WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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Chapter 231

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I lightly flicked the coin. The coin shot from my fingertips and began to spin with a short, sharp metallic ring. It rose high, then soon lost to gravity and fell back down.

I checked the coin as it returned to my hand and smiled faintly. The coin, which gave off strange magical power, showed Professor On’s face on its heads side. It seemed things would go well.

I looked at the building before me. A sign hanging from it read [On Puppeteer Association]. Every city was bound to have a puppeteer association. That was Professor On’s will.

And this was where the puppeteers of Icewall City gathered. I glanced around and saw a clean, orderly street.

It was not as impressive as the Arcana General Trading Company, but the puppeteer association still occupied a place in the heart of the city. I smacked my lips as I looked at it.

Living expenses in Icewall City were cheap, but the city center was still quite expensive. Yet the puppeteers had claimed a place here.

I lightly shook my head as I remembered the puppeteers in our city. Mauro and the others had settled on the city’s first floor, in the cheapest district at that.

Few puppeteers had escaped that place. Aside from me, Koite, and some puppeteers who followed Koite, everyone remained in a corner of the city.

Of course, it was not as though the others were too poor to leave. Many of the materials they used for their puppets were worth far more than the profits my shop made.

They earned quite a lot of points that way. And they did not earn points merely by running shops. According to Mauro, quite a few of them handled requests from upper-floor mages.

Puppets were incredibly convenient beings to command. They could be used without hesitation for managing the city or dealing with magical beasts.

That was how they earned points by making use of their individual specialties. Enough points to move beyond the first floor and head for the upper floors.

Even so, they remained there because they spent more points than they earned.

As I had realized before, puppets were bound to love their puppeteers. That was why puppeteers could not help becoming obsessed with their own puppets as well.

And compared to puppeteers from other cities, they took it a little too far. They invested everything without holding back for the sake of their puppets. Literally everything.

I shook my head as I recalled Amelia approaching me at last year’s gathering to borrow points. Deep sorrow had filled her expression as she looked at me with her werewolf puppet beside her.

She was a senior who had joined the association before me, and she had now entered the final stage of the basic curriculum. She was just about to move beyond the Young Tree realm and enter the realm of the completed tree.

So when she asked to borrow points, I had no choice but to ask in surprise what had happened. If someone was threatening a fellow association member, I had to help.

But Amelia’s story had been utterly deflating. She had spent all her points and materials buying things that suited her puppet, so she did not have enough points left to register for lectures.

I readily gave Amelia the points. She had helped me guard my shop before, so I had a debt to repay as well. And once I lent her points, others began approaching me one by one.

They all had similar problems. Some did not have the lodging fee due the next day, while others wanted to borrow points to buy materials.

I gave points to them as well. It was all a form of repaying kindness, so there was no reason to begrudge it.

Still, through that process, I came to understand why Koite had cried upon seeing my shop settle in so well. I also understood why he wanted to become the association head after Mauro.

Koite had probably dealt with puppeteers who came to Koite asking to borrow points as well. Considering Koite’s personality, Koite must have tried to persuade them.

But those attempts at persuasion clearly had not worked very well. If Koite’s words had persuaded them, Amelia would not have come looking for me. Koite must have wanted to become association head in order to change that entire environment.

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the building before me. If the association fell into Koite’s hands, he might be able to create a place like this puppeteer association.

An association would be led in the direction its head wanted, and the puppeteers would naturally be able to live a little more decently.

From that perspective, this city’s association head, Gaon, could be said to be quite capable. He must have raised the puppeteer association to this point.

I glanced to the side and saw Isabella looking up at the building, lost in thought like me. She held a thick folder in her hands. It contained all the details of our negotiations with Mookgeumgo.

The negotiations with Mookgeumgo had ended very well. We only had to pay them around thirty percent of the profits from selling puppets. Compared to the Trading Company taking around fifty percent, it was a very satisfying deal.

Once we began business tomorrow, we would be able to easily drive away the other fakes who had copied me. Points would come rolling in on their own.

But before that, we had to deliver the details of the negotiations to Gaon as well. Gaon was included in this agreement.

The ones making the puppets were this city’s puppeteers. Naturally, their association head, Gaon, needed to sign it too.

That was why I had come here. And I also needed to see someone I had not seen in a while.

“Are you sure about this?”

I scratched my chin as I looked at Isabella. She finished gathering her thoughts and looked back at me. Meeting her eyes, I continued.

“If we go in there, you may run into people you would feel uncomfortable seeing. I’m only here to relay the terms, so it would be fine if I went in alone.”

Isabella had lived as Ugo’s puppet for a long time. Naturally, the puppeteers here were certain to recognize her. She might even run into Ugo. Ugo belonged to this association too.

To me, Ugo was someone who had given me everything without holding back. But to Isabella, he might be an enormous burden. It might have been better for me to go in alone.

[Considering what will happen later, it is best that I am present. So please do not worry too much, Master. I came because I wanted to see them again as well.]

Isabella softly smiled as she looked up at the building. I watched her quietly for a moment, then nodded. She had shown me her capability and reliability without reservation. I needed to trust her too.

We slowly entered the building. I had already informed those inside that we had come, so there would surely be some response.

And I was not wrong.

“You. What do you think you’re doing coming here?”

I smiled at the familiar voice that greeted us as soon as we entered. Looking toward the voice, I saw someone grinding their teeth at us.

It was Ugo, who had the appearance of a small boy. I approached Ugo, who was giving off murderous magical power, and waved.

“Ugo, it has been a while. I heard you had been through quite a lot lately, but you look fairly well. That is a relief.”

Over the past while, the Revenge Alliance, who had lost their bodies because of Ugo, had watched Ugo’s every move without missing a day. They needed to repay Ugo for what they owed.

Their malice was very specific. If Ugo tried to take a lecture, they spent points to ensure Ugo would not pass. They even brought in magical beast tamers to ambush Ugo when Ugo left the city.

With so many people interfering with Ugo, Ugo had ultimately been forced to stay in this city. The others had no choice but to stop as well. Causing trouble inside the city meant making an enemy of Mookgeumgo.

Still, simply keeping Ugo bound to this city meant the Revenge Alliance had partially achieved its goal. I slowly looked Ugo over from head to toe. Then I felt Ugo’s magical power, filled with killing intent, shoot toward me.

“And whose fault do you think this is?”

Ugo glared at me and ground Ugo’s teeth. Hmm. Had Ugo not spoken politely to me before? It seemed Ugo’s ill feelings toward me ran deep.

I gave a slight shrug and released magical power. At the same time, my shadow rippled and spread around me. It was the domain created by the shadow tree.

Within that domain, Ugo’s magical power, which had been secretly concealed, burst out alongside mine. It seemed Ugo had intended to bind me with it. I had checked just in case, and as expected, I had been right.

“Hmm, that is quite an excessive welcome. Still, you will be free soon enough, so try to calm down.”

I quietly watched Ugo. But Ugo merely clicked their tongue and glared at me more fiercely. I let out a satisfied laugh.

When I faced Ugo in the previous competition, simply keeping Ugo’s magical power in check had been difficult. The difference in our levels had been obvious. Ugo was a mage who had reached the fourth floor, while I had only been on the second.

But now, I could block Ugo’s magical power. That also meant the gap between us had narrowed enough. The restrictions placed on Ugo’s movements had also contributed to that.

Over the past while, Ugo had been unable to leave the city because of the constant interference. Naturally, it must have hindered Ugo’s training. I grew while Ugo remained in place, so the gap between us had no choice but to shrink.

Perhaps, if things continued this way, I might complete the basic curriculum before Ugo did. Of course, things would not go quite that smoothly.

The Revenge Alliance had kept Ugo in check well until now. But from a certain point, their alliance had begun to slowly fall apart. Someone had been winning them over one by one.

Grudges and favors were bound to be settled when someone offered benefits great enough to outweigh them. Had I not made a contract with Hongryeong that way? It was only natural that others could be won over as well.

And Gaon was probably behind those efforts. To him, Ugo was still a useful tool.

I stroked my chin as I recalled the information I had gathered at great expense. Knowledge was directly tied to survival. That was why I did not neglect gathering information about those I considered enemies.

Ugo was one of them. So I had learned quite a lot about Ugo. For instance, that Ugo had been born into the family that ruled the Toscana region, and that Ugo was its first heir.

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at Ugo. Ugo’s family ruled a region, but it was not powerful enough to possess the prestige of a great family. Compared to Hongryeong’s family, the difference was probably like that between a rabbit and a tiger.

Still, simply possessing the strength of a rabbit was an impressive thing. To establish a family and build its power to that level, they would have needed to raise outstanding mages across dozens of generations.

That was why I could understand why Gaon valued Ugo. If Gaon took Ugo as his disciple and gained the use of Ugo’s family’s power, it would surely be of great help in inheriting Professor On’s tower.

I fiddled with the coin in my hand. Inheriting a tower was not something this token alone could accomplish. It only recognized one’s qualifications. It did nothing to help maintain the tower.

A tower grew solely through the power of its owner, the professor. So if the successor lacked the ability to maintain it, the tower would naturally collapse.

In that regard, Gaon also lacked the strength to inherit Professor On’s tower. Even if he was a mage who had climbed close to the tenth floor, he was nowhere near reaching a professor’s realm.

So, in order to maintain the tower, Gaon needed something that could accumulate the tower’s magical power in his place. Something like a dragon’s heart.

But finding something so precious was like plucking stars from the sky. That was why Gaon needed to maintain the tower by using similar substitutes.

If he gathered and linked a great number of drake hearts, he could imitate a dragon’s heart to some extent. It might last for around ten years.

If he endured like that, again and again, while absorbing the tower’s magical power, his realm would naturally rise. He would surely be able to establish himself as the tower’s true owner.

So while he built up his realm, he needed enough capital to acquire something that could maintain the tower in his place.

That was why Gaon protected Ugo. Gaon wanted to obtain support from Ugo’s family. In that sense, their relationship was one of mutual benefit.

Gaon would be able to become a professor, and Ugo would become someone backed by a professor. Ugo’s family would also be connected to a professor, so there was nothing bad about it for them.

That was why the shackles binding Ugo were gradually being loosened. In a few years, the Revenge Alliance would probably exist in name only. One or two people would not be enough to stop Ugo.

Honestly, learning so much about towers had not been something I wanted. I had never been very interested in inheriting a tower in the first place. So I had not intended to gather information about them.

The reason I had become such an expert on towers was largely thanks to Professor Irian. I smacked my lips as I recalled her, likely deep in slumber.

After I made a provisional contract with Professor On, Professor Irian had been wary of me leaving her tower alone. She seemed to wonder whether I had become tempted by Professor On’s tower.

Perhaps because of that, she had begun casually mentioning matters related to towers. Problems that arose when someone unqualified inherited one, or the cost of maintaining a tower.

It had been unnecessary information for someone like me, who had no intention of leaving her tower. But thanks to Professor’s concern, I was able to notice some of Gaon’s intentions. In that sense, this too could be called a blessing from Professor.

What would have happened if I had not known that Ugo would be freed? No matter how carefully I guarded myself, I was bound to leave an opening eventually. Considering Ugo’s concealment magic, it was a rather tense matter.

But I had learned beforehand that Ugo would be freed. That was why I had come to see him like this. Would it not be better for both of us if we talked in advance?

“How about we reconcile now? Even if we build up more grudges here, it will only hurt us both.”

I held out my hand to Ugo. These grudges had begun with what Ugo had done. Ugo had killed me, and I had only repaid Ugo for it.

In that sense, asking for reconciliation like this was a bit of a loss for me. I had yet to repay my grudge tenfold.

Even so, I extended my hand because we had now become partners who needed to work together. Their puppets had become the core of my business. We could not allow a grudge with business partners to continue.

“Ha, reconciliation? Fine. As long as you hand over the Master beside you.”

Without erasing the killing intent from Ugo’s face, Ugo looked at Isabella standing beside me. Deep possessiveness toward Isabella overflowed from Ugo’s eyes.

I had no choice but to shake my head. Isabella had already left Ugo’s hands. Had that not been the promise from the competition? The winner took the loser’s puppet.

“I’m afraid I cannot accept that. Isabella is already my puppet.”

I lightly wrapped an arm around Isabella’s waist. She softly entered my embrace. When I looked down at her, I found her wearing an expression of deep thought.

Many emotions seemed mixed together in Isabella’s face as she looked at Ugo. I softly whispered into her ear.

“Are you all right?”

Isabella looked between Ugo and me, then smiled gently and nodded. She rested her head against my chest. It seemed she was imitating Mira.

At the sight of us, Ugo began pouring out magical power with a ghostly expression. Had Ugo still not given up? Then I needed to sever Ugo’s lingering attachment.

I slowly raised my magical power as well. It collided with Ugo’s magical power and created ripples. I lightly smiled as I looked at Ugo’s ghostly expression. As expected, I could endure it well enough. Even without Mira.

Mira had already headed to Ailey’s villa. It seemed she did not like this city’s magical power. I could not bring her all the way here. No, I had not intended to bring her in the first place.

I lightly shook my head as I looked at Isabella in my arms. Mira’s possessiveness was no less intense than Ugo’s. If she saw us pressed together like this, she might have helped Ugo try to separate us.

Unable to contain Ugo’s anger, Ugo began drawing a magic circle. I quietly rubbed my chin as I watched. Ugo was trying to use magic instead of merely competing with magical power. It seemed Ugo had lost quite a bit of their reason.

That was how important Isabella was to Ugo. Coming here to see Ugo had indeed been worthwhile. I had learned a great deal from Ugo’s actions.

Ugo’s magic circle soon contained lightning and tried to pour it down on us.

But it never reached us.

A small girl blocked the magic circle midway.

The girl, who had approached us without my noticing, seized Ugo’s magic circle with an expressionless face. The magic circle crumpled like paper between her fingers, then turned into a single stream of magical power and vanished.

Ugo hesitated for a moment when Ugo saw the girl. Then I heard a light click of the tongue.

“Tch. I told you not to come out. Go back to your room.”

Ugo tried to say something, but a magic circle that appeared beneath Ugo’s feet instantly wrapped around Ugo’s body. Under the circle’s magical power, Ugo vanished in an instant.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched that magic. It was magic that isolated space, somewhat similar to the space-time magic Professor On had used before. As expected of someone taught by Professor On.

I glanced toward the voice. A large man was coming down the stairs. He gave off oppressive magical power like a mountain.

It seemed the news I had delivered inside had only just reached him. I gave him a slight bow and smiled.

“It has been a while, Gaon.”

Gaon soon stood before me and quietly looked down at us. Unspoken pressure to state our business flowed from him.

[This is the agreement reached between the Trading Company and Mookgeumgo. We came to discuss it.]

Isabella stepped out of my arms and held up the folder. Gaon stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

“Is that so? Then let us move somewhere else.”

Gaon made a small gesture with his hand. The small girl who had been standing still began to release magical power. The area around us darkened, and in an instant, our surroundings changed.

Looking around, I saw a room decorated with all kinds of objects. It was clearly Gaon’s office. He sat in a chair and jerked his chin at the space before him. The gesture somehow reminded me of Professor On, and I sat down across from him.

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