Chapter 120: I’m a Mage. I Told You I’m a Mage! (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 120: I’m a Mage. I Told You I’m a Mage! (5)
"You're late."
"Ahahaha... I'm sorry, Master. I got a little too excited while showing him around..."
Eom Soo-hyun apologized as she faced Seol Ga-yeon’s icy gaze.
Is it really a good idea to apologize while grinning like that? Won't she just get angrier?
The corners of Soo-hyun's mouth kept twitching upward, clearly still savoring the tryst they’d shared in the karaoke room—no, the library.
Seol Ga-yeon stared at her for a moment before slamming her book shut with a loud thud and gesturing for us to sit.
As I took a seat on the sofa provided for guests, Seol Ga-yeon walked to the side and began preparing tea.
"Master’s tea is delicious," Eom Soo-hyun whispered secretly.
Usually, this would be the disciple’s job, but seeing Ga-yeon do it herself suggested she either doted on Soo-hyun or Soo-hyun was simply terrible at brewing tea.
Without a word, Seol Ga-yeon brought over a luxurious tea set and tea leaves, then began brewing with refined, practiced movements.
She looked beautiful as she tilted her head slightly, quietly pouring the tea into the cups lined up before her. With her glossy, long black hair and elegant aura, she looked like she’d fit right into a wuxia novel if she were wearing traditional Chinese robes, despite being Korean.
With a graceful flick of her wrist, she slid the teacups in front of Eom Soo-hyun and me, gesturing for us to drink.
Hmm—why do people drink this?
People talk about the aroma and all that, but I still don't really get the appeal of tea. It’s too weak to be called "tasty." I’d rather have the strong bitterness of coffee; at least then I’d feel like I was drinking something. Tea smells nice, but to me, it tastes like plain water. It’s not really my thing.
"I don't know much about tea, but this is delicious."
"If you don't know anything about it, there's no way it could be delicious."
Well, you're not wrong.
She shut down my polite small talk immediately and set her cup down.
"I haven't acknowledged you yet."
"Since you are a mage of great renown, how could my humble skills possibly impress you? However, I have come to learn, knowing my own deficiencies, so I hope you will look upon me with grace."
"...... Aren't you in your twenties? Why are you talking like an old man?"
......
Was that not it?
Seol Ga-yeon’s eyes darted back and forth as if she found my tone bizarre, her fine eyebrows furrowing. When we first met, she was talking about "trials" and using this kind of archaic speech, so I thought she’d like it if I played along.
I glanced at Eom Soo-hyun, who was frantically shaking her head, telling me to stop.
"Haha... To think you'd mock me. I suppose I like your confidence, at least."
I wasn't mocking you, though.
Having completely misunderstood my intent, Seol Ga-yeon wore a cold smile while clenching and unclenching her fists.
"Um... you shouldn't tease her too much. Master is scary when she's angry."
I'm telling you, I wasn't teasing her.
I tilted my head, wondering how that tone could possibly be interpreted as mockery, but decided to apologize for now.
"When we first met, you used such an old-fashioned way of speaking that I thought you liked it... Do you dislike it?"
"Cough...!"
Seol Ga-yeon choked on her tea, coughing. Beside me, Eom Soo-hyun nudged my thigh, signaling me to drop it.
Right, she looked embarrassed when she was talking like that back then, too.
Wiping her chin with the back of her hand, Seol Ga-yeon glared at me.
"I heard you want to train in mana condensation."
She quickly changed the subject, clearly wanting to escape the conversation about her speech patterns.
"Yes. Condensation is important, but I also want to improve my mana reaction speed. Michelle made an Astra for me, but I can't handle it properly yet, so I'm still using a regular gun."
"Hmph. That's what happens when you learn from some random nobody."
"Yes. That's why I've come to receive basic training from the renowned Professor Seol Ga-yeon."
What do you do when someone dislikes you? You treat them with an even brighter face and more kindness.
What if that doesn't work? Then you look in the mirror and engage in some self-reflection. Usually, when someone as good-looking as me does this, people tend to cave. I might as well use this body's looks for something.
When I responded with a bright smile, Seol Ga-yeon, who had been making condescending remarks, looked away in embarrassment. Given her high status and the fact that her disciple was watching, she probably realized she just looked like a bully.
"Ahem. Well, fine. You've come to the right place. When it comes to mana control, I'm among the top three in Korea... but that's not the point. The point is that I haven't acknowledged you yet."
So close. I almost had her.
Seol Ga-yeon returned to her cold expression, putting strength into her eyes as she stared at me. She looked like a child trying to intimidate someone with a "scary" face. It was actually kind of cute. From my perspective as someone older, her glare just looked like a pout.
"What must I do to be acknowledged?"
In truth, as an honorary disciple or whatever, I could have gone to any professor for instruction, but I chose Seol Ga-yeon. Her mana control skills were famous even within the Magic Tower, and more importantly, she was pretty.
"I have no intention of giving you special treatment. You will learn everything from the very beginning, step by step."
"Yes. I'm sure there's a reason for your methods, Professor."
I replied that I would follow her instructions obediently. Seol Ga-yeon frowned, seemingly surprised by my easy compliance.
*
As we left the room, Eom Soo-hyun looked at me with an apologetic expression.
"Master might talk like that, but she's actually very broad-minded and will treat you well. Please don't hate her."
"I don't hate her. She seems like a good person. By the way, since I'm learning from Professor Seol Ga-yeon now, what should I call you? Senior?"
"Uuuh... Senior..."
Eom Soo-hyun wore a dazed expression, debating between "Noona" and "Senior," before finally compromising on calling her "Noona" outside of official settings.
"Senior... hehehe..."
Looking a bit creepy, Eom Soo-hyun spent the rest of the day showing me around the Magic Tower with a foolish grin on her face.
When I returned to the clan after my morning schedule, the party members were waiting for me after finishing their individual training.
"Master, was the Magic Tower fun?"
"I went there to learn, so I wouldn't call it 'fun.' Though there were a lot of fascinating things."
When I told her about the trees with cables embedded in them that were connected to the buildings, Kwon Ye-jin looked amazed.
After a brief chat, we started our simulation training. Excluding the dungeons that were private clan property and thus inaccessible, we had conquered most of the C-rank dungeons in Korea over the past few months. Our next goal was C-7.
Specifically, we chose the dungeon featuring the most notorious tiger-type monster of the C-7 rank: the Teki.
We had been winning in simulations even before Anna joined, but a simulation can't be compared to a real Teki. The more data there is, the more a simulation mimics a monster's patterns, but there are many monsters like the Teki that are difficult to replicate.
In particular, that wildness—the sudden, impulsive actions unique to a beast—is hard to turn into a pattern. Furthermore, a dungeon isn't a flat floor like a training ground. The better a monster is at utilizing its environment, the greater the gap between training and reality. One should expect the real thing to be at least twice as strong.
"Agh, you crazy cat!"
As we entered our twentieth simulation run, Kwon Ye-jin cursed as she tried to grab the tail of a Teki that had its aggro locked on me.
Since I had set the patterns to be completely random, the Teki was rampaging with unpredictable movements, regardless of how well she performed.
It would suddenly stop mid-attack or turn its body while being hit. It had actually become "stupider" than when it followed a fixed pattern, making it easier to deal with, but the purpose of this training was to make the party members react to whatever the cunning Teki might do.
Since we had been using the Teki as a punching bag ever since we reached C-rank, they had become too accustomed to the fixed simulation patterns. It was time to loosen things up.
I fired a bullet into my own thigh to trigger Acceleration and created a thicket of thorns in front of me to block the Teki's path.
If it were a real Teki, it wouldn't have let its prey go so easily and would have lunged through the thorns, but the simulated Teki screeched to a halt and suddenly started spinning in circles.
"Another bug."
Yoon A-young frowned in annoyance. Because the patterns were randomized, the computer couldn't keep up and got stuck in a loop. Watching a massive tiger spin around like a house cat was a bit of a letdown.
It would have been good training if the bug suddenly broke and it launched a surprise attack, but this stupid computer showed no intention of fixing itself. When you're focused and your tension is at its peak, a situation like this just drains all your energy.
"Terminate."
At my command, the hologram vanished, leaving only the exhausted party members.
The last simulation was a mess, but we were entering the dungeon tomorrow, so we didn't have any more time to spare for training. I checked the time and called everyone together.
"If you just do what we practiced, it won't be difficult. But the Teki is intelligent, so don't assume Ye-jin will take all the aggro. It's highly likely it will ignore Ye-jin and go for me or Yuna since we carry long-range weapons."
The party members had complained that I sounded too distant because I always used formal language and called them "Ms. So-and-so." So, I started calling them by their names, and they loved it, saying it felt like being called by a boyfriend. They claimed that calling them by name while using a mix of formal and informal speech was "charming" or whatever.
"Even if it targets you, Master, I'll protect you until the end."
"I'll work harder so the Teki doesn't even look at the Leader."
Anna raised her hand and spoke cutely, but... you're not a Defender.
"Agh! Why are you only doing that for Anna! You can't play favorites, Master!"
Still, she was cute, so I patted her head. Seeing this, Kwon Ye-jin crawled over and demanded a pat too. As I silently patted both their heads, I could feel Lee Yu-na and Yoon A-young staring intently.
"Do you two want one too?"
"I'm fine."
"Do it for us later when we're alone. Get up, Ye-jin. What are you doing lying on the floor like that? It's pathetic."
Lee Yu-na smacked Kwon Ye-jin’s butt and scolded her.
"Anyway, the ending was a bit... off, but the Teki often acts unpredictably. Don't let your guard down just because it seems to be targeting only me or Yuna. Always keep in mind that it could attack anyone at any time."
"You're going to clear it in one go again, right?"
"Yes. As I said, Black Unicorn won't be using the Treasure Orb. I'll have it active when we enter, but no one is allowed to die."
"Master, you're strangely obsessed with records."
I had told the members from the start that no one would die. Black Unicorn, which prohibited reckless life-threatening attacks and focused on stable clears while minimizing injuries, had never used a Treasure Orb to date. We were still using the same orb I received when I first entered a dungeon with just Kwon Ye-jin.
Ye-jin had taken a photo of it and posted it on N-Star to brag, and people loved it. A Treasure Orb covered in handprints and minor scratches was a novel sight to people who were only used to seeing brand-new ones.
I noticed the World Record was stuck at B-1; I might as well break that record while I'm at it.
"It's not about the record; he's proving Supporter Tactics. Why are you being so one-dimensional? Does Yeon-woo look like the type of person to obsess over something so useless?"
...... I'm sorry.
At Lee Yu-na's words, Kwon Ye-jin nodded, agreeing that Master would never do that. She could have said that a little sooner—why wait until the exact moment I was thinking about the record?
"Master, can't you give a prize to the person who does the best this time?"
"A prize?"
"Yeah—you've been going to the Magic Tower a lot lately, and we feel a bit neglected... You know, teamwork. Teamwork is important for a party..."
"Should we all go out for a meal or spend some time together?"
"No, no, something more than that..."
Kwon Ye-jin glanced at the other members. Seeing how quiet they were, they had clearly plotted this together. As the self-appointed representative, Ye-jin watched my reaction before speaking.
"How about a Wish Ticket? We pick the person who performed best in the dungeon and give them a Wish Ticket."
"What if I'm the one who performs best?"
"You're the judge, so you're excluded. We give the winner a 'Master Free Pass'."
Not a judge, then. I'm the prize.
"Calling it a 'Free Pass' makes it sound weird."
Lee Yu-na poked Kwon Ye-jin in the side for her choice of words, then cleared her throat and spoke cautiously.
"I'm sorry. We sort of discussed this among ourselves. Since your time has been taken up by the Magic Tower because of your magic training, I think everyone wants to spend time with you. It started as a joke, but some suggested we ask you... Ah, it's not really a 'Free Pass.' Just... spending time together..."
They were trying to wrap it in pretty words, but they basically wanted a date, right?
I didn't mind. No idiot would turn down a date with a group of beautiful girls, each with her own charm.
"Sure. If everyone agrees, let's do that."
At my answer, Kwon Ye-jin pumped her fist in excitement. Yoon A-young was looking away, but it seemed she couldn't hide her smile either.
"However, if anyone lets their ambition ruin our teamwork or makes a mistake, they're immediately disqualified."
When I warned them in a serious voice, they all nodded tensely. Having been with me for a while, they knew well how much I disliked it when someone acted out and broke our coordination.
Now that they were motivated, let's clear this easily and aim for B-rank within the year. A major disaster is going to hit Japan next year, so I need to reach B-rank before then to decide whether I'll go to provide support or not.