Bring Them Back Alive
[#How to Enter a Magic Tower: In principle, there is no system-based method of admission other than passing the Entrance Examination.
The Entrance Examination event occurs once every year in game time, so make sure to keep track of the schedule.
If you fail, either try again the following year or look into Magic Towers in other territories.]
"Now that I think about it, this truly is unreasonable."
Vermoor spoke in an unusually gloomy voice.
"I find it difficult to accept that my Fireball isn't considered magic, but let's set that aside. Isn't a School of Magic supposed to be a place where people go to learn magic? If they reject applicants for not knowing magic, where are aspiring Mages like me supposed to learn the Path of Magic?"
Sitting across from him, Kendon shook his head after heaving a sigh deep enough to shake the earth.
"That's just how the world works. Everyone wants people who are already skilled. Nobody wants to take in complete beginners and teach them from scratch. Unless you're a child hailed as a genius and admitted at an early age, that is. That's simply the way things are."
Neither of them had won their wager.
After all, they had both failed.
"Haa……."
Kendon let out another deep sigh and gulped down his beer. He had hoped the alcohol would ease his frustration, but it was not helping much.
Over the years, he had saved money by taking on all manner of odd jobs. Sometimes he had worked under others, sometimes he had performed grueling manual labor, and sometimes he had made a living as a mercenary, as he did now.
Unlike ordinary mercenaries who squandered their earnings on alcohol and gambling, Kendon had gritted his teeth and saved every coin.
After all, he had a lifelong ambition: magic.
Since he had no extravagant tastes and no family to support, he eventually accumulated enough money to live without worrying about his immediate expenses.
Only then had he begun studying in earnest.
He had studied whenever he could before that, but it had only been a few years since he had truly devoted his entire life to the pursuit.
There had been no other choice. For a poor commoner, obtaining an education was no simple matter.
He wanted to glimpse the profound depths of the Path of Magic, even if only once.
He could never forget the magic he had witnessed as a child.
Nor could he forget the benefactor and Master who had taught him three spells.
'Though I doubt that person considers me a disciple…….'
To that Mage, Kendon was probably nothing more than a passing acquaintance, one insignificant person among countless others encountered throughout life.
But to Kendon, that person was his one and only Master.
He had earned his livelihood using those three spells while devoting whatever time he could spare to his studies.
And for years, he had continued knocking on the doors of Magic Towers.
Yet the result had always been as cold and merciless as it was today.
"An unfortunate outcome. Still, this can't be the only Magic Tower in the world, can it? Surely there's somewhere willing to accept me."
Vermoor straightened his clothing as he spoke.
According to Hyunwoo's book, anyone who failed the examination should either try again the following year or seek admission to another Magic Tower.
The world was vast.
Surely there was a Magic Tower somewhere that would acknowledge his Fireball.
Or perhaps one that would teach him magic from the beginning.
"For now, I need work. I think I'll visit the Hunters' Guild today."
"The Hunters' Guild?"
"I have the skills and experience I gained in the Snowy Mountains. I should be able to earn enough to put food on the table."
"Suit yourself. Oh, right. If you still haven't given up on the Magic Tower, there's another way. You could take on commissions from the tower."
Commissions from the Magic Tower?
"Magic Towers are always short of materials. Rare catalysts, dangerous experimental specimens, things like that. Those materials are usually found in dangerous places, so rather than going themselves, Mages often hire capable people to fetch them."
Kendon explained everything he knew to Vermoor.
"If you intend to continue traveling the world, you'd be better off building 'credibility' than simply earning money. And I don't mean credibility that only matters within this territory, like the kind you'd earn from the Hunters' Guild. I mean something recognized elsewhere, such as the reputation you could establish with the Mercenary Guild or a Magic Tower. Since your goal is to follow the Path of Magic, it would be best to maintain good relations with the Magic Tower."
[#Priority List of Things to Do After Joining a School of Magic.
*Seventeenth, use the Magic Tower's credibility to seek out major Quests. The credibility granted by a Magic Tower is superior to that of an ordinary Mercenary Guild, especially if you have succeeded in becoming a disciple of the Head of the School…….]
Vermoor recalled something he had read in Hyunwoo's book at the examination grounds.
Although he had failed the Entrance Examination, that did not mean all the information written in the book was useless.
In particular, there was the section concerning credibility.
According to Hyunwoo, even if he did not become a disciple of the Head of the School, obtaining a status recognized and guaranteed by a Magic Tower would make his future endeavors much easier.
"Besides, Magic Tower commissions are dangerous and demanding, so the rewards are considerably better. They're excellent from a financial perspective as well. Of course, that assumes you have the necessary skills……."
Kendon stopped speaking and looked Vermoor up and down.
He remembered the 'Fireball' launched from Vermoor's left arm and the Goblins' heads bursting like watermelons.
"I suppose there's no need to discuss your skills. Forget what I said. Just go to the Magic Tower."
"I shall do that. Thank you for the valuable information."
"Wait, wait! Don't go immediately. Give it at least three days. Have you forgotten what day it is?"
"……They must still be busy sorting through the applicants."
The examination had not ended yet.
The commotion would continue for another three days.
"It'll take at least three days for things to settle down, so just sit quietly and have a drink today."
Kendon called over the tavern owner and ordered another beer.
The dark beer that arrived was placed in front of Vermoor.
"Just drink! To that damned Magic Tower!"
Clack.
Their wooden mugs collided.
Nobody took offense at the insult directed toward the Magic Tower.
The surrounding patrons merely shrugged with expressions of understanding.
There was not a single person in the city who did not know what day it was.
Everyone knew that the taverns would soon be filled with failed applicants drowning their sorrows in alcohol, tearful complaints, and drunken outbursts.
The only person smiling amid the chaos was the tavern owner, whose grin stretched from ear to ear at the thought of all the money pouring in.
Three days later, in the morning.
Vermoor left his lodging dressed quite differently from the previous day.
A heavy sword hung at his waist, while a belt fitted with a hand axe and several throwing knives was slung across his shoulder.
Over that, he wore sturdy leather clothing, and finally, he draped the Woolen Scarf he had previously received from an elderly woman over his shoulders.
He was no longer an aspiring Mage.
He was now a warrior devoted to Baldrus, the Warrior God.
Of course, not a single person had regarded him as anything other than a warrior in the first place…….
When he entered the Magic Tower's lobby, the expression of Elsie, the receptionist seated behind the information desk, immediately stiffened.
'A-A Barbarian!'
The rumors from three days earlier had already spread throughout the entire Magic Tower.
Everyone had heard about the monstrous Barbarian who had appeared at the examination grounds and the bizarre Fireball he had unleashed.
Fragments of the shattered iron dummies, the damaged wall, and the thoroughly ruined training grounds still remained behind the Magic Tower.
Workers had been coming and going since early morning to repair the damage, filling the tower with the constant noise of hammering and construction.
"Um, excuse me…… Have you come back because of the examination?"
Elsie was extremely nervous, fearing that the Barbarian might have returned to take revenge for failing.
One of her hands had already slipped beneath the desk, where she gripped the cord of an emergency bell used to summon the guards.
Her fingers tightened around it.
"No. I heard that one could accept commissions from the Magic Tower, so I came to inquire."
"Oh!"
Elsie's grip loosened at his entirely unexpected answer.
However, she was not ready to relax completely.
Carefully observing Vermoor, she took out a document.
"To undertake commissions, we'll need some basic information. Have you ever worked with the Mercenary Guild or any other guild?"
"No. I lived in the Snowy Mountains, hunting beasts."
Elsie tilted her head in puzzlement.
"In that case, most people would visit the Hunters' Guild first. May I ask why you've chosen to come to our Magic Tower instead?"
"An acquaintance explained the importance of building credibility. I intend to travel throughout the continent, and he told me that the credibility offered by the Magic Tower would be helpful."
"Oh, you have a very knowledgeable acquaintance! Just as that person said, building credibility with the Magic Tower will be tremendously helpful when visiting other territories. In many cases, a single seal from our tower carries more weight than an ordinary mercenary badge."
Elsie's eyes widened briefly before her expression softened into a gentle smile.
Vermoor's explanation was coherent and reasonable.
He was not shouting or trying to intimidate her, either.
Perhaps she could afford to lower her guard a little.
"However…… Since you haven't established any credibility yet, there aren't many commissions you can accept right away."
"I understand."
"The most common commissions offered by the Magic Tower involve collecting materials. Things like flowers that only grow in dangerous regions or blood from dangerous monsters. But you generally need to establish a certain level of credibility before you can accept those."
Most materials required by Magic Towers were rare and delicate.
There had been plenty of cases where people learned the locations of valuable materials and simply disappeared with the information.
As a result, the Magic Tower had come to place considerable importance on credibility.
And even when contractors did not run away, other problems frequently arose.
Those delicate materials were exactly the sort of things rough mercenaries tended to damage through careless handling.
Whenever that happened, arguments would break out between the Magic Tower, which refused to pay for ruined materials, and the mercenaries, who would cause a scene.
In fact, the emergency bell cord Elsie had been gripping earlier had been installed for precisely that reason.
'Especially someone like him…….'
In Elsie's eyes, Vermoor looked like the sort of man who would be particularly rough with his hands.
If she entrusted such a man with gathering delicate medicinal herbs, she was certain he would return with both the leaves and roots reduced to tattered scraps.
Of course, she had no way of knowing that Vermoor had spent more than five years caring for Hyunwoo in the Snowy Mountains, collecting all manner of medicinal herbs and feeding them to him.
"For first-time visitors, I'd recommend these."
"Wanted posters?"
Elsie dropped a thick stack of wanted posters onto the desk.
The yellowed parchment gave off the sharp smell of ink and sent little clouds of dust into the air.
"These are people the Magic Tower has placed bounties on. If you capture any of them and bring them in, we'll pay the reward listed on the poster. You're welcome to take them."
"Are all these people enemies of the Magic Tower? There are quite a few."
"Hehe, there are rather a lot, aren't there?"
Elsie glanced around before lowering her voice.
"Just between us, the Mages of the Magic Tower aren't all exactly innocent people. Many of them will stop at nothing in their pursuit of truth…… To tell you the truth, about half the bounties on these posters were issued because of personal grudges."
Indeed, after examining a few of the posters, Vermoor found that many of the listed offenses were the sort that would make Mages furious.
Some were relatively straightforward, such as stealing magical materials or equipment.
Others involved impersonators and murderers.
There were traitors who had fled with research materials, and even individuals who had attempted terrorist attacks against the Magic Tower.
"I don't know how many of them are still in the territory, but if you find any, bring them in! You'll be paid handsomely for every capture."
"Are these bounties also posted at the Mercenary Guild?"
"Yes. The reward goes to whoever catches them first."
Vermoor gathered the stack of wanted posters and rose from his seat.
"Understood. My first commission is to hunt people. Consider it accepted."
Hearing the words 'hunt people' come from the mouth of a Barbarian sent a chill down Elsie's spine, and she hurriedly added something.
"Um, it would be better if you brought them back alive, if possible. You can earn a higher reward that way, too……."
"Understood."
Vermoor gave a short reply as he headed toward the door.
"I'll bring them back alive."
For some reason, Elsie found herself feeling a little sorry for the vicious criminals depicted on the wanted posters.
Of course, they had committed crimes, so they deserved to be punished, but…….