12 – Monument of the Battlefield (7)
“The police have finally confirmed that the two major power outages were not related to the demons. It seems that now is the time for facility maintenance instead of evacuation.”
“What about the traces of the battle in the Dark Forest?”
“There were no traces of magic, and there were no casualties reported among the apprentice students who were attending the lecture on ‘Alchemy Potion Preparation’ at that time. Moreover, predicting such acts that appear to be terrorism falls under the jurisdiction of the Intelligence Department…”
Just in case, the security chief sat down after suggesting to hire adventurers to increase the defense of the first floor.
Next, the intelligence chief, who took the baton, explained that they were in the middle of a very important operation at that time, so it was difficult for them to invest manpower in the incident in the Dark Forest.
Of course, their operation was a failure, as they were caught infiltrating into the gallery.
It was obvious from Sien’s dark expression on the next seat.
“It’s strange. I thought I would be chosen for sure…”
“What was the basis?”
“You can’t appoint someone with a bad personality as a manager in any organization. I didn’t even curse, and I was a very exemplary user that anyone would acknowledge.”
I bit my tongue.
That’s why you didn’t make it. Sometimes you have to act crazy and provoke others.
The current members of the group were once famous troublemakers in the gallery.
I made people like that.
Anyway, as it is, it seemed unlikely that the Intelligence Department would uncover my true identity for the time being.
As a knight, dedicating one’s life to the Gallian Empire was a far cry from the life of a great magician spoken of in the magic tower.
I lightly tapped Sien’s leg, who didn’t seem to have any doubts, and spoke.
“The newly appointed sub-administrator was only two people. And one of them didn’t even have any significant activities, so it’s clear that there were candidates from the beginning. If that’s the case, they must have been aware of our intentions from the start and weeded us out…”
“Putting that aside, will you keep your promise?”
“Promise!?”
“I told you. Grant me one wish.”
I engraved my name on the gravestone and stepped onto the second floor, which she couldn’t become, so it was my victory.
I snatched the location note from Sien’s bewildered hand.
“I’m confiscating this. Don’t use it anymore.”
“What!? No way!”
“Why?”
“Well, without the location note, there are so many inconveniences! Can’t see the map, can’t use the request board, and sometimes I even get missions from the information department using this!”
From Noble mtl dot com
The location note was originally a magic device developed by the research department.
It was a means to ensure the safety of magicians in the magic tower, where there were still many unexplored areas and secrets, and to share information.
Without it, daily life would be difficult, and even if I confiscated it, if she found another way to pick up a note and use it, it would be useless.
While I was struggling, I proposed a different condition instead.
“Then, don’t just write on the gallery. No, you said you can use the request board, right? Then, every time you write something, get my permission and post it. Don’t do anything strange.”
“R-Really…?”
Instead of the administrator account, I added the information of another sub-account that I had used before to the note and handed it back.
If the content Sien wanted to post on the gallery didn’t please me through a one-on-one message, I planned to cut it off immediately.
If I do this, I can prevent the activities of the Information Division and minimize the negative impact from the gallery.
But she, who had become the subject of pre-censorship, swallowed her saliva several times and cautiously asked.
“Personal messages…! If I send them to you every time, will you read them? No matter how many I send in a day?”
“You seem strangely happy. Anyway, you don’t write often.”
“You didn’t tell me about this when I was a trainee! Anyway, I understand. I will definitely, definitely contact you!”
Sien couldn’t take her eyes off her notebook, her lips slightly slackened.
But when it comes to me, they told me not to look at my notes during meetings and to focus.
Thanks to that, I had to divide my busy schedule even more, but it was beneficial to me because I could get a better understanding of the trends in the Round Table Council and the Information Division.
Since we stay on different floors, I won’t be able to meet Sien frequently from now on.
In the relatively less important Life Division, the dormitory supervisor usually took turns participating in the Round Table Council, four at a time.
“But you know, Clark. Is this ‘Superconductive Blond Girl’ really your username?”
“….”
In response to Sien’s question, checking the information of her added friend in her notebook, Clark remained silent.
Until the end of the meeting, she was confused, wondering, “Why on earth?”
*
—–
Administrator
[Newly appointed deputy administrator list for this year]
1. Superconductive Blond Girl
2. Bold and Brave Man
I know it’s a tough situation, but both of you willingly volunteered.
Please support us so that we can manage the gallery well.
– Beam
– Samgobim
ㄴ Don’t complain, just cheer on ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– Volunteer, huh?ㅋㅋㅋ
– Ah, anyway, since you unblocked it with your own hands, it counts as volunteering.
– From the way you’re excitedly spinning, it seems like this part won’t last long either~
ㄴ Oh no~ Bad remark~
—–
—–
[Are you the new troublemaker?]
Nice to meet you. I’m a troublemaking user who loves furballs and wants to share tastes with everyone in the gallery as soon as dawn breaks.
Let’s get along well from now on.
– Ah, are you already popping out one by one?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– This newcomer confidently calls themselves a troublemakerㅋㅋㅋ
– This is f*cked up. I might have to block images for a while.
– Ugh, furball out
– Perfect!! Get to work quickly!!!
Genius Silver-Haired Girl
[…….]
……
— Oh, you’re here? Lolololol
— You seem to have a lot to say lolololol
— Can’t even grasp the concept, must have been quite a shock
— You’ve already met Jooddak?
ㄴ I’m really curious about this. What did they do when they met?
—–
—–
[They probably just met to keep it hush-hush]
This way, we won’t get caught next year either lololol
Anyway, the lifespan of the parts is at most one year, so I think there will be a chance to see Jooddak before that, right?
— Well, if they really met with Topju, that concept fanatic wouldn’t be able to keep their mouth shut
— They should have spilled the beans and spread the rumors right away lololol
— Astronomical Cemetery Keeper: No, seriously, they really met. That fox-like girl pushed her chest against Jooddak and even confessed with a loud thud in front of the tombstone.
ㄴ Another broken watch
ㄴ Are these astrology guys just playing around with mysteries? They put anything on the scales.
ㄴ Anyway, that result won’t be accurate. The value of information related to Jooddak is too high, so we can’t tilt the balance no matter what we offer.
It’s true, it’s almost like future sight, just wasting away my lifespan.
—–
The tumultuous appointment was finally over.
In the end, it was as if only Mariel had been recruited, but two additional members were added.
This was because I registered one of my alternate accounts that I usually used for sniping.
It was done to prevent all the attention from the gallery from being focused on her, and also as a measure to prevent the bullies from running rampant if there weren’t enough active members.
Although we unintentionally ended up sharing each other’s hideouts, Mariel seemed to pay no mind after some time had passed.
When I asked her why, she replied, “There have been countless organizations trying to bring down magic tower, and the caretaker doesn’t have the power to do that anyway.”
The only thing that had changed was that she occasionally came to see me even for trivial matters.
When I went to fix the chair after hearing that one of the wheels had fallen off, I heard a familiar voice outside the door.
“Oh no! It’s the caretaker!!”
Now she even attaches my name like an exclamation when she screams.
When I checked the gallery, it seemed like she had been hit by a tactical nuke, with her fur all ruffled.
The views were at 0, and the post had already been deleted.
As expected, I confirmed that her ability was perfect for managing the gallery and went inside.
“Did you find it?”
“My eyes! My eyes hurt so much!! Horrifying pictures that are stuck in my mind won’t go away!!”
“For now, I’ll fix the wheel. Step aside.”
Mariel was sitting on the broken chair, slumping on the floor behind it.
I ignored her and focused only on replacing the wheel.
It had been warm lately, so everyone in the dormitory was dressed too lightly, making it difficult to find a place to rest your eyes.
Even their hairstyles, way of speaking, and personalities were strange by modern standards, but even considering that, their appearance and figures, which combined to make a total of 4 points, were overwhelming.
By my standards, their appearance alone would be worth 5 points.
When you add up the other scores to see if they qualify as perfect, they converge to a negative.
“Excuse me, are you there?”
“Yes, are you okay?”
“I need some support. I need to wash up…”
That’s how the distance between us strangely diminished.
As if telling me to quickly support their arms and waist.
I let go of my distractions and took Mariel to the bathroom, then sat on the bed and turned on my location notes.
And I granted permission for new members to write on the administrator-exclusive bulletin board.
If you combine it with the existing three, managing the gallery will be a little easier than before.
Then I can climb with peace of mind.
—–
— Administrator: We’ve hired two more people, so it should be more relaxed now. But the rest of you should also help occasionally.
— Wall Thunder Brain Emperor: Got it. But seriously, are you really planning on hosting a party?
— Administrator: A party? You mean a gathering? I don’t see much enthusiasm from you guys with the way you’re acting.
— Blessings to You: I’m sorry… After this expedition, I’ll really only focus on the gallery (╥﹏╥)
— Administrator: I’m not saying you have to do as much as before, so there’s no need to apologize. Once the schedule is set, I’ll announce it here later.
— Hoot Hoot Hoot: Hoot Hoot
– Administrator: But, Bu-owling, you’re really disappointing.
– Bu-owling: ……
—–
When people are busy, they may neglect their online activities for a while.
I wasn’t the type to delve into personal matters, even though I wasn’t a person to begin with.
But I didn’t like how these evil spirits, who were obsessed with online activities, only disappeared when they were so busy.
And they would consistently make excuses like breaking through upper levels or going on expeditions.
“Caretaker? Are you still outside?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Could you bring me that towel? It’s in the second compartment of the wardrobe.”
“Sure, sure.”
At Mariel’s request, I closed my notebook and got up from my seat.
And instead of organizing the compartments, which were chaotic, I started rummaging through piles of underwear to find the towel.
*
“It’s over there.”
The commander of the Knights of Gukguk pointed to the fortress shrouded in darkness.
In the mountain range where all the trees had withered away, only death lingered, and twisted powers that sucked the life force were converging at one point.
The knights, who were carrying countless bottles of holy water, couldn’t bring themselves to step forward.
The fear in their eyes was etched by an incomprehensible disaster.
“No member of the Knights has ever faced such evil in their lifetime. Even the high priest of the sect barely escaped with his life after failing to lift the terrible curse that hangs over the mountains.”
“……”
“If you, the leader of the Divine Doctrine, assist us in this expedition, our country will actively engage in exchanges with Matap in the future. If you wish, we can also offer you a position in our sect… Master?”
“Oh my, I apologize. I received an urgent message.”
Cecilia folded the location note and tucked it into her sleeve.
The divine she had created to enhance the power of divine magic was excellent, but it was too revealing and had no pockets.
But now was not the time to worry about such trivial matters.
From Noble mtl dot com
The Holy Knights, who had pushed back one of the Four Great Calamities, the ‘Enemy of the Sun,’ to the end of the Valleta Mountains, were preparing for their final assault.
“Thank you for your consideration. But I didn’t come here for that particular reason.”
“Then why…”
“Basically, magicians aren’t interested in subjugating calamities. If I had the same personality as before, I would never have left the tower, um… should I say my thoughts have changed?”
A word from Jutak, who begged Cecilia to stop stealing her things and focus on her current life, when she was still active in the gallery.
Having accepted the advice of the greatest magician more than anyone else, she left the tower and wandered the continent.
As a result, the magic that had been dormant evolved further, and the teachings of the Holy Spirit became clearer.
But now, she was neglecting the gallery and becoming more and more distant.
“It seems like you’re feeling quite down. I’ll stop here and start preparing to return. By the way, I don’t know when the gathering will be, but I’m looking forward to it… hehehe.”
Remembering Jutak’s last chat, Cecilia smiled and took a step towards the cliff upon hearing the priest’s words that the altar was prepared.
In the sky, with the deep darkness still present, the shattered fragments of the sun were tinged with a chilling crimson.
To enter the domain of the ghost that absorbed the blood of all living creatures in the mountains, she had to restore it to its original form first.
“Well then, if everyone is ready, shall we start the prayer?”
Uncovering her blindfold, Cecilia spun around and reached her hand towards the sky.
The overwhelming magical power of the Seven Sages, which enveloped the entire mountain range, began to align with the fragmented sun of the heavens.