Chapter 86: Astrology
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86: Astrology
Excluding renowned magic families, the number of mages among the chaebol—the so-called ‘royal families’—was so small you could count them on two hands.
‘Magic is the exclusive domain of those blessed with talent.’
In the face of this single fact, all the wealth they possessed was utterly useless.
However, as a privileged class steeped in elitism, it was unthinkable for them to give up on the ‘specialness’ that was magic.
Unlike the past, when the number of mages was extremely low, the modern era—where the number of mages had relatively increased thanks to the achievements of the First Tower Lord—saw a bizarre culture take root among the upper class.
Magic Marriage.
By repeatedly marrying mages, they hoped to pass down magical talent to their children, with the ultimate goal of attaining the same prestige as a renowned magic family.
But just as theory is universal while reality is specific, their ideals were nothing more than delusions.
Repeating magic marriages for a mere two or three generations was not going to suddenly produce a flood of mages.
Talent was talent precisely because it was ‘special.’
It was an incredibly inefficient method, one that would require at least several hundred years of repetition to see any effect.
Does a child born to a husband who graduated top of his class at Hxvard and a wife who graduated early from MBT automatically turn out to be a genius?
Of course, while it was nigh impossible, it wasn't as if children never inherited their parents' talents.
“Y-You…! Do you have any idea who my father is?!”
“Why? Did your mom not tell you?”
Yuseongjun—the youngest son of Chairman Yujincheol of the Yujin Group, ranked 17th in the business world, and the only one among his siblings to be born with magical talent, becoming a mage of the Gray Magic Tower—couldn't believe the insult he had just heard for the first time in his life.
*
Just as you’d expect from someone born with a diamond spoon, he had no immunity to insults about his parents. The guy’s expression changed by the second.
His dumbfounded look was especially hilarious, like a sloth that had just fallen out of a tree.
“Wh-What…?”
“I don’t do reruns, so just get lost.”
It was a shame to let a guy who coveted another man’s woman without knowing his place go so easily, but tormenting someone who couldn’t even move a single step under the pressure of my magic would just make me look petty.
Look at how pale his face is. If I push him any further, he’ll probably piss his pants.
“Let’s go.”
I grabbed the wrist of Choi Hyena, who was staring at me with a strange expression, and turned toward the store we were originally heading to.
Any more delays and we might face the catastrophe of the store closing for the day. That would push my plan to head over to Cheon Yeo-hwa’s in the evening to tomorrow.
‘It’s already been a while since I last saw Cheon Yeo-hwa.’
That, I could not tolerate.
“Excuse me.”
The floor had been relatively empty, but the earlier commotion seemed to have drawn quite a bit of attention. The crowd surrounding us was now substantial.
It looked like it wouldn’t be easy to get out of here. Just then…
-Aaaah!
-That… that crazy bastard!
-Someone call the police!!
People started screaming and running away.
Wondering what was going on, I glanced back to see the man, who had been trembling just moments ago, pulling a wand from his pants.
“How dare you…! How dare a nobody like you treat me like a piece of sh-?!”
“…So he really is insane.”
A mage pulling out a wand was no different from a civilian pulling out a gun. In a situation like this, as a mage registered with the Magic Tower and the government, I was permitted to subdue the opponent for my own safety and the safety of the citizens.
In other words, it was considered self-defense.
“I’ll kill you—”
CRACK-!!
The guy took my light punch to his face and went flying, rolling a few times on the floor before finally coming to a stop.
Even without using ‘Extreme Speed,’ I was a veteran at reinforcing my body with magic.
Closing the distance and landing a punch on a 1st Circle mage before he could even cast a spell was nothing.
The situation was over in a mere ten seconds. Every single person stared at the unconscious man with a bewildered expression.
“By the way, what was his name?”
“…Yuseongjun.”
I couldn't care less about some guy's name, but I figured I should at least remember the name of the person whose nose I just broke.
In any case, Yuseongjun, who had been knocked out by my single punch, was dragged away by department store security guards who had rushed to the scene.
The security team leader who arrived next demanded an explanation, but after I showed him my Wizard Registration Card, I was assured that I could leave after answering just a few questions.
Of course, being in a hurry, I had no intention of answering faithfully. ‘Yuseongjun pulled out his wand first, so I subdued him for the safety of the citizens.’ I summed it up with that one sentence and left.
The flustered security team leader called after me, but that wasn't my problem. If he was that curious, he could check the CCTV or ask the other witnesses.
Besides, thanks to Choi Hyena, I wouldn't face any legal trouble.
However, the commotion seemed to be drawing people from other floors, and the crowd around us was growing larger. Seeing that, I was certain that sticking around would only lead to more trouble.
I grabbed Choi Hyena’s wrist and quickly slipped through the crowd.
A moment later and it wouldn't have been so easy to get out. We followed the path I’d noted earlier, and soon enough, we were the only ones around.
It seemed even the people who had been browsing the stores had all gone to see the unconscious Yuseongjun with his broken nose.
Congratulating him on becoming an overnight SNS star, I sat down on a nearby bench to catch my breath.
“Sorry for pulling you away so suddenly. If we stayed there any longer, it would’ve gotten annoying…”
“What are you?”
Choi Hyena cut me off abruptly, her eyes piercing into me as if demanding an explanation.
“You were definitely 2nd Circle. So what was that magic power just now?!”
“…Can you calm down for a second?”
“How can I calm down after seeing that!”
I was a little taken aback by Choi Hyena grilling me like a detective interrogating a suspect, but I couldn't say I didn't understand her reaction.
In fact, I had anticipated it to some extent.
From her perspective, I had jumped from the 2nd Circle to the 4th overnight. I never thought I could just let it slide without any explanation.
A mage’s realm isn't a gentle hill; it's a steep mountain range.
Going from the 1st Circle to the 2nd was a completely different matter from going from the 3rd to the 4th.
To Choi Hyena, who knew this, it must have looked like I’d just flown over that mountain range in a helicopter.
“…I got lucky. The real-world experience of fighting monsters in the isolated gate and witnessing the Tower Lord’s magic gave me an epiphany. While I was resting, I meditated on my Circles and processed what I’d learned, and I happened to be able to form the fourth ring.”
“You were able to reach the 4th Circle in one go with just that…?”
“It’s only on the surface. The inside is a complete mess, so it’ll probably take me years to stabilize it. You should probably consider me a 3rd Circle mage, really.”
“…”
Choi Hyena seemed quite shocked, remaining silent for a long time. Even so, I couldn't tell her about my ability.
With Iris or Cheon Yeo-hwa, it was fine if information leaked, since they were in other worlds. But Choi Hyena was different.
No matter what, Earth was my home, the place I would live until I died. As long as my ability wasn't completely foolproof, the fewer people who knew about it, the better.
It wasn't that I didn't trust Choi Hyena. The problem was that there were just too many unheard-of abilities in this world. There was always a chance that information about me could leak, regardless of her intentions.
Besides, it wasn't a matter of never telling her. When I was confident I could handle the fallout even if the information got out, I planned to tell her everything.
Of course, Choi Hyena had no way of knowing that, so there was no conversation between us for the entire walk to the store. Still, I found a small measure of comfort in the fact that she didn't pull her hand away from mine.
And so, amidst an unintentionally quiet date, we arrived at today’s destination: [Hircus’s General Store].
Stepping inside, we were greeted by an interior that felt a little different from the other stores. Overall, it had the feel of a shop in a market district rather than a department store.
“Oh, customers…?”
An employee emerged from the back of the store, having noticed our presence, but her appearance was anything but ordinary.
With goat horns on either side of her head and long, drooping ears, she was not human, but a goat-kin.
Of course, it wasn't unusual for herbivorous beast-kin to work in the service industry, but the employee’s considerable beauty was what really caught my eye.
She was short, only coming up to my solar plexus, with fluffy-looking hair and gentle eyes.
Up to this point, she was just a cute beast-kin, but her main feature was her chest.
It was enormous, visible even through her rather thick clothes. I wondered if they could even rival Iris’s.
The unbelievable, unbalanced proportions stole my gaze before I knew it.
But that was only for a moment.
“Ack?!”
Squeeze! A sharp pain shot through my side.
It was raw, unrestrained violence, with no attempt to control the force. I slowly turned just my eyes to the side. It was for a split second, but my eyes met Choi Hyena’s, which were filled with killing intent.
My body couldn't help but tense up and tremble like a leaf, as if I’d just been sentenced to death.
“What a lovely couple…?”
“We’re not a couple.”
“Really…?”
“Yes.”
“But you were holding hands so sweetly, and you even pinched his side to warn him the moment he looked at my chest…?”
“…We’re not.”
At the employee’s sharp observation, Choi Hyena unlaced her fingers from mine and took a step away from me.
To others, it might have looked like she pulled away without a second thought, but as the one who had been holding her hand, I knew.
I knew how much conflict she had gone through to make that decision.
If the employee hadn't been here, I would have pulled her into a hug right away. It was a shame I couldn't.
“Ah… I-I’m sorry… I’m often told I’m not very perceptive… I’ve made things awkward for your boyfriend…”
Noticing the subtle awkwardness between us, the employee fidgeted with her drooping ears, embarrassed.
“It’s fine. You don’t have to worry about it…”
“No…! As the owner, if I’ve made a customer uncomfortable, it’s only right that I pay the price…!”
What, she’s the owner? She looks a little young to be an owner.
“I usually only do this on special occasions… Now, where did I put it…?”
As the goat-kin started rummaging behind the counter, I scanned the inside of the store.
Despite its name, the items displayed in the shop were all things you could find anywhere. In fact, it seemed there were more things missing than present.
The reason I came here today was because of a recommendation from Grandma Choi Young-ok.
To be precise, I wasn't here to buy something, but to make a request.
‘…But is my bank balance going to be okay?’
If it comes down to it, I’ll have to pay with magic stones instead of money, or borrow from Choi Hyena.
“Ah…! I found it…!”
With a bright smile, the goat girl came rushing toward us, cradling something in her arms.
At first, I thought she was going to show us a special item she didn't sell to other customers, but that didn't seem to be the case.
“…A crystal ball?”
What the goat girl brought over was none other than a large crystal ball.
It certainly looked quite expensive, but I didn't particularly need one.
“I’ll read your fortunes for you…!”
“Excuse me?”
“My tribe is famous for astrology…!”
“Astrology? Don’t tell me… you’re an Astrologer…??”
A goat-kin and astrology.
Hearing those two keywords, I couldn't help but be surprised.
An Astrologer, a type of prophet said to be attainable only by a Dual Magician who had mastered the concept of stars and alchemy.
Mages who peered into the future and shared what they saw with the people of the present.
I had heard that, since ancient times, only the goat-kin of a specific tribe had ever been active as Astrologers.
“I-I’m not an Astrologer…”
“You’re not?”
“I-It’s just a hobby…”
“…Ah.”
The atmosphere instantly chilled because of me getting my hopes up and counting my chickens before they hatched.
“…What kind of fortune is it?”
Only after I spoke up to clear the air did the goat girl regain her bright smile.
“It’s a reading to see a couple’s compatibility…!”
“Ah.”
Honestly, I wasn't expecting anything grand, but this was the kind of thing only teenage girls would be into.
“…We’ll get our fortunes read next time. We’re short on time.”
“Ah…”
My reaction made her disappointment overflow from her expression and posture, but I couldn't help it; we were in a hurry.
“I-It’s pretty accurate, you know…”
“How accurate?”
The one who stopped the goat girl as she was sadly returning to the counter with the crystal ball was none other than Choi Hyena.
“W-Well, every couple who got a good reading from me ended up getting married that same year…!”
At the goat girl’s strangely confident answer, Choi Hyena’s expression became unreadable.
Right, there was no way someone with her personality would be interested in a compatibility reading. She must have just been asking to console the goat girl…
“Then please read our fortune.”