Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 029
Chapter Title: Even If I Can't Eat It, It's Still Precious (3)
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Creak.
After finishing his meal, Regin headed straight for the association.
It had been a while since he'd visited the Spellcrafting Association. Inside, the familiar scenery unfolded.
"Hey, who made this magic formula like this?! Redo it!"
"Um... it does activate, though..."
"My broken house alarm activates too! But is this an alarm? It can't break!"
Some folks arguing over quality, clutching a single scroll.
"Drying wet items with a scroll? Just use a heat emission magic scroll for that. Why go to unnecessary lengths?"
"Don't you get it yet? The more practical scrolls for everyday life, the better quality of life we have! Broaden your horizons."
Others debating practicality.
One thing hadn't changed.
This den of people who'd devoted their lives to spellcrafting was still filled with folks obsessed with scrolls.
'Honestly, they all look like total weirdos.'
A chuckle escaped him.
He could imagine how his own scroll obsession must look to others.
"Lord Regin!!"
Then, a familiar voice rang out.
It was Klina, her blonde hair tied back.
Klina rushed over, her robe flapping.
"Huff... huff... I-it's been a while. How have you been?"
"Yes, it's been a while."
Scrolls were tucked under her arms.
Scrolls were light enough individually, but made of leather, a dozen or so got heavy fast.
Seeing her try to carry them all at once made him smile.
"Let me take some. I'll help carry them."
"Really?"
She hesitated, but her eyes showed gratitude.
Regin cheerfully split the scrolls with her.
"Thank you."
"No trouble at all. Actually, I'm the one who should thank you. I made good use of the scrolls you gave me last time."
Truth be told, he hadn't expected them to be that crucial when she'd handed them over.
He'd just taken them as insurance, just in case.
'Honestly, without that shield scroll... I might not have made it back alive.'
The expedition had been that precarious.
When variables cropped up, he'd owed it to Klina.
"Ah...! Hehe, right? Glad it helped. I was a bit worried, honestly."
"Really?"
"Yeah... even so, going on an expedition with those haphazardly mixed scrolls seemed..."
"Ah, those came in handy too."
Her face twisted in confusion at his confident reply.
"Well, without your shield scroll, they would've been useless, but still."
"Uh, um. Yeah. Glad it worked out."
"Is it that surprising I used your scrolls?"
"That's part of it. Actually, earlier some others were talking, and one said your scrolls were fascinating... Whew. It's just so outside my common sense, it's confusing."
"Oh ho."
Whoever it was, they had an eye for quality.
"By the way, first expedition, so you took the escape portal on the 5th floor, right?"
Thud—
As she set the scrolls on her desk, Klina looked at Regin and asked.
"Yes. I wanted to stay longer, but my scrolls ran out..."
"Had to come back. The spellcrafter's curse, maybe. No big issues? Using the shield scroll means you ran into some tough monster."
She'd given up climbing the tower herself, so tower tales piqued her interest.
Maybe reminding her of her own glory days ascending it.
"Did you run into a werewolf on the 4th floor or something?"
"Hmm. Worse than that."
"There's something worse than a werewolf on the 4th floor?"
"Met a lycanthrope."
He'd actually used the shield scroll in the fight with the raiders, but he couldn't say that.
Pretending he'd used it against the lycanthrope should be fine.
"L-lycanthrope?!"
"...Hold on."
"A lycanthrope appeared? That monster?!"
"You've seen one?"
"No, just rumors. Several times bigger and fiercer than a werewolf..."
She was shocked, answering louder than intended.
"Lycanthrope? You mean a monster from the 4th floor?"
Eyes from the scroll debaters turned their way.
"Yeah! Remember the kingdom sent a subjugation squad and they came back wrecked? That was because of it."
"Even the kingdom's vanguard got wiped out. How'd a spellcrafter handle that?"
"...Not mistaking it for a werewolf?"
"Nah. This guy's the one who took down a hellhound with Lord Nuada last time."
"Right you are! Yeah, with that grit and guts, maybe he could handle a lycanthrope!"
Varied reactions buzzed around Regin's tale.
He felt a bit awkward.
Normally, tales like this sparked suspicion first—that was standard in the DAT world.
'Guess my affinity with the Spellcrafting Association folks has shot up.'
His past exploits had helped. The spellcrafters gasped, doubted, but nodded at Regin—maybe he could.
"S-sorry... I got excited without thinking..."
"No, if I minded the attention, I wouldn't have mentioned it."
"Really?"
Regin chuckled.
He hadn't expected this much spotlight, but it wasn't entirely unplanned.
He'd confirmed the association members' high affinity for him, for one.
'Talking to people raises the odds of finding it.'
He recalled a攻略 post he'd made back in the day.
When folks whined about black market routes.
Regin had posted his compiled path.
[You can access the black market from inside the Spellcrafting Association. Recommend other classes stop by too. Sounds crazy, but no better route exists.]
And ended with:
[Find the weirdos inside the association. They'll open black market and underground trade routes.]
All weirdos— which weirdo? Endless comments.
—Obviously...
Back then, he'd wondered why they couldn't tell.
"Hmm, Nuada's disciple, right?"
Then a man approached, addressing Regin and Klina.
"And the guy behind that disastrous scroll. Got a moment?"
Bloodshot eyes.
Slurred tongue from sleep deprivation.
Yet eyes sparkling with passion.
Regin nodded right away.
—You can spot the truly obsessed weirdos at a glance.
That was how Regin always picked the real oddballs among oddballs.
—They'd shout "even if I can't eat it, it's still precious!" till they achieve it.
The classic look of weirdos grinding health and time for their goals.
* * *
"Try it. Tea made from belladonna root."
"..."
"Ah, late intro. Name's Bowman. Thomas Bowman."
Regin followed the crafter named Bowman to his office.
Klina had too much research to join.
'Wise choice.'
Regin forced a smile at the tea before him.
Belladonna tea—belladonna was a common poison plant.
In DAT, witches grew it.
"Filtered out most toxins. A bit remains, but that dose works as medicine too."
"..."
"Drives sleep right away."
Or forever?
"When buried in research, sleep evades you. One cup fixes that."
Slurp—
Seeing Bowman drink casually, Regin finally sipped.
Surprisingly like Americano from Korea.
With a stronger green tea vibe.
'If no bad side effects, could sub for coffee.'
Fatigue banisher was huge.
Now he wasn't just playing a character—he climbed the tower for real.
Life-or-death moments would come; something to sharpen the mind then had value.
"Last time with Nuada, you were an apprentice. Full spellcrafter now?"
"Yes. Went up the tower once and came back."
"Heard your first run had big results? Lycanthrope... Never faced one myself."
"Barely survived."
"Kukuku, figures. Tough start, but that's the tower. You risk life to climb."
Bowman chatted about the lycanthrope.
Regin gauged his eyes, thinking.
'Less interest in the lycanthrope than expected.'
High-level for newbies, sure. But lycanthropes lurked from 13th floor up too.
To Bowman, whose max was 14th, it seemed routine tower peril.
"Anyway."
Bowman eyed Regin.
"That unique scroll you made. The one jammed with every element formula."
"Yes."
"Was it a bomb?"
"...!"
Regin stared at Bowman, startled.
He hadn't seen it—just guessed from description.
Bowman's eyes held certainty.
"Figured high-explosive bomb. Twist circuits for forced mana clash... Kukuku. Clicked once I thought that."
"..."
"If not, explain your intent?"
Regin met his gaze, nodding.
His lips curled up unwittingly.
"Spot on. It was a bomb. Didn't expect you to nail it first try."
Thomas Bowman.
He'd recognized him before the name-drop. How not to?
Even among these quirky spellcrafters...
He was the most sincere about unique scrolls.
"Yeah! Knew it. Damn, why didn't I think of that? Brilliant. First scroll's a game-changer."
One of the characters Regin tangled with most in DAT.
His eyes sparkled as he continued.
"Wanna see mine?"
"Pardon?"
"Curious how it looks to you."
Slide—
Bowman pulled scrolls from a drawer.
Regin watched quietly.
"Let's see... Ah, here. Take it. Backlash nullifier scroll. Heh, see anything?"
"Hmm."
Influence from the hellhound incident?
Regin pondered, taking the scroll.
Rescuing Klina personally, saving association folk—must've boosted it.
He knew affinity was high.
'Dialogue only triggers at 30%+ affinity.'
Event progressing faster than expected.
Familiar event. He knew the optimal replies.
"Could this be..."
Scanning the scroll, Regin spoke slowly.
"An unfinished scroll?"