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Chapter 17

"So... you\'re saying you\'ll enter Aldeon Magic Tower as an apprentice?"

"That\'s right."

"And you\'ll gather information directly from there?"

"...That\'s what I said."

"Haah..."

Lena sighed deeply as she ran her hand through her hair as she spoke.

"I\'m still trying to figure you out, but... are you being serious right now? This isn\'t some kind of joke, is it?"

"I\'m always serious."

"...I apologize if I\'ve misunderstood, but this sounds completely absurd to me. Becoming a spy disguised as an apprentice in a Magic Tower."

Well, I could understand Lena\'s reaction.

It was indeed dangerous, and if things went wrong, even the agency could become a target of Aldeon.

No, before that, she\'s probably doubting whether I could even pass Aldeon\'s selection process.

But this was a problem stemming from a difference in information.

\'I have two end-game level specs.\'

The Mythic tier trait [Prodigy of Magic] and the top-tier spirit engraving [Former Master of the Swordsmanship].

With these two, it was safe to say I wouldn\'t fail the selection process.

Just like how I safely overcame dangerous moments in the Raiders\' hideout and with Valefar\'s minion.

This time would be no different.

"I know we just met today, but... trust me. You won\'t suffer any harm. Even if I get caught."

"..."

"It\'s a good chance to raise the agency\'s reputation and build trust between us. Wouldn\'t it be a shame to miss this opportunity?"

"...You have an annoying personality, don\'t you?"

Huh? Did it come across that way?

I was just stating facts, but I don\'t understand why she\'s reacting like this.

Come to think of it, Kayla used to call me annoying all the time too.

Anyway.

"Well... you\'re not wrong. Alright. Go ahead, take this request."

Fortunately, Lena agreed to my proposal.

Maybe it\'s because she manages the agency, but she\'s clearly a quick-thinking woman.

"Remember. Both our necks are on the line for this request."

"Of course."

After hearing Lena\'s earnest request, I felt a deep sense of relief.

\'Phew, I almost missed out on that Holy Power stat.\'

***

After returning to my lodging, I lay down on my bed and thought about the information I had sorted out with Lena.

There were four pieces of information I needed to provide to the agency.

To summarize it simply, it was like this.

One, the reason why Aldeon is opening the Magic Tower and accepting disciples for the first time in 100 years.

Two, the results of Aldeon\'s light magic research over the years.

Three, the existence and current status of any light-attribute artifacts owned by Aldeon.

Four, Aldeon\'s relationship with demons.

There was nothing that seemed particularly difficult to figure out.

Except for the last one.

"Why do they want me to find out about this?"

From what I had personally learned in the game, the rumor about Aldeon\'s association with \'demons\' was clearly unfounded.

They were a reclusive academy, but one that purely researched light magic.

But something felt off.

\'...They wouldn\'t request this information without reason.\'

I had a strong feeling that there must be something behind this.

Someone willing to offer a Heroic-Grade artifact as payment wouldn\'t do this for no reason.

Moreover, this world is about 100 years in the future compared to the game world I knew.

I couldn\'t blindly trust the information I had about Aldeon.

Who knows what changes might have occurred in the meantime.

Of course, all of this could just be my imagination, and the request might have been cast hoping they might just get lucky...

\'...That would actually be better.\'

A light magic academy consorting with demons? Could there be anything more despair-inducing?

The very thought is horrifying.

"Tch... I\'m just complicating things in my head."

Worrying about it now won\'t change what I need to do anyway.

I\'ll learn everything when the time comes.

With that in mind, I quickly shifted my thoughts.

First... let\'s organize the immediate tasks at hand.

I sat cross-legged on the bed and quietly extended my hand.

Whoosh!

Instantly, mana rushed in an instant.

A compressed sphere of blue mana appeared floating above my palm.

It was much more delicate and precise than when I first created it.

But compared to when I trained with Barundel, there wasn\'t much difference.

\'Even so, it\'s still only at the 2nd circle level.\'

Of course, my growth hadn\'t stopped.

I just needed a bit more experience.

And that experience was filled by the several battles I\'d been through in the past few days.

\'Focus.\'

Wooong-

Maintaining the sphere above my palm, I once again drew in the surrounding mana.

For a more efficient and powerful spell.

The prodigy within me awakened.

[Magical computation is maximized]

The change occurred when I refined the complex flow of mana and settled its destination above my palm.

Whoooosh-!

Behind the blue-glowing mana sphere, another mana sphere was created.

An intense sense of elation welled up.

\'...Multiple casting.\'

I had finally reached the realm of the 3rd circle.

With this, I can now cast two types of magic simultaneously.

Indeed, it was a talent truly worthy of the Mythic tier trait.

To transcend to this level without anyone\'s help.

Even in the game, it took a long time to reach this point.

"Phew..."

Swish-

I dispersed the spheres as I exhaled my held breath.

This level of magic should be sufficient to pass the selection evaluation.

What\'s urgent now isn\'t magic, but other aspects.

My gaze shifted from my worn-out armor to a corner of the lodging, where a visibly plump pouch sat.

-When I decide to invest, I do it thoroughly.

It\'s a pouch of gold coins that Lena kindly gave me, remembering that I said I needed quick cash.

Although it\'s money I\'ll have to pay back later...

Anyway, I planned to take this to the bustling market tomorrow.

"Tomorrow\'s going to be busy too."

Now it was time to start gearing up.

***

The Sector 6’s marketplace. Also known as Dmitri Square.

It would not be an exaggeration to say it\'s where all the commerce of Sector 6 is concentrated and this also is the place where Barundel\'s training facility is located.

There were so many shops lined up, and the noise was constant because of the merchants who spread out mats and tried to solicit customers.

"Come see high-quality artifacts!"

"Special potions I made myself! Buy ten and get one free!"

"Come play a round of shell game!"

While I had visited a general store to buy potions before, this was my first time seriously browsing.

After carefully surveying the shops, I entered the one that looked the most promising.

"Welcome!"

The first thing I needed to buy was, of course, the most expensive item - a weapon.

"What are you looking for?"

I firmly told the shopkeeper whose eyes were gleaming with greed.

"I\'ll just look around for now."

Although they might seem friendly at first glance, I had to stay sharp from here on.

The Sector 6 shops are known for overcharging if you blink even once.

"Yes, yes! Feel free to look around!"

With the owner\'s permission, I slowly examined the weapons displayed on the wall.

Well-maintained, gleaming blades, double-edged axes, maces, longbows, and more.

Though there were items that sparked my desire to buy them just after looking, I passed them without a glance.

Eventually, I arrived at the section where staffs and wands were displayed.

"Oh ho, a mage, are you?"

"Yes... well. How much are these?"

"Staffs start at 50 gold coins, wands at 20 gold coins. The prices increase as you move to the right."

"Hmm..."

...Though I didn\'t show it, I felt cold sweat running down my back.

What kind of weapons are these that cost dozens of gold coins?

I swallowed my discontent and opened the bag of gold coins I was holding.

At most, there might be about 50 coins.

\'I\'ll have to give up on a staff...\'

The staff is truly the flower of a mage, but the funds I had weren\'t enough for that now.

I needed to equip an armor as well, not just a weapon.

I had no choice but to start looking more closely at the cheaper wands.

"How much is this one?"

After much deliberation, I picked up a yellowish-brown wand from the middle section.

I could tell it wasn\'t an artifact since there were no magical stones embedded, but the quality of the wood seemed decent enough.

"Oh, you have a good eye. This wand is made from Ikave wood. Due to its properties, it has excellent durability and mana conductivity, making it popular among many mages. It\'s perfect for those just starting out in magic..."

The shopkeeper\'s lengthy explanation was making me uneasy.

"So, how much is it?"

"Ah, yes. It\'s 50 gold coins."

"50 gold coins?"

"Hehe, quite a bargain, isn\'t it?"

Bargain, my foot. I wanted to shove this wand into his ass right now.

I wasn\'t sure if that was considered cheap in this world, but it certainly didn\'t seem so to me.

\'If half a gold coin buys a beer, then 50 gold coins is... 100 beers.\'

In other words, it was equivalent to about 500,000 won in modern currency.

[500,000 won → 381 dollars.]

500,000 won for a piece of wood that wasn\'t even an artifact? Absolutely not. I\'d rather take the evaluation without a weapon.

"...Tsk."

It\'s the way of the world - if you don\'t have money, you have to compromise again and again.

I naturally shifted my gaze to the left.

The quality seemed to drop off sharply here, and nothing caught my eye... Wait, what\'s this?

My attention was drawn to the wand hanging on the far left.

The cheapest weapon that no one had even glanced at.

"This is..."

Before I could finish my question, the shopkeeper explained with a bitter tone.

"Ah... that\'s the only dead stock in our shop. I think we\'ve had it for over five years, but it just won\'t sell. Well... you\'ll understand why when you see its condition."

Indeed, its condition was poor.

Unlike the other wands, the handle had no engravings, and there were traces of what looked like insects eating the corners.

At this point, it was closer to a rotten stick than a wand.

But for some reason, it felt oddly familiar.

I was sure I had seen it somewhere...

\'Ah!\'

At that moment, something I had scribbled in my notes flashed through my mind.

\'Am I crazy? How could I not recognize this even when seeing it in person?\'

The vertical grooves carved intermittently.

The oily stains covering more than half of it.

It was longer than I remember, but I was certain.

This was none other than the growth equipment I had written in my build - a Heroic-Grade artifact!

[Holy Staff].

"Whew..."

I tried to calm down, but it wasn\'t easy.

Who would have thought I\'d come across this wand like this?

"You said it hasn\'t sold for five years?"

"Well, the guy who opened an antique shop down the street came here about six years ago... so yeah, it\'s been about that long."

I suppose it makes sense.

It looks even more shabby than it did in the game.

Who would pay money for something like this? I would have passed it by too if I didn\'t know better.

"Hmm."

I tried my best to compose myself and asked nonchalantly.

If I showed too much excitement, I might end up paying more than necessary.

"How much is this one?"

"Huh? You want to buy this?"

"Just tell me the price first."

"Well... I originally priced it at 5 gold, but..."

5 gold!

At such an incredible price, I immediately started taking off the equipment I was wearing.

Clank, clank.

"Uh... customer? What are you doing?"

"Just wait a moment."

What I placed on the counter were the [Wooden Shield], cracked from clashing with the guards, and the [Leather Armor], worn out from training with Barundel.

These items would soon become useless to me once I got new equipment.

And the reason I put them on the counter was...

"Can I trade these for that wand? They\'re not badly damaged, so if you repair and sell them, you could get at least 10 gold."

"T-trade?"

This was to save even that 5 gold.