Chapter 330: In Search of the Answer (1)
Chapter 330: In Search of the Answer (1)
Man, that Magicanic geezer’s still got it.
He’d been retired for quite a while, so I expected him to be significantly weaker and threw a light attack, but to think he’d actually block my opening move, even if I was holding back.
I got a bit excited and cranked up the speed and intensity, which resulted in the catastrophe of Magicanic being carried off to the infirmary, but that wasn't my fault.
Sure, I held back less than usual, but Magicanic managed to block all my attacks one way or another.
He’s getting up there in age, and being retired didn't help, so he was gradually pushed back. The match was decided at the final moment when my hammer smashed through his barrier.
But what is my specialty?
Isn't it beating people up just enough so they don't actually die?
That’s why, after forcing The Hammer to a halt right in front of his face, I intended to use the giant hammer blocking his vision to land a Magical Girl-style Inch Punch to his waist.
However, before either The Hammer or my fist could even touch him, Magicanic let out a scream and collapsed to the ground.
What was that? A Hollywood action? Was this some wicked mage’s scheme to make me look like the bad guy?
That suspicion flickered through my mind for a brief moment.
But that thought was instantly erased by the single sentence Magicanic wheezed out.
“…My… my back…. Call… call a doctor….”
A Herniated Disc.
That terrifying curse that comes for people as they age.
It seems it had finally blown out due to the intense exercise.
I’ve never had a slipped disc myself, so I can’t exactly empathize, but I’ve had my back broken several times, so I imagine it’s something like that.
Anyway, the battle ended rather anticlimactically with Magicanic’s self-destruction. It weighed on my mind a bit as he was carried to the infirmary, shouting, “I’ll curse you! Lee Ha-ram!” before disappearing.
But honestly, wasn't that not my fault?
It’s not like I actually landed the Inch Punch on his waist. His back gave out due to his own lack of self-care before my hand even reached him, so why blame me?
Regardless, I won by decision, so I’m the one in the right.
If you’re a mage, act like one and accept your defeat gracefully.
Setting aside that pitiful battle result, I did learn one thing.
Magicanic probably isn't the one who inflicted this bad luck on me.
No matter how you look at it, Magicanic’s back suddenly blowing out has nothing to do with my own misfortune.
If Magicanic were the main caster of the spell on me, he should have been protected by the strongest bad luck, so something like that wouldn't have happened.
If I had actually slammed my fist into his waist and caused the disc to pop, you could say my actions acted as a necessity that transcended bad luck.
But Magicanic’s back problem happened before I even touched him.
In my imagination, if Magicanic were the culprit, the moment my fist hit his waist, it probably would have acted as a form of physical therapy and fixed his back instead.
Of course, there’s a possibility that this whole situation is an act to avoid being caught as the caster.
…But if I start thinking like that, the scope becomes too broad.
To be honest, I don't really expect to find the culprit this way.
If there’s a reason I’m meeting these renowned mages face-to-face like this…
It’s because I’m bored, and it doubles as stress relief.
On top of that, the folks I’m visiting today are the ones who hung me on a cross the first day I arrived here.
In other words, people who hold a grudge against me.
To put it another way, they’re the ones most likely to have done something to me.
Which means they’re people I can send to the infirmary without feeling too guilty about it.
Plus.
“Causing trouble again today, I see, Crimson★Hammer! Take this! A new barrier I spent all night crafting…!”
There’s also this consistent fellow behind me with the familiar voice.
“Shut it.”
Reacting to the voice, I grabbed The Hammer embedded in the ground, leaped up, and used the recoil of the handle to deliver a dropkick straight to his head.
“…Cowardly….”
“You were trying to ambush me too, so what are you talking about?”
It was Magic Weaver, his horn-rimmed glasses shattering under my feet once again.
Where on earth does this guy get so many pairs of those glasses?
With that idle thought, I knocked out yet another mage holding a seat on The Council.
He seemed to have prepared some kind of magic, but the great mage collapsed at my feet before he could even manifest it.
Wondering when this guy would finally stop screaming, I left the unconscious Magic Weaver where he lay and moved on.
I wanted to subject Magic Weaver to a humiliation that would stay with him for the rest of his life to make him repent, but there are many mages left on the list, and my time is precious.
* * *
“Ah, I see. Then, I will pass that message along.”
The Management Bureau staff member spoke into the phone in front of me.
Judging by the reaction, it seemed this would end the same way as the others.
“I’m sorry, Hero Lee Ha-ram. It appears the professor in question is currently away from his office.”
Tsk. Just as I thought.
“Any idea where he went…?”
I asked, just in case.
“Unfortunately, he didn't leave any specific message.”
I see.
I’d already confirmed he’d fled, leaving only his disciples behind when I stormed his lab once before, so asking the staff member was just a secondary check.
I thought that if I looked for him indirectly without letting him know who was searching, I might be able to track him down.
But as expected of high-ranking mages.
Being the type who are always terrorizing each other, they don't fall for such simple bait.
Is that three of them who have run away now?
I want to treat all three as culprits and beat them up, but if they don't show their faces, even I’m out of options.
If I’d known it would be like this, I should have quietly kidnapped them one by one like an assassination.
“Leave a message saying someone interested in the papers the professor wrote is looking for him, and to contact me when he returns. Oh, and don't leave my name.”
I doubt the guys who already caught on and bolted will fall for this, but the nature of a trap is that it’s important to set many of them, no matter how low the probability.
Just as scattering numerous landmines isn't considered a waste, you only need one of them to go off.
“Understood, Hero Lee Ha-ram. Is there anything else you need?”
The rumors about me must have spread through the Geneva Branch by now, so the staff member in front of me likely knows why I’m doing this.
Yet, the staff member tapping away at the computer is being incredibly professional, performing her duties without even a change in expression.
Is this the caliber of a Management Bureau employee stationed at the Geneva Branch, even if she is just a low-level staffer?
The Geneva Branch is a place where people constantly beg to be transferred within a week of arriving, and even regular employees desert their posts.
To work in a place like this, I suppose one needs this level of grit.
Anyway.
Something else I need, huh.
While I was thinking for a moment.
An explosion sounded from behind me.
I felt a wave of heat rushing toward me.
To block it, I reached behind my back, snatched the flying stone out of the air, and hurled it back at the mage who caused the explosion.
Thwack.
“Agh!”
As a result of that action, a dull thud of something hitting a person was followed by a scream.
One unlucky mage, who had been arguing today about whether he was right or not, was knocked unconscious.
The other person he’d been fighting won by default thanks to me.
As you can see, the magic that just flew my way wasn't actually aimed at me.
It’s true that I’m the hottest topic in this place right now, but mages fight among themselves whether I’m here or not.
It was just my bad luck that I happened to be within the range of their spells.
I’m not sure if the unlucky one is me or the mage who unfortunately got caught up with me.
Regardless, I ignored the unconscious mage who had tried to inconvenience me.
“You aren't surprised?”
I spoke to the staff member, who would have been hit by the stone if I hadn't been there.
I looked at the employee, who watched me with a half-smile and an unchanging expression even after such an event occurred right before her eyes.
“It’s a common occurrence. And since this area is under automatic defense magic, you don't need to worry about me; I’m fine.”
I see.
“That’s a relief. Then, is there a quiet place somewhere? No matter where I go right now, it’s a mess like this.”
Bang.
I asked the question while dodging another piece of debris flying toward us along with the sound of an explosion.
The fragment I dodged was stopped by a blue barrier that manifested right in front of the counter, just as the staff member had said, losing its momentum.
“How about staying in your quarters? Mages generally don't fight there, so it’s safe.”
That won't work.
“The quarters aren't safe either. The control system for the luxury suite is malfunctioning, and the room keeps turning into a dry sauna.”
I woke up to find Un-ho looking like a piece of dried squid.
I filled the bathtub and tossed him in before coming here, but I don't know if he’s back to normal yet.
It’s a good thing the hotel manager gave us two rooms so I could have a separate room from my disciples. If not, my disciples' skin might have been seriously damaged.
Because of that, my prediction that I wouldn't harm others was off the mark, but I suspect that’s because I consider it a normal part of daily life even if Un-ho gets subjected to something weird.
“Ah, so that kind of problem occurred at the hotel. Shall I file a complaint for you?”
“No, that’s fine. It’s my problem. More importantly, I’d like you to tell me of a safe place.”
The hotel manager is at the point where he begs for his life every time I appear in the lobby; I’m not so shameless as to demand "better service" on top of that.
What I need right now is a place where I can rest peacefully, even if just for a moment.
“Hmm, then how about renting a training hall for a while…?”
“One of those exploded.”
Magic Weaver blew it up.
“…Ah, so you were the one involved in that incident. My apologies.”
The staff member’s expression changed for the first time as she spoke.
To think that someone who didn't even blink when debris flew at her face would be flustered.
My life really is full of ups and downs.
Anyway, did she realize how serious my situation was?
The staff member, her composure slightly cracked, typed on the computer more fervently than before. I waited about a minute for an answer.
“There is a place that meets your requirements and happens to be vacant, but….”
She finally informed me that she had found a place that fit my needs.
The way her voice trailed off at the end was a bit unsettling, though.
“Where is it?”
“Um. It’s a special laboratory located in the deepest part of the basement. It’s designed for verifying Original Species Physics or for conducting experiments while blocking out as many external variables as possible….”
“Then, please get me the usage permit.”
To find the perfect place so quickly—she’s a hard-working employee.
Just as I was feeling satisfied with her work.
“I’m sorry, Hero Lee Ha-ram. I did recommend it, but perhaps another location would be better?”
With a serious expression, the staff member suggested I reconsider my choice.
“Why is that?”
“This place is designed to purify and block out Otherworldly Powers, magic, and other energies. It’s not a big problem for an ordinary person, but for those accustomed to Otherworldly Power, it can cause significant side effects. Furthermore, since you are a Magical Girl, Hero Lee Ha-ram, perhaps….”
Hmm.
This staff member is quite knowledgeable.
A Magical Girl, made of Otherworldly Power, dropped into a place where that power doesn't exist.
Well, what happens next is obvious.
At first, you can hold out with the power stored in your Magic Wand, but as time passes, you feel a sense of suffocation, and your strength gradually fades.
Bit by bit, like you’re being strangled.
Of course, even if all Otherworldly Power is blocked like that, the minimum amount required for maintenance circulates within the body, so it won't lead to death, but you’ll feel the same discomfort and isolation as an aquatic creature out of water.
So, identifying my Hero type and giving me this advice was an accurate observation as an employee.
Quite capable.
I don't know why someone like this is just greeting guests in the lobby.
Are all the employees at the Geneva Branch like this?
With that thought, I spoke up to repay the staff member’s kindness.
“Ah, you’re quite right. Thank you for the advice. However, please go ahead and get the usage permit.”
“…Hero Lee Ha-ram. I’m sorry to say this again, but….”
The staff member’s advice was filled with genuine concern.
“It’s really fine, so don't worry.”
But I cut her off.
Because I already know.
“I’ve been in places like that many times before.”
I know exactly what happens when I enter such a place.