WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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Chapter 235

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The Arcana General Trading Company was a massive organization. As its name implied, it was where people hungry for profit gathered. That was why the Company had built a network throughout the entire university.

Icewall City was no exception. I glanced around. Quite a few people had come to the Company, and every customer was being led deeper inside by a dedicated puppet.

I smiled with satisfaction as I watched them. Every one of those puppets had been rented from me. Over the past month, my puppets had spread throughout Icewall City like this.

“This way, please. I have today’s merchandise ready as well.”

Hongryeong gave a small smile and turned around. He headed deeper into the Company, apparently intending to lead me to a reception room as always. I looked around once more before following him.

Hongryeong stopped before a translucent ice door that obscured the room beyond. This was also where I had previously spoken with Ailey about negotiations.

Hongryeong entered the reception room and turned on the lights. Then he gestured lightly to me. He was telling me to come in.

I gave a slight bow and headed inside.

When I glanced back, I felt the magical power surrounding the room intensify as the door closed. Numerous security spells began enveloping the room.

At this level, it would certainly not be easy for anyone outside to eavesdrop. I took a seat across from Hongryeong.

When Hongryeong clapped his hands, a puppet waiting at one side of the room brewed tea and set it before us. That puppet was one of mine as well, just like those I had seen outside. He savored the tea’s aroma and nodded.

“The best thing about keeping Dahwa by my side has been this. There aren’t many people in this city who can brew tea this deliciously.”

Hongryeong sipped his tea with a pleased expression. I picked up my cup as well and savored its aroma. As he had said, it smelled quite good.

I glanced at the puppet, Dahwa.

Dahwa, who looked like a somewhat youthful woman, smiled brightly at me and bowed. I gave her a small nod in return.

Dahwa was a third-generation puppet made for Hongryeong. Over the past month, she had grown by feeding on his magical power, and all of her magic had become connected to Hongryeong.

The Perfect Tea spell that had brewed this tea was the same. It was not as good as my tea, but it held a far deeper flavor than the tea made by other puppets.

Hongryeong enjoyed tea, so Dahwa’s magic had clearly developed wonderfully in order to suit his tastes. I could also feel that the soul Sapling she had created formed one pillar of my domain.

After we drank tea and exchanged a few pleasantries, Hongryeong took a catalog from his robes. He placed it in front of me and smiled faintly.

“I took great care in preparing it so that the Stem Collector would not be disappointed as last time. This time, I gathered items that meet the conditions you mentioned as closely as possible, so I believe you’ll be satisfied.”

“Stem Collector is far too grand a nickname.”

I waved both hands.

Mages rarely received nicknames. Unlike swordsmen, who gave each other personal titles out of respect, mages had no particular need for fame.

Still, a few mages ended up with nicknames. I supposed it happened when they displayed a trait unique to them.

Yet I had received one.

I had never even imagined such a thing. Remembering when I had first heard it, I let out a hollow laugh.

The nickname Stem Collector had reached my ears about a week ago. I had been so dumbfounded when I first heard it. It was a horrible nickname, one that might make someone think I was a monster that ate mages.

So I had tried my best to stop it from spreading, but seeing it come from Hongryeong’s mouth meant all my efforts had apparently failed.

I let out a quiet sigh.

Why had I been given such a horrible nickname? I had merely conducted business conscientiously.

Hongryeong set down his teacup and shrugged.

“Hmm, the rumors I’ve heard are a little different. More than one or two people saw you ripping out other people’s tree branches, Evron.”

Hongryeong looked at me with eyes full of interest. He seemed curious about what had happened then as well.

I scratched my head, avoiding his gaze.

Those rumors were precisely why it was difficult to get rid of my nickname. They said that I had extorted tree branches from other mages in the street.

And the rumors were partly true.

As Hongryeong said, I had ripped out the tree branches of several mages while they were still alive. Had it been too much to show that sight to everyone? I shook my head with belated regret.

Still, I had done it because I believed it was the most effective option at the time. In fact, everything had gone smoothly afterward.

Aside from gaining a grotesque nickname, there had been nothing but benefits.

That was the biggest problem, though.

I smacked my lips lightly and rubbed my forehead.

It had been around two weeks ago that I had ripped out other people’s tree branches. And the people I had dealt with were all my competitors.

After starting my puppet business here, I had done my best to drive out the competition. Of course, they had worked in their own way to keep up with us, but they could not overcome the cooperation between the Trading Company and Mookgeumgo.

Before even two weeks had passed, most of my competitors had withered away half to death. Only special cases like Mordawyn and Beldar, whom I had just met, remained.

Perhaps they had sensed the danger of that situation. A few of them planned a kind of terrorist attack. It was too dangerous to touch the workshop operated by the Arcana General Trading Company, so they intended to blow up my workshop instead.

That sort of attack was possible because this was Icewall City. I narrowed my eyes as I recalled the method they had attempted.

Every building in this city was a space carved from ice. Therefore, every building was constantly trying to refill with the city’s magical power. The filtering magic built into the buildings prevented that.

However, filtering magic naturally had its limits. If magical power beyond those limits was injected into it, it would instead expel that power quickly.

It was a kind of protective measure. It prevented the spell itself from breaking down and causing the building to collapse. The inside of the building would fill up, but the outside would remain safe.

That was the magical effect they had targeted.

They condensed the city’s magical power into a single bomb. When it exploded, it would temporarily reverse the spell’s operation and amplify the city’s magical power instead.

It was also a slight circumvention of the university’s rules. They could not directly destroy my shop, so they intended to interfere with my business indirectly by using the city’s environment.

If they had succeeded in detonating the bomb, they surely would have been able to seek their own way out. After all, the core of our puppet business was my puppets.

While I restored my shop, they could have earned at least some points.

But they failed.

Mira, who had been waiting in advance, devoured all the bomb’s magical power.

I smiled faintly as I recalled her shaking her head and saying it tasted terrible. Since I was already at the Trading Company, I should probably buy a gift for her. She had gotten an upset stomach and was resting at the villa.

There had been many reasons for their failure. They had not expected Mira to eat the magical power, and they had also avoided making excessive moves in order to escape suspicion.

But the greatest reason was that I had induced their actions from the beginning.

If you showed an opponent a weakness first, they would naturally target it. I had merely used that against them.

We succeeded in catching them at the scene and held them accountable on the spot. Ripping out their tree branches had been the result.

I took the most valuable thing they could pay.

It was also a warning to others. It was a declaration that if they intended to target my workshop as those people had, I would rip out their tree branches too.

Perhaps that warning had worked, because matters had gone smoothly afterward.

Mordawyn and Beldar had also approached us to negotiate after that incident. They had clearly realized that the tide had completely turned.

Thanks to ripping out those tree branches, the competitors retreated quickly. We comfortably expanded our territory by swallowing what they left behind.

There was still a slight problem, though.

I rubbed my chin.

I had heard that terrorist attacks using magical power bombs had happened several times before. Apparently, there had even been a time when an entire section of the lower floors had been caught in one.

Naturally, those who managed the city reacted very sensitively to such bombs.

Mookgeumgo imposed fines on anyone who researched how to make them, and punishments close to confiscation on anyone who used them. Those were supposedly the city’s rules.

The reason I had been able to rip out their tree branches was also based on those rules. If they did not settle with me, Mookgeumgo would surely impose an even greater punishment on them.

There was one thing that bothered me in that situation.

How had they acquired the bomb?

Magical power bombs were extremely sensitive items, and Mookgeumgo naturally controlled knowledge about them thoroughly.

Yet my competitors had suddenly brought out magical power bombs.

What a remarkable coincidence.

Moreover, the fact that they had used the bombs with such confidence meant they had something to rely on. They had clearly believed they could escape if I failed to catch them at the scene.

Knowing that, I questioned them about who was behind them. They could not have done this if someone had not given them knowledge about the bombs and supplied materials to make them.

I even told them that I would not rip out their tree branches if they gave me even the slightest hint about who it was.

But they said nothing.

I narrowed my eyes.

For mages, who cherished their own trees so dearly, to react that way meant that revealing the truth might bring them pain worse than losing their realms.

It meant that whoever stood behind them possessed that much power.

Who could it be?

There were many people I suspected, but I lacked clear evidence.

It was still impossible to know. So there was no need to think about it any further.

I let out a soft sigh and looked at the catalog in my hands.

It contained many items. As Hongryeong had confidently claimed, quite a few caught my eye. As I looked through the catalog, I pointed to one of the listed items.

“May I inspect this in person?”

“Please wait a moment.”

Hongryeong signaled to his puppet, Dahwa. Dahwa gave a slight bow and left the reception room.

It did not take long for Dahwa to return.

Dahwa came to stand beside us and set down a small box. Hongryeong accepted it and poured magical power into it. The seal holding it shut came undone, revealing what was inside.

Dense magical power flowed from within the box, and my eyes gleamed.

Hongryeong watched me and smiled faintly.

“Seeing you show such interest, I would say the nickname Stem Collector truly suits you.”

I scratched my head at Hongryeong’s words.

Ripping out my competitors’ tree branches earlier had contributed greatly to the misunderstanding that I was a Stem Collector.

For something to compete with my puppets, it had to possess its own distinct traits. And if it possessed such traits, the tree of whoever made it had to be special as well.

For someone like me, who was already researching other people’s tree branches, there could be no better opportunity.

So I ripped them all out on the spot.

Still, that alone would not have been enough for the nickname to take hold. Mages did sometimes rip out one another’s tree branches.

My actions afterward had played a greater role in solidifying the nickname.

I glanced down at the box. Inside was a tree branch that looked as though it had only just been removed.

It possessed a freshness impossible to find in Stalactite City.

I cleared my throat lightly and stroked the tree branch. Distinct magical power flowed into me.

This should be enough for my research.

I gave Hongryeong a small nod. He closed the box and handed it back to Dahwa.

Seeing the quality of that item, the other goods in the catalog would surely be similar. I rubbed my chin as I looked over the tree branches of mages listed in the catalog.

Icewall City might be less developed than Stalactite City, but it had advantages that only it could offer. Tree branches like these were one such advantage.

People were sold here.

And human body parts were no exception.

Things difficult to obtain in other cities were sold here while still exceptionally fresh.

Of course, tree branches were quite expensive. They were a mage’s core, so that was only natural.

But I did not hesitate to purchase them.

A tree branch was only part of a mage, and it would slowly fade away. Unless it was a special case like Professor On or Tiena, it could not avoid losing its power in the end.

Tree branches were that sensitive, and transporting them required great care to prevent their magical power from dissipating. Naturally, their price could only rise during transport to other cities.

From that perspective, most items sold here had only recently been removed, making them exceptionally fresh. Their prices were also nearly half those of Stalactite City.

How could I possibly pass up an environment as heavenly as this?

That was why I had spent so much effort looking for tree branches I liked. I even attended private auctions run by others to obtain them.

Perhaps it had become obvious that I was seeking only tree branches, because at some point I gained the nickname Stem Collector.

What an absurd misunderstanding. I merely wanted to conduct research.

I clicked my tongue lightly as I looked through the catalog. Then I bought several items that caught my fancy.

I looked over the boxes piled on the table and nodded with satisfaction.

Hmm. This would be enough.

When I looked at Hongryeong, I saw that he was wearing a smile as satisfied as mine.

“Thank you. I’ll be able to build up my performance record with this as well.”

Hongryeong clenched his fist and tapped his chest twice.

Naturally, my eyes fell upon the name tag pinned there.

Arcana General Trading Company, Third Division

External Cooperation Business Department, Probationary Employee, Hongryeong

It was the sort of Company name tag I had seen on Hwaryeong before.

It had not been long since Hongryeong began wearing it. Around a month, perhaps.

That was also why I had come to this city.

I glanced at Hongryeong.

He belonged to a great family. As I had heard before, he needed to reach at least the fourth floor. That was the restriction the Trading Company had placed on great families.

Therefore, Hongryeong joining the Company meant that he had reached the fourth floor.

No one from my class who entered the university with me could have advanced more quickly than him. I had heard that even Ailey was still on the third floor.

That was why I did not quite understand.

Hongryeong was certainly an outstanding mage, but he was not strong enough to have already reached the fourth floor. Even Cassian, who possessed greater magical power than him, remained on the third floor.

For Hongryeong to have reached the fourth floor like that, he had clearly used some sort of loophole.

I recalled Merov, the officer who had overseen my advancement evaluation for the third floor. He had been extremely thorough in verifying my qualifications. I had been rejected immediately the first time as well.

The reason officers conducted evaluations so strictly was not merely responsibility. It was related to profit.

If they promoted someone unqualified, it would become the officer’s own responsibility.

Even so, granting Hongryeong advancement to the fourth floor meant he had promised his officer a great deal.

What exactly Hongryeong had given was impossible to know. How could I understand the direction someone from a great family was moving in?

I shook my head lightly.

More importantly, Merov.

I gently rubbed the spatial pouch inside my robes. Within it was the jewel Merov had given me after completing my advancement evaluation, containing the location of the Magical Power Council.

At first, it had emitted only the faintest light.

But now, it had begun holding extremely distinct magical power.

It was not difficult to realize what that meant.

There was not much time left before the Magical Power Council gathered. Once this magical power filled completely, the path to the Magical Power Council would open.

I was interested in the Magical Power Council as well.

A group of scholars researching the purity of magical power. For someone like me, who studied magical power and souls, it was a place worth visiting at least once.

Of course, I had to finish my work here first.

Though I had dealt with my competitors, that had only been the foundation. To establish my puppets here, I had to go further.

And for that, I needed the cooperation of Hongryeong, who sat before me.

I stared at him. Hongryeong held out his mirror bug to me.

He wanted me to transfer the points.

My mirror bug flew out from my robes and met his. Tens of thousands of points disappeared in an instant.

I glanced at my mirror bug.

Only a few tens of thousands of points remained. The points I had desperately earned over the past five years had nearly been emptied out.

But as my points dwindled, my spatial pouch had grown fuller.

I smiled lightly as I put the boxes piled on the table into my spatial pouch.

Through my research on tree branches, I had learned quite a lot about grafting souls. I could not conduct large-scale experiments because the egg that could merge souls was in the tower, but I could still accumulate knowledge.

So I intended to dissect the things I bought today all night.

Every mage’s tree held unique traits, so each one would become a stepping stone for my research.

The more I researched tree branches, the more I felt my magic expanding.

If I kept improving little by little like this, perhaps one day I would even be able to handle Professor On’s branch.

As I smiled in satisfaction, Hongryeong lightly touched the spell surrounding the room. He was clearly checking whether someone was observing the inside.

When I looked at him, Hongryeong met my eyes and surrounded the area once more with magical power.

Seeing him place such emphasis on security, he seemed to be preparing to discuss something sensitive.

Hongryeong slowly opened his mouth.

“There may be a slight problem starting next month. My older sister will be coming.”

I could not help frowning.

There was only one person Hongryeong would call his older sister.

Hwaryeong.

She was coming here?

Hongryeong closed his eyes slightly and nodded.

I already knew Hwaryeong would come here. The competition between Hongryeong and Hwaryeong had been inevitable from the start.

Still, I thought we would have a little more time. Hwaryeong had a lot to take care of as well.

Yet she was moving already.

She clearly considered Hongryeong that much of a thorn in her side.

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