Chapter 36: Mage of Blazing Fire (4)

A dreadful silence pervaded.

Strictly speaking, this wasn’t time being stopped.

It was just that consciousness was split and divided, making this fleeting moment feel like an eternity.

Of course, from a human perspective, there wasn’t much of a difference, but that was the concept itself.

Ssssss…….

In a world where everything was stopped, only the blazing fire began to move little by little, filling the surrounding view.

Blazing Fire in Full Bloom.

At a glance, it was a scene where everything in this place seemed to be burning, but the blazing fire did not burn anything around it.

It was merely existing in that place.

I knew well what that was called.

No, it was impossible not to know.

Gooooooooo──

The Demon of Blazing Fire.

The concept of blazing fire that exists in this world, or the being that is the concept itself.

It revealed its presence.

Wooo, woooooo──

Shiver…….

The surrounding blazing fire shivered as if worshiping its master.

It was a laughable sight.

Because all the blazing fire existing in this world was, in a way, no different from a part of the Demon of Blazing Fire.

Creep, creep…….

The blazing fires that had risen on all sides crept towards me.

Despite being flames, they had the appearance of snakes.

[You have faced one of the primordial essences!]

[The primordial demonic invades your essence.]

[The mind of the Postponer of Ruin resists the demonic!]

‘As expected.’

Normally, I, who was only level 2, should have had my mind itself collapse the moment I faced the demon’s presence.

The distant, primordial essence.

That was the demon, and its existence was not something an ordinary person could dare to endure.

However, as expected, the mind of the Postponer of Ruin remained firm despite facing the demon’s presence.

Well…… strictly speaking, the Postponer of Ruin itself was an existence that stood at the opposite pole of the demonic, so it wasn’t that strange.

Fwoosh……!

Soon after, a scale made of burning fire appeared before me.

Although its appearance might differ each time, I knew what it was called.

‘The Scales of Fairness.’

That very thing was one of the greatest mysteries of this world, and at the same time, could be called the foundation that constitutes this world.

For a contract made through the Scales of Fairness was something that even a demon could not dare to defy.

[The Contract of the Golden Rule will now begin.]

[Present the price for the contract.]

Screeeech──!

Despite the fact that a scale made of fire should not be able to make a sound, the scale clearly made a noise as it tilted.

Not to my side, but to the opposite side.

[The price for the contract is insufficient.]

[Balance the contract.]

It was a ridiculous thing.

In the first place, I hadn’t even presented any price, but the Demon of Blazing Fire had arbitrarily presented the bill first.

That is why a contract with a demon is fair, and at the same time, not fair.

Because in the first place, it was practically impossible for a mere human to stand on the same level as a demon.

Usually, in a situation like this, one has to forcibly fill the price presented by the demon from their side.

In doing so, one would inevitably end up paying for the contract with things that were truly precious to them.

Not only oneself, but even the lives of others as collateral.

‘Just as the demon wants.’

Naturally, I had no intention of agreeing to such a ridiculous deal.

Because what I wanted from this deal was not some grandiose magic that could burn the world.

‘To change the scales of this contract, I need to know what the conditions of the contract proposed by the demon are.’

Normally, the process of figuring that out would be very tedious and tricky, but I had no need for that.

Because I already knew what magic and conditions the Demon of Blazing Fire would propose in the first contract.

‘The magic the Demon of Blazing Fire will propose in the first contract is the magic to create a blazing fire. And the price for the magic is to burn a number of lives proportional to creating the blazing fire.’

It doesn’t matter whether those lives are one’s own or others’.

To the Demon of Blazing Fire, all burning piles of ash were essentially the same.

It’s no wonder mages who contracted with the Demon of Blazing Fire traditionally drew all sorts of aggro before being subjugated.

“I refuse the contract of the scales.”

At that, the blazing fire stirred.

Many are overwhelmed by the presence of a demon and dare not refuse the contract, but refusing the price placed on the Scales of Fairness is also a fundamental right of a fair contract.

Of course, asserting this right is not as easy as it is now.

Sometimes, even asserting a perfectly natural right was a difficult thing to do.

Especially if it was against a transcendent being like a demon.

To the point that even I wouldn’t have dared to assert it if I were not the Postponer of Ruin.

“In accordance with the Contract of the Golden Rule, I declare a new contract request.”

Creek, creeak…….

Krrrrk……!

The blazing fire, the flames, spun around me, laughing as if they were dancing.

The Demon of Blazing Fire was enjoying this.

As if it had found a decent amusement for the first time in a long while.

Creek, creek…….

With that, the scales were slowly balancing towards me.

Meaning the price I had to place on the Scales of Fairness was decreasing.

A decrease in price also meant that the power or range of the magic the Demon of Blazing Fire would grant me would also be lower, but there was nothing much to be disappointed about.

What I wished for was not to become a Mage of Blazing Fire and burn the world.

Screeeech…….

Finally, the scales stopped.

However, the scales were still slightly tilted towards the opposite side of me.

In a way, it was a natural thing.

Because I had not placed any price on the scales yet.

Now, the time had come for me to place something on the scales.

The price to be paid each time I use the magic.

‘Hmm…….’

Looking at the tilt of the scales, I could probably obtain the magic of the blazing fire without much risk even if I made a contract with the Mage of Blazing Fire at this point.

Of course, as the price to be paid is weakened, the power of the magic would also weaken in tandem, but considering the enormous price that major magics generally carry, it wasn’t that bad.

‘But…….’

If I were going to make a contract of that level, I would not have risked summoning the Demon of Blazing Fire in the first place.

Because I had no intention of paying any price to the demon from the start.

Basically, in a contract, the less you put on the Scales of Fairness, the less you get.

To put it another way, the less that goes on the opposite scale and the more difficult and numerous the conditions become, the price I have to pay also decreases drastically.

I already possessed one of the conditions for that.

Shhhwing…….

I drew the Salamander’s Fang tied to my waist and placed it on the Scales of Fairness.

The Salamander’s Fang itself contains the fire attribute.

Creating a blazing fire from nothingness versus creating a blazing fire using an object that already has the fire attribute as a medium.

There is no need to explain which of these is an easier task.

In other words, by using the Salamander’s Fang as a medium for the contract with the Demon of Blazing Fire, the price for the magic would be drastically reduced by that alone.

Screeeech…….

Despite that, the scales are still tilted to the opposite side.

This was because I had not yet specifically declared what kind of contract I would make through this.

From now on was what was important.

“I declare. In accordance with the Contract of the Golden Rule, I add the constraint of limiting the target of the contract to the medium placed on the scales.”

In other words, in order to use the magic of the blazing fire, I must go through the medium, the Salamander’s Fang.

This was such a constraint.

Screeeech…….

As soon as I changed the condition tied to the scales, the scales began to move slightly.

Limiting the target on which magic can be used not to the contractor themself but to the medium placed on the scales was that big of a constraint.

The greater the constraints required to use magic, the smaller the price becomes.

Just like now.

[A constraint has been added to the contract.]

[Constraint─The target of the contract is limited to the medium, ‘Salamander’s Fang’.]

Screeee─

The tilt of the scales was now surprisingly close to horizontal.

‘At this rate, even if I proceed with the contract as it is, the price I’d have to pay would be, at most, having to burn a few animals alive every time I use the magic.’

For the notoriously infamous magic of the blazing fire, it was a level where there was virtually no price.

But even though the price of the magic had already been tremendously reduced, I had no intention of stopping.

Stacking conditions, adding constraints.

Because by doing so, the price to be paid for using magic would gradually decrease.

“I declare. In accordance with the Contract of the Golden Rule, I will add a constraint to the price of the contract.”

Then what constraint would I add?

That, too, was already decided.

“The effect of the magic through the contract is constrained not to the generation of blazing fire, but to its control.”

Instead of newly creating a blazing fire myself, I would only control the blazing fire that resides in or comes into contact with the medium.

This was the new constraint I would add to this contract.

[A constraint has been added to the contract.]

[Constraint─The generation of blazing fire is constrained. However, it is possible to control the blazing fire through the medium.]

Not generating the magic of the blazing fire, but merely manipulating the blazing fire residing in or touching the medium.

With this, the price I would have to pay each time I used the magic of the blazing fire was reduced to a point where it was not just extreme, but virtually nonexistent.

‘Then…….’

With the first condition, I limited the condition for using the magic to the medium─the Salamander’s Fang.

With the second condition, I constrained it to not creating magic, but merely using the power of the blazing fire inherent in the medium.

As numerous constraints were added to the use of magic, it could be seen that the price required for the contract was drastically reduced.

‘Perhaps at this level, it would be acceptable to burn inanimate objects instead of living creatures.’

That was a level where it would not be an exaggeration to say that there was virtually no price for the magic.

Screeeech……!

With that, the scales achieved a perfect horizontal balance.

Finally, the fair contract made through the Golden Rule was established.

[In accordance with the great law of the Golden Rule, the Scales of Fairness have achieved a perfect horizontal balance.]

The blazing fire spreading in all directions stirs.

As if to bless this contract.

But still…….

‘I can’t let it end this boringly.’

I opened my lips to bestow the final constraint of this contract.

The price of magic being ‘as good as nothing’ and ‘being nothing’ are completely different.

No matter how little the price to be paid was, it was essentially the difference between 0 and 1.

‘I add the final constraint.’

The greater the constraints and conditions placed on the Scales of Fairness, the smaller the price of the contract naturally becomes.

If so, is it possible to make the price of magic completely zero through a specific constraint?

The answer is, it is possible.

“I declare.”

With that, the Scales of Fairness began to ring with a piercing sound.

“The medium of the contract will be the proof of this contract, and should the medium be lost, the contractor’s life will be offered.”

[A constraint has been added to the contract.]

[Constraint─Upon the loss of the medium of the contract, ‘Salamander’s Fang’, death.]

Due to the final declared constraint, the scales tilted completely towards me.

The balance of the Scales of Fairness, which had just barely regained its horizontality a moment ago, was broken.

A constraint with life as collateral was that massive, and even if its possibility was endlessly low, that fact did not change.

Normally, something would have to be added from the opposite side to balance the scales, but because of the constraints I had already declared, nothing more could be placed on the opposite scale.

[Constraint─The target of the contract is limited to the medium, ‘Salamander’s Fang’.]

[Constraint─The generation of magic is constrained. However, it is possible to control magic through the medium.]

[Constraint─Upon the loss of the medium of the contract, ‘Salamander’s Fang’, death.]

In other words, there was only one thing that could be reduced from the opposite scale.

The price the Demon of Blazing Fire should have received through this contract.

Yes, the price I was supposed to have paid to the Demon of Blazing Fire every time I used the magic of the blazing fire.

In order to balance the constraint of life I had offered, even the right that the Demon of Blazing Fire should have been able to demand had to be given up.

The Demon of Blazing Fire can get nothing from me.

Because that was a fair contract.

[The balance of the contract has been broken.]

[In accordance with the Contract of the Golden Rule, the contract placed upon the Scales of Fairness will be altered.]

Screeeeeeech───!

The Scales of Fairness made of blazing fire trembled, making a grotesque sound.

If a faint-hearted person were to see this sight, they might get scared and change the terms of the contract.

In fact, such cases were not rare.

But I was not one of them.

‘Now, what will you do?’

There were now two things the Demon of Blazing Fire could do.

Either meekly accept this contract protected by the Golden Rule, or forcibly break this contract even if it means taking a considerable risk.

The Demon of Blazing Fire’s answer was concise.

R-r-r-rumble……!

The horizontality of the broken scales began to find its balance once again.

It was obvious what the Demon of Blazing Fire had given up to rebalance the tilted Scales of Fairness.

Paradoxically, the only thing the Demon of Blazing Fire could place on the scales was to forcibly let go of the price it should have received.

[The Scales of Fairness have achieved balance!]

[The fair contract will be executed.]

No matter how much the Demon of Blazing Fire dislikes this contract, a contract already concluded through the Scales of Fairness cannot be undone.

Because the Contract of the Golden Rule was the greatest mystery of this world, and it was impossible even for a demon to go against it.

Fwoosh!

As if to prove that fact, flames soon shot up around the Scales of Fairness made of blazing fire.

Blue light, orange light, red light, white light.

Flames of unimaginable temperatures mingled chaotically, and then, they settled into the Salamander’s Fang placed on the Scales of Fairness.

[A fair contract has been concluded.]

[In accordance with the fair contract, the authority of the ‘Demon of Blazing Fire’ is bestowed upon the medium of the contract, ‘Salamander’s Fang’.]

The blazing fire that had settled in the Salamander’s Fang did not extinguish and was absorbed into the Salamander’s Fang as it was.

[‘Salamander’s Fang’ changes to ‘Fang of Blazing Fire’!]

────────────

[Fang of Blazing Fire]

Classification : Weapon

Grade : Legendary

A dagger crafted from the Salamander’s Fang.

As a token of the contract with the Demon of Blazing Fire, it is imbued with the authority to handle the blazing fire.

────────────

‘Hoh…….’

Originally, the grade of the Salamander’s Fang was Rare grade, but through this contract, it was imbued with the power of the blazing fire and was promoted to the Legendary stage, a whole two stages higher.

Not only was the magic to handle the blazing fire engraved on it, but the performance of the basic weapon itself was also significantly enhanced.

If it were another weapon, it wouldn’t have exhibited this much synergy, but since the Salamander’s Fang itself was a weapon that originally contained the fire attribute, such a miraculous spec increase was possible.

‘I was aiming for this in the first place, though.’

With this, I obtained a weapon that could contend with the magic of the blazing fire.

And it was an achievement obtained without paying any price.

‘Of course, there is a risk greater than the price, though.’

The first two constraints were constraints that limited the power of the magic, but the third and final constraint was a constraint that came as a direct risk to me.

[Constraint─Upon the loss of the medium of the contract, ‘Salamander’s Fang’, death.]

However, that risk was entirely my burden to bear.

Not giving up any price in a contract with a demon was, in itself, a tremendous enough feat.

‘Then…….’

Unfortunately, I did not have much time left.

The stopped time had begun to flow again.

To be precise, it would be more correct to say that the speed of my thoughts was gradually returning to normal, but as I said before, it was the same thing.

Fwoosh!─

The eternal blazing fire that seemed as if it would swallow this entire world slowly disappears.

And the colors of the world began to return to the colors I knew.

The place where I was.

And at the same time, to the place where I should be.

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