Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Bickering and Breakthrough
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Carrying a fruit basket, Isabelle knocked violently on the door of the VIP hospital room, a place reserved only for key figures of the Magic Tower.
“Hey, open up.”
The hospital room door slid open, and Jin, a handsome young man with white hair, peeked his head out.
“Ah, why are you knocking so hard? Don't you know patients need absolute rest?”
Isabelle, who had been listening to Jin's complaint with a sullen face, shoved his face with her palm.
Leaving behind Jin, who was pushed away with a strange squawk, Isabelle stepped into the room.
Seeing Lee Si-woo lying on the luxurious VIP hospital bed in a full-body cast as if he'd been in a car accident, Isabelle spoke.
“Seriously, what the hell have you been doing to end up a cripple overnight?”
Unable to say he was paying the price for defeating Ixion with a Forbidden Art, Lee Si-woo gave a quiet, bitter smile.
Jin, who didn't appreciate Isabelle's harsh way of speaking, grumbled from behind her.
“Let's try to use nicer words. How can you call him a cripple... you ugly thing.”
At Jin's jab at her appearance, Isabelle retorted with a look that said she'd just heard the most absurd thing in the world.
“I'm an elf, you know?”
“That just makes it worse. It means you're at the bottom of the barrel among a race where everyone looks pretty much the same.”
As Jin treated the elves, a race of natural-born beauties, like some kind of plastic surgery pageant, Isabelle turned to Lee Si-woo with a dumbfounded expression.
“Hey, Lee Si-woo. What's this punk's deal? Why's he talking like he has a death wish?”
Lee Si-woo said with a faint sigh.
“He's always like that, so please try to understand, Lady Isabelle.”
“Understand? What the hell is there to understand? Hey, you. Get over here. You little punk. You've really met your match today.”
“Hmph, how pathetic. Getting treated like a princess in a backwater like this, you can't even tell shit from shinola.”
“Backwater? Shit? Wow… That's it. I'm taking out the trash today.”
As Isabelle's face turned red, ready to unleash her long-dormant delinquent side, Lee Si-woo let out a pained groan and spoke.
“That's enough. Nothing good will come from you two fighting. Lady Isabelle, this is Alma Graves, the youngest son of the Graves family from the Demon Country. And Alma, this is Isabelle, the Senior Magic Tower Master's treasured daughter.”
When Lee Si-woo revealed Jin's cover identity, Isabelle was stunned.
It was surprising enough that a son of the Graves family, a prestigious house from the Demon Country, was in Granada, but it was even more unbelievable that a scion of such a noble family was the roommate of a human like Lee Si-woo.
“…Is that for real?”
“He's registered as a VIP with the Wasp Corporation, so you'll know it's not a lie if you check.”
Isabelle scratched the back of her head and glared at Lee Si-woo.
“What the… I'm so damn confused. What is this situation? Huh? Why are you with the youngest son of the Graves family? Eh? How am I supposed to process this?”
“There's nothing to process. We just happened to meet, and we happened to click.”
“Don't give me that 'happened to' crap. You bastard, you expect me to believe that nonsense?”
Jin, like a little kid who just heard his friend get insulted, spoke in a sulky tone from the side.
“Do you have a sewer for a mouth? Let's use some nice words. My brother isn't so low-class as to listen to trash talk from a country bumpkin like you.”
Provoked by Jin's jab, Isabelle pointed a finger at him and shot back.
“Listen here. I don't care if you're the youngest son of the Graves family or not, this is my turf. And Lee Si-woo is my person. So why don't you either shut up or get lost back to the Central Continent? Frankly, you're getting on my nerves.”
Jin, also provoked by Isabelle's harsh words, glared.
“Why is he *your* person! He's *my* person!”
As Jin got angry over such a strange point, Lee Si-woo closed his eyes, buried the back of his head in his pillow, and wallowed in regret.
He wondered why he had allowed a meeting between Isabelle and this unpredictable eccentric.
“Bullshit. If you have a mouth, why don't you go ask anyone from the Magic Tower who passes by? Ask them who Lee Si-woo's girlfriend is.”
“It's just for show!”
“If you keep pissing me off, it might stop being just for show.”
“Hmph, as if that would work. It takes two to tango, you know? Ha, surely you don't think my brother's standards are so low that he'd mess around with you?”
“I've been letting it slide, but you're really pushing it!”
“Who's the one who's been letting things slide... You should be grateful you have some use to my brother. Otherwise, I would've slit your throat without anyone ever knowing.”
Between Jin's cold eyes, his white pearl-like pupils flashed.
For a moment, a cold shiver ran down her spine, and the startled Isabelle snapped.
She couldn't admit that, even for a brief moment, she had been intimidated by a brat like him.
“Agh, look at you, never backing down an inch. I'm gonna really…!”
Unable to listen to their childish squabble any longer, Lee Si-woo spoke in a cool voice.
“Alma. Stop.”
At Lee Si-woo's command, Jin pouted and said,
“Brother, why are you only scolding me? You saw how this woman was treating you. I don't care if she's a superior in the Tower. Her words and actions are so vulgar….”
“Alma. I never asked you to worry about that, did I? Right?”
“…That's true, but. Still….”
“Hoo… I'm sorry, but I have something to discuss with Lady Isabelle, so could you give us a moment?”
At Lee Si-woo's dismissal, Jin left the room with a dejected look, like a puppy scolded for barking at a guest.
While inwardly gloating at Jin, Isabelle was puzzled by Lee Si-woo's attitude—siding with her while putting down a son of the Graves family—and asked.
“Are you sure about this? You said he's a son of the Graves family, right?”
At Isabelle's words, Lee Si-woo, who was already feeling uneasy wondering if he'd been too harsh, let out a deep sigh as if to release all his stress and said,
“…Because to me, Lady Isabelle, you are far more important than the Graves family.”
As Lee Si-woo shamelessly uttered such cringe-worthy words, Isabelle scratched the bridge of her slightly reddened nose.
Perhaps because she'd never had someone nearby who needed and trusted her like this, it felt utterly unfamiliar.
‘This punk really knows how to play with an elf's heart. Tsk, I was originally going to grill him about where he kept getting precious things like Circle Potions… but seeing the Graves family involved makes it a bit awkward to press him. Well, I have a pretty good idea where he got them now.’
With the wealth of the Graves family, what would a few Circle Potions matter?
Inwardly convinced that Lee Si-woo had obtained the Circle Potions through the Graves family, Isabelle spoke.
“You're always flirting. Anyway, you said you had something to say?”
“Well, you know that I took care of you during the recent tea party, right?”
At Lee Si-woo's subtle reminder, Isabelle scoffed and said,
“Hmph, so that's what this was about. Fine, what do you want?”
“I want a public official position.”
“A public position? You?”
“Yes. Specifically, I'd like to join the Budget Department… Is that possible?”
The Budget Department was the very core of the Magic Tower's public administration.
Because when discussing any organization, the budget was always the first thing to be considered.
That's why joining the Budget Department was the dream of every mage in the Tower.
It was the surest first step toward wealth and glory, as the department was the epicenter of all power and corruption.
“No can do. All the spots for the Budget Department this year have already been filled internally.”
“I don't know about that. I'm sure it's possible for you, Lady Isabelle, given your recently bolstered influence.”
“It's not impossible if I force it, but it would put me in a rather difficult position. You know, right? That you have a fatal disqualifying factor.”
“…Because I'm human?”
“Right. Even if I'm a delinquent, there are lines I can't cross. So give it up. I'm not an idiot, why would I risk my political standing by bringing a human into the Budget Department? It's pointless. Let's make the price for this deal something else. What can't be done, can't be done.”
Faced with Isabelle's unyielding attitude, as impenetrable as a wall, Lee Si-woo realized further persuasion was useless.
Of course, that didn't mean he had given up.
Getting into the Budget Department was the crucial first step of the plan he had devised.
‘A pity, but I'll have to wait until Pames sends the ingredients.’
Promising himself to try again after his body recovered, Lee Si-woo made light conversation with Isabelle.
And so, a month passed.
* * *
Lee Si-woo overcame the puppetry penalty of broken limbs and, as soon as he received the 'Bewitching Tongue' and 'Brain Hunter' sent by Pames via Witch Express, he immediately connected to Barathrum.
In Barathrum, the Butler greeted Lee Si-woo.
“You have arrived, my Lord.”
“It has been a while. Ah, that's right, I received a message that the mining operation was complete.”
“Yes. With Ixion joining, we have made progress on the previously sluggish work.”
“Good work. With this, the Mineralization ability has also reached the diamond level.”
“I am simply relieved we could complete the mission before the grand undertaking.”
At the mention of a grand undertaking, Lee Si-woo's expression darkened slightly.
With Kenyon watching his every move, the situation was far from relaxed.
The Butler, as if sensing Lee Si-woo's inner thoughts, spoke carefully.
“My Lord. Thanks to the energy absorbed from the ruins before, Barathrum is on the verge of growth. We need to find the next ruin site.”
“Hmm, it seems devouring Ixion wasn't enough.”
“Indeed. The energy required for a tier upgrade is so immense that devouring any ordinary being barely makes a dent now….”
“I understand. Once we get through this crisis, I will immediately look for a new ruin site. Ah, and please call Harman. I need to use the Advancement Pills today.”
At Lee Si-woo's command, the Butler clapped his hands lightly, and Harman was summoned before him.
Harman, who appeared to have been in the middle of magic research—wearing reading glasses and holding a grimoire—immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing Lee Si-woo.
“It has been a long time, my Lord.”
“Good to see you, Harman. I'm sorry to bother you when you look busy, but I'll need your help today.”
Lee Si-woo had Harman, who answered his call, reside in a corner of his mind, then immediately began the process of breaking through to the next level using the Advancement Pills.
Taking out five Advancement Pills from his inventory ring, Lee Si-woo took a light breath and consumed the first one.
Srrk.
The moment it entered his mouth, the pill went down his throat with a bittersweet taste and immediately took effect.
Mana, like a calm river stream, began to soak his magic roots.
-My Lord. Please hand over control of the mana to me.
Unlike the violent mana from the elemental stones, the Advancement Pill was as docile as a well-trained hound, but Lee Si-woo, judging that carelessness was not an option, immediately handed over mana control to Harman.
Just as expected, the moment Harman took control of the mana, the Advancement Pill revealed its true nature.
As if it had never been docile, the mana began to fluctuate erratically.
But even so, the Advancement Pill, a mere 3rd Circle elixir, could not escape the control of Harman, a 4th Circle Master.
Harman skillfully seized control of the pill's mana and began guiding it into Lee Si-woo's magic roots.
‘It's going smoothly.’
If the elemental stones, natural elixirs, were wild horses, then the Advancement Pill, refined through alchemy, could be seen as a warhorse thoroughly trained by a master.
Was that why?
It didn't take long for Lee Si-woo's six magic roots to fill with mana.
But as expected of a multi-rooted mage, even though he was on the verge of Master rank, breaking through the wall with a single Advancement Pill was impossible.
‘Heh, thanks to the insane efficiency of the Hexagram, I boast the same growth rate as a dual-rooted mage despite having six roots, and I still can't break through…? Tsk, no wonder everyone avoids becoming a multi-rooted mage. If by some chance I hadn't obtained the Hexagram, I can't even imagine how many years it would have taken to reach the 3rd Circle.’
It was disappointing, but a fully expected situation. Lee Si-woo immediately consumed the second Advancement Pill.
Wooooong.
The Circle, feeding on the Advancement Pill as nourishment, spun repeatedly before spawning a new one.
Only after being bolstered by two whole Advancement Pills did he finally reach the Beginner stage of the 3rd Circle.
The newly born third Circle spun shyly above the other two.
Lee Si-woo immediately took out the next Advancement Pill.
He instinctively knew that this was the most opportune moment.
Srrk.
As the third Advancement Pill was consumed, the momentum of the Circles grew even stronger.
The third Circle began to spin fiercely like a pinwheel caught in a gust of wind, its size gradually increasing.
But even amid this, the disappointing part was that the pill's efficacy was significantly diminished compared to the first.
This was due to 'medicinal resistance,' an unavoidable side effect of any elixir.
‘Because of this resistance, the effect of the pills gets worse the more I take. It's a shame... with just these Advancement Pills, the best I can hope for is reaching the Expert stage.’
Lee Si-woo's prediction was accurate.
After the third pill, he took the fourth, which brought his level to the peak of Beginner. Only after eating the fifth Advancement Pill did he barely manage to reach the Expert stage of the 3rd Circle.
Having consumed all the Advancement Pills, Lee Si-woo smacked his lips like a glutton who hadn't eaten his fill.
‘A pity. I was hoping to reach Master all at once.’
-Heh heh, my Lord. Please do not be too disappointed. It has not even been a few months since you reached the 2nd Circle, and now you are at the 3rd Circle—and at the Expert stage, no less. Considering that a mage of average talent takes three years at the earliest, and up to ten years at the latest, to reach the Beginner stage of the 3rd Circle, you are growing more than fast enough. Furthermore, are you not a multi-rooted mage, far from an ordinary one?
As Harman said, Lee Si-woo's current growth rate was not just fast, but monstrous.
To put it bluntly, had it not been less than half a year since he started on the path of a mage that he reached the 3rd Circle?
In fact, a talent of this caliber was rare enough to be counted on one hand throughout the entire history of the Main Dimension.
‘True, I'm already growing at a speed that leaves nothing to be desired, so excessive greed is forbidden. Alright, let's move on to the next step.’
Having reached the Expert stage of the 3rd Circle, Lee Si-woo immediately prepared to use the divination art, 'Questioning Divination.'
A month ago, Lee Si-woo had tried to divine Kenyon's movements through fortune-telling, but had only achieved partial success.
In response to his question, the jewel had only replied to ask again in a month, revealing nothing else.
This was because, with his shallow proficiency at the mere 2nd Circle, it was impossible for him to completely see through the future of a 6th Circle mage, even with the power of Barathrum.
‘Still, it wasn't without a hint. Being told to ask in a month meant that I had about a month's time. That's why I immediately resolved the penalty from the Forbidden Art.’
And today, a month later, Lee Si-woo was once again attempting to see into Kenyon's mind through divination.
Kneeling on the ground, Lee Si-woo let the ruby necklace slip halfway from his hand, and it settled gently on the dirt floor.
Having finished his preparations to cast the Questioning Divination, Lee Si-woo asked the jewel.
“When will Kenyon make his move?”