After the speech, Victor went to the village head’s house to discuss the terms of their submission to his protection. Even though there was no need for negotiation because they wouldn’t dare to go against his words, clarity was paramount, particularly when there would be players running around to do missions and such.
Actually, Victor couldn’t allow the players to let loose in the village just yet until he was certain everything was in order. Obviously, the NPCs— villagers here would act in a way that they would respond to anything that the players might ask. Although, they wouldn’t really offer any substantial answer, and Victor could easily deceive the players by saying that their scripts were all generated by AI.
Having asked Lizbeth in the past, Victor learned that he could brand anyone willing to submit to him with a Shadowlink Mark, as long as they were within the academy’s range. Right now, it was ten kilometers, which was a bit away from the village. However, once it reached level three, it should expand to cover this place. Perhaps once he unlocked more buildings, he’d be able to create similar structures akin to the Nexus Beacon, although that remained out of reach at the moment.
“Sir, you have our greatest gratitude for saving our village… But we don’t know how to repay you.” The old village head, while sitting at the table, bowed deeply at him in reverence.
Indeed.
Although his motive for taking the village was already clear, there were still some lingering concerns among the villagers. Like, what was he asking for the village in return? After all, they understood the unspoken rule better than anyone: Nothing came without a price. This was even more the case when dealing with a Magus.
After thinking about it for a moment, Victor opened his mouth. “Well, aside from the terms I’ve outlined, I have a particular need for seedlings with innate magical talent.”
The terms he’d outlined were pretty simple, as he didn’t meddle with the village’s internal affairs. In this kingdom, a Magus force could claim its own territory, but only if it had the kingdom’s recognition and boasted at least one Elemental Adept rank member. Hence, most Magus families, like the Asteriscus Magus family, had an Elemental Adept Magus standing guard. Those lacking such backing usually aligned themselves with a city’s ruling class, collaborating with or serving under local nobles or lords.
The old village head’s face lit up with anticipation as he exclaimed, “Of course, of course! We’ll ensure our most talented children enroll in the academy. And we’ll do everything in our power to cover their tuition.”
Well, the chance to attend a Magus academy was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Typically, only nobles and those born into very wealthy families could afford the steep tuition fees. Commoners were usually less attuned to mana and likely to have lower mana aptitude, which made them often excluded — even from smaller Magus academies.
Unexpectedly, the village head added, “But if it’s children with magical aptitude that sir seeks, then please allow me to recommend my granddaughters. They are young, and I’m sure they possess exceptional potential. Plus, they would be honored to serve you.”
As if on cue, the gap of the bedroom door creaked open, revealing two young girls kneeling before Victor and calling him “Sir Magus.” One sported short brown hair and light freckles, while the other had blonde hair and pale skin.
What’s this sense of déjà vu? Victor’s brows furrowed slightly. Though it was true that he was in need of some servants for maintaining the academy, such as cleaning its numerous rooms, among other things. And if they truly had some talent for magic, he could use his new “NPCs” to teach them. Now that the secret of him building an academy had been revealed, there was no point in concealing it any longer.
But there was one problem: the players. While he believed that his players were among the more good-natured ones and the least degenerate netizens on the internet on average, he couldn’t take any chances. Fortunately, the Shadowlink Marks offered a solution. These magic imprints could detect inappropriate actions and administer suitable punishments, including banning offenders from the game.
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“It is my greatest wish to secure a bright future for them, as I almost couldn’t protect them…” The one with the blonde hair approached the village head’s arms with tears welling in her eyes. “Especially after what almost happened to this girl during the incident…” Is that so?
Once Victor had weighed the pros and cons, he nodded solemnly. “Very well. They may serve as servants in the academy, and if they show potential to walk the path of a Magus, I’ll make sure that they receive the proper education.”
“Thank you very much, sir!” The old village bowed his head once more before turning to his two granddaughters. “Go, greet Sir Astralium.”
““We greet Sir Magus!”” the girls chimed in unison, their demeanor respectful, echoing the manner in which a noble would address a Magus. Though their gestures were somewhat unrefined, it was evident they had been taught by the village head.
“Mm.” Victor nodded approvingly. Although they wouldn’t become his apprentices, he assigned them to one of his former comrades, perhaps Elara, for that matter. This would also serve as a test to ensure the mind control spell was functioning flawlessly.
“What’s your name?” asked Victor.
“My name is Anne,” the brown-haired girl replied.
“And I am Rosalie,” the blonde-haired girl added.
“Good names. From now on, you two will be working as servants in my academy. Naturally, each of you will receive a monthly salary of one gold coin.”
“O-One gold coin?!” They exchanged glances and an excited expression grew on their faces. One must know that one gold coin was enough to sustain a family of five a month in this village, making it a substantial sum for servant work. However, by Magus academy’s standards, it was considered dirt cheap for various reasons.
Working in close proximity to a Magus like Victor was not without its risks. His mana fluctuation could be toxic to ordinary beings, slowly sapping their vitality. Though Victor made efforts to contain his aura, there was always the possibility that others wouldn’t exercise the same caution. In essence, if Victor didn’t promise to give them a chance to study magic, he was almost ripping them off.
With nothing further to attend to in the village, Victor addressed the old village head with a proclamation: “Alright then. Let it be known that henceforth Thornwood Village will be under the jurisdiction of the Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi.”
“Yes, milord!” The old village head and his granddaughters knelt in deference to Victor’s authority.
***
Earth, in a hospital room with a dimly lit interior.
Jacky was on his last leg. He knew he had it coming… but he never thought that it would be so soon. Hearing the doctor’s somber update of the procedural checkup was tormenting him. The advanced pancreatic cancer was eating him slowly, and now it was growing faster and faster, to the point where he was very likely not to last for a month longer.
Ha… Is this how it ends? Jacky wondered, grappling with the reality of his impending demise.
As someone with wealth at his disposal, naturally, he had explored every avenue to extend his lifespan, to break free from the clutches of the disease slowly devouring him. But every treatment had failed. Chemotherapy was a battle he couldn’t win, and the new stem cell therapy provided only fleeting relief, prolonging his suffering.
As for cryogenic preservation?
It was a gamble he couldn’t afford to take. He couldn’t shake the fear that his wife, driven by her greed, would refuse to fund it, condemning him to a final, irreversible end. That was very possible. In fact, the more he dwelled on her gold-digger nature, the more convinced he became that she would abandon him to his fate.
He hated it here. He hated being confined to this hospital bed in his sickly form; he wanted to come back into the virtual world where he could inhabit a youthful, disease-free body. The allure of that experience was intoxicating and addictive, so much so that a cocaine addiction was nothing compared to it, especially when it kept getting better each time thanks to the existence of magic. To wield powerful magic, to live for centuries, to traverse boundless realms — it was a dream that tantalized him, even in his darkest hours.
Right in that instant, an unbreakable determination burned inside Jacky’s heart, and he addressed the doctor with firm resolve, “Bring me my laptop…”
“Sir, your condition is worsening. Prolonged exposure to an electronic device like a laptop may affect your health.” The doctor tried to dissuade him and offered an alternative: “A phone is better to minimize your exposure to—”
“Are you deaf?” Jacky’s tone turned sharp as he fixed the doctor with a piercing glare. “I said, ‘Bring me my laptop!’”
He wasn’t being unreasonable here. His phone could have been hijacked by his wife, granting her access to monitor his every move, whereas his laptop had been kept safe by himself. If he made a misstep, she could trap him and seize his assets upon his demise. That was the last outcome he wanted to happen!
“Yes. I apologize.” The doctor turned to the nurse at the side and instructed her to fetch Jacky’s laptop.
As the device powered on, Jacky wasted no time. He immediately accessed the Discord app, his fingers moving adeptly as he searched for the person he needed: the game’s promotional manager. This was his final lifeline. If he could secure a chance to live within this “game world,” then even if he had to forfeit all his wealth and the empire he’d built, he would be more than willing to do so!