Chapter 31

[Translator - Clara]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 31: Magic Power Plant (1)

Drip.

Pouring steaming coffee into a cup, Oscar gazed at the night view of Sirin.

"…Not bad."

It had been four weeks since Fran secluded himself in the closed wing.

The world had entered November, transitioning fully into winter.

Snow was due any day now.

While people were busy preparing for the season, Oscar's life could only be described as perfect.

Ever since waking up in the small body of Oscar, he had been enjoying the most peaceful days he had ever known.

‘With continuous training, my stamina has significantly improved, and potions and supplements are selling like hotcakes. My students are keeping up with the curriculum.’

As for the airship development, there was little he could do until Elder Schwein completed the battery.

Everything was running smoothly.

‘And if nothing major happens, I should soon reach Level 3.’

The existing circuits were settling well enough for him to consider installing new ones.

“Everything’s just perfect.”

As he admired the breathtaking night view with a contented smile…

Whirrrrr.

Suddenly, not only the lights in his room but the entire city of Sirin plunged into darkness.

"…"

A complete blackout.

But Oscar, used to such situations, calmly sipped his coffee.

After a moment, as expected, light returned to the buildings and streets of the city.

Even the bulb attached to his ceiling flickered a few times before glowing brightly again.

‘This has been happening a lot lately.’

Oscar silently looked up at the bulb.

Power outages had become increasingly common in both the Magic Tower and the city.

‘Could we be running low on magic stones?’

Magic stones were a type of energy source—stones imbued with magical energy.

Since the advent of the age of grand magical engineering, the consumption of magic stones had significantly increased.

The city needed to remain lit, and countless appliances and facilities required magic.

‘In the past, maybe we couldn’t afford magic stones, but not anymore.’

Although vaccine sales had plummeted, the potion and supplement sales were climbing steadily.

The White Tower also used Sirius Trading Company’s distribution network, so there were no delays in magic stone supplies.

‘Besides, Sirin has its own magic power plant.’

In other words, the city could sustain itself for a while without purchasing additional magic stones.

Yet the frequent disruptions in power suggested there was a reason.

And Oscar had a suspicion.

‘Compared to the past, the city’s overall magic consumption has skyrocketed.’

Streetlights lined the streets, and every home had at least a few magical lamps.

Refrigerators, in particular, were notorious energy guzzlers.

‘Not to mention, Sirin’s recovering economy has led to a surge in travelers…’

Perhaps the power plant was struggling to meet the growing demand.

* * *

“We’ve been having far too many power outages lately.”

That was the first thing Deputy Tower Master Hamel said.

Oscar nodded in agreement.

“True. At least once every two days, it seems.”

“Exactly. That’s why I think it’s time to clean the power plant.”

“...You mean slimes?”

Slimes were monsters with a natural tendency to gather where magical energy was abundant.

Although weak enough for a Level 1 mage to handle, in large numbers, they could damage facilities.

“Yes. Due to a lack of manpower, the area around the power plant has likely become overrun with slimes. Clearing them out should stabilize the power supply.”

“That doesn’t sound too difficult. When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow morning at 9. Meet Veronica at the tower entrance.”

“…Veronica Fricks?”

Sending a Level 4 mage like her for a simple cleanup seemed excessive.

‘She’s probably being sent as a safeguard, just in case.’

While unlikely anything would happen during a slime cleanup, caution never hurt.

Oscar nodded.

“Understood.”

* * *

The next morning, a carriage awaited at the tower entrance, along with Veronica.

Oscar greeted her with a casual wave.

“Good morning.”

“…”

Dark circles under her eyes, she barely glanced at him before speaking.

“Before we leave, let me warn you. This isn’t a classroom.”

“Of course not. We’re heading to the power plant.”

“No, I mean… I’m in charge of this mission. While you may know a bit more about magic theory, I have far more field experience.”

‘Actually, I have far more of that too.’

But Oscar got her point.

“So, you’re saying not to play teacher outside the classroom?”

“Exactly.”

“Got it.”

Oscar shrugged and climbed into the carriage.

He had no intention of acting as a leader on this trivial errand.

“…”

Veronica followed, sitting across from him, donning an eye mask, and crossing her arms—a clear signal not to disturb her.

‘But I can’t let this chance slip by.’

The small Oscar had repeatedly described her as a mage with “extraordinary talent.”

Now was the perfect time to find out why.

“Ahem.”

Oscar broke the ice.

“You look exhausted. Didn’t sleep at all last night?”

“If I look it, shut up. I need to rest.”

“Someone with your field experience wouldn’t be nervous over something like this… So, was it a good novel?”

“…Do I look like a child?”

Veronica growled softly as Oscar smirked.

A mage’s sleeplessness was usually caused by one thing.

“So… Stuck on something magical? Want some help?”

“I told you. This isn’t a classroom.”

“Fair enough. Just thought it was a shame to leave an open path untouched.”

“…”

Her ears twitched at that.

In truth, Veronica had been feeling increasingly stuck lately.

‘It’s all because of that irritating guy’s lecture…’

The reason was none other than the burning, powerful gust she had witnessed during one of the lessons.

‘I need to master that kind of magic.’

But no matter how much she tried, her own magic lacked that intensity.

That’s why she had been training tirelessly, unable to sleep at night lately.

'…If you think about it, the reason I haven’t been sleeping is all because of him.'

So asking about the meaning of what he just said wasn’t seeking instruction but a rightful reward.

Veronica slid her eye patch up slightly, sending him a sullen glare.

“What do you mean?”

[Translator - Clara]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“What?”

“That thing you said earlier about going far around or whatever—what does it mean?”

“Oh, that?”

Oscar struggled to hold back his laughter.

It felt like a stray cat, who used to run away at the slightest approach, was cautiously inching closer first.

He waved the treat enthusiastically.

“If your magic has been blocked recently, it must be because of the nature of mana we discussed in the last lesson. Am I right?”

“...Yeah.”

Veronica nodded lightly and continued.

“I want wind that’s intense and scorching like Elder Maxim’s, but no matter how much I practice, I can’t seem to imbue the wind with that kind of nature.”

“That’s only natural. That kind of wind doesn’t suit you.”

“....Doesn’t suit me?”

Her brows furrowed.

“You’re saying that because you don’t know me. I’ve always wanted and used that kind of intense wind.”

“Sometimes, others’ perspectives are more accurate. For example, what kind of wind do you think I handle?”

“...Arrogant and annoying wind.”

At her words, Oscar chuckled heartily and shook his head.

“Wrong. Sorry, but my wind is famous for being incredibly warm and cozy.”

“Famous, my foot. I’ve never heard anyone say that.”

Well, maybe not now.

But back in the day, he used to hear it so often it became tiresome.

“Veronica, do you think you’re good at reading people?”

“Better than most people my age.”

“You’re not. From what I’ve observed, you tend to see only what you want to see in others.”

“...What are you, a psychologist? Stop with the nonsense and get to the point about magic.”

Before her mood soured further, Oscar gave her a clear answer.

“The nature of mana isn’t about finding what you want. It’s about discovering what’s most true to you.”

“Most true to me…?”

After that, Veronica fell into deep thought and didn’t speak again until the carriage arrived at their destination.

* * *

“We’ve arrived, mages”

The carriage stopped after a seven-hour journey.

Looking at Veronica’s heavy expression, Oscar asked cautiously.

“Still stuck on it? Want me to help?”

“Buzz off.”

At her cold reaction, Oscar gave a satisfied look.

If she had asked for help, he would have been disappointed.

Mages are solitary by nature.

It’s a profession where relying solely on others’ teachings will never lead to greatness.

'To truly master magic, one must think, experiment, fail, and succeed on their own.'

Seemingly more frustrated than when she got into the carriage, Veronica stuffed her hands in her pockets and spoke casually.

“Let’s just finish the job. I’ll think about it more after we’re done.”

As they approached the power plant, they found slimes swarming the area, particularly near the iron fence surrounding the exterior.

“Ugh, no wonder the mana keeps cutting out if the power plant is in this state.”

The slimes, which typically prefer dark and damp places, were wandering even in the blazing sunlight.

With a faint sigh, Veronica waved her hand as if shooing flies away.

'Wind Press.'

Boom! Crunch!

Compressed air flattened dozens of slimes like dough in an instant.

Witnessing the sight, Oscar let out a soft whistle of admiration.

'Wow… impressive.'

Now he understood why young Oscar held her in high regard.

'A speed-mage casting at hyper-speed. Quite the combination.'

Wind Press was an intermediate-level spell.

Even a level-five mage would need at least seven seconds of concentration to complete it.

That she cast it so quickly was thanks to the blessed talent of hyper-speed incantation.

'She could be trained as a spell shooter like Majiro.'

Majiro Wilson.

In his previous life, he was a mage known as the “Strategic Genius” of the White Tower.

His rapid-fire spell bombardments were so overwhelming that even high-ranking demons couldn’t approach him.

There were a few personal concerns he had, but for now, he decided to keep observing her.

At that moment, Veronica turned toward him with a scowl.

“Hey, am I the only one working here? Are you on vacation or something?”

“…Fine, I’ll take the right side.”

It took the two of them a full hour to deal with the sheer number of slimes underfoot.

After circling the power plant’s exterior, Veronica muttered.

“At least they’re mostly clustered near the entrance. The exterior cleanup should be enough. Let’s head inside.”

As they entered the power plant, dim red lights lined the hallway walls at regular intervals.

Of course, the slimes were crawling all over the corridors as well.

They clung not only to the floor but also to the walls and ceiling, making it feel like stepping into a whale’s insides.

“Ugh, disgusting.”

Wearing a grimace, Veronica swiftly cleared the path forward.

Then, suddenly, Oscar knelt on one knee and stared intently at a slime crawling toward him.

Watching him, Veronica asked.

“What are you doing?”

“…Something seems off.”

“Off? What’s off?”

“Slimes don’t usually move around this much. Once they’ve consumed enough mana, they usually find a dark, damp spot to sleep for days on end.”

Oscar looked up and asked her.

“You said earlier that the slimes were mostly gathered near the entrance, right?”

“…That’s what I said. Why?”

“Look at the path they’re taking.”

The slimes filling the hallway were all moving without exception—toward the entrance.

Oscar stared into the darkness beyond the corridor and murmured.

“They’re all heading for the entrance, as if they’re trying to get as far away from something as possible.”

“What nonsense. Slimes don’t have intelligence. They just live however they feel like.”

“Precisely because they lack intelligence, they’re even more driven by instinct. And the strongest instinct of all is the instinct for survival.”

“…So what? Are you saying there’s some terrifying monster beyond that hallway?”

“That’s what we’re about to find out.”

Rising to his feet, Oscar said,

“Let’s pick up the pace.”

“……Don’t order me around outside the classroom.”

Though she grumbled, Veronica sped up as well.

[Translator - Clara]

[Proofreader - Gun]