#07
1.
My mind and body were exhausted from a long day of hard labor.
The only thing that soothed me was this lodging.
Shiwoo wearily opened the door of the shabby building.
Surprisingly, Shiwoo’s lodging was very spacious.
It was natural, considering it was a converted stable that used to house twenty horses.
The ceiling was a dirty, wide space, easily 10 meters high, and the haystacks served as beds and sofas.
The best part was the great sky view visible through the gaps in the log roof.
“The fact that there’s no rent is also a plus.”
Minor drawbacks included the fact that it was built too eco-friendly, so rainwater flowed in when it rained, it was bone-chillingly cold in the winter, and the smell of excrement that had seeped into the floor stung the nose in the summer?
Still, humans are creatures of adaptation.
Even this stable, which was worse than a pampered hamster’s house, had grown on me after living here for five years, and it was quite comfortable.
“Ah, shit. It rained a lot, didn’t it?”
Perhaps because it had rained so much, the entire stable was soaked with rainwater.
The rainwater had overflowed the ditches dug to prepare for such heavy rain and had flooded into the living space.
I took off my work clothes and headed for the haystacks that filled my bed.
Inside, there was a small glass bottle.
It was a very elegant and pretty empty bottle, as it was one of the perfume bottles Amelia had used and discarded.
“There’s almost none of this left now.”
The pale blue liquid sloshed at the bottom of the perfume bottle.
This liquid, with its shimmering, colorful light, was the essence of magic liquefied by ‘fixed alchemy.’
The professors at the academy were all wealthy.
Just as rich people don’t lick yogurt lids, witches also throw away the few drops of magic water left at the bottom of a bottle.
Even though those one or two drops could buy several packs of cigarettes.
“I would have failed completely if it weren’t for this.”
It was a golden opportunity for Shiwoo.
He was able to collect the few drops of magic water left over while cleaning up all sorts of research waste.
“Just a little bit…”
Shiwoo tilted the empty bottle and dabbed about half a drop of the liquid onto his fingertip.
Unlike women, men cannot store magic.
However, they could use the essence of magic that came into contact with their bodies before it evaporated.
A light incantation.
“Bloom.”
The magic droplet, awakened by Shiwoo’s words, began to emit a blue light.
It would be troublesome if the fact that he could use magic became known, so he refrained from using magic as much as possible except for research, but today he wanted to sleep on a fluffy haystack.
Focusing his mind, Shiwoo recalled Amelia’s telekinesis from today.
In the black world behind his eyes, mysterious laws were being embroidered.
Magic is the power to create anything.
Telekinesis is a magic that makes it an invisible physical force.
Today, Amelia manifested magic into hundreds of circles with different orbits.
Like the orbits of celestial bodies determined by the laws of the universe, she controlled hundreds of objects one by one without any overlapping or colliding.
It was impossible for Shiwoo to use it so skillfully right now.
However, it was not difficult to control only light objects.
Therefore, Shiwoo made an arrangement to Amelia’s telekinesis.
Shiwoo slowly opened his eyes.
A haze like smoke flickered from the corners of his eyes.
It was magic reflection light, which naturally occurs when a human uses magic.
Thousands and thousands of water droplets were floating around him.
He had gathered the moisture that had been sticking to the floor, digging into the mud, and dampening the haystacks.
The water droplets, shimmering in the moonlight, were as beautiful as small jewels.
Magic is ultimately about realizing the scenery of the mind according to certain laws.
The image that Shiwoo had in mind was the scene of Amelia gathering dust.
All the water droplets converged in one place.
And…
“Ah…”
Shiwoo let out a soft sigh.
His concentration wavered for a moment, and his calculations went awry.
The magic circle that Shiwoo had improvised for telekinesis was a magic circle that required a total of three paths: one for creation, one for change, and one for development.
However, the magic collided and twisted at one point in the formula responsible for creation and development.
He had focused only on gathering light water droplets and developed the formula, but when the water droplets clumped together and their mass increased, one path became overloaded.
As a result, the stream of water that had been floating like a water spirit all scattered on the floor.
The only good thing was that although a puddle had formed beyond the ditch, no water had splashed into the area where Shiwoo lived.
“I failed to calculate the conversion overload coefficient.”
It was indeed difficult to use unfamiliar magic.
Shiwoo plopped down onto the haystack.
It was still difficult to develop a formula only in his head, and that too on the spot.
Still, it was a huge improvement compared to the past.
In the past, just making a candle flicker would make his head feel like it was about to explode.
At this rate, it might not be long before he could open the ‘door’ to leave this city.
“If I add about three conversion axes to the place connecting the change and development parts to reduce the impact during development…”
No, that won’t do.
I’m too tired today.
Shiwoo, who was reviewing the magic he had just used with his eyes closed, soon fell asleep.
2.
After finishing his morning work and having a quick lunch, Shiwoo headed to Tarot Town with Takasho.
Because it was the horse of the beast-taming witch Sophie, the carriage ran as fast as if it were flying without a coachman.
Only about thirty minutes had passed, and yet I found myself standing in the middle of the bustling Tarot Town.
“Like before, be at the fountain by 10 PM!”
I waved cheerfully at Takasho, who was heading to the mansion again today to be Sophia’s joy squad.
“Hoo.”
To catch his breath, Siwoo stood quietly by the fountain in the square and looked around.
If I had to describe Tarot Town in one word, it would be ‘High-Tech in Renaissance.’
The well-paved roads stretching into every corner, the buildings that soared so high you couldn’t believe they were made of stone or wood, and the crowds and lively bustle filling the streets were reminiscent of a modern metropolis.
Well, the inside of Gehenna had been cut off from the outside world for over 600 years.
If magic were added to a history that had flowed peacefully for 600 years without war or epidemics, it wouldn’t be strange to achieve this level of prosperity.
Unlike the top-tier towns like ‘Ars Magna Town’ or ‘Lenormand Town,’ Tarot Town was the living space for ordinary second-class citizens.
It was also home to various tailors, blacksmiths, clockmakers, jewelers, casters, and confectioners, all for the comfortable life of the witches in Gehenna.
“Apples harvested today, only 5 pennies a box!”
“Come to the White Whale Tavern for fun performances and music! We also have cold beer!”
“These are clothes embroidered with patterns popular among the witches, come on in!”
A coachman calming a horse startled by the loud noises, hawkers grabbing passersby in front of shops, a boy selling newspapers, a merchant haggling over prices with a pipe in his mouth, and an artist playing the flute under the fountain.
Due to its nature as a central square, it was always a lively and noisy place.
The fantasy-like noise pierced my ears, and Siwoo stepped off the road where carriages traveled and headed towards his destination.
He entered an alleyway along the road leading west from the square.
The road wasn’t properly paved all the way to the alley, so it was a bit muddy.
After passing the White Whale Tavern, which was overflowing with customers even in the middle of the day because it was a holiday, and crossing under a culvert, a stone building nestled in the shade came into view.
The reason Siwoo was spending his precious weekend time to come all the way here was to visit the magic tool shop in the basement of that building.
“Hello.”
Siwoo bent down and went down the stairs because the door was very low.
It was a small shop of about 10 pyeong with a unique, subtle smell of sulfur.
Actually, 10 pyeong wasn’t that small, but it looked especially cramped because of all the furniture and merchandise piled up.
The shelves behind the counter were filled with colorful reagents, and unidentified withered animals hung from the ceiling.
“Oh, young man, you’ve come? I was worried because I haven’t seen your face lately.”
The shop owner, wearing round, one-eyed glasses, greeted Siwoo warmly.
He folded his newspaper and stood up.
“So, what did you come to buy this time?”
“Do you have any transfer paper?”
“Let’s see.”
The shop owner quickly scanned the inventory list and took out a bundle of papers tied with string from a drawer.
“I happen to have one in stock. Are you going to buy it by the sheet again this time?”
“Yes, please. How much is it?”
Siwoo took out the pouch he had been carefully keeping in the center of his chest.
Inside, tiny coins the size of a thumbnail were glittering.
It was the 5 pennies Siwoo received as his weekly wage, saved for three months without spending a single one.
Twelve copper and silver pennies were worth one silver coin, so what was inside was worth exactly five silver coins.
He had saved it up to buy this anyway, but tears seemed to flow when he was about to spend the money.
“I’ll give you three sheets for one silver coin.”
“What? That many? It was two sheets last time.”
“These days, you’re about the only one looking for this. I’ll give it to you cheap, so take as much as you can.”
“Th-thank you!”
What a stroke of luck.
He was originally planning to save about a penny to enjoy a rare meal out.
But this changed things.
Siwoo emptied all his silver coins and handed them to the owner.
“By the way, what does a slave like you need transfer paper for?”
“W-well, there are various reasons.”
“Well, I’m just selling the goods. Come again next time.”
After a satisfactory transaction, Siwoo turned around with a broad smile, only to freeze.
“Hi? Assistant.”
A witch with curious eyes, tilting her head and sparkling purple eyes.
The older of the twins who took Amelia’s class.
In other words, Odile.
“Oh, they sell magic tools in a shabby place like this? Wow! What is this? It looks like a mummy!”
The shop owner couldn’t say anything even as Odile was touching a strange bone (something like a withered salamander) hanging from the ceiling.
A dress decorated with fancy lace, a half-bonnet with a ribbon around her chin, and shoes that looked luxurious at first glance.
No, beyond all that, Odile exuded a natural splendor and nobility, like a lavishly decorated doll.
No one had the courage to tell her, a high-ranking witch, not to touch the merchandise on display.
Why is Odile here?
Siwoo felt his head go cold.
He was keeping his ability to use and understand magic a complete secret.
It was the only way to get him out of this miserable life as a slave.
“But why would an ordinary slave assistant come all the way to a magic tool shop in Tarot Town?”
Odile giggled and circled around Siwoo.
Siwoo tried to hide the bundle of transfer paper in his hand, but it was a pointless effort anyway.
“Can’t answer?”
He had met the worst opponent in the worst place.
“This is interesting.”
Unlike at the academy, Odile, dressed in fancy going-out clothes, smirked.
