Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Even If the Sky Falls, There's Always a Hole
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Even if the sky collapses, you can't completely rule out the probability of a hole to pop up through.
Anxious, Tae-jin turned to the officer standing beside him.
"What, got any more questions? I told you, I'm not that weird mage."
Tae-jin pulled out his ID from his wallet and showed it to the officer. To prove he wasn't a mage, he even started sharing stories from his military days.
The officer and two soldiers listened to Tae-jin's recent discharge tales with genuine interest, but his response was veering a bit off the main point.
After Tae-jin's random military anecdotes wrapped up, the bearded mage stepped in to explain the situation once more.
"No, this guy's not using any magic right now. No disguise spells or anything, and there's no hidden mage lurking nearby with stealth magic either. He's just a mage, plain and simple."
The officer asked for confirmation again.
"You sure?"
"Belric agrees too. It's definite. I swear on my smart-phone."
Tae-jin suddenly felt a surge of irritation. That damn smartphone. The mages in comics swore cool oaths like 'by the power of mana,' so why was this bearded guy swearing on his smartphone?
Anyway, with two mages testifying that Tae-jin was a mage, the officer turned back to him and the mage with more questions.
"Mr. Tae-jin, this is your first time coming through the gate, right? How do you figure this guy's a mage? Was he one from the moment he crossed?"
The mage shook his bushy-bearded head.
"I was on duty that day, and there was no mage. Looks like he became one sometime in the last few days."
The officer's face twisted in disbelief at the explanation.
"You can just become a mage that fast? I thought it took years of training."
"Usually, yeah. But right now, even I have no idea how."
No matter how the officer and mage's conversation played out, Tae-jin had already pieced together the whole situation.
That first evening, the brown-haired old mage whose name he didn't even know. It was that guy's doing.
Well, calling it something he "did" to him wasn't quite right. Tae-jin had agreed to it, after all.
He'd thought it was a dream or something, but unfortunately, it had all been real.
Thinking back now, it was utterly ridiculous. Becoming a mage just to pick up a party trick for drinking sessions? What kind of logic was that?
Tae-jin changed his mind. Hiding it would do no good—better to come clean fast and find a solution.
Those mages had already sniffed him out, so denying it wouldn't fly.
Tae-jin hung his head and spilled the story from that first evening.
The night market stall where he'd been drinking, the middle-aged mage who sat down next to him, the snacks he bought that led to the mage showing off his amazing feats, the hazy aura, and so on.
By the time he'd finished, even Belric, the mage guarding the gate perimeter, had shown up to hear Tae-jin's tale.
The bald mage Belric gave a thumbs-up.
"Whoa, I'm jealous."
For a split second, Tae-jin thought that if he could just sock that bald head hard once, he'd have no other wishes left in life.
"Jealous? Jealous of what? I'm about to lose my mind here!"
"I've only heard rumors about mages who can awaken someone just by touching them lightly. You're the first I've seen for real. You could be the top dog in the field."
The flippant phrasing only made it more infuriating.
"Top dog? What top dog? I just wanna go home on time!"
Tae-jin's head felt like it was boiling over. What if he couldn't get back before classes started and his grades tanked? Not that they'd been great so far.
But whatever mess Tae-jin was in, it wasn't on the radar for the other 99 tourists. When the gate didn't open past the scheduled time, they started protesting.
"When do we go back? It's already past time!"
"If we miss the window, when's the next gate?"
The officer snapped to attention and addressed Tae-jin.
"Before the gate usage hours end, I'll send those folks through first and explain the situation on the other side. Just hang tight a bit."
Tae-jin had a strong gut feeling that letting the tourists go without him was a bad idea.
"Just let me cross now too. We all came together—doesn't make sense to leave me behind. And what's the deal with mages not being allowed in anyway?"
"Mages' abilities haven't been scientifically verified. They're an unknown threat we can't comprehend. A mage could commit crimes without leaving evidence if they wanted."
"Mage this, mage that—but I don't know a single spell right now. You still say I'm a mage? If I can't use magic, how am I a mage?"
As Tae-jin spoke, bald Belric slung an arm around his shoulder.
"You're already a fine mage, friend."
Tae-jin's right fist clenched tight, his arm muscles tensing with power. A little less restraint, and that fist would've flown.
"Hey, why are you my friend, old man? I can't use a single spell. I'll swear on my smartphone like you mages!"
Tae-jin thrust his smartphone forward. The officer shook his head without hesitation.
"Can't do that. Please just wait a moment."
In that instant, reading the officer's face, Tae-jin understood everything. It was the face of a man nearing promotion season.
Every line on it screamed a resolve to nip any potential problems in the bud.
The officer continued.
"I'll explain everything thoroughly and be back. Don't worry too much—wait at the lodging. Your return might be delayed a day or two, but it'll get sorted. You're a Republic of Korea citizen, right? Has the government ever abandoned one? They even rescue folks taken by pirates."
He had a point. One thing Tae-jin had learned living in modern society: even if things seemed screwed, they somehow worked out.
Solutions always popped up at just the right moment, and the worst-case scenarios he imagined almost never came to pass.
Tae-jin glanced at the horde of mages protesting by the gate. He wouldn't end up like them. Unlike those guys, he was a proper Republic of Korea citizen.
A few days' delay? No big deal. Wouldn't mess up reenrollment too bad.
Tae-jin clicked his tongue.
"Fine. I'll wait at the lodging."
"Thanks for cooperating. I'll get an answer ASAP and come find you."
The officer bowed his head, then led the tourists through the gate.
Two days later, the officer showed up at Tae-jin's room.
"Hello, Mr. Kim Tae-jin."
Tae-jin's face lit up with hope. Looked like it was finally time to go.
"Yeah. Should I pack now?"
The officer looked deeply apologetic as he spoke.
"No gate passage permit yet, so I came to let you know."
"What? Why not?"
"No fixed policy on mages yet. Without societal consensus, the relevant bill's still pending in the National Assembly."
"So what am I supposed to do?"
"For now, you'll need to stay in Gate City. We'll notify you of any updates right away."
Tae-jin felt like grabbing the officer's pant leg and begging.
"Come on, classes start soon! My money's running out. What do I do?"
"No need to worry about that. Given the circumstances, we can handle your leave of absence for you, plus provide some living expenses and daily necessities. Anything you need, just come to the office by the gate—we'll guide you kindly."
It was an answer that fixed everything except the core issue.
Of course, it wasn't this officer's fault standing before him. Tae-jin understood his position fully, but it still left him feeling lost.
"Any word on when I can go back?"
"Nothing set yet, but options are plenty. Maybe the mage bill passes by year's end? Or research wraps up and you head home."
"So that's months, right?"
"For now, yeah. But we can't rule out a faster solution. Think positive."
"Easy for you to say. Wanna go learn magic yourself, old man?"
The officer took a step back and said to Tae-jin,
"Not all bad news, though."
"Yeah? What's the good news?"
"Word's out through the media that you're stuck here. Even made the broadcast news. Lots of public buzz, so stay optimistic. They can't just let the bill sit in the Assembly forever."
Music to his ears. Tae-jin's eyes sparkled. As expected, no one just lets a person die.
Like always, it wouldn't hit rock bottom—just a tolerable second-worst.
Even he could see it was prime gossip fodder.
Cross through a gate, become a mage, can't go home.
Wasn't there a movie like that? Guy stuck in an airport terminal for months because his country fell apart. Tae-jin saw his situation as similar.
Once public pressure mounted, the government would send him home eventually.
Tae-jin relaxed.
Might take a few months, but it'd sort itself by year's end somehow.