◈ Chapter 65. Magic Tower (2)

Only level 300.

Not even an apprentice mage.

My humble level wouldn’t have gotten me anywhere near the tower.

But my worries were unfounded.

I’ve become adept at evaluating the results of mages’ research.

Not surprising, really.

Considering Grandfell’s talent.

I didn’t need an example.

“Considering what happened at the regular meeting…….

You have to be validated before you can present at a conference.

Or, to put it another way, all the research presented at regular conferences is high-quality research that has been validated.

I’ve been to those conferences, and I’ve seen the advanced magic presented by Marcelo, the chief wizard.

Yes, for someone with my talents.

The work of skilled mages?

That didn’t sound very elegant.

Besides.

“You’re so confident.”

“What are you talking about, ……?”

“You mean you were going to present this shit at a conference?”

“……what?!”

On this cranky personality.

Talking back is out of the question.

Of course, everything had to be done with formality and pride.

If it was just subpar, I would have tiled it with grace.

But.

“First chapter. Chapters twenty through thirty. Paragraphs taken from books, cleverly reworded. Do you really think this thesis contains your own research, Cyril Yube, adept mage?”

It was plain as day……!

“Three years, three years of study, and three years of reciting the lunar calendar.

He stayed up late, got up early, and read every spell book he could find.

As if that weren’t enough, I used to replay the process of manifestation with a feather pen, flicking it like a blinker.

“I’ll just have to work on myself.”

Isn’t this a bit much, even for me?

I thought to myself.

There’s no way Grandfell pride can tolerate that.

So it was only natural that the words wouldn’t come out.

“You’re out.”

“It is right to dispose of it.”

“You didn’t do a good job of transferring.”

But it’s not enough to just spew venom and kick them out.

That’s not the attitude of a senior.

Sussuk-.

I flicked a feather pen at the research paper.

“……?”

“It’s only right that you correct the error in your search. Your method of interference is also unnecessarily convoluted and inefficient. If it’s a mistake, correct it; if it’s a habit, break it.”

“……!”

Of course, I didn’t know how helpful that non-advice would be.

Breaking a habit is easy.

But it would be up to them to embrace it.

“Go, thank you!”

And with that, the researcher returned.

This was the twentieth mage I had sent away.

I was inwardly devastated.

” …… Isn’t that just kicking them all out?

But thankfully, this time it was the right one.

“‘Cleodia’.”

“Oh. Yeah, yeah!”

“You chose the easy research.”

Cleodia, an Adept Mage of the Healing School.

I read through the paper she had submitted.

──────

Healing Arts – The Cultivation of Medicinal Herbs

──────

Twenty schools that exist in the Mage Tower.

Countless branches under those schools.

Among them, this was a minor division.

Klee replied, slightly surprised.

“……Thank you for looking at it that way!”

In Arcana, an ‘elixir’ was a plant that was used as an ingredient in elixirs.

You know, potions that restore life or regenerate magic.

Naturally, it seemed a far cry from her specialty, healing.

Healing could only restore the life and magic of the target with the manifestor’s own magic.

But.

“It’s an interesting approach.”

Research has always been about ‘cultivating’ herbs.

That is, it focused on the “cultivation” of herbs.

An unfamiliar field.

Klee seemed to have prepared a further explanation.

Maybe it was because I said it was interesting.

“Wa, did you just say interesting……?”

Her confusion was obvious.

She didn’t expect me to understand the research.

I had to agree.

“Good conversation starter.”

Shadow Mercenaries.

Seat 7, Alkari.

I had a conversation with the old man who drank potions like water.

We talked about magic, and potions, and the herbs that make them.

I wondered if there was any use for them.

It was only a few days ago that he’d been talking for hours.

“There are no leaps and bounds in logic and process, no errors, so what we need is results.”

Thankfully, I was able to make it sound good.

I flicked my feather pen.

“We’ll see about that at the regular meeting.”

Yeah, this was an interesting study for me, too.

“Low-level.”

And with it, low-level magic.

Only equipment or potions could make up for the lack of mana.

However, finding equipment that fits the aesthetic of Grandfell and has great effects was a challenge.

No matter how much money you have, there just aren’t enough of them.

“But if we can cultivate elixir herbs.

It would be possible to mass-produce valuable potions.

It was a possibility that I couldn’t resist.

So I added a word to Klee.

“Be confident in your research.”

“……!!”

Klee’s eyes widened, then returned to normal.

“I’ll do my best!”

Okay, first pass.

It was followed by another parade of failures.

“I’m afraid not. Your eyes are rotting.”

In the end, I had only one study pass the validation process……! I wondered if I’d dropped too many. I also wondered if it was a problem.

Like I said.

I was determined, wasn’t I?

If I was going to be crazy.

Let’s be so crazy that no one can touch it.

So I thought, shamelessly.

“It’s the fault of the person who made me do it.

If you don’t like my work, don’t ask me to do it in the future…….

* https://pindangscans.com.

Topaz Hall.

“……What?”

The senior mages, who had returned to their respective labs after the verification, were shocked.

Surely, they had been confident of passing.

Failed.

What the hell was going on?

“Did we make a mistake?”

“……No, I didn’t get a word in.”

“What, you didn’t answer the question?”

“No, I wasn’t even asked a question.”

“……Eh?”

What kind of bullshit is this?

I couldn’t believe my ears, and the name that popped up was.

Ho-Yeol Lee, of course.

It was the name of the lead co-researcher.

“How dare you talk to the subject of rolled stones?”

When I first heard the name.

I felt my blood rush backwards.

An adventurer, the equivalent of a senior mage.

No matter what Ho Yeol’s qualities were, he was a high-ranking mage with a huge ego.

But this one had crossed the line.

“This is my research, not anyone else’s……!”

There’s honor at stake for the school at a regular conference.

Therefore, it was necessary to go through an internal meeting at the academic level.

It was natural to have an internal meeting at the academy level.

Wouldn’t that be against the rules?

Some of the senior mages snorted.

Why are you all pretending not to be?

That’s why I didn’t understand.

“We’ll have to take this up with the higher-ups.”

In such a sinister atmosphere.

“Hmph…….”

The senior mage of the Healing School, Bellier, was a bit distant.

Klee’s research had passed with flying colors.

That too, in the judgment of the uproarious Ho Yeol.

Klee came to her with tears streaming down her face.

“Bellier……!!”

It didn’t go well at first, I expected.

Klee’s research was certainly unfamiliar territory.

It might be difficult for the judges to recognize its merit.

So my first thought was to console her.

“You just have to learn from your mistakes and aim for the next conference.”

And then.

“I passed!”

Klee’s research was accepted.

“He, or rather, the chief co-researcher, Lee Ho-Yeol……!!!”

By Lee Ho-Yeol, the chief co-researcher.

Bellier listened to Klee’s story.

Klee was not a child who talked nonsense.

Once again, Bellier had to doubt his ears.

That’s what she said.

‘… … That means he has knowledge of healing, pharmacy, and manufacturing.’

Considerable knowledge, too.

That’s why Bellier wasn’t exactly thrilled.

“I voted yes because I wanted to keep a close eye on it.”

I can’t believe he’s already making his presence felt.

Bellier smirked.

“And you say it won’t be easy?”

Bellier knew what the senior mages were like.

A perverted obsession with magic.

Nowhere was it more evident than in their regular meetings.

Ho-Yeol had struck a nerve with them.

The other senior mages would not stand idly by.

“There’s going to be a lot of commotion in the Magic Tower starting tomorrow.”

Bellier stroked his green hair.

……This way, that way.

I’m starting to see what Klee is made of.

Bellier flashed a smile.

“But don’t feel too sad about it. At least I have no intention of joining them. This time, of course, and in the future.”

.

. https://pindangscans.com

.

But unlike Bellier’s expectations, Magic Tower was quiet.

The reason was simple.

“……What, plagiarism?”

“It’s disgraceful…….”

“Are you sure? Did he catch it for sure?”

The important thing was not that they plagiarized.

It was whether Ho-yeol recognized it correctly.

It was the outcome, not the process, that mattered.

The answer came as a shock.

“No way, I couldn’t figure it out! What book, how many pages, even how many paragraphs! The chief co-researcher, Lee Ho-Yeol, had memorized the entire book!”

That, such a thing is possible?

Where in the world was such a monster?

Isn’t that even worse than Marcelo?

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken about something?”

“Absolutely not, that look in his eyes was……!”

“No, think again. It’s a guided paper or something…….”

“I told you, I didn’t say a word, I brought this on myself. If you keep coming out like that, I’ll just tell you that I’m a senior or something, and I’ll just slap you down……!”

“Uh-huh. Dude, calm down.”

The senior mages who were preparing to raise the issue went white in the face.

After listening to the story, they realized that…….

They calculated that they wouldn’t be able to save face.

” …… Let’s just pretend this never happened.”

So we had no choice but to roll our tails.

And so, Topaz Hall.

The parade of rejections continued.

After the arrival of Ho Yeol.

A new updraft was blowing through the steeple.

“Blah, blah, blah.”

……with the wind of tears.

* https://pindangscans.com

Indeed, I was right.

I would become an untouchable madman!

I was able to stick to my resolution.

I was able to complete my duties as Chief without too much trouble.

I checked the quest window.

[Quest: Marcelo’s Research]

Magic Tower, Chief Mage Marcelo.

To reach the next level of magic.

He wants you to join him.

Accept Marcelo’s proposal (Success)

Prove your abilities. (Success)

The Weight of the Chief (Repeat)

Prove yourself at Topaz Hall. (Success)…….

……The problem is that this is a repeat quest.

Well, it’s worth the effort.

It’s nothing compared to the gains I’ve made in the Magic Tower.

Besides, I’m pretty sure I’m the one giving and receiving.

Why would I put in more work than I got?

I’ll just have to get the reward I deserve from the Magic Tower again.

I’ll use my chief’s authority to rip them off…….

I mean, how much did I legitimately enjoy?

Well, for starters, renting out tools.

Item appraisals that other players had to pay a fortune for.

“It’s my right as a Chief.”

That’s it.

I’d do anything to get a failing grade.

A moment of resolve.

I drew a teacup with telekinesis.

Dakkak.

I tilted the teacup and opened my mouth.

“The passing of time cannot be stopped by magic.”

I said it plainly, without pretense.

He was just saying that it was already Thursday.

It reminded me of a new update.

“…… Mmm.”

Fluffy-

Formality perfected by mastering telekinesis.

Now I don’t have to bend my head to look at my phone.

I don’t have to put my teacup down.

Telekinesis is so convenient.

After a moment of idle thought, I opened my mouth.

“There is nothing to notice.”

First of all, it wasn’t a big update like Kingdom of Yusra or Frost.

It was just an update for a new rift.

Of course, the level requirement for that rift seemed pretty high.

“It’s just over level 400. Now.”

Of course, it’s nothing to do with me.

Not a demonic monster.

Not a source of pride.

Well, I wasn’t living paycheck to paycheck like I used to.

Of course, that thought didn’t last long.

Suddenly, a quest window flashed.

At the same time, a ringing knock on the door.

……Yes, that’s right.

I should expect something at my door.

I answered it without hesitation.

“Would you like a cup of tea, Chief Mage Marcelo?”