Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 212: Observer's Protection
On the outskirts of Erisburg, in the manor belonging to the Kevin family.

Melissa and Jin were sitting in a luxuriously decorated study, each in a daze, holding a cup of hot tea in their hands.

Benoit walked in with his hands in his pockets, bringing the two back to their senses instantly. They asked at the same time: "How is the teacher now? Is he awake?"

Benoit, a high-level alchemist and an excellent potion master, rolled his eyes and said speechlessly, "How could it be so fast? It's only been two days. This is a trauma on the soul level. If it weren't for Mr. Neumann's terrifying method, even if we used the ritual to separate the teacher from his transformed state, he would most likely become an ordinary, weak old man paralyzed in bed with dementia, and he wouldn't have many years to live..."

Jin quickly asked, "What about now? With Mr. Observer's help, the teacher can at least retain his ability as a spellcaster, right?"

Melissa sighed softly, "With crippled limbs, what good is it to retain your status as a spellcaster? This level of physical damage will affect your mental strength. I'm afraid your rank will drop..."

Benoit waved his hand, trying to liven up the atmosphere. "No matter what, the teacher's life is at least saved. I've arranged for the workshop to customize a wheelchair for him. When he wakes up soon, we can immediately push him out for a walk."

Jin coughed and changed the subject with some worry. "So what do we do next? How can we afford the price... from Observer Neumann?"

"I have privately asked close forum members, some of whom were invited to join when the forum was first established. According to them, Mr. Turing's requirement for price is just to ensure equal exchange. Mr. Neumann is not as active in comparison, and no one knows his preferences and requirements..." Melissa gave a calm analysis.

Benoit tentatively suggested, "How about we contact Mr. Neumann again through the forum and ask him directly what he needs from us? After all, it's an equal exchange. What may seem trivial to him may be a matter of life and death to us and our teacher..."

Jin spread his hands helplessly and said, "My family has declined. Benoit is a marginal descendant who is not valued in the family. Melissa is not from a wizard family... I can't offer anything valuable in exchange for the teacher's life."

As he spoke, he obediently took out all the belongings he had always carried with him from his storage ring—a standard amplification staff produced by the Exploration Society and purchased from the magic black market, a pile of cheap spellcasting materials that even Benoit shook his head at, and a forehead-band-shaped defensive magic weapon inlaid with aquamarine gems, but it was of mid-level grade and not very valuable. Perhaps the only valuable item was the dozens of high-level, high-quality arcane magic stones neatly stacked in a small suitcase...

Jin rubbed his hands and added a little awkwardly, "I still have about 40,000 pounds in the Orlando Royal Bank... Haha, if I use gold pounds to pay Mr. Neumann, I'm afraid he'll just come through and blast me into pieces... It's simply a provocation and an insult."

Benoit spoke frankly, "All my assets have been invested in the workshop I founded. The low-level alchemical products I produce are sold on the black market, but the profits are not even a fraction of what the Exploration Society earns... This manor will be our home and where our teacher will recover. Even if we were to trade it for something, Mr. Neumann wouldn't be interested. I still have one of the anti-forbidden magic spell instruments I gave Jin last time..."

Melissa shook her head repeatedly and interrupted, "What are you thinking? These low-value magical instruments and materials, as well as their worthless assets and money, which one of them could possibly impress an ancient being suspected of being a demigod?"

She stood up and walked to the window. After a moment's silence, she turned and decisively suggested, "The truth is, we simply can't afford the price of His intervention. Why not ask Him directly to become His followers and agents? A being like Him surely needs spellcasters walking in the real world to carry out some of His secret plans, right?"

"Family members... and agents, why does this sound like an evil, ancient demonic sacrificial ritual?" Jin muttered softly, suddenly shrinking his shoulders in fear. "This... this price we pay with our freedom and our souls. This is a fate a hundred times more tragic than facing death directly!"

Melissa rolled her eyes, sat back on the sofa, and began to analyze the situation seriously. "Can't you see? Whether it's Mr. Turing or Mr. Neumann, they created forums to share knowledge, and they almost always responded to the requests of the spellcasters. Their attitude was always very friendly, and they didn't act like superiors to control or enslave anyone. They are fundamentally different from those chaotic and twisted Chaos Demons in the other dimension!" "Humans, elves, burrowing dwarves, and even demons, alien races that are hostile to us, are no different from ants in the eyes of beings with lifespans as long as history itself. They treat us all the same."

"Even if they created the Spellcaster Forum for some hidden purpose, it's not our responsibility to worry. There's more than one Legendary Lord in the forum. Don't they have a way to deal with it?"

Melissa's clear and rational analysis finally convinced her two best friends, Kim and Benoit. Next, they planned for Melissa to come forward and directly propose to Mr. Observer that since they could not pay the high price equivalent to their lives, they decided to repay him by becoming the other party's dependents.

……

Harvey stared at the flashing words on the magic brain instrument, stunned for a long time before he finally understood the purpose of these three forum members - they actually planned to sell themselves to work to repay their debts on the grounds that they could not pay the equivalent price.

This really made Harvey a little angry. As a wizard lord living in the northern wilderness, what kind of work did he want from three high-level spellcasters? Was he going to invite them all to the pioneer territory and surround him as his magic tutor?
This is simply a blatant denial of debt!

None of the high-level spellcasters are poor. Even if they send him a sum of 100,000 gold pounds, it can greatly alleviate the economic pressure of the territory. 50,000 will also be fine... In short, apart from magic materials or high-level magic tools, even simple payment will be much more meaningful to Harvey than selling himself voluntarily.

In order to maintain the mysterious and powerful image of the Observer in the forum, Harvey managed not to lose his temper on the spot. However, he still expressed with some contempt that he did not really need his followers and agents in the real world, which was a small warning and deterrent to them.

But since the other party really thought that they could not afford it, Harvey could not let himself work hard and have his labor taken away for free. So he just let them be his followers, just like recruiting a few one-way spies and thugs, which would make it more convenient for him to monitor the many situations in the southern magic world at any time.

Besides, no matter what, these three guys are also real high-level spellcasters. With them as thugs, at least if he has to go to the southern border to deal with some things in the future, he will not be as timid and embarrassed as before.

[Observer Neumann: Although it's not what I need, it does conform to the principle of equivalent exchange... Haha, in that case, I agree with the payment method you proposed.]

[Astrologer: Thank you for your generosity and kindness! Then... I wonder what kind of ritual or... sacrifice is required to become one of your followers?]

[Observer Neumann: Do you mistake me for a demon from another dimension? Haha, how interesting! No sacrificial rituals are necessary. I don't need to resort to these petty tricks to control you. The founding purpose of this forum clearly includes the requirement of "freedom." You only need to listen to and comply with my requests when necessary, and strive to put them into action...]

[Observer Neumann: Of course, I will not ignore your efforts. If you are in danger while completing my mission, I will provide you with the necessary shelter and assistance.]

(End of this chapter)