“My own experiences?”
“Yes. After all, what could be more helpful to those who follow than the knowledge of a pioneer?”
Receiving passed-down knowledge and following it.
This was the means the lords had chosen to gain power.
An extremely peaceful, and above all, perfectly legal method.
The lords’ eyes focused on Danil’s mouth in unison.
Had the word ‘bribe’ popped out, that would have been precisely what they wanted. That was how desperately the lords coveted the power Danil had shown today.
“Very well. A request of that degree isn’t difficult.”
“!!! Really?”
“Yes. Please call your children. I’ll tell them directly.”
“Right now?”
“Yes. Isn’t it best to strike while the iron is hot?”
“Then… is there nothing else you need?”
“What do you mean?”
“Ah. It’s just…”
“……?”
The lords shut their mouths.
They had thought they should at least offer a bribe, yet not even the syllable ‘bribe’ had crossed the other party’s lips, leaving them utterly bewildered.
“Hmm. Very well. I shall call them at once.”
“I’m not in a hurry, so please take your time.”
Their bewilderment lasted only a moment; inwardly, the lords cheered.
There was no one who hated getting something for free. They were no different.
Before long, young nobles who had answered the call rushed in and gathered before Danil.
‘Jackpot. To think I’d get an opportunity like this!’
‘I even brought a recording magic tool. I’ll record everything without missing a single syllable.’
The young nobles, who had been stationed in the rear and thus hadn’t participated in the battle but had clearly heard of Danil’s exploits through the knights, sparkled with anticipation.
The yearning for power knows no age.
They calmed their pounding hearts and waited silently for Danil to begin.
“You all should stay as well. There’s no need to leave your seats.”
“Pardon?”
“Is that alright?”
“Of course. It’s not as if this is some secret technique.”
Retainers and attendants who had been about to withdraw opened their eyes wide.
The lords and their children did the same.
In truth, they were all under one misconception.
What they were about to hear was no secret technique to Danil.
It was merely his work experience.
There was just one difference.
“The beginning is simple. For two years, you just have to take half your salary.”
“Pardon?”
The standard was not that of a medieval fantasy, but of a modern one.
*
“I entered the external division when I was at the 3rd Circle. Due to circumstances, I signed the official Black Mage application documents and immediately went to the field. After that, I only rested one day a week and worked for half my salary. After suffering like that for two years, I successfully changed jobs to become an official Black Mage, reaching the 4th Circle.”
“Pardon?”
People were at a loss for words.
Danil spoke as if it were no big deal, but to those listening, it was nothing short of a shock.
‘Half salary and a six-day workweek for two years?’
‘What? Am I listening to the life of a serf right now?’
‘Even serfs wouldn’t work that hard except during the harvest season, would they?’
‘If you work like that, isn’t it normal to collapse from overwork in less than a month?’
One of the young nobles cautiously raised a hand.
“There’s much I’d like to ask, but first I want to know this. Why did you take only half your salary? Did you owe a debt to the Tower?”
“It’s simple. It’s exactly the same as the process of becoming a knight.”
“Pardon?”
“To become a knight, many things are needed. Martial arts, weapons, mana cultivation methods, and even a horse. Does the employer prepare all of that? The one who wants to become a knight must prepare it themselves.”
“……!”
“Th-that means, surely you don’t mean…?”
“Yes. The magical knowledge needed to become a certified Black Mage, the materials to be used as sacrifices, and even the escort mages needed for a safe job transition. The Tower provides all of this. For a fee, of course. That’s why they deducted it from my salary.”
“…….”
“You needn’t think of it too badly. In my case, I didn’t receive any support from my family, so I had to do everything myself. If you receive support, you can change jobs more easily and quickly than I did.”
The lords and children, who had been slightly relieved by his words of comfort, gaped when they heard the job-change cost.
They had been prepared for it to be expensive, but the amount that came out far exceeded their expectations.
‘Good heavens. Is it that expensive?’
‘Crazy. With that money, I’d be much better off taking out a loan from the bank and sending them to Jedo Academy.’
The lords were dumbfounded.
They had heard that becoming an officially certified Black Mage recognized by the Tower was as difficult as a camel passing through the eye of a needle, but they hadn’t known it was for this reason.
To think it would cost so much money.
However, Danil’s words were not yet finished.
“Going from the 4th Circle to the 5th Circle is a bit difficult. You need money, but something else is essential.”
“What is it?”
“The Tower’s approval.”
“By approval, do you mean you take some kind of test?”
“No. Rather than a test, I’d say it’s closer to a performance evaluation. No, credit evaluation would be more appropriate.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”
“It’s a simple matter. An official Black Mage is a Black Mage recognized by the Tower. If that Black Mage causes an accident comparable to what those heretics do, where does the responsibility lie?”
“Ah!”
“Yes. It’s exactly as you suspect. That’s why becoming an official Black Mage is easy up to the 4th Circle, but advancing to the 5th Circle is incredibly difficult. The performance evaluation is extremely stringent. This is why most official Black Mages remain at the 4th Circle.”
“How did Lord Danil receive the approval?”
“In my case, I was lucky. I just worked hard and built up my work performance, and they approved me.”
“Pardon? That works?”
“It did. After working a six-day week for five more years.”
“Huek!!!”
People gasped. He did that crazy act for five more years? Really?
“The cost required to promote to the 5th Circle was enormous, so I had no choice.”
“……”
“When my savings reached near the target, a permit came down from above, so I was a bit surprised. Someone I know banged their head against the wall for ten years but only came up empty.”
“…….”
“Still, I felt good knowing that the Tower recognized I had worked diligently.”
People couldn’t bring themselves to say it.
Their honest thought was that if the Tower had any conscience, they should have given him not just approval but at least a month of awarded vacation.
‘So you have to work like an ox for seven years like that to become a 5th Circle mage?’
‘What the hell. Why is a corpse talking? Shouldn’t he have died from overwork long ago?’
‘I’m not doing it. No, I can’t! I’m a person, not livestock! If you work like that normally, you either go crazy or die. It’s one or the other!’
‘He’s ruthless. Ruthlessly mad. Do you have to be that kind of freak to earn the Tower’s recognition and gain that kind of power?’
People looked at Danil with horrified eyes.
The man before them was no mere powerful mage. He was a monster pretending to be human.
Indeed! How could someone who had endured a hellish time for a full seven years and finally obtained the qualifications of a 5th Circle Black Mage possibly be human?
Danil tilted his head.
‘Why are they all so surprised?’
The atmosphere was strange.
The banquet hall fallen into silence and the people’s reactions were genuinely incomprehensible to him.
‘Could it be that it’s so easy they can’t believe it? Well, I suppose I wouldn’t believe it either. That you can become a 5th Circle Black Mage just by working in a fairy-tale work environment. It sounds like a lie.’
Just attending a major company six days a week and working hard makes becoming a 5th Circle mage totally possible within seven years.
Even he thought it sounded like a scammer’s pitch.
As Danil wondered how he could make people believe him, he failed to notice at all.
That a work environment with one day off per week—a six-day week—was a fairy tale only by the standards of humans who had died from overworking under Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Friday-Friday, while by the standards of the people in this world, it was hellfire-level ultra-black.
*
Four days later.
“The report is strange.”
“…….”
“Is something wrong?”
“No. I just think the world is a strange and wondrous place every time I hear it.”
“What is?”
“Isn’t it amazing? That there’s a diligent permanent contract mage like you.”
“You just have to work hard, though?”
“Say something that makes sense.”
The beautiful superior who had heard the report snickered.
“There’s no way a permanent contract worker of the Tower would work hard, is there? Except for you.”
“The others handle their duties diligently as far as I know.”
“If you call that diligence, then you truly are a permanent contract worker.”
The beautiful superior, snickering, opened a drawer and took out an envelope.
“Take it.”
“What is this?”
“A reward for this emergency request.”
“A bonus?”
“A special bonus at that. It’s a 50% discount coupon for artifacts sold by the Tower workshop.”
Danil’s eyes went wide.
“What? Really? You’re not kidding?”
“Do I look like someone who jokes about this?”
“I know you’re not, but how should I put it… isn’t this a bit excessive?”
“Excessive? I always think this, but you need to have some confidence. You are the greatest contributor to the subjugation of the biological hazard? You more than deserve this level of reward.”
The beautiful superior handed over the discount coupon.
“Congratulations. As far as I remember, you’re the first permanent contract worker to receive this.”
“It’s an honor. I’ll use it well.”
Danil smiled and pocketed the coupon.
He too was a mage.
He couldn’t hide his joy at having obtained a ticket to buy a premium artifact cheaply.
“Don’t tell anyone else. They’ll kick up a fuss about discrimination and whatnot.”
“Don’t worry. Am I the type to blab everywhere?”
“I know. But just in case.”
The beautiful superior smiled sweetly.
“Good work on the dispatched assignment. Team Leader Danil. Go back and rest. Let’s see each other next week.”
“Yes.”
Danil left the office.
Thanks to the unexpected bonus, an unplanned entry had appeared in his schedule, and the smile wouldn’t leave his face.
‘A permanent contract worker at the Tower! It’s the best!’