Blacksmithing Is Child’s Play for a Dark Mage - Chapter 79

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 79
“…….”
Tay froze mid-motion.
Then, slowly, the corners of his mouth began to rise.
“Ooooooh!”
“What troubles you, Master?”
“I. Became Black Mage Class 3.”
“Truly?”
Rant’s eyes widened.
At that moment, Asa burst from the shadows, perching on Tay’s shoulder with his single eye narrowed.
“Indeed it is true. Your rank has ascended.”
Asa spoke softly.
“Congratulations, Contractor. Now I shall be able to draw upon my full strength.”
Class 3.
At last, the Black Mage’s rank had risen!!
Thanks to the Hell Heart of Undying Life, he’d already been wielding Black Magic at an extraordinary level, but now that his class had advanced, his power had grown immensely greater.
Tay’s face brightened once more.
“Haha! I took a financial hit on that, but this feels worth it anyway?”
The loss from the bone spear weighed against the class advancement.
There was no need to deliberate.
Reaching Black Mage Class 3 was more than enough to recoup the cost of several bone spears and then some.
“Today calls for a celebration!”
Tay declared with genuine delight.
“But shouldn’t we organize the harbor first?”
“Ah, right. Yeah, we should.”
Tay stopped himself from leaping with joy. Duties came first.
* * *
Clearing the harbor took considerable time.
Not just a day or two—several days were spent removing bodies, repairing damage, and setting things in order.
In the meantime, he couldn’t properly savor the joy of leveling up and reaching Class 3.
Moreover, he’d reached Level 5, which meant he’d earned skill points, but he hadn’t used those either.
Still, work had to be done first. There was no way around it.
Next came the matter of collecting the bounty.
But who exactly would issue payment for a Black Mage’s wanted notice bounty?
The answer was the Pantheon.
The Pantheon.
A coalition of every religion that existed in this world.
There were so many gods in this world that counting them individually was nearly impossible.
There were gods of all kinds imaginable.
There were the major deities well-known to humanity—Elbera of Life, Lightesia of Light, Terra of the Earth—and beyond them an uncountable multitude: gods of war, of the sea, of fire, of wisdom, of death, of the arts, and countless others.
There were even peculiar deities like the god of shoes or the god of drowsiness.
Regardless, with so many gods in existence, they apparently decided one day to form a council.
The Divine Council.
This was the true nature of the Pantheon.
It was an institution that deliberated the plans and procedures of the gods who shaped the world, structured much like a legislative assembly in the human realm.
But how were voting rights determined in the Divine Council?
By the number of believers a god possessed and the strength of faith they radiated.
The more believers a god had and the deeper their faith, the larger their seat and the stronger their voice.
Currently, the god with the greatest power and the largest seat was Elbera, goddess of Life and Abundance. She also served as the chairwoman of the Pantheon’s council.
In any case, the Pantheon functioned both as the Divine Council and, in the mortal realm, as a kind of administrative governing body.
One of the Pantheon’s duties was to dispense bounties on wanted Black Mages.
Learning this, Tay made his way to the medium-sized temple of the Elbera Church that had been newly constructed in his Territory.
The temple was already completed and operating.
White marble walls were inscribed with the symbol of the Tree of Life, and the building stood at the heart of the Territory.
When Tay arrived, a dispatched priest showed him inside.
In the reception chamber, he found himself facing the bishop who administered this diocese.
“Baron Tay. The Pantheon holds your achievements in this matter in the highest regard.”
The bishop spoke.
“The wanted Black Mage Parksan—a dangerous individual bound by contract to Shaknark, the Devil of the Sea, and a heinous criminal who massacred numerous coastal villages. The Pantheon thanks you, through me, for eliminating this threat.”
“You honor me too greatly. I merely defended my Territory when it came under attack.”
Tay answered with deference.
The high priest nodded and continued his explanation.
“Bounties are measured in Merit Points from the Pantheon.”
“Merit Points?”
“Yes. Rather than distributing bounties as immediate payment in coin, the Pantheon credits Merit Points to your account. You may then spend these points to exchange for cash, sacred objects, or services provided by the temple.”
“I understand the cash and sacred objects, but—”
Tay tilted his head.
“What do you mean by services?”
“You may receive blessing potions that the temple provides, or you may have a priest dispatched to assist you for a set duration. It is also possible to hire a holy knight to accompany you in battle.”
The high priest paused briefly before adding,
“If you accumulate enough Merit Points, you may even summon and command angels.”
“Angels?”
Tay’s eyes widened.
Though he had lived in this world for quite some time, this was the first he’d heard of such a thing.
To summon angels simply by gathering Merit Points—it was a remarkable system indeed!
“That is certainly surprising……”
Tay expressed his genuine admiration.
“Then, with the Merit Points I currently have, what sacred object might I receive?”
The high priest retrieved a thick tome from beneath the desk and opened it. It appeared to be a catalog of sacred objects.
“With your current Merit Points, my lord, you may select one lesser sacred object.”
“A lesser object?”
Tay’s expression fell slightly.
“Was that Black Mage a mere small-timer, then? Or is it simply difficult to obtain sacred objects in general?”
“That Black Mage was not quite a major figure, but his threat level was considerable nonetheless.”
The high priest answered calmly.
“You should understand that obtaining a sacred object at all is inherently difficult. Even a lesser sacred object bears divine blessing within it. It is by no means a trivial thing.”
“I see.”
Tay nodded and examined the catalog.
There were four lesser sacred objects available for exchange with his current Merit Points.
First: the Scarecrow of Abundance.
Within a set area, crops remain free from pests and disease, and abundant harvests are guaranteed.
Second: the Buoy of Good Fishing.
In the waters where the buoy is installed, the fish population increases and catch yields rise.
Third: the Flag of Life’s Birth.
The birth rate within the Territory increases.
Fourth: the Flag of Newborn Growth.
Newborns within the Territory do not die from disease.
Tay scanned the list once, then immediately raised his finger.
“I will take the Flag of Newborn Growth.”
The high priest’s eyes widened slightly.
“You mean the Flag of Newborn Growth?”
His expression showed interest.
“Why did you choose that? Most lords select the Scarecrow of Abundance.”
“I can manage the first two through my own magic, you see.”
Tay replied matter-of-factly.
Abundant harvests were already guaranteed through his bio-fertilizer system, and increased catch yields could be achieved through the use of undead serpents.
“As for the third, to be honest…… birth rates are naturally high regardless.”
Contraception was expensive in this world.
The standard method was to employ Curse Dark Magic for contraception, but only the nobility and wealthy could afford such measures.
Common commoners engaged in relations without contraception, and consequently, many children were born.
The real problem was whether those children survived.
Was not the infant mortality rate in this world absurdly high?
With poor sanitation and limited capacity to treat disease, the reality was that one child in three died before reaching the age of five.
“Then, what could be better than ensuring that newborns live and grow strong?”
Tay’s lips curled upward.
‘The population will explode!’
Tay inwardly cried out.
Birth rates were already high. If he also lowered the death rate—
The population would grow explosively.
In ten or twenty years, a generation born and raised in this Territory would become the Territory’s backbone.
Not migrants brought from outside, but people of the Territory born and raised on this very land.
Their loyalty, sense of belonging, motivation to work—it would be on an entirely different level from immigrants!
And more than that.
Tay himself was now a 3rd Class Black Mage.
At this rate he’d easily live a hundred years, and if he leveled up further, living for centuries wouldn’t be impossible.
Developing the Territory over centuries?
Infants growing up healthy and strong?
With proper food supply alone… it might even be possible to build an empire, let alone a great Territory!
A long-term investment, but one with real promise!
Whether the high priest knew Tay’s true thoughts or not, she smiled.
“How wise you are, Baron.”
Tay bowed his head.
“You’re too kind.”
“I shall present the sacred relic to you.”
The high priest rose from her seat and moved toward the inner sanctum of the temple.
Tay leaned back in his chair, thinking to himself.
‘If this were a territory management simulation game, this would definitely be an S-rank item.’
Infant mortality rate: zero.
That alone made Parksan’s contribution immense.
Thank you, Parksan. Your death was not in vain.
* * *
The moment the sacred relic—the Flag of Newborn Growth—was installed, Tay felt an invisible divine power descend upon the Territory.
“Quite tingly, isn’t it?”
And as expected, the imp butler Asa’s expression darkened with displeasure.
The entire Territory was now bathed in divine blessing.
As a demon, she found it deeply disagreeable.
“Bear with it. It’s for the Territory’s sake. Or—is there a dark magic art in your demonic repertoire that guarantees the safety of newborns?”
“There is, actually. We could achieve it through sacrifices. The problem is that it wouldn’t be permanent.”
“How inefficient…”
“Divine miracles aren’t terribly efficient either, if I may say so…”
“But this option is better for me right now.”
“Still, be warned, Contractor. As divine power increases, your own power will be constrained.”
Tay nodded at Asa’s warning.
Well, as a Black Mage himself, it was only natural for him to be repelled by divine power.
For that reason, he’d relocated all the skeleton soldiers to positions outside the Flag of Newborn Growth’s area of influence.
Otherwise they’d sustain gradual damage.
Left too long, they’d simply crumble to dust.
Being a Black Mage makes blacksmithing far too easy
Author |
Automaton G
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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