◈ Episode 122. Overwriting the History (2)
Magic Tower.
The only social space, the floating garden.
The apprentice mage interrupted the conversation.
” ……. Isn’t something different?”
Eyes exchanged at the question.
The answer came quickly.
“Mmm. You cut your bangs! You look much better!”
“What?”
“Well, yes or no, then……. You’ve lost weight! Your cheeks are hollow…….”
“Hey! You’re making fun of me!”
“Eh, that’s not it either, then what’s different?”
Doridori.
It’s not like that!
The apprentice mage shook his head furiously for a moment.
His voice became even more cryptic.
“The atmosphere, the atmosphere. Not me, the atmosphere of the Magic Tower!”
Oh, was he talking about that?
Even an apprentice mage could see and hear.
Of course, this was a young mage who hadn’t even formed a school yet.
There were only so many changes an apprentice mage could notice.
“……Honestly, it’s been a bit of a mess so far, hasn’t it?”
“It has. You’ve been busy adjusting to this side of the world.”
“Yeah, well, it’s like there’s a procedure nowadays.”
The biggest change of all was the Magic Tower’s behavior.
On the continent of Arcana.
In this world of adventurers.
The Magic Tower had always held a consistent stance.
The Magic Tower does not meddle in matters outside of the Magic Tower.
Therefore.
The rule is that mages must also refrain from outside activities as much as possible.
“I don’t understand how it’s possible to leave the tower. I never imagined it!”
I thought it was, and I thought it always would be.
It’s actually possible.
Of course, you have to go through a procedure.
It was something that was unthinkable in the past.
Whispers.
Once again, the conversation was private.
“Why, an adept mage has just returned from the tower.”
“That’s right. I’ve heard the rumors!”
“Isn’t that surprising? I’m sure the senior mages had to fill out applications to join the tower, and you were chosen over them.”
There is a hierarchy in the tower.
It’s a hierarchy that cannot be ignored.
Especially between apprentices and adepts.
The gap between adept and senior was many times greater.
So the question naturally came up.
“You certainly have high standards. Chief Lee Ho-yeol.”
It was natural to point the finger at Ho-yeol for making such a decision.
As a party, I had no way of knowing.
I couldn’t help but feel excited.
“Do you think we have a chance?”
“Chance? What chance? Do you have…….”
“Dude, don’t give me that crap again, man. I’m talking about the Tower.”
“Oh, a tower? After all, he didn’t put a limit on the application for the tower.”
Yes, that was the eye level of a chick.
If you’re listening.
It’s a perspective that’s almost cute.
Meanwhile, another table in the floating garden.
Leading the table was Jibril, an adept mage.
“Clearly, it’s not just my school that has changed.”
Seated at the social table were all Adepts.
Roughly twenty of them, adepts from every school in the tower. It was all thanks to Jibril’s vast connections.
Boom!
Jibril slammed his fist down on the table.
His eyes shone with curiosity.
“There must be something going on among the seniors that we don’t know about!”
My suspicions were confirmed as I listened to each school’s story.
Jibril’s pigtails fluttered for a moment.
Someone spoke up.
“You have a point, Ms. Jibril. You don’t have to go back far to see how the seniors used to grit their teeth at the mere mention of Chief Lee Ho-Yeol.”
Preliminary examinations precede the regular assembly.
Wasn’t this the same Ho-yeol who used to give out failing grades in Topaz Hall?
Of course, even if the reason for the rejection was perfectly reasonable.
Considering the significance of the regular conference to the school, it’s not surprising that…….
The back end of the seniors toward Ho-yeol.
No, he didn’t think the feeling would go away easily.
“You should have. It’s not like you’re flipping your hand.”
“Like Mr. Garfield did when he was in my school.”
“No, don’t you think you’ve gone beyond that and become a completely different person?”
” ……From what I’ve heard and seen, it sounds like you’ve gotten serious.”
“I’d say you’ve gotten spleeny.”
It wasn’t just their feelings about Lee Ho-yeol.
It was as if the nervousness between the old schools had disappeared.
Why, I can see it now.
There, at the floating garden table, several seniors are facing each other.
One of them, who was looking at an unusually crowded table, stuck out his tongue.
“But that combination is unfamiliar. It’s breathtaking to look at.”
Of course, I’m not interested in the personal lives of my seniors.
Click─
Jibril crossed his arms and snapped his fingers.
“There must have been some sort of trigger…….”
What on earth could that be?
I couldn’t think of anything.
However, I did have one guess.
“I’m guessing Chief Lee had something to do with it, right?”
Jibril asked, and then looked at Klee, who had been silent.
There was no other adept mage in the room who knew more about Ho-Yeol than Klee, after all, she had traveled alone with him.
“I don’t know, I don’t think so.”
“Klee, are you really that outgoing?”
“No, I don’t know, I really don’t!”
Klee was frustrated.
He was driving himself crazy with curiosity!
Klee remembered her conversation with Senior Bellier yesterday.
-“I realized something else today. Klee.”
-“You realized what, Master Bellier?”
-“That things aren’t always what they seem.”
-“……?”
When I first heard the story, I was puzzled.
However, Senior Bellier’s eyes and speaking voice were unusual. Senior Bellier’s appearance, which seemed to be soaked in deep sentiment, seemed to be the first time that Klee had seen it.
-What could have happened?
Of course, she couldn’t ask her just because she was curious.
But her next words left Klee speechless.
Bellier laughed bitterly.
-“No, I’m sure the Chief has always been the same.”
-“……!”
-“I’m just the last to realize it.”
……Senior?
There were only two chiefs in the tower.
You don’t mean Chief Marcelo.
Bellier and Marcelo have known each other for a long time.
In that case, Mr. Bellier is talking about…….
He was definitely talking about Ho Yeol.
So Klee was in a bit of a dilemma of her own.
She had been called to this social gathering under such circumstances.
That alone made her head and heart spin.
“Ah. Come to think of it, did you?”
“……?”
“Senior Lee Ho-yeol is definitely a nobleman even in the world of adventurers, a nobleman of a very great family…….”
“Jibril, that’s not……!”
Klee was stunned.
Words are so scary.
When did rumors get so inflated?
What if that rumor ever reached Ho Yeol’s ears?
Suddenly, Ho Yeol’s voice rang in her head.
-“All you have to do is behave yourself.”
No way.
I can’t stay silent any longer.
Klee quickly covered Jibril’s mouth.
“Ew!”
A small disturbance in the floating garden.
But then again, they were at different levels.
There were those who didn’t care about the commotion.
They were the senior mages.
They didn’t have the presence of mind to listen to the chatter of junior mages.
“How are you making progress, Senior Vanguard?”
“I’m just trying it out. And you, Senior Nasrow?”
“Well, I’m doing my best, too.”
They were in a good-natured competition.
“Well, we’re all doing our best, so hopefully it’s good.”
It wasn’t even a regular conference.
It was a competition for a chance to win.
Of course, there was one person who couldn’t join the fray, even if he wanted to.
“Suck.”
Bensch closed his mouth.
A cube of karma, but isn’t that a bit harsh?
‘…… at least say something!’
One minute and one second is too long.
Not a single word was exchanged.
How is this an interview?
But Bensch doesn’t seem to care.
A cup of tea.
Matisse sipped his tea nonchalantly.
“I’m sure this chief is thinking over his thoughts with tea.’
But Ho Yeol’s thoughts were beyond his grasp.
Why, just yesterday, hadn’t he gotten a good slap in the face?
I can’t believe this chief found Senios before they did.
‘I can’t keep up,’ he thought.
But one thing.
I do understand why Chief Lee enjoys tea time.
I thought I understood.
“You seem to be taking your time.”
“……, yeah? How do you read my mind? Are you a mind reader?!”
“……?”
*
……You’re tickling my ear.
However, I don’t use my fingers to scratch my ears.
And this itching was something I was prepared for.
‘They’re talking about me everywhere.’
The press, of course.
The player community.
Magic Tower.
Even my love-hate relationship with my sisters.
All because I’ve trampled the Demon King in a big way.
But, as I said, it was expected and anticipated.
And to a certain extent, I acted with intent.
Up until now, I’ve been fighting to stay afloat.
Now I’m determined to move forward.
‘Now is the time, now that the demonic activity has subsided.’
The time to build a foundation to move forward.
Of course, I can’t let my guard down.
I know how despicable the demons are.
It won’t be long before they’re looking at me.
Well, that’s not a bad thing for me.
‘I’m actually much more comfortable dealing with demon-type monsters.
Demon Hunter.
A class with a few screws missing from its slang.
My combat power varies by several times depending on whether or not [Natural Enemy] is activated, and I have some demonic loot that needs to be purified through the [Exorcism Ritual]. …….
“It’s not good to rely on luck.”
Of course, you can’t always hope to meet the demon.
With [Natural Enemy] turned off.
And battles in that state.
We needed to take this opportunity to do some serious research.
Yes, I have several wells dug for that purpose.
I’ll have to use them all at least once.
Hmph.
That’s it.
I went straight to the application form.
What’s with all the applications, anyway?
I wanted to throw a fit, but I brought this on myself.
It’s not in the nature of Grandfell pride to pass the buck.
My back and neck stiffened.
I stare at the application for a moment without moving.
Suddenly, a familiar name caught my eye.
“Feiyan Lot.”
Feiyan Lot, Senior Mage of Spirits.
I stopped my hand on her application.
Feiyan had been a great help.
It was thanks to her that Hiel was able to become a {Unique Spirit}.
“Plus, she helped me through the Demon Castle Rift.
I am indebted to Feiyan in many ways.
I know myself and Grandfel well.
To the point where not a single drop of blood came out of the needle.
In other words, the person who is faithful to the procedures and stricter than anyone else in public affairs is none other than Grandfell.
There is no room for personal feelings. I examined Feiyan’s application with a very formal gaze.
“The cause is worthy.”
…… But what’s her purpose?
Especially compared to Bensch’s insistence on “socializing”.
This was a much more rational and worthy cause.
──────
Gathering and exchanging information on the continent of Arcana through contract spirits.
──────
My knowledge of sprites is superficial.
Even I could recognize the possibility of spirits.
Feiyan realized that spirits could be summoned from the rift.
No wonder she thought the same thing as me.
‘Feiyan’s contract spirit is Fire Drake…….’
It was a high-level Fire Spirit.
As a high-level spirit, she must have seen and heard a lot of information about the situation on the Arcana Continent. That information will be of great help to me and the Magic Tower.
“Approved.”
I accepted Feiyan’s application to leave the Tower.
And then I went.
Swoosh!
My quill scribbled across the parchment.
There was no need to delay.
The right rift had just been created.
But there is no such thing as an apostrophe in the Grandfell dictionary.
‘If you’re going to do something, you have to do it right.’
My words to Feiyan were simple.
──────
There will be no limit to the number of people who can attend.
As long as there are mages of the Spirit School who fit the purpose.
You are welcome to accompany us, regardless of rank.
──────
Why, whether it’s spirits or information.
The more, the better.
This is what is called the many benefits line.
*
[Teffern Fence]
[Recommended Level : Lv.450]
[Collapse Rate: 3.2%]
The player community is suddenly energized.
-Lvl 450?? We can do this without the demons.
-It’s okay as long as you’re not out of shape.
-Potions don’t pay for themselves.
Now that the demoni-type monsters are gone.
For players, the Rift was a hunting ground back in the days when Arcana was a game.
Day and night, with no restrictions. It meant they could focus solely on the hunt.
“Wow, this is a lot of people.”
In that sense, of the currently created rifts.
The Taffern Fence, which boasted the highest appropriate level, was inevitably crowded with players.
Star players coming in at every available angle.
There were also some pictures that caused a strange sense of tension.
“……It’s quite the atmosphere, isn’t it, brothers and sisters?”
The order of power is reversed.
From first to second.
From second to first.
It was Shining and Heavenly Unification, whose guild rankings had changed.
“It’s not like we’re talking……. You can tell just by looking at it, right?”
Neither side made an official statement.
-Shining didn’t seem to have anything to say?
-Now that Jesse has left the guild, too.
-I can see the poison in Rox’s eyes.
-But isn’t the Heavenly Unification surprising???
-And I thought you’d be excited.
The Shining, taken from its peak, is the Shining boulevard.
They were the first two guilds to face each other in the rift, as if they had been there all along.
“After all, something is going to explode, right?”
It’s literally the eye of the storm.
There was a lot to see, a lot of NetTubers.
Netubers were salivating from the beginning of the [Teffern Fence] rift.
So, how much did you regret the Demon Castle Rift?
‘If I had been a little braver……!
I would have been able to broadcast Lee Ho-yeol’s performance exclusively.
But who knew?
Ho-yeol cleared the crack in just 10 minutes.
Lesson learned.
The Netubers didn’t hesitate.
“Okay, then. Let’s get in fast today!”
Just one scene.
Just a few more minutes.
They would broadcast the stimulating rivalry between Heavenly Unification and The Shining.
But their resolve was short-lived.
“……What the hell is that?! D, dragon, no, what the hell is that?!”
A giant lizard sizzling with flames.
Led by the top fire spirit, Fire Drake.
An army of spirits emerged from the rift.
And in the center of that legion of spirits.
“Wait a minute……? That?!”
There was a silver-haired, fiery man.