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Chapter 08 — I Woke Up the Sleeping Prince of the Magic Tower?
Late night at the Magic Tower.
A dark shadow was carefully climbing the stairs leading to the top floor. A man with his face hidden by a black hood kept glancing around.
He quickly approached the door of the room on the top floor and slowly reached out his hand.
*Crackle-*
A faint wave sounded from the center where his hand touched. It was the barrier of the Magic Tower Master, Duchess Melizes Evgenin.
If he tried to force the door open, a loud noise would surely alert Duchess Melizes.
“*Vivratha karanan..*”
Carefully inserting his fingers toward the door, the man began to chant a spell in a whispered voice. The magical energy flowing from his fingertips slowly seeped into the barrier.
After a moment, the seeping magic stopped.
“…Almost done.”
It was a satisfied voice. Soon after, he quickly slipped away from the spot.
It was a dark night, with no one yet awake.
—
“Job hunting isn’t easy in this world either.”
I muttered as I dropped the bundle of papers I was holding onto the desk as if throwing them.
I can’t believe it, my 8th rejection already!
Nearly two months had passed since I started frequenting the library, learning about the knowledge and concepts of this world, and searching for a job through the few friendly mages in the tower.
“So, Ethel, isn’t a life of slowly and steadily researching in the Magic Tower for a long time such a bad thing?”
Senior Mage Tez, a water-attribute mage who was organizing books next to me, stroked his beard and spoke in a kind voice.
Even though he was a senior mage, Tez had a unique personality; he preferred reading books in the library over his private research lab. Usually, most mages holed up in their labs and never came out.
Perhaps because I was young enough to be his child, he was a grateful mage who actively lent a hand whenever I asked for help.
“I’m not really a magic fanatic like you, Tez…”
“Deoku? What’s that?”
“It’s a thing! A good thing!”
“Hoho, must be one of those young people’s words these days? Hohoho!”
“Ha. Haha.”
“Still, the Tower Master would be quite disappointed if she knew. She already says she misses you since she can’t see you often.”
‘That just makes me feel more guilty…….’
Since I’m not even the real Ethel, receiving this much affection makes me feel oddly sorry.
As Tez said, Melizes might be sad if I told her I was leaving.
On the day I first met Melizes through the projection, her eyes were filled with affection as she looked at me.
That day too, I was in the library flipping through various books and writing my self-introduction letter. I had the communication orb I habitually wore around my neck.
*Beep- Beepbeep- Beep*
“What’s that sound?”
“-Et… hel? Ethel, can you hear me?”
“Oh, you startled me!”
I tilted my head at the faint mechanical sound coming from nearby, and soon after, a voice that was both unfamiliar and familiar reached me.
Startled by the sudden sound, I dropped the book I was holding.
“Oh my, Ethel, what were you doing that made you jump like that?”
“Lady Melizes!”
It was my savior who had rescued Ethel and brought her to the tower—the Tower Master, Duchess Melizes.
“It’s nothing bad, is it?”
Slowly, the elegant figure of a woman, closer to middle age, began to form before my eyes. It was the function of the communication orb.
Soon, a woman slightly taller than me appeared as clearly as if she were standing right in front of me.
She had long, dark blue hair neatly swept to the side and clear green eyes. She seemed to care deeply for Ethel, looking at Ethel—no, at me—with worried eyes.
‘So this is what Lady Melizes is like.’
Despite her position as the continent’s greatest archmage who could handle all attributes and the master of the tower, she was looking at me like a parent checking on a child they left at home.
My heart felt warm.
Perhaps because I was inside Ethel’s body, I felt Ethel’s affection and respect for Melizes being conveyed to me intact.
“Ah, I’m perfectly fine, Lady Melizes! How is your investigation going?”
I began to understand why Ethel never wanted to worry Melizes and always tried to show her a bright smile.
Ah, at this rate, it would be hard to carry out my plan to tell her about the mages who were bullying me.
Feeling my face flush for some reason, I quickly picked up the dropped book and hugged it to my chest.
Melizes, who had been staring at me intently, soon smiled softly and answered.
“Finding traces is harder than I thought. I’ll finish the investigation here for now and stop by the nearby magic stone mines.”
Melizes was not only looking for a way to break the curse but was also conducting search operations to find the Apostles’ hideout.
“I see.”
“I’ll see you soon, Ethel. How is His Highness’s condition?”
“Perfectly fine. There are no special cracks in the glass tube, no abnormalities in the preservation magic, and His Highness is still sleeping— I mean, resting well!”
“I see, that’s a relief.”
I almost said something foolish, but luckily Melizes let it pass without comment. Ethel wouldn’t have shouted about how handsome the Prince was!
“Ah, by the way.”
“Yes?”
“I felt the barrier’s wavelength was slightly, just very slightly, different from usual. It was incredibly subtle, though.”
It was a thought that suddenly came to me. It wasn’t like I, who had never even drawn a proper barrier, would know much, but since I checked the wavelength by putting my fingers in every day, I could at least sense a slight difference.
“No signal came through, but I’ll need to go check. Come to think of it, it’s been over two months since I last looked at it in person.”
Hearing my story, Melizes frowned slightly and spoke.
“I’ll have to hurry back as much as possible. See you soon, Ethel!”
“Yes, Lady Melizes!”
Melizes’s figure slowly faded away, leaving behind a gentle smile like the first time.
“….”
I wanted to tell her that the Saintess would appear soon if she just waited a little longer and to hang on a bit more, but my role was just to quietly watch that moment as an extra.
It was frustrating that I couldn’t open my mouth, but it couldn’t be helped.
‘She won’t be too disappointed if I keep in touch even after leaving the tower, right?’
For the sake of Ethel, who had left her body to me, I could at least do that much.
‘First, I need to find a way out.’
Recently, Tez had introduced me to a friend of his, a former colleague who now worked as a professor. He kindly sent a recommendation letter along with his introduction, but the reply that came back was—.
“But still, didn’t he say he’d contact you if a researcher position opened up?”
“That’s usually called a polite refusal.”
“Haha, no. I know that friend’s personality—he’s the type to say no if it’s a no.”
But no. Usually in Korea, this was a 100% rejection. My lips pouted involuntarily with regret.
I thought I was pretty good at writing self-introduction letters. I guess it doesn’t work here.
“I hope so. Anyway, thank you, Tez. You even wrote me a recommendation letter, I feel so bad…”
“Don’t worry about it. It was only a couple of lines anyway.”
“Still! I’ll definitely repay you someday!”
I had no idea how, but I was sure that day would come.
“Sure, sure. I’ll let you know if another position opens up later.”
“Thank you!”
What a genuinely nice old man! Two hundred points out of a hundred!
I said goodbye to Tez and neatly gathered the rejection letters and applications I had received so far. It was time to go check on His Highness again.
‘I should slowly look through these applications and rejection letters again.’
I had applied to quite a few places, so I could figure out what the problem was. Times like this called for a strategic approach.
‘Hoho. Don’t underestimate a seasoned working adult who’s been through thick and thin.’
Rejections couldn’t break my will! I clenched my fist again, burning with determination. I planned to keep swinging my axe until I found a place that would take me.
“While I’m at it, oh.”
“Well, well, if it isn’t the Tower Master’s beloved disciple.”
As soon as I turned the corner of the corridor, a person suddenly appeared. It was Intermediate Mage Benjamin. The mouse-like mage, Michel, was with him too.
After I had essentially threatened them using Melizes’s name, Benjamin and the mouse mage hadn’t been doing anything particularly bothersome.
Ugh, just when I was feeling good, I just had to run into them…! I averted my gaze and bowed my head.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
I tried to apologize quickly and get away, but Benjamin stopped me.
“Going up to the top floor again, are we?”
“Yes, and?”
I looked at Benjamin with a questioning expression. Today, his rat-like eyes held an inexplicable glee. Why is he like that?
“Heuk heuk, yeah, do your best.”
He let out an unpleasant laugh and left. The way he suddenly spouted lines like a petty villain gave me a bad feeling, like he was trying to get under my skin.
‘Well, first of all, his face alone is unpleasant enough.’
Still, I wouldn’t have to see him forever soon enough. I shouldn’t stress over it. That was wisdom I’d gained from working.
I had a busy schedule planned until late tonight. I had to prepare for my next challenge! I quickened my pace again toward my destination.
