Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: In Fact, There's Not Much Difference on Tuesdays
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* * *
Jongcheol's eyes widened.
Mages were required to wear a red earring in one ear to distinguish themselves from non-mages.
'...A mage?'
Jongcheol couldn't comprehend it.
What kind of mage in their right mind would give up the perks from the Mages' Association to become a civil servant?
There was no benefit to a mage becoming a civil servant.
What kind of support did the country even provide?
Mages had to study constantly, but as a civil servant, they wouldn't be officially recognized as mages, so they couldn't even easily access ordinary research papers.
"Did you think I'd come here knowing nothing?"
Seonal pointed at the magic tool in Jongcheol's hand.
"But you've made our petitioner out to be a liar? Do you want me to ask if you've forgotten I'm here as their representative?"
"If you're a mage, you should know better. This thing took a major shock..."
"No. You sold a magic tool that was flawed from the start."
"What are you talking about?"
Seonal wanted to mock Jongcheol thoroughly.
Even if it wasn't headquarters, for a branch manager not to distinguish whether a magic tool was sellable or not.
"You should've just said you couldn't fix it."
"The magic circle was destroyed. That doesn't happen unless it took a shock from the beginning..."
Seonal channeled mana into his fingertip and wrote letters in the air.
[Display the magic formula.]
With Seonal's spell, the magic formula of the tool appeared in midair.
It was just like firing a beam projector.
Jongcheol stared at Seonal's magic with his mouth agape.
"...What is this?"
This civil servant had just cast a spell from nothing.
No tool containing a magic formula, no magic weapon storing one.
He simply moved his fingers, and it appeared.
"Can you see the magic formula?"
Even as Seonal spoke, Jongcheol felt his mind twisting in confusion.
He'd seen this impossible magic somewhere before.
"You overlapped incompatible patterns multiple times from the start."
Seonal circled the unstable parts of the floating magic formula with his finger as he explained.
Jongcheol's mouth fell open even wider.
Even attempting to manifest shapes in the air required a fairly complex magic formula.
But this man moved his finger lightly as if it were nothing.
'...I've seen this magic before.'
Jongcheol kept racking his brain.
"So your claims are wrong. Or would you believe me if I repaired this magic formula?"
Old and outdated.
Seonal swallowed those words inwardly.
He'd thought about various possibilities on his way here.
If evidence came to light, how should he view the case?
From Jongcheol's behavior, Seonal decided to 'dig deeper.'
He planned to uncover the hidden discrimination within the Mages' Association to prevent incidents like this.
The Complaints Department had a duty to resolve discrimination and conflicts involving other races, helping them integrate into society.
"That magic formula can't be repaired."
Jongcheol gritted his teeth as he spoke, but Seonal let it slide.
"An investigation will start soon. I don't know if it'll drag on long-term or short-term, but the police will be notified shortly. Let me warn you in advance: even if you intentionally destroy records, I can recover them."
It might get noisy for a while.
After all, this was shaking up a Mages' Association branch.
He didn't know how many times he'd have to come and go, but it didn't matter.
If he saw it as a sacrifice for positive change.
'No way.'
Seonal's words didn't properly reach Jongcheol's ears.
It was impossible.
"...Are you hiding a magic tool?"
Jongcheol was convinced Seonal had concealed one.
That magic couldn't be produced just by drawing gestures.
Whatever trick he used, the intent was crystal clear.
'To dare frame the Mages' Association.'
"No."
Seonal immediately showed his palm. It was empty.
"I just moved my mana. You can see that, right?"
Jongcheol felt utterly mocked by Seonal's words.
What was there to see?
'No. More importantly, is it really not a trick?'
Jongcheol couldn't believe it.
He hadn't sensed any mana, so he hadn't even realized Seonal was a mage.
'Who is this guy?'
Jongcheol felt Seonal growing larger by the second.
He'd never heard of or seen a mage like this.
'No...'
Jongcheol's memory surfaced soon after.
Rage boiled up inside him in an instant.
"...It was you!"
Jongcheol shouted abruptly at the memory flashing in his mind.
"What are you talking about?"
"Hasenall. Yeah, it was you."
Jongcheol pointed his finger at Seonal.
"That sudden cultist who appeared out of nowhere! You think I'd forget you tried to shake the foundations of our magic?"
"Me?"
Seonal sneered at Jongcheol.
He looked ready to throw a punch. Not that he'd let him.
"Well, I don't remember that. All I recall is saying this outdated, rotten magic world was wrong."
"You should never have been able to become a mage again?"
As Jongcheol's eyes darted around looking for the magic tool, Seonal thought he was pathetic.
"That seal?"
The Mages' Association branded those who failed to become mages with a heavy stigma.
They sealed them from using magic forever.
It had been the same for him.
"Of course I broke it. Easily."
Seonal snorted.
The word 'seal' sounded scary, but it was truly effortless. It hadn't even taken a minute.
"What nonsense is that? Breaking a seal? Seals are..."
"Yes. The country permits sealing failed exam candidates to prevent rampages from rejects."
It had only been about thirty years since the interspecies war ended and peace arrived.
In other words, the nation feared war breaking out again and imposed severe restrictions on the most dangerous magic.
One of those was permitting seals on rejects.
"But there's no rule against breaking the seal, or what you challenge after."
Seonal stated the facts.
The country had already permitted seals, which drew criticism, but they left handling breakers to the Mages' Association, perhaps wary of backlash.
"That's because no one has ever broken that seal!"
Jongcheol raised his voice.
"You should state it accurately, even if you're excited. You sold magic assuming they couldn't break it, so of course it worked. That's why there were no follow-ups."
Anyone skilled enough to break it wouldn't have failed the exam.
"Ah. There were follow-ups. Rumors spread not to help those under seals."
Seonal manipulated the magic circle with mana.
"But I'm different."
The magic formula, deemed irreparable here—even by branch manager Jongcheol—was overwritten by new magic following Seonal's finger.
[Repair.]
Jongcheol lost himself watching the formula reassemble from such a simple spell.
The process of reformation and the parade of mana swirling around it was awe-inspiring.
"They just treated it as a mutation and sealed it, so of course it was easy to break."
Seonal reached out, and the repaired magic tool flew into his hand.
"How much was it? I remember it took less than a minute."
He placed the tool in Jongcheol's dazed hand and activated it.
When Jongcheol's face appeared in the mirror, his makeup-free features flushed red on screen.
A sign it worked perfectly.
"So you should watch what you say and who you're talking to."
Seonal curled his lip.
"It can be fixed. Easily. I just proved it. You're not saying you're worse than a reject mage under seal, are you?"
"...No way."
"This law or that... There are so many laws I don't remember well, but spreading false info during official duties can get you punished. Investigation first, though?"
Seonal folded a finger.
"Mage duty violation, racial discrimination, obstructing and confusing official duties, and hiding violations of mage obligations and further discrimination to come."
Probably more.
But Seonal stopped there. Once the investigation started, the branch would shut down.
Now his finger pointed at the CCTV.
"My spellcasting should be well-recorded. Hand over the CCTV footage too."
To prevent excuses, Seonal secured the CCTV as well.
* * *
Seonal returned home and flopped blankly onto the sofa.
He couldn't become a mage, so he became a civil servant, but this was his first direct clash with the Mages' Association.
'Feels weird.'
Overall, he was glad and pleased. A complaint came in by luck, letting him land a solid hit—why wouldn't he be?
He figured the Association would move somehow after this, but he wasn't worried.
Still, it felt bittersweet somewhere.
Despite the years, the Association hadn't changed from when he tried to join.
'It looked even uglier.'
The building was taller, but discrimination and contempt toward non-mages seemed deeper.
'Anyway, I shook the Mages' Association for the first time.'
He'd have to watch closely how this unfolded.
Feeling like he'd chugged soda, Seonal checked his wristwatch.
Two hours until quitting time.
'I'm already off.'
Seonal finally grinned.
He felt like he owned the world.
Meow~ Tap tap.
At the notification, Seonal grabbed his phone from above his head.
[Team Leader: Awesome job. You nabbed a big one!]
A wickedly grinning rabbit emoticon accompanied Edinal's text.
[Team Leader: No idea how long it's been since a major case. Smashing those mage snobs feels so good! Seonal, you're the best today!]
A thumbs-up rabbit emoticon moved.
[Team Leader: Thanks to you, my quitting time's delayed today, but great work. See you tomorrow.]
[Yes, Team Leader. Work hard for my share too.]
Seonal couldn't stop laughing.
He was already off.
[Team Leader: ㅗ]
[Team Leader: Oops, typo. Not because I hate you. You know that, right, Seonal?]
[When overtime hits, typos happen. Good luck.]
Seonal placed the phone by his head with a victor's smile.
Maybe today was the best Monday ever.
* * *
"...Hah."
Seonal sighed.
'Best my ass. Forgot the next day is Tuesday.'
He'd just closed and opened his eyes, and time flew madly to Tuesday.
On the subway to work, he wanted to throw himself out.
"Good morning, Seonal!"
Edinal beamed energetically, stacking documents beside him.
Thud.
She added one more and grinned wide.
"This is Terisha's share."
Fairy Terisha floated beside Edinal, her four blue wings shaking glittery dust.
The tiny Terisha, about Edinal's torso size, greeted calmly.
"Good morning. Did you get home well yesterday?"
Terisha's dragon-horn headband swayed slightly.
"G-good morning. Yesterday... there were many petitioners."
The goblin-like Irang placed the last stack on the gloomy Seonal.
"Why is that? Why..."
As Seonal spoke, Irang flinched.
'Why?'
Seonal couldn't understand.
Why so many documents piled up? Why did piles exist? No idea, but more than yesterday's.
Seonal glared at the stacks everyone left.
"Well, Mondays make everyone furious, right? They needed to vent complaints."
Irang smiled faintly and backed away slyly.
"Please."
"Please, Seonal."
"We beg you."
The three pleaded and sat at their desks. Irang and Terisha beside him stared at monitors with desperate resolve not to look.
Seonal turned to the documents.
Complaints were handled via consultations.
Based on those, write docs, scan with magic scanner to computer, digitize, secure—somehow since he arrived, he did it all alone.
'Should've wrecked the Association more yesterday, damn it.'
Their magic scanner was a mess from his view, security full of holes, so he remade it.
He'd always excelled at crafting magic tools.
Key was engraving formulas to withstand shocks.
'That helped speed up casting now that I think... but.'
Now running scanners like this.
'I'll fix them all soon.'
Not just his spot. He knew Association ones vs. his efficiency gap was huge, but it irked him.
Seonal stacked all docs on his scanner, lips curled in displeasure, and pressed a button.
Whirrr.
Post-startup hum, scanned files appeared on the computer.
Seonal cast securities for protection.
[Super Sturdy Security.]
[Owner Authentication Security.]
[Certified Certificate Security.]
[Password Security.]
·
·
·
[Final Authorized Voice Recognition.]
From unnecessary ones venting frustration to all securities.
Watching the computer accept and run the spells, Seonal clenched his fist again.
'Damn Mages' Association. Damn it.'
Tuesdays didn't temper his temper.