Magic Is Learned For Nothing [EN]: Chapter 253

# 254

Legion of Destruction 2

Sara Connor was holed up in a very shabby inn.

It was all because of a deal with the Continent King. Three days had already passed, and this was, in fact, her first time working directly for him.

The person who had initially contacted her was Marquis Porse.

Marquis Porse, one of the kingdom’s seven most powerful figures.

No one knew his true strength except perhaps the Continent King himself. Or maybe even the King was in the dark about Marquis Porse’s full capabilities.

Sara Connor thought about Marquis Porse.

When she had first met him, he had seemed like a very gentle gentleman.

But it hadn’t taken long for her to realize just how cruel he could be.

“Ah, it’s okay, it’s okay. You don’t have to do it if it’s too difficult.”

He’d said, sipping wine as red as blood.

“But you already know our plan. That simply won’t do. If you refuse, we’ll have only one option.”

*If you refuse, we’ll kill you.*

“Ah! If you fail… you know what happens, right? We’ll disavow you.”

*Yes, you die even if you fail.*

“Just in case, there will be people around you to protect you. Ah, we’ll need a Geas [a magical compulsion], too, right?”

*Don’t even think about running away.*

Sara Connor’s instincts were screaming warnings at her.

She was in a dilemma. It was a commission that had felt like a trap from the very beginning. There was only one way for her to have survived.

Not accepting the commission in the first place.

The commission was successful… but could she even survive that?

She didn’t know.

Once everything was settled, she might have already disappeared into a pool of blood.

Her body would be dumped in a river or field, left where no one could ever find it.

Marquis Porse was *that* scary of a man.

Sara Connor fiddled with the ‘Skin Powder’ she had stolen from the Dark Elf village. The substance in the small bottle sparkled with a radiant light.

She was a master thief.

One of the most famous S-class Treasure Hunters in the treasure hunter world.

It wasn’t exactly an honorable title, but she had always lived by her self-imposed rule of never stealing from the poor.

This mission…

In fact, it wasn’t a mission that an S-class treasure hunter like herself should have been involved in.

It was about stealing an unidentified substance called ‘Skin Powder’ from the Forest of Death, specifically from the militant Dark Elves. It hadn’t been a particularly difficult mission. The security wasn’t strict, and the Dark Elves weren’t particularly focused on this ‘Skin Powder’ either.

Just cherished and neglected, perhaps?

Anyway, she had gotten it easily enough.

She had received 100,000 gold as a commission fee.

She had never imagined that would be the price of her life.

She glanced at the five knights guarding her. Were these guys really trying to protect her? She couldn’t shake the feeling that their swords would soon be aimed at her neck.

‘Raiden… where did you go?’

There was still time left on their contract.

Could he have already abandoned her? Anxiety flickered in Sara Connor’s eyes as she looked out the window.

-Knock knock.

A knock echoed on the door.

One of the guards, who had been standing behind her, opened the door.

A man with a blank expression, as if not a drop of blood flowed through his veins, approached her and bowed.

“His Excellency wishes to see you.”

* * *

Legion, Natalie, and Shuttle arrived in front of the inn where Sara Connor was staying.

Before dismounting, Legion said to Shuttle.

“Good work.”

And he gently handed him 10 gold.

Shuttle, who received the coins, looked at Legion with eyes that seemed to ask, ‘What is this?’

“Isn’t it a bit much? It’s a reward for your hard work.”

“A reward?”

“Yeah. Can’t you tell by looking? Should I take back 2 gold if it’s too much?”

“…….”

*I want to ask…*

*How many Durahans [headless horsemen] do you think you smashed? I’ll give you 2,000 gold on top of that. Go get me one.*

Legion stared at Shuttle with a ferocious look in his helmet.

*Yeah, go now, why aren’t you going?*

Shuttle couldn’t bring himself to leave.

The purpose of his life had changed. It was no longer the annihilation of those who had ignored him, but the death of Legion, who had mercilessly crushed his plans.

He would never leave until he witnessed his demise.

So, swallowing his pride, he said.

“I want to follow you, Legion.”

*The day you die! I will leave here laughing.*

“What?”

“I’m serious. I want to follow you, Legion.”

Legion frowned. He didn’t understand why people kept clinging to him in such a pathetic way.

Of course, he knew how great he was.

Charisma practically radiated from him, and he was incredibly knowledgeable, so it was only natural that they would want to follow him. There was so much to learn, and they would want to bask in the shadow of such an outstanding individual. But he didn’t want to keep accumulating servants like this.

These days, labor costs were simply too high.

If it weren’t for the Mithril mine, he would have gone bankrupt long ago.

The territory was developing day by day. It was developing so fast that it was almost frightening.

When he rode Oguogu to the territory, he sometimes felt like he had arrived in a completely different place.

The central downtown area of the territory was already more than ten times larger than before.

There were 200 guards in charge of security alone.

The number of soldiers dedicated to combat exceeded 500.

Oh my!

A total of 700 people.

It was already a struggle to pay the salaries of Dreizer and his exclusive servants, but 700 people?

In addition, there were so many other expenses.

Whenever he had a chance, Silkeut would send people to discuss spending money.

They needed to build walls, pave roads, develop mines, build schools for the welfare of the territory’s residents, construct senior centers, raise youth allowances, establish medical facilities, and provide free school uniforms…

That populist old man!

But he couldn’t exactly tell Silkeut to stop spending so much money.

Wasn’t he an old man who had only lived for himself before? He was actually doing a good job now. Still, he had to tell him not to overdo it next time he saw him.

He wouldn’t get sulky and switch his allegiance to the neighboring territory just because he said one word, would he?

Anyway, and now he was supposed to hire another servant?

Being a full-time employee was a bit much… wouldn’t a part-time job be okay? Let’s skip the four major insurances because they’re burdensome to both parties, and just deduct 3.3 percent withholding tax.

Legion pondered for a moment, then frowned and said.

“Three months of probation. During that period… um… 3 gold.”

Legion was determined to cut Shuttle’s salary no matter what.

Shuttle was dumbfounded.

He was a 6-circle Necromancer. With his qualifications, he could command a minimum annual salary of 5,000 gold no matter where he worked.

He could start an assassin business right away.

If the business went well, he could easily earn 5,000 gold a month.

But what? 3 months of probation? The salary is… 3 gold?

*Is this bastard kidding me?*

Those words were swirling in Shuttle’s throat. But he didn’t forget his purpose.

Money wasn’t the goal.

The goal was revenge on Legion, who had ruined his efforts.

“Okay. 3 months of probation. 3 gold.”

Shuttle gritted his teeth and accepted the offer.

“Ah, I’m really generous, aren’t I?”

Legion opened a subspace pocket while saying ridiculous things.

Suddenly, a bony hand popped out and handed Legion a contract.

“Sign it.”

Legion handed it to Shuttle.

*What is this?*

Shuttle blinked and asked with his eyes.

“Ah, the contract. I might not give you money after a month, you know. In that case, ta-da! Show them that contract. Then I have no choice but to pay you. That’s what I wrote down.”

“…….”

The words sound plausible… but I don’t feel comfortable.

Shuttle widened his eyes to receive the contract and began to read it slowly.

“Do you need to read the contents? Just sign it and read it later.”

“B, but this is a contract.”

“Yeah, a contract. Haven’t you signed one before?”

“No… I mean, I know. Because a contract is a promise… First of all, before signing… Ah! I don’t mean I don’t want to do it…”

Shuttle knew the potential horrors of contracts all too well.

His master, ‘Hooka,’ had made a contract with a demon to summon the Queen of Hell and had become completely enthralled.

Since then, Shuttle had been careful to avoid making contracts whenever possible. Even when he was doing hard part-time jobs to collect materials, he always insisted on receiving cash on the day.

“Why don’t you want to sign it?”

“W, well…”

“Then that’s it. Goodbye.”

Legion waved his hand as if he had no regrets. Shuttle was the one who felt a pang of disappointment.

“W, wait a minute.”

He signed the contract that Legion handed him with tears in his eyes.

-Hyohyohyohyo!

A spirit of curse that appeared from somewhere through space landed on Shuttle’s shoulder.

-Thank you, Legion. This guy looks really unlucky.

The spirit bowed its head.

Shuttle, who couldn’t see the spirit, didn’t notice that a spirit of curse had attached itself to him.

He was a talented Necromancer, but…

He had no idea how his future would unfold.

In the distant future, he left this will to his children on the day he died.

“Settle in the farthest place from the Legion territory. If you don’t want to end up like me.”

Shuttle, who had just signed such a contract, felt a great sense of foreboding as he was dragged along.

“Where is this?”

Shuttle, who couldn’t bring himself to talk to Legion, asked Natalie.

Natalie was kind to everyone.

Because of Legion’s influence, there was no discrimination against races in the territory. Of course, she didn’t feel much aversion to appearance either.

She was naturally kind to Shuttle, who had become Legion’s apprentice.

Shuttle had been ignored by women all his life. So, this was the first time he had experienced such kindness.

He was under the illusion that Natalie liked him.

“The reaction to the ‘Skin Powder’ that Sara Connor has is coming from here.”

“Skin Powder? Ah, that Skin Powder?”

“Why? Do you know what it is?”

Legion asked.

He knew nothing except that Skin Powder was an essential item for separating his skin and armor.

He was actually a little curious as to why Sara Connor had stolen such a thing.

“It is essentially a kind of energy source that separates things that are attached.”

“What does that mean?”

Legion tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.

“Ah, it means that it can separate anything that is attached. In other words, it is also possible to separate the soul and the body. A special mixing method is required, though.”

“Huh? The body and the soul? Is that possible?”

“It is possible.”

Legion clicked his tongue. He had just thought it was an item used for plastic surgery magic, but he couldn’t imagine it had such effects.

“That’s an incredibly dangerous thing.”

“That’s right. You can even switch the king’s soul.”

Shuttle said it casually, but Legion didn’t take it that way. He felt a considerable sense of foreboding from his words.

Why did that dangerous substance come all the way here?

He didn’t know the reason, but…

He felt like he had to recover it. No, he definitely had to.

Even if he failed, he didn’t care if the king changed or not, but he couldn’t bear the thought of having to live with armor as his skin for the rest of his life.

“Shuttle.”

“Yes, boss.”

“From now on, we will begin the recovery of the ‘Skin Powder’.”

“Ah, I understand.”

“The person who has the Skin Powder is a woman called ‘Sara Connor’. But it’s not certain that she has it. But it’s definitely here. Right? Natalie.”

“That’s right. It definitely exists within a radius of 30 meters. But I can’t pinpoint who it is.”

Natalie replied.

“Did you hear that?”

“Yes, I understand what you mean.”

“Don’t let a single one… escape from this place.”

“I understand.”

Shuttle nodded and immediately began to summon the undead.