Chapter 327: An Unwelcome Invitation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 327: An Unwelcome Invitation
Sunday morning.
An unexpected message arrived early in the day.
[To: Han Lael
Can we meet today?]
Exhausted from tumbling around with Noel and Jeon Seoha until dawn, I had to splash my face with cold water to realize I wasn't hallucinating.
After a moment's thought, I replied that I could. Not long after, another message arrived.
[It will arrive within 20 minutes.]
...What's going to arrive?
I considered texting back to ask, but I figured it would be better to just get ready quickly.
Click—
When I went out to the living room, the two of them were sitting cross-legged, circulating their qi.
For the record, "tumbling around" all night didn't mean we had sex.
The Great Mind-Spirit Art wasn't some third-rate martial art you could find anywhere. To master it even a day sooner, we had no choice but to cut back on sleep.
Of course, thanks to that, both of them succeeded in reaching the second star of the Great Mind-Spirit Art.
It was worth staying up all night.
An endlessly clear energy flowed gently around the two of them.
It was because they had each fully absorbed the Ieumdan and Silver Immortal Elixir pills.
Of course, it would have been impossible if I hadn't been there to guide their true qi all night.
Although I only gained about ten years' worth of internal energy from using the Great Mind-Spirit Art to expel their unnecessary energy, it was far better than accumulating a bunch of impure energy.
They'll probably stay like that for a while.
Leaving the two of them immersed in their qi circulation, I quietly slipped out of the house.
When I got down to the first floor, a man in a suit was standing in front of a limousine.
“Are you Mr. Kang Hyun-woo?”
“Who are you?”
The man bowed respectfully to me.
“The head of the family has asked me to escort you.”
“The head of the family...?”
The face of one person naturally came to mind.
Did 'it will arrive' mean she was sending a car?
I was a little taken aback, but I happily got into the vehicle.
I was already tired, and not having to call a taxi made things several times more convenient.
Pssht—
Once inside the limousine, I skillfully popped open a can of beer from the fridge.
Drinking on an empty stomach felt a bit off, but thankfully, the limo was also stocked with nuts.
Crunch.
“This is good.”
A quick search revealed they were a luxury item, costing over 500,000 won a bag.
*
After crossing the city, the limousine arrived at a handsome mansion on the outskirts of Seoul.
I followed a servant who came out to greet me and entered the mansion.
It was modest compared to the Seongbuk Choi family's estate, but for its size, I could sense very few presences.
It seemed only the bare minimum of staff were present.
“You may go in.”
The servant guided me to the door and then stepped back.
Creeak.
When I opened the door, I was greeted by the sight of a study, its shelves packed with what must have been hundreds of books.
It was impressive enough to pass for a small library.
As I stepped inside, I saw Han Lael sitting by the window, dressed comfortably and reading a book.
Thump.
Sensing my presence, she closed the book and turned her head.
“You're here?”
The corners of Han Lael's lips curved up gently.
Perhaps because her hair was down, her aura felt quite different from usual.
“You sent a limousine all the way to my house. Of course I had to come.”
“I can give you one as a gift, if you need it.”
“I'll pass.”
I rejected her flat out.
Receiving a limousine as a gift would just be a hassle to deal with. I'd be lucky to ride in it once or twice a year.
Besides, I didn't have anywhere to park it.
“You have less desire for material things than I thought.”
“I'd say I'm quite greedy, actually.”
I like money, too.
I want to go to a luxury boutique and say, "I'll take one of everything from here to there," and I want to spend millions of won on a single meal at an expensive restaurant.
I just don't have the time.
“True, you are greedy.”
For a moment, Han Lael gave me a strange smile.
Her outfit, just a thin dress and a cardigan, made it hard to know where to look.
“After all, not just anyone could come up with the idea of taking the head of one of the three great families and the heir of another at the same time.”
“...”
I said nothing.
I knew there was no winning that argument.
I casually sat on the sofa and took a sip from the teacup in front of me. It was surprisingly sweet for black tea.
“That's the one I was drinking from.”
“Ah.”
No wonder it felt like I was drinking someone's leftovers.
“...Shouldn't you cut back on the sugar a little? You'll get diabetes.”
“Is that a joke?”
“So you know.”
As long as mages don't do anything foolish, they basically live long, disease-free lives.
They could smoke four packs of cigarettes a day and drink soju instead of water without any issue.
“Anyway, didn't you ask me to come to your workshop? This place seems to be the Tower Lord's...”
Before I could finish, Han Lael shot me a look full of dissatisfaction.
It was an excessively cute expression for a twenty-nine-year-old.
“...This is your house, isn't it, nuna?”
“Of course.”
Only then did a satisfied smile creep onto her lips.
“It's too far to commute from the main family house to the Magic Tower, so I usually stay here.”
“Can't you just use a spatial magic circle?”
The installation and maintenance costs were ridiculously high, of course, but for a family like the Jinryu Han, it shouldn't have been a major concern.
“The main family house is full of old geezers who won't listen to reason. I got sick of them constantly nagging me, 'Do this, do that, don't do that,' so I moved out.”
“...Can the head of a family do that?”
“Of course.”
Han Lael said confidently.
And why not? She was one of only two 7th Circle mages in South Korea and one of the figures expected to become the next 8th Circle Archmage.
Few people would be brave enough to argue with someone like her.
Then again, it seemed that just made them bother her in other ways.
“Were you surprised I called you so suddenly today?”
Putting down her book, Han Lael stood up and came over to me.
She naturally sat down beside me, a faint fragrance wafting from her.
...She's not wearing any underwear.
It was a blatant attempt at seduction, but I decided to graciously play along.
It wouldn't be very manly to pretend I didn't notice after we've already seen all there is to see.
“Not at all.”
Swoosh.
Setting down the teacup, I reached out and wrapped my arm around Han Lael's waist.
As if she had been waiting, she melted into my embrace.
“What man in the world would say no when a beautiful woman like you calls for him?”
“I'm glad to hear that.”
It was blatant flattery, but a bright smile blossomed on Han Lael's face.
“The reason I called you today is that I have something to tell you and something to ask of you.”
“Something to ask...?”
“First, take this.”
Han Lael handed me a badge she seemed to pull from nowhere.
Its overall dark color was almost ashen.
“Congratulations. You're no longer a temporary but an official 2nd Grade Elementalist, Mr. Hyun-woo. It's a high-ranking position in the Gray Magic Tower, held by fewer than ten people, you know?”
“...Are there any perks?”
“Of course. You'll get tons of support from the Magic Tower, and the support you can receive from the government will increase quite a bit, too. You'll also get tax deductions.”
“Oh.”
I didn't care much about the other things, but the tax deduction was tempting.
I was the one working like a dog, but the government was trying to rip hundreds of millions from me in taxes. I didn't like that one bit, so this was perfect.
“Is there anything else?”
“Hmm, if I had to mention something, it would be that you can travel abroad without a visa.”
“Visa-free...?”
Suddenly, something flashed in my mind.
“Does that include the UK?”
“Yes, it does. The UK is a mage-friendly country to begin with, so mages can stay there visa-free regardless of their grade.”
I cheered inwardly.
I needed to go to the UK soon, and now I wouldn't have to go through the hassle of applying for a visa.
“Are you planning a trip to the UK?”
“It's less of a trip and more of a custom order.”
After the verification ceremony yesterday, I had asked Choi Hyena about staff- or wand-type artifacts.
As expected, there were no gate-sourced artifacts in stock, and she said there were only a few artificial ones made by artisans left.
The problem was that their quality wasn't very good.
Of course, there were artisans in Korea, so I could get something slightly better by placing a custom order, but both Grandma Choi Young-ok and Choi Hyena had said they got their personal artifacts made in the UK.
The UK, where the first Magic Tower was established and the first Tower Lord was born, was now known as the "land of mages," and it was home to several Master Smiths specializing in crafting staffs and wands.
Frankly, most mages preferred British-made staffs or wands. I was no exception.
The waiting list was long, of course, but it seemed I could use the Seongbuk Choi family's connections to move my spot up to the single digits.
“Indeed, it's only natural for a 5th Circle mage to have a dedicated artifact.”
Snap.
Han Lael flicked her fingers lightly. Space distorted for a moment, and an ash-colored staff materialized in the air.
Even at a glance, I could tell it was no ordinary staff.
“This is my prized possession, 'Tenemora.' I had it custom-made by an artisan in the UK.”
As if mesmerized, I stared at the Tenemora in her hand.
It was a staff so exquisitely and perfectly crafted that a fortune in gold would not have been too high a price.
“By the way, if you bring back the receipt, the Magic Tower will subsidize a certain amount, so don't forget.”
“...How much is the subsidy?”
Honestly, I thought I had more than enough money for a staff.
If I sold off the gold bars and jewels sitting in my inventory and at home, I could probably get around 30 billion won.
But the moment I saw Han Lael's staff, I had a feeling that 30 billion won would be nowhere near enough.
For a moment, I considered asking the Seongbuk Choi family for support, but I wanted to handle my financial matters on my own if possible.
“Hmm, up to 3 billion won? For reference, the material cost alone for my Tenemora was about 120 billion won.”
“...”
“Hehe, you don't have to look so disappointed. I told you I had a favor to ask, right? If you help me with that, I'll cover the entire production cost for you.”
“I'll lick your toes.”
Not 12 billion, but 120 billion won.
I was confident I could lick them thoroughly—morning, noon, and night.
“...That's not a bad offer, but what I want to ask is something a little different.”
“...?”
I wondered what kind of favor could possibly be worth covering such an enormous expense.
Do I have to go to the northern region and clear a gate or something?
I wanted to hear the details of the favor right away, but Han Lael said she still had more to say and handed me a letter first.
“Before that, why don't you take a look at this?”
“This is...”
The moment I saw the five-pointed star emblem stamped on the sealing wax, I couldn't help but be a little surprised.
It was the symbol of Japan's Onmyoryo.
Rip. I tore open the envelope.
-To the esteemed Kang Hyun-woo.
We at the Onmyoryo wish to host an exchange meeting to further deepen the long-standing exchange between our two nations. This meeting will be a valuable opportunity to share our knowledge and traditions and to explore the possibilities of future cooperation. We hereby extend our formal invitation and would be honored if you would grace the event with your presence.
The greeting sounded very familiar.
It was undoubtedly the invitation to the exchange meeting that Choi Hyena had shown me before.
“The Onmyoryo sent it to the Magic Tower last night. They probably sent it there because they don't know your home address.”
“...Why would the Onmyoryo send this to me?”
“It must be because of what happened at the verification ceremony.”
Plop.
Han Lael shifted her position and lay down with her head on my lap.
She stretched out her legs as if her body was stiff, and for a mage, her legs were unbelievably beautiful.
“They pretend not to, but Japan pays closer attention to news from Korea than anyone. So they want to see for themselves.”
“See what for themselves?”
“It's obvious.”
At that moment, Han Lael's expression hardened slightly.
It was a look I'd never seen before, but I could clearly tell she was displeased.
“They want to see for themselves whether to persuade you or, failing that, eliminate you.”