The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 35: LEVEL 3 (2)
"Hm?"
Harrock Dryon, a Level 5 mage, was busy organizing the scene at the mana power plant when his eyes narrowed.
It was because an outsider, not a mage of the White Tower, had appeared.
"Who are you? This isn't a place just anyone can enter."
As he stepped forward to block the man and questioned him, the man in a suit pulled out a business card from his pocket.
"Haha, I’m not just anyone. I’m Nebula Grime from the Special Investigation Division under the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs."
"...Special Division?"
Harrock, taken aback by the unexpected appearance of such a group, couldn't hide his surprise as he looked at the card and asked again.
"So, what brings someone from such an important division here?"
"Since it's rare for a Heavenly Silkworm to hatch so close to the city, we've been ordered to investigate. Could I ask for your cooperation?"
"Of course... if that's what the imperial command says."
As Harrock stepped aside, Nebula smiled and gave a slight nod.
"According to the news, two mages from the White Tower hunted it down. Is that right?"
"Yes. We found it when a cleanup crew came due to frequent mana supply issues in the city recently."
"Wow, impressive. In that case, I'll take a look at the scene."
"Shall I explain what happened then...?"
"No need. Just a quick look is all I need; after all, investigating is my bread and butter."
Responding leisurely, Nebula focused his magic on his eyes and began examining the traces of the battle.
The scene from that time started to take shape before him.
‘One person initiated the battle first. The speed was decent, but….’
His gaze drifted to one spot.
‘The enthusiasm was there, but lacking combat skill. Judging by the mana residue, they were tense, overly exerting their strength. Eventually, they were restrained by another mage. Rather than internal conflict or betrayal, it seems more likely that one saved the other’s life in the face of mortal danger.’
Nebula nodded as he located a melted section of the wall.
‘This would have been the cause. The restrained one stayed seated for a long time without moving. Since there’s no trace of blood, it's likely they simply lost strength in their legs.’
Having pieced together the scene, Nebula frowned.
It was now significantly harder to read the traces of the mage who entered the fight afterward.
‘...What’s with this one? Even I can barely follow the general flow here.’
This meant that the individual had left fewer traces, indicating their considerable skill.
Checking the direction of the scattered Heavenly Silkworm fluids on the ground, he analyzed the situation.
‘Judging by the scattered nature of the fluids, this wasn't magic... it was modified weaponry. Specifically, firearms.’
Nebula didn’t think poorly of mages using such tools.
After all, mastering good tools was also a skill.
His gaze turned upward this time.
‘The Heavenly Silkworm, fatally wounded, attempted to flee by breaking through the ceiling and flying upwards... Judging by the interrupted footprints here, did someone actually follow it up there?’
The audacity was astonishing, almost laughable.
According to the report, a Level 2 mage and a Level 4 mage were credited with hunting the creature.
‘The one who followed it must be the Level 4 mage. The one who lost strength in their legs was likely the Level 2 mage.’
Honestly, he was surprised.
That a Level 4 mage could be this skilled and courageous was impressive.
Nebula turned and asked,
"What's the Level 4 mage’s name?"
"Oh, Veronica Fricks?"
"Veronica Fricks... that's the name."
Memorizing the name, Nebula continued.
"From the traces, it seems she nearly took down the Heavenly Silkworm by herself. Still a Level 4? She has quite the future ahead."
"Uh… actually, I think there’s a misunderstanding."
Harrock scratched his head, looking awkward.
"The one who took down the Heavenly Silkworm was the Level 2 mage. Given how proud Veronica is, she wouldn’t lie about it."
"...What?"
For once, Nebula's eyes widened in surprise.
"So, the one who chased it into the sky and finished it off was…."
"Yes, a guy named Oscar Crucian."
"What?"
The one who left those incredible traces was just a Level 2 mage?
Nebula was baffled.
‘What? That doesn’t make sense.’
He had assumed the one who followed the Heavenly Silkworm was the Level 4 mage because the skill level was so polished.
Honestly, he had even considered the possibility that a Level 5 mage might have been hiding their power.
‘But just Level 2?’
If the White Tower wasn’t lying, this mage was a prodigy.
Not just a "prodigy" in name only, but a natural-born genius.
The mana he left behind was one of the cleanest Nebula had ever seen.
There was a restrained elegance to it—a refinement that seemed impossible for a mere Level 2 mage to achieve.
"Wait, Oscar Crucian... isn’t he the one who developed the antidote for the Cadena Flu?"
"Yes, though his personality is rough, his skills are undeniable."
No wonder the bullet marks seemed somewhat familiar; it was undoubtedly "Trinity," the unique weapon of the famed gunslinger Jack, which he had taken down, as reported.
"But for a Level 2 mage to handle such a powerful weapon?"
This implied not only considerable mana ability but also a high level of physical strength...
The more he learned, the more intriguing Oscar became.
Feeling a rare sense of curiosity, Nebula found himself asking aloud.
"Who exactly is Oscar Crucian?"
‘...He’s insane.’
Maxim thought to himself as he visited Oscar’s hospital room.
He stood there, watching as Oscar pushed through sit-ups with intense focus.
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
"Whew… One hundred ninety-seven… whew… one hundred ninety-eight."
To see someone whose shoulders had been completely shattered still doing sit-ups… and with such energy that he seemed like a freshly-caught fish.
"Whew... two hundred!"
After reaching his target, Oscar turned, breathing heavily.
"Oh, you're here?"
"..."
Right, the problem was never with this kid.
The problem lay in trying to understand such a unique specimen with a normal person’s mindset.
Sighing in self-reflection, Maxim sat down on the chair beside the bed.
"I brought something for you today."
He pulled out a small wooden box from his pocket.
"Hm? That is…."
Even with the box firmly shut, the pure, concentrated mana within seeped out from the lid.
Maxim smiled with satisfaction.
"It’s the inner core of the Heavenly Silkworm. By the way, the rights to the silkworm silk itself have also been assigned to you."
"Both of them?"
Typically, the inner core of a spiritual creature as powerful as the Heavenly Silkworm would be immensely valuable.
Consuming it would immediately grant a tremendous amount of mana, not to mention its high purity.
Heavenly Silkworm silk, which couldn’t be cut by most ordinary swords, was also considered a prized material.
'However, it’s unfortunate that the one we caught this time had only just finished its transformation. Naturally, the mana contained within its core won’t be that abundant. But instead, the Heavenly Silkworm's core offers an exceptional healing effect.'
"Are you sure I can take it? Even if it’s small, this is worth at least several hundred thousand bels..."
"The Master of the Tower deemed it appropriate for you to have it. Fidelina and I agreed."
Since he had caught it, the Magic Tower had no grounds to claim ownership.
However, there was one person he was concerned about.
"What about Veronica? Since we caught it together, we should ask her."
"I already spoke to her on my way here. She said she didn't contribute much in that battle, so it’s only right that you have it."
"That girl..."
Oscar chuckled softly, thinking of Veronica's easygoing nature.
"In that case, I'll gladly accept it."
"If you’re planning to consume it right away, I’ll stand guard."
Most elixirs or spiritual herbs, when absorbed under disturbance, could cause a mana overflow that could damage the circuit—and in the worst cases, it could even be fatal.
Thus, one would typically consume it alone in a quiet space or ask someone trustworthy to guard the surroundings.
'Of course, this inner core isn’t intense enough to require such caution... but there's no reason to refuse his offer to stand guard.'
"Then I’ll leave it to you."
Entrusting Maxim with the watch, Oscar opened the box without hesitation and swallowed the core in one gulp.
'Ah...!'
The core dissolved on his tongue, becoming a wave of magic that coursed through his body.
However, this wasn't his first time consuming such a thing in his previous life.
Oscar quickly regained composure, guiding the pure yet limited magic to the desired places within him.
'Hah.'
Watching him, Maxim’s expression turned to one of amazement.
Though he had heard Oscar had taken illegal elixirs once before, he seemed far too adept for his second time.
'Geniuses—whatever they do, they make it look effortless.'
With a satisfied look, he observed the young mage, the White Tower’s future, for several hours.
Finally, Oscar’s eyelids slowly lifted as he finished absorbing all the magic.
"Level 3 at last. Congratulations."
"...Phew, thank you."
Oscar felt the three lines of magic circuits firmly established within him, and he rolled his shoulders.
"My shoulders are completely healed, too."
"The Heavenly Silkworm’s core does have excellent restorative effects. That’s fortunate."
He might actually be stronger than before his injury.
With a pleased expression, Maxim suddenly grew serious.
"Since you’re now at a point where you should aim for Level 4, I’ll give you some unsolicited advice. Don’t get involved with that so-called ‘Designer’ character."
"Designer? Who’s that?"
"A mage from the Violet Brigade. I hear he redesigns magic circuits for people, for a fee."
Maxim’s ensuing explanation was rather intriguing.
"As you know, the human body has limited space for magic circuits. Moreover, each person’s physical form varies in shape and size, so even installing circuits of the same design yields different efficiency. So, if one wants to install a more efficient circuit and reach a higher level, they turn to this ‘Designer’ for custom installations."
"So, they have to reveal their body’s internal structure to that Designer?"
"That’s exactly what bothers me. But it seems young mages these days don’t mind. Apparently, many of them are secretly contacting the Designer, which worries me."
Oscar clicked his tongue.
"Kids these days... What do they think of privacy?"
Maxim looked at him, exasperated.
"...You’re one of those ‘kids these days’ yourself, you know."
"I’m different from those amateurs. Anyway, this Designer fellow must be pretty skilled?"
"He’s a Level 7 mage. That talent of his is what made him a criminal within the Brigade."
"Level 7!?"
Oscar looked momentarily surprised.
'The Violet Brigade—I thought they were just a regular mafia. But if they have a Level 7 mage in their ranks...'
Now he understood why the royal family was so wary of them.
It was no wonder if they possessed power comparable to the Magic Tower.
"I have no desire to get involved with them either. And don’t worry about my circuits."
No matter how skilled that Designer might be, he’d never be as capable as someone who had reached Level 9 in his previous life.
Even now, his circuit design was much more efficient and refined than it had been when he was at Level 3 in his past life.
"If I keep progressing like this, I may even be able to install ten magic circuits in this body."
"What? Hahaha!"
Maxim burst into laughter at the young mage’s boldness.
A mage who had only just reached Level 3 was now talking about reaching Level 10, a level never before attained.
But Oscar merely watched Maxim’s laughter with a serious expression.
'Laugh all you want now, Maxim.'
One day, he’d turn that laughter into shock and admiration.
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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