Badge in Azure

Canceling a contract was a very troublesome thing to do, but there were exceptions nonetheless, like in cases of forced contracts. If Fycro was willing, one contract-canceling scroll would suffice to get it done.

Saleen looked at the scroll and felt rather reluctant to put his name on it.

It was a scroll that was made of pure dragon hide. There were 12 scales on the scroll and every scale had three-dimensional holy prose on it. A scroll like that could be used to create a level-12 magic scroll if Saleen and his teacher had it.

The key point was that the scroll was one that consumed dragon scales, which meant that the scroll could be used 12 times. The effect of each use would not diminish it. Each use was capable of creating scrolls surpassing major levels.

It meant that Saleen would be capable of creating level-14 scrolls when he was at level-12. When unraveled, the scroll would be able to cast the properties of dragon tongue magic as well.

However, it was still more important to cancel his contract now, so Saleen put down his name down and Fycro wrote his name as well. The scroll did not burn, a dragon scale crumbled instead. The holy prose on the scale disappeared as well.

Saleen felt things deep within his soul light up as that thing that bound him disappeared.

“Lex…”

“Her contract was bound with yours. You could check with her and see how it went.”

Saleen shook his head. He knew what had happened and he simply wanted to hear it from Fycro. It was very important for mages to get such things in words.

“You’re indeed sincere, Fycro, and I’m touched.” Saleen had not actually changed any of his opinions about Fycro despite the fact that the holy master had gotten more friendly. His remark was a sarcastic one. Fycro was not doing this for Saleen, he was only doing this because his hands were being forced.

It was probably due to the luck he’d acquired from the Goddess of Myers. The contract seemed to have a negative effect on Fycro. If the contract continued, both sides would suffer dire consequences. It seemed that he had been right to go about tearing the temples apart.

The fewer the number of temples left, the better his luck would be.

“I’m touched.” Fycro did not look like a powerful being at all when he said that. His expression hardly changed as he talked nonsense with Saleen.

“Well…” Saleen was defeated. He was still too young for this.

“Speaking of which, I’m here to make a deal with you and I’m afraid you won’t agree to it. As such, I’d like things to go your way for a bit. You’re a decent mage. You know when to advance and when to retreat. So, I don’t mind giving you some benefits in advance.” Fycro finally got to the point.

“I’m interested in deals, so long as they’re reasonable. You’re quite a decent holy master yourself, Fycro, and you know the principle of equivalent exchange well.”

“It’s like this… Lex’s assassin got something from the Glorious City. The Pivotal Council does not know of its importance. It was only due to the extent of damage that the assassin wrought that the Holy See went all the way to Lonestar City. I take it you don’t know what I’m talking about here.”

“I don’t, indeed.” Saleen did not try to bluff. What Bain had brought home was something that looked complicated. After the Sreeger Island mages took it apart to analyze it, they were unable to put it back together again.

However, the core was a semi-liquid metal. It was very heavy and had a structure like mud, making it capable of changing shape.

“I guess that thing is still intact, no?”

“The core is intact, but the outer parts have all been taken apart.”

Fycro sighed a breath of relief. He was worried that the mages might have gotten too curious and had taken apart the core as well. He would be at a disadvantage if that turned out to be the case.

“That thing is not a piece of mage equipment, nor is it one meant for a holy master. It is a living being. That living being is so precious that its value can be compared to dragons, and the dragons would be trash in that comparison,” Fycro said, showering praise upon that thing.

“So what is it?” Saleen grew curious, seeing how Fycro was not bothering to hide the facts from him. Fycro would have definitely paid a good price for something like that, but it happened to already be in his possession.

“An abyssal soul. That thing can release abyssal matter continuously and expand territories. If nurtured, I’d be able to connect with an interdimensional space with abyssal properties, then use it in an interdimensional space. Furthermore, that would make me a god in that interdimensional space.”

“Fycro, you’re being really honest here, so…”

“I’m about to give you an offer that you won’t be able to resist.”

“And what would that be?”

“The method of nurturing that thing, in exchange for half of it. With that, both you and I would be able to open up half of the abyss plane.”

“Fycro, opening up a plane requires up to 100 million years. I won’t be able to live that long.”

“No, Saleen. This ‘opening’ doesn’t refer to creating a plane through sheer power. That thing is capable of emptying the space beneath the magma and creating abyssal properties within that space. You only need to be rich. Be it magic nuclei, crystals or whatever, all of that will enable that creature to grow quickly, making another world out of the underground.”

“What if that thing comes up to the surface?”

“That thing loves high heat and rocks and metals. The surface is too cold for it, and it would simply go into hibernation.”

“What do you plan to offer then?”

Saleen loosened up even though he wanted more. He was capable of modifying Raphael’s interdimensional space. He had learned of things like the abyssal soul within the materials of the astrology tower, but no astrologers bothered with that thing.

The astrologers were only interested in killing anything that they were able to find as to prevent the cores of stars from being modified.

Mages might not have cared what a star’s core looked like, but astrologers cared a lot about that.

“Wouldn’t the methods of nurturing that thing be enough?” Fycro asked in a rather dissatisfied manner.

“I have no need for that thing, but you do.” Saleen went straight to the core of the problem. Fycro might have been the only one who knew about how to nurture an abyssal soul, yet Saleen had no need for such beings to create abysses or anything.

“You have a point!” Fycro scratched his head. Saleen was indeed a decent trade partner, yet it was precisely due to this that Fycro was unable to get any extra advantage out of their deals.

“Fycro, you’ve put up quite a show. All those god idols on the altar, you wanted me to take note, no? Alright, I won’t be greedy. I want to know how to make those idols.” Saleen stopped beating around the bush. Fycro was sincere, so Saleen saw fit to get the deal sealed.

“Hah…” Fycro sighed. It was his choice. That abyssal soul was too important to him. He would not have disclosed the methods of creating the god idols otherwise. While it would have been difficult for a mage to replicate the processes, it was not impossible.

Furthermore, Saleen had no shortage of holy masters. While the number of holy masters within the Nature Faith was small, there were thousands of them.

Only something of such a bargain would have moved Saleen.

“So, we have a deal?”

“We have a deal!” Fycro answered like a merchant.

“Alright, Fycro. You wish to have the support of mages, no?”

“Indeed. Divine smiths pale in comparison to mages in the creation of machines. I don’t have a lot of smiths with me. When the great war comes, I’d need to arm my troops.”

Saleen smelled profit and pressed on. “Equipment capable of upgrading the level of soldiers, and more powerful than Heaven Knight armor?”

“Well indeed. You have experience in making the metal flyers, so it would be comparatively easy for you to make this equipment. It’s not that I can’t make them myself, but I lack the manpower to mass-produce them.”

“How would you guarantee…”

“I’d need a million sets of said equipment. I’d give you the full schematics and about half of the required materials.”

“Isn’t this going to be quite a loss for you?”

“No, Saleen. The contract has time limits. You need to provide me with a million sets of said equipment within the time stipulated by me. I’m guessing that your mages will only be able to research the core secrets of the schematics once the contract is over. I’ll provide you with the control part when everything else is finished,” Fycro explained to Saleen. What he meant was that he would be the one crafting the core control components.

When Saleen was done with the contract, he would be free to research the equipment. However, he was confident that before Saleen would be able to complete a million sets of equipment, the mage would not be able to successfully unlock its secrets.

Saleen had no qualms about waiting. Fycro would give him the full schematics after the contract was done.

“Unless you tell me what is going to happen, I won’t dare promise you that. I need to fork over half of the materials for the equipment you asked after all,” Saleen said in a roundabout manner.

“I’d definitely tell you what is going on, but even if I were to not do so, you don’t necessarily have anything to lose. Saleen, the equipment I was talking about, is this.” Fycro pointed at the metal insect on the table and continued, “This is a personal use flight armor. It could be made out of metals or fragments of fossilized gods. You have more of those fragments than I do, and you’re capable of modifying this thing. You would eventually come to possess an extremely powerful army.”

“Extremely powerful?”

“Indeed. Bug angels, the combat weapon of the insect plane.”

“I take it you’ve got the contract ready?” Saleen asked Fycro.

“Indeed, and I’ve been waiting for you.”

“How much time would be required to get a million of these up?”

“Begin crafting in June and finish production by December.”

“Half a year. Seems like this thing is really complicated.”

“It is indeed complicated, so much so that I’d be willing to provide whatever you need, to let you help me fix it.”

“Fix?”

“Indeed. This thing has massive defensive properties, making it hard for the soldier to get injured, but it would still break, and fixing it would be very tricky. I’m hoping that your alchemy factories will provide me with the service.”

“Would this need to be written in the contract?” Saleen asked carefully.

“Let’s have it separated. I don’t want to cause you extra concerns about me!”

“Hah…” Saleen sighed and said, “Fycro, having dealt with the Holy See for so long, you’re the first one that I find satisfying to deal with.”

Fycro smiled and asked, “So, everything is settled then?”

“More or less. Set Picasso free first.”

“I’m fine with that.” Fycro took out a book and flipped the pages, erasing Picasso’s name from it. He then summoned Picasso and said, “You’re now free. You could choose to follow Saleen.”

“Yes, Lord Fycro.” Picasso remained respectful as he bowed deeply to the holy master.