WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 178

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178.

Hwaryeong saw us, bowed deeply, then gave a light wave of her hand. Magical power bloomed from her fingertips, flowed swiftly, and spread through the room. When she snapped her fingers, the cluttered desk began tidying itself at once.

I walked slowly toward Hwaryeong and looked around. This small room could be called her office. When she flicked a finger filled with magical power, several chairs rose from the floor. She pointed to them.

She meant for us to sit. Once I sat where she had indicated, she took her place in front of the desk. Then she bowed her head to us again and smiled.

“I should greet you properly. I am Hwaryeong, First-grade Assistant Manager of Arcana General Trading Company’s Fifth Division Customer Response Department. Thank you for visiting.”

I bowed my head in return. Then I quietly observed Hwaryeong. Glancing at the name tag shining on her chest, I smiled faintly.

“You were promoted again. Congratulations.”

Hwaryeong shook her head slightly. She gave a shy smile. After stroking her name tag, she lightly waved a hand.

“Not at all. If anything, I’m embarrassed to show you this. There’s very little I accomplished through my own strength.”

“Why be so modest? I know very well how capable you are, Hwaryeong. If anything, I thought the promotion was too slow.”

As I continued praising her, Hwaryeong’s eyes curved into a smile. She placed a hand on her chest and let magical power flow. That magical power formed a spell. It was Perfect Tea.

“I’m just grateful to hear you say that.”

She placed tea in front of us. As we chatted pleasantly, the atmosphere grew warm. The magical power flowing from Hwaryeong also bloomed brighter little by little.

As if responding to it, I released my own magical power as well. Even so, I did not let go of that single thread of tension. I drank my tea and glanced sideways at Hwaryeong.

First-grade Assistant Manager. I knew very well how hard that position was to reach. I had done quite a bit of research on Arcana General Trading Company, so I understood their ranks in detail too.

Arcana General Trading Company was one of the organizations that controlled the university. Compared to the On Puppeteer Association I belonged to, it was hundreds of times larger in scale alone. And that was not just in terms of people. The number of powerful individuals there was greater by about the same margin.

Because of that, many people wanted to belong there, and even after joining, the internal competition remained fierce. That made rising through the ranks extremely difficult.

There was even a joking rumor that raising your rank there was harder than increasing the university’s floor count. And it was not entirely a joke.

Yet Hwaryeong had climbed the ranks this quickly. Had it been almost ten years since I first met her? Back then, she had only been a trainee employee.

Now she had skipped several steps and reached the position of First-grade Assistant Manager. And that rank would likely be nothing more than a brief stop for her. She would almost certainly move beyond assistant manager and rise to the next level soon.

I quietly smacked my lips. Growth this fast was impossible through one’s own strength alone. The reason it was possible was obvious. It meant someone was guiding her from ahead.

I could feel again just how powerful the connections and strength of a great family were. Well, I had also helped her grow like this. I had filled out her achievements quite generously, after all.

Was that why? Even after climbing so high, Hwaryeong had not let go of her position as my account contact. That also meant she still believed there was more she could squeeze out of me.

That was why I always needed to pay attention to her actions. She probably understood how I felt to some extent too. And yet she still acted so smooth about it.

Well, if we could help each other right now, was that not a good thing? The reason I had come to visit her this time was also to hand over the tasty piece of meat she wanted.

“It’s been a while. Your last visit was six months ago, wasn’t it? I didn’t realize so much time had already passed. It’s good to see you again too, Mira.”

Hwaryeong greeted us with a bright smile. Her sharp eyes softened with amusement. It was probably because she knew at least part of Mira’s power. Mira, who had been leaning against me, faced Hwaryeong and smiled warmly.

“Hehe, it’s good to see you too. I enjoyed the catalogue you sent last time, Hwaryeong. Thanks to that, moving around became a little easier. I hope you’ll prepare something similar next time too.”

Mira placed a hand on her chest and let magical power flow. Mist flowed along the brooch and seeped into her body. Hwaryeong covered her mouth and smiled gently.

“Oh my, I’m glad I was of help. If it’s a request from Mira, I must grant it. Next time, I’ll introduce you to even better items.”

Mira smiled happily. “I’m looking forward to it,” she murmured, then continued talking with Hwaryeong. Amid those bright smiles, the two of them began discussing matters of their own.

Watching them, I gave a faint, bitter smile. After becoming my account contact, Hwaryeong had done her best to make things convenient for me. The catalogue she sent to the tower every month was one of those conveniences.

It contained all sorts of things. Not only daily necessities and materials, but also the company’s newly stocked goods, and even things I happened to need right away.

That was also why I did not often come to the city. If I simply looked through the catalogue and contacted Hwaryeong, she would arrange delivery on her own. It truly could not have been more useful.

Mira looked through the catalogue the same way. Hwaryeong had included many items suited to her tastes. At this point, it was tailored directly to Mira’s preferences.

Maybe that was why so many of my points had been sucked away until now. Most of the points I had earned all this time tended to vanish in an instant like that.

I glanced at Hwaryeong. I had no idea where she was getting my information from. Still, it was true that she managed us thoroughly as customers. That meant her skill was that impressive.

It made sense. No matter how much power a great family had, if her own ability had been lacking, she would not have risen to her current position. That was also why I was handing this matter over to her.

“Would you like to take a look? From what I can see, there are quite a few items Evron would be interested in.”

Mira smiled while waving the new catalogue she had received from Hwaryeong. I quietly shook my head. Unfortunately, I was a little short on points right now. I had needed to invest a great many points to create the soul Saplings.

Right now, I had something more important to handle than looking through that. I looked at Hwaryeong. Perhaps she felt my gaze, because she smiled and met my eyes.

Mira looked between us, then began slowly browsing the catalogue in her hand with a faint smile. She gave me a slight smiling glance. It meant I should not mind her and should talk comfortably.

Hwaryeong glanced at Mira, then spoke.

“The preparations are wrapping up successfully. Once the item I requested last time is completed, you won’t need to worry about anything else. Did you perhaps visit today to hand that over?”

Hwaryeong’s eyes quietly sparkled. I looked into those eyes for a moment, then slowly nodded. At that, Hwaryeong’s eyes curved with a radiant smile.

Desire too strong to hide overflowed from her face along with her magical power. She did not seem particularly interested in hiding it either.

Well, that made sense. What I was about to give her was something she would covet. I took a bundle of papers from my chest and held it out to her.

“I believe you will handle it well. I wrote down all the details, so I will leave every necessary item to your side.”

Hwaryeong raised her magical power and carefully received the bundle of papers. Then she began turning through it one sheet at a time. The papers were densely packed with things I could not identify at a glance.

I quietly crossed my arms and observed Hwaryeong. She examined each sheet, deep in thought. As she checked the contents, I could see how cautious she was being.

Of course she had to focus like that. Those papers could be called a kind of structure diagram. It was impossible to understand at once that enormous magic, created by delicately stacking all sorts of spells.

Even I, who had watched the creation process from the side, found that extremely complicated structure diagram difficult to understand. So Hwaryeong would certainly have trouble understanding it too. Professor Irian was the one who had made it.

At our level, grasping its contents was difficult. Still, she should be able to understand at least part of it. I had added a bit of explanation beside it.

Following that explanation, she checked the structure diagram in detail. Hwaryeong’s eyes were incredibly sharp. That was probably because this matter was so important to her.

Soon, she turned the last page and nodded. With a satisfied smile, she looked at me.

“Oh my... this is incredibly interesting. It’s a truly vicious design.”

I shrugged. That was my proud work. So I had thought she would certainly like it.

“It should be fitting for the entrance exam. It will also make it easier for them to reveal their talent.”

“You’re right. If we proceed like this, we’ll be able to see a lot.”

Hwaryeong smiled and stroked the bundle of papers. More than that, there was something in her words that bothered me. Vicious, she said. I scratched my chin at that. From my point of view, I thought I had made it fairly gentle.

The reason I had visited this place was because of the new student entrance exam. It was an evaluation the professors took turns holding every year. When I entered, I remembered Professor Heisen being in charge of it.

Because of that, our Professor’s turn had come as well. After this lecture ended, she too would oversee the entrance exam. That bundle of papers was the structure diagram for the magic that would form the entrance exam.

I could not help wearing a small, bitter smile. I remembered the process of completing it. Professor Irian had found it extremely bothersome when making it.

Perhaps because it was something the president had ordered, she had still forced herself to complete the magic. After that, though, she completely washed her hands of it. Creating the tasks to fill that structure was left to me.

The process of coming up with tasks suited to that magic was quite difficult. But who was I? I was someone who had taken the entrance exam eleven times. Now that I thought about it, I had spent more time preparing for the exam than I had spent at the university.

Because of that, I knew many things. What kinds of exams were presented, what kinds of exams were difficult, and so on. You could say I understood the minds of those examinees exactly.

That structure diagram was the collection of those thoughts. It was the result of doing my best to make the entrance exam difficult. I laughed as I imagined the mages participating in the exam screaming.

I had heard that Hwaryeong also passed her first exam right away. Talented people like that tended to leap over the exam in one go. In that sense, this was a method talented people could not think of.

No matter how talented they were, they would not pass easily. Others needed to taste the anger of long-term applicants like us at least once. Thinking of the examinees seasoned by decades who were still suffering outside the university, I briefly observed a moment of silence.

Among them, I was the only one who had successfully entered the university. Spending years on it meant lacking that much talent, after all. If not for Professor, I would certainly have rotted outside even longer.

“This is very good. I’ll complete it cleanly so neither Professor Irian nor Evron needs to touch it. Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity.”

She bowed deeply. I waved my hands at her and smiled.

“I should be the one thanking you. We’re in a relationship where we help each other, aren’t we? From my side, it would also be good if things go even better for you, Hwaryeong.”

Seeing how serious she was, I did not think I needed to check it myself. I quietly nodded.

Professor Irian had become responsible for the exam, but setting up that exam venue was impossible for me alone. Even if Professor stepped forward herself, it would still be difficult. Managing hundreds of thousands of participants would be too much.

That was why I had come to Arcana General Trading Company. I needed to borrow that organization’s strength. You could call it a kind of collaboration.

Of course, Professor Irian held the absolute upper position. That was probably why Hwaryeong was taking such a deferential attitude. Right now, I was here as Professor’s proxy.

I quietly stroked my chin. Originally, the entrance evaluation was an area managed by the twelve organizations that controlled the university. Every year, they supposedly found collaborators through discussions with the professor in charge.

When I entered, I remembered Beast Corporation handling the exam. I still vividly remembered having points taken from me back then.

Like that, many interests were tied to this entrance exam. It was not simply a matter of points. What organizations like Arcana General Trading Company aimed for was not wealth, but people.

As Professor had once told me before, the university could be called a kind of filter. And sometimes, people with overwhelming talent who passed through that filter with ease appeared.

What these organizations wanted was to search for those talented people. In the end, the most important things to a mage were talent and raising one’s realm.

Cassian could be called the perfect example. As soon as she entered, she received sponsorship. And she became half-bound to the Blade Association.

Even swordsmen coveted such talented people, so what about mages? They would certainly not stop at examining them and taking in their talent. They would bind that talent with even harsher methods.

More severely than what almost happened to me before. Those bound that way would probably be worked cheaply. I had heard there were also small underhanded struggles to seize those interests.

Because of that, a few people had approached Professor Irian as well. Of course, because Professor found all of it bothersome, I ended up making the decision. And I handed that opportunity over to Arcana General Trading Company, with Hwaryeong as my point of contact.

I smiled brightly at Hwaryeong. She would stake everything on this matter. Miryeong, who stood above her, would likely do the same. I would get to feel the strength of that great family directly.

This was good for everyone. From my side, it was good because I did not have to spend any effort, and from their side, it was good because they would gain greater influence within their organization. It was mutual benefit.

Of course, if I interfered, they would suffer too. But I had no intention of doing that. I had entrusted the work to Hwaryeong like this because I believed they would finish it well.

If they gained greater power through this, that would be good for me too. There was a saying that you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Just as those words said, I intended to slowly approach their core.

This matter could be called a foothold for that. A way to get even closer to them. If I kept showing goodwill like this, they would lower their guard at least a little.

Gaps would appear within that. That was what I wanted. I would also be able to gain a little profit.

Hwaryeong put the bundle of papers into her chest and nodded. I could feel satisfaction from her. Since I knew how capable she was, she would surely handle it well on her own.

I leaned slightly toward her. Seeing her meet my eyes, I let out a light cough.

“Ahem, now that this discussion is over, there is one thing I would like to ask. What happened with what I mentioned before?”

At that, Hwaryeong lightly clapped her hands. Following the magical power she raised, several documents on the desk floated up. After checking them, she smiled softly.

“Ah, that matter? Of course it was approved. I put in some effort.”

Hwaryeong made a slight show of taking credit as she picked out one document. A strong sense of magical power could be felt from the paper. She held it out to me. I carefully accepted it, checked what was written inside, then bowed my head slightly.

“Thank you for your kindness.”

I sealed the document with magical power and put it into my chest. This was a kind of permit. A token showing that Arcana General Trading Company guaranteed my activities in Stalactite City.

With this, it would not be easy for other organizations in the city to touch me. As I rubbed it, I laughed. As expected, when you showed goodwill, it returned as goodwill. Hwaryeong, who had been watching me, tilted her head slightly.

“But what are you planning to do with that?”

“Mm, I’m only thinking of doing a little business. It seems I need to earn more points.”

I scratched my head slightly and looked at Mira. Mira, who had been looking through the catalogue, gave me a slightly mischievous smile. It seemed she had found a few more things she liked.

I lightly smacked my lips. No matter how much I earned, points were always in short supply. So I needed to earn more.

Perhaps she was suspicious, because I saw Hwaryeong narrow her eyes. I waved a hand at her. Then magical power began flowing toward my wrist.

“There will be nothing for you to worry about, Hwaryeong. This contract is still intact.”

I shrugged. The magical power seeping into my wrist soon revealed a contract text. It still held clear magical power as it bound my tree.

Hwaryeong saw it and smiled faintly. I would not spread communication like the mirror bug throughout this university. As long as this contract existed, I could not escape their grasp. She nodded and said,

“Business, is it? If you need my investment, tell me anytime. If it’s you, Evron, I can trust you.”

“Thank you for saying that. You can’t pretend not to know later, all right? I’ll remember it clearly.”

At that, Hwaryeong burst into loud laughter. With her eyes curved in a smile, she readily nodded. After that, I was able to talk with her about business for quite a while. She seemed to have become somewhat interested too.

It would also be good for me to gain a new investor. Because of that, I answered her questions with all sincerity. And I was able to receive a promise of some points from her too.

Time passed quickly through that conversation, and it was almost evening by the time I left the company. Looking at the huge building, I quietly nodded. It had been a very useful time.

I lightly tapped my chest. Beyond my heart, many stars were sparkling on the shadow tree engraved there. They belonged to the puppets I had made. They were also the ones in the tower.

I could feel the connection to them flowing in without obstruction. Stroking my chin, I smiled softly. It was very successful. These puppets were what I would sell in the city.

Raising one’s realm was not easy. The path to Complete Tree was still far away. But I had gained many results during that time. Building my domain like this was also one of the results obtained in that process.

The small soul Saplings settled inside my chest. They were new lives, and they were also my puppets. Because of that, each of them also held its own shadow tree inside.

By using them as a kind of relay node, my shadow domain could expand little by little. And at the end of that, I had succeeded in reaching the city like this. I smiled lightly.

What this meant was clear. It meant my puppets could now operate normally not only in the tower, but also in the city. I could feel the scent of gold brushing the tip of my nose.

Of course, before starting something like that, I had to finish the advancement evaluation first. For now, reaching the third floor was the most important matter. Remembering the face of that prickly mage, I softly smacked my lips.

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