Academy’s Genius Mage

“From now on, let’s see if there’s anyone tailing us.”

“I was preparing for it anyway.”

“You’ve got a good sense.”

“That’s because I’m a great spirit!”

Ian had heard from Woodward that a special assassination team had been formed to target his life.

Although Woodward hadn’t seen it, Goyang was also present at that meeting.

Therefore, Goyang was aware that its partner was in a dangerous situation.

Goyang didn’t even bother with Rahel, who had recklessly attacked earlier, knowing that Ian was much stronger.

It could handle someone of that level with its kitty punch, but it refrained from acting to maintain its cute and dignified facade.

The carriage had just left the academy’s main gate.

The protective boundary that shielded Ian was no longer there.

“Let’s see.”

With closed eyes, goyang perked up its ears, cautiously surveying the surroundings.

It sensed a variety of presences and analyzed them instantly.

Goyang opened its eyes.

“I don’t sense anything suspicious yet. They’ll probably attack when the carriage passes through a secluded area. Or set up a trap.”

“The enemy is made up of assassins. It’ll be tricky compared to dealing with regular knights.”

“Do you have a plan?”

Ian nodded slightly.

“Facing them outside is dangerous. We can’t fight in a place advantageous to them without knowing their full strength. It’s better to lure them to a place I’m familiar with.”

“Where would that be?”

“Our family estate.”

“Hmm.”

It wasn’t a bad idea.

Although the assassins would be quite familiar with the layout of the Oracle Family’s estate, they couldn’t possibly know it as well as Ian, who had been born and raised there.

Knowing the structure and shape was one thing, Ian knew the materials and the very feel of the place.

Ian glanced at Milo, who was absent-mindedly gazing out of the window, half-asleep.

“We’ll stop by the mansion on our way back after finalizing the contract. We’ll spend the night there. Milo should head back to the academy. He can’t be dragged into this fight.”

“Hmm? That’s a bit unexpected. I thought he was coming to be a shield.”

“To lure them fully, it’s better if I move alone. Milo wanted to meet people from Bahamut, so accompanying me up to that point should suffice. Also, targeting a Vinettia isn’t what they want. They don’t want to make more enemies unnecessarily.”

Though called a viscounty, house Vinettia was no ordinary family either.

Not to mention the prowess of the head, Viscount Beltain; Milo’s two elder brothers were knights in the Royal Knights.

Producing two Royal Knights had recently brought them a lot of attention.

Rumor has it that the Venetia family’s promotion to a count’s house is imminent..

In other words, meddling with them would lead to dire consequences.

Hence, Ian came to the conclusion that the assassins would make their move once he was alone after finishing his business.

It seemed a reasonable conclusion even in Goyang’s eyes.

“Hehe. Even though you’re saying all this, you do seem to care for your friend! Human.”

Goyang giggled, nodding its head.

Initially, it considered Ian detestable, but its perception changed greatly over the past few days.

Especially after what had happened earlier, which was remarkable.

After all, it couldn’t let slide someone trying to kick its adorable self.

Goyang felt satisfied, thinking it had chosen well in its partner.

Of course, it misunderstood Ian’s intentions.

“So your role is crucial this time. It’s not just my life on the line. Wilson and Dorothy, who reside at the mansion, can’t even protect themselves.”

“Don’t worry about that. I don’t make mistakes. I am a great spirit after all!”

Ian grew increasingly worried upon hearing such remarks, but he didn’t want to upset the cat by nagging pointlessly.

Believing in it was the best possible approach at the moment.

“Thanks to the mercenaries sent by Mr. Woodward, it’ll be worth a try.”

He was confident in facing adversaries alone.

However, considering the family members involved, he decided to leave Wilson and Dorothy in the care of the mercenary group.

After a long journey, the carriage finally arrived at its destination.

Ian, who was examining the buildings of the Bahamut Trading Company through the window, was slightly surprised.

He could see Woodward brightly smiling and waving in their direction.

Ian nudged the side of Milo, who was snoring loudly.

“Ugh!”

“Stop napping and wake up. You’re sleeping so soundly that you wouldn’t have an excuse if we got ambushed.”

“Ahem, ahem… Who said I was sleeping? I was in brief meditation. Are we there already?”

“Do something about the drool.”

Startled, Milo wiped his drool and followed Ian out of the carriage.

Ian shook hands with Woodward.

“You were out to meet us first. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Hahaha. It’s not every day someone like you, Ian, visits, so I couldn’t possibly wait inside, could I?”

“We’re a bit late. There were minor issues at the academy.”

Before setting off, Ian had sent a message via the communication hub, mentioning that he was about to leave. However, due to Rahel holding him back, they ended up being approximately 30 minutes late.

“Were the issues resolved well?”

“Thanks to you, they were neatly resolved.”

“That’s great to hear! I don’t remember the last time waiting was this enjoyable, so don’t worry about it.”

The gatekeepers began to glance their way.

Although countless guests had visited, it was rare for Woodward to personally welcome someone, so rare you could count the occasions on one hand.

He was usually well-mannered, but he treated Ian with a distinct touch of specialness.

Hence, the gatekeepers had to maintain a firmer demeanor than usual.

The two academy students before them were evidently the VIPs of this place.

Just then, a clearing throat sound caught their attention.

Milo was making an attempt to introduce himself.

“Ah, I apologize for the late introduction. This is my colleague, Milo Vinettia. He is a first-year in the Department of Magic. He has been a great help in this potion venture.”

“Oh, you’ve come at a good time! Initially, I was curious about why a noble from the Vinettia Family would enter the Department of Magic, but now I realize why. I am Woodward, the deputy manager.”

“Ahem, I’ve heard much about you.”

Indeed, he is the successor of the trading firm.

Woodward is adroit at gilding words, and Milo was delighted, grinning broadly.

“Now, before we linger here, let’s head inside. We’ve prepared some fine tea.”

They followed Woodward to his office.

The office is brimming with the fragrant scent of tea leaves, the musk of aged paper, and the somber aroma of ink—a typical merchant’s office setting.

Ian and Milo sank into a rather modest-looking sofa, an arrangement simpler than they had anticipated,

Neatly arranged on the desk lay two copies of the contract.

“Would you like to review it? Initially, the terms were a contract sum of 5 billion shillings and an additional payment of 10 percent of the net sales as royalties for a period of three years.”

“I remember.”

“We’ve made a few adjustments. Hopefully, you’ll find them satisfactory, do take a look.”

It seemed there were additional terms.

This was beneficial for Ian.

There was no reason not to accept more money when offered.

He opened the contract.

Milo, curious, glanced at it sideways.

Ian tilted it, allowing Milo to also view it comfortably.

“A contract sum of 10 billion shillings, with 15 percent of the net sales; certainly, the terms have improved.”

In truth, Ian hadn’t intended to increase the amount.

The postponement of the second meeting by a week wasn’t due to insufficient terms, but rather, it was to shake up the Hamel Trading Company.

Most importantly, this was due to the support from the Bahamut Trading Company currently.

First-class mercenaries would still be keeping a watchful guard over the estate.

“Alright. I will sign the contract.”

Ian coolly signed the contract.

Finally, Woodward stamped the representative seal of the company on the contract.

With this, the contract was fully executed.

Meanwhile, upon checking the contract amount, Milo widened his eyes and displayed a surprised expression.

Even with a simple calculation, the amount of money coming to him was no joke.

Soon his lips curled into a broad grin.

He was certain that with this money, he could enjoy a rosy academy life.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect to get a signature this easily.”

Woodward spoke somewhat sheepishly.

“After hearing your words that day and returning, I reflected on whether I had underestimated your research achievements, Ian Oracle.”

“The only reason I signed without any further negotiation is because you, Mr. Woodward, have been protecting my family.”

“It’s only natural. Protecting our clients is fundamental for the company.”

“It seems there will be many opportunities to work together with you in the future, Mr. Woodward.”

“That’s such delightful news! Hahaha.”

Woodward was genuinely pleased.

The two then discussed the payment of the contract amount.

Ian requested that 30% of the contract amount be paid to the academy, and that Milo’s and Edel’s shares be paid separately from the remaining 70%.

“There’s no problem. We’ll send it directly to the academy and set up separate accounts for Mr. Milo and Mr. Edel.”

“Thank you.”

“Your share, Mr. Ian, is 3.5 billion Shillings from the contract amount. How would you like it paid?”

“Please deposit 2 billion into my account, and issue the remaining 1.5 billion as checks.”

“That’s possible. I’ll arrange it right away.”

Ding!

When Woodward rang the bell, a secretary entered. Woodward instructed the secretary to issue the checks.

Soon, Ian held 15 checks, each worth 100 million Shillings.

‘With this, I can repay the debt to the Hamel company all at once. Although he may not accept it, I will have to insist.’

Felix might refuse to take the money.

If that happened, Ian had planned to create a scenario and visit him anyway. Ian had everything planned.

‘And I’ll invest 500 million Shillings into the family.’

The first thing that came to his mind was Wilson’s shabby butler uniform. Despite being in a position of responsibility within the family, Wilson’s uniform was frayed in several places.

Dorothy’s situation wasn’t much different.

Although she had maid uniforms, she didn’t even own a decent dress. Ian decided to gift something to these two, who were as good as family, after a long time.

‘I think it’s also a good idea to set up a communication channel. There will be more occasions to contact the mansion in the future.’

Making money was hard, but spending it was not. Ian organized how he would spend the remaining 500 million Shillings neatly.

He decided to think slowly about how to use the 2 billion left in the account.

The money would quickly be spent as he refurbished the mansion and hired security, expanding the family’s stature.

However, he wasn’t particularly worried.

The contract amount was significant, but what really mattered were the royalties paid from net sales. Those would be quite substantial.

“By the way, Mr. Ian, did you face any problems on your way here?”

Woodward asked with concern.

Despite them having limited time to talk about the contract details and the business plans, he prioritized Ian’s safety.

“There were no special issues. The minor problem I mentioned earlier occurred inside the academy.”

“Ah, I see.”

Woodward did not inquire further. This was because Milo was present.

“If it’s about the Hamel Trading Company, feel free to speak. This friend here knows the gist of the situation.”

“Understood.”

Ian thought it was about time to wrap things up.

He had many tasks awaiting him back at the mansion.

“But Mr. Woodward, this is somewhat unrelated to our contract, but may I ask a personal favor?”

———-Note: There was a bit of lost in translation in the previous chapters(4,22,62,63,65) regarding the amount of Oracle Family’s debt. Will be updating previous chapters to avoid further confusion. Ciao!