Hopefully, at Your Mercy - Chapter 29

Chapter 15.2

Using the term “accessories” made it sound trivial, but something about it felt like a trap.

When it came to “spirit stone accessories,” it likely referred to these items: sand that could extinguish a spirit stone’s flames, bottles to contain its water, or flares to calm its winds.

According to Rose’s earlier explanation, properly handling spirit stones required special tools infused with magic.

And anything involving “magic” became twice as expensive. The same would surely apply to these accessories.

“But Father… who’s going to make these accessories, and how much will it cost?”

“That will be handled by Lord Cavila’s acquaintance, Mr. Crameld. He mentioned knowing a mage who could assist as well.”

“Aha…”

Delinda shot a glance at Crameld. Realizing he was the subject of their discussion, Crameld gripped his staff and infused it with magic, making it glow green.

Delinda’s suspicion deepened as she reviewed the contract again.

The clause about the accessories was written in such a clever way that all responsibility would fall solely on House Schultz. There were no defined conditions or limits.

It’s like how cell phones work in the modern world. The phones themselves are expensive, but sometimes the accessories end up costing even more.

Headphones, chargers, or those limited-edition collaborations with luxury brands.

Mages were known for their pride, rarely getting involved in this type of business. Therefore, it made sense that Lord Cavila would rely on his acquaintance, but still…

‘How are we supposed to know how much they’re really paying the mage, or how much of that money is really going into manufacturing the accessories?’

The accessories could end up costing far more than the main product itself.

Delinda possessed magical powers herself, but since that was a secret, revealing it here would upend the entire plan.

“We’ll need an external consultant for anything involving magic. Since House Schultz is financing this, we can’t rely entirely on Sir Crameld.”

“An external consultant… Very well. But where do you plan to find such a consultant? I only managed to secure someone as talented as Crameld due to our long-standing friendship”

Lord Cavila responded smugly.

He had managed to throw off that foolish noble lady with a question that sounded like a challenge.

But that didn’t matter.

Mages were rare. Apart from idiots like Crameld who voluntarily worked with noble families because they were addicted to gambling, most mages isolated themselves in the Magic Tower, entirely focused on their research.

Mages were beings full of pride and self-respect. They weren’t easily swayed by wealth or power.

So where would she possibly find one?

Lord Cavila was more than ready to milk the Schultz family for all they were worth. It wasn’t technically a scam, but the contract was certainly crafted to leave him with the upper hand.

With Crameld leading the production of spirit stone accessories, Lord Cavila would oversee the entire process, inflating costs and making endless demands for additional funds from House Schultz.

Issues would inevitably arise during the mining process—groundwater seepage, ceiling collapses, worker shortages—all of which he could use as excuses to siphon more money from the duke.

And since the duke had already put up the grand mansion as collateral, he wouldn’t be able to back out halfway through the deal.

Confident in this outcome, Lord Cavila addressed his unsuspecting victim, his voice dripping with faux courtesy.

“After all, Your Grace, I secured the mine and the mage. That’s why you agreed to this contract in the first place. If you can find a mage of your own… well, I’d be happy to renegotiate the terms.”

He was taunting them, plain and simple. If you can find a mage, you’re welcome to try.

Duke Schultz hesitated.

Delinda wasn’t entirely wrong in her suggestion.

He wasn’t well-versed in magic or magical powers, so he hadn’t properly considered that aspect.

He recalled the time he had sought advice from a mage friend at the Magic Tower, only to be flat-out rejected. His friend had explained that getting involved in worldly affairs would damage their friendship and refused outright.

How could he possibly persuade someone like that?

Still, the duke made his decision.

He would take the risk.

Now that Delinda had confirmed the authenticity of the Spirit Stone Mine, he was prepared to move forward. This opportunity was the only viable path for his family to recover.

Delinda, however, was still mulling things over.

Should I just promise Father that I’ll find a mage and then use my own magical powers instead? I could study and learn how to professionally verify spirit stones. Or maybe I could actually find a real mage somehow…

Just then, a mischievous spoke up from behind the sofa.

“How about I be your magic consultant?”