Chapter 16

Time passes, and another day goes by without incident.

The gang members and other people were no longer visible.

Excited people leave their seats one by one, thinking of receiving the promised money from the pharmaceutical company.

Because it was such a small amount, he asked for a job without knowing who the other party was, and it flowed all the way here.

Those who risked their lives for two days will get the price in their hands.

Lennok sent the others off first, and was the last one left to clear out the warehouse.

People politely greet each other and disappear one by one.

In particular, the psychic who thought he would really die went home with his head on the ground with tears in his eyes.

I thought it was wrong to be caught by a wizard, but it’s worth saying don’t be new because I made progress in my superpowers while fighting.

Lennok, who was reluctant to lay his hand on the person he had fought with, waved his hand away.

I called Seiji’s contact number that I had received in advance and finished a brief report.

He couldn’t easily believe the outcome of the night’s battle, but when Lennok asked if he could take some samples with him, he readily agreed.

“Two cans of sleeping pills. There are also tonics used to recover from fatigue. This is a vitamin I don’t have at home... I need to take this too.”

Lennok, who took some medicines piled up in the warehouse in the name of organizing, left the warehouse with a feeling of reassurance.

These are much better than the cheap nutritional supplements you get at home. For the time being, it seemed that his medication life would become even more prosperous.

Lennok, who was about to leave the warehouse with light steps, suddenly stopped when he saw Grime’s wand he had thrown away last night.

“.........”

Still, he had no intention of using a wand that was more pretentious than this one, but Lennok picked up his wand again for some reason.

‘Still, wouldn’t it make money if I sold it?’

Even so, it was equipment used by level 3 wizards.

If I hand it over to Jenny, wouldn’t it be worth one or two cigarettes at the beginning of the year?

Lennok left the storage room with his wand planted behind his back with some hope.

After staying up almost two nights, my eyes are closed and my head is pounding from a headache, but the work is not over yet.

You can be relieved only after submitting the sample directly to the Patent Office.

I don’t like the fact that I have to do this kind of errand, but when I think of the 30 million cells that the pharmaceutical company promised to pay, that thought disappears.

After exiting District 54, catch a taxi and head to the district where the Korean Intellectual Property Office is located.

Single-digit subdivisions in which administrative agencies of the City are located. It is the first time to go inside.

As you head deeper into the city center, the roads become wider and cleaner, and the heights of the buildings built around them begin to rise.

The number of people increased as we went deeper into the 10th district, and the moment we entered the center, the population density dropped dramatically.

A quiet street that is not tidy. Numerous buildings that are colorful and beautifully sculpted.

A temple built in the depths of a forest of skyscrapers soaring high into the sky.

The offices of the rulers of the city are full of these streets.

It is the core engine that moves the megalopolis Balkan and the realm of the conductors who make all other districts move in harmony.

From here, it is an area that only public officials and administrative officials of the city government can enter.

The relatively minor Intellectual Property Office is located in District 8.

It was early in the morning, so there were few people on the streets around the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

I only occasionally see elderly people taking their dogs for a walk or people who are devoted to morning exercise.

Get out of the taxi and head straight to the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

It is not an ordinary building, but a building with an antique look like a temple of a myth.

It’s a peculiarity that doesn’t go well with this street, but it’s easy to find because of that.

Judging by the dim light through the window, the door had already been opened.

‘Should I submit it quickly and come out?’

The moment he inadvertently puts his hand in his arms and turns his steps down the alley toward the inside of the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

An old man who was sitting on a bench, breathing, spoke to him.

“What are young people going to do in a place like this early in the morning?”

Wear light sportswear. On one side of his lap, a large black dog, as if out for a walk, rests his head in his hand and sticks out its elongated tongue.

A towel was draped around his neck, as if he had already sweated a lot while exercising, but his eyes were shaped inappropriately for his age.

“......If it’s going to the Korean Intellectual Property Office, isn’t it decided?”

Lennok hesitated for a moment, but chose the right answer and responded.

“Oh, it seems that you have developed a rare technology. It’s pretty good at such a young age.”

‘What should I do...’

There are quite a few people in this city who talk to strangers, but it bothers me to just ignore them.

From the fact that he enjoys exercising in a place like this in the first place, there is a high possibility that the opponent is not an ordinary old man.

If such a person suddenly started talking to Lennok, wouldn’t it be because he simply needed a companion?

Apart from believing in his own talent and will, it is still too early for Lennok to associate himself with the powerful.

At least it shouldn’t be this way of having a face-to-face conversation.

What could be a way to sneak out of this conversation without leaving a strong impression?

‘I’m not very confident in my speech skills...’

thought Lennok, glancing down at the old man.

He was still looking at Lennok with his unwavering gaze, but Lennok’s sharp perception noticed that his gaze was only slightly deflecting from him.

To be more precise.

Toward Grime’s wand hanging behind his back.

“.......”

A very small suspicious ship. It infers the behavior derived from it and arrives at the cause at once.

Lennok found the correct answer in an instant just by looking at the direction of his gaze.

‘....aha.’

Lennok, whose complexion changed in an instant, smiled faintly.

“Did you enjoy the show I showed you yesterday?”

“What do you mean?”

“I sprinkled some firecrackers so that people watching from afar could see it well. You liked it, so you’ve been waiting for me like this, haven’t you?”

Lennok said, taking his gaze calmly.

“Guardian.”

“......”

This time it was the old man’s turn to be silent.

Seed

Lennok slowly took out Grime’s wand from behind and thrust it in front of him.

I will return this.”

Lennok said as he watched the wand gently burrow into the garden dirt.

“It must have been the magician you cherished. I’m sorry.

A person who recognizes Grime’s cane, knows in advance that Lennok will come to the Patent Office, and is not at all strange that he freely walks in and out of this street in the name of exercise.

Wasn’t he the only person standing on the opposite side of Lennok in this incident?

The old man looked up at him with burning eyes and said.

“...I knew that.”

“Is there anything else you would like to say?”

He intended to refrain from clashing with the powerful as much as possible, but if it came out like this from the other side, Lennok would have no choice.

I never thought I would reveal myself instead of ordering the lower ones.

‘I’ll have to extort more money from the pharmaceutical company when I go back.’

Didn’t I say that I couldn’t move directly because of the lobby against the upper line?

Of course, I didn’t believe the client’s words directly and received the request, but I didn’t know that the words were useless to anyone.

While Lennok was frowning at such annoyance, the district councilman opened his mouth.

His gaze was still on the staff stuck in the ground.

“Grim. He wasn’t very good at it, but he was a good friend. From the moment I decided to become a politician, he was the one who devoted himself to assisting me.”

“.......”

“A friend like that is dead, so do you know why I came all the way here to see you?”

“Revenge?”

Even as Lennok replied, he had a hunch that it was not the correct answer.

The old man’s eyes looking at him now were clearly different from hatred or disappointment and anger.

In a way, it was close to a very intense greed.

“I won’t talk too long. Come under me.”

“.......”

“For a talented and skilled mage like you to work alone is the same as the loss of the whole city. I was convinced when I saw lightning on a cloudless night.”

he kept talking.

“I will continue to rise higher and you can make it so too. In that tall forest of skyscrapers... I can make you a place.”

A very intense ambition that is blatantly revealed in every word.

Lennock acknowledged that this man, the county councilor, was an extraordinary person regardless of his current position.

Money that doesn’t belong to you. Unobtainable honor and power. And even talents who didn’t come into the arms.

Few people can be greedy for so many things.

Because he is such a person, he must have been greedy even for pharmaceutical companies in his district and coveted the patents they created.

However, I have no intention of putting myself on a leash in a place like this.

“What do you mean by that?”

said Lennok with a laugh.

“You may want me, but from my point of view, I have no reason to need you.”

“Are you going to decline my offer now?”

“Even if I’m really in a hurry, wouldn’t there be a reason to find the congressman?”

Rather, there are many who are closer to the core of this city.

If Lennok really intended to enlist the help of those in power, there were plenty of people higher up than him.

To be honest, it’s not worth it.

Now Lennok himself is a wizard whose skills have already been recognized, but the old man is not even the mayor, but just a member of a district.

Lennok thought as he looked at the silent old man, as if he understood what he meant.

‘This should be enough.’

There is no reason to give a lot of shame to those who came to covet his ability.

Apart from the greed this old man possessed, it was troublesome to turn such an ambitious man into an enemy.

Even if they had no intention of cooperating, it would have been better to coax them into an ambiguous relationship.

Looking at the old man with his head bowed, Lennok continued his words in a soothing way.

“But if you help me, I might be able to repay you someday.”

“...What do you mean?”

“We’re not very close, but there’s no reason for us to remain on bad terms, is there?”

Lennok smiled faintly as he looked at the old man whose eyes only then began to shine again.

I’m tired.

Because on Earth, he wasn’t mature enough to exchange deals like this with anyone.

However, it was something that had to be firmly concluded at this spot.

One day, when other powers eventually took notice of Lennok’s strength and talent and tried to put him on a leash.

You might need someone to clear your throat by your side.

It would be important for him to be strong enough to break the leash on his own and survive alone... No one can predict the future.

Preparing for that day, I plant a small seed in this greedy old man here today.

No one knew how it would germinate and shade it.

Submit a sample to the Patent Office and finish the job.

Fortunately, Amnac Pharmaceuticals had prepared the relevant documents in advance, so Lennok was able to stop at just submitting samples and getting them checked.

After leaving the Intellectual Property Office while being greeted much more kindly than the ward office staff in the 49th district, Lenok led a tired body and headed straight to the orchard in the 31st district.

In my heart, I want to go to rest immediately after reporting the status of the request to Jenny, but making up for the lack of tobacco was far more important than that.

It is a very precious item that makes Lenok forget his fatigue and move his body like normal people.

Just being able to dilute the penalty, even for a moment, was worth a lot of the money Lennok was making.

“Who is this? You have a very special guest.”

After squatting on a chair, the old man with a stout expression looked at him and smiled.

He was holding a smoking pipe as before, and he patted his knee while looking at Lennok.

“I didn’t know you the other day and excused myself. Now I see that you are a very talented wizard.”

“Is there anything you don’t like, master?”

The old man giggled at Lennok’s question.

“No, to be honest, I was a bit surprised. If the rumors reach my ears, it means that I managed to adapt to this floor somehow... I couldn’t imagine it well.”

It’s definitely not a method that Lennok would use now, not knowing if others supported by the funds would know.

“The other way is..... whoa...”

Lennok, who put down the introduction to summoning magic, sighed deeply as he looked through the book that said it was an elemental technique.

If summoning magic is like a lottery that relies heavily on luck, spirit magic cannot even be called magic.

It uses a power called spiritual power, which is completely different from magical power, and the principle is close to that of a shaman or necromancer.

It was quite a distance from the most popular and well-known technique called magic.

Lennok had a very strong conviction about his magic talent, but he was not sure if it would be applicable to magic using spiritual power.

Elementalists are quite passive, so they weren’t very popular even among players who played WORLD, so Lennok hadn’t really looked at them except for a few related NPCs while playing the game alone.

I did it anyway, but it’s still the same. Among the principles of using elemental magic, there were several methods that could be applied to the magic he was using, but... it was not something that would help him right now.

‘If you naturally develop that route while studying common magic, it’s too risky to forcefully study this way.’

Researching magic and increasing the amount of mana alone is daunting. There was no time to even touch the unfamiliar power of spiritual power.

After that, Lennok devoured books on magic and magic that seemed to be related to the avant-garde he could create himself.

Homunculus-made golem assembly book... Even the necromancer books were touched, and he was reluctant to touch the corpse, so he threw it away, but it was still difficult to let go of the lingering attachment.

It was because he was gradually realizing how important it is to have a sense of stability during battle through several requests.

Of course, Lennok’s shield magic had never betrayed his expectations, and he had never stiffened his head or made a mistake in judgment just because he was forced into an extreme situation.

In a way, the fact that Lennok’s magic stood out on the battlefield was more of a disadvantage than an advantage.

If Lennok could control an existence that could distract the enemy even for a moment... It was close to a vague imagination, but it’s not a story without possibility.

It is a talent that embraced all kinds of penalties and reached the limit.

If it doesn’t work, it can be made possible by tearing apart the common magic.

There was no reason to hastily cut the limits while discussing the possible and the impossible.

Pick up the introduction to the summon series again and start looking carefully from the beginning.

He glared at the book with the momentum to memorize and interpret the principles used in the summoning ceremony in their entirety and apply them to common magic.

I was going to rest until today anyway, so I have a lot of time.

Lennok intended to spend the day sitting here until just before closing time.

Until I heard a harsh voice behind my back.

“I am.”

“......?”

“I stopped by the library for the first time in a while and just in case, I’m really excited.”

Lennok slowly turned his head at the calm tone that felt somehow chilly.

I’m sure you heard it somewhere.

“Could it be that you’ve been stuck here for a whole month, thinking you’re going to die?”

Her rich blonde hair flutters in line with the wind, and her blue eyes coldly look down at Lennok.

second encounter.

Still, for some reason, a familiar gaze was there.

Aris: It’s paid from here on out.

The outfit still looks more like a student than a professor wearing a white shirt and blue skirt like when we first met.

Aris Richellen. Chair Professor at Rabatenon University.

It’s the first time we’ve met again since we met once before at the library.

“I told you to come find me, so you don’t even come. Does anything change if you just bring in books and dig in here?”

She had looked Lennok up and down openly, and now began to examine the contents of the book he was holding.

“Summoning Contract Elemental Spell... Homunculus? Haa.....”

She checked the titles of the books piled up around him and made a strange expression, then let out a deep sigh.

He is a very interesting person to imagine and react to various things by himself.

Lennok watched without saying a word, wanting to see how far she was mistaken now.

Aris carefully chose her thoughts, as if she were teaching a kindergartener one by one, and began to speak softly.

“It’s a bad choice to turn your gaze in this way because you don’t have any talent for magic. In particular, summoning classes and spirit skills tend to be more demanding than simple talent, and if you have to say it, they tend to ride the bandwagon, so they really cover people.”

“I know very well.”

In response to Lennok’s calm reply, Aris’ eyebrows drew a line.

“Is anyone in the know holding onto a book like that? If you want to trust your luck, I recommend buying a lottery ticket sold by the city government. Even someone like me who works at a university has only met three elemental magicians. It is better to give up useless hope.”

“......”

Actually, she wasn’t wrong.

If Lennok was really an ordinary person with no talent for magic, her advice would hardly have gone astray.

In fact, even Lennok still has no idea how to deal with these magics.

The only difference is that Lennok knew that his talent wasn’t just blocked by this wall, and Aris didn’t know anything about him.

Of course, if I revealed this situation to her, I might not be able to listen to her, but... is there a need to do that?

Lennox’s talent is far beyond what he himself thinks he can comprehend.

His magical talent, which was even calibrated at the cost of his lifespan, went beyond outstanding and sometimes even felt dangerous.

Even Lennok himself sometimes feels that way, but how would other wizards react if they realized this?

Lennok was not yet used to the world enough to anticipate and deal with such a reaction.

However, Aris seemed to understand Lennok’s silence completely differently.

Lennok didn’t miss the faint emotion that passed her eyes for a second.

It was something closer to... pity than sympathy.

“Whoa.... Give me the book.”

When Lennok didn’t respond, Aris picked up the stack of books beside him and began to quickly examine the contents.

The speed of turning the pages is almost as fast as Lennok.

As expected of her as a wizard with excellent skills, it was clear that her intellect was also at a formidable level.

Aris, who had read three books in the blink of an eye, nodded and sat down across from Lennok as if she had gained some insight.

“.....What are you doing now?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? I’m trying to summarize and explain it so that you can understand it well.”

After arguing a while ago that you shouldn’t touch this kind of magic, you’re trying to teach me first.

When Lennok, who was dumbfounded, pointed out that part, Aris replied with a calm expression.

“If you explain how difficult summoning magic is and how it rides people, you will understand. People like you, who are eager to learn, are always obstinate and won’t move unless you’re convinced. I know.”

After she said that, she immediately started reciting the pros and cons of summoning magic, starting with an overview.

“Basically, unlike magic that begins through the concrete concentration of one’s intentions and magical powers, summoning magic—” I

listened to her words quietly.

I heard that he is holding a professorship at a university, but his tone is very familiar and calm.

What he said was concise and to the point, so it was clear enough that even Lennox, who had already read all of it, nodded his head.

“.........”

At this level, it was impossible to just ignore it. In fact, Lennok knew it from the beginning.

A good person. It would be a waste to spend time on someone like Lennok.

Even when you think that you are reaching out in the wrong direction with your hopes in useless places, you can see the attitude of trying to convince people instead of forcibly correcting your thoughts.

After confirming that Lennok’s passion is real, he respects his will and approaches cautiously so as not to dampen his passion.

He was a kind person and a good teacher.

Hearing her sonorous voice through one ear, he silently looked out the window where the sunlight was shining.

The scenery of the Balkans seen through the window is infinitely quiet.

When I first received the business card, it wasn’t that Lennok didn’t think about going to see Aris.

On this lonely street with no place to lean on, just having someone to talk to is a great comfort.

If only we could talk about magic and receive even a little instruction.

I would be lying if I said I never recalled the existence of the business card she handed me on very occasional occasions.

But the reason why I thought about it sometimes but didn’t find out the way to Rabatenon University–

“Hey, are you listening?”

“.....Sure. I am listening very well.”

“.......”

Seeing Aris cross her arms with a disapproving look on her face, Lennok smiled embarrassingly.

Aris, who glared at Lennok for a moment, said as if she remembered.

“Come to think of it, I handed over my business card, but I didn’t hear your name.”

“.......”

“What is your name? I take the time to give a lecture like this, but I have to speak up.”

—because she was one of the very few who knew Lennok’s real face.

While working as a member of the Lightning Wizard class, he accepts gaining prestige and making his abilities known.

There were times when Lennok’s reality was that he couldn’t get even the minimum amount of money if he was afraid of that.

However, it was a completely different story to exchange achievements for magic with the same wizard.

His talent is far beyond the level of being outstanding, and it’s not strange at all that someone feels dangerous

.

And Lennok didn’t know Aris Richellen well enough to know how she would react the moment she made that mistake.

Be careful.

Even though I know that I am tired enough to be shaken by such a small favor and kindness.

Lennok smiled, skillfully fooling himself.

“Do I even need to name it?”

“What did you say?”

“You don’t necessarily need a name to have a conversation.”

“......”

Sensing Aris’ gaze at him with a dumbfounded expression, Lennok quickly picked up the sophistry.

“In this library, we are just students studying magic together. Wouldn’t it be enough just to share knowledge about magic with each other and have conversations?”

After all, there aren’t many things to do with her except today.

Lennok stopped by the library every holiday, but this was the second time he’d run into her, so she must be quite busy with her day job, too.

Roughly, just passing this moment in moderation is enough.

However, Aris accepted Lennok’s muttered words as if he had been waiting for them.

“great. Does that mean you are ready to learn magic from me?”

“.....yes?”

“Recently, I haven’t been to the library to finish my thesis, but I tend to stop by the school library once every two weeks to find out-of-date materials.”

She closed the book and rose from her seat.

Lennok just looked up at her with a slightly dazed expression.

“I’ll give you a brief lesson here once every two weeks. At that time, I will teach you the basics of magic, not this kind of summoning magic, so prepare well.”

“No, I’m running out of time...”

Lennok let out a small sigh as he finished his words as if he would not listen to the answer and looked at the rich blonde hair that disappeared in a flash.

It’s only the second meeting, but he’s a pretty selfish person.

Lennok calmly sorted out the books piled on the desk, put them in the return box, and left the library.

The sun that had been hanging in the middle of the sky was setting, and the scarlet sunset was coloring the edge of the sky.

I blankly looked up at the sky and was lost in thought.

“.........”

Aris Richelen’s kindness to Lennox is not entirely unconvincing.

She seemed to have a strange attachment to those who had no talent but couldn’t abandon her passion for magic, and Lennok, who was sitting in the library looking at books, was enough to be seen as an aspiring wizard.

It wasn’t strange that a young wizard who had risen to a university professorship had circumstances comparable to his talent.

But it was an entirely different matter for Lennok to conform to that stubbornness.

‘......once every two weeks. As long as you thoroughly listen to her words.’

The least risk that Lennok could psychologically tolerate.

And the advantage of being able to make friends with the chair professor at the magic university.

It was quite difficult to weigh the two, but Lennok couldn’t help but ponder.

If you make friends with her, you might be able to solve the problem of finding a job in the sun without too much difficulty.

Hearing about the work of the wizards of the sun and their society would be of great help to Lennok today.

If that’s enough, if that’s all.

In this city where there is no place to lean on, wouldn’t it be possible to make at least one scheduled itinerary?

Lennok smiled at the thought.

While making an appointment with only one person, he laughed at the fact that he had to think and act carefully.

And sad.

Another day sets in with the fading lights of the beginning of the year.

It’s time to make up for the amount of tobacco he blew into the air.

Slowly, he had to find the next request.