13 – It’s a Crime to Help (1)
“Senior, are you looking at the location notes again?”
“Huh? Uh….”
“Did you issue another solo order to Department 2?”
“No. I’m just sending a message to a friend.”
Sien was the ace of Information Department 2.
The fact that a commoner-turned-mage had taken on a significant role in the Mage Tower Administration Department after just five years was proof of her impressive background.
She had pierced through to the 39th floor of the tower with a bang after winning the Magic Tournament in her rookie year, earning her the nickname “Golden Rider” among the 170 top-ranking mages.
If she hadn’t joined the Information Department, she might have been aiming for a challenge in the upper echelons by now, with her innate talent.
Deciphering the incredibly cryptic magic books was faster than flipping through the pages with her hands.
But it was just another ordinary evening.
Sien’s finger lingered on a page of the location notes as she pondered for a while.
“Hey, Lilibel.”
“Yes?”
“How do I look in this outfit? I want to send it to a friend.”
“…Huh, what’s this?”
Lilibel, Sien’s roommate and a member of Information Department 3, dropped the hot dog she was munching on to the pillow upon seeing the photo Sien showed her.
The sight of the white cloth turning red seemed to overlap with her own idol, who had been getting stranger and stranger since the Round Table Conference, burying her face in it.
“It’s ridiculous.”
“What, what are you saying!? I bought it because you were the infiltrator at the last investigation party! Even though it made me stand out too much and I couldn’t wear it.”
“Why the hell would you send something like that to someone else? And covering your face, too.”
“W-Well….”
Unable to say that it was because it would look like a post on the gallery, Sien trailed off.
After exchanging contact information with Clark, she had been sending him messages non-stop.
At first, she would ask about things that happened during the day or things she was curious about, but it was all one-sided monologues and he didn’t even give any indication that he read them.
On the other hand, if she asked like this, she would receive a response in an instant.
—–
SulyeonIsTheBest: Can I post the dress I bought last time on the gallery?
SulyeonIsTheBest: (photo)
SuperconductingSmilingGirl: No, you can’t.
SulyeonIsTheBest: Why? I want to show it off….
SuperconductingSmilingGirl: Show off with a receipt.
—–
At first, even having a conversation with just the two of them, even if it was a meaningless one, was enjoyable.
But as time went on and his responses became lukewarm, the tension rose.
Just like Lily Bell said, the picture she sent today was so provocative that she felt embarrassed herself, to the point where her mouth went dry.
Despite that, Sien bombarded him with messages, determined to get a response for this time, rather than dismissively brush it off like Clark usually did.
—–
SulyeonIsTheBest: Oh, by the way, you mentioned going up to the second floor last time.
Training is the best: Have you decided on a school?
Training is the best: I can introduce you to someone I know.
Training is the best: I know the way to the closed entrance on the second floor and the exclusive passage for authorized personnel.
Training is the best: Hey!
Training is the best: Are you ignoring me again?
Training is the best: If you keep doing that, will I not give my permission? Are you going to keep posting the same three posts over and over again!
—–
From the perspective of a user familiar with the gallery, it was cute.
However, from her own perspective, the last sentence was unexpectedly threatening.
A little later, she received a reply from him.
—–
Superconducting Semiconductor Girl: Then come and take a look.
Superconducting Semiconductor Girl: There happens to be a mysterious aptitude test happening on 17th Street.
—–
After checking the message, Sien hurriedly got up from bed and sat in front of the dressing table.
Lilybell, who was on the second floor bed, was surprised and asked her as she prepared to go out late at night.
“Where are you going?”
“Oh, I forgot, I have an important appointment!”
“What? With a senior?”
Ignoring the junior’s dismayed expression, Sien took her sword and went outside.
It didn’t take long for the magic elevator to reach the Information Department on the 21st floor.
*
The “Starting Floor,” which refers to the 1st to 10th floors of the magic tower, is where the heads of the academies that welcome apprentices are located.
Here, apprentices acquire mysteries and hone their unique weapon, the Majang, to challenge the “Grand Labyrinth” on the 10th floor.
Therefore, the first thing I had to do when I set foot on the 2nd floor was to choose an academy.
Since Anes invited me to the magic tower as her protege, it was only natural for me to choose the Haeju Academy. But that didn’t mean I would hold her hand and go inside.
Contrary to her assurance, I might turn out to be talentless when I actually opened the lid.
Above all, I didn’t want to draw attention as a parachute.
I’ve seen many guys who lost their lives trying to stand out with mediocre talents since my days as an adventurer.
Instead of making a fuss, I could just quietly learn the mysteries and come out.
The fact that I had been able to maintain my position and run the gallery without being noticed by anyone, let alone the magic tower leadership, was shining here.
Thanks to that, there wasn’t a single correct answer among the countless speculations about my identity that appeared every day.
—–
[Assuming you’re not a Tower Master, what academy do you think you’ll choose?]
To run the gallery, you’ll need at least an understanding of dimensional separation at the minimum 8th level.
And to establish a large-scale magic stability zone in the magic tower, Alchemy and Astrology are essential.
As for the element, judging from the fact that you created the Dark Mode last time, you definitely surpass the level of a high-ranking magician in the Flash system like Lusria.
In that case, summoning seems to be the most likely option, right?
— If we collect and incinerate the location notes every year in the Research Department, the gallery doesn’t disappear, so maybe?
— It looks like Alchemy to me, my gut feeling tells me that.
– It could be a spirit. To enter the spirit realm, you need to be knowledgeable about dimensions.
– If you say so, it might blow up the chat.
ㄴ There’s absolutely no way they would do it. Not only is there only one faction, Aether, but the founder has already given up on climbing.
ㄴ Right, the rest of them probably haven’t even set foot in the upper levels. So, even if they don’t know about other places, they can’t do it.
ㄴ It’s a crime to do it~
ㄴ It’s not a crime, damn it, lololol.
—–
—–
[The Reason Juttak Can Never Be a Sacred Sect]
Juttak: Did they serve me?
– Kr
– They tore it apart.
– Just a goat.
– I have to admit that, lololol.
– Let’s leave one out for now.
—–
—–
Meteor Ice Magic
[Is it a sect bait?]
Then, the element is the best.
Graesia is definitely the best among them all.
The ice magic that includes Meteor is the coolest.
Judak said so.
– Ice Meteor: I think so too.
ㄴ Meteor Ice Magic: I agree, I agree.
ㄴ Just arrived.
ㄴ You really put a lot of effort into it, huh? ㅋㅋㅋ You wrote it all down and carried it around.
ㄴ Where did you get another notebook? ㅋㅋㅋ
– Yeah, but didn’t the Alchemy faction win in the Magic Festival five years ago?
ㄴ I don’t think so. I heard that the Astrology faction raised objections and ended up overturning it.
ㄴ Later on, it got messy because the winner was transferred to the Information Department.
—–
—–
[Just accept that Judak is the top, damn it.]
From Noble mtl dot com
Even if we exclude Haeju and Shinsung,
If there are mages in the summoning, alchemy, astrology, and elemental factions who are above the 8th rank, that’s the top, and that’s a natural disaster. What more is there to argue about?
Just from today, Judak is the top and won’t accept any objections.
– From today? Are you joining?
– Can we include spirits too?
A narrow alleyway tangled unrealistically.
This was the second floor of magic tower, a place bustling with factions welcoming new members.
Among them were places that required specific conditions to be met or recommendations from within the faction to gain access.
The Haeju faction, too, usually required a unique approach as it was difficult to approach.
“W-Wait!?”
While looking at the location notes under the blue-glowing gas lamp, which combined volatile gases in the magical stones, Sien approached.
She had a lightly flushed cheek, as if she had hurriedly come down, and her usual attire was different.
“You’re wearing a skirt?”
“Uh, yeah? It was just in my closet. Doesn’t it suit me?”
“It suits you… Well, it’s better than usual.”
I was grateful that she didn’t come out dressed as an information department conqueror.
From now on, we had to avoid exposing our identities as much as possible.
I didn’t expect her to attract attention with her fluttery outfit as if she were going on a date, though…
“She can still run better than me even in that outfit, I guess.”
On one side of the labyrinth-like alley, there was a desk that examined the mysterious aptitude of apprentices and guided them to the appropriate faction.
Unlike the other faction entrances, no matter which path you took, it would always lead straight to the destination.
In other words, if you didn’t have a suitable faction to choose or didn’t recognize your own talent, it meant to go wherever it matched.
Sien, who was walking beside me, asked cautiously as I headed straight there instead of going to the other entrances.
“You didn’t have a specific place in mind?”
“No.”
“Then you didn’t receive any offers to join?”
“How about you?”
“Me!? Well… I was a bit… scatterbrained, hahahaha.”
That’s how it must have been.
Among the hundreds of factions, there were more magicians who came down from the upper floors with a group love call than there were apprentices on the second floor.
She had always been a brilliant jewel that anyone wanted to possess.
If I hadn’t been a member of the Information Department, trying to take down the gallery owner, I might have made more effort to get closer to her than I am now.
“I heard that you usually don’t get good evaluations at the reception desk… Should I introduce you to a place I know?”
“It’s fine, I’ll be done soon, so wait here. If there’s something you want to eat later, I’ll buy it for you.”
“R-really? You, for me? You suddenly called me out at this hour, so I thought… maybe…”
Leaving her outside, seemingly touched by something, I headed to the desk alone.
When I didn’t enter the wooden building that reminded me of the Adventurer’s Association, a female employee greeted me with a very professional smile.
“Hello. Are you here for the Mystic Aptitude Test?”
“Yes.”
“Are you looking for a faction? You can tell me a specific faction, or choose from the seven major factions.”
“I want the Haeju faction.”
In a very short moment, the female employee froze upon hearing my words.
It was a reaction similar to that of a bank employee at the counter when a robber enters. The reason was simple.
The Haeju faction was the most unpopular faction in the Matap.
Every year, it produced wanted criminals who were notorious in the Empire, and the meager support funds were all swallowed up by bounties on the graduates’ heads.
That’s why the apprentice who wanted to join the Haeju School from Matap was one of the two.
“Um, do you or any of your family members you live with have any health issues?”
“No, we don’t.”
Either to break a curse on oneself or others.
“Um, are you being threatened by someone? In that case, I can contact the person in charge…”
“I came here voluntarily.”
Or sometimes, out of pity, they gave food to a small ghost with a pitiful look wandering around the cafeteria and ended up being dragged along.
If they join the Haeju School through such a route, they will be relentlessly pursued by the Matap Administration throughout their ascent to the Tower.
It was because they were a potential threat who could turn into a curse practitioner at any time, so caution was necessary.
“Because I like Haeju so much.”
“Eek! Securityyy!!!”
If you want to be free from such treatment, there was a better way, just like me now.
“What, what is it!? Is it already over? What’s that noise from inside…!”
“Just start running.”
As soon as I heard the female employee’s scream, I came out.
And I grabbed Sian’s hand, who was waiting, and ran straight to the opposite side, saying,
“They’ll find their way from over there.”