Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Tail Tag
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“The second evaluation is a group evaluation called ‘Tail Tag’.”
At Yashio’s nod, the waiting staff laid out dozens of strands of red silk on the floor.
“These silk tails have been magically treated to maintain a length of one meter, no matter how many times you tie them. So don't waste your energy; just tie them appropriately.”
Yashio grabbed the silk tail that appeared on his lower back and wrapped it around his waist several times, but like a magic trick, it maintained its one-meter length.
“That said, they aren't imbued with grand magic like artifacts, so they can be easily cut physically and damaged by magic. Now, you've probably figured it out by now, but this evaluation will be conducted with two types of teams: the Tail Team and the Chaser Team. The Tail Team will be evaluated on how well they protect the length of their tail, while the Chaser Team will be evaluated on how many tails they manage to cut.”
As soon as he heard Yashio's words, Lee Si-woo understood the theme of this evaluation.
‘A mission designed to test escape and pursuit abilities. Just as I thought… did something happen in the Niam Mountains?’
Seeing as the theoretical evaluation was excluded and the mission was structured around practical combat, it was clear this evaluation wasn't prepared simply to gauge individual abilities.
‘With all twelve Magic Towers gathered in one place, and me having destroyed the barrier, the elites of every tower must have poured into the mountains all at once. It's impossible for trouble not to have broken out in that chaotic situation… and since no one knows who destroyed the barrier, mistrust and suspicion must have piled up like a snowdrift. Heh, this… I think I really pulled the trigger. It seems the Magic Towers are preparing for war.’
Of course, it was still just a suspicion based on the evaluation, so it was too early to be certain.
Besides, wars between the established powers don't just happen easily.
But it was also true that his intuition was leaning towards war for some reason.
So, Lee Si-woo needed to prepare to some extent.
‘I have to aim for the top three, no, for first place, whatever it takes. My status needs to be that of a prodigy responsible for the Magic Towers' future to avoid being treated as disposable in an emergency. Well, as long as Isabelle is around, I probably won't be treated that way… but since I'm human, you never know.’
Just as Lee Si-woo was reigniting his determination to win the evaluation, Yashio continued his explanation of Tail Tag.
“The Tail and Chaser Teams will each consist of four members. The Tail Team will select one member to wear the tail after discussion. Just give the red silk to that chosen member. Also, keep in mind that since this is a group evaluation, individual contributions are meaningless.”
The atmosphere among the mages, who understood what Yashio's words implied, changed completely.
Individual contributions being meaningless meant that, depending on who you teamed up with, so-called free-riding was possible.
The mages began eyeing the powerhouses in the top ten, calculating their potential gains and losses.
‘Wow, if I play this right, I could coast through. If Ixion has the tail, who would dare touch him? And if Ixion is chasing, who could possibly withstand it?’
‘Any of the top ten powerhouses would do, not just Ixion. Right, as long as it's not Lee Si-woo. Anyone but Lee Si-woo.’
‘The Elder didn't mention that artifacts are banned this time. That means Lee Si-woo, who secretly reaped the benefits of an artifact last time, is going to be left out in the cold.’
‘The Elder said Lee Si-woo didn't use an artifact… Hmph, his grandson is best friends with Lee Si-woo, so how do we know if that's a lie or not?’
One of the mages raised his hand and asked a question.
“Elder, you said teams of four, but as I understand it, the number of participants isn't perfectly divisible. What happens if a team doesn't have enough members…?”
Yashio let out a laugh like a grumpy old man and said,
“What do you think? Connections and reputation are also skills. If you happen to be left alone, you'll just have to manage on your own.”
Hearing Yashio's words, the mages let out faint, knowing chuckles.
Yahalong, intuiting that he and Lee Si-woo were the targets of that laughter, raised his hand with a deathly pale face.
“You're saying that even if a team is short on members in a group evaluation, they have to proceed as is?! Th-that's completely unfair!”
At his grandson's bold objection, Yashio scoffed and shot back.
“A brat who was born into an Elder's family and has received every privilege in the Magic Tower dares to whine about fairness.”
At Yashio's blatant mockery, Yahalong, unlike a typical troll, lowered his head with a beet-red face.
Just as he said, having never once been treated unfairly, Yahalong was all the more unfamiliar with such a situation.
Yahalong groaned, fidgeting anxiously.
‘Crap, if this happens, we're totally screwed…’
Watching him, Lee Si-woo, who was standing beside him, chuckled and patted his shoulder.
“What are you so worried about? The Elder is right. If we're alone, we'll manage alone; if there are two of us, we'll manage as two. Gathering people is also a skill, after all. Besides… you didn't enter this evaluation without knowing you'd have to overcome obstacles like this to get results, did you?”
Yahalong stared at Lee Si-woo with an exasperated look, wondering how he could be so nonchalant despite the disadvantage they were facing in the group evaluation.
“Dude, that's easier said than done…”
“You're riding on a tiger's back; what's the point if you don't trust the tiger? Trust me. I don't know how many of these team evaluations there will be, but if you just trust and follow me, I guarantee you won't end up in the lower ranks, Yahalong.”
Lee Si-woo's soft-spoken yet confident voice had a strange quality that put people at ease.
Perhaps because of that, Yahalong, feeling a bit less anxious, smacked his lips and said,
“*Tsk*, I trust you, I do. But the situation is just so bad…”
“The situation isn't bad at all. In fact, the fewer members our team has, the better. That way, we can ask the Elder for some minor benefits.”
“Minor benefits?”
“Yes. In a little while, if we happen to have the fewest members…”
Lee Si-woo explained a few things to Yahalong, who just nodded blankly like a child running an errand for his mother.
A moment later, Yashio, who had deliberately given the mages some time to discuss, spoke.
“I'll give you twenty minutes starting now. Form your teams of four on your own. However, any ambiguous teams that haven't formed a group of four after ten minutes will proceed with the evaluation as they are, so keep that in mind. Now… begin!”
As soon as Yashio finished speaking, chaos erupted.
The mages flocked to the top-ten prodigies like people rushing for first-come, first-served prizes at a festival.
The courtship aimed at the top three—Ixion, Schizo, and Nobrad—was especially intense. Some pestered them, offering coins to be accepted, while others offered staggering amounts of points or artifacts as payment.
Even though the only prize for the evaluation was a promotion pill for the top three finishers, the reason they were so desperate was clear.
It was because ranking in the top tier versus the middle tier in this evaluation would completely change the course of their careers.
Lee Si-woo, standing quietly in a corner avoiding the crowd like someone taking shelter from a sudden shower under the eaves, spoke to Yahalong.
“I counted, and there are 129 people. Fewer than I thought.”
“That just means a lot of 2nd Circle mages died in the Niam Mountains.”
“There are just over fifty 2nd Circle participants this time… so around seventy 3rd Circle mages? That's not many.”
“It can't be helped. Two-thirds of the 4th Circle mages were wiped out there, and the 5th Circle mages are in the single digits. Mid-to-high-ranking mages aren't considered precious for nothing. No… more importantly, is this the time to be so calm? Huh? Seriously, no one is coming over! What are you going to do about this!”
Yahalong had been exaggerating his worries, but he hadn't expected that literally no one would come.
No matter how much they suspected Lee Si-woo had used a trick, right?
He never imagined Lee Si-woo, who ranked a respectable seventh, would be given such a cold shoulder.
Lee Si-woo, on the other hand, had expected things to turn out this way.
Even on Earth, where things were relatively better, all sorts of disadvantages and discrimination occurred just because of a different skin color. How much worse would it be here, where the species itself was different?
Even if there were some who secretly judged Lee Si-woo to be competent, it was obvious they wouldn't dare approach him, conscious of others' gazes.
Whether on Earth or in the Main Dimension, it was all the same: anyone who hung out with an outcast was treated like an outcast.
“I told you not to worry. Didn't I say the fewer people we have, the better?”
Overwhelmed with stress, Yahalong muttered while tearing at his hair.
“Ah… what am I going to do with this crazy bastard? I'm going to lose my mind…”
Lee Si-woo said with a grin.
“Well, if you're that anxious, I won't stop you from joining that group over there.”
“…What are you talking about? Why would I go over there…”
“With 129 people, if we assume teams of four, that makes 31 teams. If you exclude us, there's exactly one team left with three members… In that case, there's only one person they'd be looking to recruit, isn't there?”
Sure enough, after the storm of commotion had passed and team formations were mostly settled.
A single team that hadn't found its last member approached Lee Si-woo and Yahalong.
However, what Lee Si-woo hadn't expected was that the leader of this remaining team was Schizo, who ranked second in the damage-per-second evaluation.
Piercing eyes and magnificent brown-feathered wings.
Schizo, a member of the Falcon tribe, which boasted exceptional prestige even among the avians, spoke.
“Yahalong, join us.”
As Schizo—with his charming sky-blue eyes that seemed to contain the firmament itself and his golden beak—gazed at him intently, Yahalong felt his resolve waver without realizing it.
It couldn't be helped.
No matter how highly he thought of Lee Si-woo, this was an ace who was a member of the Falcon tribe and had ranked second in the first evaluation.
It was only natural to be swayed by Schizo's invitation.
But Yahalong squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.
He truly, desperately wanted to accept, but Lee Si-woo wasn't just a colleague; he was his savior.
His troll pride would not allow him to betray such a person for a moment of greed.
“Sorry, but I'm already taken.”
At the unexpected refusal, Schizo furrowed his brow.
He had turned down the pleas of countless mages to seek out Yahalong, driven by the ambition to win the favor of the judge, Yashio, by recruiting him, and to forge a connection with the uniquely pedigreed Yahalong.
And yet, he was being rejected because of that lowly human?
Thoroughly offended, Schizo shot back in a blunt tone.
“Yahalong, Lee Si-woo is a human.”
Lee Si-woo, who had been standing there blankly, answered in his stead.
“What's wrong with me being human?”
Perhaps finding Lee Si-woo's smiling face irritating, Schizo spoke in an icy voice.
“I don't think I need to spell it out for you. Everyone knows why cockroaches are disgusting.”
“Isn't that a species-discriminatory remark?”
Even at the accusation of being a speciesist, Schizo didn't flinch.
“I don't know about that. I've never heard that stating a fact is discrimination.”
“Oh, is that so? Then I wonder why I find your words so grating. Hmm, maybe it's because you're an ignorant birdbrain?”
As Lee Si-woo openly called him a birdbrain to his face, grating on his nerves, Schizo ground his beak and said,
“You human bastard, getting a decent backer has made you too cocky. But… keep this in mind. Since this evaluation is combat-oriented, accidents are bound to happen.”
Schizo threatened him, radiating killing intent, but Lee Si-woo simply responded with a smile, showing no sign of fear whatsoever.
Just then, Yashio's low voice rumbled, echoing in the mages' ears.
“Five minutes left. Prepare to finalize your teams.”
As time grew short, Schizo fixed his gaze on Yahalong like a nail and calmly tried to persuade him.
“Yahalong, if you join me, I will take responsibility and carry you to the highest ranks in this evaluation. On the other hand, while Lee Si-woo did place in the top ten, regardless of whether his skills are genuine or just luck, he has too many enemies. That means there's a limit to what he can achieve, no matter how hard he tries.”
Schizo's words were reasonable.
In fact, judged coolly, it was ridiculous for Yahalong to even be hesitating over this choice.
A lottery ticket that was a guaranteed winner versus one you had to scratch to find out.
It was as clear as day which one he should choose.
Sensing Yahalong's wavering heart, Schizo pressed on with his persuasion.
“Yahalong, I saved a spot for you, even though it could have been a self-defeating move. But what has Lee Si-woo done? He's just incompetently relying on your generosity, isn't he?”
Despite Schizo's attempt to drive a wedge between them, Lee Si-woo didn't seem particularly offended and spoke to Yahalong in a gentle voice.
“Choose what's comfortable for you. If you want to go, you can. Honestly, even I would probably choose their team. Oh, and of course, don't worry. I won't hold a grudge or do anything petty later because of this.”
At Lee Si-woo's words, Yahalong's expression became strange.
The human heart is a curious thing. Logically, he wanted to go with Schizo, but when Lee Si-woo actually pushed him to, he found himself strangely reluctant to leave.
After agonizing over it for a moment, Yahalong finally threw caution to the wind and blurted out,
“Sorry, I'm sticking with Lee Si-woo. You guys will do fine on your own as a team of three, but if I leave too, Lee Si-woo will be completely alone. Trolls have honor. I can't do that.”
Lee Si-woo's eyes were smiling, but he grumbled with his mouth.
“Excuse me, but I do just fine on my own. Besides, having you here isn't much help anyway, Yahalong.”
“…Don't piss me off. I might just take you up on that and leave for real.”
“Hey, a real man like you wouldn't go back on his word, would he, Yahalong? Once you've said it, that's it.”
“Hah… how did I ever get mixed up with a guy like this…”
Schizo, who had been watching the two of them act out their little skit, scoffed and spun around.
“If that's what you wish, Yahalong, then so be it. I hope you don't regret it.”
Just as Schizo was about to walk away, Lee Si-woo stopped him.
“Don't get all butt-hurt and spout nonsense like 'I'll make you regret this.' Let's make a coin bet.”
Schizo's eyes flashed as he spoke in a low, grim voice.
“'Spout nonsense,' you say... Lee Si-woo. You'd do well to learn to speak more politely. You might just disappear without a trace one day.”
“Stop trying to act tough and just answer the question. The coin bet, are you in or out?”
Schizo glared at Lee Si-woo with ice-cold eyes and said,
“What are the terms?”
“If your team has the tail, I'll cut it. If my team has the tail, you cut it. Loser pays 500 coins. How about it? Oh, and of course, if we're on the same side, the bet's off.”
At the mention of 500 coins, both Yahalong's and Schizo's eyes wavered.
500 coins was a burdensome amount even for a 4th Circle mage, so it went without saying for a 3rd Circle mage like Schizo.
He'd probably have to empty out every coin he had just to cover it.
Schizo said in a surly tone.
“A penniless bastard making reckless bets. Do you even have 500 coins? Do you have any idea how much that is?”
“My backer is Lady Isabelle and my friend is Yahalong. Do you think a mere 500 coins is a big deal? If I don't have it, I'll find a way to get it, so just answer me. Are you in or out? No, let me rephrase: are you scared or not?”
At Lee Si-woo's relentless provocation, sparks flew from Schizo's eyes.
“I'm in.”
“Okay, good. Let's do this.”
As Schizo shot Lee Si-woo a murderous glare as if looking at a sworn enemy before leaving, Yahalong made a fuss and jabbed him in the side with his elbow.
“You crazy bastard! What are you doing! Are you nuts?! If you'd just stayed quiet, you could've at least flown under the radar! What are you thinking, making an enemy of the second-ranked guy! And how are you planning to beat him?!”
“He was going to be an enemy even if I did nothing. So I might as well piss him off a little more. And don't worry. If I become a Chaser, there's a chance I might lose… but if I'm on the Tail Team, he couldn't beat me if he died and came back to life. So…”
Lee Si-woo said with a grin.
“Do your best with what I told you earlier. If not for this opportunity, when else would I get to ride on the coattails of an Elder's grandson?”
At Lee Si-woo's words, Yahalong's face crumpled.
And he thought.
It seemed the lifeline he had grabbed was completely rotten.