Chapter 12

　　“Tower Master. Please wake up.”

　　I had no idea how long I’d been asleep after the trial. A beautiful, now-familiar voice stirred me from my slumber. As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw the face of a stunning, silver-haired woman close by.

　　“Are you awake, Tower Master?”

　　“…Ea. How long was I out?”

　　She slowly drew back and answered, “You have been sleeping ever since you returned. The current time is 9 AM. If you prepare quickly, I believe it will not interfere with your afternoon classes at the academy.”

　　Before Ea could even finish, I was already closing my eyes, ready to surrender to sleep again.

　　“…Tower Master. You must wake up.” She shook my shoulder.

　　“…Just thirty more minutes.”

　　I squeezed my eyes shut. I would have gotten up if I could, but the accumulated fatigue was a leaden weight on my body.

　　“I cannot. Last night, you ordered me to wake you up on time, no matter what you said.”

　　“…Then here’s a new order. Please, just leave me alone.”

　　“Yesterday’s Tower Master was of a sounder mind than today’s. Therefore, your request is rejected.”

　　What kind of willful homunculus was this? A rebellious urge took hold, and I refused to budge. Ea pouted.

　　“Then what must I do to wake you?”

　　“I don’t know. Maybe if my future wife suddenly appeared out of nowhere and woke me up, I might get up,” I mumbled, shifting my body to find the perfect sleeping position. Ahhh, this is nice. Drowsiness washed over me. Just as I was about to drift off, a sweet voice whispered in my ear.

　　“Honey, breakfast is ready.”

　　A violent shiver ran down my spine, and I shot upright.

　　“Aaaah! What are you doing?!”

　　Ea was suddenly wearing an apron. And not just any apron—it was one of those backless ones worn over a naked body, the kind you only see in certain subcultures.

　　“I have attempted to match your stated preferences in order to wake you, Tower Master.”

　　I pressed a hand to my throbbing forehead. “I was just kidding!”

　　“Are you not pleased?”

　　She was going to be the death of me. When I vehemently denied it, she tilted her head.

　　“Query. I was told that all men have a fantasy about a newlywed bride’s attire.”

　　What am I going to do with you, you little search sprite? Learning about the world through the internet had clearly warped her values.

　　“Putting everything else aside, look at your outfit! What bride in their right mind wears something like that?”

　　She glanced down at herself. “This was the attire that appeared when I searched for newlywed.”

　　“What you’re wearing is something that only occasionally appears in comics or adult magazines. It’s basically cosplay!”

　　“Understood. I will correct it.” She snapped her fingers, and her original clothes reappeared.

　　Hmm, a little disappointing, though.

　　Ea crossed her arms with a proud expression. “Nevertheless, you have woken up. I declare the Tower Master’s command successfully executed.”

　　“…Right. Thanks,” I grumbled. I felt like I’d been tricked, but the shock had certainly chased away my drowsiness. After drinking the glass of cold water she handed me, my mind felt much clearer.

　　“It is a bit late, but I sincerely congratulate you on unsealing the second floor, Tower Master.”

　　Oh, right. I’d cleared the trial yesterday. The thought instantly lifted my spirits. I had gained Remote Casting and even my own original magic. It was an incredible amount of progress for a single day.

　　“I, too, have recovered my administrative functions for the second floor. I am also pleased to inform you that I have gained a new function as a homunculus.”

　　“A new function?”

　　-This one.

　　I flinched. Ea’s voice was speaking directly inside my head.

　　-I can now communicate with you anytime, anywhere. I can also share your vision using your Sage’s Eye.

　　So the research fairy is now available 24/7.

　　As if reading my thoughts, she made a pouting face. -It is not just for research.

　　“Then what other functions are there?”

　　-I can perform proxy calculations for some of the magic computations you need to process.

　　“…What?”

　　I shot up from my seat. “Are you serious?”

　　-Of course.

　　“Let’s try it.”

　　I wasn’t overreacting; if this was possible, it was a revolutionary development for a mage. I spread my hands, preparing the Shield magic circle with my right and the Gauntlet with my left.

　　“I’ve laid down the field. I’ll take the right, you finish the left.”

　　-Yes, Tower Master.

　　“Go.”

　　Shhhk!

　　I completed the Shield magic circle in my right hand as quickly as usual. Then, I swallowed hard and cautiously glanced to my left.

　　I was left speechless.

　　The Gauntlet magic circle was actually complete. A closer look revealed it was almost the same quality as mine.

　　-The Tower Master and I share a portion of their consciousness system. If it is magic you can use, I can deploy it with similar proficiency.

　　“Wow!” I exclaimed, amazed.

　　If I’d had this power against Baphomet, it would have been a huge help. This was a significant gain. By dividing the work with Ea, I could drastically reduce the casting time for large-scale magic and even use two spells at once. Moreover, my magic proficiency was shared with her. My growth was her growth, which meant my efficiency would skyrocket.

　　“This is amazing, Ea. I’m counting on you.”

　　She smiled brightly. “Yes, Tower Master.”

　　“By the way, you can finally see the outside world now, huh? You’ve spent the last ten years just searching the internet inside this tower.”

　　“Affirmative. I cannot leave the Magic Tower.”

　　“I’m feeling generous. Anything you want to see out there?”

　　Her eyes widened for a moment before returning to normal. “The emotions of a homunculus are not important. Whatever you wish, Tower Master, I am content.”

　　“Hey, don’t say that. After ten years online, there must be at least one thing you want to see.”

　　She thought for a long time before speaking. “In that case…”

　　“Yes?”

　　“I would like to see a concert for the group EXIO.”

　　My mind went completely blank.

　　“EXIO is a truly wonderful boy group… What is the matter?”

　　“Ah, no. It’s just a surprisingly realistic request. Anyway, I get it. I’ll check their concert schedule.”

　　“Thank you!”

　　I could feel the sharp rise in her tone. She must be really happy. I went down to the first floor with Ea.

　　“Good morning.”

　　And there, sitting quite naturally in the lobby, was a man tapping away at a laptop with a morning coffee.

　　“…What are you doing here again?”

　　“I’ve come to work,” Seojin replied, sipping his steaming coffee. “I bought some salad and coffee over there, so please have some.”

　　“Oh, really? Thanks.”

　　I walked over and sat at a corner of the table where a packaged salad set from a famous bakery chain was waiting. I opened the plastic lid and drizzled the included apple dressing over it.

　　“So you’re going to start commuting here now?”

　　“Yes. To provide proper consulting, I need an accurate understanding of the Magic Tower’s capabilities.”

　　“Is that okay? You must be busy with your own work.”

　　“I’ve taken care of most of it,” he said, pushing up his glasses. “…In the end, it’s Unix’s business. For now, I plan to go all-in on the Magic Tower.”

　　“If you’re willing, that’s great for me.”

　　I used a disposable fork to mix the chicken salad and took a bite. Ea brought me some water.

　　“Ms. Ea, please have some as well,” Seojin said quickly.

　　“I appreciate the offer, but I do not require food to sustain my life.”

　　“That means you can eat it. You should at least try the taste.” He took his hands off his laptop, came over, and took out another salad set.

　　“Even if I consume food, it will only be converted into mana…” she said, flustered.

　　“It’s fine,” I interrupted. “Humans don’t always eat just to survive. And taste is something you can’t experience through an internet search.”

　　“If you say so, Tower Master…”

　　In the end, Ea sat demurely across from me. Hmm. The image of her in that apron flashed in my mind, making my nose tingle.

　　“Here you go.” Seojin kindly removed the lid and even drizzled the dressing before handing it to her.

　　Ea expressed her thanks, picked up the plastic fork, and began to eat. It was just a chicken salad, but after one bite, her eyes widened, and she began to shovel it into her mouth. She sure ate with gusto. And next to her, Seojin watched with the happiest look on his face.

　　“Hey, Seojin.”

　　“Yes.”

　　“Are you, by any chance…”

　　“Yes?”

　　“No, it’s nothing.”

　　It couldn’t be. I ate a little more salad and then asked, “By the way, did you see Ea’s apron outfit?”

　　Thud.

　　Seojin suddenly dropped to his knees, his face a mask of utter despair, like a man who’d just lost his country.

　　“What did you just say?”

　　“What?”

　　“Ms. Ea’s what outfit? Ha, hahaha!” He was completely dazed, letting out an empty laugh. “I should have come earlier!”

　　For a moment, I reconsidered everything I knew about the man, Jeong Seojin.

　　Was he always this kind of character?

　　A moment later, Seojin composed himself and adjusted his glasses. “I have shown a rather embarrassing side of myself, Tower Master.”

　　“You’re damn right you did, you lunatic.”

　　“That aside, what could you have possibly done overnight to end up like that?” He was pointing at my torn shirt and pants.

　　“I told you yesterday. Office expansion.”

　　“…It looks less like an expansion and more like you’ve returned from a war.”

　　“Something like that. Anyway, how are the distribution lines coming along?”

　　Seojin turned his laptop screen so I could see it and opened a file. “This is the status of the outsourcing contracts.”

　　My eyes widened as I stared at the screen. Ea, curious, floated over to my side, still holding her salad container.

　　“…Wow, you did all this in one day?”

　　Seojin had bought a bankrupt logistics warehouse and signed contracts with three distribution companies.

　　“Starting tomorrow, the distributors will start scouring the markets for potion ingredients. In the order of Black Mountain, Hally, and Hosong.”

　　“Good. Very good.”

　　He really was capable. Things were moving smoothly.

　　“But where did you get the contract money?”

　　“It wasn’t much, but I used my personal funds.”

　　Wow, that was actually touching.

　　“I feel bad about that.”

　　“I’m well aware of your situation, Tower Master. Please think of it as an investment in the Magic Tower’s growth.”

　　It seemed he had decided to use all the money he’d shown me for the tower. By partnering with a chaebol’s third son, I had gained both a key talent and business capital at the same time.

　　Alright, let’s see. What’s next?

　　With Seojin here, the supply of potion ingredients and the distribution route were handled. The problem now was finding someone to make the potions. Sure, as the Tower Master, I could do it, but I couldn’t be tied down to making potions forever.

　　It would be better to hire a specialist.

　　“I need to wash up and head straight to the academy.”

　　At my words, Seojin looked surprised. “Are you still attached to the academy? Tower Master, you’ve obtained a facility that can produce potions.”

　　“I’m just planning to attend until I can graduate early. Besides, there’s someone at the academy I’ve had my eye on.”

　　Seojin nodded with a serious expression. “I see. Of course. If you’re looking for talent, there’s no better place than the academy.”

　　It wasn’t just for potions; to run the Magic Tower properly, I needed more people. I wanted to place at least one administrator on each floor. So, where could I find such talent? Hiring a pro hunter was impossible. There was no way they would listen to a mere student judged as having no combat potential, and even if they did, they were already under contract with guilds.

　　I had no way of paying the massive penalties for breaking those contracts. That meant I had to find players who hadn’t signed with a guild yet, but the vast majority were nobodies, making it difficult to find anyone worthwhile. I couldn’t just wander around hunting grounds all day, opening every single person’s status window. In that sense, the academy was the perfect recruiting ground—a place overflowing with promising talent not yet tied to a guild. The ideal plan was to pick a decent prospect, grow together, and develop the Magic Tower as a team.

　　I put on my coat and looked back. “I’m off to find some talent, Ea.”

　　She, who had been eating her salad with dressing smeared on her lips, smiled and replied in my mind.

　　Have a safe trip, Tower Master.

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