Chapter 16

　　"Whoa!"

　　And just like that, I brought Jin Bora to the Magic Tower.

　　I couldn’t believe she’d actually followed me. Was she fearless or just reckless? Wouldn’t most people be wary if a man they’d just met offered to take them into a restricted military zone? As we walked, I finally asked her about it.

　　She just flashed a brilliant smile. "You seem too awkward to try anything weird."

　　I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or an insult.

　　In any case, entry required having the tower’s crest inscribed on one’s body. I explained the warding sigil to Bora beforehand, and she coolly agreed. A moment later, she was inside.

　　She was gazing around the golden lobby in awe when she suddenly spun toward me. "Can I take a picture?"

　　"No."

　　"Why not!" she whined.

　　I couldn’t very well tell her it was because she was a social media addict. "You’re not an official member yet."

　　"I’ll do it! I accept your offer! I’ll work here!"

　　A silent cheer went up in my mind. Recruitment successful. Honestly, I knew the game was over the moment I got her through the door.

　　"Potion brewing, you said? Leave it to me!" she declared, snapping a salute with a hand to her forehead and winking. "I’ll handle everything from brewing to enchanting to create the perfect product!"

　　It was a transparently calculated move, but I had to admit, it was rather cute.

　　"We have a new guest."

　　At that moment, a cluster of light gathered in the air, coalescing into the form of Ea. I had told Bora about her, but I still expected a gasp of surprise. Instead, Bora ran over with a radiant smile and took both of Ea’s hands.

　　"You must be Ea, right? I’m Jin Bora! We’ll be working together from now on. It’s a pleasure to meet you!"

　　"Affirmative. And the pleasure is mine."

　　She was adapting far too quickly, making Seojin and me look ridiculous by comparison. Feeling strangely deflated, I sank onto a sofa.

　　"Bora."

　　"Yes, sir!" she chirped, snapping to attention.

　　"Just so we’re clear, all information about the Magic Tower is confidential for the time being. There’s also the matter of the ward. You’ll be in serious trouble if you take pictures and post them online."

　　"Oh, of course. Do I look like someone who can’t handle a little discretion?"

　　Yes, I thought, you absolutely do.

　　"But it won’t be confidential forever, right?" It took only a few seconds for her true intentions to surface.

　　"Not forever," I confirmed. "I plan to go public once we’ve built up enough power that other factions can’t just swallow us whole." By then, I should be able to alter the parameters of the warding magic, too.

　　"I can work with that! Timing is everything when you drop a bombshell like this!"

　　She was being vague, but I knew exactly what she meant. The moment the Magic Tower’s existence was revealed and its reputation was at its peak, she’d be spamming selfies with hashtags like #LivingMyBestLifeAtTheMagicTower! Still, it gave her a reason to keep quiet until then, so I decided to see it as a win.

　　"Sir! Sir! Does this make me the first founding member?"

　　"…Founding member?"

　　"Well, it’s just you, me, and Ea in the Magic Tower right now. The three of us."

　　"Ah, actually, there’s one more."

　　Her lips formed a pout. "Aww, that’s a shame. I’m more than enough… Who’s the other one?"

　　"I am disappointed as well."

　　The door to a back room swung open, and Jeong Seojin emerged, stifling a yawn. "I was looking forward to seeing who the Tower Master was bringing in for the Potion Brewing Bureau, but… hmmm."

　　Why was he so hostile to someone he’d just met? His face was gaunt, as if he’d been pulling all-nighters. He approached and spoke to me in a low voice. "This is just my personal opinion, but isn’t she a bit too young for such a critical role? I was expecting someone with more gravity, more experience…"

　　"Hey, excuse me!" Bora shot back, her temper flaring. "You don’t look that much older than me. How old are you to be acting like such a condescending boomer?"

　　"I’m twenty-one," Seojin stated calmly.

　　"We’re the same age!"

　　"My birthday is early in the year."

　　"Shut up!"

　　Why on earth were they fighting? I tried to mediate. "Seojin, Bora is an Enchanter. She can nearly double a potion’s effectiveness. She’ll be a massive asset to our business."

　　"Ahem, you heard the man," Bora gloated, crossing her arms.

　　Seojin pushed his glasses up his nose, his expression sour. "Ultimately, the potion trade will be a numbers game. It’s not feasible to individually enchant every unit we produce, which makes her ability effectively useless."

　　"What are you talking about? We can just sell the enchanted potions at a premium!"

　　"It’s more efficient to brew another potion in the time it takes to enchant one."

　　"Have you ever heard of scarcity value? And you keep talking about mass production, but when we release high-end potions, the value difference between an enchanted one and a regular one will be astronomical…"

　　I gave up trying to stop them. Instead, I asked, "Do you two know each other?"

　　"No," Bora snapped.

　　"We have not met," Seojin replied stiffly.

　　"Then why are you fighting?"

　　They answered in perfect, furious unison. "Because he’s/she’s insufferable!"

　　I gave up on understanding, too.

　　-The humans of Earth are fascinating, Ea projected into my mind as she glided to my side.

　　You have no idea.

　　"Both of you, stop it and come here," I commanded. "I’m going to grant you administrator privileges."

　　The Territory Window listed an Administrator position for each floor. As Tower Master, I held the authority to appoint people to these roles. Becoming a floor administrator granted not only authority over that floor but also three related personal traits. Since these two were, as Bora had put it, our founding members, I figured it was the perfect time to test this function. Besides, I could revoke the positions at will, so there was no risk.

　　First, I called over Bora, who would be in charge of the first floor. "Alright, here we go."

　　"Yes!" she replied, practically vibrating with excitement.

　　I opened the Estate Window.

　　Magic Tower of Erendel

　　Lord: Kim Yusin

　　Development: Low

　　Total Personnel: 2

　　Mana Reserves: 7,980,074

　　1st Floor: Potion Brewing Bureau / [Potion Brewer: None] – ‘Please fill the position.’

　　2nd Floor: Great Library / [Scribe: None] – ‘Please fill the position.’

　　3rd Floor: ???

　　4th Floor: ???

　　5th Floor: ???

　　6th Floor: ???

　　7th Floor: ???

　　8th Floor: ???

　　9th Floor: Tower Master’s Room / [Tower Master: Kim Yusin]

　　[Territory Unique Abilities]

　　Mana Core: The mana generator is in permanent operation, maintaining the tower’s mana at a constant level.

　　Shape-Memory Alloy: The tower walls are made of a special alloy that returns to its original form over time, even after sustaining heavy damage.

　　Natural Regeneration: Members of the Magic Tower receive enhanced health and mana regeneration while inside.

　　I pressed the text next to the first floor that read, Please assign a position.

　　Please select a target to appoint as Potion Brewer.

　　Privileges: [Potion Brewer Lv.10], [Potion Brewing Lv.10], [Potion Swing Lv.10]

　　When I lifted my hand, a glowing blue crest, like a seal, hovered over my fingertip. It seemed I just had to press this onto her body, similar to the entry process, though the crest’s design was different.

　　"It looks like I have to inscribe a new crest. Where do you want it?"

　　"Hmm," Bora hummed, deep in thought. What was there to think about?

　　"Just put it on the back of your hand."

　　"Aww, that’s so boring." A sly smile crept across her face. "Would a slightly more… risqué spot be okay?"

　　"…Hey."

　　"Kidding!" she laughed. "I’ll just do it here." She rolled up her sleeve, revealing her forearm. As my finger made contact, a blue light flared, and the crest burned itself into her skin.

　　Her reaction was immediate and violent. I thought it was just a simple inscription, but her eyes flew wide, her shoulders trembled violently, and she collapsed to the floor, gasping. It was eerily similar to my own reaction when I first became Tower Master.

　　"Are you okay?"

　　"…Ah, yes." She was slick with cold sweat, but she forced a smile. "I just felt a sudden… strangeness. It just surprised me a little."

　　Her gaze went distant as she stared into the air, clearly checking her status window. A storm of emotions crossed her face: surprise, bewilderment, doubt, and finally, pure, unadulterated elation.

　　She let out a shriek and began hopping around the lobby. "Wow! No way! I got three Level 10 traits!"

　　"Those are the perks of being a Magic Tower administrator," I explained, pulling up her status window myself.

　　Name: Jin Bora

　　Unique Ability: Enchantment

　　Personal Traits: [Structural Comprehension Lv.4], [Sniper Lv.3], [All-Rounder Lv.3]

　　Main Stats: [Agility 78], [Magic 45], [Stamina 24], [Strength 10]

　　Special Stats: [Charm 20], [Adaptability 3], [Leadership 2]

　　Total Stat Value: 185

　　New Traits: New! [Potion Brewer Lv.10], New! [Potion Brewing Lv.10], New! [Potion Swing Lv.10]

　　Not bad at all. It was nothing compared to the benefits I received as Tower Master, but these traits were perfectly suited for potion brewing. With her Unique Ability of Enchantment and these new traits, she had just become the ultimate potion-making specialist.

　　After another squeal of joy, she marched back over to me and snapped another salute. "I pledge my undying loyalty, Tower Master! These traits aren’t going anywhere, right?"

　　"Not unless I take them back."

　　"Yahoo!"

　　Seojin watched the whole display in silence. He wasn’t showing it, but the envy was practically rolling off him.

　　"Shall we head up to the second floor?" I suggested.

　　"What’s on the second floor?" Bora asked.

　　"You’ll see."

　　We took the magic circle elevator straight up.

　　"Whoa…"

　　We stepped out onto a floor filled with books as far as the eye could see. They lined recessed walls, packed so tightly they seemed to be a part of the structure itself. They filled shelves that stretched into the darkness above, and some even floated gently in mid-air, apparently their designated place. This was the Great Library. If the first floor’s theme was Potions, the second floor’s was Information.

　　Bora carefully pulled a nearby volume from its shelf and blew a cloud of dust from its cover. "Huh? All these books are in a weird language."

　　"Indeed," Seojin murmured from nearby, adjusting his glasses with a troubled frown. "It appears to be an otherworldly language. With so many books, it’s a shame we can’t read any of them…"

　　"It says, The Origin and Habits of the Kobold Race."

　　Bora and Seojin whipped their heads around to stare at me.

　　Honestly, guys. I’m the Tower Master here.

　　"Ea can read them too, right?" I asked, turning to her.

　　She nodded. "Affirmative. Language proficiency is a standard integrated function."

　　"For the record," I added, "whoever receives the Scribe position will gain the ability to read this language as well."

　　At my words, Seojin’s shoulders twitched, but he quickly regained his composure. "…Knowledge and data from another world. It is an appealing prospect, but I believe the time is not yet right."

　　"Hmm?"

　　"Potions can only be made inside the tower, but knowledge is different. No matter how powerful the wards are, there is a risk of it leaking to the outside. I am aware of my own position and background. Perhaps when you have judged me to be more trustworthy…"

　　"What are you talking about?" I cut him off, opening the Estate Window again. "I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t trust you."

　　"…Yusin," he managed, his composure finally breaking. He took a deep breath and echoed Bora’s earlier declaration. "I will give you my utmost loyalty!"

　　What was with these two? It was so embarrassing. Then again, if someone had appeared back when I was powerless and offered me three level-ten personal traits, I probably would have happily licked their boots. Traits were that crucial to a player, and these administrator benefits were a game-changer, like Cinderella’s magic, capable of instantly transforming an ordinary person into a master of their craft.

　　I inscribed the administrator’s crest on Seojin’s wrist. A moment later, his eyes widened as he stared at his own status window, an irrepressible smile spreading across his face. It had been a long time since I’d seen him smile like that.

　　Name: Jeong Seojin

　　Unique Ability: Iron Man

　　Personal Traits: [Exceptional Businessman Lv.4], [Management Lv.3], [Perfectionist Lv.3]

　　Main Stats: [Stamina 75], [Strength 46], [Magic 30], [Agility 27]

　　Special Stats: [Intelligence 9], [Insight 2], [Swiftness 2]

　　Total Stat Value: 191

　　New Traits: New! [Scribe Lv.10], New! [Book Master Lv.10], New! [Information Processing Lv.10]

　　"Hmph. I’m a little jealous, but I still like my floor better!" Bora declared, crossing her arms. "Potion brewing is directly tied to money! Books from another world are just…"

　　"You don’t know what you’re talking about," Seojin interjected, holding up a book. "The title of this volume is The Baphomet Incident of the Aland Kingdom."

　　"So what?"

　　"Don’t you see? It’s the same as the Baphomet incident that occurred in Melbourne, Australia."

　　Bora’s jaw dropped.

　　"It may be a premature assumption," Seojin continued, his voice low and intense, "but if we assume the two worlds that merged during the Overlay are following similar historical paths, we might be able to predict the future that awaits us."

　　"…Ah."

　　"And that’s not all. This library is filled with priceless data—information on undiscovered monsters, knowledge of forgotten magic… It’s on a completely different level from your floor."

　　"What! Are you looking down on the first floor?"

　　"I am not looking down on the first floor," Seojin retorted coolly. "I am looking down on your ignorance."

　　They started growling at each other again. I just sighed and turned away. "By the way, Ea. What ultimately happened to the continent of Erendel, the tower’s original home?"

　　All eyes turned to Ea. She closed hers for a moment. "No direct records remain. However, based on my operational parameters, the Emergency Seal function is automatically executed only when the continued existence of the Magic Tower itself is threatened. At that time, on the continent of Erendel, no force existed that was capable of overthrowing this tower."

　　"Which means?" I prompted.

　　"I speculate that an unforeseen, external event occurred. The possibility that the world collapsed in a very short period cannot be dismissed."

　　A heavy silence fell over the room. If Erendel had met a tragic end, it was likely that Earth would eventually share the same fate. But worrying about it now wouldn’t change anything. For the time being, we had to focus on getting stronger, if only to prepare for such a catastrophe.

　　"Seojin, while you’re setting up the potion distribution, I want you to research the history of Erendel in your spare time."

　　"Understood." Even with the Overlay, it was too early to assume the fates of the two worlds were identical. We needed more data.

　　"And Bora, as soon as you’re done with your academy classes, stop by the tower and start memorizing the potion recipes."

　　"Yes, sir!"

　　Having more people around really made it feel like things were finally getting started. I left the two of them to their work and returned to my personal domain on the ninth floor.

　　Time to get to work.

　　I stretched as I opened The Fundamentals of Magic. There were still so many second-order spells I had yet to learn. It was going to be another long night.

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