Magic Monopoly: Reborn as the Sole Magic Tower Master-Chapter 258: Episode

“Come on in!”

“Thanks for having me.”

The direct approach had worked.

It had worked so well that I was the one feeling thrown off.

I had only meant to grab a simple meal with her somewhere, but she had insisted on inviting me to her place to repay me for saving her life.

I carefully opened the front door and stepped inside.

It was an old apartment building, its walls stained with dark, greasy patches. The wallpaper had yellowed, and the linoleum flooring was peeling up.

I took off my shoes and set them neatly in a corner.

“Ahem, thank you for having me.”

“My mom’s not here.”

She turned toward me, wearing an apron over shorts.

“She’s at work?”

“This is my place. I live alone.”

“...Huh? So it’s just the two of us here?”

“Yep.”

...Are high schoolers these days this bold? I couldn’t help but wonder if this was really okay.

Just then, her gaze dropped to the shopping bag I was holding.

“Oh, wow, you didn’t have to bring anything.”

She practically snatched the bag out of my hand. It must have been heavier than she expected, because she let out a little “oof” and quickly grabbed it with both hands.

“I felt bad coming empty-handed.”

“What are you talking about? I’m the one repaying you, so it’s fine... Huh?”

Her expression froze as she checked the contents of the bag. She pulled out a hefty cardboard box.

“Wh-what is this? Black goat extract?”

“It’s black goat from Jirisan Mountain, no less.”

I gave a thumbs-up.

“They put in twelve ingredients—ginger, jujube, balloon flower root, angelica, cnidium, astragalus, white atractylodes, and so on—and then simmer an entire black goat in a big pot until it’s completely reduced. There are a hundred packs in there, so if you drink one a day, you’ll have more than enough—”

“H-how am I supposed to drink this?!”

Seeing her react as if she were looking at something grotesque, I folded my arms.

“Hmm, not a fan of black goat? Maybe I should have gone with something more basic, like carp extract.”

“That’s not the issue here!”

She shot me a sharp look, her cheeks flushing red.

“You look normal, but you have the taste of a grandpa...”

“It’s a shame. Kids these days need to learn to appreciate the wonders of traditional health shops.”

When I pulled out one of the pouches and gave it a shake, she recoiled as if she didn’t even want to touch it. If I so much as tossed one at her feet, she’d probably scream and plaster herself to the wall.

“Put that away!”

“Black goat is excellent for restoring stamina. It’s also great for growth and preventing anemia.”

“Are you a salesman for one of those health shops or something?”

Letting out a deep sigh, she got up from her seat.

“Anyway, just wait a bit, okay? I’ll have everything ready soon.”

“Got it.”

She headed into the kitchen. I’d smelled spicy kimchi stew earlier, and it turned out she’d been in the middle of cooking. When she flicked the frying pan, vegetables and noodles flew into the air.

’She’s... pretty good.’

She was clearly well-prepared. I finished setting the table and waited. The TV was still blaring on about the Kim Yusin Museum incident.

“All done!”

It wasn’t long before she brought the food out. Kimchi stew, seafood stir-fried noodles, and braised mackerel were the main dishes, surrounded by an assortment of homemade side dishes.

“It’s nothing fancy, but I hope you enjoy it.”

“This is a feast! Thanks for the food.”

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a proper home-cooked meal. The stew, the stir-fried noodles—everything was delicious. Before I knew it, I had stopped talking and was focusing entirely on eating.

Watching me wolf the food down, she chuckled.

“Heh, it’s kind of a cheap way to repay you, isn’t it? Settling a life debt with some home cooking.”

“Come on, don’t say that. You don’t save people expecting a reward.”

“So you really are a hunter, huh?”

I washed down the spicy stew burning my throat with a glass of water.

“I used to be.”

“So you’re not anymore?”

“I’m taking a bit of a break right now.”

“Well, I did think you looked like a total bum, hanging around a museum on a weekday... I’m kidding.”

...She had a surprisingly sharp tongue. Still, the stew was good enough that I let it slide.

“I want to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Has the Magic Tower ever contacted you? About recruiting you or anything?”

I had asked in all seriousness, but she seemed to take it as a joke and waved her hands, laughing.

“No way! Why would an amazing place like that bother with a failing student like me?”

“Failing?”

“Yeah. It’s a little embarrassing, but my grades are below average.”

That was unexpected. A 2nd-circle mage who could use Wind Cutter was considered below average?

“The fact that my affinity is for the wind element says it all.”

“What’s wrong with wind magic?”

“To be blunt... I think it’s kind of weak.”

Now this was an interesting topic.

This was the first I’d heard about the state of magic five years in the future. Apparently, among students, some attributes were considered mainstream and others were not.

“So what’s the most popular attribute?”

Her eyes lit up at my question, and she held up a finger.

“Lightning magic, hands down! It’s the current Tower Master’s specialty!”

’Na Daeyong, huh. Of course they’re all chasing the trend.’

“Lightning magic is top-tier, no contest! The teachers say that if you have an affinity for it, your life as a mage is basically set. Second tier is probably light, water, and poison magic.”

“Cha Doyeon, Kim Sarang, and Jo Yonghee.”

“Yep! If your specialty matches one of the Five Archmages, you have a huge advantage.”

The reason the attributes of the Fourth Floor Team members were so popular among students was that they could follow the paths those mages had already paved and learn a wide variety of spells.

Third-tier was everything else—fire, ice, earth, and so on. And wind magic, Ha Yerin’s specialty, was only considered fourth-tier.

“Even kids with over a 70% affinity for wind will switch to lightning if they have as little as a 10% affinity for it. Wind magic just doesn’t have enough killing power. They say even at the 4th-circle, you’re still stuck casting Wind Cutter.”

“...Hmm.”

This was another thing I’d have to fix someday.

I’d vanished right in the middle of developing circle magic, so I bore some responsibility for how things turned out.

“You don’t need to be that pessimistic.”

I popped a piece of braised burdock root into my mouth as I spoke.

“Remember how I took down that monster at the museum? I did that with wind magic, too.”

“Oh, come on, don’t lie!”

“I’m serious.”

Since we were on the subject, we ended up talking about magic nonstop.

We hadn’t studied magic in the same era, but we were both mages. Our passion for the discipline was the same, and the conversation flowed effortlessly.

“These days, they say it’s trendy for combat-type awakened one with vague innate abilities to switch over and become mages.”

“Oh yeah?”

On the other hand, I felt a quiet sense of pride.

The magical culture and educational system that formed the backbone of modern Korea had all grown out of the efforts of me and my comrades.

Seeing how the seed called “magic” that I had sown had grown this much, I felt like a farmer at harvest time.

Korea was currently both a hunter powerhouse included in the M10 and the world’s leading magical superpower.

“Man, that hit the spot.”

I patted my full stomach.

“I’ll do the dishes.”

“Y-you don’t have to! You’re the guest, you can’t—”

Ignoring her protest, I lifted the entire tray and carried it into the kitchen.

I put the leftover side dishes into containers and stored them in the fridge, then stacked the used dishes in the sink and pulled on rubber gloves.

I squeezed dish soap onto the sponge and scrubbed the plates until they squeaked.

“By the way, there’s something I’ve been wondering.”

“What is it?”

She stood beside me, drying the dishes.

“Back at the museum, when the monster attacked... why didn’t you go to the shelter? You hid nearby and ran away when I offered to take you.”

She remained silent.

Back then, she’d said something like, If I go, people will be in danger. I have to stay here.

This time, she kept her head down and didn’t answer. I turned my attention back to the dishes.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to...”

“I...”

She seemed to steel herself, then met my eyes.

“...I’m the type of person who attracts monsters.”

I stayed silent.

For a second, I almost dropped the pot I was washing.

“There’s no such thing.”

“I-I’m serious!”

Her voice rose.

“Ever since I awakened and became a player, it’s been like this! Wherever I am, monsters always show up!”

“...So you’re saying the monster attacked the museum because of you?”

“Yes, exactly!”

’So that’s why she refused to go to the shelter? Because she was afraid her friends or other people would be put in danger?’

“And that’s not all! Whenever we have a field trip or an outdoor class, monsters show up and my friends get hurt! Even when we’re just going home after school, monsters keep appearing!”

I scrubbed the sauce off the frying pan, lost in thought. ’There was no trait in her status that would attract monsters. Is it because she’s the Child of Mana? No. I have the same trait, and I’ve never experienced anything like that.’

“Couldn’t it just be a string of coincidences? You know, something psychological...”

“I thought that at first too.”

She let out a long sigh.

“But there’s hard data! I saw an article saying that since the year I enrolled, monster attacks targeting KAIM have increased seventeen-fold! And every neighborhood we move to suddenly has a spike in monster incidents...!”

’Damn it, I let my guard down.’

“Get down!”

I grabbed her and threw myself to the floor with her.

Out of nowhere, the window shattered, and a huge, hawk-like talon burst through, raking violently across the room.

“—KIEEEEEE!”

A flying monster had launched a surprise attack, shredding the wallpaper and flooring with its razor-sharp claws and turning the place into a wreck. Terrified, Ha Yerin screamed.

“Stay down. Don’t move.”

I got to my feet and flicked my fingers.

<Iron Cancer>

From the magic circle I’d set on the wall, steel wires shot out and wrapped around the monster’s neck and joints.

When I clenched my fist, the wires tightened brutally around its body. The creature thrashed and shrieked, but a series of cracks echoed from within its body, and it went limp.

After confirming I’d crushed its neck, I released the spell. The monster’s body slid past the window as it fell.

The sound of the carcass hitting the ground was loud enough to echo through the entire neighborhood.

I brushed off my hands.

“It’s over. Are you hurt?”

Ha Yerin, who had been curled up with her hands over her head, slowly raised her face. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

“...Mister.”

She wasn’t crying out of fear, but as if all her pent-up misery had exploded at once.

“How am I supposed to live like this?”

Her voice was thick with anguish. I swallowed hard.

“The landlady’s going to find out now, too. This is the fifth time I’ve had to move this year.”

I remained silent. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

“I live away from my mom because I don’t want to put my family in danger. Even at school, I just make trouble for everyone, and every time we have an outdoor class, my friends get hurt. What am I supposed to do? Is my very existence... just a burden to everyone?”

I walked over to her as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Idiot. Don’t say things like that.”

She didn’t answer.

Looking at the despair on the crying girl’s face, I sighed.

“I’ll teach you magic.”