Iolde Kindergarten
While Ha Ji-eun watched me and Eun-byeol from afar, Eun-byeol nodded confidently.
"Yeah. For the past few days, I've been winning sometimes~."
The chat exploded at Eun-byeol's response. Even from a distance, I could see messages flooding Ha Ji-eun's phone.
Ha Ji-eun, equally shocked, kept tilting her head.
"N-No way. Ah! O-Of course, Lady Eun-byeol is a strong mage too. But it's only been a few days since then…."
I giggled at Ha Ji-eun's words.
"We limited it to 3rd Level spells only, and restricted the amount of ether too."
"Ah…. I see."
"Still, as a battle mage, she's already better than me."
Ha Ji-eun's eyes went wide at my words.
"R-Really?"
"O-Of course! I've been training so harshly for the past two weeks!"
Eun-byeol, clearly pleased, beamed and circled around me happily.
'Honestly, I went easy mostly to see more counterflows….'
But thanks to that, she grew fast, so it worked out.
'She's got a real competitive streak.'
I looked proudly at the sweat-soaked Eun-byeol. With this broadcast out there, it should help reignite her fighting spirit a bit.
"Guess no more tunneling now."
"Tunneling?"
"Nothing. Just talking to myself."
I flicked my hand, peeling off the clothes clinging to my body.
"More importantly, we need to wash up. You're covered in sweat, and I'm soaked in seawater."
Eun-byeol's face turned beet red at my words.
"?"
"A-Ah! I-I'll wash separately!"
"Obviously…."
"Ah."
Eun-byeol nodded with a complicated expression at my reply.
*
I figured Eun-byeol beating me would cause more waves than anything else.
"……."
I'd clearly underestimated the internet.
"……."
The media seemed more shocked by a 7th-level mage's underwear color than Eun-byeol beating me.
And thanks to that….
"Argh, you freaking idiots! I knew this would happen!! Aaaah! Grab that Ha Ji-eun bitch right now, you brat!"
"She put some effort into editing, you know…."
"Aaaah!"
Lee Ha-ryeong, who'd revealed her underwear color to the world—not to mention showing off provocative poses—had to issue a public apology and was now wailing in the lobby.
"Aaaah! My honor! My dignity! My image!!!"
"I saw it. Bowing your head in that suit was pretty memorable. Would've been great if you'd done that at the tower open house."
Lee Ha-ryeong glared at me with teary eyes.
"You punk! As tower lord, protect your members! Why attack me! Why! I thought it was the next day!"
"……."
Lee Ha-ryeong plopped down on the lobby's marble floor with a miserable face. Naturally, she was wearing just an oversized boxy T-shirt like last time, so her underwear reflected clearly on the shiny marble.
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue, grabbed a cushion from the sofa, and tossed it to her.
"That's why you end up apologizing publicly! And! A 40-year-old in bunny character panties is a bit…."
"Ow! This is the trendy character right now!"
"I know!"
I shuddered, picturing the bunny character wielding a massive greatsword. I'd seen stickers of it all over Eun-byeol's locker, so it popped up every training session.
"That secretary caused this mess, and now the tower's image is wrecked! They're calling it Iolde Kindergarten online!"
"Tsk. Why do a live stream then? Edit after filming, and it'd be fine."
"Ow! I announced it!"
"Didn't see! Too busy!"
"Busy people don't sprawl on the sofa all day! As secretary, go help train Eun-byeol!"
"You punk! Who's handling purified ether sales in Monica's place?!"
"Thanks for that! But you don't work even an hour a day!"
As Lee Ha-ryeong and I bickered….
The door creaked open.
"Um…."
The clear, refreshing voice belonged to Lee Sera.
"Lee Sera?"
"Oh, the high star? What's up?"
Lee Ha-ryeong and I, tangled on the floor, both looked up. Lee Sera covered her eyes.
"L-Lady Lee Ha-ryeong…."
From our tussle, the oversized T-shirt had ridden up a bit. Realizing, Lee Ha-ryeong yanked it down.
"Ahem! You didn't see, right?"
"No, I didn't. Still, you should wear pants."
Lee Sera's words made me nod.
"Right. I think so too. Indecent exposure misdemeanor. Want a second public apology?"
Lee Ha-ryeong made a humiliated face, then stormed off in anger.
"You! Brat! Just wait!"
I shrugged at her stomping away and turned to Lee Sera.
"Anyway, what brings you here?"
Lee Sera frowned, looking annoyed.
"I emailed about joining, but no reply for two weeks."
"Ah?"
"I even sent two."
"……."
I recalled Monica mentioning we'd set up an email for Iolde Tower. With her suddenly dragged to America, I'd totally forgotten.
"Uh…. We haven't been checking that email…."
Lee Sera smiled faintly and pulled up the homepage on her phone.
CONTACT US
Boldly next to the big English letters was Iolde Tower's email.
"……."
I stood, breaking into a cold sweat.
"Sorry. Honestly, I just remembered we even had that email. But let's hear what it's about."
I clapped, and Shasha appeared in an apron.
"……."
I giggled at Shasha's grumpy face.
"I'll have cocoa. Prepare what the guest wants."
"Oh, Alexandre? Why the maid outfit?"
At Lee Sera's flustered question, Shasha silently thrust out an order sheet.
"What's this…? I'll have green tea…."
Lee Sera circled green tea, and Shasha bolted away without a word.
"She lost a match to Eun-byeol. Don't worry about her karma."
Lee Sera finally nodded.
"Ah, so Eun-byeol's gotten really strong~."
"Don't pity her—she got got trying to dress Eun-byeol in that outfit."
Shasha, who'd been fleeing, yelled back.
"Tower Lord! We agreed not to talk about that!"
"Oh, did we? Sorry."
"Sorry my ass!"
Lee Sera nodded at Shasha storming off.
"Yeah, she deserved it~. But she's cute."
"FYI, she's 18, so if you're picky, call her oppa."
"……?"
While Lee Sera blinked in surprise, Shasha returned with the drinks and plunked them down.
"You're 18…? Not 8?"
Lee Sera stared at Shasha, who was as tiny as me, then hurriedly added, thinking she'd erred.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean it like that…. Um…."
Shasha shrugged at Lee Sera's words.
"It's fine. This body's about 8 right now."
"Huh?"
Instead of explaining, Shasha opened her white blouse to show her chest.
"?????????"
Lee Sera, spotting the ether core unique to Abyss entities, looked at me in panic.
I forehead-palmed at the smug Shasha.
"This kid's gonna make things awkward…."
Sipping my cocoa casually, I said,
"An Abyss entity I met breaching my personal domain. Now she's like a contracted familiar."
"Ah."
I summoned Shasha to my side, and Lee Sera relaxed.
"I've heard of familiars."
The summoned Shasha scowled angrily.
"Tower Lord…. I'm not a toy!"
Shasha grumbled defiantly, but softened instantly when I petted her head.
"You were making things awkward, so I fixed it. Never thought of you as a toy."
"Eeeing!"
She pouted cutely at the affection and dashed to the kitchenette.
"Ah, so why'd you come?"
As I turned to hear Lee Sera's request….
Bang bang bang—someone knocked on the tower door.
"Lots of visitors today…."
I opened the door with ether, revealing Kang Seo-hee with her purple tentacles wriggling.
"No email reply for weeks, so I came in person."
"Ah."
Kang Seo-hee met my eyes, then spotted Lee Sera beside me.
"Huh?"
"Ah."
Their faces turned weird upon eye contact, like they'd had the same thought.
"Senior, don't tell me…."
"Ah. You too?"
"So, what's up with you two?"
They spoke in unison, resolved.
"Trying to join Iolde Tower."
"Thinking of joining Iolde Tower."
I pondered their words. Even without Monica, Lee Sera and Kang Seo-hee were talented mages who could grow on their own. They'd definitely help.
But….
'Better focus on just Eun-byeol for now.'
I nodded.
"Mm. Appreciate it, but we're not taking members right now."
Lee Sera and Kang Seo-hee pointed at each other.
"I'm Lee Sera…?"
"Even me, former triad Kang Seo-hee…?"