WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 62

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- Nadia: I’m recruiting anyone who would like to travel from the tower to Stalactite City together. I’ll also be giving various tips about the auction along the way, all of them things you won’t regret hearing.

I’ll escort you to the city in six hours, with no need to worry about running into magical beasts or staying up all night.

Please check the information board for details.

┗ Evron: This sounds useful. I’ll take a look as well.

┗ Nadia: Thank you. You won’t regret it.

┗ Yuna: What kind of auction advice is it?

┗ Nadia: I can’t give the details, but I’m confident that simply selling that information would cover about half the cost of this trip.

┗ Luka: Seriously, how much are you trying to squeeze out of people just for showing them the way?

┗ Nadia: Are you jealous?

┗ Luka: Ha, as if.

┗ Nadia: Cheer up. Luka-ssi, you’ll be able to earn plenty of points someday too.

┗ Luka: Come to the first-floor central hall. Let’s fight one more time.

┗ Nadia: I won at the last duel tournament, so why would I fight you again? I’ll be going now.

┗ Luka: Hey, I said come out.

┗ Luka: Come out already.

I landed in a place that had become very familiar by now. As soon as I did, magical power so chaotic it nearly took my breath away wrapped around me.

The area was so packed with people that there was no room to step. Twice as many people as usual were getting off at the dock. It looked like all of them had come for this auction.

“Then this concludes my guidance. Everyone, good work.”

Nadia said. The scar under his eye twitched as he smiled brightly. He looked extremely pleased.

He had every reason to be. More than forty students had traveled with him from the tower to here. All of them had come to attend the auction that would begin in two days.

“If you intend to find an inn, you should move quickly. There probably aren’t many rooms left by now. During the last auction, they even collected points from people sleeping on the streets.”

Just as he had promised, I had heard quite a lot on the way here. Useful little pieces of knowledge like that. It seemed he had not been lying when he said this was his second time attending the auction.

“Then I’ll be going first. I have something to sell as well.”

After saying that, Nadia led his group away from the dock. They rode the flow of people and vanished in no time.

“I’ll be moving on as well. I hope everyone enjoys the auction.”

I bowed my head to the students who were still looking around. They gave brief greetings in return and began scattering in every direction. I let myself be carried along by the crowd too.

The farther inward I went, the heavier my chest felt. It was because I could sense mirror bugs somewhere nearby. They were the puppets I had supplied over the past seven months.

They were giving off a very faint light. It seemed they had not even noticed I had come near them.

I could feel the shadows binding them tightly. That must have been Myra’s work. I had neither the power to release them nor the confidence to touch them.

A bitter smile came to me on its own. If I thought only in terms of points, it had been a profitable deal. But now that I had come to the city and seen them for myself, I could not help feeling bitter.

Carried by the flow of people, I slowly made my way down the road. At the many branching paths, people split apart and merged again. The creaking bridges swayed with their movement.

When I reached a fork, I turned as well. After passing through several intersections, an unfamiliar sight began to spread out before me. It was a route I had never taken before.

Once I entered this path, the number of people began to dwindle. I glanced at the people who remained. Most of them were dressed quite well.

How long had I walked like that? A large door came into view. The space inside the door was faintly distorted. Each time someone stood in front of it, the door organized its magical power and opened a path.

Several guards were inspecting people in front of the door. That was the only entrance leading to the upper floors.

I stood in line and waited while watching the door. The paths it showed were extremely varied. It seemed to contain each floor of this city.

Soon, my turn came. The guards were extremely disciplined. The atmosphere around them was completely different from the guards in charge of the city entrance.

When I stood before them, they approached with precise movements and wrapped the area around me in magical power. Its structure was an excellent isolation spell.

“Stop. Where are you planning to go?”

One of them asked me. I took out the admission ticket Miryeong had given me. Magical power rippled over the elegant handwriting.

“I heard I could go to the seventh floor if I had this.”

I spoke carefully. They examined it for a moment, then withdrew their magical power. It meant I could pass. It seemed Miryeong’s message that this would waive the entrance fee had been true.

“Then we will open the door to the seventh floor.”

The guard said. With that, the door’s magical power settled into place, and a path opened. I gave them a small nod and slowly passed through the door.

Once I crossed the threshold, I was met with a very bright light. I glanced around. The atmosphere was quite different from the lowest floor. Many lamps burning with magical power hung along the roads and buildings.

That magical power was also deep and clear. Its density was almost like the air outside the city. The entrance fee was three thousand points per day, if I remembered right. This place was worth that price.

The upper-floor auction began on the seventh floor. I glanced down. I could see many people moving across layers upon layers of bridges.

These countless divided floors were blocked off by extremely thick walls of magical power. Walls that could not be pierced carelessly, and should not be pierced either.

I checked the letter that had come with the admission ticket. It contained Miryeong’s message. A simple magical power number was written inside as well. Number 12. It meant I should contact that number.

I raised a little magical power and woke the mirror bug. It spread its wings and flew into the air.

Since it was a standard mirror bug I had brought for contacting people inside the city, its screen was very plain compared to the ones I usually used.

Trade, information, communication.

I selected communication, entered 12, and wrote that I had arrived in the city. This function that allowed individuals to communicate with each other was something Miryeong had requested. He had said that a board used by a group was inefficient.

Just as he had said, this communication was very efficient. Efficient enough that I had added it to the tower’s mirror bugs too.

The reply came quickly. It said they would wait in front of the Arcana General Trading Company building. I put the mirror bug away and began walking.

Because Myra’s connection was not perfect yet, mirror bugs could still only be used inside this city for now. But in the future, they would probably spread throughout the entire university. I could picture the sight naturally.

The bridges connecting the buildings were very wide. Wide enough for any number of people to walk at a leisurely pace. Even so, I carefully walked along the edge.

It was because of the others passing by. As expected of the upper floors, all of them were giving off extremely intense magical power. Standing beside them was enough to make me feel suffocated.

I quietly made my way toward Arcana General Trading Company. In front of it, I saw a familiar woman. On her face was the distinctive smile shared by the people of that family.

“It has been a while.”

Hwaryeong said. I bowed my head slightly toward her and greeted her as well.

“It has been a while since I last saw you.”

As I said that, I glanced around. I did not see anyone besides her. Noticing my gaze, she smiled softly.

“Grandfather was busy, so he did not come. His position is different from people like us, after all. He does not have the leisure to come all the way here.”

That was a relief, if anything. My chest settled a little. Come to think of it, there was something I had to say to her. I took out the mirror bug and gave it a small shake.

“I failed to notice the warning you gave me last time. Even so, thank you for your consideration.”

“Hu hu, I’m grateful that you say so. I told you because I wanted to earn your goodwill like this, Evron-nim. No matter what I said, the result probably would not have changed much anyway.”

“I suppose not.”

I smiled bitterly. She was right. Hwaryeong slowly moved to my side. Then she gently led me onward.

“Now, shall we go inside? We have prepared lodging for you.”

Led by her hand, I entered the trading company. The first thing I saw was a wide hall. Beautiful statues and paintings decorated the area around it, creating a polished atmosphere.

It was completely different from the lowest floor. Every guest walking around inside the building even had an employee assigned to them. Just like Hwaryeong beside me now.

“The layout is quite different from downstairs, isn’t it? The lodging is the same. Please come this way.”

I followed her deeper into the building. When we reached the end, an antique door came into view. She held a gem filled with magical power in front of it.

The magical power leaking from the door sensed it and began assembling a spell. Soon, the door opened wide, revealing what lay inside.

It was a very spacious room. I slowly stepped inside. A huge bed and antique furniture came into view first. Everything in the room came together beautifully.

And within the rich magical power filling the room, all of it shone even more beautifully. Just staying there for a moment made my whole body feel at ease.

“You must be tired from the trip, so I’ll be going now. This is the access gemstone for the room. If you open the door with this, you will be able to enter this place again.”

Hwaryeong held out the gem as she spoke. I carefully accepted it. I could feel an extremely complex magic circle inside.

“And here, this is the list of items entered for the first day of the auction. Look through it in advance and see whether anything catches your eye.”

She handed me a booklet as she said that. As expected of something containing the contents of the upper-floor auction, it was impressively thick.

I saw her off and closed the door. Silence filled the room. I looked at the booklet in my hand. An item list. My curiosity stirred.

I went to the bed, half-lay down, and slowly turned the first page. Then I became completely absorbed in its contents.

The booklet contained all sorts of things. Most of them were things I knew nothing about. Still, I could easily tell what kind of items they were.

That was thanks to the detailed explanations written beneath them. The booklet did not simply contain text. Through illusion magic, it also showed each item’s appearance in detail. Enough for me to guess how they were meant to be used.

Like that, I began picking out the items I liked one by one.

How much would these even cost? There were so many rare items that I could not really get a sense for it. Still, since this was the upper-floor auction, they were certain to sell for quite high prices.

As I continued turning the pages, something caught my eye. It was a wraith tree brain. Like the one Myra had given me, it was an item that contained a thousand years of time. I checked the seller. As expected, Myra’s name was written there.

According to Miryeong, I had bought that item for at least five hundred thousand points less than its proper price. That meant it was worth at least seven hundred thousand points. In that case, would this one not sell for a similar price at this auction too?

A bit of greed rose in me. As Myra had said, this was an item that matched my magic very well. Besides, since I had gone through trial and error last time, I was also confident I could make a better puppet this time.

Hmm, they did say they would lend me points. Seven hundred thousand points. I calculated the points I would earn from now on.

Assuming nothing went wrong, I could repay it in about five years. It was a surprisingly easy amount to gather.

Should I try buying it?

I felt my heart tilt slightly in that direction.

Then the auction began.

“One hundred and fifty!”

“One million five hundred thousand points has been bid. Does anyone else wish to bid?”

I gave up right away, of course.

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