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Episode 17
City of Wizards (2)
[Ah, I arrived.]
Wilhelm.
A cold city where it snows all year round.
Located in the northernmost part of the empire, this city is also home to many wizards.
A place where numerous schools and several mid-level magic towers are located. Mercenary manpower offices in need of magicians can also be found here.
This city, which was originally bustling with people, was now teeming with people.
That would be the case, since the selection test for the five great magic towers was scheduled to be held here soon.
‘That’s amazing.’
Riley said, looking around.
‘This is the first time I’ve seen such a developed city.’
[I know.]
Unlike the system where everything was the same, Wilhelm had changed a lot in the past 300 years.
I slowly looked around. The scenery of a rapidly developing city came into view.
Small machines spurting out steam roam the area, as if it were the center of magic and magical engineering.
Buildings stretched out along the street.
Occasionally, an unidentifiable explosion can be heard between the chaotic structures that show no signs of standardization or uniformity. The screams of a wizard whose experiment has failed are a bonus.
okay.
Although the appearance may have changed a lot, the overall atmosphere of the city remains the same.
[So, did you figure out the way?]
‘Well, that’s… … .’
Riley looked around and answered awkwardly.
‘… … I have no idea.’
As you know, the reason Riley and I came to this city was to take the selection test for the 5th Tower, which was held a week later.
In order to apply for the exam, you have to go to the “Selection Examination Management Office” located somewhere in Wilhelm and go through various paperwork procedures…
Problems had already arisen at the previous stage.
[This sucks. This city is so messed up that I can’t even find my way around.]
The entire street is covered with messy buildings.
In addition, there were many magical engineering machines blocking the paths, so it was very easy to get lost.
It is no exaggeration to say that the entire city is like one giant maze.
Despite obtaining a map of Wilhelm from the general store, Riley and I were having trouble finding our way.
[Why on earth isn’t the location of the screening test management office on the map?]
Even with Riley’s “Pathfinding”, I couldn’t find my way around.
For both of us, it’s almost like a first time visit to Wilhelm.
Of the numerous buildings detected by magic, I couldn’t quite determine which one was the Selection Test Management Office.
‘There are 10 places that are presumed to be management offices. All of the buildings are relatively clean, and access by the general public is controlled… … .’
Riley continued.
‘… The problem is that it might not be the administrative office, but rather a branch of a school or the office of a mid-level guild.’
[ha.]
It was a truly frustrating situation.
So does that mean I have no choice but to visit all 10 places once?
[If I had known this would happen, I should have just followed that nosy old man.]
‘I told you to do that a long time ago.’
[That’s true, but I don’t like being around a grandfather who nags me all the time. I wanted to get away as soon as possible.]
Even now, the nagging words of that grandfather echo in my ears.
Lower-ranking magicians should go to a school and train, don’t you know that your life is precious, I’ve seen more than one or two magicians lose their lives after taking the selection test without knowing anything like you, etc…
To be honest, I appreciate your genuine concern for Riley, but listening to it for hours on end is driving me crazy.
‘I should have stuck by that wizard’s side even if it meant enduring the nagging. I shouldn’t have trusted the bookworm who boasted that he knew the way.’
[hey.]
I responded right away.
[Honestly, who would have thought that Wilhelm would change so much in 300 years?]
‘So you thought nothing would have changed in 300 years?’
[Why? The system was the same.]
‘That’s a special system. As a symbolic city of the empire, they must have preserved the environment to maintain the traditions as much as possible, right?’
[… … .]
That’s right.
There was no room for refutation.
“I guess this is your first time?”
Right then.
Suddenly, a man’s voice was heard and interrupted Riley and I’s conversation.
When she turned around, she saw a man looking at Riley with a smile.
Judging from the flowing robes he wore, he was assumed to be a wizard working in Wilhelm.
The hazy magical aura that lingered around him supported my guess.
It was certain.
That man was a wizard.
He is a wizard who is ranked in the mid-level of the lower ranks.
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“People who are visiting Wilhelm for the first time often have a hard time finding their way around. No matter how much they look at the map, many people can’t find their way around because the city is like a maze.”
“… … .”
“Pathfinding is useless here, too. The residual magic generated from experiments and research interferes with pathfinding magic. Anyway, it’s a really troublesome city.”
He chuckled.
“Anyway, it’s a really troublesome city.”
[… … .]
I listened to the man’s words in silence.
He had a peculiar accent.
Judging from the unnatural emphasis placed here and there in his speech, he seemed to be from the southern region where he spoke a lot in a dialect.
Maybe they aren’t from the empire at all.
[anyway.]
To put aside the accent, the man’s words were summarized as follows:
1. Wilhelm is very complex in length.
2. Even if you have a map, the chances of getting lost are very high.
3. “Pathfinding” also doesn’t work because of the residual magic power flowing in the air.
okay.
Most of what they said was correct.
But the last sentence was a little hard to agree with.
[Pathfinding doesn’t work?]
Well, that’s fine.
I don’t know about other wizards, but Riley’s “Pathfinding” was effective enough on Wilhelm.
What if all the residual magic interferes with the pathfinding magic? Riley’s mana affinity cuts through all of those interferences.
First of all, Riley’s “Pathfinding” should not be compared to other wizards.
Because she uses a much more detailed and sophisticated method.
But as I said before, we also had problems.
The problem was that among the many buildings Riley had detected, she couldn’t quite figure out which one was the management office.
“Then is there no other way to find the way?”
Riley asked.
Then the man answered with a smile.
“Well? Asking for help from people around you might be one way. Try asking for help from someone who seems nice at first glance.”
He pointed to himself with his thumb and smiled benevolently.
It means that he volunteers to show the way.
‘What should I do?’
[well.]
He doesn’t seem like a particularly dangerous person.
[You choose.]
There were two options.
Follow the man.
Or we can just ignore it and find our own way.
‘Hmm.’
After thinking about it for a moment, Riley made a choice.
‘Let’s follow.’
[Or so.]
After hearing my answer, she smiled and said to the man.
“Then excuse me.”
“Of course! Where is our little lady’s destination?”
“This is the screening test management office.”
“Ah! The screening test management office!”
The man smiled brightly.
“I know! Of course I know! By the way, I see you’re planning on taking the selection test this time too!”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“You’re amazing at such a young age! I still have a long way to go.”
The low-ranking wizard smiled.
His empty smile and awkward accent created a somewhat comical atmosphere.
‘You look friendly.’
[Yeah, that’s right.]
It was just as Riley said.
The man looked friendly.
Of course, there was a clear difference between being ‘friendly’ and ‘appearing’ friendly…
Riley and I weren’t so sloppy that we couldn’t tell the difference.
* * *
Thud thud thud─.
“Anyway, since this is your first time in Wilhelm, let me explain… … Since Wilhelm is such a large city, it’s divided into several districts, right?”
“yes yes.”
“There is the bustling “Upper Helm” where various central schools are located, the “Middle Helm” where merchants and various merchant groups trade magical tools, and the “Lower Helm”, the largest slum in the empire where black magic research is secretly conducted… … .”
The movement continued.
The man kept talking in between, but the content wasn’t worth listening to.
Riley answered vaguely, letting the man’s words go in one ear and out the other.
Thud, thud─.
“Lorehelm, commonly called the Demon’s Cave, is a place where all sorts of illegal experiments conducted by warlocks take place. It is an extraterritorial area that even the Inquisitors cannot touch. Moreover… … .”
“… … .”
As we went deeper into Wilhelm, the number of people decreased.
The alleys became more complex and the streets became more dangerous.
Even though it was broad daylight, the surroundings were dark because the tall buildings were blocking the sky.
It feels like I’m walking in the middle of the night.
If it weren’t for the lights on everywhere in the densely packed forest of buildings, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to see an inch ahead of me.
“Well, anyway, that’s how the Wilhelm Organizational Union came into being. You can think of it as a federation that manages all the schools and mid-level magic towers in Wilhelm… … .”
“excuse me.”
Riley cut the man off.
The man who had been talking excitedly looked at Riley with a puzzled expression.
“Huh? What’s going on? Are there any questions you have as you listen?”
“I have a question.”
Of course, it wasn’t a question about the strange alliance the man was explaining.
“How much longer will it take?”
“Huh? Ah. To the screening test management office? Hmm, if I just walk for another 15 minutes from here… … .”
“No. Not that.”
Riley smiled.
“I’m talking about the spell you’ve been casting on me since earlier.”
“… … .”
The man’s expression instantly turned cold.
It didn’t even take three seconds for his friendly smile to turn into an eerie blank expression.
Witchcraft.
okay.
The man had been casting a spell since the very first time he met us.
“Were you noticing?”
The man spoke in a cold voice.
His distinctive accent had disappeared without a trace.
It wasn’t a dialect in the first place.
It was just part of a spell to lure Riley.
“Of course I noticed.”
“… … Since when?”
“From the beginning.”
The man’s brow furrowed. Regardless, Riley continued speaking.
“From the moment I met you, you put a unique emphasis here and there in your speech. You pretended to speak in a dialect, but it gave you magic.”
“… … .”
This technique, commonly called “spellcasting,” was the first step toward casting a spell.
And the man was casting a spell on Riley, pretending to speak in a dialect and packaging these “words” with a peculiar accent.
“Isn’t it?”
“ha ha ha……”
The man burst into laughter.
It wasn’t a friendly smile.
“… … Haha, hahaha!”
Laughing madly.
The man started laughing like crazy.
“No, you knew that and still followed me?”
“yes.”
“Why?”
The man was casting a spell on Riley called “Paralysis.”
If this had happened, Riley would have met a terrible end.
After becoming paralyzed, you are either sold to a black magician hiding in Wilhelm as a test subject. Or sold to an illegal slave trader. Or used for terrible purposes that are too horrible to describe in words.
Well, that was a common occurrence in Wilhelm.
Because it is a city with a strong passion for research, illegal research often takes place secretly here.
Typically, children like Riley were used as test subjects in these studies.
This is probably why the man tried to kidnap Riley.
Despite knowing all these circumstances, the reason we followed this man was as follows.
-What should I do?
-well.
He doesn’t seem like a particularly dangerous person.
-You choose.
“Why did I follow you even though I knew everything?”
“… … .”
“I did that because it didn’t seem particularly dangerous.”
To be more precise.
Even if Riley fights that guy, I don’t think it will be very dangerous.
That’s why we followed that guy out.
To gain practical experience.
“Ha, you’re so arrogant for reaching the lower ranks at such a young age.”
“… … .”
“Yes. Let me teach that arrogant little wizard a hard lesson today.”
The man growled.
“… … Even if they are of the same low rank, the difference in skill can be as wide as the gap between heaven and earth. Keep this in mind.”
When I heard that, I couldn’t help but laugh.
what?
Even if they are of the same lower rank, the difference in skill can be as wide as the gap between heaven and earth?
[okay.]
Strictly speaking, that is true.
therefore…….
Riley is heaven.
That kid is the ground.
Now it was time to make him feel the difference clearly, just as he said.
