hadn’t received the message; they found the content exaggerated and doubted its authenticity. Furthermore, with two vice-presidents engaged in a different arena, the importance of this message wasn’t sufficiently emphasized. Despite attempts to send someone for verification, the Duke’s household indicated the master wasn’t well and declined visitors. In the Duke’s territory, they communicated that the Duke and his legion were away capturing magical beasts, and the castle wasn’t open to outsiders. They were awaiting the Duke and Duchess to resume entertaining guests.
In the waiting process, the Emperor, St. Lot VIII, deliberated with his ministers before finally confirming the conditions for negotiation to be presented at the Isis.
Once again, Aresia as Isis glanced at the drafted contents and, despite her familiarity with various affairs, was surprised at their counterparts’ audacity.
The document explicitly stated a payment of fifty million gold coins and the selection of three treasures from the Imperial Treasury in exchange for the construction method of a long-range teleportation array. Additionally, for each array built and operational outside the capital within ten years, Isis was entitled to a fee, starting with two payments annually for the first decade, gradually reducing to no payment after fifty arrays were in operation.
It was a considerable sum, and the charges for each teleportation seemed modest, but when aggregated, the revenue distribution was significantly substantial.
(Doesn’t this resemble a wealth accumulation comparable to deducting the basic profit part from high-speed rail tickets worldwide and sharing one or two percent with the operator, resulting in substantial wealth?)
Given these terms, Aresia realized it was beyond her scope; perhaps it was more for a sage.
Passing the document to her clone (Aresia), she instructed the clone to convey it to the Duke.
The two dignitaries exchanged a glance, subtly elevating Aresia’s status a notch in Isis.
The Duke was taken aback by the Emperor’s terms; it wasn’t his place to intervene, nor did he have anything to say.
However, the two ministers took turns expressing their acknowledgment of Isis’s significance. They suggested the Emperor immediately establish a department dedicated to the construction of the array without requiring Isis’s involvement in the technical aspects, merely awaiting payment.
Isis listened to their propositions for a while before calmly saying, “Since you’ve shown this much sincerity, I see no reason to refuse.”
With the deal sealed and no room for negotiations, as the compensation offered already exceeded expectations, the prestige of a Mage didn’t permit haggling.
Once the approval was given, the prepared emissaries produced a pre-drafted magical contract. Aresia checked it thoroughly to ensure it aligned with the agreed terms and contained no linguistic traps before signing her name—not as Isis, an alias, but as Aresia herself.
While some might not recognize the written language of the High Mage world, for magical contracts, recognition wasn’t based on familiarity with the script but on the magical acknowledgment of the signatures, and there were no issues with that.
Having signed the contract, Aresia handed over the prepared documentation and added, “If there are any uncertainties, feel free to consult Frank.”
The complexity in constructing the long-range magical teleportation array lay in the material fusion for the runes’ formation.
With the materials gathered and the alchemical expertise to merge the base components, along with proper coordination, Isis believed the Emperor wouldn’t struggle to find the required talent.