Ch 18
NEYMAR
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Chapter 18
Dmitri Plaza.
In front of a clothing store, a full-length mirror.
Looking at my reflection, I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
“Heh heh heh…”
Other people stared at me like I was a lunatic, but I couldn’t have cared less.
“Heh heh… Yes, this is a wizard.”
For my top and bottom, I had a set of [Hard Leather Armor], a major defensive upgrade from my old gear. On my joints, [Minion Leather Guards]. In my right hand, the Heroic-grade artifact I’d haggled for until I got it for free, the [Sacred Wand]. And to top it all off, the very symbol of a wizard: a black robe.
Decked out with the gold Rena had given me, I looked every bit the part. I had finally assembled the proper look of a wizard.
“Though the wand does look like a rotten old branch…”
That was an issue that would be solved once I met the release conditions for the [Sacred Wand]. When that time came, it would take on an appearance befitting its ‘sacred’ name.
“Heh heh heh heh…!”
“What’s with that guy?”
“I don’t know, he was doing that earlier and he’s still at it. It’s been over thirty minutes… You think he’s on something?”
“...Sh-She must have heard us. He’s looking this way. Let’s go.”
…Hm, did I overdo it? The stares were starting to get to me. To everyone else, I must have looked completely unhinged.
“…Ahem, shall we get a move on?”
I decided to cut my moment of self-admiration short and started walking. The last thing a wanted man like me needed was for someone to report me to the guards.
My destination was the library.
The reason I came here was… because I had spent all my money and it was the only place I could go. Still, my steps felt light.
“It’s a good chance to catch up on a hundred years of history… Yeah, this isn’t so bad.”
Beep!
An identification device was installed at the entrance. I tapped my wooden ID token and walked in confidently. The sheer scale of the library was so immense, it drew a gasp of admiration from me.
‘Whoa, and you can read all these books for free?’
I had visited the Sector 6 central library a few times while playing the game, but it was far larger and more expansive than I remembered. It must have been rebuilt. It seemed the library had evolved with the times over the past hundred years.
After a moment of awe, I grabbed the thickest book I could find in the history section and looked for a place to sit.
It was then.
‘Huh?’
My eyes landed on a young man reading in the very center of the library. He looked to be around twenty years old.
What caught my attention was his attire.
‘Holy hell, how much is all that worth?’
The young man, who exuded the aura of a wizard, was adorned with baggy clothes and all sorts of accessories. On closer inspection, they were all luxury items.
‘That’s an [Ashtar Ring], and that’s definitely… a [Recovery Pendant]… What? Is his robe an artifact, too?’
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was draped in gold from head to toe. The combined price of his gear would easily exceed 10,000 gold coins.
‘Is he the son of a duke or something…?’
As the question formed in my mind, my gaze reflexively dropped to my own outfit. Suddenly, my new equipment started to look shabby.
‘Hah… And here I was, so thrilled about putting together a set for 50 gold coins.’
The high from my new gear hadn’t lasted long at all. My shoulders suddenly felt heavy.
‘…It’s the same in any world. Money really is the best. Everything else is meaningless.’
Letting out a sigh deep enough to crack the earth, I found a seat in the most remote corner I could. There was no need to sit near that guy and become an object of comparison.
I was glumly flipping through the pages when a voice broke the silence.
“Excuse me… are you a wizard?”
I turned around at the unexpected question. It was the rich young man from before.
I gave a silent nod, and he continued.
“Oh, I never expected to meet another wizard here… I am Roan Biljeff, a student at the Academy.”
“And?”
“Ah, may I sit next to you for a moment?”
“…Yeah, sure.”
I answered in a brusque tone without thinking, but the man named Roan didn’t seem to mind at all. He pulled up a chair and sat down.
“This is great. I was just getting bored and was hoping to find someone to talk about magic with.”
“Talk about magic?”
“Yes. What are your thoughts on the conventional methods of mana manipulation? Oh, but before that, have you read the latest thesis published on mana? Wow, the moment I read it, I had this flash of insight, a real epiphany, you know?”
“…”
I was speechless. What the hell is this bastard babbling about after approaching me out of nowhere? Is he an attention whore?
“…Ah, yes.”
Flip. Flip.
Ignoring him was the best approach. I replied with a clear lack of interest and continued to turn the pages of my book. But the young man showed no signs of stopping.
“Thinking about it now, it was always quite strange. The mana dwelling within the body and the mana floating in nature. They’re both the same mana, yet their uses are different. If what the thesis states is true…”
…He talks way too much. And I have no idea what he’s even saying.
Left with no choice, I closed my book and spoke sharply.
“Have you forgotten this is a library? You’re chattering so loudly that everyone around us is staring at—”
It was in that instant.
“Ah, my mistake. In my excitement, I forgot about this.”
The young man smiled leisurely and extended a hand. In a flash, the surrounding mana gathered around him.
‘An attack?’
I was about to react, but my heart was still beating fine. It didn't seem to be hostile.
Shhh-ing.
I remained still, and soon an opaque barrier formed around the two of us. It was a spell I recognized. A utility magic that completely blocked any sound from escaping.
[Silence Barrier].
‘…Would you look at this guy?’
The important thing was that, despite its simple function, this was high-level magic. It was a spell that one could only cast alone after reaching at least the 4th Circle. Which meant that this young punk had already reached the 4th Circle…
He’s rich and talented?
“How’s this? Better, right?”
…Ah, why is this guy so damn annoying?
Evening, soaked in the yellow twilight.
Within that twilight, a blond-haired young man whose presence refused to fade stretched his arms with a look of relief.
“Ugh, that was fun.”
Roan Biljeff.
He was a member of the Asternon Society, the top student at the Academy, and a young man hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius wizard.
“Lord Roan.”
At the sound of his name, Roan turned his head slightly. An attendant, assigned by the Society to ensure his comfortable passage, was bowing respectfully.
Roan waved with a welcoming expression.
“Oh, Jeff. You’re right on time.”
“…You gave no word as to when you would be leaving, so I have been on standby.”
“Really? So… you’ve been standing here for seven hours? That must have been tough.”
“Not at all, my lord. It is my duty, of course.”
“Well, alright… In any case, let’s be off.”
“Yes, this way.”
Roan boarded the carriage first, with Jeff following behind him. After about ten minutes of travel, Jeff noticed Roan gazing out the window with a constant, pleasant smile and ventured a question.
“Did something pleasant happen, my lord?”
“Ah, was it that obvious?” Roan asked, feigning surprise, before letting out a small laugh. “Jeff. You’ve heard that my eyes are a little… special, haven’t you?”
“Yes, I am aware. You have the ability to read the mana of others…”
“Oh, you know it well. Just as you say, I read mana. To be more precise, I read the nature of the mana. The funny thing is, the nature of the mana resembles its owner.”
“Resembles its owner, you say…”
“Simply put, if the owner is rough, the nature of their mana is rough. If the owner is gentle, their mana is gentle as well.”
“Does that mean you can discern a person’s personality just by their mana…?”
“Their personality, yes, but I can also deduce their status, their combat style, their potential. Things like that, you see?”
“Hah…”
Perhaps genius truly was innate. Amazed by an ability he had never even heard of, Jeff tilted his head in thought.
“But why bring this up so suddenly…?”
He couldn’t understand why Roan was telling him this now. It was then that Roan’s lips curled up again as he spoke in an excited voice.
“I saw the most curious fellow at the library earlier.”
“…A curious fellow?”
“Yes. He looked to be about my age… but he possessed a very unique mana.”
“Unique mana…? Was its color different, or was it raging wildly?”
“No, no, that’s old news. That fellow’s mana was…”
As Jeff swallowed hard with surging curiosity, Roan continued.
“It was completely still. Motionless. As if it could transform into any shape.”
“…Truly?”
“Yes! I’ve never seen mana like that in my entire life. Pffft, ha ha.”
“Hah… How strange. Mana that even you have never seen, Lord Roan. Does that mean this person is also a genius like yourself?”
“That’s what I thought, so I went to check him out immediately. Chatted him up a bit.”
“And how was he?”
“Curious?”
Roan’s smile grew wider, but then, as if he’d suddenly lost all interest, his expression turned cold.
“Unfortunately, he turned out to be nothing special. He didn’t even notice I was about to cast a spell.”
“Ah…”
Jeff’s expectations deflated, but he quickly nodded in understanding.
“Of course… It would be impossible for another genius like you to exist in this world, Lord Roan. Just as two suns cannot rise in the sky at once.”
“Haha, is that so?”
“It is certain. Ah, we have arrived.”
“Oh, already? The Society’s carriage really is fast.”
Stepping out of the carriage, Roan raised his head to look at his destination. A gray, colossal tower that soared so high its peak was out of sight.
“Aldeon… So this is the place I will enter.”
It was the Aldeon Magic Tower.
“Now you must soar high on wings of light, like the one true sun you are.”
At Jeff’s words, Roan nodded.
“I must… That is the path both the Society and I desire.”
But for some reason, Roan’s interest seemed to be focused elsewhere. A flicker of anticipation returned to his cold eyes.
“Still, I hope the evaluation proves to be a little fun. It would be nice to meet some geniuses like myself.”
Paaat-!
Muttering to himself, Roan tapped his ID token against the tower’s barrier, eagerly awaiting the upcoming Aldeon selection evaluation. His desire to meet a worthy rival was more sincere than anyone could know.
Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Artis Request Office.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Rena, who had finished her work for the day and was leisurely sipping a glass of whiskey, jumped in surprise at the loud knocking on the back door.
“Wh-what is it?”
She had been in this line of work for over five years, but this was a rare occurrence. The few times it had happened, it had always been a prelude to something terrible.
Rena rushed to open the door.
And there stood—
“Gasp…! Gasp…!”
—Yuhan, drenched in sweat from having run so hard.
This was the same Yuhan who had always appeared calm and composed. Had he gotten into an accident?
“Rena…! Do you have any requests I can take on right now?”
“Wh-what’s going on? Didn’t you say you were going to take a break until you solved the magic tower request?”
Yuhan answered Rena’s worried question.
“I need more gold!”
“…Gold?”
“That smug, blond-haired bastard… I swear, one day I’m going to crush him with money!”
“…”
She still had no idea what had happened, but one thing was certain in that moment.
Seeing this unexpected side of him, a single question blossomed in Rena’s mind.
‘Can I really afford to trust this guy…?’
The future of the Artis Request Office was riding on the success of his request.
Rena thought that perhaps she should have been a little more cautious.
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