Chapter 71
I knocked on the door of the office on the 30th floor.
Knock, knock.
Bang!
Before I could even touch the doorknob, a hand made of dirt rose from the floor and opened the door, then disappeared.
“You’re here. Come in!”
A deep voice came from inside, and we walked in without hesitation.
The interior was surprisingly spacious for an office, and it seemed like space magic was cast throughout the room.
‘A dwarf wizard? No. Was he even a wizard to begin with?’
The appearance of the office was completely overshadowed by the Earth School’s master, who stood in the center with his arms crossed, looking at us.
Despite his short stature as a dwarf, his entire body was covered in impressive muscles, well-groomed mustache, and calm eyes like solid minerals, which were impressive.
Hmm. All these elements made him seem more like a warrior than a wizard.
“Thank you for granting my unreasonable request. Haynes, you can go back now.”
Hearing these words, Haynes spoke carefully, trying to suppress his trembling.
“I know it might sound presumptuous for a third-rank wizard to say this, but… he is a comrade who stood with me in life-and-death battles, a client of my personal request, and a guest in my research lab.”
“Hmm. I think you said you were grateful for granting my request. So, what’s on your mind? The introduction is too long.”
“Please promise me that you won’t harm him in any way. Please.”
Haynes bowed his head.
“How presumptuous. Very presumptuous.”
Whoosh!!!
At that moment, a formidable aura burst forth from the master, who was twirling his mustache.
“Hmm.”
It wasn’t just an intangible aura; the ground around the master was actually sinking.
Creak. Creak.
Kukung.
“But! I don’t dislike such a spirited attitude.”
With those words, the aura quickly dissipated.
“Hmm. Hmm.”
I shook my head to clear my mind, and Haynes, who had been bowing, took a deep breath and looked up.
The master, who was looking at us, put his hands on his waist and laughed heartily, as if nothing had happened.
“Hahat! Where’s your usual dull self? If necessary, you can transform like this, huh? I understand! I’ll keep my promise, just as you said. I’m not a dwarf who goes back on his word.”
Thud!
He snapped his fingers at Haynes.
“Oh, one more thing. I like your spirit. You’ve lit a fire in this old man’s heart! I’ll increase the support for your research lab soon, so be aware of it.”
“Th, thank you. Then I’ll go back to my research lab. Ahren, please come back when you’re done.”
“Yes.”
Haynes, who made eye contact with me, bowed to the master and left the office.
“…”
It’s awkward.
Alone with the master, he stared at me.
‘I might as well check his status window while I have the chance.’
───
[Gardan Turgun]
[Strength: A] [Agility: B+] [Endurance: A+] [Vitality: A+] [Magic: A+] [Luck: A-]
[Possessed Traits] (Collapse)
Advanced Earth Magic
Advanced Martial Arts
Excellent Dexterity
Vein Search Magic Affinity
Sturdy Body
Small Giant
Strong Body – Ancient Dwarven
Vein Absorption
One-sided Attack
Rampaging
Locomotive
Evil Armor
───
───
[Small Giant (A)] [P]
Although he was born a small dwarf, a giant is hidden within him, larger than anyone else.
His unwavering spirit, forged through a life of adversity, is his foundation, and his body, trained through rigorous training and asceticism, supports him, making him fearless.
──Strong resistance to mental attacks.
──When fighting an enemy larger than oneself, resistance to stun and fear is applied.
──The more damage received, the greater the physical damage reduction, but there is a limit.
──After accumulating received damage, it can be consumed to enter a ‘giant’ state for a certain period of time.
───
This is the Elder of the Magic Tower.
Following Vincent Jordic, the doorman, this is another strong person.
There must be several elders, such as the First Elder and the Second Elder, not just one.
I suddenly realize the power of the Magic Tower, which dominates the area between the zones who surrounds it.
‘Anyway, why is he staring at me without saying anything? Is he trying to pressure me with his silence? What’s going on?’
“You. Ahren, was it?”
“N, I’m sorry I’m late!”
Bang!
As soon as Gardan broke the silence, a woman burst into the office, making a loud noise.
Growl.
Hands made of dirt rose from the ground, picked her up, and placed her next to me, then disappeared.
“Ouch… Am I late, Elder?”
“Yes. You’re very late. I was about to go back up.”
“Hick! Then I won’t just get scolded. Please bear with me.”
“Excuse me. What’s going on here?”
The woman, dressed in a robe with braided hair and thick glasses, tidied her clothes and looked at me.
“I’ll explain… Hmm.”
She tried to say something, but she breathed out and made a strange expression.
‘Is she having a seizure? Is she sick?’
“I, it’s beyond my imagination. This is what it takes to match her.”
She mumbled something, but it was too quiet to hear.
“Are you okay? You don’t look well. Should I take you somewhere to rest?”
“Yes! Then to my research lab! No, no! Forget what I just said! I’m not in pain at all!”
“That’s good. By the way, it seems like you have something to say to me. What were you trying to explain just now?”
After taking a deep breath and calming down, the wizard spoke.
“T, take this child and raise it! Her name is Era! B, feed her magic instead of food, so it won’t cost any money, and she’s obedient, cute, and smart! Here you go!”
“…”
She spoke rapidly and extended her hand, offering something.
This is… a doll.
Food, magic… What was she talking about?
Vroom.
“Just take it and activate it! A, I’m so turned on by this! It’s too much for an old maid like me! It’s impossible to get close to him, no matter what!”
I looked at the thing she had handed me, wondering if it was a living being or a doll.
Meanwhile, the woman turned her back on me and seemed to be talking to someone.
Damn. Another wizard with a loose screw, following Scarlet?
“Excuse me. Can you see a spirit or something? Or are you communicating with someone via telepathy?”
“After seeing pigs and skeletons in my research lab, what’s this? I don’t know! I’ve completed the delivery, so I’ll cut the connection!”
“Go!”
Whoosh!!!
“Hick.”
“Hick.”
“Everyone, calm down.”
The room was pushed back by Gardan’s roar, and the commotion subsided.
“I’ll take my leave! I’m sorry for showing such a disgrace!”
Pabaak.
The woman ran out of the office, leaving only the object in my hand and Gardan, looking embarrassed, tapping his forehead.
‘Damn, what the hell is going on?’
[Chaos cringes at the thought of you getting involved with another strange woman.]
“I’m sorry. She’s known as an eccentric even among the Flame School, but I didn’t expect her to act like this while presenting her theory so eloquently. Let me explain the situation to you.”
“Yes, please.”
Gardain then went on to explain at length.
“So, to summarize, this is a gift from a high-ranking member of the Flame School who has been keeping an eye on me, and it’s a familiar created with magic, right?”
“Pik!”
I paused mid-sentence and looked down at the sound of an unfamiliar noise.
[Chaos says that it’s a very cute creature.]
The doll that had been on the ground was nowhere to be seen, and in its place, a tiny bird was rubbing its cheek against my foot.
“Pik? Pik-pik!”
I tilted my head in confusion, and as the bird continued to rub its cheek against me, I carefully picked it up with both hands and thought to myself.
‘Damn, it’s so cute!’
It looked like a red and white-feathered wagtail.
Its tiny body and bright eyes, along with its fluffy appearance, were so adorable that it was almost dangerous to my heart.
Although I didn’t see a status window when I examined it, I could easily guess whose familiar it was.
‘A high-ranking member of the Flame School? It must be Scarlet. She’s been confined to the top floor, receiving direct instruction from the Tower Master and the elders. I wonder how she managed to persuade Gardan. Was that woman a friend or a subordinate of hers?’
I was so caught up in the situation that I didn’t even have a chance to peek at the magician’s information before letting her go.
“She asked me to keep an eye on you. With this, you’ll be able to come and go from the Tower of Magic as you please, even without a specific purpose.”
───
[Tower of Magic Access Card – Gardan Turgun]
Gardan Turgun, the master of the Earth School and one of the elders of the Tower of Magic, is a renowned authority on earth-based magic.
This card, given to the adventurer Ahren by Gardain, serves as a guarantee that Ahren is allowed to enter the Tower of Magic, and that Gardan will take responsibility for any issues that may arise as a result.
• The card is bound to Ahren and cannot be owned by anyone else.
•
• If lost, the card will automatically return to Ahren’s possession.
•
───
‘What if I had refused to accept the familiar and the card because I didn’t want to be controlled by her, I mean, Scarlet? Was this plan too sloppy?’
No, from the elder’s perspective, he could just force me to accept it, so there was no need to worry too much about it.
I realized too late that I had been trapped from the moment I entered the office.
I guess I should be grateful that I didn’t feel any resistance because the familiar was so cute.
“This also means that I will take responsibility for any problems that arise from your visits to the Tower of Magic, but you must not abuse this privilege if you want to live a long life.”
“I will keep that in mind every time I visit the Tower of Magic.”
“Yes, you don’t seem like the type to do that, but be careful anyway. This is a permanent access card that others would kill for.”
Indeed, when I thought about Vincent’s thorough inspection, I couldn’t even begin to imagine the value of this card.
Gardan watched me nod and sighed.
“I wanted to have a proper conversation with you and get to know you better, but I’m exhausted. I’ll see you next time.”
It was clearly a dismissal.
I felt a bit uneasy because everything seemed to have happened so quickly without much substance, but there was nothing I could do about it.
I had no choice but to quietly return to Haynes’ private laboratory.
“Well, I’ll be on my way then.”
I left Gardan’s office and headed to the 27th floor.
.
.
.
Click.
I quietly opened the door and entered, and Haynes, who had been tapping on the table while sitting in a chair, greeted me.
“Ahren! Is everything okay? What did the elder say?”
“Pik!”
His words were cut off by the presence of Eira, who was perched on my shoulder and chirping.
Haynes was unable to speak, his lips moving as he witnessed something unexpected.
“What. Is this tiny bird? Is it a pet that the elder asked you to take care of or something?”
“Haha. It’s not the elder’s pet, but it’s a familiar of some person, and I ended up taking care of it by accident.”
“Ah, yes. Now that I’ve calmed down and taken a closer look, I can see traces of magical residue. Ugh… It’s obviously a magician from the Flame School.”
According to Haynes, who was shaking his head in disgust, this type of magic was rare, regardless of its strength.
Although I had only seen it briefly, I could tell that it had a violent yet persistent nature.
“Anyway, I’m glad nothing happened there, even though I don’t know the full story. I was so confused when he suddenly asked me to come up with you. It’s not easy to get an audience with the master of a school.”
Haynes adjusted his slipped glasses and looked at Eira.
“Pik?”
“The way honey is dripping from the bird’s eyes, I think it likes you. Well, you won’t be alone and bored from now on.”
He patted her gently.
“Pik-pik!”
Cute.
Eira made a drowsy expression and leaned her head forward, asking for more.
I patted her soft feathers as much as I wanted and said,
“Now that we’ve caught up and taken care of the unexpected situation, all that’s left is to decide which item to apply the enchantment to as a reward for the quest, right?”
“Ah, yes. I was about to tell you about that when the crystal ball rang. What do you have in mind? Just remember that it’s not possible for A-grade or higher equipment.”
When I heard about the option granting and examples, something immediately came to mind.
‘Armor. What if I enchant the armor that Hutton is currently working on?’
Even if the armor is worth far more than the four gold coins I paid, it’s unlikely that the city’s blacksmith would produce an A or S-grade quality armor in just three weeks.
It was too ambiguous to choose any of my other weapons or equipment.
It would be a waste to add an offensive option to Lehagen, which I mainly use against small monsters or as a shield.
“Just asking, but is it possible to enchant unique items?”
Haynes rolled his eyes and thought for a moment before answering.
“We can try, but I can’t guarantee success. There won’t be any penalties on the equipment if we fail, but losing the opportunity is painful enough.”
He coughed awkwardly and added,
“At my current level, I can guarantee success up to C-grade. With the help of borrowed contribution points, I can go up one level to B-grade, but that’s the limit. So choose wisely.”
The earrings are A-grade, the gloves and one-handed sword are unique, and the greatsword and the ring, which is currently just a pretty flower of frost, are also out of the question.
I asked Haynes if it would be possible to enchant the armor once it was completed in 28 days, as I had commissioned the blacksmith to make it.
“Hmm, that should be fine. My party has decided to take a month off after our recent big score.”
‘Right, you said you hit the jackpot after catching that special species, didn’t you?’
Haynes checked his outfit and smoothed out the wrinkles on his uniform, preparing to leave the laboratory.
“Then I’ll keep the 28th to the 30th free, so don’t forget to come back then. Now that we’ve taken care of the important stuff, how about we grab a bite to eat before we go?”
He flashed me a playful smile, which was unusual for him.
“Haha. I remember promising to treat you to a lavish meal after we parted ways after catching the layer boss. I trust it wasn’t just an empty promise.”
You remembered that well!
Yes! Let’s splurge on food today. What, will it cost me gold for a single meal?
“Ha! Of course. Let’s go. Let’s fill our bellies with some fine cuisine today.”
Ding!
He led me to the magician’s private dining room in the Tower of Magic, explaining that it was just a joke.
The food that came out was of much higher quality than what I had paid for at the inn I had visited most recently.
‘Wow. If I stay in the Tower of Magic, I’ll be able to eat well without envying anyone. The treatment of magicians as valuable assets is evident even in places like this.’
After a satisfying meal and light conversation, we said our goodbyes and left the Tower of Magic.
“It’ll take another half-day to get there by carriage, right? What should I do? I told them I’d be staying out, so I guess I’ll have to find an inn.”
“Chirp! Chirp-chirp!”
Eira flew up and rubbed her cheek against my cheek, pointing her head in one direction.
“You cute little thing. Let’s go that way. Let’s take the carriage and spend the night comfortably before heading back.”
“Pik-pik!”
I followed Eira’s lead.
.
.
.
Squinting,
“You’re here.”
The next day, when we arrived at the inn by carriage, it was already close to noon.
The problem was that Lumia didn’t look well.
…It seemed like she needed to get out.