Just Groundless Worry (1) — The Weight of the Top Seat (Repeat)

Mage Tower's event. The regular conference is about to begin. I don't know about other players, but for me, the regular conference is an event of utmost importance.

"Has the time come already?"

Why, just recall the last regular conference. Even back then, when I knew nothing, I had acquired useful magic simply by attending—Marcelo's advanced magic, including 【Strange】, among others.

That Mage Tower regular conference was, for me, a major event that could elevate my magical prowess...!

"New knowledge always stirs one's interest."

Yes, this time I agree with the bravado. Moreover, with a concrete pretext now for tackling rifts, I needed to dive into them more aggressively. Rifts boasting considerable appropriate levels, no less.

If my level falls short, I must make up for it elsewhere.

So I had no choice but to look forward to it.

'In that sense, it's good news.'

Of course, unlike the first regular conference, my position had changed. As the quest indicated, I was now Marcelo's co-researcher, bearing the weight of the top seat.

"I must show a demeanor befitting it."

Grandfell, ever accustomed to weight and position. Thanks to him, the moment my grueling physical training ended, I headed straight to my desk without proper rest. I reached for the neatly stacked magic tomes atop it.

Yes, these hefty magic tomes were the very weight I had to bear.

"It means a broader understanding is required."

The research presented at the regular conference—all verified, high-level, novel magic. With the weight on my shoulders, I couldn't just observe casually like before. In simple terms, His Lofty Pride had no intention of treating the presenters' efforts lightly.

Srulk—

……In the end, it was me dying under the workload again. Lately, I couldn't even remember the last time I'd been to my studio apartment.

Mage Tower's lab.

↓ Frost.

↓ Yusra Kingdom's office.

↓ Back to Mage Tower's lab...

It wasn't my imagination—I was just bouncing between those three places. At this rate, I might as well move in entirely.

I swallowed a sigh for a moment.

"Idle thoughts end here."

Charrulk—

I opened the magic tome. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Contrary to my complaints, I focused with terrifying intensity. The tome demanding such scrutiny was none other than one on elixir herbs.

The pre-verification in Topaz Hall. Among the few researches I had approved, one was on elixir herb cultivation methods.

"Novel indeed."

The Mage Tower called it an unfamiliar field even for them, so it was only natural for me too. But who was Grandfell? He wouldn't present an unfamiliar topic at the regular conference.

I bore responsibility for passing that research. In other words, I was shouldering its weight.

'Why are there so many related fields.'

Healing studies, pharmacology, manufacturing... Why was there so much to memorize?

Without Grandfell's talent, I'd have quit long ago. For real.

But everything depends on mindset.

'If I can't avoid it.'

Yes, let's enjoy it. Dream of a happy future. That elixir herb cultivation research would become valuable elixirs and potions in the future. Let's at least sip some kimchi soup.

Of course, unlike my head that had just resigned itself, my body was already enjoying it.

"I look forward to it."

Srulk—

It was only natural that the lab echoed only with the sound of turning pages.

*

Beep—

I flipped through channels.

Beep—

Beep—

No matter how I flipped channels, it was all stories about Lee Hoyeol.

"Sigh."

Choi Kanghee let out a deep sigh that could bore a hole in the floor. No excuses left now.

"What, turn on the TV and his face is everywhere."

Honestly, she felt like she saw her son's face more often than her live-in husband's. Whether he knew or not.

Snip—

Her husband, Lee Junwook, was intently clipping something.

"Honey, clipping newspapers again?"

"Huh? It's nothing."

"Nothing my foot. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Every time Lee Hoyeol—our son's name—pops up in the paper, out come the scissors."

"Heh heh. I said it's not."

His mouth was grinning ear to ear, though.

Newspaper article scrapbooking. As Choi Kanghee said, it was Lee Junwook's new hobby.

Someone might wonder why. The youngest son of a daughter-rich household— what's odd about saving articles featuring his daughter? Wait, son.

Of course, Choi Kanghee had plenty to say.

"Honey, you know you've filled a whole box with those clippings? No, boxes. Flip any corner of this house and newspaper clippings tumble out...!"

"Ahem. Dear, those will be memories later..."

"In this day and age with news on phones. Didn't Yerim teach you how to screenshot last time? You insist on clipping paper ones, without even organizing properly. So stubborn."

Yes, it wasn't a day or two. Not just a line or two!

Lee Hoyeol. Articles mentioning his name? Buy one daily paper, and every other article featured Hoyeol—exaggerating a bit.

Politics, economy, even entertainment and sports papers were plastered with his articles.

"Yaaawn— What, you two fighting again?"

"Who's fighting? On such a fine day."

"Look, he won't let go of those scissors till the end."

To No. 3, Lee Yerim, it was a familiar sight. Her brother's face on TV the moment she opened the door felt just as routine.

But look at this.

Lee Yerim smacked her lips.

"Mom, your birthday's the day after tomorrow— no word from Hoyeol?"

"He's busy. Where would he find the time?"

"No, no matter how busy, which son forgets his mom's birthday?"

No matter how successful, a brother is a brother. A son is a son.

Lee Yerim cleared her throat dramatically.

"As your sky-high big sis, I should say a word."

Of course, it was an excuse. Her true intent was pitch black—purely wanting to tease her brother.

"You know, I've been checking since his studio days?"

Why, from chicken breast to salad ingredients. Her sisters might have fallen for it, but not her.

Yes, Lee Yerim hadn't given up since then. What caught her eye was an entertainment paper article about Hoyeol.

She wedged between the cold war menopausal couple.

"Mom! What do you think of a foreign daughter-in-law?"

Here, foreign daughter-in-law meant Jessie Haynes. Jessie's joining Hoyeol over her own guild had stirred massive buzz.

Of course, it piqued Lee Yerim's instincts too.

"You thorn. Up to no good again?"

"...Tch. No fun. Then, Dad!"

"Huh?"

"Dad, what about a chaebol daughter-in-law?"

Here, chaebol daughter-in-law meant Shinwa Guild Master Baek Isul. The same Baek Isul repeatedly rebuffed at Hoyeol's door.

It was quiet now, but back then it was shocking. Femme fatale Baek Isul, subtly popular among women, humiliated by her brother Hoyeol.

'Sisters were in an uproar too. Back then.'

Wondering if Hoyeol had some hidden demonic charm unknown to them.

But Lee Yerim's delusions didn't last.

Bonk!

"Ow! Mom, why hit my head?!"

"You thorn always teasing Hoyeol at every chance."

"It's not teasing—there's definitely something! Do you get the complex subtleties between men and women, Mom?! Who knows if they're even vibing!"

Snip—

Lee Junwook, quietly clipping, murmured lowly.

"She knows. That's why she birthed you lot so sharp."

Four siblings in a row, no less...

Of course, he couldn't finish. Choi Kanghee exploded.

"Quiet, all of you!!"

Both had already kindled her troubled heart. Even if her son appeared on TV daily, a mother's worry knew no bounds.

Besides, Hoyeol was a player. Until now, worrying seemed odd—he handled crises effortlessly...

But parental worry has no end, for good reason.

"...I wonder if he's eating properly."

If he visited occasionally, she'd at least feed him a proper meal. Knowing how busy he was made it hard to ask.

Lee Yerim, sensing it, said,

"That's why raising sons is pointless..."

But before the back-smack,

Tap tap—

"...What's that sound?"

Something ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tapping the window. Lee Junwook headed there and freaked.

"Eek! W-what's that?!"

Through the open window slithered something. A winged paper bundle. Precisely, a letter manifesting 【Magic】.

Flap flap—

The fluttering ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠letter landed perfectly in Choi Kanghee's lap.

A living, moving letter. Until recently, it'd seem like a movie scene. But now she could guess.

"...O-our Hoyeol sent it, right?"

Yes, just from the look. Rolled neatly, sealed with wax—it exuded elegance.

Lee Yerim slyly asked,

"He doesn't even KakaoTalk. Why go this far? Right, Mom?"

"Yeah. When he's so busy..."

"Eii. Such empty words!"

Well done, little bro. No matter how busy, mom's birthday matters. Choi Kanghee's brightening face lifted Lee Yerim's mood too.

But...

"Mom, he's lost it for real!"

Pulling off the wax revealed... how many words? A long letter that must've taken hours to write.

"...You knew Hoyeol could write like this?"

Words dripping with formality in every syllable. Of course, not just the letter.

Choi Kanghee found something in the rolled letter.

No need to look closely—it was too familiar.

Lee Yerim flinched.

"Teabag? Green tea? What's that?"

In the dense letter, she finally found the P.S. about it.

"...Elixir herb? Tea made from elixir herbs? By Hoyeol?"

*

No need for movie-like owls to send the letter. Just a bit of mana.

The letter took flight through the open window. No matter how busy, decorum couldn't be ignored.

"Regretful for my absence."

Mom—Choi Kanghee's birthday was the day after tomorrow. Without the regular conference, I'd have attended the family event.

In that sense, I was grateful for it. Hundreds of lines written—even spoken would be a nightmare.

'Especially in front of my sisters?'

...Terrifying just imagining.

Anyway, I didn't forget to enclose elixir herb tea. Both parents needed to mind their health at their age.

In that vein, elixir herb tea would help. Elixir herbs for potions and elixirs naturally had similar effects when brewed.

'Worth poring over the books.'

Of course, only possible with elixir herb knowledge. Thanks to flipping every magic tome before the conference, I'd grasped the basics of their uses.

"Yet still far to go."

Grasped, not enlightened. Elixir herb knowledge wasn't like magic—comprehensible at a glance.

In short, rote memorization subject.

Moreover, elixir herbs grew on the vast Arcana Continent. Hundreds, thousands of varieties.

Accumulating that knowledge... was it even possible?

Doubt crept in. But as said, all depends on mindset.

'It means infinite possibilities.'

Srulk—

So the regretful one, the level-deficient me, had to dig my well. Back to elixir herb tomes.

But my reading didn't last long.

──────

Elixir herbs are a classification of plants growing on the Arcana Continent...

──────

"...!"

Suddenly, it hit me from that passage.

Demon King Decarabia. Info on him.

Yes, Decarabia commanded birds as familiars and held knowledge of all minerals and 'plants'.

All plants. That included elixir herbs.

Yes, I had spoils from that Decarabia.

An ominous spoil from name and grade alone...!

'...Wait, 'impure knowledge'—don't tell me?'

But great expectations bring great disappointment. I knew that. Plus Grandfell's unflappable nature.

So, indifferently,

"All hypotheses require verification."