Chapter 23
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: The Competent Failure
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‘Impressive.’
The Black Magic Society’s security used to be abysmal. It was so bad that information was freely shared between branches.
But now, it was thorough enough to have several layers of security.
The final door seemed rather difficult, even for Galahad.
Three mana stones were embedded in the door. A quick glance told him they were at least mid-grade. Not even the Magic Tower Master’s room had a door like that. It was a luxury only possible in the North, where mana stone mines were plentiful.
The design of the magic circle connecting the mana stones was somehow familiar.
‘It’s the old man’s work.’
He’d made such a big deal about retiring, but it seemed old habits died hard.
‘Is the old man in the North?’
There was no way to know. Things would have gotten quite complicated if Galahad had come alone.
If the door was designed by the old man, even Galahad couldn’t breach it easily.
Considering the old man’s price, plus three mid-grade mana stones… he couldn’t even begin to guess how much money had been spent on security.
‘Did I hit them that hard?’
Galahad clicked his tongue softly.
However, there was something they had overlooked.
Even with perfect security, problems always arose from people.
People could not be perfect. That was especially true for a man who took four whole years to graduate from the Academy.
“Ah, for now, let’s keep your name a secret.”
He even wanted to keep his name a secret.
Seeing the glistening greed in Korton’s eyes, it seemed he had other plans.
There was no reason to refuse, so Galahad nodded.
“Come in.”
Korton confidently opened the door.
In contrast to the grand security, the inside was surprisingly ordinary.
The interior was a monotonous gray, as if no thought had been given to it. The only difference from a dungeon was the absence of iron bars. The aesthetic sense of mages was, well, not even worth mentioning.
With books scattered about and shady figures in hoods wandering around, it was a surprisingly normal scene for a Magic Tower, despite the name “black mages.”
Amidst it all, mana stones rolling around like pebbles and what were clearly high-priced magic tools caught the eye.
“The facilities are impressive.”
“Didn’t I tell you? We’re in our golden age in the North. We can’t even keep track of how many mana stone mines we’ve discovered. And the stupid northerners treat mana stones like unlucky pebbles, so there’s no need to say more.”
With a little prodding, his dear alumnus Korton explained everything. He was such a kind fellow.
‘So it’s a boom period, instead.’
He had worked so hard to catch them, only for them to be thriving in the North. It was absurd.
‘I’ll have to change my approach this time.’
His original plan was to find some suitable evidence, persuade them one by one, and obtain information on the other branches. That would have been cleaner.
But the situation was different from what he had expected.
‘The security has been strengthened too much.’
Even Korton, who seemed to hold a fairly high rank, didn't know the locations of the other branches. There was a chance that even if he cracked open everyone’s skulls here, he wouldn’t find much information.
Palho would bring information, but he couldn’t just wait for that.
An agent must always dig two tunnels.
“We need a lot of mages to mine mana stones. We give mages the best treatment here. A salary you couldn’t get even in the capital.”
“Do mages mine the mana stones themselves?”
“Ah, you don’t know. Ahem.”
Galahad was well-versed in the uses and applications of mana stones, but he didn’t know how they were mined.
No, he had never been interested in the first place.
To Galahad, mana stones were just toys. Or auxiliary tools.
“It’s more efficient for mages to mine mana stones. If ordinary people do it, the quality often drops. That’s why Mark can’t let go of me.”
Galahad nodded at the kind explanation.
‘So that’s why Mark maintained a neutral stance.’
To utilize the mana stone mines, he needed mages, so even if Korton seemed suspicious, Mark couldn’t afford to lose him.
‘He’s got guts.’
For a commander in the North, where mages had a bad reputation, to accept a mage and even go into business with him… it was more than just having guts.
Three mana stone mines were worth that much.
Enhanced security, the relationship with the 5th Battalion’s Mark, the operation of the mana stone mines—Galahad calculated each factor one by one.
Simply getting rid of this branch would have many side effects. Plus, maintaining it offered enormous advantages.
They were so thorough with security that they didn’t even know the locations of other branches.
That meant the branches were isolated from one another. If someone were to swallow this branch and run it themselves, those at the top would have a hard time noticing.
‘It would be better to maintain this branch.’
Galahad nodded.
If he maintained this branch, he could receive information on the others. He could also gain the upper hand in his relationship with the 5th Battalion’s Mark.
Furthermore, operating the mana stone mines would generate a considerable amount of money.
Damian’s food expenses were quite significant.
‘Perfect.’
Galahad’s eyes darkened.
There was no such thing as a bad knife.
There were only bad masters.
‘I can just use it for a good cause.’
The corners of Galahad’s mouth lifted.
Just then, a sharp voice rang out.
“Korton, where are you going?”
It was a man with a face full of freckles. His eyes were filled with suspicion.
A large mana stone was embedded in the staff the man was holding.
In the capital, a staff with a mana stone was a symbol of a successful mage. But here, it felt more like a hiking stick.
“Ah, Bart. I’m busy, so get out of the way.”
“I haven’t heard about any visitors today. The Society strictly forbids outsiders. If this gets to the higher-ups, the entire branch will surely face penalties.”
The freckled man named Bart spoke, looking Galahad up and down.
The man’s words were perfectly reasonable. That’s what made it tricky.
Galahad looked forward to seeing how Korton would handle this.
“Shut up! Bart! You go and mine mana stones! How dare you! Raise your voice at me, the Deputy Director!”
Korton suddenly raised his voice.
A truly groundbreaking way to handle the situation.
“...No, that’s not it. The entry of an outsider is a sensitive matter.”
“Does what I say not register? What do you, a subordinate, know to be blabbering on!”
“Have you discussed this with the higher-ups?”
“The director is away, so I am the higher-up! Should I report to you then? Who do you think you are?”
“That’s not what I mean—.”
“Fine, then you be the Deputy Director! I’ll report to you—.”
“...No, sir.”
Korton’s blatant abuse of authority made the freckled man’s face turn red.
‘Impressive.’
Galahad was genuinely impressed.
Still, the man didn’t back down easily.
“Even so, an outsider is dangerous. To prepare for any potential threats—.”
“This man doesn’t even have a staff. What potential threat are you talking about?”
Galahad pulled back his coat. He had no sword, no staff. He wore nothing but a neat shirt and pants.
‘So he underestimated me because I don’t have a staff.’
Galahad finally understood why Korton saw him as an easy target.
Indeed, the presence or absence of a mana stone staff made a big difference among mages.
It wasn’t for nothing that mages spent their entire fortunes on staffs.
Once they confirmed Galahad had no staff, the suspicion in the others’ eyes faded. Their dependence on staffs seemed even more severe here than in the capital.
However, the man still didn’t back down.
“His mana could be high. We need to measure it.”
“Ha, you’re really being a pain. This is why you can’t get promoted from the bottom.”
“You never know.”
“Ha, fine. You’ll see. Is it okay to test you with a magic tool? It’s the same one they used at the Academy.”
Galahad nodded.
The principle of the mana measurement tool was the same as how Galahad checked mana by infusing it during a handshake.
It was a method of roughly estimating total mana by injecting a high concentration of mana and measuring the amount absorbed in an instant.
“Bart, you better be prepared if you’ve made a fuss over nothing.”
Korton glared at the freckled man and sneered.
The freckled man deliberately looked away and held out the mana measurement tool to Galahad.
“The instructions are…”
“I know.”
Galahad took it and wrapped it around his forearm.
Galahad recalled his mana level from his Academy days.
‘It would be best to make it slightly lower than that.’
Mana measurement tools weren’t highly reliable magic tools in the first place.
Even the Intelligence Bureau only used them for reference.
But these guys seemed to trust it blindly. From the staffs they all carried to the mana measurement tool, their dependence on magic tools seemed worse than he thought.
With an abundance of mana stones, it was an inevitable phenomenon.
A year of training was less efficient than adding one more mana stone to a staff. That was the nature of magic.
Humans couldn't help but take shortcuts.
But unfortunately, the right path was always the hardest.
‘Mages relying on tools, what a sight.’
Galahad suppressed his rising disgust and adjusted his mana concentration.
Checking mana was like a habit for Galahad. Manipulating the process in reverse to control his apparent mana level was a piece of cake.
The mana measurement tool emitted a dark red light.
The tool turned black for low mana and red for high mana. His result meant he was an ordinary mage.
An ordinary mage without a staff seemed to pose no threat to them.
A smirk spread across Korton’s face. His smirking skills were top-notch.
The freckled man looked slightly relieved. A truly loyal subordinate.
However, our reliable Korton had no eye for loyal subordinates.
“Didn’t I tell you! This was necessary! And yet a subordinate dares to doubt me?!”
“No, that’s—.”
“What! You bastard! Go mine some mana stones! Your quota is doubled for today!”
At Korton’s shout, the freckled man’s face crumpled.
The freckled man disappeared as if fleeing.
A typical end for a loyal subordinate.
‘Bart.’
Galahad muttered the name softly.
“A nobody acting up! Ha, anyway, since the director is away, let’s check out the research first. You liked research, didn’t you?”
Korton grinned boastfully.
Now that Galahad had passed the mana test, Korton seemed completely at ease.
And he clearly intended to get a firm grip on Galahad.
To offer to show him the research, of all things…
‘He’s competent.’
A truly competent failure.
“Thank you.”
Galahad once again expressed his sincere gratitude.
“What are fellow alumni for?”
Korton grinned.
A truly reliable alumnus.
****
“The Deputy Director brought an outsider.”
“My god, really?”
Shern couldn’t believe his ears.
The Deputy Director was incompetent, but his greed for results was immense. He often reported his subordinates’ achievements as his own.
But it was also hard to see him as completely useless.
Korton, with his immense desire for promotion, sometimes produced unbelievable results.
The deal with the 5th Battalion’s commander was also Korton’s doing. That’s how he got the Deputy Director position.
But bringing in an outsider was a different level of crazy.
“Even if he’s the Deputy Director, he wouldn’t bring in an outsider without thinking, right? He’s number one when it comes to saving his own skin. It must be someone important enough to ignore security protocols.”
At Shern’s words, everyone nodded.
The topic shifted to the person the Deputy Director had brought.
Just who could it be for the Deputy Director to take such a drastic step?
“What are you all gathered here for!”
A familiar shout came from behind. It was the Deputy Director, his shoulders puffed up with pride.
Naturally, their eyes turned to the person next to him.
He was a handsome man with his hair slicked back neatly. He looked to be somewhere between a youth and a man, his deeply set eyes filled with exhaustion.
His limbs were long and slender, but he had a certain sturdiness about him.
In a word, he was a cleanly handsome noble from the capital.
However, his eyes were strange. They were unusually dark. As if…
Shern, whose gaze met the man’s, quickly looked away.
“Shern, show this friend our research results.”
“...Pardon? The research?”
It was an absurd order. Shern was in charge of demon research. Showing that to an outsider…
“We’ll be working together from now on, anyway.”
“...Yes.”
With the director away, there was no one to stop Korton. Hesitating would only earn him a scolding.
“Take a look around. I’ll be back after I file a report.”
Shern was slightly horrified at Korton referring to demon research as if it were a tourist attraction.
Shern and the unidentified man headed to the lab alone.
“It’s a bit messy, isn’t it? I wasn’t expecting a visitor.”
“It’s fine. A mage’s lab is a mage’s lab.”
The man’s refined way of speaking convinced Shern he was a noble.
“What… what is it? Shern?”
Parntal, who was in the lab, scowled and spoke irritably. His sharp gaze fixed on the man.
Parntal was the type to confront even the director when it came to research. Shern quickly explained the situation.
“The Deputy Director told me to show him our research results.”
“To whom? Don’t tell me—.”
“A pleasure. I believe I’m that ‘whom’.”
The man waved his hand playfully, and Parntal’s brow furrowed deeply.
“Is he crazy? What does he know about research—.”
“You just keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll show him.”
Even with Shern’s words, Parntal’s frown didn’t ease.
Only after Shern whispered, ‘He won’t understand it even if he sees it,’ did Parntal back down.
Shern’s research wasn’t the kind you could understand just by looking at it once.
“I’m in charge of research on the blood of demon beasts.”
“Demon beast blood?”
At the man’s question, the corners of Shern’s mouth lifted.
It was a typical reaction to hearing about demon research.
In the Empire, research on the Demon Race was strictly forbidden.
Researching demons was tantamount to treason. Of course, one would be scared.
‘Is he smiling?’
Shern’s eyes widened at the slight upturn of the man’s lips.
Looking closely, they were still the same.
He must have seen it wrong.
“You get it from the 5th Battalion, I assume?”
“...Ah, yes. They use the hides of the demon beasts, but not the blood.”
“How did you study it? A mana measurement tool wouldn’t be able to analyze demon blood.”
“Yes, so we had to create a separate mana measurement tool for demon beasts…”
The man knew that demon beast blood had mana and that its concentration was high. He had clearly researched demons before.
“A mana measurement tool for demon beasts? It would use mana stones, but the concentration would be too low, wouldn't it? Ah, so you measure the speed at which mana dissipates. Do you use it for single-use tests?”
Shern nodded reluctantly at the man’s question.
With just one sentence, the man was asking about the principle behind the demon beast mana measurement tool. It felt like he had just divulged a secret, leaving a bad taste in his mouth.
“Wouldn’t that consume too many mana stones?”
“Ha! What an obvious criticism. Too many mana stones… Then why don’t you suggest another solution!”
Parntal said sharply. It was a sensitive topic, since he was always being criticized for using too many mana stones.
However, there was no other way besides mana stones. The mana concentration in demon blood was too high.
At Parntal’s question, the man frowned.
As if he couldn’t understand.
Just as Shern was about to add a word, the man asked back.
“Can’t you just drink it?”
His voice was so calm that the content of his words felt trivial.
Shern, who was mulling over the man’s words, was startled.
“Drink demon beast blood?!”
“Why are you surprised? Isn’t that more efficient? It would reduce mana stone consumption and have a positive effect on your own mana.”
Indeed, the man’s words were brutally logical.
However…
“Drinking demon blood… what a barbaric…”
Drinking demon blood directly was too crude and barbaric a method.
“Hmm, to study demon beast blood, you’d have to use at least mid-grade mana stones, and those don’t come cheap, do they? And isn’t drinking it more accurate and efficient?”
The man explained the reasons for drinking demon beast blood in a calm voice.
“Ha! Drink demon blood! You can say that because you don’t know how high the mana concentration is! How many mages have died or gone mad from drinking demon blood!”
Parntal retorted sharply. Shern nodded in agreement.
How many had died from drinking demon blood?
Then, the man shook his head.
As if to say it was the wrong answer.
“They didn’t die from drinking demon blood.”
The man said in his characteristically calm voice.
‘They died from drinking demon blood, but he says they didn’t die from drinking demon blood?’
Shern’s brow furrowed deeply.
What on earth did that mean?
“They died because they couldn’t handle the demon blood.”
The man said firmly.
A heavy silence fell for a moment.
Shern seriously wondered if he had heard correctly.
‘So, dying from drinking demon blood is because they couldn’t overcome the blood?’
It was like saying someone who drowned died because they couldn’t get out of the water. It was sophistry.
However, the man’s calm voice was filled with solid conviction.
“Demon beast blood has a lower concentration than demon blood, so it’s drinkable. Here, try some. You just have to stay sharp. Ah, go ahead.”
The man offered the bowl containing the demon beast’s blood as if offering a drink.
At the man’s serious voice, Shern’s eyes widened as if they would tear.
To say that demon beast blood is drinkable because its concentration is lower than demon blood meant…
‘He’s drunk both!!’
Shern’s and Parntal’s faces turned deathly pale.
‘Korton! You madman! Did you really bring a true black mage?!’
Shern desperately suppressed the scream that was about to erupt.