Do Not Recklessly Rehabilitate Beasts - Chapter 4

“I noticed a few incorrect formulas. Especially here. If you’d used Crimoli’s formula, you could’ve increased the magic absorption rate.”

At the dismissive tone, Melody’s brow subtly furrowed. “I’m not really sure since I’m still inexperienced, but… wouldn’t increasing the absorption rate too much make the machine unable to withstand the magic? I mean, I don’t know, but.”

She was satisfied with her vague, novice-like rebuttal, but the man shook his head.

“That’s something only someone clueless would say. If you look at the runes used in the machine, you can see a protection formula is already included. Not using that—what a stupid mistake.”

Melody’s lips trembled.

Had she ever been stupid since birth? She had taught herself magic formulas at five and crafted her first magical tool at six. Even after coming to the temple, she had been shocked to realize she knew more magic formulas than the others who had studied within the barrier.

“If you increase the rate with Crimoli’s formula, even the protection formula wouldn’t be able to support the body. And in that case, the machine would be at greater risk of breaking down.”

“That’s true.”

She was clearly right, but the man’s smirk twisted in an ominous way. Had she come across as too clever? Cold sweat began to form.

“Oh dear.”

The sigh came from Malone, who had been trembling in the corner.

“Let’s not waste any more time. No matter what excuse you make, I have no intention of letting you go.”

As he spoke, Theonis held out a contract. It was issued by the temple and contained a magical formula that would cause pain akin to death if violated.

“You’re saying you want to make a contract with me…?”

“It’s not a bad deal.”

Several terms were listed on the contract.

“After the contract, Theonis will pay Melody a monthly wage of 10 gold coins.”

Ten gold coins. More money than she could earn in a whole year at the temple.

“The contract will terminate once Melody completes the magical tool Theonis desires. Until then, he will provide unlimited quantities of magic cores and other required materials.”

Unlimited?

Her lips trembled as she read through the clauses.

Magic cores—nuclei of monsters—were the rarest material for crafting magical tools. Occasionally, hunting parties would send them to the temple, but in limited quantities. And to capture a monster yourself meant risking your life. There were so many tools she’d wanted to make but never could.

If she hadn’t read the novel, she would’ve signed without hesitation. Knowing it was a death sentence was the only thing that held her back—and drove her mad with frustration.

“If you succeed in creating what I want, the completion bonus will be one thousand gold coins.”

“One thousand…!”

The distant-sounding voice made Melody blink. A thousand gold coins. Enough to buy a fine house in the capital and live comfortably for life.

Melody forced herself to resist the temptation in front of her and opened her mouth.

“I can’t accept this contract.”

“You’d rather die?”

“No!”

At the chilling voice, Melody hastily added, “It’s not that I don’t want to. Really. You know I’m already under contract with the temple, right? That’s why I can’t make a separate contract with anyone else. Truly. You can check if you want.”

Feigning regret, Melody watched as Theonis snorted.

“I hope you’re sincere. You’ll be signing with me eventually anyway.”

Getting permission from the temple wouldn’t be easy. Magical tool developers were strictly managed, as they could create dangerous items like lethal weapons.

Developers had to be registered with the temple, and all transactions involving magical tools had to go through the temple as well.

Aside from Theonis in the novel, no individual in the history of the Valkaras Empire had ever employed a personal magical tool developer. At least not as far as Melody knew.

“I’ll need to meet with a priest.”

Theonis spoke to his adjutant. As he began preparing to leave, Melody quietly asked,

“If I end up unable to sign the contract—because the temple objects and it can’t be helped—then… what will happen to me and Mr. Malone? I really do want to sign the contract, but I just can’t. As for him, if you just let him go outside the barrier, he’ll never set foot in this land again.”

At her signal, Malone nodded vigorously beside her.

“Then you’d better make it happen. You.”

“…Me? How am I supposed to do that?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

“Then who am I supposed to—”

Just as she was about to say more, her voice trailed off, filled with disbelief, and Theonis said, “You said you don’t want to be beaten.”

“Of course.”

“And you desperately want to make a contract with me.”

“That’s… right?”

“Then go get the contract approved. Or you’ll end up on the judgment platform alongside him.”

Hah. A sigh escaped her lips.

***

“Denied.”

At the chief priest’s firm rejection, Melody bit her lip hard and lowered her head.

The reception room of the Grand Temple was immaculate and white. Across from her sat the chief priest, summoned in the middle of the night and looking utterly exhausted. Beside her, Duke Theonis wore a frown like a stone statue.

He’d come in with her, so she thought he might try to help persuade the priest, but those red lips didn’t seem like they planned to open at all.

‘If I’m the one he needs, why am I the only one who’s desperate?’

Shameless as it was, survival came first. She could figure out how to escape later. Melody made every effort to persuade the priest. But the answer remained unchanged.

“How could a mere individual employ a magical tool developer? If dangerous objects are secretly created, it could cause great unrest among the empire’s citizens.”

It was already miserable digging her own grave, but even the gravekeeper was unforgiving. How was she supposed to persuade this priest? As she pondered, she cast a sidelong glance at the unnecessarily well-dressed man beside her.

Surely he hadn’t followed her just to watch her beg. Maybe he meant for her to use him as a bargaining chip. Spinning her thoughts, she opened her mouth resolutely.

“Is he a mere individual?”

“He is a duke. But under the goddess, all are equal.”

And yet the temple had separate entrances for nobles and commoners.

“You know what Duke Theonis is doing for the temple and for the Valkaras Empire.”

At that, the priest looked troubled and glanced sideways.

“He leads monster subjugation campaigns.”

“And he’s the one who sends the monster materials for magical tools to the temple.”

Melody had only learned this after entering the temple herself. That Theonis was practically the only one in the empire who actively led large-scale monster subjugation campaigns.

This was recently attributed to the shortage of people possessing holy power, making it difficult to dispatch the Order of Holy Knights. With nothing more to say, the priest pressed his lips shut.