WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 28

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I sat on a haphazard stack of boxes on the bridge and watched people come and go. Then I injected magical power into the ring on my finger.

25 points.

A sigh slipped out of me. That damned ham and beer. I could still feel their aroma lingering in my mouth. It had been an unexpected expense.

From listening to all sorts of talk inside the tavern, I had gotten a rough idea of this city’s prices. Something that would cost ten mana stones outside was not even worth one point here.

And yet the ham and beer had cost five points. Damn it, if that was not a rip-off, nothing was. I wanted to grumble, but deep down, I found myself nodding.

With flavor like that, five points was fair.

Since I was thinking of staying here for a few days, I also looked into lodging, but it was absurdly expensive. Staying at an inn cost five points a day, or one hundred points if paid monthly. Either way, for someone like me, who had already dumped all his points into beer, it was a serious burden.

Even going to the upper floors required points. The lowest level was free to enter and leave, but the higher one went, the more tolls were charged. In the end, every conversation led to one conclusion.

I needed points. Points.

I realized all over again what an incredible stroke of fortune it was to be staying in Professor’s tower. This Stalactite City was practically a refuge for mages who had fled underground because they could not afford rent on the surface.

Many mages were staying down here, struggling on like this. But as soon as I entered the university, I had gone into Professor’s tower and been allowed to stay in a tower filled with that powerful magical power.

If not for Professor, I would have been wandering from floor to floor like them. No, I would definitely have been living even more miserably than they were. Every one of them was stronger than me.

A strong sense of respect and loyalty toward Professor welled up in me again. I had misunderstood someone with such a broad and kind heart all this time. Yes, Professor had treated me very well so far, and she had always been gentle... Hm.

No matter how much I thought about it, I could not imagine Professor as broad-minded. Professor was petty and liked finding fault with things. My respect and loyalty quickly faded.

I let out a sigh. What if Professor tried to collect rent from me? From what I had seen of Professor so far, she would absolutely do that.

I sighed again and rose from my seat.

For now, should I at least move around?

First, I needed to submit Professor Irian’s lecture plan. While I was at it, I could find out how much I needed for Professor Heisen’s lecture.

Following what I had heard at the tavern, I headed to the place where course registration was handled. The [Integrated Registration Office]. It was one of the largest buildings in the city center. Apparently, not only course registration but every official document in this city passed through this place.

Beneath the sign, countless mages stood in a long line. Since it was course registration period, a lot of people seemed to have gathered. The lines were long not only on this lowest level, but on the upper levels as well.

They said the course registration period lasted roughly one month after new students entered. But one week had already passed, so only three weeks remained. I had to apply for Professor Heisen’s lecture within that time.

But where in the world was I supposed to get those points?

With a sigh, I joined the long line. I obediently waited for a long time. A few mages trusted in their own strength and cut in line, but I just stayed quiet. I did not want to stand out for no reason, and I was not confident I could beat them.

The line shrank quickly. I carefully opened the building door and went inside. The building was packed with people too. Ten counters were open, each staffed by a receptionist dealing with visitors.

I picked the shortest-looking line and waited for the person in front of me to move. The line inched forward, and people lined up behind me as well. Perhaps because everyone felt watched in here, no one cut in line.

Each interaction seemed to take a while, so this line took quite some time to shrink. When I sat in the chair placed before the counter, the receptionist greeted me with a smile. She was a woman with a kind smile spread across her lips.

“Hello. I am Hwaryeong, a trainee employee of Arcana General Trading Company’s Fifth Division Customer Response Department. What brings you here?”

“Hello. I came to ask about course registration.”

I spoke while politely lowering my head. This receptionist was much stronger than me. By a lot.

“Yes, you had a question about course registration. Are you perhaps thinking of applying for a specific professor’s lecture?”

She said it with a smile. But that smile was stiff, as if it had been stamped onto her face. Her eyes shone coldly and were not smiling at all. Cold sweat ran down my back. I carefully said Professor Heisen’s name.

“Mm, one moment, please.”

She moved her magical power, pulled out several document files, and began looking through them. Soon, she took out one document and handed it to me.

“Professor Heisen’s lectures have excellent reviews. However, many people cannot keep up with the difficulty, so there are few applicants. Because of that, the registration fee is set at 5,000 points, which is cheaper than other lectures.”

I took the document and froze where I sat. 5,000 points. As expected, it was an enormous amount.

“The lecture capacity is three hundred people, and eight hundred people have currently applied. After applying, each applicant will be screened individually, and the results will be posted after the course registration period ends. Please come back then to check.”

That many people had applied? Even though plenty of time still remained, far more people than the capacity had already applied. Even though they would not get the fee back if they failed. There would definitely be even more applicants from now on.

And there was one very important problem.

I did not have nearly enough points. When I said nothing, her eyes slowly began to narrow. The smile covering her face also gradually disappeared. I could see magical power sharpening and gathering in her hand.

“Are you perhaps short on points?”

A thick, heavy killing intent clung to those words.

“Ah, ahaha. Like I said just now, I only came to ask. That is not my actual business. This is.”

I quickly took a bundle of documents out of my spatial pouch. Very strong magical power clung to it. It was Professor Irian’s lecture plan.

When she saw it, she looked slightly surprised and smiled again. At the same time, her magical power softened. Cold sweat ran down my back at that swift change.

“Oh my, may I ask what this is?”

“It is the lecture plan for the professor I serve. I came to submit this. I heard it needed to be registered in order for the lecture to be held.”

“One moment. I will check.”

She accepted the documents and rose from her seat. As I watched her leave the counter and head somewhere, I slowly loosened my body, which had stiffened before I knew it. That person seemed to have some connection to Hongryeong. The way she handled magical power felt very similar to his.

If so, that meant she was from a great family, yet someone like that was working here as a receptionist. It was surprising. On the other hand, it was probably only possible because she was from a great family. I had heard that only a tiny minority could enter an organization like Arcana General Trading Company.

Soon, she returned to the counter. A more natural smile than any she had shown so far rested on her lips.

“I apologize for making you wait. I have confirmed the lecture contents. Shall I register it right away?”

“Yes.”

“Confirmed. The lecture is for first and second-floor students of the university, with a capacity of 200 people. The lecture period is five years, with one day of lecture every three months. Is that correct?”

“Yes. That is all correct.”

The distinction between first floor and second floor was the standard used to divide students. I heard there were up to twelve floors in total. Thankfully, Professor at least knew enough basic information to make a plan.

These details had been decided after discussing them with Professor. Since there was not much time left to prepare the class, the plan was to start by dealing with the easiest students.

In truth, this was also something I had strongly insisted on. If mages who were too strong came, things would become difficult for me. Professor probably would not care who attended as long as the class opened, but for me, it was a matter of survival.

“Yes, then I will register it that way.”

“Does it cost points to register it?”

I asked carefully. I might have looked ignorant, but I could not hold back my worry. She smiled gently and shook her head.

“No, points are only used for course registration. We cannot charge professors points for holding lectures.”

“Thank you for telling me.”

“Is there anything else you are curious about?”

“No, I’m fine.”

I shook my head as I spoke. I had to leave quickly. Her eyes, which had only been sharp before, were now full of interest in me.

“Yes, this was Hwaryeong, trainee employee of Arcana General Trading Company’s Fifth Division Customer Response Department. Thank you for using our services.”

I carefully rose from my seat. She smiled and stared straight at me. I bowed in farewell and quickly left.

That gaze bothered me. When I looked back, I saw that she was still watching me. Even though another person had already sat down in front of her. I quickly ran out of the building.

I let out a long breath. Even I thought it was strange. A guy submitting a professor’s lecture plan had shown up on the lowest level. But it could not be helped. To leave this lowest level and go upward, I had to pay points. I did not have the points for that.

In the end, it was points.

How was I supposed to earn points? The remaining course registration period was two weeks, and within that time, I had to earn the huge sum of 5,000 points. I remembered the mages who had been chatting in the tavern. They said they had worked for two years to save up points.

I could not do what they had done. Still, clinging to hope, I headed to the request brokerage office. It was also in one of the central buildings. This brokerage office was practically the city’s hub. Many people were going in and out of it.

The wide space was completely filled with paper. Walls, floor, ceiling, without distinction, papers containing requests were packed everywhere. When someone tore one of those papers away, the empty spot was soon filled with another request.

I carefully floated into the air and examined the requests. I could not see anything useful at all. They were all exhausting requests with stingy point rewards. Well, that made sense. There was no way a request that made it all the way down to the lowest level would be decent.

People living on this lower level accepted requests like this, went outside, hunted and gathered, and saved up points. Then they scraped those points together and applied for lectures.

Looking at this mountain of requests made me realize something. I could never gather points through honest work. I needed quick cash right now.

Feeling lost, I rummaged through my spatial pouch. Inside were only a few puppets. They were things I had made bit by bit whenever I had time.

Should I sell these, at least?

I let out a heavy breath. Even if I sold them, would I be able to get ten points? It was ridiculous. Even if I sold the turtle hanging from my chest, I clearly would not get 5,000 points.

I left the request brokerage office and began wandering around this lower level. With how frustrated I felt, I thought I at least needed to walk.

What did I have to do to earn points? What could I sell?

Nothing.

There was nothing in my pocket, and I had no way to get points.

Damn it, did I have to go back to the tower like this? If Professor found out I had failed to register for the lecture, she would try to smash me to pieces.

But how was I supposed to apply for such an expensive lecture?

Damn it, if only I could sell Professor Irian’s lecture.

I stopped. Then I thought it over carefully.

A lecture... could be sold, couldn’t it?

I remembered Professor Heisen’s lecture, the one I had just checked. The capacity was three hundred, but eight hundred people had already gathered. More would gather from now on. Everyone would be waiting desperately for that one spot.

The thought continued. The lecture we had planned would definitely draw more people than that. Treasure Hunt? Who would turn down a chance to strike it rich in one move? Professor Irian surely would not care who attended the lecture anyway.

If so, would it not be fine if I set aside a few seats separately?

Lately, I felt like forcing a way through with improvisation had become a habit. An unwelcome smile slipped out. This kind of behavior did not suit my personality.

I liked moving according to thorough plans. This sort of slapdash approach might help in the moment, but it often came back hard later.

Still, it could not be helped. After coming to the university, every moment had been one trial after another. The situation had to become stable before I could make plans or do anything else. Right now, I was nothing more than a single leaf blown around by the wind.

In the very center of this enormous Stalactite City, there was one immense building. It stretched down into the abyss below, sinking so far that the end could not be seen.

I saw a sign bearing the name [Arcana General Trading Company], the organization that ruled this city.

I headed toward it. From the information I had gathered, anything could be bought and sold here. If so, they should be able to handle what I wanted to sell.

Standing in line to enter, I calmly checked the situation. Could I sell them? If I could, how many seats should I sell? As I thought about such things, the line quickly shrank.

I slowly went inside. When I entered the building, I saw two paths. Purchase and sale. I entered the sale path. At that moment, the space changed, and all the people disappeared.

There was one small desk, and someone sat across from it. Startled, I stepped back. But the door I had entered through was already firmly shut and would not open.

I saw the person across from me smile. There was no avoiding this. I carefully sat in the chair and faced that person.

I slowly studied that person’s face. A stamped-on smile, sharp eyes, and the interest in me filling them. It was the person from earlier, Hwaryeong.

“Hehehe, we meet again.”

She said it while pouring a cup of tea and offering it to me. Feeling dazed, I accepted it and took a sip.

“After you left the Integrated Registration Office earlier, sir, I moved here for a moment. I thought you would come to secure points.”

I smiled bitterly. I had been caught completely. It seemed she had already read my actions from top to bottom. This was the downside of improvisation. Anyone could predict it.

“I came to sell seats in the class.”

So I spoke bluntly. She smiled brightly. I had thought this earlier too, but smiling really did not suit this woman.

“How many seats do you plan to sell?”

“Please tell me the price first.”

“Understood. Arcana General Trading Company always trades based on trust, so we would appreciate it if you trusted us with the calculations.”

After saying that, she took out a sheet of paper and placed it on the desk. Then she began writing down various things with a pen.

“Selling lecture seats happens all the time. Professors sell them, and the students under them sell them too. Because of that, the price range is clearly established.”

As she said that, she wrote down 5,000 points. Did that mean the price of one seat?

“Usually, this kind of price changes depending on who the lecture is for. Since the lecture is being held for first and second-floor students, there will be a slight depreciation.”

Then she subtracted 3,000 points. What remained was 2,000 points.

“But looking at the lecture contents, we expect many applicants. So the price should be raised by that much.”

Then she added 1,000 points again. It became 3,000 points. Seeing that, I drew in a breath. 3,000 points for one seat. It was an enormous amount. Just selling two seats would be enough to apply for the lecture.

“Since this is Professor Irian’s first lecture, it has been set at the basic lecture price. If the class evaluation is good this time, you may be able to sell seats for a higher price next time.”

I could sell them for even more than this? But that was a matter for later. Right now, I needed to decide how many seats to sell.

I carefully studied the woman sitting in front of me. Her eyes were anything but ordinary. I needed to be careful. If I tried to sell too many seats, it would be the same as revealing that I could interfere with this class to that extent.

I had already leaked too much information. Enough that anyone could easily predict I would come here. At this rate, I had no idea what could happen to me.

“I will sell two seats.”

I said it. 6,000 points. Since we had planned a lecture for 200 people this time, two seats would barely stand out. She smiled and nodded.

“We will pay the points immediately. Once the buyers are decided, we will send the relevant people’s information to Evron-nim.”

As she said that, she held out a ring. Awkwardly, I brought my ring to it. Magical power rose, and something crossed over into my ring. When I quietly injected magical power to check, my points had jumped to 6,025.

Before I could feel happy, I swallowed at a chilling fact. How did she know my name?

I searched through my memories so far. No matter how I thought about it, I had never revealed my name. My name should not have been on the lecture plan either. Her smile suddenly felt eerie.

Without saying anything, she rose from her seat and held out her hand. I also hesitantly stood. When I carefully took that hand, she shook it lightly.

“This was Hwaryeong, trainee employee of Arcana General Trading Company’s Fifth Division Customer Response Department. Thank you for the good trade.”

I carefully nodded. Then I turned and walked to leave the room. Even as I did, every nerve in my body was focused on the woman behind me.

“If you have another trade like this next time, please come find me. You can submit this.”

I heard those words when I grabbed the doorknob. Along with them, something landed in my hand. It was a small medal.

“Of course, understood.”

I answered awkwardly and left the exchange. Only after entering an alley could I sink to the ground. Cold sweat ran down my back. Still, I pulled myself together for now. Had something like this only happened once or twice? I was used to it now. I just had to handle what I could.

I headed again toward the sign reading [Integrated Registration Office] to complete course registration. A worried thought rose in me. What if she was there again?

Thankfully, Hwaryeong was not there. With a sigh of relief, I completed the course registration. My points had become 1,000.

Somehow, I had applied. Making seats in the class would also somehow work out.

I checked the time.

It felt like I had suffered for two whole days, but less than six hours had passed since I arrived in the city. Only that much time had passed?

In that short time, I had realized again how dangerous this place was, and how weak I was. I wanted to stop gaining realizations like this. But what could I do? Being weak was a crime.

Even earning points this time had not been done through my own power. I had only improvised tricks from moment to moment. Had Professor sent me here with the intention of making me realize this about the university? It was truly admirable that such an intellectual side was hidden behind that simple-looking appearance. Of course, I was sure it was my own misunderstanding.

Anyway, I had even sold seats in the lecture. There was no way back now. I had no choice but to hold the class somehow.

For now, since I had points left, should I enjoy some beer again?

A person needed to fill their stomach before their head could work. Making that excuse, I headed to the tavern.

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