I'm a Beginner Mage (Ridiculously Strong)

The moment I arrived in Airotia, the unofficial 30.5th floor, I just stood there.

"...What the hell."

None of it made any sense. I had stepped through a single portal, and the streets were packed wall to wall with people. Climbers sprawled along the roadside with their armor half-shed, catching their breath. Others had hauled out armfuls of magic stones and were arguing themselves red in the face with merchants. There were even people who didn't look remotely like climbers, so I asked a passerby — apparently, once a month, merchants and porters and the whole lot came flooding up the Tower in droves of hundreds.

Maybe that was why it felt less like I had entered the Tower and more like I had wandered into a marketplace.

And then the most important part.

"...Is that food I smell?"

More precisely, the smell of meat on a grill. I turned my head and spotted a big sign across the street. People were coming and going through the open door, and a man sitting by the window was dunking bread into a steaming bowl of soup.

I slowly looked down at the pack on my back.

Twenty loaves of bread. Thirty-seven strips of jerky.

"Nobody told me there was a restaurant."

I packed all this for nothing. No wonder Celia had given my bag such a weird look when we left. She could have said something.

"Shut it."

Not that I was planning to throw any of it away. Throwing away food? That is not something a human being does.

I slung the pack back over my shoulder and walked into the restaurant like I was under a spell.

"One grilled meat and one soup, please. Extra bread too."

"Coming right up."

You might ask why I would bother eating at a restaurant when my bag was already stuffed with food. But warm bread and bread that has been bouncing around in a pack all day are two completely different foods.

"Thanks for the meal!"

After filling my stomach, I wandered around Airotia a bit. From what I could tell, this place was something like a rest stop — an intermediate hub where climbers heading up the Tower could rest, repair their gear, restock on supplies, and then push on to the upper floors.

I didn't really know what the shops were selling, and I didn't need any equipment right now. I was just strolling around people-watching when I noticed a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crowd packed in front of one particular wall. A bulletin board covered the surface from end to end, plastered with papers.

"So this is where people look for parties."

Maybe I should try tagging along with one myself. Following people who actually know the way has to be easier than wandering around lost on my own, right?

I was scanning the board when a decent-looking paper caught my eye.

"This one, I guess?"

I tore the paper off.

When I found the meeting spot written on the flyer, four people were already waiting. A man with a huge shield on his back, a woman with a bow, a woman with a staff. And last, a man with a longsword at his hip spotted me and came over first.

"You here about the mage recruitment notice?"

"Yes."

"I'm Karon. I lead this party."

A round of brief introductions followed. Karon was the swordsman. The man with the big shield was the vanguard. The woman with the bow handled rear support. The one with the staff handled healing and support magic. Apparently their usual mage had gotten injured, so they just had one empty slot this time.

"Affiliation?"

"White Magic Tower."

I showed him my ID badge, and Karon nodded without any particular suspicion.

"How long have you been studying magic?"

"Hold on."

I counted the days. Hmm... I don't remember exactly.

"About a week, I think."

"...A week?"

Even the party members standing nearby turned to look.

"Yes. Roughly that."

"I see. So you're still a beginner mage, then."

Well, that was fair. Claiming to be a veteran after a single week of study would be even more shameless.

"We'll handle the front. Leon, I'd like you to provide support from the rear. If you don't have much experience yet, there's no need to push yourself."

"Ah, yes. Sure, that works."

They were taking a beginner along and didn't even look annoyed about it. Nice people, I guess.

Following the party around was a lot more comfortable than I had expected. For one thing, I didn't have to find the way. Even after we passed the 31st floor and entered the 32nd, all I had to do was follow the back in front of me. And when monsters showed up, Karon moved first.

"Right side!"

At the short shout, the shield-bearer stepped forward. The charging monster slammed straight into the shield, Karon's sword took its throat, and an arrow punched through the eye of the one trying to slip around the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠other side. Nobody was even giving orders, but the moment a gap appeared, someone filled it. A well-oiled party.

They're all incredible.

Is this that veteran vibe you only get from years of experience? On my first climb I had just been mixed in with a huge group, so I had never really gotten to see this kind of thing. People who have been working together a long time really are different.

A few more monsters showed up, but I barely had to do anything. Karon's group handled one or two on their own, and I just tagged along behind them. This is way more of a cakewalk than I thought?

And then.

"Karon! Left!"

Beast-like monsters were pouring in from a distance. One, two... about ten of them, roughly. The moment Karon confirmed the numbers, he drew his sword.

"Leon! Take the two coming from the left!"

"Ah, yes."

With that, the party charged the rest. I looked at the two coming my way.

Take them... huh.

He didn't say not to kill them, right?

"Super-Fast Lightning Gun."

Pew! Pew!

Blue flashes cracked twice, and identically sized holes appeared in the heads of the charging beasts. They tumbled a few times across the ground and stopped.

"Done."

Up ahead, Karon's group had just collided with the remaining monsters. The shield-bearer caught the two in front, and Karon was weaving between them, swinging his sword.

A moment of consideration.

"They won't complain if I kill those ones too, right?"

We're on the same team right now, after all. I didn't think they would lecture me about stealing kills, and more importantly, finishing faster is easier for everyone. I raised a finger.

"SFL."

Pew—!

One of the beasts charging Karon dropped. Blue light slashed across the battlefield a few more times in succession, and the one gnawing on the shield and the one peeling off to the side both crumpled in turn. The last one belatedly tried to change direction.

Pew!

Too late.

"That's it."

The party members who had been moving frantically just a moment ago all turned to stare at me. Karon, still holding his sword, swept his gaze over the monsters scattered around, then crouched in front of the nearest corpse. He checked the small hole in its head, then slowly turned to look at me.

"...Leon."

"Yes?"

"Didn't you say you were a beginner mage?"

"I never said I was weak."

"..."

What, did I come off a little rude there?

Karon didn't ask anything else. The party members started rummaging through the corpses, collecting magic stones, hides, fangs, and the like. I didn't know how, so I just watched from the side — and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠they even sorted everything and bagged my share for me.

They find the path. They fight alongside you. They even pick up the loot.

...This is ridiculously comfortable?

Parties really are great.

"That kid is filthy strong, but he doesn't know a damn thing about how the world works."

At Karon's words, the archer walking beside him narrowed her eyes. Leon was a little ways behind, rummaging through his pack. He pulled out a loaf of bread, made a face like he was sick of it, and stuffed it back in.

"...So you want to rip him off?"

"Hey now. Don't put it like that."

"Then what?"

"We're just giving him a little life experience."

"Society already agreed to call that ripping someone off."

Karon answered with a cough.

Honestly, it was an opportunity. Leon didn't even seem to know what the magic stones they had collected so far were worth. He had asked why they were bothering to take monster hides that were rare materials, and after they passed the 40th floor, he had even asked why the same type of magic stone cost three times as much just because the color was a little different.

Being strong and being used to the Tower were two different things. And on the outskirts of the 47th floor, there was a money-maker a newbie like that wouldn't know about.

"Let's go to the Conductive Golem habitat."

"...Are you serious?"

The playfulness vanished from the archer's face.

Conductive Golems. Unusual golems that shrugged off ordinary magic like it was nothing — especially resistant to fire and lightning. They were a pain to kill, but the Conductive Cores that came out of their bodies were materials used in high-grade magical tools, and they fetched a serious price. That was what Karon was after.

"With that kid's firepower, he can smash the outer shell no problem. Then we just cut the joints."

"Are you going to tell him what a Conductive Core is worth?"

"No need to volunteer that information."

"See? That's ripping him off."

"We'll give him a fair cut later."

A young newbie with powerful magic but no experience. Just think of it as a small cut for showing him the way. That was how Karon saw it at the moment.

"It's still dangerous, though. What if more than one shows up?"

"Then we bail."

"And Leon?"

"A kid that strong can't take care of himself?"

The archer looked at him with clear disapproval, but Karon was already changing direction.

"...Yeah, that's definitely ripping him off."

The outskirts of the 47th floor were a good distance from the traveled paths. Huge gray boulders lay scattered everywhere, and between them you could spot the occasional shattered weapon or scrap of old armor.

"It's pretty empty out here."

Leon's voice came from behind.

"The 47th floor has terrain like this too. We just have to take a bit of a detour."

Karon answered casually while scanning the surroundings. One if possible, two at most. That much they could hunt safely. Three or more, of course, and they would have to forget the Conductive Cores and run without looking back.

Rumble—

The ground shook before he had even finished the thought. One of the distant boulders slowly rose to its feet.

"Good. One's no problem at all."

Then another one burst out from the side.

"...Two's a bit rough, but still doa—"

And a little farther off, two more boulders started moving at the same time.

"...Four is a bit much?"

Even a moment's hesitation was a luxury. Karon shoved the sword he had been about to draw back into its sheath.

"Run!"

"What?"

"Forget the damn cores, we can't take four! Everyone fall back!"

The party members spun around like they had done this before. The archer glanced back as she ran.

"What about Leon?!"

"I already told you! A kid that strong can't take care of himself?!"

Karon was already sprinting for the escape route.

"Leon! Get yourself out of there! Those things have insane magic resistance!"

"Black Flame Dragon."

"Don't waste your breath, just get yourse—!"

Karon's running feet stopped. When he looked back, crimson-black Magic Formulas had already swallowed the space in front of Leon.

"...Yourself?"

Dark crimson flames twisted in midair, forming the shape of a colossal dragon. They coiled around Leon's arm, and as if he had been waiting for this, he cocked his right arm all the way back.

KAAAA-BOOOOOOM—!!

Karon threw his arm up over his face on instinct. A massive wave of heat and shock swept through.

A moment later, he carefully opened his eyes.

"..."

There were no golems. Where four of them had been standing just moments ago, only a floor glowing cherry-red remained, and between the melted rock, a silver liquid was slowly dripping down.

Conductive Cores.

More precisely, what had been Conductive Cores.

Karon silently watched several months' worth of income soak into the ground right in front of him. The archer, mouth hanging open, carefully poked Karon in the side.

"Karon."

"Yeah."

"Let's call it off."

"Yeah."

This time, Karon nodded without protest. If they tried to pull something on that and got caught, they might end up paying with their lives over a handful of coins.

"...How are we splitting the loot?"

Karon shut his mouth at the archer's question. Among climbers, loot distribution wasn't that complicated. If several people took something down together, you split by contribution. If one person essentially soloed it, the one who made the kill taking eighty percent or more was standard practice.

The problem was that just the monsters Leon had soloed today already added up to over eighty gold coins. Even skimming a little would be enough to live comfortably for a few weeks.

"...We give him everything."

Karon let out a long sigh. It was a bit of a waste, but still better than ripping him off and getting found out later.

"What if we pocket a few coins and he comes looking?"

"...Yeah."

The two of them naturally looked toward Leon. The man in question had no idea what they were talking about. He was standing there grinning to himself, admiring the melted floor.

"BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA—AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

Terrifying.