Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: The Selection Begins
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Lying on a grassy plain, watching the Milky Way flow across the night sky, an orc in light travel attire asked his western guide.
“Have you ever seen a god?”
The rat beastman twitched his whiskers, tilted his head, then shrugged and replied.
“If I’d ever seen a god, I’d be a Summoner, not a guide in some remote place like this.”
The orc laughed at the guide’s words.
Perhaps because of his characteristically rugged features, it was a smile that couldn’t be called pleasant even with the kindest of words.
Yet, for some reason, the guide quite liked that smile.
In the short time they had spent together, he had learned what a good and loyal man the orc was.
The orc, Paris, spoke.
“You might not know this, but in truth, even Summoners have never seen a god.”
“What? That can’t be right. Aren’t they the ones who serve the gods?”
“Just because one serves a king, does that mean everyone gets to see his noble face?”
“Well… I suppose that’s true… but does it matter? The reason Summoners serve the gods is to gain the authority to handle Tickets.”
“True. But still, isn’t it amusing? Beings who serve gods they’ve never even seen.”
“Now that you put it that way, it is a bit strange, but… well, if they keep serving, they’ll surely get to see them one day, wouldn’t you think?”
“No. As far as I know, no Summoner has ever met a god. Though they have heard their voices.”
“Heard their voices? Isn’t that enough?”
Paris stroked his sparsely bearded chin and said.
“Is it? Hmm, maybe so. I’ve heard their voices are quite special.”
“Anyway, Lord Paris, you think in such a unique way, just like a true explorer. There are the Black and White Hands that rule the dimensional portals, and the Five Divine Seeds who are the chosen ones… I don’t think there’s any need to doubt the existence of gods.”
“You could call it an occupational hazard. When you wander this wide world, you develop a habit of not believing anything you haven’t seen with your own eyes. Ah, but that’s not to say I don’t believe in gods. No, to be precise, I should say I’ve come to believe in them. In fact, I have seen a god.”
The guide asked in astonishment.
“What? You’ve seen a god? When?”
Paris scratched the back of his head and said.
“Umm… yesterday?”
“…”
Faced with a silent pressure that induced embarrassment, Paris offered an awkward smile.
The guide thought to himself.
*This fellow might be a good person, but he has a bad habit of spouting nonsense at all hours.*
Receiving the guide’s pitying gaze, Paris said defensively.
“H-Hey, wait a minute. Just listen to me. It’s true! I’m telling you, yesterday I crossed some kind of sky corridor and met a god wearing a strange mask. It was no joke. His voice was thunder, and his presence was no different from the sun!”
The guide stood up, scratching his lower back, stretched with a long yawn, and said.
“Come to think of it, you must be getting hungry. Just wait here. I’ll prepare a delicious meal for you.”
“…”
***
A week had already passed since Lee Si-woo had returned from meeting Isabelle.
In that short span of time, quite a lot had happened.
Isabelle had kept her promise to provide 50 villains and a betting ticket. Thanks to her, Si-woo had successfully turned the villains into souls and used the Scale of Absurdity to create ten Circle Potions.
Furthermore, he had not only read Harman’s book in the library, theoretically absorbing his deep magical knowledge and vast combat experience, but had also mastered the Omaji that had taken Harman three days to learn.
And that wasn’t all. The dethroned orc prince, Paris, had newly joined the Castle.
The only downside was that, unlike the highly useful Isabelle, Paris, a lone explorer wandering the continent, had no immediate practical use.
‘Well, he’s a dethroned prince, so he’ll probably be helpful someday. He must have connections in the empire, hidden or not, and as a five-star talent, his own abilities must be considerable. Hmm, so that just leaves the pig and the plunderer, then?’
Jin’s voice cut through Si-woo’s thoughts.
“I won’t allow it.”
Si-woo asked the pouting Jin.
“Allow what?”
“This plan. I don’t like it.”
Seeing Jin puffing out his cheeks and fuming, Si-woo gave a bitter smile.
“Don’t tell me you’re still sulking? I told you. My relationship with Isabelle is purely for show.”
“Still no! That bug is your girlfriend? Even if it’s just a pretense, it’s like casting pearls before swine—no, that’s too much. It’s a diamond necklace on a cockroach’s neck!”
“Do cockroaches have necks?”
“Huh? Come to think of it, do they… Hey, hyung! Don’t change the subject! Instead of putting on a show with that unhinged woman who has a terrible personality and not a shred of dignity, let’s just get a corporate sponsorship, okay? Please?”
As Jin pressed forward as if to grab his pant leg, Si-woo pushed his forehead back with his palm and said firmly.
“No. I prefer this way. Above all, she’s easier to deal with than the corporate world, which is full of sly snakes.”
“Ugh, that’s not the problem! Think about it, hyung. That foolish woman will mistreat you, not even knowing what a great honor it is to be with you, right? Just thinking about it makes my blood boil!”
“Hey, why are you so concerned about my honor? That’s enough. Stop with the nonsense. I told you, didn’t I? I make my own decisions. It’s already been decided, so stop whining.”
Jin glared, clenching both fists.
“Fine. If you say so, I’ll stay quiet for now. But that woman… she’d better watch herself. If she bothers you, I won’t just stand by.”
“And if you don’t stand by?”
“Hmph, obviously I’ll have to bother her back.”
“How?”
“Well.”
Si-woo shook his head with a sigh.
It was absurd how Jin could handle things flawlessly, as if he had some grand plan, yet become so sensitive and even throw a tantrum over the smallest things related to him.
Unaware of Si-woo’s inner thoughts, Jin, who had been standing with his arms crossed and huffing, perked up his ears.
*Ding-dong.*
As the hotel buzzer rang, Jin, knowing their expected guest had arrived, said.
“Hyung, I think the interview team from the broadcast station is here. But you know, right? As a human, you’re prime prey for them. So they definitely won’t be friendly.”
Si-woo replied with an indifferent expression.
“Whether I know or not, nothing changes. The editing is up to them anyway, and there’s nothing I can do about it. So for now, I’ll just have to let them lead.”
Si-woo paused for a moment, then continued with a humorless face.
“But as time passes, the situation will change. I’ll make sure of it.”
Several cameras greeted Si-woo as he left the suite.
Si-woo smiled at the elf interviewer’s false welcome.
And so, a conversation steeped in pretense began.
***
The Old Tree Magic Tower primarily focused on the elemental schools, but it also had a reputation for Spiritism, known to be the most useful of the common magics.
They were particularly famous for their skillful handling of tree spirits, and people often called the mages of the Old Tree Magic Tower the mages of the forest.
At the peak of the Old Tree Magic Tower.
Two hollows in the center of a massive tree standing there slowly opened like eyes.
The Ent, Arvore, whose hands were branches and legs were roots, spoke to the wood elf woman kneeling before him.
“Viridia, do not forget that the future of our tower rests on your shoulders.”
“Yes, I will do my utmost to ensure I do not disappoint you, Lord Arvore.”
“Doing your utmost is a given. What’s important is that you succeed.”
Skin with the texture of tree bark, an artificial beauty as if carved from wood.
A dress of leaves gently wrapped around a body that moved with the stiffness of a wooden doll.
Viridia, of the wood elf tribe who are born from trees and return to trees, spoke with a respectfully bowed head.
“The grace Lord Arvore has bestowed upon my clan is etched into my heart. Not only that, but I have also inherited the tower’s secret art of tree spiritism. How could I possibly give you cause for concern? Please, believe in me. I will without a doubt win this selection.”
The master of the Old Tree Magic Tower, Arvore, spoke in a rough, scratchy voice.
“Winning is important, but before that, it is also crucial to crush even the slightest possibility of the Senior Magic Tower gaining an advantage. Do you understand? The one they bet on. You are to eliminate him first.”
Viridia’s green eyes flashed.
“I swear it. No matter who that person is, they will absolutely not survive the selection.”
***
Run, a pub exclusively for beastmen.
From the large hologram TV installed in the center of the establishment, where all sorts of beastmen gathered, a calm voice flowed out.
—Confidence in making the Top 10? Yes, I have it. I wouldn’t have participated in the selection otherwise.
At the statement from Lee Si-woo, who was being interviewed, the beastmen sipping their mugs in the pub erupted.
“What is this? Since when do human bastards get on TV to run their mouths? Am I watching a monkey documentary or something? Huh? Are they putting these monkey bastards on TV because they feel sorry for them living and crying in the slums?”
“You idiot, do you think he’d be flapping his gums like that on TV if he had a brain? Top 10? He’s confident? Wow, I guess monkeys these days have such low IQs they can’t even grasp their own situation.”
“Dumbasses, what a load of crap. No matter how much of a pushover that monkey bastard seems, do you think a mage is a joke? Huh? You guys talk big, but you wouldn’t make a peep if he were standing in front of you.”
“Shut your mouth, you damn sycophant. What? You wanna suck his dick just because he’s a mage? You think he’ll let you have a go? Heh, dream on.”
“What? Did you just say your last words?! You wanna die?!”
As mugs and fists flew across the pub, the calm voice echoed once more.
—Other mages? Well. Is there really a need to care about such trivial people? I’ll be the one winning anyway.
Lee Si-woo’s confident declaration.
Perhaps a sharp-eyed person would notice that the movement of Si-woo’s lips on the screen didn’t match the words, but unless one was watching with focused suspicion, it would be difficult to tell.
Was it Si-woo’s interview that set him off?
A lion beastman slammed his mug down violently.
*Thud!*
The lion-man, shaking the beer from his mane, slammed his forearm—a writhing mass of scars and sinew—onto the table and roared.
“Comrades, isn’t this a beautiful world? How equal and wonderful must it be for a creature born from the crotch of a slum whore to appear on TV and spew such nonsense. Am I right?”
At the words of Kakan, the wandering lion-man mage whom the Wilderness Magic Tower had bet on, the assembled beastmen roared in agreement.
““Hear, hear!””
Kakan spread his arms wide and shouted.
“I promise you this. To avenge the humiliation you have all suffered today, I will chew his head clean off. It’s been a while since I’ve had a taste of human flesh!”
““Chew him up! And taste him!””
Amidst the enthusiastic response of the beastmen, Kakan laughed heartily, raised his mug high, and roared.
“Chew him up! And taste him!”
***
Rios, the head of the Dongbanhoe, spoke to his secretary.
“What about him? Have you hired him?”
The secretary tapped a smart pad and replied.
“Yes. He has completed his registration for the selection without any issues.”
“Good. Then lobby the broadcast station and tell them to conduct our player’s interview quietly, as if he’s barely there. Ah, the PD is a pro-corporate figure, right?”
“Of course. In fact, he approached us first. He said he would edit the Magic Tower players maliciously and gradually build our player up as a dark horse.”
“Tell him to be subtle, subtle. If he’s too obvious and it becomes an issue on social media later, it’ll be a headache. That guy has the skills for it, doesn’t he? Well, if he’s not confident, he can back out now. There are plenty of replacements.”
“I will impress upon him the importance of this. He’s a skilled PD, so he’ll handle it well.”
“Don’t forget to grease his palms appropriately if he delivers results. Ah, more importantly, I heard the person the Senior Magic Tower bet on is a human… is that true?”
“Yes, it’s certain. We’ve already confirmed everything.”
At those words, Rios clicked his tongue in pity.
“Tsk, tsk, the Senior Magic Tower has really hit rock bottom. No matter how short on talent they are, a human? That old man Kenyon’s reputation must be in tatters.”
“Still, just in case, I will instruct our player to deal with him decisively.”
“He should. We need to completely crush the Senior Magic Tower this time to make it easier for our corporations to take control of Granada. Hmm, and don’t forget to show appropriate sincerity to our benefactor within the Senior Magic Tower. This whole scheme would have been impossible without him.”
At the mention of showing sincerity to the benefactor in the Senior Magic Tower, the secretary’s eyes glinted as he replied.
“Do not worry. I will take care of it immediately.”
Pleased with his secretary’s swift response, Rios smiled, then asked with a small exclamation as if he had just remembered something.
“By the way, what about the Summoner, Elim? Is he still in seclusion?”
“Yes. He remains holed up in his quarters, not moving at all. It seems Harman’s death was a great shock to him.”
Rios, a dwarf, stroked his bushy beard and tilted his head.
“That can’t be right. That fellow Elim isn’t the sentimental type… Unless he lost a Rainbow Ticket or something… Ahem, in any case, don’t let your guard down and keep a close watch on him.”
“Understood.”
***
Five days later.
Lee Si-woo’s eyes opened with the sound of his alarm, and he rose from the bed.
He checked his smartphone for the time and saw a message from Isabelle.
—Be in front of the hotel by 9 AM. I’ll give you a ride to the selection preliminaries.
Taking a deep breath, Si-woo rolled his neck, checking his condition.
His body was nimble, his breathing light.
His mind was clear, his eyes and ears sharp.
Confirming he was in peak condition, Si-woo muttered.
“Alright, let’s go.”