The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 43: The Celestial Voice (6)
"Hey, are you sure it's okay for you to be moving around? You're not just putting up a front, are you?"
"Why would I bluff? Want me to run a lap along the riverside just to prove it?"
Oscar casually brushed himself off and stood up after only three days.
It wasn't a minor injury, but thanks to Marin spending a lot of money to call in a high-ranking priest, he was able to recover quickly.
"You never know. There could be aftereffects or something. Why not rest for a few more days?"
"I've got too much work to do."
"Tch. You're so stubborn. Fine, let's settle the payment first."
Marin handed him an envelope.
"Here's the promised 1 million bel. I added an extra 100,000 bel as a thank-you."
"Thank you. I'll make good use of it."
With this, he should buy some gear or maybe some elixirs.
The recent job made him realize how uneasy he felt if he didn’t get stronger as soon as possible.
"I'm leaving this city today."
Marin, arms crossed, looked out at the cityscape.
"That crazy witch Ara Sweet, who knows what she'll do next. I'm too scared to stay here any longer."
"I think that's a wise decision."
"What about you?"
"Unfortunately, I still have some business left in this city."
"…Be careful. She's probably on edge right now and could do anything."
"I'm not worried."
All he has to do is remove the lens and wipe off the tattoo on his face.
Responding as if it were no big deal, Marin squinted her eyes and nodded.
"Well, I'm sure you'll handle it just fine. Judging by your skills, you won’t be the one getting beaten up out there."
"Of course not. If anything, it’s my opponents who should be worried."
They exchanged smiles briefly.
Marin stretched her arms up with a big yawn.
"Ahhh, who cares! I'm off to sing for His Majesty the Emperor and receive my elixir!"
"Congratulations again. I’m sure your father will be up from his sickbed soon, too."
"…Thank you, really. It's all thanks to you."
As he shook her extended hand, an unexpected question came out of nowhere.
"But grateful as I am, are you really not going to tell me your real name?"
"…!"
Oscar’s pupils widened in shock.
"…What do you mean?"
"Hey, I’ve been a singer for three years now. You think I wouldn’t notice you wearing colored contacts? I realized it from the moment we first met."
With a stunned laugh, Oscar asked back.
"If you knew I was an impostor, why did you hire me?"
"Well… when you talked about my father, the expression on your face and the look in your eyes… It was like looking into a mirror. I thought, 'This guy has the same pain as me. Why not take a gamble and trust him?'"
"…You live quite recklessly yourself, Marin."
"Heh, so what? Are you going to tell me your real name or not?"
Smiling gently, Oscar decided there was no point in hiding it now that he was found out.
"My name is Oscar Crucian."
"…Wait, I think I’ve heard that name somewhere."
As Marin furrowed her brows in thought, Evelyn whispered quietly.
"You mentioned it during dinner last time. He’s the one who created the cure for Cadena Flu."
"Oh! That genius guy, right?"
Marin looked at him with newfound curiosity, sizing him up from head to toe.
"Hmm. You don't look like a genius to me."
"You don't look like the world's top diva either, Marin. You seem pretty average yourself."
"What? Excuse me? What part of this beauty looks average?"
She scoffed, tilting her chin up arrogantly.
"Just you wait. In a few days—or even a few hours—you'll regret it. Everyone you pass on the street will look like a squid in comparison to me."
"To be honest, you're not quite at that level."
"…You could at least lie and say something nice. You’re so stingy."
Marin turned her head with a pout and muttered in a small voice.
"Goodbye. You were the best bodyguard I’ve ever had."
Her cute reaction made Oscar smile brightly.
"And you were the best diva I’ve ever seen."
That afternoon, Oscar met Killian at a café’s outdoor terrace.
"You're here. How’s your body holding up?"
"I’ve fully recovered. But shouldn’t I be asking you that?"
Knowing from the news how injured Killian had been, Oscar replied.
"I’m fine too. My employer brought in a high-ranking priest for me."
"Ah, then there's no need to worry."
"I just came from picking up my payment. Want me to treat you?"
"Of course. A warrior of the forest never shamelessly claims credit for others' achievements."
As expected of a forest warrior—he’s overflowing with honor and integrity.
"Here's your apple juice and espresso."
"I’ll take the coffee. Here, a tip for you."
Oscar said with a relaxed smile, and Killian's eyes widened in surprise.
Once the server left, Killian leaned in closer and lowered his voice.
"What’s going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"When did you become so sociable?"
"…Are you seriously asking because I talked with a server?"
"Absolutely. I used to think no one had worse social skills than you."
…Really?
Was the old Oscar really that bad?
If a forest warrior says so… Just how hopeless was he?
Oscar clicked his tongue and shrugged.
"Well, it’s not that hard. Want me to teach you sometime?"
"Really?"
Killian suddenly stood up, pounding his chest with his fist.
"Of course! Teach me how to improve my social skills too!"
"Calm down and take a seat first. Once you know this, it's actually pretty simple. It's almost like magic."
"Magic is difficult."
"Oh, sorry. Then think of it like fighting."
"Fighting? That sounds easy."
Oscar immediately adjusted his approach for a personalized lesson by recognising the other person's level.
As a side note, Oscar was quite skilled at teaching forest warriors.
He even gave similar lessons to this guy's father back in the day.
"If you meet someone new and don't know what to say, just start with a compliment."
"A compliment?"
"Yeah, the key is to lower their guard. This technique works especially well with people who share common ground with you, like hobbies or style."
"Oh..."
The other person seemed to have a moment of realization, as if something clicked in his mind.
He quickly downed his apple juice and declared,
"I'll go make some friends using the method you taught me."
"Alright, good luck."
Oscar smirked as he watched him leave and reached for his coffee cup.
Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.
It felt like having a bucket of icy seawater poured over his head on a winter day.
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
A cold sensation seeped through his clothes, freezing his heart, and his sense of caution heightened.
'A strong one.’
The first true powerhouse he's encountered since inhabiting little Oscar's body.
An opponent at least level 7 in skill.
'Where are they?'
Oscar scanned his surroundings, searching for the source, and his gaze landed on a woman standing idly across the street.
She was wearing sunglasses with striking orange lenses and a long-brimmed flat cap.
'Ash-gray hair, about 173 cm tall.'
It felt like witnessing a bomb that could go off at any moment right in the middle of the city.
The moment their eyes seemed to meet, a carriage passed between them.
Clop, clop.
When the carriage passed, the woman was nowhere to be seen across the street.
"Are you going too easy on your little brother's friend? Shouldn't we at least collect a debt for killing one of our recruits?"
The junior following the woman asked.
"Leave it. He wasn't even an official member anyway. Besides, if someone can't handle a level 3 mage, it's better that we never took him in."
The woman, walking while responding, gradually slowed her pace and eventually came to a full stop.
She turned around abruptly and asked her junior,
"Hey, do you think you could find me if I deliberately hide my presence?"
"Find you? No way. It'd be hard even to realize you were there in the first place."
"Then how many level 3 mages in this city do you think could find me if I hid my presence?"
"...Is this some new kind of harassment? I doubt there'd be any across the entire continent, not just in Baran."
Exactly, that's the normal reaction.
The woman's eyes narrowed.
"Then why do I keep feeling like that guy and I made eye contact?"
"Oh, come on. It must have been a coincidence."
"…It didn’t feel like a coincidence."
The woman tilted her head and asked,
"Do you know who that level 3 mage at the cafe was?"
"Of course. It was Oscar Crucian. He's a genius of the White Tower, famous for restoring cures for Cadena Flu and various potions. He's been quite the talk lately."
"Oscar Crucian, a genius, huh..."
The woman rolled those words around in her mouth and smirked.
"Interesting guy."
Looking forward to seeing more of him, she resumed walking.
As evening came, Killian returned, decked out in sunglasses, a hat, necklaces, rings, and shoes.
"What’s all this?"
"These are gifts from my new friends. Thanks to you, I was able to make lots of friends."
"...Something seems off here."
Making new friends was fine.
But receiving all these gifts on a first meeting?
Oscar, sensing something amiss, asked,
"What exactly happened?"
"Just like you said, I went to find people with common interests in the back alley."
"...The back alley? Why go there to make friends?"
"Well, I like cigarettes, so I looked for people who smoke."
"Hmm. Go on."
"I complimented them, just like you told me to."
There it was again.
That ominous feeling, this time even stronger.
"...Tell me exactly what you said to them."
"Alright."
Killian placed the items he'd received on the table and looked at Oscar with an icy gaze.
Then, out of the blue, he said,
"Your shoes are cool."
"That necklace looks pretty nice on you."
Smack!
Oscar slapped his forehead.
"And after you said that, they just gave you these things?"
"I think they wanted to be kind and celebrate our newfound friendship."
"...No, that’s not it."
In our society, we call this extortion, or slang for it: a shakedown.
Oscar let out a deep sigh and pointed outside.
"Shut up and follow me. We have to return all these things today."
"But why return gifts from friends?"
"They weren't gifts from friends."
"They weren’t?"
"Nope. You didn’t make a single friend today."
Killian's shoulders slumped, looking dejected.
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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