Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Monday is Rage
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Monday is rage.
* * *
“You’re a genius.”
An old man said to a child.
The child’s face broke into a bright smile, and the old man continued in a declarative tone.
“…when it comes to trivia.”
Soon, a finger flew sharply toward the child.
The expression and the finger were both terrifying, so the child swallowed dryly and trembled.
“Trivial knowledge, Master? I know it best. I craft spell formulas the best. I can create magic the fastest.”
At his desperate plea, the master pointed his raised finger toward the child’s chest with a pitying look.
“It’s not… here.”
“What?”
“Mana.”
“No, that’s not right. I have mana. My mana circuit is full of it. Look.”
He moved mana through his mana circuit, the vessel that could hold mana and various other things.
As the child spread his hand, a butterfly made of flames fluttered up.
Whoosh.
The master shattered the child’s magic with his hand and said firmly.
“Rinell.”
The master placed his hand on Rinell’s head.
“Listen well.”
Rinell’s eyes flickered with unease.
“You must never use magic for the rest of your life.”
“…Why? Everyone uses magic, so why can’t just I? Th-they say you’re an idiot if you can’t use magic here. Was I an idiot?”
Tears welled up deeply in Rinell’s round, wide eyes.
“I can use magic. You know that, Master. …Right?”
Rinell clutched the hem of his master’s robe and pleaded earnestly.
“It’s a shame, Rinell. Mana has turned its back on you. Your mana circuit will never grow.”
The master grasped Rinell’s hand.
“That’s why… all that vast knowledge of yours is nothing but trivia.”
At that gaze filled with pity and sympathy, Rinell turned and stormed out the door.
It couldn’t be true.
The child became a boy.
The boy became a man.
The man became an old man, and Rinell finally understood what his master meant.
His mana circuit, which should have grown to hold more mana, hadn’t expanded at all.
It was frozen in the state it had been in since childhood, as if oblivious to the concept of growth.
Some called it a disease, others a curse—this bizarre condition drove Rinell into despair.
But Rinell never discarded the trivia that everyone, starting from his master in childhood, dismissed with a single breath.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Rinell’s hand trembled as he drew the intricately intertwined formula.
“…It’s complete.”
It was a spell formula he had devoted his entire life to, drawing on all the things others called trivia.
The only magic usable with this tiny amount of mana, the size of a fist.
Magic to make his damned mana circuit, which had never grown in his lifetime, finally grow.
“It’s complete!”
The old man Rinell’s eyes flew wide open, and he let out a roar that shook the heavens.
The deathly pallor was gone.
“Finally!”
Everyone had pointed fingers and criticized him for wasting his time.
“Finallyyy!”
Even his family had turned their backs on him eventually.
But he had to do it.
No, it was the only thing.
Some called the fact that his mana circuit never grew a curse. A curse engraved on the soul, carried into the next life.
If he couldn’t break this curse in this lifetime, the suffering would continue into the next.
To avoid this torment in his next life, he had no choice but to do something.
“In the next life……”
Rinell voiced the modest wish he couldn’t fulfill in this one.
“Please, in the next life……”
Hot tears streamed down.
Just like everyone else.
Just to use magic as ordinarily as others, for his mana circuit to grow.
Rinell wept like a child and activated the magic he had devoted his life to.
A light as bright as sunlight enveloped him.
Feeling his long-desired mana circuit finally grow, Rinell quietly closed his eyes.
Without knowing where this magic would lead.
* * *
Ding-ding-ding. Ding-ding.
The man cracked open his bleary eyes at the sound of his cellphone.
He stretched out his hand, fumbling across the table.
Grabbing the rattling phone, he cracked his eyes open to check the screen.
6 a.m.
Monday.
‘Let’s not do this. Humanely speaking.’
Monday.
No matter how many times he looked, that wretched day mocked his eyes as fact.
‘…Damn it.’
Another day of going to work.
The man, splashing water on his face, thought to himself.
‘This damn world should just end.’
He quietly wrapped himself in the blanket again, curling up.
His slightly relaxed body soon trembled at the ringing sound.
Drring-drring. Dring-dring.
As the phone’s tone changed, the man quietly opened his eyes again.
[Hello? Seonnal. You up?]
A woman’s voice came through.
[Hello…?]
“…Yes.”
[Good morning, Seonnal.]
Seonnal suddenly felt a pang of sorrow at his team leader, Edinal Roth’s, greeting.
“…It’s still night. It has to be, Team Leader.”
[Enough denying reality. You didn’t forget the complaint from Friday, right?]
“…Hold on.”
Seonnal blinked slowly like a turtle, sluggishly checking his phone.
The 21st.
‘What day was it…’
Only then did Seonnal bolt upright.
‘Right. That one shitty complaint came in.’
He swept his hair back, unable to stop his brows from furrowing.
No matter the time on Friday, the complainant hadn’t shown up.
Seonnal closed his eyes and thought carefully.
—Someone’s crying, I tell you!
Who the hell.
It was familiar, the centaur blurting it out in obvious rage.
Most complainants were always furious anyway.
But a centaur’s kick was extremely dangerous.
—Near my apartment, just crying non-stop. Looked like a Medusa with snakes for hair wriggling around, bawling! Hey? Freaking out! Making a racket! It’s so damn loud!
Then call the police.
That’s what Seonnal had thought, but the centaur continued.
—I did call the police! But they can’t do anything. They measured the noise, and it’s below the threshold, so no arrest! I’m going insane! Haven’t slept in days!
At the time, he’d been reviewing data on centaur racial traits.
How was his luck always this bad.
Of course, it wasn’t just centaurs—info on other races filled it too.
Papers and data he’d gathered so far, plus the standard dictionary entry on ‘What is a Race?’, mixed with his own experiences.
It might be subjective, or mix his opinions with existing data, or copy from books.
‣Sensitivity.
Anyway, there were several starred entries.
—Talking about counseling, correction… Anyway, the police just waste tax money.
Don’t they have to spend tax money?
Getting paid to complain was the best.
—Anyway, they told me to come here? Special Division for Heterorace Complaint Counseling and Resolution. Yeah, here. Something about resolving conflicts between heteroraces?
‘…Damn it.’
Seonnal rubbed his face as the complaint details surfaced.
“But why?”
A question surged up.
But it resolved itself at the same time.
“…No way? Tell me no. The police can’t be this diligent.”
[They were. More reports came in the meantime, so we already got a cooperation request from them.]
“Why?”
Seonnal vented his frustration with a snide tone. Were these cops working without sleep?
[Because the complaints exploded?]
“Damn it!”
[How is Seonnal so lucky? It’s near where you live. Perfect day to handle it on the way, right?]
“No. It’s damn cloudy enough to curse about.”
Seonnal glanced outside.
Overcast. Like rain would pour any second.
Already in a foul mood from that shitty dream.
Rinell.
His pre-reincarnation master had mentioned that name in the dream.
Rinel Prua.
His name before reincarnation.
[Time to show off your brilliant, awesome magic, Seonnal.]
Seonnal’s lip twitched.
The magic he’d begged for his whole life had worked. His mana circuit had grown, so he could use magic now.
“Ah. You do it, Team Leader. Take my luck too.”
[I’m taking half-day off today. Bye then!]
“…Pardon?”
Seonnal froze with his hand on the doorknob.
[Oh, I’ll send the location via KakaoTalk. You know how, and I’ve already secured the special allowance, so no worries.]
Wink.
He could practically see Edinal’s eye smile.
“No. Special allowance or not……”
Click.
Beep-beep-beep.
As the call ended, Seonnal swept back his long hair.
“Special allowance or not, I don’t wanna work.”
Seonnal bumped his forehead against the door and stepped out.
He mimed pressing his finger twice, and the TV turned on, the coffee machine whirred to life.
Meow~ Ding-ding!
Plopping onto the sofa at the KakaoTalk alert, he saw the sun emerge in the sky that had been overcast moments ago.
“…Ms. A was caught using magic on a busy roadside. Despite lacking a wizard ID from the Wizards’ Association, Ms. A said she wanted to give people a spring feeling in autumn with a petal whirlwind spell.”
“…Bullshit.”
Seonnal flashed a cold smile at the news.
‘Jail for that reason. When will the damn Wizards’ Association collapse?’
Using magic without a Wizards’ Association license was a serious crime and illegal in this reincarnated world.
In this country, magic was permitted in just two broad fields.
One: Wizards under the Wizards’ Association.
The other: Civil servants.
Seonnal reached out, and a cup of coffee floated lightly into his hand.
‘Reincarnated just to become a wizard.’
But the Association rejected him because his magic was different. What could he do?
Only choice was civil servant.
‘Back then, I thought if I became a high official, I could expose all their corruption, audit them clean.’
Reincarnated with past-life memories—not in a kingdom, but against the Wizards’ Association full of senile threats—and revenge seemed trivial.
‘But reality is clocking in.’
Slurp.
“…Ha.”
Seonnal sipped his coffee and exhaled.
‘World should just end.’
Checking Edinal’s KakaoTalk, he played his favorite song and closed his eyes briefly.
Hate Mondays. Hate Tuesdays. Wednesdays suck too. Hate going to work the most. ♬
* * *
Heterorace Complaint Counseling and Resolution Special Division.
Division 1.
Ha Seonnal.
Ha Seonnal’s civil servant ID swayed around his neck as he stepped out of the taxi.
His platinum hair sparkled defiantly in the sunlight.
He sighed at the sky, as if facing the world’s most hated task.
Rummaging in the crossbody bag from home, he put on sunglasses.
‣Medusa – Paralysis or, in very rare cases, petrification upon eye contact.
Recalling the well-memorized file, he adjusted the magic sunglasses to block Medusa racial power.
‣Complaint to resolve – Appease Medusa.
Thinking of the complaint, Seonnal walked toward the apartment complex.
The mood was tense, police already on scene.
‘Fast. Real fast.’
Seonnal smirked capitalistically and pushed through the crowd to the police controlling them.
“Excuse me. Ha Seonnal from Complaints, here for cooperation.”
Seonnal showed his ID.
“We’ll verify.”
At the sharp-edged cop’s demeanor, Seonnal raised one eyebrow.
No leeway. Usually, they’d wave past a civil servant ID.
‘Rookie?’
As the cop reached for the ID, Seonnal dug in his bag and offered sunglasses.
“Sunglasses. You forgot. You too.”
Neither of the two controlling citizens wore them.
One a lizardman, the other werewolf maybe. Nails looked awfully sharp.
“We’re fine. Controlling now.”
Seonnal smiled sweetly and lightly pointed elsewhere with a finger.
Other Medusas were watching the scene there.
‣Strong protective instincts.
Seonnal recalled the most emphasized Medusa trait.
They might get swept up and excited too.
“Wear them to get along better. You never know. Paralysis hurts while it lasts.”
Beep.
Leaving the stiff-faced cops after ID verification, Seonnal entered.
“…Calm down.”
“We’re just here to check the report, so calm down.”
Seonnal took in the cop trying to calm a Medusa—whose safety goggles were MIA—and another cop collapsed, paralyzed mid-attempt.
No goggles on the fallen cop’s face.
Were regulations for dogs these days? With Medusa power that strong.
“Uwaaaah!”
The Medusa screamed, snakes in her hair writhing.
“Why stare like that? No, don’t look! I didn’t want this!”
Her eyes flashed like lightbulbs.
‘…Way too excited?’
Seonnal eyed the hyped-up cops.
Living mixed races made understanding others hard.
Hence, reactions to this varied.
The most furious cop over his fallen colleague was surely goblin race, valuing friends highly.
‘Excitement never helps.’
Even with him here unnoticed, Seonnal pulled a small pouch from his bag.
He grabbed a handful, spread his fingers, and blew.
Wind rose with mana in his circuit, scattering powder over everyone.
It calmed excitement.
Seonnal counted inwardly.
3.
2.
1.
“Hello. Ha Seonnal from Heterorace Complaint Counseling and Resolution Special Division.”
Now that things had settled, Seonnal introduced himself and approached the Medusa.
She looked like a student.
What could excite a Medusa in an apartment?
More importantly, why cry?
Seonnal floated sunglasses from his bag one by one.
Many complaints resolved via talk.
“Safety goggle designs are embarrassing to wear out, right?”
“…Hate them.”
The Medusa sniffled, nodding.
Her eyes’ flashing dimmed as excitement faded.
“I know. Even I think they suck. And wizards make different ones.”
Medusa racial power harmed others, so had to be suppressed.
Magic needed, but their formulas made goggles thick and tacky.
Seonnal picked up a shattered goggle from the floor.
[Scan.]
Tapping it activated magic; his eyes glowed red.
He saw the spell formula engraved. Intricate patterns.
Wizard Association basics: always a round circle.
Inside: rectangles, serpentine squiggles, diamonds, right-angle breaks—unidentifiable.
Decoding the circle: ‘O mana, we humbly beseech thee, this lowly wizard’s will blah blah’—90% groveling nonsense.
No wonder mana felt heavy.
Mana filled gaps, but just decoration.
Yet here, flashier patterns got more respect.
‘Tacky.’
Seonnal tsked inwardly.
Even in his Rinell days, this inefficient method was scrapped two centuries ago.
Hence thick, tacky goggles—obvious how puberty kids saw them.
How many such complaints now?
“What do you like?”
Seonnal tossed the goggle, asking. The Medusa blinked.
He carried frames for days like this.
“Medusas need safety goggles, right? Big trouble without. So pick.”
Seonnal finished, lowering his sunglasses slightly.
‘…Can handle briefly.’
His orange-tinted eyes glowed softly.
Heard ways to build trust.
One: Show it right there.
“See? I’m an amazing wizard. Pick without worry. I’ll enchant them.”
“…It works?”
“Sure.”
“Those took… weeks. Don’t know how long.”
Yeah. Stuffed with patterns.
“I can. How about this? Pretty, right?”
“Yeah… Pretty.”
Seeing the frame in Seonnal’s hand, her eyes lit up innocently, wild days forgotten.
“School… teased me. Mine tackiest. Expensive, so Mom got cheap ones.”
She picked frames carefully.
“Three’s fine.”
Seonnal smiled, thinking of Edinal.
“Three? But safety goggles……”
“Rules aren’t strict. Just don’t paralyze anyone. That’s it. Come to me if chewed out.”
Seonnal waved his ID confidently; her hands sped up picking.
Holding frames, she smiled brightly and offered quietly.
Magic wasn’t who carved flashier patterns, but puzzle sentences from mana-known words.
Not forcing mana with designs, but communicating to hold it.
Thus, most words known, and mana to use them, made strongest wizards.
He knew more words than any wizard here.
Goggles enchanted.
[Paralysis and petrification affect no one.]
Quick, concise—Medusa and cops momentarily awed.
Conductor-smooth skill.
Seonnal pointed; Medusa blinked.
“Already? Just seconds?”
“Really worked?”
Cops eyed him suspiciously.
“That’s magic.”
Confidence laced Seonnal’s voice. He turned to her.
“It’s fine. Trust me.”
Urged, she cautiously donned them.
Seonnal removed his, gazing. She peeked eyes open.
“See? I’m fine.”
Eyes widening in disbelief, she beamed.
“Suits you well?”
“…Really?”
Cops praised her, hiding awe at his magic.
“Looks good.”
“Suits you.”
Beaming, she belatedly bowed.
“…Sorry.”
Realizing what she’d done, new fear rose.
They were cops.
“It’s okay. Cops aren’t scary. Chat, light scolding, done. …Ah, I’ll go with you.”
Mid-talk, something struck him; his lip curled up.
Seemed awfully kind.
* * *
“…Seonnal?”
“Yes.”
Seonnal met Edinal’s gaze impassively.
“What’s this?”
“Extra pay claimed with report. Bumped just above goggle cost. Add to special allowance, Team Leader.”
Work incident, so claim rightfully.
“Oh. Special allowance needs two extra hours. Heard already? Handled cleanly.”
Edinal’s usual lively smile vanished; Seonnal’s lip quirked.
It was Monday.
Moving faster than usual meant peak rage, naturally.