The Inept Mage's Infinite Regression - Chapter 26

WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

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◈ The Inept Mage’s Infinite Regression

Chapter 26

Boen suddenly felt as if he had been enchanted. The past three months of vacation had been a series of unprecedented and strange events.

Ethan had appeared out of nowhere, introduced himself as a member of the Mage Court, and mentioned Boen's hometown food. Boen had absentmindedly accepted Ethan's proposal and, using the Mage Court's information, tracked down a dark mage named Maya. In the process, Maya had been killed, but thanks to that, Boen had gained the trust of the Mage Court and the power to kill Bain. Except then Ethan killed Bain, and Boen was freed. The Mage Court had never been involved, it had all been Ethan's doing. All of this, Ethan had done for Boen.

Boen absentmindedly stepped back and leaned against the closed door.

"…I don't know, Ethan," he said. "Who are you?"

"Was what I said not enough of an explanation?" Ethan responded.

"Yeah."

"Then swearing on my family's honor or on Era won't be enough either, will it?"

"That's correct. Words alone cannot—" Boen began, but Ethan cut him off.

"Well, then how about this? I told you a while ago that I only know one spell, remember?"

"Yeah. You didn't tell me what it was, though…"

"It's the 'Contract of Carmino'. You know of it, right?"

Boen slowly nodded. It was a famous contract spell.

Originally a Charasen family spell, it was now a widely known contract spell. The Contract of Carmino was used for transactions. One party chose what they would give to the other party, and the other party had to match its value. If both agreed, the deal was sealed. Notably, this deal only applied to "non-material things," and the values had to be equivalent. If one side tried to pay less due to a miscalculation, the other party could take the missing value from their non-material aspects.

"…In other words, the 'Contract of Plunder.' So you are a Charasen."

"Thanks to my bloodline, I can actually use one spell. It's not that high level, but with this spell, you can believe what I say, right?"

In large merchant guilds, the Contract of Carmino was commonly used to ensure honesty, as both parties risked something of equal value, making it safe.

"I have no intention of using it maliciously. I'll stake 'the truth of Ethan Dora Charasen.' What about you?"

"What do you want from me?"

"How about 'all information related to the Empire'?"

"Fine."

"Have you done this before?" Ethan asked.

"No, I've only read about it."

Ethan picked up a dagger and walked over to Boen. For a moment, Boen worried that something was wrong, but the dagger was only for the ritual.

"I'm going to make a cut. Is that okay?"

"You’re going to cut me?"

"It doesn't matter whose mana is used. Both of ours could work, but I'm going to use your mana. This spell can be created with either party’s mana, but my mana is more suited for body magic, so it might not work properly."

"…All right."

Ethan made a thin cut on the back of Boen's hand. The blade was sharp, but it didn't hurt much.

Ethan extended his left hand, as if asking for a handshake, and said, "Press the back of your left hand against mine."

"Do I make a fist? What about my right hand?"

"Whatever's comfortable."

As Boen followed Ethan's instructions, Ethan said, "Repeat after me."

"Okay."

"→We now fill the wine bottle."

"→And pour into each other's cups."

The sticky, unpleasant blood between their hands gradually cooled. As Ethan had said, Boen's mana was being consumed. In other words, the spell was working.

"→I give you 'the truth of Ethan Dora Charasen.' "

Ethan frowned and shot Boen a look. Boen, like a fool, didn't repeat Ethan's words exactly.

"→I give you 'all information related to the Empire.' "

"Now, slowly lower your hands," Ethan said. "How does it feel? Are you okay?"

"Well, the back of my hand hurts a little bit."

As soon as he said that, blood dripped down. Ethan grabbed Boen's wrist.

"There's a problem with the deal."

"On whose side?"

"Your offering is lighter."

That meant Ethan could take whatever he wanted from Boen.

"Can't we just end the deal like this?" asked Boen.

"I wouldn't recommend it. The unpaid value will be converted into pain."

"Why would you want that?"

"It’s not a matter of what I want. This is just how the spell works."

"You should have told me what precautions I should take, like specifying the value of the payment."

"How would I know what value my truth or your information holds?"

Boen glared at Ethan. "So what are you going to take from me?" he asked.

"Let's go with… that."

"What do you mean?"

Ethan said, "→And 'a kinder attitude toward Ethan Dora Charasen.' "

Boen clicked his tongue, and the two lowered their left hands.

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Boen looked at the wound on the back of his hand, then at Ethan. The "truth of Ethan Dora Charasen" that he had received through the Contract of Carmino was being woven anew in his mind. Boen could no longer see Ethan the same way as before.

"But that's not all of me, Boen."

The reason the Contract of Carmino was also called the Contract of Plunder was that it allowed one to arbitrarily change the value exchanged with the other party. The deal, conducted through non-material and arbitrary language, could be distorted. With clever words, one could take what they wanted from the other party while giving only what they wanted to give. The scales moved with the perceptions of the two parties, so those talented in contract magic always took more than they gave.

‘Still, it's not a complete lie.’

Ethan, looking tired, pulled up a chair and sat facing Boen.

"The moment the spell ends, the value is transferred. It's not necessary, but it is customary for the other party to verbally confirm what they're receiving through the Contract of Carmino, especially if it's a memory or information. The information received through the spell can't be false, but this serves as confirmation, and during the conversation, the memories and information become more accurate, and tangled emotions are sorted out. So listen to my story."

Ethan talked about the past. He didn't hide the fact that he had made a contract with Terra's Demi, which allowed him to use the power of Terra. However, he distorted the truth about his infinite regression somewhat. If Boen ever fell victim to mental magic, Ethan would also be in danger. Concerned by that possibility, Ethan only said that he "knew the future." Even if some details were kept hidden, the truth was still the truth.

"I think I understand why the Empire, or rather, the Emperor, treats Terra’s dark mages differently from other dark mages," Boen said.

Ethan asked, "Why?"

"First, the dark magic of Terra itself. I wasn’t properly educated about dark magic or Terra’s dark mages. I only learned that if a non-Terran uses a specific spell or magical tool, they can be considered a dark mage of Terra. You are from the Charasen family, so you're definitely not a Terran, and that handgun has been directly designated by the Inquisition as a Terran magical tool. If I had seen you using it without any prior context, I would have killed you. The problem is that there's a commonality in Terran dark magic."

"What commonality?"

"Terran dark magic and magical tools," Boen said, "can be used by people with no mana at all—even nonmages. Think about it for a moment: Is there even one Terran item that you have to be a mage to use?"

"…No."

"That's exactly what the Empire fears," Boen pointed out. "If even a passing thug could wield the power of that handgun, could kings, nobles, and even mages maintain their authority? If that foundation were to crumble, then naturally…"

"…The Emperor would disappear too."

"Yes. Though, for some reason, the Terrans who remained in Damarth Yumaha after the invasion couldn't achieve that. Maybe because not all Terrans are mages? Perhaps Terra has fewer mages than we do? Regardless, a dark mage of Terra would definitely be able to recreate Terra's dark magic. Maybe not right now, but eventually."

Ethan's realization was unfolding chaotically before his eyes.

[Main Quest complete!]

[Main Quest: The End of Lies (C)]

[You crawled out of the mud and finally stood on dry land. You've won.]

[Reward: 60 Experience Points]

[Reward: C-rank Lottery Coupon]

[Reward: OutSolar Sunflower Portable Solar Generator (B)]

Ethan clicked his tongue inwardly.

'It was a long fight.'

He didn't explain it to Boen, but to make this conversation happen, Ethan had died seven more times. Boen was skeptical and tended to think for himself. Persuasion didn’t work well on him, so Ethan had to simultaneously maintain a suspicious air and an attitude that would allow Boen to be persuaded. How that looked to Boen, Ethan didn't know, but evidently, he’d managed to pull it off.

Boen wasn't even the biggest problem. Ethan had had to kill Maya seven more times. That was more horrifying.

'What's a portable solar generator?'

Ethan wanted to ask Demi right away, but there were many issues to sort out, including Boen.

[Quest complete!]

[Quest: Why Does the Empire Want to Kill Terran Dark Mages? (B)]

[Reward: 480 Experience Points]

[Reward: B-rank Lottery Coupon]

Ethan worried if Boen could hear him swallowing.

'Is this the most I’ve gained?'

He hadn’t thought he would be able to complete that quest anytime soon, but thanks to Boen, he had. Even though it was just Boen's reasoning, it seemed to satisfy the quest. It was his first B-rank, so he had high expectations.

'But that's less important, now.'

Two more windows appeared before Ethan.

[Main Quest triggered!]

[Main Quest: Defeat Emperor Cario Arnesia (?)]

[…You've uncovered the secrets of the world and realized that a dark mage of Terra can never coexist with Emperor Cario Arnesia. In Damarth Yumaha, either you or Cario Arnesia must disappear. Defeat the Emperor. And survive.]

A main quest that only made him laugh bitterly.

And a completely new message…

[Level 2 reached!]

[…You've gained a new ability.]

[Limbo has expanded.]

[…New guests have arrived in Limbo.]

As well as a skill he had never seen before.

[Skill acquired!]

[Save/Load (S)]

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