Becoming a Mage of the Special Unit in Another World

Chapter 7 – Twin Vampires

“At that time, I saw you.”
Keron smiled faintly at Sunal’s furious expression.
“It was the first time I had ever seen a mage grovel.”
Keron’s eyes soon softened. It was a childlike, bright smile.
“That’s why I chose you.”
It was during a visit to the Wizards’ Association branch to check for any listening devices.
He happened to see him.
He was merely drawn to the unusual color of his white hair.
His hearing was sharp.
Perhaps it was a characteristic of the Vampire race.
Sunal.
He heard that name.
When the person in charge approached and grovelled before him, it caught his attention.
Though it was a brief moment, he saw the red earrings.
Earrings that only mages could wear.
And so he waited.
He waited in that spot until he came out, and then he saw him leave.
“Ugh, those damn Wizards’ Association.”
When he heard the irritation in his voice, Keron couldn’t help but laugh.
He found it amusing how Sunal didn’t care about what others thought.
“So, won’t you accept my choice?”
Keron’s eyes once again reflected desperation.
“Please wait for a moment.”
Sunal politely excused himself from Keron and Loren.
“Where are you going?”
As Keron’s face quickly grew anxious, Sunal grinned.
“There’s something I need to do first to resolve your grievance. Please wait for just a moment.”
The person who could help him with this case was right behind him.
Keron and Loren exchanged delighted looks.
“Sister.”
“Yes, Loren.”
“Pinch my cheek, please.”
“It’s not a dream. We did it.”
As Sunal listened to their sweet voices, he stood up.
Could this really make them that happy?
Sunal pondered this as he walked toward the room where Edina was and knocked on the door.
Knock knock.
After a brief pause, Sunal entered the room.
Unlike usual, a considerable pile of documents had stacked up on her desk, leading Sunal to wonder if it was related to what he had done yesterday at the Wizards’ Association branch.
“What’s going on?”
Edina twirled the pen in her fingers before glancing up slightly.
“Two vampires have come to see us.”
“The Vampire race? That’s unexpected.”
Edina put down her pen and widened her eyes.
“It is surprising, isn’t it? After all, they value pride and honor.”
“No need to sugarcoat it. It’s all about appearances. Those damned vampires care so much about that. Even I get tired of it sometimes.”
Edina ran her hand through her hair and chuckled.
“It seems like they’re being stalked over some kind of financial issue.”
“That’s not unheard of.”
Edina crossed her arms.
Her expression soon hardened, as though the laughter had never happened. She almost looked angry.
“I’ve experienced that too. I can’t say I don’t understand, though. Money makes everything so sensitive.”
“They’re sensitive.”
“…But isn’t this strange?”
“Yes, it is strange, isn’t it?”
“They usually prepare for things like this. Could it be that they’re hated by their own family?”
“They looked like elementary school students.”
At Sunal’s response, Edina’s eyes widened.
“It was them? The twin siblings!”
“How do you know about them?”
“How do I know? There’s a well-known rumor about how their elder is a bit indifferent. Well, not exactly indifferent—more like strict. The kind of old-fashioned teachings that vampires still believe in, where they think you shouldn’t rely on anyone’s help, no matter how young or old you are, and that you should solve everything by yourself. They still haven’t grasped the concept of equality.”
Edina shook her head in disbelief.
“Anyway, Sunal, I’ll contact the police, so go ahead and get started. This could turn into a major issue if we let it slide.”
“I’ll gather as much evidence as possible.”
“That’s a good idea, Sunal. Especially with tensions already high over money issues between the races, it’s like handing them the perfect excuse.”
“I’m aware of the anger directed toward the vampire race.”
“What’s with the sudden sympathy?”
Edina snorted, but she didn’t seem too irritated.
“I’ve been through it myself many times.”
For a moment, weariness filled Sunal’s eyes.
“Well, I’ll be on my way now.”

‘…This feels heavy.’
Sunal lightly rubbed his stomach.
When he left the community center, feeling satisfied with how happy Keron and Loren were, he had felt content.
But when he saw the car waiting nearby, he realized for the first time that he had an unknown allergy.
There, standing in all its glory, was some Rolls-something car, with a price tag that would probably cost as much as selling a house.
He had wondered why there was so much commotion, and the moment he understood why, his arms started itching uncontrollably.
During the entire ride, his eyes kept darting around nervously, and his legs felt strangely sore—surely, this was some kind of allergic reaction.
No matter what Keron and Loren were chatting about, none of it registered in his ears.
The place they arrived at wasn’t any less impressive.
He began to doubt whether this mansion even existed in the same country, “Hilzo,” where he lived.
Sunal closed his eyes slowly, then reopened them, looking ahead once more.
‘I don’t want to go in.’
He pondered why he was so reluctant to enter this mansion, especially considering he had willingly entered even larger Wizards’ Association branches before.
It didn’t take long for him to realize why.
This mansion looked eerily similar to the one his family had lived in when he was still Lineal.
Lineal, the disgrace of mages.
Lineal, the disgrace of the family.
Pitiful, miserable Lineal.
He could almost hear those words flooding back, and that was why he hated mansions like this one.
‘Still hate it, huh.’
Sunal found it somewhat amusing.
How long had he lived as Hae Sunal? Of course, he knew that he had lived longer as Lineal, but perhaps the memories lingered because the sorrow engraved in his soul was so profound.
‘Lineal. You stay out of this. I want to earn enough money to live in a mansion like that.’
Sunal soon smiled slightly at Keron and Loren, who were staring at him.
“Are you feeling carsick, by any chance?” Keron asked with concern.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Was the car uncomfortable? Should I switch it for another one?” Loren tilted his head as he asked.
“It’s fine. It’s just that my body isn’t used to anything other than the subway and bus,” Sunal replied lightly, sensing they’d keep asking otherwise.
“Sunal, Sunal. Do you not have a car?” Loren asked curiously.
“I don’t.”
“Then how about I give you one? I’ve got a lot of cars under my name.”
Loren’s offer was so innocent that Sunal almost asked for one without thinking.
‘…It’s a tempting offer.’
Sunal clenched his fist tightly.
Accepting gifts was like biting into a poisoned apple for a government employee. The rules were stricter than in other professions, and if he got caught, he might never be able to use magic again for the rest of his life.
That was something he absolutely couldn’t allow.
“No need. I appreciate the gesture, but I’d just like you to guide me.”
Sunal barely managed to keep his composure and asked the children to lead him.
‘…What a shame.’
But he couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed.

‘As expected from the garden, but is this room really bigger than my entire house?’
Sunal wasn’t sure where to focus his eyes.
Even though his house was a rented place, cozy and comfortable, it now seemed terribly small and shabby.
“Just in case, I’ve gathered some magic tools I bought from the Wizards’ Association. I’m sorry. Seeing them all together makes me realize I bought way too many.”
Keron kept observing Sunal’s expression.
She fidgeted with her fingers as she looked around the room, packed with magic tools. Even though they could afford all of it, she couldn’t help but think it was a bit excessive.
“How long will it take? We’ll give you a room and feed you. That’s not too much to ask, right?”
“Sis, does that mean Sunal will be staying here?” Loren’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“No,” Sunal answered firmly.
“But… But Sunal might get tired like today!” Loren protested.
‘That was because of the… well, the allergy… or something,’ Sunal thought, feeling embarrassed. After all, it was the first time he’d ridden in such an expensive car, so what could he do?
“If you keep coming and going, it’ll be a huge hassle for you, Sunal! Really, really!” Loren tugged on Sunal’s sleeve, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to stay somewhere nearby while you work?” Keron also approached, gently holding onto the edge of Sunal’s coat.
“No staying. I can have dinner with you once the work is done, but that’s it. Don’t worry, I can start right now,” Sunal said, his gaze turning to the magic tools scattered around the room.
Even at a glance, there seemed to be hundreds of them, but Sunal was more concerned about Keron and Loren.
“I’m going to use magic now. Don’t be surprised or alarmed. It’s not scary at all.”
“I’m not scared. I’m fine,” Loren said, beaming.
“I-I’m not afraid of anything either,” Keron said, though she had taken a few steps back, clutching her coat tightly.
Seeing the children’s reactions, Sunal smiled softly as he began to cast his magic.
Drawing mana to the tip of his fingers, he started writing in the air.
[Magic circles, gather unto me.]
All the magic circles in the room flew into Sunal’s hands.
He could feel the mana humming as if it was whispering to him. It seemed intrigued, as if all the magic had merged into one.
However, before Sunal let the magic combine, he spread the magic circles into the air.
Like picture frames, the magic circles attached themselves neatly to the walls, making them easy to view.
Although it would be a hassle to search through the magic circles to find the specific pattern for “eavesdropping,” Sunal had no choice but to reveal them.
Since these were not magic words but magic symbols, the mana didn’t move in a straightforward manner.
‘If it were just words, I could figure it out right away.’
Sunal gazed at the magic circles.
“…Woahhh.”
Loren’s mouth opened wide, almost revealing his teeth, while Keron covered her mouth, her eyes darting around.
It looked as if the room was filled with stars.
Sunal moved his fingers again.
[Search for magic symbols, keyword: ‘eavesdropping,’ initiate search.]
The wave of mana swept across the room like a rolling tide.
The magic circles flickered, connecting with the various magic tools in the room.
Sunal took a few strides, grabbed one of the dolls among the magic tools, and glanced to the right.
Seeing another connection, he slowly moved toward it.
But instead of heading toward the hundreds of magic tools, Sunal walked toward the door.
There, stuck to the door, was a cute cat sticker.
Sunal peeled it off.
There were two in total.
“Who placed these stickers here?” Sunal asked.
“The maid did… because… I like cats,” Keron replied, her fingers tightly clenched, and she averted her eyes slightly.
‘It seems highly likely that a mage is working with someone on the inside.’
Sunal examined the stickers.
Placing stickers was such a trivial task that few would remember doing it. Instead of asking around, it was far better to track the culprit himself.
Sunal gave his report.
“As you can see, I’ve found that two objects contain eavesdropping magic. One of them appears to be from someone on the inside.”
“W-What! Are you saying that someone here did such a bad thing?” Loren’s face showed shock.
“That seems to be the case. For now, I will track down the internal person first. After that, I would like to request permission to examine the mansion as a whole,” Sunal said, turning his attention to Keron.
“In order for me to proceed, I need permission from the master of this mansion, your grandfather.”
The permission he had been granted only extended to investigating the magic tools for eavesdropping devices. He hadn’t been authorized to do anything beyond that, and Keron and Loren were still children.
Their consent, being minors, wouldn’t count as official permission.
“…I will contact him soon,” Keron replied, her expression showing a mix of frustration as she pulled out her phone.
“Then I’ll begin tracking them,” Sunal said, preparing to leave.
“Feel free to catch them. No, wait, Loren,” Keron said, glancing at her brother.
“Yes, sis?”
“Can you follow them and capture the culprit? Think you can do it?”
“I can,” Loren said, clenching his fists tightly and nodding.
‘That’s probably for the best.’
The difference between having and not having the backing of an employer was significant.
Still, Sunal felt a bit uneasy. Typically, when situations like this arose, there were two possible reactions: either the culprit would attack or they would beg for mercy.
“I’m really fast, Sunal,” Loren added.
Sunal was well aware of the physical abilities of the Vampire race.
Among all the races, humans, fairies, and perhaps slimes were probably the weakest in terms of physical strength.
“Just in case, I’ll cast a protective spell on you. Is that alright?” Sunal asked.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Loren responded eagerly, nodding with a grin.
Then, excitedly, he added, “The magic you used was really cool, Sunal! It was all shiny and sparkly, like stars! I was so surprised!”
Sunal paused mid-spell, momentarily stopping his hand as he wrote the incantation, slightly taken aback by the unexpected reaction.
“The magic I’ve seen before was completely different. The other mages I’ve watched would wave pens or wands around and shout something like ‘zap’ when casting spells, but yours was just… really fascinating.”
‘That’s because they can’t create magic on the spot like I do,’ Sunal thought, resisting the urge to explain further.
Mages here couldn’t use spells directly through words, relying instead on symbols. Casting a spell with a magic symbol was like trying to communicate with mana through gestures without speaking or writing. In most cases, it would be faster to just throw a punch. That’s why most mages carried tools packed with pre-engraved magic circles for easy casting.
But Sunal was different.
Like an ugly duckling among them.
“So, that’s why you told us not to be surprised. It was because it was so beautiful, like stars,” Loren said with understanding.
“…Thank you,” Sunal replied, smiling at Loren’s bright, admiring gaze.
This, he thought, might be one of the most rewarding moments for him. But at times like these, the weight of reality would settle in. The overwhelming feeling that he might never be able to change the rigid perceptions of the Wizards’ Association and the broader understanding of magic would resurface, stirring quietly beneath the surface.
[Protect from physical force and magic.]
Sunal cast two protective spells on Loren.
A small cat-shaped mark appeared on the back of Loren’s hand, making the boy’s face light up with delight, his cheeks flushing with happiness.
Sunal turned his attention to the stickers once again.
[Explore.]
A faint red glow flickered in one of Sunal’s eyes.
The room filled with countless flows of magic and mana, all now visible to him.
Among them, Sunal focused on a particular thread of mana trailing from the stickers.
When someone touches a magical tool, the mana embedded within it lingers on their skin or wherever they make contact. Though the trace fades over time, mana retains a memory.
[Track.]
At his command, the thread transformed into a trail of blue smoke that stretched out and drifted toward a certain direction.
‘Found it.’
It was closer than he expected.
Without hesitation, Sunal followed the smoke, quickly striding toward its source.