WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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Chapter 234

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Compared to Stalactite City, Icewall City was lacking in many ways. That could not be helped. Stalactite City was the largest city, where all the university’s supplies gathered.

The Arcana General Trading Company had not occupied Stalactite City for no reason. For people who wanted to buy and sell everything, there could be no better market than Stalactite City. Naturally, they would not give up that position.

Driven by a profit-seeking trading company and the many people drawn to it, Stalactite City had steadily developed. New businesses appeared there every year, then failed, while desire churned endlessly.

Having been through such a place, I found this city rather quiet. Every structure was firmly fixed in place, and the old guard was too powerful for newcomers to squeeze in.

That made it a poor place to start a business. No matter how innovative something was, it could not gain much ground in the rigid society Mookgeumgo had created.

Still, a city like this had its advantages. Standing before a translucent ice building, I checked my appearance. The robe embroidered with gold thread possessed rather appealing magical power.

Hmm. Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with it. Perhaps because the whole city was made of ice, it was easy to straighten myself up like this.

I lightly brushed the ice fragments from my robe and looked up at the building. I had dressed up because I was meeting people who had helped me greatly. It was nearly time for the appointment, so they had probably all arrived.

I looked up at the sign engraved with <Evron's Puppet Workshop> and smiled with satisfaction. It had already been about a month since I came to this city. During that time, the puppets had sold extremely well.

That was only natural. They were puppets I had refined for efficiency through countless trials and errors in Stalactite City. I lightly stroked my chin as I recalled the past month.

Before I began doing business, the thing I considered most important was eliminating my competitors. Before I started selling puppets, the city had already been filled with products that served functions similar to mine.

The trend from Stalactite City had spread all the way here. That was rather surprising. My puppets were very difficult to imitate. They were the product of long consideration. How could someone copy them all at once?

According to my investigation, people in other cities were only just beginning to produce rough imitations. It would surely take a great deal of time for them to create products equal to my puppets.

But the mages of this city had gone beyond that and added their own characteristics to their products. Rather than simply copying others, they had built up their own competitiveness.

The unique nature of this city had played a large role in making that possible. I frowned slightly at the stench of corpses that stabbed at my nose and glanced at someone passing beside me.

The mage wore a dull robe pulled deeply over their head and held a small skull staff. The stench was coming from them.

I used magical power to lightly block my nose and shook my head. Even after staying here for a month, I could not get used to that smell.

Magical power gradually came to resemble its owner according to how it was handled, even in its scent. That was why swordsmen smelled of iron, while flame mages carried the smell of burning wherever they went.

Mira had told me that puppeteers smelled like old antiques marked by the touch of countless hands. Apparently, I smelled that way too. I sniffed the back of my hand and gave a small shrug. I could not smell anything at all.

And people who gave off that corpse stench were naturally mages who handled corpses. Some likely dealt with magical beast corpses, while others dealt with human ones.

Those who handled corpses tended to gather in this city. They were all drawn by Icewall City’s magical power.

Icewall City’s distinctive magical power gradually consumed everything. That caused many problems, but it also had an advantage. Once something had been consumed by the city, it no longer suffered any further deterioration.

For that reason, corpse mages had no choice but to gather here. Corpses decayed in the end no matter how much magic was cast upon them, and the more they decayed, the greater the maintenance costs became.

But if one simply mixed in some of this city’s magical power, they could be kept remarkably fresh. The greatest drawback of handling corpses was completely compensated for.

Naturally, those who handled corpses gathered here. People like Gaon, who used corpses as puppets, did so as well. So did witches who used humans as their primary materials.

Perhaps that was why Mookgeumgo had settled here. For people who bought and sold humans, this was the perfect market.

Mages who handled corpses naturally knew how to make them move efficiently as well. That was why they copied the corpse puppets sold by the People’s Council and sold their own versions.

That was why I had so many competitors in this city. And the people I wanted to meet today were mages like that.

I saw my reflection in the building wearing a neat smile and nodded. It was time to go in.

I slowly opened the shop door and entered. Like the shop in Stalactite City, this one was exceptionally tidy. I passed several customers looking over puppets and headed farther inside.

When I reached the reception room and looked in, I saw Isabella talking with two people. Though she wore a gentle smile, I could not sense any emotion from her.

I released a little magical power to let her know I had arrived. Isabella met my eyes and gave a small smile. I entered the reception room and stood beside her.

[Master, you are here. These are the people who asked to meet you. This is Mortawin and this is Beldar.]

“I see. Then I’ll speak with them now. Isabella, please go on.”

I held out my hand to Isabella. She took it and rose from her seat. As I had said, she was about to leave. The two people seated across from us tried to say something, but I raised a hand to stop them.

“Isabella is the general manager of this shop, so she’s extremely busy. You may tell me everything you wish to say. I’m the one who made the puppets.”

I gave Isabella a small signal. She bowed slightly to me and left the reception room. I watched her walk away and smiled with satisfaction.

Isabella ran the shop exceptionally well. She did not merely manage my shop. She even involved herself in the trading company shop established by the People’s Council and oversaw the entire territory.

Since Isabella was so capable, there was no reason for me to put effort into expanding the shop myself. Why would I concern myself with something when there was someone better at it than me?

That was why I wanted to focus only on what I could do better. That was puppets. I sat down and leisurely looked over the two mages, Mortawin and Beldar.

“So, I hear you have something to protest about.”

I stroked my chin and examined their appearances. I knew very well who Mortawin and Beldar were. No one had given me more trouble than they had over the last month.

They had been the greatest obstacle to us claiming this territory. The corpse attendants they made were extremely unique and offered things my puppets could not.

But that competition had come to an end. I folded my arms as the corpse stench brushed past my nose. The two people looking me over frowned slightly. Mortawin, the pale-looking woman, slowly opened her mouth.

“You made these puppets?”

Mortawin rummaged through her robes and took out several small puppets. Some were made by me, while others were sold by the People’s Council.

Since they were competing with me, they had surely examined them thoroughly already. I gave a small nod. Mortawin showed a trace of disbelief.

I quietly smacked my lips. As expected, was my realm the issue? Mortawin and Beldar were both mages who had formed Complete Trees. They had entered the advanced course.

Of course, it had not been long since they reached the fifth floor. Still, there was no denying that they had attained a higher standing than mine.

Naturally, they could not help doubting that I had truly made these puppets. I needed to clear up their suspicions. I raised a hand and released magical power.

“I understand why you came here. It’s because of this, correct?”

My magical power began drawing circuits through the air. Soon, they formed a magic circle. I lowered it onto the table, and the magic circle began strongly drawing in the surrounding magical power.

Before long, the magic circle began releasing the magical power it had absorbed. But the magical power that passed through it was different from before. Rather than the city’s murky magical power, only pure magical power flowed out.

I had shown this to Mortawin because it was proof that I had made the puppets. I glanced outside the reception room. Isabella was attending to customers.

Over the last few days, the number of customers coming to us had exploded. This magic was largely responsible for that. Even people who had shown little interest in puppets were drawn here by the pure magical power.

This magic circle had been installed in both my puppets and the People’s Council’s puppets. Mortawin must have noticed it and come here for that reason. Her brows twisted sharply.

“So it was you people who stole it. What sneaky bastards.”

“Stole it? I merely took a little inspiration from it. How could I simply pass over such excellent magic?”

I nodded as I looked at the magic circle that purified magical power. It could be called a kind of filtration magic circle.

It would not have meant much in another city, but here it held enormous value. As I had just shown, it changed the city’s murky magical power into clean magical power.

And this was not magic I had created. This magic circle contained much knowledge that could only come from studying the city’s magical power for a long time.

They were things I could not possibly know after entering this city only a month ago. How could I have created such magic?

This magic had been created by the two people before me. They had noticed that the city’s magical power consumed everything, then made the corpse attendants they sold purify magical power.

Of course, filtration magic itself was common throughout Icewall City. Every building had one.

But what made this magic circle special was its convenient portability. Filtration magic circles were normally designed to cover an entire building. The moment one left that building, the city’s magical power would begin to invade again.

In that situation, these two had focused on shrinking the filtration magic circle. The corpse attendant bore the magical power needed for filtration, allowing its owner to feel only clean magical power.

I could easily imagine how much trial and error they had endured to create this magic. They had overcome the pain of failure again and again to make this magic circle.

And the opportunity to make use of that magic circle had come quickly. I had shown them a path forward. The attendant puppets I presented had been an excellent role model for them.

They copied the corpse puppets made by the Arcana Puppet Guild, created corpse attendants, and supplied them throughout the city. Before we arrived, they had devoured half this territory.

Even after we began doing business, they had shown sufficient competitiveness by using their own distinct characteristics. Their magic was truly excellent.

That was why I stole it.

I looked down at the magic circle and smiled with satisfaction. Property rights did exist at the university, but they did not protect everything.

The university’s property rights focused only on protecting tangible property. If I had tried to damage their corpse attendants, that would have counted as an infringement of their property rights.

But I had merely dismantled their magic again and again, learned it, and used it in my own way. Therefore, I had not infringed on their property rights at all.

Stealing magic like this happened frequently among mages. Had I not experienced it many times myself? My puppets’ magic had been stolen, and I had stolen the magic of others in return.

In that sense, I had gained as much as I gave them. They had created corpse attendants based on my puppets, so I had taken their magic in its entirety.

Of course, obtaining it had not been easy. They had made great efforts to keep their magic from being stolen.

I rubbed my eyes as I recalled the difficulties of the past month. Their corpse attendants had many layers of security magic. Their structure had been too complicated for me to break through.

But last week, I finally broke through it and acquired this magic. Another person’s help had played a major role in making that possible. I glanced at Beldar and held out my hand to him.

“Beldar played a major role in resolving this matter. Therefore, everything Beldar wants will be granted. Mookgeumgo has agreed to this as well, so there’s no need to worry.”

Beldar was the one who had told me about the magic. He flinched and looked cautiously at Mortawin beside him. Then he took the hand I had offered. Mortawin’s eyes widened at the sight.

“You... did you betray me?”

Mortawin stared at Beldar as though she could not believe it. Beldar avoided her gaze. I spoke in his place.

“Even if things continued as they were, you would not have been able to defeat us. The corpse attendants you made had clear limits. Beldar knew that too, which is why he came over to our side.”

Corpse attendants possessed special magic, but aside from that, they could not surpass my puppets. Naturally, all their customers would eventually flow to us.

They knew that too, but they could not give up the profits they had made and continued fighting me. That was why I put much effort into driving a wedge between the two co-founders.

After promising Beldar considerable profit, I finally succeeded in obtaining the magic from him. I glanced at him. Perhaps burdened by Mortawin’s gaze, he cautiously spoke.

“Y-You were thinking of getting out too. I just moved first.”

I quietly nodded. That was a very mage-like way of thinking. Betraying someone before suffering a loss. In that sense, Beldar had changed sides at exactly the right time.

Mortawin had also indirectly contacted us, saying she wanted to sell us the magic. They had both contacted me, and I had simply chosen Beldar, who offered the lower price.

“You!”

Mortawin shot to her feet and glared at Beldar. Magical power surged powerfully from her and poured toward him. Beldar blocked it, and his eyes flashed.

As murderous magical power began flowing between them, I leisurely drew a magic circle. It was Perfect Tea magic. Holding a warm teacup in my hands, I watched the two with great interest.

This was my first time watching people who had reached the realm of Complete Tree fight. Perhaps I could gain a little insight from watching their battle.

I sipped my tea as I watched them, but their fight could not continue. Someone who sensed their magical power quickly approached the reception room.

“What is going on here?”

A man releasing sharp magical power looked around the reception room. He was Elmeshi, the mage guarding our shop. The two flinched in surprise upon seeing him and quickly dispersed their magical power.

“Please do not carelessly release magical power inside the shop. You are making others uncomfortable.”

Elmeshi glared at them, then turned and left the reception room. Mortawin and Beldar glared at each other, but perhaps because of Elmeshi’s warning, neither released magical power again.

I smacked my lips in disappointment. Hmm. I thought I would get to see something interesting. I glanced at Elmeshi’s retreating back.

Elmeshi was only a fourth-floor mage. He was above me, but far below the two before me.

Even so, the two had calmed their magical power upon seeing Elmeshi because of his backing. He had come from Mookgeumgo. It was effectively a declaration that Ailey was backing us.

That was precisely why I had negotiated to share profits with Mookgeumgo. Mookgeumgo wielded absolute influence in this city. Keeping people like that close naturally made everything easier.

I smiled brightly and gently placed teacups before the two as well. Then I made them a small gesture.

“Please sit down. I’ll make an offer that will satisfy both of you.”

Mortawin hesitated for a moment, but when Beldar quickly sat down, she slowly followed him. They must have wanted to hear what I had to say. Their business had already fallen apart.

I opened my mouth as I looked at them. I also told them about my plans for making use of them. Beldar quickly accepted my proposal, and after much thought, Mortawin nodded as well.

The two then left our shop. I stroked my chin as I watched them head back to their shop while keeping their distance from each other.

What I had promised them was related to expanding the uses of filtration magic. I had stolen this magic, but they were ultimately the ones who had created it.

No matter how much I refined it, there was bound to be a difference between me and them, the original creators of the magic. That was why I brought them into the process of making our puppets.

From now on, they would create magic suited to this city and incorporate it into our puppets. I would be able to put more complete magic into my puppets.

I stretched lightly. With this, surely no one in Icewall City would stand in our way anymore.

I had succeeded in crushing all my competitors. Who would dare touch us now? Since I had finished everything, I needed to give myself a gift in celebration.

What should I buy this time? I slowly began walking toward the building where the Arcana General Trading Company was located.

When I entered the Trading Company, a man greeted me. His face, wearing a faint smile, was very familiar. I gave him a light bow.

“Hello, Hongryeong.”

“Oh, the Stem Collector has come again.”

Hongryeong gave me a slight smile. He spread his arms and casually shrugged. Stem Collector. Hearing that awkward nickname, I could not help scratching my cheek.

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