Chapter 4

“There were several flawed formulas I noticed. Especially here—if you’d used Crimoli’s formula, the absorption rate of mana could have been increased.”

At the dismissive tone, Melody’s brow furrowed slightly.

“I-I may not know much, but… wouldn’t increasing the speed too much risk the machine failing to withstand the mana? I mean, I’m not sure, but still.”

She gave a reasonably ignorant-sounding rebuttal, hoping it would suffice. But the man shook his head.

“Only someone clueless would say that. If you look at the rune characters used in the machine, the formula for protection is already included. Not using that is a stupid mistake.”

Melody’s lips quivered.

Had she ever been called stupid in her life? She had started learning and using magical formulas on her own by the age of five. She created her first magical tool at six. Even after arriving at the temple, people were shocked that she knew more magical formulas than others who had studied within the protective wards.

“If you used Crimoli’s formula to increase speed, even with the protective spell, the machine’s body wouldn’t be able to withstand it. It would also increase the risk of the machine breaking down faster.”

“You’re right.”

Even though he admitted she was correct, the man’s smirking lips sent a chill down her spine. Had she appeared too clever? A cold sweat began to bead on her forehead.

“Oh dear.”

The sigh came from Malone, who had been trembling in the corner.

“Let’s not waste any more time. No matter how you try to excuse it, I have no intention of letting you go.”

As he spoke, Deonis handed her a contract. It was a contract issued by the temple, engraved with a magical formula that would cause unbearable pain—akin to death—if violated.

“You want to make a contract with me…?”

“It’s not a bad deal.”

Listed on the contract were a few conditions:

“Upon signing the contract, Deonis shall pay Melody a monthly salary of 10 gold coins.”

Ten gold coins. More money than she could earn in a whole year at the temple.

“The contract will terminate immediately once Deonis’s requested magical tool is completed. Until then, he will provide unlimited materials, including mana cores.”

“Unlimited supply?!”

Her lips trembled as she read the clause aloud.

Mana cores, the essence from monsters, were the rarest material in magical tool-making. Occasionally, the subjugation squads would send some to the temple, but the supply was limited. Catching monsters herself would mean risking her life, so there were many tools she had always wanted to create but never could.

If she hadn’t read the novel, she would have signed without hesitation. It drove her mad that she couldn’t, knowing it would lead to her death.

“If you create what I want, your success fee will be one thousand gold coins.”

“A thousand…!”

The words echoed faintly in her ears, and Melody blinked. A thousand gold coins—enough to buy a fine house in the capital and live comfortably for life.

She fought the overwhelming temptation and opened her mouth with effort.

“I can’t sign this contract.”

“Would you rather die?”

“No!”

Alarmed by his cold voice, Melody quickly added,

“It’s not that I don’t want to. Not at all. You know I’m already contracted to the temple, right? That means I can’t sign another contract, even if I wanted to. Really, it’s true. You can check if you want.”

Feigning regret, she gave him a sorrowful expression. Deonis let out a short snort.

“I hope you’re being honest. Either way, you’ll end up signing with me.”

Getting permission from the temple wouldn’t be easy. They strictly managed magical tool creators, since they could potentially craft dangerous weapons.

Magical tool creators had to be registered with the temple, and any transactions involving magical tools had to go through them.

Outside of Deonis in the novel, no individual in the history of the Valkaras Empire had ever privately employed a magical tool creator. At least not to Melody’s knowledge.

“I need to meet with a priest.”

Deonis spoke to his adjutant. As he prepared to leave, Melody hesitantly asked,

“If the contract can’t happen—if the temple opposes it and I’m unable to sign… what will happen to me and Mr. Malone? I really want to sign, but I can’t. And as for him—if you let him go outside the barrier, he swears never to set foot in this land again.”

At her signal, Malone eagerly nodded beside her.

“Then you better make it happen, somehow.”

“…Me? How?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Then… who else should I ask?”

She was about to say more, but her voice faltered as a dreadful thought crossed her mind. Deonis spoke again.

“You don’t want to get beaten, right?”

“Of course not.”

“And you really want to sign a contract with me.”

“Well… yes?”

“Then go make the contract happen. Otherwise, you’ll be standing next to that man on the execution platform.”

A helpless sigh escaped her lips.

“It is not permitted.”

At the chief priest’s firm declaration, Melody bit her lip and bowed her head.

They were in the reception room of the grand temple, pristinely decorated in white. Across from her sat the chief priest, summoned in the middle of the night, his face weary. Beside her was Duke Deonis, frowning deeply like a statue.

She thought he had come to help persuade the priest, but his bright red lips stayed sealed.

‘You’re the one who needs me, so why am I the only one begging here?’

It was humiliating, but survival came first. She could only plan an escape if she stayed alive. Melody pleaded earnestly with the priest. But his answer never changed.

“How can an individual possess a magical tool creator? If such a person were to secretly craft something dangerous, it could cause great turmoil among the citizens of the Empire.”

As if digging her own grave wasn’t enough, the gravekeeper himself was inflexible. How could she persuade the priest? Thinking hard, Melody glanced at the overly perfect man sitting beside her.

Surely he hadn’t come just to observe. Maybe he expected her to use him as leverage? Her brain raced. Then she opened her mouth resolutely.

“Is he really just an individual?”

“He is a duke. But under the Goddess, all are equal.”

And yet, the temple had separate entrances for nobles and commoners.

“You know what Duke Deonis has done for the temple and the Empire.”

The priest looked uncomfortable and glanced toward Deonis.

“He leads monster subjugation campaigns.”

“And he’s also the one who provides the materials from those monsters for use in magical tools—materials he sends to the temple.”

Melody had only learned this after joining the temple. That Deonis was almost the only one in the Empire who actively led monster subjugations.

Due to a shortage of holy-power wielders, even the Holy Knights couldn’t be dispatched anymore. The priest clammed up, having nothing to say in return.