Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Tower Ronin
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'Two days.'
The qualification exam for the Magic Tower was just two days away.
It was so close that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was right around the corner.
'Can I pass in just two days?'
Jeon had no idea how the Magic Tower qualification exam was conducted.
'I arrived a bit later than expected...'
Truth be told, until he left Haswell, Jeon had thought he had plenty of time.
But various incidents along the way had eaten up most of that buffer.
Still, failing once wouldn't be the end of the world.
'But I don't want to fail.'
He doubted it would feel good if he did.
Good things were good.
Passing on the first try would feel great and put his mind at ease.
"So, have you done any exam prep?"
"Well, this is my first qualification exam ever."
"Oh dear, so no pre-studying or anything?"
"Uh... yeah, pretty much?"
Ralph clicked his tongue lightly at Jeon, who spoke as if he knew nothing about the exam.
"You did register before today's deadline, right?"
"...".
The registration deadline was today?
Jeon stared blankly at Ralph, unaware of that fact.
"...This is no time to be sitting around."
Ralph, facing Jeon, shook his head and downed his iced Americano in one go.
"Get up. We're going to register you."
"Uh... yes. Thank you."
Jeon nodded slowly at Ralph's unexpectedly proactive attitude.
'Not only is his affinity high, but he's nosy too.'
His actions and that old-man lingo made him seem one way on the surface, but he was friendly, meddlesome, and decisive.
He was quite different from how he appeared, but that wasn't a bad thing.
'Quite the opposite.'
Jeon didn't mind such people, and right now, he was benefiting from that meddlesomeness.
"Hurry up and follow me."
"Yes, coming right away."
The place Ralph led him to was the White Magic Tower, the tallest structure piercing the sky in one corner of Linkcroft.
'It's like a skyscraper that puts modern high-rises to shame.'
He'd been impressed even from afar.
Up close, the sheer presence of the White Magic Tower was overwhelming.
The massive tower, made entirely of white, seemed endless no matter how far back he craned his neck.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it's huge."
Even to Jeon, raised amid skyscrapers in his previous life, it was an astonishing structure.
It felt like witnessing the pinnacle of modern magic, engineering, and architecture.
However, they weren't heading to the main tower.
They entered one of the buildings surrounding it.
"Luckily, registering for the exam is straightforward. You just need the basic requirements."
"Requirements?"
"Something to prove your identity and the registration fee."
"Got it."
Jeon pondered Ralph's explanation for a moment.
Proof of identity.
He had two surefire options: the Imperial Guardian Medal and the pendant from Silvermont.
'Both are a bit too flashy for exam registration...'
They'd prove his identity anywhere, but flashing them here would draw immediate attention.
Of course, if he had nothing else, he'd have no choice.
"You can also verify through the Imperial Bank, so transaction records or certificates work fine."
Thankfully, Ralph's follow-up made that unnecessary.
He'd done plenty of business with the Imperial Bank.
And he had the certificate from his recent 5 million credit investment in Bolton's merchant company.
"Welcome. Here for exam registration?"
"Yes."
At the registration desk Ralph guided him to, his bank certificate sufficed for ID verification.
"The registration fee is 50,000 credits."
"Ah, okay."
The fee was steeper than expected.
It served as income for the tower, but also to deter casual challengers. It made sense.
"All done?"
"Yes, thanks to you."
As Jeon emerged, Ralph waited outside and greeted him.
Ralph nodded, relieved at the successful registration.
"By the way, Jeon, why take the Magic Tower exam?"
"Mm... just to prove my qualifications. Test my skills, you know."
"Noble motives."
Jeon's vague answer was sincere.
To contact Baek Eun, he needed to rank in the top three.
Ralph seemed satisfied without more details.
"Just in case, don't risk your life over it."
"Huh? Risk my life on the exam?"
"You might not get it yet... Every Magic Tower exam has ronin hanging around."
"Tower ronin?"
The term felt familiar.
Like "exam ronin" from his past life.
"We mages have circles to denote levels, so why bother with exams?"
"Uh... no idea?"
As Ralph said, mages had circles for ranking.
Simply accepting those at a certain circle would be easy.
"Because the tower is a research group, not a military one. Exams aren't just about high circles."
The tower had power, but its essence was magical research.
It valued deep understanding and broad knowledge over raw power or high circles.
"Some misinterpret that: low circle but lucky pass, so they bash their heads blindly. Some even develop twisted, serpentine hearts."
Serpentine hearts.
'They're bad news, basically.'
Repeated honest attempts were fine.
But dismissing it as luck and turning rotten was trouble.
"Cheating gets caught sometimes, and it's usually them. Even if you fail, don't become like that. It's just an exam."
Solid advice.
Jeon had no worries about becoming ronin, but he appreciated it.
"Thank you. Feels like I've only received help."
"Nonsense. You taught me to enjoy coffee more."
Ralph brushed off the thanks with a grin and turned to leave.
"See you at the exam, then."
"Yes, thank you."
"Good luck to us both."
"You too."
With that, Ralph—the chance cafe connection—waved and vanished into the crowd.
"...What an interesting guy."
His charm contrasted his appearance.
Jeon liked him.
He watched until Ralph blended into the crowd.
Two days flew by in the blink of an eye.
"Wow, so many people."
Returning to the White Magic Tower, it was packed unlike registration day.
"All qualification exam participants, please gather here!"
"You must pick up your exam number here! No number, no entry!"
"Move in an orderly fashion!"
White-robed staff bustled, guiding the crowd.
Jeon followed, got his number, and headed to the gathering area.
"Hm? What's with them?"
Suddenly, a group of nearly ten caught his eye.
Unlike solo or small groups, they clustered conspicuously.
"Boss, you'll pass for sure this time."
"Obviously. So stick to the plan and back me up. Then I'll pull you all in once I'm inside."
"Yes! We believe in you, boss!"
From their huddle and talk...
'Those must be the tower ronin Ralph mentioned.'
'Even 1st or 2nd Circle mages live comfortably.'
A 1st Circle mage could find work anywhere with basic spells.
But mage pride kept them trying...
'They haven't tasted real hunger yet.'
Having started as a slave this life, and endured exam hell before...
It sounded like the bellyaching of the well-fed.
Especially since they weren't grinding honestly.
'Blatantly talking about propping each other up...'
Their conversation screamed rotten to the core.
"Sigh."
Jeon watched them and let out a small sigh.
"...What?"
A few turned, having heard it, glaring fiercely.
'Look at these guys.'
Their eyes locked on Jeon.
Not because they pinpointed him, but...
'Hard to mess with others around... so me?'
The exam was for mages only.
Many backed by nobles or wealthy families, dressed sharply, some with servants.
Except the ronin and Jeon, everyone looked untouchable.
They heard something annoying but couldn't trace it, so they targeted the plainly dressed young guy.
'Ridiculous.'
Jeon snorted inwardly at their obvious play.
He had sighed, so he met their stares without flinching.
"This little punk... "
One glared murderously, but the "boss" held him back.
"Hey, don't. No trouble before the exam. Come on."
For a moment, the boss seemed better.
But as they left, Jeon overheard.
"Target that punk first if needed. He looks perfect."
Not picking a fight now, but planning to sabotage him in the exam.
If he were an ordinary participant, their plan could ruin him.
'Utterly rotten.'
Struggling themselves, yet crushing others without hesitation.
Truly serpentine.
If that's their game...
"Fine. Let's see who aces the exam."
Jeon decided to play along.
He had zero doubt about winning.