"What?"
Count Trentby exclaimed in disbelief, but Raymond spoke gravely.
"In exchange for the closure and cleanup of all the crystal mines, I'll also take on the debt you owe to the Tower. That should be a great deal for you, Count, won't it?"
Count Trentby remained silent.
If Raymond's words were true, then yes, he owed the Magic Tower a whopping 300,000 penas, and he could pay him 100,000 penas to take it away.
"... Are you sure you want to do that?"
"Of course. We'll even write the contract here."
The assembled lords, Elmud, and Christine were witnesses.
"Then, from this moment onward, the possession of the Borison estate transfers to Raymond."
"The same goes for the 300,000 penas you owe the Magic Tower, do you understand?"
"Of course."
Count Trentby looked satisfied and thought to himself.
'I'm saved. I could have been a slave to the Magic Tower.'
He would have to pay Raymond 100,000 penas, but so be it.
He could sell the family heirlooms and liquidate the estate.
He would be penniless, but that's better than being enslaved to the Magic Tower for debt.
Then, the sage Mevinson asked.
"Why did you do such a thing, my lord? Count Trentby is not worthy of pity."
"I did not do it out of pity."
"Then why his debt?"
Raymond smirked.
"I won't actually repay the debt."
"... pardon?"
"It was the Magic Tower's fault this happened, and I don't see any reason why I should pay what's left of his debt."
That's right.
Everything Count Trentby owed was for the installation of the new facility.
But what if there's a problem with the plant?
There's no reason to pay the remaining money!
In other words, Count Trentby was blindsided by Raymond and had his nose cut off.
'Well, I didn't lie to you, Count Trentby; it's your own fault for not thinking this through.'
Raymond hummed to himself.
Count Trentby is a knight who has trained with swords all his life.
He hadn't thought this through.
He was broke, frustrated, and desperate.
'Of course, it's unlikely that the Magic Tower would willingly pay off the mine's debts; instead, they'd prefer to use any excuse to claim they weren't responsible.'
In fact, the average noble wouldn't even be able to complain to the Magic Tower if something like this happened.
They're the worst kind of selfish, being a continent-wide, omnipotent organization.
'But I'm not an ordinary noble anymore.'
Yes, he was no longer a weak noble; he was a great noble who would become a feudal lord of the Houston Kingdom.
'Instead of paying off the debt, I'd rather seek compensation for damages.'
Raymond thought with a determined look.
Yeah, compensation for the damages.
He took over the Borison estate to receive it.
This was his chance to challenge them and make a significant profit.
'Let's contact them right away. This is an opportunity to get my money!'
Raymond's eyes lit up.
This was the first day he'd ever looked forward to contacting the Magic Tower.
***
Shameron, the head of the Magic Tower branch of the Houston Kingdom, was contacted.
"Haha, long time no see, Count! Will you finally become a disciple of the Magic Tower...?"
"No, I have business to discuss."
Shameron's bright expression turned dark in an instant.
-W-What? Issues with the magic mine? That's why there's an epidemic? T-That can't be true!
"Here is the evidence."
Raymond presented the information he had uncovered to Shameron, who couldn't utter a word.
The issues with the magic mine were crystal clear.
"You can verify it again through the Magic Tower's investigators if you'd like."
-... Alright.
Shameron responded with a solemn expression.
-I express deep regret for the unfortunate events that have occurred. Although it appears to be an unavoidable natural disaster, we acknowledge our ethical responsibility and will consider compensation.
Raymond frowned.
Calling it a natural disaster and claiming ethical responsibility felt like an attempt to shift blame away from themselves.
"So, what compensation does the Magic Tower plan to provide?"
- We will repay the agreed-upon 300,000 penas promised for the Borison territory. Additionally, we will assist in closing the magic stone mine at the lowest possible cost.
Raymond let out a bitter laugh.
'Is that all you offer, just to cover your tracks with that?'
The primary responsibility for this incident lies with the unknown culprits, who must be caught and held accountable.
Yet, that doesn't absolve the Magic Tower of its responsibilities.
Entrusting a substantial amount of money for the construction of the mining facility to the Magic Tower was aimed at preventing unforeseen disasters like this.
However, the Magic Tower failed to properly inspect the issues with the magic stone, and they were partly responsible for the current situation.
"Excuse me, but can you tell me which mage inspected the magic stone mine during the recent examination?"
Shameron remained silent.
-...It was handled by a mage of the lowest rank.
Raymond let out a bitter laugh at the response.
A regular wizard.
Now, an apprentice wizard without the greenhorn label handled it.
By the way, Raymond's current wizard grade registered with The Magic Tower was also 'regular'.
Shameron, perhaps acknowledging his mistake, spoke with a rigid tone.
-...The mage's grade dispatched depends on the quality of the stones. Following the procedure... Of course, recognizing our ethical responsibility, we will offer a slightly lower closure cost for the mine.
It was a tone suggesting they followed the procedure, and thus, they had no fault.
'Hm.'
Raymond clenched his fist.
He had expected the Magic Tower to respond this way.
Moreover, Raymond acknowledged that the Magic Tower had an unjust aspect to their situation.
After all, no one could have imagined such a situation.
However, the refusal to admit their own mistakes was an attitude he couldn't accept.
'That's why I want to take advantage of them even more.'
Raymond thought to himself.
'I'll put as much pressure on them as possible.'
Just then, a message popped up.
[A sudden quest has been triggered due to the opponent's refusal to admit their mistake!]
[Reprimand The Magic Tower!]
(Magic Quest)
[Prerequisite: Middle Physician Rank
Difficulty: Low
Quest Description: The Magic Tower is taking advantage of its position to avoid responsibility! Claim fair compensation and use that money to comfort the victims!
Clear Condition: Claim fair compensation
Reward: Level up x2, bonus skill points 50
Special Bonus: Money]
Raymond noted the content of the perks.
It was "money."
'I was only going to get a modest amount of damages, but I'm going to get the most money I can!'
Ripping them off would be the most fitting punishment for them.
As if to cheer him on in his resolve, a message popped up with a chirp!
[Identified the Jerk!]
[Special Skill 'Jerk Special: Jerk to the Jerk!' is triggered in accordance with the opponent's jerk pattern!]
[Engaging in negotiations at the territorial level! Skill 'The Art of Negotiation' is activated!]
['Jerk Special' and 'The Art of Negotiation' synergize for added effect!]
Raymond clenched his fist.
"It's disheartening to hear you dismiss responsibility like that. In this situation, I believe The Magic Tower bears some blame for not adequately inspecting the magic stones."
-Well... while we acknowledge the ethical responsibility, this situation was an unavoidable natural disaster.
Investing significant resources to ensure the quality of magic stones from The Magic Tower is crucial in preventing undesirable situations. Was this diligence solely a response to natural disasters?
Quality assurance is paramount in the extraction process at The Magic Tower. Every magic stone undergoes meticulous scrutiny, and without this assurance, they cannot be introduced into the market.
"I believe The Magic Tower should acknowledge its share of responsibility in this matter."
-...
Shameron appeared uneasy briefly before firming his expression.
-That's challenging. The work conducted at The Magic Tower heavily relies on human efforts. If we subject every incident to such scrutiny, maintaining future business relations may become problematic.
It was a veiled threat.
For continued collaboration in the future, cooperation is advised.
A threat leveraging The Magic Tower's monopolistic position in magical affairs.
'The Magic Tower is comparable to a massive multinational monopoly in comparison to modern Earth.'
Similar to the overwhelming power of monopolies on modern Earth, The Magic Tower played the role of a "super bully," leaving ordinary nobles dealing with them as the "victims."
Regardless of mistreatment, protesting effectively seemed implausible.
'In my former self, enduring such threats would have been challenging.'
Severing ties with the Magic Tower immediately would present substantial hurdles in practicing magic.
Other nobles found themselves unable to resist the Magic Tower's intimidation for similar reasons.
'But things are different now. I'm not just an ordinary "victim" anymore; I'm a sort of "super victim" in my own right.'
What happens when that "victim" happens to be a formidable client?
At that juncture, the typical "victim" transforms into a "super victim."
"I see. In that case, following the feudal lord's perspective, I will terminate our business association with the Magic Tower of the Kingdom of Houston."
-...What are you saying?
"For now, we'll halt all orders for crucial magical commodities we intended to acquire from the Rafalde region. I will also inform His Majesty the King about canceling the development of the central territory's magic stone mine. Additionally, the magical supplies we were planning to distribute to the regular..."
-Interruption? What's the meaning of this?
"You mentioned business complications, didn't you? Well, as the future feudal lord of the Houston Kingdom, I'm simply abiding by that viewpoint."
Yes, now he wasn't merely an insignificant entity.
He held sway over an entire region!
And as a regional ruler, he wielded substantial influence in governing the kingdom.
If he resolvedly made up his mind, he could indeed put into action everything he just discussed.
- W-What will you do if you cease trading with the Magic Tower?3,
"There are alternatives. I can request support from other kingdoms, and if that proves unsuccessful, I can also seek assistance from His Imperial Majesty of the Empire."
Shameron was left speechless.
Yes, that's correct.
However, at the level of kingdoms and empires, the dynamics were distinct.
Regular nobles couldn't access magical support without the Magic Tower's assistance.
'Not all the mages on the continent are affiliated with The Magic Tower.'
While some may be registered with The Magic Tower, quite a few mages worked directly for their respective kingdoms instead of serving The Magic Tower.
Thus, at the kingdom level, there were means to address magical needs in emergencies without relying on The Magic Tower.
'If all else fails, we can reach out to the allied nations of the Cross Alliance Empire.'
Shameron expressed hesitancy.
-D-Don't jest with me. It's impossible to actually pull off such a thing...
"Admittedly, it might pose a challenge."
Raymond nodded in understanding.
Despite his confident statement, in reality, the decision wasn't a simple one.
As Shameron puzzled with the unexpected acknowledgment, Raymond pressed on.
"But what if such a situation arises? Just the potential turmoil alone could be quite detrimental to you, isn't it, Lord Shameron?"
-...!
Shameron's complexion had gone white.
That's right.
All business in the Kingdom of Houston is the responsibility of Shameron, the prefect.
There was no way his position would be safe from such a huge disturbance.
"I wouldn't mind a little disturbance, but that's not your position, is it?"