Virki, whose guard had lowered a little, carefully opened his mouth.
“They said it was exactly the same as the contract we had before. The special clauses were the same too.”
As he stared into the air, poof, a small puff of smoke burst in front of Liselotte, and a contract appeared.
Flip— the pages floating in midair turned, then deliberately shoved a specific section right in front of her eyes.
[※ Special Clause: If Commander Taebon retires from House Gloria, this contract shall be terminated.]
At the same time, Virki’s explanation continued.
“Recently, I heard that Taebon had left House Gloria, so I thought my contract had ended too and notified them…”
Up to this point, it was identical to what she had heard from Hedmilton.
But below that, something was written in letters nearly as small as ants.
Virki’s tearful voice stumbled over the words as he spoke.
“But… they said that according to the renewal contract, they can’t terminate it…”
When she narrowed her eyes because it was hard to see, the contents finally came into view.
[However, if at least one product below a certain standard is supplied using materials provided by Party A (House Gloria), the above special clause shall be immediately nullified.
Additionally, damages shall be determined in accordance with Article 12 regarding the supply of magic tools.]
‘Where is Article 12 written?’
As if it had read her thoughts, the contract turned on its own to the page where the relevant clause was written.
[Obligations of Party B (Virki Baskerville)
Article 12 (Supply of Magic Tools)
- Party B shall exclusively manufacture and supply magic tools to Party A for the duration of the contract.
- In accordance with the contract, Party B must use the raw materials supplied by Party A to manufacture magic tools of a specified grade (Grade 2 or higher) and deliver them at the end of each month.
- If the magic tools delivered by Party B do not meet the specified grade, Party A may reject them.
- All damages and liability incurred by Party A due to rejected magic tools shall rest with Party B.
- Magic tools below the specified grade shall be classified as defective.
- Defective magic tools must be entirely remade at Party B’s responsibility and resupplied within one week in the amount of (number of defective items x 3), and the contract period shall be extended by the duration required for the remanufacturing.]
‘Isn’t this a slave contract……?’
The clause requiring triple remanufacture depending on the number of defective items was absurd enough, but extending the contract period by that duration on top of it?
It was an astonishingly outrageous clause, the kind she had never seen before in her life, and creative in the worst possible way.
Liselotte wanted to spit out a curse immediately, but she clenched her teeth and held it in.
Instead, she asked as gently as possible.
“Were clauses like this in the previous contract as well?”
“No… They weren’t even in the provisional renewal contract they sent me to review in the first place. So I just skimmed the contract they sent for signing and signed it…”
Ah, she was getting dizzy.
What followed was even more outrageous.
“The problem is, ever since the contract was renewed, they’ve been handing over monster byproducts that aren’t even Grade 5.”
“So they’re saying you should make magic tools of Grade 2 or higher with materials that aren’t even Grade 5…?”
“Yeah.”
Virki nodded innocently.
It was the kind of absurd demand that was like asking the sea to part just by walking, or gold to rain from the sky just by breathing.
Liselotte’s shoulders trembled.
She tried to keep her words gentle, but it was beyond her control.
In the end, snap, she let it all burst out in a rush.
“…How are you supposed to make Grade 2 or higher with Grade 5 materials! And on top of that, ha!”
Flip— she turned the contract pages, opened the section listing Party A’s obligations, and flapped the paper furiously at him.
“Look, look! I knew it. They didn’t specify the grade of the raw materials they’re supposed to supply at all! Isn’t this outright fraud?!”
As she spoke sharply, Virki blinked in surprise.
When their eyes met, his eyes welled up with tears.
“Then am I… just going to live my whole life as a slave making magic tools? Here in this tower…?”
Unable to watch any longer, Taebon tightly shut his eyes and bowed his head deeply.
On behalf of his naive friend, he bent his waist low.
“I’m sorry. Virki has spent his entire life in the Magic Tower with people who treated him kindly, so he was ignorant about contracts.”
“Don’t apologize! The ones at fault are the scammers.”
If the provisional contract they showed and the actual contract were different, how many people would fall for it?
This was clearly deliberate.
‘So that’s why they tightened the noose like this once Taebon and Hedmilton both left the East.’
At present, there was no one in House Gloria with the capacity to communicate with the Magic Tower.
In the midst of that, once Taebon’s departure made the contract’s termination all but certain, it seemed they had prepared for it using such filthy methods.
“That works out nicely.”
Liselotte stretched her neck and hardened her gaze.
With a wet face, Virki stared at her, hunched up tightly.
Liselotte flashed him a bright smile, then quickly turned serious.
“Let’s bombard House Gloria with lawsuits.”
They would already be overwhelmed by the North’s and Hedmilton’s accusations.
Adding one more on top of that—wouldn’t it be perfect for knocking the wind right out of them?
Snap, Liselotte snapped her fingers, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Ail, go obtain the quality inspection certificates for the monster byproducts sent from the East.”
“Understood.”
“Hedmilton, prepare to draft a witness statement regarding the clauses of the contract before renewal and the quality of the magic tools the Magic Tower received while you were at House Gloria.”
“Yes!”
At her orders, the two aides inside the cage responded briskly.
Of course, she didn’t leave out the most important person.
“Taebon, right? Hedmilton will tell you the format for the witness statement, so fill it out.”
“Yes…?”
With the tasks quickly divided up, Taebon asked back with a dazed expression.
Beside him, Virki nudged his arm with his long sleeve, urging him on.
“That’s what she said. What are you doing, Taebon? She told you to write it.”
“Ah, uh… Yes…”
Taebon’s head swivelled aimlessly back and forth as he followed the people moving around, and he ended up nodding without quite realizing it.
Only then did Virki look at Liselotte pitifully with tear-soaked eyes.
Covering his mouth with his long, drooping sleeve, he murmured in deep emotion.
“Such a good person…”
Waaah— bursting into tears, he spread his arms and rushed toward her.
Just before he could embrace her.
Eren stepped half a pace forward and hid her behind him.
Virki ended up hugging him tightly instead, then, as if he had touched something horrifying, flailed his arms wildly and scrambled away at speed.
“That’s gross!”
“…”
The expression on Eren’s face, who had been hugged, didn’t look particularly pleased either.
Standing guard in front of Liselotte, he issued a low warning.
“No matter how informal the setting may be, please refrain from embracing the Grand Duchess so carelessly.”
With tears hanging in his eyes, Virki looked miserably toward Taebon, seeking help.
“Taebon, did I do something wrong…?”
“Yes. Apologize. You shouldn’t behave rudely toward people who are willingly helping you.”
“Nobles are uncomfortable and annoying…”
Even while crying, he certainly didn’t hold back.
Perhaps because he didn’t really want to apologize, Virki stuck out his lips and glanced warily at Eren.
“I can just give you healing magic stones.”
After saying that, he slipped behind Taebon, hiding slightly, and peeked his head out as he complained.
“Taebon, look. Even though I said I’d give magic stones, he’s still glaring at me. It’s scary.”
“You shouldn’t say things like that in front of guests.”
They said they were friends, but the atmosphere was almost like that of a familiar aide.
Of course, in terms of actual age, Virki was far older.
Perhaps sensing Liselotte’s gaze, Taebon asked politely.
“Is there anything else you require? Please say the word.”
If things went well, it seemed possible to link the Magic Tower’s matters with those of the North in their claims.
If it was someone who habitually cheated others, it would warrant aggravated punishment.
After finishing her calculations internally, Liselotte smiled more brightly than usual.
“Could you write a report of how the subjugation damage restoration process was carried out back when you were at House Gloria?”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Hedmilton, inside the cage, fluttered the paper he had prepared in advance beyond the bars.
It almost looked like he was indicating that it should be written right there.
After glancing at it, Taebon let out a deep sigh.
“Of course. I’d heard rumors that House Keilos also had a dispute with them. So it was true.”
