However, Virki was focusing on something else entirely rather than the conversation with Anix.
“I did this too, and then after that…”
Watching him mutter something while folding his fingers one by one, Anix clicked his tongue in irritation.
“Tsk. In any case, under the contract, I have the right to receive magic tools for a fixed period.”
“So you’re saying you won’t terminate the contract? And you won’t provide the byproducts as Grade 2 either?”
“That was the contract to begin with. And frankly…”
Thud. Anix roughly set the wine glass down on the table.
“To talk about terminating the contract with empty hands. At the very least, you should give me something worth giving up my future profits.”
“Something like…?”
When Virki tilted his head innocently, Anix crossed his arms arrogantly and let out a low hum.
“First of all, how much time is left on the contract?”
“About two years and eight months?”
“Then roughly two hundred million gold per month. Thirty-two months would be… six point four billion gold. If the penalty fee is around that much, I’ll terminate it for you.”
“…Six point four billion?”
Faced with the staggering amount, Virki echoed it with a blank expression, as if it didn’t feel real.
Given the Magic Tower’s finances, it wasn’t an amount they absolutely couldn’t pay, but it wasn’t money that could be gathered easily or immediately.
Anix met his gaze with a tone as if it were only natural.
“This is only calculating the net profit. It excludes the profits I would gain by using the magic tools. This much is the minimum, wouldn’t you agree, for me to agree to a termination?”
Virki flinched at the somewhat overbearing attitude.
“That amount of money…”
“My mercenary commander is gone, my aide is gone. There are already plenty of rumors going around that the East is collapsing, and now if the Magic Tower acts like this too, huh? What do you think people will say? This is already the minimum amount, so it’s troublesome if you react like this.”
“From the start, the contract itself…”
“If you want to terminate it, pay up right now.”
“I don’t have that much!”
“I know full well the Magic Tower can raise that much. Or don’t you have healing magic stones? Just put out a bid notice or something.”
Fed up with Virki stubbornly insisting until the end, Anix slouched crookedly in his seat and dragged a hand down his face.
“Maybe if I spell it out, you’d understand…”
Even after explaining this much, looking at those innocent eyes made it frustrating.
Someone this clueless, who needed everything explained in detail from one to ten, was exhausting for this very reason.
Anix let out a long sigh and explained in detail.
“Tower Master. If you’re short, then ask the North to lend it to you. I know full well you’re trying to terminate the contract and head to the North. Then request the termination penalty from the North as well.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve never discussed a contract with the North!”
“Then are you saying Her Highness the Princess is helping you out of sheer boredom? Not even a dog would believe that.”
“Lise would never say that! She’s so kind!”
“Just pretending to be kind. For profit, what wouldn’t she do? It’s not like I’ve only known her for a year or two.”
All of a sudden, Virki’s mouth snapped shut.
Just moments ago he had been rattling off rebuttals nonstop, but now, as if he had made up his mind about something, he only rolled his eyes around in empty space.
Just before Anix rose from his seat.
Virki suddenly sprang up.
“Anyway, I said I’m terminating it.”
“Contact me when the money is ready. And don’t forget this month’s delivery.”
“Hmph.”
Snorting, he strode straight toward the door.
Click. As he opened it, Anix had the strange impression that something at Virki’s neck glinted.
The Virki who had looked weak enough to burst into tears just moments ago now wore a blank expression, as if nothing had happened.
Perhaps because his appearance was inherently beautiful, it wasn’t exactly intimidating, but there was a peculiar sense of detachment about him.
“What was that?”
Before Anix could dwell on the doubt, Virki swept out the door.
***
“Lise, I’m back!”
Liselotte’s room.
A magic circle suddenly opened in midair, and Virki dropped down from the air with a swoosh.
As Liselotte, who had been sitting at the table drinking strong tea, lifted her head, he came fluttering over.
Like a child clinging for a hug, he wrapped his arms tightly around her neck and shouted, his cheeks flushed red.
“I said everything you told me to say!”
Looking just like a child asking to be praised, Virki prompted Liselotte to gently pat his head.
“You did well. Shall I hear it?”
“Yeah!”
He hurriedly got up and unclasped the chain around his neck.
Clink, clink. A large pendant was placed onto Liselotte’s palm.
She had been told he liked things that looked plain but weren’t, and the simple yet sizable pendant, carved from ivory and set with a gem, was elegant without being excessive.
When she fiddled with the red gemstone, a soft hum rose and a small light surfaced.
The conversation between the two began to echo through the room.
“We could have met in Lergo Village just fine-“
As Liselotte listened, the corners of her lips stretched longer and longer.
Virki, waiting beside her with sparkling eyes, asked in excitement.
“How is it?”
Was there even anything left to say?
“The East won’t be able to move an inch.”
Liselotte smiled more brightly than ever.
***
[Application for a Provisional Injunction to Suspend the Effect of an Exclusive Contract
Applicant: Virki Baskerville (Representative: Liselotte Keilos)
Respondent: The East, House Gloria, Duke Anix Gloria.
[Order]
- The applicant deposits 6.4 billion gold as security for the respondent, and, on the condition that the above amount is submitted as the insured sum, requests the following until the judgment on the merits is rendered.
- The effect of the exclusive contract shall be suspended until the judgment on the merits is rendered in the case seeking confirmation of the nonexistence of the effect of the exclusive contract between the applicant and the respondent.
- The respondent shall not engage in acts such as delivery, manufacture, sale, or negotiation related to magic tools with respect to the applicant.
[Grounds]
- The main action concerns a magic tool supply contract, and under the terms of the contract, it is impossible to perform the contract using the monsters’ byproducts provided by the respondent.
- Under the intent of this contract, the longer the supply contract is delayed, the greater the compensation amount and the number of contract days become.
- Therefore, the applicant requests that the continuation of the said contract be suspended until the judgment on the merits is rendered.]
The next day, an application for a provisional injunction arrived at the Gloria estate.
Anix crumpled the notice of application at once.
“So he pretended to be naive. And in the end, he asked about the penalty fee…?”
Just when he said he didn’t have 6.4 billion gold.
Right in front of him was a court deposit made in the name of the Magic Tower, exactly 6.4 billion gold.
There was no way to know whether it had truly been borrowed from the North, but it was true that it wasn’t an amount the Tower Master couldn’t raise.
In the office, Miro stood straight in front of the desk, showing rare signs of distress.
“Your Grace. The provisional injunction has been granted.”
“…So right now…”
“Yes. As of today, until the lawsuit with the Magic Tower is concluded, the supply of magic tools is suspended.”
The provisional injunction had been decided at once after the Senate reviewed the evidence.
That meant a majority within the Senate had voted in favor of suspending the effect.
It could also have a significant impact on the lawsuit to terminate the contract with the Magic Tower.
Above all.
“Magic tools. Gather up every last remaining magic tool and bring them here!”
With the subjugation force currently understaffed and the Employment Department blocking the hiring of new employees, if they lost even the magic tools, immediate subjugations would become a problem.
Startled by his shout, Mirkena hurried over and handed him documents listing the magic tool inventory.
“H-here is the current status of the magic tool inventory.”
“This won’t even last a month, will it? Where on earth did all the magic tools that came in last month go?!”
As he fumed, Miro, who had been watching quietly, tilted his head.
“Didn’t you give magic tools as gifts last week to placate the Heads of friendly Houses?”
“Ah…”
He recalled sending off surplus magic tools as if to prove they were still doing fine, ever since the East’s image had taken a sharp downturn recently.
“If I had known it would come to this…”
Haa. Anix let out a deep sigh.
Front, back, side. Every path for funds was blocked.
In that case, there was only one answer.
“Miro. You said you were confident about the lawsuit to terminate the contract with the Magic Tower, didn’t you?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Push it forward quickly. We have no choice but to finish the main case as fast as possible.”
They could definitely win the main case, and if that happened, the Magic Tower would have no choice but to provide magic tools again.
In the current situation, there was no better option than this.
***
“Princess Liselotte. House Gloria has sent rebuttal briefs.”
Late afternoon, edging into evening. The rebuttal briefs sent by House Gloria arrived.
Hedmilton held two stacks of documents in both hands and showed them to her as if to say, “Look at this.”
“Both our lawsuit and the Tower Master’s lawsuit.”
“They must be desperate. It looks like they want to at least win our case and secure some funding…”
It was exactly as expected.
So?
Lying sprawled on the bed and flipping through the documents halfheartedly, Liselotte tossed them over her shoulder with a flick.
“Let’s send our rebuttal brief a week later.”
The desperate ones were House Gloria, not them.
