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HELHEIM SCANS
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Chapter 177: Sirin’s Afternoon (4)
“…….”
Oscar stared off into space like a puppy that had done something wrong.
Sitting across from him, Sasha gazed at him with eyes dyed blue with mana.
“That's strange.”
Was it just his imagination?
Her voice sounded unusually cold today.
When he glanced at her, he saw that her expression was stiff with displeasure.
“Why do I see six mana circuits in your body, Master? That’s very strange.”
“Sasha, I can explain…….”
“Why don’t you read this page? Fifth line.”
With a light wave of her hand, a book flew from the shelf and opened midair.
The section she pointed to explicitly stated that stabilizing the circuits was far more important than recklessly increasing their number.
The author?
Oscar Sage.
His past self.
“I—I know. Of course, I know. But… there were circumstances.”
“Let me hear them, then. I’m curious how unavoidable they were.”
The way she crossed her arms and pressed her lips together made it clear that she was angry.
Oscar carefully began to explain.
“……So, in the end, you’re saying it was because His Majesty the Emperor bestowed the World Tree’s fruit upon you?”
“No, I didn’t exactly say that……”
“Huuuu.”
Sasha let out a deep sigh, lowering her head.
After a moment, she slowly raised her gaze again.
“You do realize you could have died, right?”
“……Yeah.”
“Well, at least you’re alive. That’s a relief. But… don’t ever do something like this again.”
She spoke with a deliberately solemn expression.
“This is an order as the Tower Master. Do you understand?”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
Oscar smiled faintly, knowing that her scolding came from genuine concern.
“……Don’t smile. I’m really angry right now.”
“Sorry. But I couldn’t give up.”
What could she do?
He was still her master, no matter how exasperating.
“Haa.”
Sighing, Sasha pursed her lips slightly and asked,
“So, what exactly is your body’s condition right now?”
“Hmm.”
If he told the truth, she would probably scold him again.
But if he lied and she found out later, it wouldn’t end with just a scolding.
Oscar decided to be honest.
“Kind of unstable?”
He felt the six mana circuits embedded in his body as he continued.
“The fifth and sixth circuits were successfully installed. But… they haven’t fully stabilized yet.”
“That means you’ll need time.”
“Yeah. It’d be best not to use those two circuits for now.”
In other words, despite being technically a 6th-level mage, he was only half of one.
Until the circuits were stabilized, his capabilities were no different from before.
“……I’ll decline any requests that come in for you for the time being.”
“That would be helpful.”
For now, he needed to focus entirely on stabilizing the circuits through training and rest.
Oscar estimated it would take about two months.
“And I’ll keep this a secret for now.”
“Hmm.”
If he were a 7th-level high mage, it might be worth announcing.
But at the Magic Tower, producing a 6th-level mage was no longer newsworthy.
However, if people found out that someone who had recently been 4th-level had suddenly jumped two levels at once, that would draw a lot of attention.
There had never been a mage or knight in history who had advanced by two levels simultaneously.
“Maybe I’m standing out too much?”
“Excessively.”
Sasha’s reply was firm, leaving no room for argument.
“Besides, if this gets out, people will swarm you like bees, wanting to confirm your condition. And considering the state you’re in, becoming a zoo exhibit doesn’t sound too appealing, does it?”
“Yeah, definitely not.”
If his unstable condition was revealed, it could even lead to unnecessary criticism.
It was better to let the news of his advancement spread naturally when the time was right.
“So, Master, you’ll have to hide your mana circuits for a while. Can you do that?”
“Of course.”
Concealing one’s true power was a basic survival tactic for both mages and knights.
Only fools flaunted their level as if it were a badge of honor.
He had seen countless people die senselessly for such foolishness.
“Enough nagging for now. But… your growth rate really is exceptional.”
“Well… it’s to be expected at the intermediate levels.”
“You’re saying that because the higher levels are different?”
“Probably.”
Oscar nodded.
“This time around, I’ve gained abilities related to space and frost. That’ll significantly alter my magical framework.”
“……You’re incredible.”
Sasha was genuinely impressed.
“Even after reaching such an overwhelming level, you’re still striving to grow. I should learn from that.”
“Of course. The path of magic has no destination.”
Oscar, finally sounding like a proper master for once, spoke again.
“By the way, since we’re on the topic, Sasha—there’s something I want to ask about your progress.”
“W-what do you want to know……?”
“Where and why you’re stuck.”
Sasha was exceptionally talented.
Yet, she had been stuck at 7th level for years.
That meant she was facing some kind of wall.
‘I was going to wait for her to bring it up first, but…….’
The fact that she hadn’t mentioned it all this time meant that the wall she was facing was formidable.
“…….”
For a long moment, Sasha remained silent.
Then, she slowly opened her mouth.
“I didn’t realize it myself at first, but… it seems I’m incredibly sensitive.”
Oscar nodded, encouraging her to continue.
Sasha conjured a small breeze, letting it brush against her palm and fingers as she spoke.
“Right after I became the Tower Master, everything was incredibly stressful. The influence of the White Tower weakened by the day, mages were leaving, and even the revenue was plummeting…”
She clenched her fist as if trying to grasp the wind.
“It made me angry. These were all things my master left behind… and I was losing them because I wasn’t capable enough. It was so frustrating.”
“It’s not your fault.”
How could any of that be Sasha’s fault?
No matter who sat in that position, the result would have been the same.
In fact, it likely would have been worse.
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After all, Sasha had personally taken on dangerous requests and pushed herself tirelessly without rest.
“That was when I made up my mind. If I wanted to protect what my master left behind, if I didn’t want to lose anything more, I had to become stronger. I had to become a more perfect mage. And the role model I thought of back then was…”
She glanced downward.
Her eyes slowly lowered to the table, as if she were ashamed, brushing her gaze along the surface without reason.
Seeing that, Oscar realized.
‘Was it me?’
The most perfect image of a mage in her mind was himself.
And now, he understood why she had never confided in him about her stagnation.
‘Of course, she wouldn’t be able to.’
She wanted to become like him, but she couldn’t even come close.
From her perspective, admitting that would feel like she was blaming him for her own inadequacy.
“……”
Sasha hunched her shoulders slightly and fidgeted with her fingers,
like a child caught showing a terrible report card to their parents.
“I think I understand what the issue is.”
“...Really?”
“Yeah. To be blunt, you’ll never be like me.”
Sasha’s mouth fell open, stunned by the unexpected words.
“Wha— you’re being so mean!”
“Hmm? Don’t misunderstand. It’s a compliment.”
“That was a compliment?!”
Faced with Sasha’s incredulous glare, Oscar confidently nodded.
“Yes. It’s just that our styles are completely different.”
“…That’s a lie. You told me before that I was the student who resembled you the most.”
“That’s true—personality-wise. But when it comes to magic, we’re nothing alike.”
“Why? What makes us so different?”
Annoyed by the claim, Sasha pressed him for an explanation.
“Tell me, what do you think my wind is like?”
“Your wind? It’s the warmest I’ve ever felt from any mage in the White Tower. And strong, too.”
“Go on.”
“It feels like an old companion you’ve been through thick and thin with. Like a steadfast comrade.”
“I see.”
Oscar nodded, as though he had confirmed his suspicions.
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
“The steadfast comrade part?”
“No. The entire sentence.”
Without hesitation, Oscar conjured a gust of wind.
The first breath of it was like a warm afternoon breeze.
But in an instant, it turned as sharp as a finely honed blade.
“To me, the wind isn’t a loyal comrade or an old friend. It’s a trained soldier.”
“…Isn’t that the same thing?”
“No. I dominate the wind.”
Mages had magical affinities, after all.
“I’m closer to a tyrant who rules over magic. It’s easy to mistake my magic’s warmth for gentleness.”
There was a reason one of his epithets was “Kind Death.”
“On the other hand, your command over the wind is nowhere near as strong as mine.”
“Wait, are you insulting me again?”
“But your affinity with the wind is far greater.”
While she couldn’t wield the wind as a weapon like he could,
she could coexist with it—befriend it.
That affinity made it impossible for her to mimic his combat style.
“What you should be aiming for isn’t my tyrannical style. You need to let your wind run more freely, to let it play.”
“More freely…”
Sasha furrowed her brows, falling into contemplation.
It would likely take her a long time to grasp what he meant…
“Ah! I think I get it. I’ll give it a try in that direction.”
“……”
Right.
Oscar had forgotten—Sasha was a genius.
Seeing his student immediately understand with just a few words,
he couldn’t help but smile like a proud father.
* * *
Like most magic towers, the White Tower also held monthly meetings.
It was a large-scale event that gathered all department heads and higher-ranking officials at the beginning of each month.
“Let’s begin the April monthly meeting.”
At Sasha’s words, a dozen or so people nodded.
She first turned to Pedro X, the head of the delivery department.
“How’s the delivery division doing?”
“If you look at page 4 of the distributed documents, you’ll find the sales figures for March.”
Rustle, rustle.
The sound of papers being flipped filled the room, followed by gasps of disbelief.
“24.76 million bel? That’s the monthly revenue?”
“Yes.”
Pedro smiled with satisfaction as he continued.
“Since we take 70% of Wind Rider’s revenue, the White Tower’s share amounts to around 17.33 million bel.”
“Is that after accounting for maintenance costs?”
“No. After deducting the costs for the mana stones, maintenance of around 5,200 bikes, and the operation expenses of the delivery facilities across the cities—about 4.84 million bel—the net profit is approximately 12.49 million bel.”
Even after all deductions, they were still looking at a massive profit of over 10 million bel.
Hearing this, the other department heads clenched their fists in regret.
‘Damn it, I should’ve volunteered to run the delivery department when it was being restructured.’
‘Pedro was even threatening to quit back then and looking for a replacement…’
‘Considering the incentives, how much is he making a month?’
As their thoughts trailed in that direction, they couldn’t help but look at one person.
“Hmm?”
Oscar Crucian.
The man who had brought in the dwarves of the White Anvil tribe, triggering a near-revolutionary overhaul of the delivery department.
The only reason he wasn’t running the department himself was because he found it too much of a hassle.
Still, it was no secret that Pedro submitted a weekly report directly to him.
The department heads swallowed dryly as they stared at Oscar.
‘From now on, if Oscar decides to restructure any department, I’ll make sure to take it over no matter what.’
‘Just doing whatever he says is like printing money.’
As the meeting room heated with anticipation, Sasha spoke up again.
“It seems we no longer need to worry too much about the White Tower’s finances. How’s the public order?”
At her question, the head of the White Watch, Grace Valheim, who oversaw the city’s security, spoke.
“The number of tourists visiting Sirin is increasing every week, but public order is being maintained well. However…”
After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously continued.
“There’s been a peculiar rumor spreading around the city lately. We’re still verifying its authenticity.”
A rumor?
Why would something so trivial be brought up in a formal meeting?
Sasha tilted her head slightly, sharing the same skepticism.
“What kind of rumor?”
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