WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

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◈ The Inept Mage’s Infinite Regression

Chapter 15

Before Boen could continue, Ethan said, "I heard slavery is illegal in the Empire."

"Just because the Emperor declared it illegal doesn't mean it disappeared overnight. And frankly, that was just a formality—slavery is still rampant throughout the Empire. Bain was searching for slaves so he could conduct magical experiments on humans, which is forbidden by the Mage Council. If he had gone through intermediaries like a slave market, it would have been less troublesome, but looking back now, it was clearly far too dangerous, so he had to search for alternatives. Bain went from house to house, looking for children who could be discarded."

Ethan knew that Bain practiced mental magic, which was slow to develop compared to its value. Because mental magic targeted people, its use was generally prohibited, much like dark magic.

After becoming the head of his family at the age of twenty, Bain had risen to prominence as a representative of mental magic, and as a result, the school of mental magic had developed and its value had recently been re-evaluated. The general understanding had been that mental magic could not be used frequently, so it seemed more plausible to assume that Bain had found a way to use mental magic frequently than that he was a genius who could overcome its limitations.

"But unlike the other children, I was lucky," Boen said. "I had the talent to become a mage."

Ethan wisely did not ask about the fate of the other children.

"Bain handed me a contract… I was seven years old at the time. If I had grown up in a noble family, I would have been able to read, but I couldn't. He read the contract to me. He said he could make me a mage, but I would have to pay him back the money he spent to acquire me. I’d also have to repay him for providing me clothes, food, drink, and a place to sleep, as well as the cost of my education. If I didn't pay him back, I would die. Bain spent hours reading the contract to me until I understood it—though I didn't really have the option to refuse. I signed it with my blood."

" ‘The Contract of Pasitaros,’ right?"

The Contract of Pasitaros was a contract spell. A mage wrote the contract terms on paper using their own blood. The contractor read the contract and then fulfilled it. If the contractor failed to fulfill the contract, they died. Notably, the contractor had to fully understand the terms of the contract.

"Do you know about it? ...Ah, you're from Charasen, right? Charasen of Plunder."

"Charasen of Oaths," Ethan politely corrected him.

Charasen was one of the five great families, and each great family represented a school of magic. Charasen represented contract magic.

"A seven-year-old child can't be responsible for their own life," Ethan said, bringing the focus back to Boen's story. "The fact that you're still alive must mean there's an exception in the contract."

"That's right. There's not only a clause allowing the deferral of payment but also a clause detailing repayment. Every command from Bain comes with a price. If I fulfill it, my debt decreases."

"How much debt remains?"

"Currently, 120 imperial gold coins, 13 silver coins, and 23 copper coins."

A serf from Charasen would earn about 80 gold coins in a lifetime, while a merchant with a ship might earn around 400 gold coins in their lifetime. Eight sheep were worth 1 gold coin, a cow was worth 3 gold coins, a small fishing boat was worth 20 gold coins, and a well-built house, constructed by an architect, skilled carpenters, and masons, cost around 50 gold coins.

"That's an absurd amount."

"With the Contract of Pasitaros, the mage cannot create terms arbitrarily. Everything must have a basis, and my contract is based on the cost and interest rate that slaves in the Empire must pay to buy their freedom," Boen said, his expression blank.

Ethan could tell that despair and anger had long since faded from his face. Boen had learned that emotions would not improve his situation.

"I continued to work as Bain's assistant. Since I assisted him with various tasks, I also found out that he had secretly joined the Imperial Inquisition. After he became a professor at the magic academy, I naturally enrolled in the academy myself. I spent less time working as his assistant, but I was given other tasks."

"So that's how you became a member of the Inquisition."

"That’s right." Boen's expression changed subtly, but he seemed somewhat relieved. It must have been difficult to find someone he could confide in.

"Is Boen Palmize your real name?"

"Boen is my real name, but Palmize isn't. ‘Palmize’ is a fallen noble family in Kardien, but Bain just gave it to me. He must have done so for a reason, but I still don't know what it is."

The Kingdom of Kardien was located between the city of Yurmus and the Arnesia Empire. Boen's appearance didn’t immediately mark him as a Yumahan, but without a proper surname, he would stand out as foreign in Yurmus. It made more sense to give him a surname than to create a pseudonym.

Ethan said, "The Contract of Pasitaros has a loophole."

"I know. You can kill the mage."

Every contract spell had a loophole, and the Contract of Pasitaros was no exception. Since it was a contract between two parties, if one died, then the contract could not be fulfilled. It was true that if the contractor failed to fulfill the contract, they died, but it was also true that if the mage died, then the contract was automatically voided.

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"But even if we ignore the huge gap between myself and Bain, Bain placed mental magic on me."

"What kind of magic? I don't know much about mental magic."

"Most people don't. It's Bain's original spell, which he calls 'Prohibition.' People will probably call it Bain's Prohibition when he reveals it." Boen explained, "Prohibition allows the mage to define actions that the target could take and restrict them from performing those actions."

Ethan thought it was an interesting mental spell. Mental magic was limited in variety and was rarely applied consistently. If Bain had really created such a spell, his status in the Mage Council would rise.

"That's strange. ‘Murder’ isn't really an action, is it?"

"But ‘murder’ always involves actions. You can specify the actions that constitute murder. For example, stabbing with a knife, poisoning food, or strangling someone—all of these can be prohibited, making murder impossible."

Ethan pointed out, "That's crude."

"If Bain heard someone who can't even use proper magic say that, he would laugh," Boen noted.

Ethan gave a wry smile, and Boen followed suit, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Honestly, I didn't expect to hear about my hometown's food from you, Ethan. Of course, it's because you shared your story with me first. That's why I've come to trust you."

Ethan considered punching Boen in the face and saying, Trust? Do you know how many times I've died because of you? but he decided against it. He might need to hear this story again later, but he didn't feel like it right now. And since Boen had brought up trust, Ethan needed to test whether he could gain any practical benefits from Boen’s trust.

"Here’s an idea," Ethan said.

"What?"

"Your Contract of Pasitaros can ultimately be resolved with money. That means anyone who can provide the money can help you."

"That's true, but 120 imperial gold coins isn't an amount just anyone can provide."

"What about the Mage Court?"

Boen considered it. "The Mage Court has plenty of money. They receive support from all the demon families. But it would be difficult to get them to give that amount to a mere magic academy student."

"Specifically, the money would be used to nullify your contract and affiliate you with the Mage Court instead. You could then repay the Mage Court gradually."

"So you're suggesting I borrow money from the Mage Court. But then I would just belong to them. Isn’t that the same thing?"

"At least you won't be bound by contract magic."

Boen's eyes widened for a moment, and then he slowly nodded. "I agree, that's better. But realistically, the Mage Court has no reason to accept me. You've only just joined the Mage Court yourself, Ethan. At best, they'd see me as an informant. I doubt I'd have much say in the matter."

In this life, Ethan hadn’t shown Boen the handgun but instead barged in and said that he was affiliated with the Mage Court as an informant, that Boen was in the same position, and that they should cooperate on future activities. Then, Ethan had answered Boen's questions about the Mage Court and the Empire, which had helped dispel Boen's suspicions.

However, that hadn't been the end of it. Boen was the type of person who followed procedures regardless of his suspicions. The Contract of Pasitaros only kept Boen bound to Bain, and Prohibition only prevented him from killing Bain, so Ethan couldn’t blame the magic. Boen was just that kind of person. Therefore, Ethan needed to find a way to ensure that Boen wouldn't tell Bain about their meeting, regardless of their relationship.

Ethan said, "You just need to produce results."

"Results, you say?"

"The reason I asked for your cooperation is that a dark mage is hiding in this school."

"Just because they're hiding doesn't mean we can find them, right?"

"I know who it is. We just need to find evidence."

Surprised by the unexpected answer, Boen asked, "Who is it?"

"Maya Onik," Ethan replied.

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