Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Monday's Rage (3)
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* * *
Mage Association.
In this country, there were exactly two entities permitted to use magic.
One was civil servants.
The other was mages affiliated with the Mage Association.
The reason for this restriction stemmed from past wars between species.
To prevent interspecies conflicts, the most dangerous power had to be limited, and the government made it a grave crime—minimum three years in prison, maximum life imprisonment—for anyone not a civil servant or Mage Association mage to use magic.
There was a new power called sorcery, but it was deemed not dangerous enough to be a racial trait, so it only carried light penalties.
Seonal got out of the taxi.
He pushed up his slipping glasses and visited the location where the centaur species had reportedly been discriminated against.
‘To think it’d be like this.’
Even if it was just a branch office, he could already feel the place brimming with mana.
‘How much money did they pour into this?’
The seven-story building felt like headquarters, it was so massive.
Seonal straightened the civil servant ID hanging around his neck.
Not everyone who could use magic became a mage.
But those who met the qualifications to become one all ended up at the Mage Association.
The benefits were tremendous, so refusing to join despite having the talent was downright foolish.
‘And that fool was me.’
Seonal adjusted his sleeves and walked forward.
He didn’t even need to cast a ‘Search’ spell to sense the elaborate magic circles draped around the Mage Association branch for protection.
Magic tools had permeated everyday life, so plenty of people came for repairs, making the entrance crowded even before he stepped inside.
Seonal walked among the crowd.
As soon as he entered, he spotted the magic scanning for hazardous materials.
‘Money really is the best.’
Seonal headed straight to the information desk without hesitation.
“Hello.”
The staff member smiled brightly, and Seonal returned a light smile and greeting.
“Hello.”
He got right to the point.
“I’m from the Special Division for Non-Human Complaint Resolution.”
He showed his civil servant ID to the staff.
The Special Division for Non-Human Complaint Resolution was a department the country was actively promoting, and it was one of only two with “Special” in the name, alongside the Complaint Division and Non-Human Special Task Force.
So it was natural that the staff couldn’t hide their bewilderment, and since this massive Mage Association could be challenged by this department, it was the perfect place for someone like him who couldn’t become a mage.
“Uh, just a moment, please.”
In truth, this incoming complaint couldn’t be resolved immediately.
There was a high volume of foot traffic here, and detaining one staff member wouldn’t change much.
But since a complaint had been filed, he had to take action.
‘Well, two birds with one stone.’
Resolve the complaint and issue a warning. How perfect.
“Please wait just a moment.”
One was on the phone with someone, and the other asked his forgiveness.
He could wait as long as needed today.
―The Mage Association? Seonal?
Edinal had looked at him suspiciously when he said he was going there.
He couldn’t understand why she didn’t believe him.
―Then head straight home after finishing up at the Mage Association. I’ll overlook the report if it’s sloppy this time, so don’t worry.
But her follow-up words made Seonal delighted, her suspicious gaze irrelevant.
Straight home after work. He’d worried the timing might force him back to the office.
The rage from starting the week with field work vanished in an instant.
“Yes. I’ll wait patiently.”
Seonal smiled and glanced at his watch.
Plenty of time before quitting time.
No. He could afford to clock out a bit late today.
Seonal kept smiling.
Waiting had never felt this exciting.
After about two minutes, urgent footsteps approached.
“Hello. Have you been waiting long?”
Someone greeted him, and Seonal greeted back while presenting his ID.
“Hello. I’m from the Special Division for Non-Human Complaint Resolution.”
“I’m the branch manager here, ‘Lee Jong-cheol.’”
He was human.
Seonal sensed the mana emanating from Jong-cheol. It had that peculiar feel unique to mages.
‘So sloppy.’
Seonal clicked his tongue inwardly.
The information desk staff’s breathing quickened slightly at Jong-cheol’s arrival. Due to the mana he exuded.
Mana loved mages.
Mana could become anything and desired to become anything, and only mages could make that happen, so it had no choice but to adore them.
Naturally, mana swirled around mages, but Seonal had been taught to conceal that energy, while here it was the opposite.
The more openly they flaunted it, the greater mage they were treated as.
“Um, from the Complaint Division... What... brings you here?”
Seonal answered Jong-cheol’s question calmly.
“Is it okay to discuss here? I don’t mind. We received a complaint today. The details are...”
“Ah, let’s go inside.”
Jong-cheol stuttered, sensing something ominous.
“Please follow me this way.”
Whatever he suspected, Jong-cheol guided him right to the spot.
Seonal found his flustered state amusing.
As soon as Jong-cheol turned his back, Seonal placed his own mana at his fingertip and shook it, drawing the surrounding mana toward himself.
“…Hah.”
Deep sighs from the staff followed by faint whispers.
“Whenever the manager shows up, it gets stuffy somehow.”
“Me too.”
Their reaction wasn’t strange.
Mana was the origin of all lifeforms.
Even if it took the form of ‘qi’ depending on the species, its essence remained the same.
The amount of mana an individual could absorb was fixed, yet if the source of life—mana—was abundant nearby, the body craved it.
Exceeding what the body could handle turned it into poison for non-mages, causing abnormal symptoms.
In other words, mages were walking poisons right now, threatening people.
He wanted to change that. No, he wanted to steer magic in the right direction.
‘Can I still change it now?’
Seonal stopped his thoughts.
‘Everything I learned from one to ten was different, so there’s no way they’d accept me.’
Following Jong-cheol, Seonal recalled his younger self heading to the Mage Association.
How thrilled he’d been after reincarnating to actually use magic.
But the world blocked him again.
The Mage Association, which dominated this country’s magic, labeled him a dangerous figure just for being ‘different.’
Banning him from magic forever.
* * *
Jong-cheol sat with a highly tense expression.
He scanned Seonal’s face this way and that before cautiously opening his mouth.
“…What complaint came in?”
‘Yeah, this isn’t the first time.’
Seonal sipped his tea with a loud slurp, just enough to grate on the man’s nerves.
Thanks to people unsure whether to report it to the Complaint Division, nothing had happened until now, but they weren’t unaware of their wrongdoing.
“The complainant said that during consultation, discriminatory remarks about their species were made, and they were even deprived of rights anyone in this country should enjoy.”
“What... exactly happened.”
Jong-cheol couldn’t hide his panic.
With interspecies discrimination such a sensitive issue, getting caught even once meant being thoroughly investigated.
Seonal pulled out the magic tool—the cosmetic item—at the heart of the complaint from the complainant.
“They requested repairs here, and you said free A/S was still available, yet you refused.”
“That can’t be.”
Jong-cheol denied it.
“We don’t refuse A/S, free or paid. It’s our duty as mages to the citizens. We know the punishments—why would we do that?”
With rights came duties.
Mages must not harm citizens with magic or discriminate against them in the name of magic.
“That’s why I’m here.”
Seonal said simply.
He thought if he were just a regular civil servant, this might’ve ended amicably.
Honestly, to verify how the magic tool as evidence broke, it’d have to go to a mage’s hands, and if they denied it, what then?
Seonal continued, watching Jong-cheol’s stiffening face.
“I know consultations before repairs are recorded.”
Then Seonal presented the number ticket and appointment slip he’d received from the complainant.
“I know the exact time, and I’m here as their representative, so it’ll be hard to refuse.”
Seonal’s gaze sharpened slightly.
He uttered a magic word and watched quietly.
“I’d appreciate your cooperation.”
“…First, please let me see that magic tool.”
At the word ‘cooperation,’ Jong-cheol had no choice but to move.
Cooperating with the Complaint Division was every citizen’s duty.
“No. The magic tool later—the recording first. I’ll go with you, so let’s move.”
Seonal smiled faintly at Jong-cheol’s contorted expression.
Where did he think he was slipping away to?
Seonal intended to give no openings.
* * *
[…I just dropped it a little. Really.]
The complainant’s voice flowed out.
[I’m sorry, but doesn’t it look like you stepped on it? Maybe you accidentally kicked it?]
[I just dropped it. There’s no footprint to begin with.]
[See this dent here? You stepped on it but forgot which foot? Being centaur species, you have more legs than most, and like horses, you’re sensitive, so maybe you accidentally kicked it.]
Seonal looked at Jong-cheol, who was listening to the recording with him.
His face was paling.
[Why is my species coming up here? I just came for repairs.]
[There are signs of intentional damage. As a centaur, we have to consider it more carefully, and if deliberate negligence is found, we can’t do free repairs.]
‘He really just said it outright?’
Seonal pushed up his glasses.
In daily life, saying centaurs have more legs wouldn’t be seen as discrimination.
It was a fact, after all.
But this was different.
It came up while clearly nitpicking to refuse repairs, enough to feel discriminatory.
[It’s not unrepairable, right?]
[Looking at the internal magic circle, it seems stepped on multiple times, so buying a new one might be better. Let me show you the new model.]
[No. Forget it.]
The recording ended there.
Seonal turned to Jong-cheol.
“The complainant said the very next person faced a similar situation.”
“…….”
Jong-cheol couldn’t speak.
“That one was vampire species, judged unrepairable, but deemed internal fault, so not only given a new product but also a refund and discount coupons for various items. But as you heard, the complainant got a completely different response.”
Seonal slowly pressed Jong-cheol, and even the nearby staff looked uncomfortable.
“I wonder if this is truly the first incident.”
At Seonal’s voice laced with regret, Jong-cheol thought and glanced at the magic tool in his hand.
“If it’s not the first, I think an investigation is needed. What do you think?”
Seonal kept prodding Jong-cheol, making him focus on one thing only.
“Show me the magic tool, and I’ll explain.”
Got him.
Seonal showed a faint smile and handed over the magic tool Jong-cheol was dying to see.
“You can check now. But give me the recording file first.”
The Complaint Division had investigative authority, so this demand was fine.
Jong-cheol looked around with shaking eyes, then nodded to a staff member.
Securing the recording file first, Seonal handed the magic tool to Jong-cheol.
While Jong-cheol examined it, Seonal pulled out his cellphone.
[Team leader. Sending the recording file.]
Sending it to Edinal with a blank expression brought an immediate reply.
[Team leader: Planning to shake them down, Seonal?]
Her perceptiveness was spot on.
When he transferred to the Complaint Division, Edinal had one piece of advice.
―Our Complaint Division is always noisy, unlike others. Lots of enemies. But that’s what we’re made for, and I’m pretty strong, so as long as you don’t mercilessly beat people, I can handle it. Not bad, right?
She told him to make noise, so Seonal had no intention of passing up this chance.
[Yes. Gotta build performance stats. Caught a big one.]
[Team leader: I can already see you enjoying it?]
Edinal sent a laughing bunny emoticon.
[I’m not the only one excited. Please take care of it.]
‘Of course I’m excited.’
It wasn’t just about performance—personal motives mixed in.
He’d wanted to dedicate his life to becoming a mage.
With the final magic of his previous life, he could use magic in this life, his next one.
But this world forced him to choose: Mage Association or civil servant.
The Mage Association, one path, tried to erase his magic forever, calling him a dangerous figure who could upend all magic just for being different.
What choice did he have then?
‘Magic isn’t dangerous.’
The real danger was those who wielded it.
People like him.
Seonal stared openly at the approaching Jong-cheol.
“From my quick check, the magic circle inside took a major shock.”
Jong-cheol said with a confident expression.
‘Yeah, I figured you’d say that.’
Seonal grinned broadly too.
The Mage Association monopolized magic, claiming it dangerous.
If you didn’t know how to handle tools, wouldn’t that be more dangerous?
Knowing this, they still hid magic, hid how to wield it, and told people to just enjoy the products they made.
“The mage in that recording was wrong, but didn’t the customer deceive first?”
Jong-cheol was smiling now.
Contempt for ordinary folk ignorant of magic filled his words.
“Who?”
Yeah, so what?
Seonal brushed back the hair covering his ear as if mocking Jong-cheol.
A red earring symbolizing a mage dangled there.
“Our complainant?”
Seonal’s gaze sharpened.