When Newton opened his mouth to speak again, this time, the members of the kingdom's magic college looked at him strangely, not liking his words.
What Newton had said was obvious to them. None of them needed to be geniuses to say it would be impossible for Vicente to reach the 4th stage in ten years, the time he needed to fulfill his promise to Joshua.
But even so, the deal with Vicente would still be precious to Joshua because even if Vice failed, the young man who would soon become a soldier of the kingdom would still have a deal that would make Cesar owe him a huge debt.
Vice could even lose his freedom and become Joshua's slave if he didn't keep the promise he had just made!
But with Newton opening his mouth to talk about it, it might dissuade Cesar from going through with the deal, which would be terrible for them.
'What is wrong with him? Why is he against us?' Joshua looked at Alice, uncomfortable with Newton's words.
Alice looked back at him but made a very obvious expression, telling Joshua to keep quiet and not to question what Newton was doing. As an essential genius for the state's future, such a teacher from Rexnelts Academy had a lot of freedom.
Vicente looked at the man and thought silently. 'I'm not sure. But even if I don't reach the 4th stage, I'll still be a Mage by then. As a Mage, won't I be able to handle the challenges of the 4th stage?'
Vicente was confident in his abilities and possibilities because he had two Magic Gems with a very solid and rich foundation.
What was difficult for others was not necessarily so for him!
These people knew nothing about him, so even a genius like Newton could easily be mistaken about him.
At the same time, Vicente saw no alternative but to make that deal. As bad as it was, the deal could put some distance between him and a problem that was difficult for him to deal with in the short term and give him some breathing room.
So Vicente replied. "I am confident I will be able to fulfill my promise within the time set by senior Joshua."
Joshua heard it and smiled, letting out a big sigh of relief.
'What a fool!'
"Haha, young Cesar is very determined in his promises. I like that." He said as he approached Vicente and lightly patted one of the masked young man's shoulders.
But Newton didn't care what was best for those sent by the magic college and instructed Vicente. "Cesar Mazzanti, do you know the consequences of failing in this deal? Joshua could claim his rights before the king. You could be forced to sign an agreement making you his slave.
Do you agree with that? I hope you understand the risks you're taking."
"Professor Newton..." Joshua was about to question him when Alice called his name, silencing him.
"Joshua!"
Vicente noted the situation of those sent by the magic college and Newton's position. 'It seems this man is quite important...'
But he was already aware of the local traditions and laws.
Slavery did exist in Polaris Realm, but it was different from what had happened on Earth for much of its history. Here, there was only debt slavery.
Anyone who made a promise, took out a loan, or even damaged the property of others could be forced into slavery if they could not compensate the injured party for their actions or failure to keep their promises.
Once one failed to fulfill such responsibilities and became a slave, getting out of that condition was virtually impossible.
A slave had no rights. They were like objects, and everything they achieved belonged to their master.
With the magical methods of keeping one under control, even beings with great powers and talents could be trapped in that condition without much chance of changing their status.
Even after the death of their owner, a slave would continue to serve their master's lineage until there was no one else to inherit them.
Only when an entire lineage disappeared would the slaves of that lineage become free.
Considering how terrible it would be to see a prodigy like Cesar become someone's slave, Newton couldn't help but be annoyed by the whole thing and try to make the young man think more carefully about what he was getting into.
'I don't want you to be limited by someone like these people. It would be terrible not to have the chance to analyze the growth of someone capable of absorbing a yellow pentagram while only at the 2nd stage.' Newton thought as he looked at Vicente.
But Vicente knew of the possibility of slavery in this world, a problem feared by many debtors like the brothers River and Zander from the tavern he protected.
"I'm aware." He said, aware of the risks but still preferring not to have to deal with some problems right now.
'In ten years, everything could be different. There are no guarantees in this world, and these men can't decide my chances. Like it or not, I'm beyond the normal rules of this world.' He thought, not being arrogant because his thoughts were facts.
As the only one with two Magic Gems in the world, he really couldn't be analyzed in the same way as ordinary people.
'Since I absorbed a yellow pentagram at the 2nd stage, I'll try to absorb a green one when I reach the 3rd stage and become a Mage.' He thought, willing to take that risk now that he had a better sense of his limits.
Newton sighed as he turned away again. "Is that so? I hope you're right. Either way, you'll have ten years to fulfill the most ridiculous promise in the kingdom."
Joshua and his two teammates were finally relieved to see that Cesar Mazzanti really was a fool and wouldn't back down from his words.
"All right, Cesar, here is the Magic Agreement for you and Joshua to sign." Alice smiled exuberantly, already having a contract ready for them.
As much as Joshua would benefit the most from all of this, with this settled, she wouldn't have to report a problem to the magic college, something that could harm her.
On the other hand, the pink-haired woman next to Joshua was his girlfriend and was naturally happy about his agreement with Vicente.
At worst, he would gain a very capable slave, someone he could use to grow beyond his expectations!
Only director Scott and professor Newton were neutral or unhappy about the deal. Still, they didn't try to get in the way when Vicente left his magic mark on the papers in Alice's hands.
