Chapter 202: Arcane Consultant

Replicating the original seal was certainly impossible. Fortunately, as a Traveling Mage who had spent years journeying between various planes, Mazarino possessed a wealth of theoretical and practical experience. He quickly resealed the stone casket using his own methods.

"This is just a temporary measure," Mazarino said, handing the stone casket back to Ron. "I can't replicate the original seal, so whatever you plan to do with it, you'd better do it soon."

"How long will it last?" Ron asked, half-joking. "You didn't just give it the ten-day embalming treatment, did you?"

"Hardly. My point of comparison was the several hundred years it's been preserved here," Mazarino said. "If you have no plans to extend your own lifespan, Lord, then you'll have more than enough time to deal with it."

The Elder Mage glanced at the Shadow Spirit. "Good thing you're human. If you were an Elf, I'd genuinely be worried you'd forget all about it."

"We could just hand it over to that... what was it? The Devil Duke," Delaford snorted. "Then we wouldn't have to worry about preservation."

Yelena glanced at the goblin. "I'd advise against that. She did say the more we find, the richer the reward. Would you rather have a pile of useless trinkets, or a decent Magic Item?"

"So, a commission from a devil?" Mazarino paused, then scratched his head. "That's... reasonable, I suppose. Hell is rarely ambiguous when it comes to the affairs of the Abyss. But if your agreement is as this Shadow Spirit claims, then the latter option is indeed better."

"You have to understand, even when it's impossible for them to violate a contract, devils will still find a way to screw over the contractor. I fell for it once myself."

"We agreed I was ordering a pair of Magic Defense Bracelets. I provided double the materials, and that swindler had the nerve to give me only a single one for the left arm. Even though the effect was the same, I ended up paying triple the cost."

"You're lucky he didn't just give you a ring. That would almost make him a devil with a conscience—tsk, those two words should never be in the same sentence." Yelena wasn't the least bit surprised by such stories.

"That would have been impossible. I specifically stipulated 'bracelets' when I signed the contract."

"Speaking of which," Ron said, curiously sizing up the Traveling Mage, who had changed into an ill-fitting set of clothes, "you must have had quite a few Magic Items on you, right? But when we found you, all you had left was a single robe."

"What happened to the rest of your gear?"

"Used up, of course," Mazarino said, his expression turning grim. "I'd accepted a lucrative commission. The client wanted a Cloud Giant's two-faced gemstone mask to add to his collection."

"The good news is, I succeeded. I snuck into the giant's castle while he was fast asleep and stole the mask. The bad news is that the Cloud Giant's servant, a blundering Frost Giant, returned from 'collecting taxes' in the nearby human towns. He barged into the room where his master was napping and woke the self-proclaimed 'benevolent' ruler."

"Cloud Giants are some of the finest Casters among giantkind. I had to burn through a massive amount of resources just to carve out enough time to open a Teleportation Gate. But even then, he still managed to interfere with my Casting and warp my destination."

"A powerful Mage such as yourself really shouldn't be engaging in this sort of thievery," Victoria said, pressing a hand to her forehead. "It's truly beneath someone of your stature."

"I know, but..." The Elder Mage wrung his hands in embarrassment. "He just offered so much, and I happened to need a great deal of money to fund my research."

"Of course, I could make money crafting Magic Items for people, performing alchemy, or selling Scrolls, but that's all too slow. Nothing brings in cash faster than a risky adventure, am I right?"

Ron, rolling the two Gemstones around in his palm, nodded in agreement.

It was just that Mazarino's luck was abysmal. Not only did he fail to make any money, but he'd also lost everything down to his underpants.

"If you're not in a hurry to return, why not stay here for a while?" Ron offered. "Delusional Land may be a small place, but I'm confident you'll find things here to interest you."

"In every respect, you're exactly the kind of talent we desperately need. I'm willing to offer you the most generous compensation I can..."

"Deal!" Mazarino's eyes lit up at the word "compensation." "Rest assured, I've had plenty of experience as an Arcane Consultant. I'm more than qualified for the position!"

"As for my pay, you don't need to break the bank. Just toss me an unused Magic Item or two, or maybe some artifacts from ancient ruins whenever you can—Gold Coins aren't important, just give what you see fit!"

Watching Mazarino agree so bewilderingly fast, Ron had a nagging feeling that the old man had just played him. He couldn't put his finger on how, but his intuition told him there had to be a catch for Mazarino to accept so eagerly.

"He needs money," Yelena whispered. "That's one reason. For the other... a Traveling Mage with no fixed residence who wants to explore and conduct research in a claimed territory usually only has two options:"

"One, do it secretly and risk being mistaken for a Necromancer and having a bounty put on their head. Two, pay the Lord for the right to do so. And here you are, paying him on top of that."

Ron: "..."

He finally understood why Mazarino's reaction had felt so off!

But in truth, even if Mazarino had demanded an exorbitant price, Ron would have done his best to meet it. This was a Mage capable of casting Sixth Ring Arcane Magic. Such talent was a rare commodity anywhere, let alone for a fledgling territory and a Lord who was a novice in Magic.

It wasn't even a question of money. Plenty of people had the wealth to hire a Magic tutor but lacked the opportunity. For Ron, one had practically fallen out of the sky!

Since the enthusiasm was mutual, Ron and Mazarino immediately signed an employment contract in a spirited atmosphere. They packed up and prepared to set off early the next morning. But before returning to the trading post, there was one more place they needed to visit.

Ghost Witch Polly's hut. That despicable Ghost Witch had deserted them mid-battle, leaving them to face an unkillable Death Knight all on their own!

"POLLY!" Several days later, the wooden door of a hut in the swamp flew off its hinges from a kick by Sera. "You coward, get out here!"

The hut was deathly quiet. Ron ran a finger across a small table, revealing a thin layer of accumulated dust.

"She actually expected we'd make it back alive. The bitch ran for it!"