Becoming a Mage of the Special Unit in Another World

Episode 2. Mondays are shit (2)

Wizards’ Association.
There were only two kinds of beings allowed to practice magic in this country.
One was a government official.
The other was a mage who belonged to the Wizards’ Association.
The reason for this restriction was due to the wars between the races in the past.
The most dangerous powers had to be restricted in order to prevent fighting between the races, and the government made it a felony, with a minimum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, for anyone other than a government official or a member of the Wizards’ Association to use magic.
There was a new power, called thaumaturgy, but it was deemed not dangerous enough to be included in the racial traits, so it was only a light punishment.
Sunal stepped out of the cab.
He pushed up his tinted glasses and visited the spot where the centaurs had been discriminated against.
‘I never thought I’d see it this way.’
He could feel the mana already filling the place.
‘How much money did they use?’
The seven-story building was so huge that it felt like the headquarters.
Sunal straightened the civil servant certificate around his neck.
Not everyone who used magic could become a wizard.
But all those who had the qualifications to become a wizard were supposed to go to the Wizards’ Association.
Basically, the benefits were enormous, and if you had the qualities to become a wizard and didn’t go to the Wizards’ Association, you were an idiot.
‘I’m that fool.’
Sunal straightened his sleeves and walked forward.
Even without using the “Explore” magic, he could feel the presence of the magical circle that had been drawn to protect the Wizards’ Association branch.
The place was crowded even before they entered, with people coming to repair magical tools now that they had become part of everyday life.
Sunal walked with them through the crowd.
As soon as he entered, he saw the magic scanning for hazardous materials.
‘Money’s good.’
Sunal headed for the information desk without hesitation.
“Hello.”
The clerk smiled broadly, and Sunal smiled back.
“Good afternoon.”
Then he got right to the point.
“I’m from the Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit.”
He showed the employee his official ID.
The Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit was the only division that was fully supported by the government, and the Complaints Division and the Interethnic Special Action Division were the only two divisions with the name “special.”
So it’s no wonder that the staff member couldn’t hide his embarrassment right now, and since this was the department that could stand up to the mighty Wizards’ Association, what better place for a non-mage to come to.
“Now, hold on.”
In truth, the complaint couldn’t be resolved right away.
There was a lot of foot traffic here, and catching one employee wasn’t going to change that.
But since the complaint came in, we had to move.
‘Well, it’s a double-edged sword.’
I’ve solved the complaint, I’ve warned them, how nice.
“Hold on a second.”
One of them was on the phone with someone, and the other excused himself.
He could wait as long as he wanted today.
-To the Wizards’ Association, Mr. Sunal?
Edina looked at him skeptically when he said he was going to the Wizards’ Association.
He didn’t know why she didn’t believe him.
-Then go straight home from the Wizards’ Association, and don’t worry, they’ll at least look over your report this time.
But Sunal was so pleased with what he heard next that he didn’t even bother to look at him skeptically.
He wondered if he should come back to the office at a later time.
I felt the anger I’d been feeling at being out of the office since Monday melt away in an instant.
“Okay. I’ll take my time.”
Sunal smiled and glanced at his wristwatch.
It was still light out.
Nope. He could afford to be a little late today.
Sunal continued to smile.
She couldn’t believe how excited she was to wait.
After about two minutes, he heard urgent footsteps.
“Hello, have you been waiting long?”
Someone greeted him, and Sunal greeted back, showing his government ID.
“Hello, I’m from the Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit.”
“I’m Lee Jong-chul, the manager of this branch.”
He was human.
Sunal felt the mana flowing from Lee Jong-chul. There was a strange feeling that only mages had.
‘Not good enough.’
Sunal clicked his tongue.
Lee Jong-chul’s arrival had caused the receptionists to breathe a little faster. It was the mana he exuded.
Mana loved mages.
She could be anything, she wanted to be anything, and wizards were the only ones who could make it happen, so she couldn’t help but like them.
Naturally, mana hovered around wizards, but he had been taught to hide it, and this was the opposite.
The more he wore it out in the open, the more he was treated as a mage.
“What… business do you have, coming out of Minwon?”
Jong-chul asked, but Sunal answered nonchalantly.
“Do you mind if I talk about it here? I don’t mind, I received a complaint today, and the details of the complaint can be found at…”
“Oh, please go inside.”
Jong-chul stammered, feeling ominous.
“Please follow me this way.”
Whatever Jong-chul had guessed, he led him right where they needed to go.
Sunal thought it was funny to see him flinch.
As soon as he saw Jong-chul’s back turned, he placed his own mana on the tips of his fingers and waved it to direct the mana in the area toward him.
“…Hah.”
A small murmur followed the deep sighs of the staff.
“It’s a bit frustrating when you’re the only one in charge.”
“Me too.”
Their reaction wasn’t strange.
Mana was the source of all life.
Different races may have manifested it as “Ki,” but its essence remained the same.
If there was an abundance of life-giving mana nearby, the body would seek to absorb it, even though there was only so much an individual could absorb.
If the body absorbed more than it could handle, it would act as a poison to non-mages, causing them to become ill.
In other words, mages were now walking poisons, endangering people.
I wanted to change this, no, I wanted to change magic in the right direction.
‘Can I change it now?’
Sunal stopped thinking.
‘There’s no way they’d accept me, not when everything I’ve been taught is so different.’
As he followed Jong-chul, Sunal wistfully remembered his younger self heading to the Wizards’ Association.
How happy he was to be able to actually use magic after his reincarnation.
But the world was against him again.
The Wizards’ Association, the organization that controlled magic in this country, had labeled him a danger because he was different.
To prevent him from using magic forever.
* * *
Jong-chul sat down with a tense expression on his face.
He scanned Sunal’s expression and then opened his mouth cautiously.
“…What kind of complaint did you receive?”
‘Yeah, this won’t be the first time I heard that today.’
Sunal made a horror sound and drank his tea. Just enough to get on his nerves.
It wasn’t as if they didn’t know what they were doing, it was just that nothing had happened until now, thanks to people who didn’t know whether or not to tell the complainant.
“The complainant made racist remarks during the consultation and deprived you of rights that anyone in this country should enjoy.”
“That’s… what happened.”
Jong-Cheol couldn’t hide his embarrassment.
With racial discrimination so acute, it was to be expected that the wrong pod would be taken away.
Sunal pulled out the magical tool at the center of this case, the cosmetics he’d gotten from the complainant.
“He asked for it to be repaired here, and you refused, even though you said it was still under free warranty.”
“That can’t be true.”
Jong-chul denied it.
“We don’t refuse after-sales service, free or paid. It’s our duty as wizards to our citizens. How could we do that if we knew what the punishment would be?”
With rights come responsibilities.
Wizards had a duty to their citizens not to harm them with their magic and not to discriminate against them in the name of magic.
“That’s why I’m here.”
Sunal said simply.
If he were just another civil servant, he thought, he would have gotten away with it.
Honestly, the evidence, the magic tool, would have to be in the hands of a mage to see how it was broken, and what if they said no?
Sunal looked at Jong-chul’s hardened face and continued.
“I understand that the pre-repair consultation is also recorded.”
Sunal then held out the numbered tag and appointment letter he had received from the complainant.
“I know the exact time, and I’m here as your representative, so I don’t think you can say no.”
Sunal’s eyes sharpened slightly.
He held still as he spoke the magic words that followed.
“I would appreciate your cooperation.”
“…First, please allow me to see that magic tool.”
At the word “cooperate,” Jong-chul couldn’t help but move.
It was the duty of every citizen to cooperate with the complainant.
“No, sir. The magic tool can wait, I need to listen to the recording first. I’m coming with you, so let’s get moving.”
Sunal smiled slightly at Jong-chul’s distorted expression.
He’s trying to get away.
Sunal didn’t want to give him the slightest chance.
* * * *

The voice of a complainant came through.

.

Sunal looked at Jong-chul, who was checking the recording with him.
He was becoming contemplative.

‘You really just said that?’
Sunal pushed up his glasses.
It wasn’t discriminatory to just say in casual conversation that centaurs had more legs.
It was probably true.
But this was different.
It was enough to make anyone feel discriminated against, especially since it was said in the middle of an argument to refuse to repair it.

The recording ended there.
Sunal turned to Jong-chul and opened his mouth.
“According to the complainant, the next person on the line is facing a similar situation.”
“…”
Jong-chul was speechless.
“His race was vampires, and after it was determined that it couldn’t be repaired, they decided it was an internal error and gave him a new one, as well as a refund and discount coupons for various items. But as you heard, the complainant received a completely different response.”
Sunal slowly pressed Jong-chul, and even the employees sitting nearby looked uncomfortable.
“I doubt this is the first time this has happened.”
Hearing the sadness in Sunal’s voice, Jong-chul thought about it and looked at the magic tool in his hand.
“If this isn’t the first time, then I think we need to investigate. What do you think?”
Sunal kept prodding Jong-chul so that he could think of only one thing.
“Show me the magic tool and I’ll explain.”
It worked.
Sunal flashed a faint smile and held out the magic tool Jong-chul was currently fascinated with.
“You can check it out now. But first, give me the recording file.”
The Interethnic Grievance Resolution Special Unit had the power to investigate, so it was a fair enough demand.
Jong-chul looked up and down, shaky-eyed, and nodded to the employee.
After securing the recording file first, Sunal handed Jongchul the magic tool.
While Jong-cheol was checking the magic tool, Sunal took out his cell phone.
[Team Leader, I’m sending you the recording file].
With a nonchalant expression, he tapped Edina, who immediately replied.
[Team Leader: Are you trying to rob the place, Sunal?]
She was right on the money.
When he transferred to the complaints department, Edina told him one thing.
-We have to be loud all the time, unlike other departments, and we have a lot of enemies. But it’s the way it’s supposed to be, and I’m kind of strong, so I can handle it as long as I don’t beat people up mercilessly.
Sunal wasn’t about to let this opportunity go to waste, now that he’d told him to make some noise.
[Yes. I need to build a track record. I asked him a big question].
[Team Leader : I can see you’re having fun, Sunal.]
Edina sent a giggling bunny emoji.
[Team Leader: I don’t think I’m the only one who’s excited, please].
“Of course, I’m excited.
It wasn’t just the performance, it was the personal.
He wanted to be a wizard enough to dedicate his life to it.
With the last spell of his previous life, he could use magic in the next life, this life, now.
But the world had imposed two ways to become a wizard on him: join the Wizards’ Association or become a civil servant.
One of them, the Wizards’ Association, wanted to erase him from ever using magic again because he was different, because he was a danger to all of magic.
What choice did he have to make then?
‘Magic isn’t dangerous.’
The real danger was the people who wielded it.
Someone like him.
Sunal looked at Jong-chul, who was approaching him with a wary look.
“I just took a look, and there’s enough shock here to shake the magic circle.”
Jong-chul said with a confident expression.
“Yeah. I thought so.”
Sunal also smiled broadly.
‘The Wizards’ Association said that magic was dangerous, so they monopolized it.
It was even more dangerous if you didn’t know how to use the tools.
Even knowing that, they still hid the magic, hid how to use it, and told us to enjoy only what they created.
“The wizard in that recording did something wrong, but didn’t you trick him first?”
Jong-chul was laughing now.
It was full of contempt for the common man who didn’t know magic.
“Who?”
What the hell.
As if to mock Jong-chul, Sunal opened the hair that covered his ears.
There were the red earrings that symbolized a wizard.
“Our complainant?”
Sunal’s gaze sharpened.