Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Suspended Operations
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* * *
The Mage Tower qualification exam came to an end with the conclusion of the fourth test.
"Everyone, you've all worked hard. We'll notify the passers separately."
And two days later, the news of his success arrived at the lodging where Jeon was staying.
"Customer, you've got quite a few letters coming in lately?"
The mail he received from the lodging staff.
Among them was the notice of passing the Mage Tower qualification exam.
"Oh, first place."
Opening the notice of passing, the result was, as expected, first place.
"Hm, I just need to decide within a week, huh."
The dinner with the injured Mage Tower executive could be arranged by visiting the Mage Tower within a week and selecting the person of his choice to coordinate the schedule.
However, there was a problem.
"...Isn't there too much that came along with the passing notice?"
They were letters that had come attached to the passing notice.
The senders were all from the White Tower, just like the notice.
But the individuals sending them were all different.
"So, these are like invitations of sorts?"
The contents of the letters varied in detail, but broadly speaking, they were all similar.
Most asked him to use the dinner opportunity with them, or if not, that they'd love a chance to meet his face at least once, or to apply to their department once he entered the tower, and so on.
There was only one notice announcing his passing, but over ten invitation-like letters had come bundled with it.
"Ralph sent one too."
Among them, the most eye-catching invitation was the one from Ralph.
Even after the fourth exam ended, Ralph had held him back for a while to talk, but it seemed that conversation hadn't been enough.
'I was a bit disappointed too.'
The distortion field created from his understanding of mana and space.
It was a spell that still had room for refinement, but once completed, it was certain to become an incredible magic.
Moreover, it was a fragment of enlightenment that Jeon could almost grasp right now, so he wanted to discuss it further as well.
In fact, Ralph seemed to feel quite the regret too.
As he read down the invitation Ralph had sent, the man's regret dripped from every line.
"...Join the tower and research it together, and once it's complete, gift me the artifact first?"
Considering that Ralph was the White Tower's top prospect.
It was practically a groundbreaking offer.
'Distortion field, huh. Tempting.'
Moreover, an artifact using the distortion field was quite appealing to Jeon as well.
If combined with the knowledge Jeon had of artifacts that could store producible mana.
The finished product was sure to hold tremendous value.
'With Ralph... I don't really need a dinner for that.'
However, separate from the palpable regret and the offer's magnitude.
There was no need to meet Ralph specifically over dinner.
On the contrary, given how earnestly he was asking, it seemed more casual opportunities to meet would arise.
With his thoughts sorted, Jeon proceeded to check the following invitations.
"...Who's Colin? And this... Mage Tower Grand Magic Research Team? All sorts of things."
But the subsequent invitations were all unfamiliar names to Jeon.
In truth, Jeon just didn't know.
The achievement he achieved in the Mage Tower qualification exam was at a level that could be called the highest in history.
Thus, even for first place, invitations didn't usually flood in like this.
"Do first places normally get this many?"
Of course, Jeon hadn't anticipated his score being that high.
So he skimmed through the various invitations, thinking this must be standard for first place.
And rightly so.
He appreciated the invitations, but Jeon had something far more important right now.
'Finally, time to make contact with Baek-eun.'
The reason Jeon had taken the Mage Tower qualification exam and worked hard for a high rank.
It was all to make contact with 'Baek-eun'.
In fact, his lukewarm reaction to the various invitations stemmed from having already decided who to dine with.
'White Tower External Dispatch Team Leader, Knect.'
An executive of the White Tower affiliated with Baek-eun, and among Baek-eun's executives, one of the youngest.
Moreover, heading the external dispatch team meant he knew the current situation better than anyone.
'He seems like the one I'd communicate best with.'
In Jeon's view, the most optimal person for initial contact with Baek-eun.
Anyway.
Now that he had not only the passing notice but also decided on the person for dinner, there was no need to delay further.
"Shall I head there right away?"
For his first contact with Baek-eun, Jeon immediately headed to the White Tower. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "A dinner request came for me?"
"Yes."
"From the top scorer, even?"
"Yes. That's correct."
Knect, who had been reviewing reports, asked his subordinate in a puzzled tone upon hearing the unexpected news.
"Did they say why they chose me over someone like the Tower Master?"
"They didn't specify a reason..."
"Ha, haha."
Knect, who appeared to be in his early thirties with a manly chin beard, set down his pen from work and fell into brief thought.
'The top scorer of this qualification exam... there must have been tons of people requesting to dine with him.'
Even Knect, who was relatively indifferent to internal White Tower affairs, knew well of the man who had claimed first place with overwhelming achievement in this exam.
Lately—no, across all historical exam results—he rivaled the top 1st and 2nd places, making him quite the hot topic inside the tower recently.
'For such a person to want to meet me.'
Honestly, it was quite unexpected.
While he held an executive position in the tower, he didn't wield any great power or hold a promising vision.
'...Or maybe?'
Of course, it wasn't entirely impossible.
There was a slim chance it could be related to Baek-eun.
'Nah, unlikely.'
But Knect shook his head, dismissing the possibility.
He knew better than anyone that such a thing was unlikely to happen now.
"Hm, what time did they say works?"
Still, since it was tradition in the tower to share a meal if a request came—unless one was impossibly busy—Knect decided to accept it.
"They said they'd adjust to your schedule, so just let them know a convenient time."
"Hm..."
A convenient time.
"My evening's free today, actually."
Recalling his schedule, Knect tossed out the remark offhandedly.
And that very evening.
"...It actually got scheduled for this time."
Knect ended up making a dinner appointment with this exam's top scorer for real.
'I just threw it out there.'
He'd thought about his schedule.
The most recent free slot that popped into his mind was this evening, so he'd said it without thinking.
Even his aide had countered, 'That time might be tough,' and Knect himself hadn't expected it to stick.
"...Jeon, was it? Quite the decisive personality."
Heading to the restaurant for dinner, Knect recalled the info he'd checked on the top scorer earlier.
There wasn't much to it, really.
'Young age, no particular hometown ties, the only connection is something called Bolton Merchant Company... about that much?'
Still, achieving overwhelming first place at such a young age marked him as what you'd call a genius.
"Anyway, good that it got settled quickly."
He'd been continuously busy lately.
Being able to check off the dinner right when a slot opened was a relief no matter what.
As his thoughts wrapped up.
Knect arrived at the restaurant for the dinner appointment.
Though hastily arranged, the reserved place was quite upscale.
It was a result of Knect putting some thought into giving at least minimal courtesy for a meal with the top ranker.
"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"
"Under Knect Everroad."
"Yes, confirmed. Your guest has arrived first and is waiting."
"...Already?"
Knect had come a bit early himself.
For the other party to already be waiting.
"This way, please."
Following the staff's guidance, he arrived at a private room set up for two to dine comfortably.
And at the table in that space sat Jeon, with blond hair and blue eyes, still carrying a boyish air.
"Ah, you've arrived."
Seeing Knect enter with the staff's guidance, Jeon stood from his seat to greet him.
"Haha, I didn't expect you to arrive so early."
"Either way, it's great to meet you. I'm Knect Everroad."
"Great to meet you too. I'm Jeon."
After a simple exchange of greetings, a brief silence fell.
'...What should I say?'
In that silence, Knect pondered what to say.
After all, he was much older and, as the one receiving the dinner request from a sort of superior, felt he should lead the conversation.
"Then, before the food arrives, shall we get straight to the point?"
But before Knect could finish agonizing, Jeon spoke first.
"The point... you mean?"
"The reason I took the White Tower qualification exam was to meet you, Mr. Knect."
With that, Jeon placed the Silvermont pendant he'd brought on the table.
"Th-this is..."
Knect had already been genuinely puzzled as to why Jeon wanted to see him.
The item Jeon pulled out not only resolved that puzzlement but planted another question.
"From Silvermont...?"
"Yes. I'm currently under the Silvermont Family's sponsorship. I've come to collaborate with Baek-eun, who works with the Silvermont mages outside."
"Ha, haha, hahaha..."
Hearing Jeon's words, Knect let out a hollow laugh.
'What?'
That reaction made question marks pop up in Jeon's mind.
He hadn't expected a grand welcome, but at least some pleased response.
Yet Knect's reaction was completely unexpected.
"So, Mr. Jeon, you're from the Silvermonts in Langley Kingdom... is that right?"
"Yes. But I came after seeing the will left by the Silvermont mages who left long ago."
Seeing Knect ask with a slightly trembling voice, Jeon quickly added the follow-up.
After all, he was collaborating with the Silvermont mages who had left the family, so he added it in case Knect viewed the remaining Silvermonts in Langley poorly.
'Doesn't like the Silvermont Family? But there wasn't anything like that.'
But even as he said it, Jeon continued piling up questions inwardly.
The will of the Silvermont mages he'd encountered held no resentment toward those left in Langley.
"This is... fate's irony, I suppose."
"Pardon? What do you...?"
After all the effort to come here, topping the exam and securing the dinner slot.
To hear talk of fate's irony.
Wondering what that could mean, Jeon focused entirely on Knect's next words.
"Currently... Baek-eun is in suspended operations."
And Knect's following words were more than enough to shock Jeon.