TM-Chapter 24

Professor, Let’s Make Up

An incident that would keep the first floor lobby of the Magic University noisy for the next few weeks erupted.

The notoriously eccentric Professor Meldini had gotten into a confrontation with the hot topic freshman!

The incident unfolded as follows.

When the freshman came to school to submit a party formation report, the professor suddenly grabbed the student’s wrist and shouted,

‘Stop right there! Are you a possessor? You just performed three new magic book bindings using possessor knowledge, didn’t you? Do you think I’m some pushover, you bastard?’

Ah.

He had taken the bait.

Checking his hourglass faster than his hands, faster than his eyes, the student retorted.

‘Do you really have to see blood? Fine. I’ll stake my free citizen status and my life on the fact that I’m not a possessor. If you’re scared, then go die!’

The so-called ‘Mel-gwi of Soren’, inheriting the lineage of Gyeongsang Province’s jjak-gwi and Jeolla Province’s a-gwi, turned red and blue in the face.

‘Bind them both!’

After binding both with lie prevention magic.

With all professors and students present as witnesses.

Now, let’s begin the verification!

Jjararan, jjararan, kung-jjak, kung-jjak.

When the cards were revealed, what?

He’s a freeman? He’s a freeman!

Pffft.

Crazy jokes kept popping into my head.

Meldini…

If you’re not certain, don’t make the bet. Didn’t you learn that?

[Campus Emergency Magic Treatment Room]

I was now lying in a hospital room in what is now called infirmary. It’s a place where emergency treatment and recovery happen when some accident occurs during magic experiments.

If the injury were serious, I’d be transferred to a temple, but for someone like me, I’d recover just by lying down and taking a nap.

“Caleb.”

When the rash was subsiding, Professor Isilof entered.

Professor Isilof, who had suddenly encountered a mega-scale incident while heading out for a meal, looked drained as if he had aged several years in an instant.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes. The magic seems to have worn off now.”

My tongue sensation had fully returned.

“Phew. I was really surprised.”

“I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“The professors and teaching assistants outside are all in an uproar. Saying that guy is really no ordinary troublemaker. Even against a professor like Meldini, he fought back so fiercely? Even graduate students are afraid of Professor Meldini. His temperament really reminds me of myself when I was young.”

“It’s too late to regret taking me as a club member now. You can’t kick me out.”

“Haha.”

Isilof burst into laughter and patted my forehead.

“Why would I do that? A wizard should have the courage to stand up to superiors to protect their self-respect. I like it even more.”

When we first met, he maintained polite distance and used formal speech with me, but now Isilof had completely dropped the formalities. As if he had established me as both his club member and disciple. Actually, I’m more comfortable this way too.

“To be honest, I also initially suspected that you might be a possessor.”

As expected.

Just how dangerous an aggro was I in?

“But to think there’s no risk of even being disliked by other professors, from my perspective it’s like finding a diamond in the rough.”

Thank you, Professor.

From now on, I’ll hold you up like a nuclear umbrella and work diligently underneath.

“What about Professor Meldini?”

“He skipped his meal and holed himself up in his research lab.”

“……”

“His personality is a bit eccentric, but he’s a professor respected among skilled wizards. I respect him too.”

Isilof said.

“He’ll probably come to apologize today. And he’ll definitely provide proper compensation to you.”

I thought for a moment and then answered.

“I’d like to apologize to Professor Meldini too.”

***

I hit him so hard I knocked him flying, so now it’s handshake time.

And I’m the type to extend my hand first in situations like this.

Meldini would probably become my ally if I could just act well enough to convince him I’m not a possessor. It’s better to resolve this quickly.

Besides, I actually feel a bit guilty about it.

Because if I were in Meldini’s position, I probably would have been searching for possessors with fire in my eyes too.

Though I wouldn’t massacre them carelessly.

Knock knock knock!

I found Professor Meldini’s room and knocked on the door.

There was no response from inside, but.

“Professor, it’s me, Caleb.”

When I identified myself first, I could feel movement inside. There was a crash sound of something falling.

I don’t have Sound Mapping, but I somehow get a clear sense of the flustered scrambling going on inside.

Click.

The professor’s office door slowly opened.

That expression on the Halfling professor’s face – I’ve seen it somewhere before. Where was it?

Hmm.

The expression on Yernil’s face when Instructor Jacob performed a sword dance with scale weights.

That expression when the 5-gold sentence was handed down.

“Come in.”

Meldini’s voice as he let me inside was heavy with melancholy.

“Professor.”

After sitting across from the professor on the sofa, I apologized as politely and seriously as possible.

“I’m sorry.”

“What…?”

This apology was apparently very unexpected, as the professor’s shoulders flinched.

“I got too excited and acted rudely. I could have just explained nicely that it wasn’t true, but I sincerely apologize for being disrespectful.”

“……”

“I think old memories came back and I couldn’t control my emotions. Please don’t be upset.”

Having been deprived of even the chance to apologize first, Meldini suddenly choked up and hung his head low.

“You…”

The professor let out a small sigh.

“You make me ashamed, Caleb.”

And Meldini also sincerely apologized to me.

“I’m truly sorry. Even knowing what you went through in Windham, I acted carelessly.”

“……”

“I sincerely apologize. I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

His face clearly showed the emotion of being truly sorry and not knowing what to do.

“I won’t avoid responsibility and will definitely pay the price. I have something to give you. Wait just a moment.”

Good. That’s how it should be.

People who are straightforward and fiery like this are usually one of two types.

The old-fashioned type who can never admit their own mistakes.

Or the type who takes responsibility even for their subordinates’ mistakes with gusto.

I thought Meldini would be the latter, and I was right.

‘What will he give me?’

While I waited with my heart pounding, Meldini took out a small compass from his drawer.

‘Huh?’

That design is something I know.

Wait a minute.

“Compass of Greed.”

He’s giving me that?

“It’s one of the legendary-grade magic tools I possess.”

In the game, items appear in four grades: common, magic, treasure, and legendary.

According to the setting, the Magic University appraises items – if they have no abilities they’re common, if they have special abilities they’re magic, if those abilities are exceptionally powerful they’re treasure.

So what are legendary-grade items?

Items among treasures that are judged to have more abilities that haven’t been identified yet.

But what abilities, nobody knows.

Legendary-grade items are objects that exceed the Magic University’s appraisal capabilities.

“It’s a compass that finds treasure chests in labyrinths.”

That was the compass’s first-stage ability.

“But this compass probably has other abilities. Maybe someday you’ll be able to draw out that power.”

“……”

Ah.

Shit, isn’t this a trap too?

In the original game, you can’t get something like this until well past the mid-game at the earliest.

The reward is getting too big, making me feel burdened instead. I was thinking of receiving something moderate like an accessory with a few Wisdom points.

No matter how much he made a mistake, could a professor really just hurl a legendary magic tool at a student? He probably doesn’t have many of those either, right? To just give such a treasure away because he’s sorry?

“Caleb.”

But looking at it now, that wasn’t the reason.

“This compass is something I really want to give to you.”

This isn’t compensation for his mistake. Meldini is now…

“Because you’re going to become the Magic University’s greatest wizard.”

Starting to have some strange fantasy about me!

He originally despises possessors and loves good native wizards.

In his mind, there are only two types of wizards.

Type 1: Possessor wizards who deserve to be killed.

Type 2: Good wizards who aren’t possessors.

Now that I’ve made a U-turn from a rampaging Type 1 to an awesome genius Type 2.

“My expectations for you are tremendous!”

Meldini had transformed into my extreme supporter.

“Due to the labyrinth eruption 12 years ago, the Magic University is experiencing an unprecedented period of stagnation. We’re too short on wizard personnel and the faculty is too old. But now! I can be certain. You will become the Magic University’s new beacon!”

Wait a minute…

“When I heard from our teaching assistants about everything you did when you first entered the labyrinth, one thing particularly stuck in my memory. It was what happened in the Venomic Spider exit room.”

The professor said.

“Along with gold coins worth 10,000 gold, you had the opportunity to immediately escape the labyrinth, become a free citizen, and transfer to a higher-tier party. You kicked all that away and stayed by the side of a colleague you’d known for barely a day? That’s not an easy decision to make!”

It was certainly difficult back then too.

“That shows considerable character. Now I understand what that dwarf adventurer must have felt then. After such an incident occurred, you came directly to me and apologized first instead? You lack nothing in character to become a first-class wizard! This is exactly the caliber and leadership of a first-class wizard!”

“……”

“I’ll give you my full support from now on. More than what Professor Isilof gives you! Even though you’re not in my club, it doesn’t matter! As long as we can protect the Magic University and Soren city from possessors and the labyrinth eruptions they cause, you’re all on my side!”

Saliva flew from the excited Halfling professor’s mouth.

“So take that compass! It’s something I only occasionally lent to our teaching assistants, but with you I don’t mind giving it away! I hope you’ll gradually find treasures with it and grow into a powerful wizard! I’ll be watching, Caleb!”

“Th-thank you…”

It’s a bit burdensome, but I can tell it’s sincere anyway.

As I received the compass and was saying goodbye, the professor followed me out showering me with encouragement.

“If you have any difficulties in the future, let me know!”

“Yes…”

“If anyone bothers you, let me know!”

“……”

“If you need help with magic research or training, let me know!”

Stop it! It’s overwhelming!

***

The Mel-gwi didn’t give up his wrist, but instead gave me an awesome legendary tool.

Of course, this also unlocks abilities in stages, so it won’t be very efficient right away.

‘Anyway, it was better than expected.’

Now shall we move on to today’s last activity?

If you walk about 1 kilometer south from the Adventurer’s Guild in the labyrinth city of Soren, pass the bank, and turn into the alley next to the restaurant district, houses are lined up closely together.

He lives in one of those places.

The unfortunate monk party leader whose party had lost two members to death and one became an exit boss, forcing him to tearfully disband the party.

Aimus Lenik.

The man who would soon celebrate his 46th birthday received a rather absurd proposal.

From me.

“Let’s live together!”

“Live together… You mean? Starting today?”

“Yes. Is that okay?”

I asked while glancing at his wife who was listening to our conversation from behind Lenik’s shoulder.

“We’ll match our skill combinations, plan strategies. Have a drink, see if we snore when we sleep. We’ll have to camp together anyway when we enter the labyrinth, right? Let’s get our teamwork in sync beforehand.”

Of course, normally you don’t practice sleeping together in advance.

But I need to.

Brother monk!

I need to see your stats!

Based on my experience when Yernil fell asleep in the slave quarters and I fell asleep in the library, if we’re too far apart, I can’t see the status window.

It probably gets treated as the party being disbanded.

So I absolutely have to take the monk today. That way I can plan strategies based on that starting tomorrow.

“Let’s live together for just today at least.”

“Hmm.”

The monk hesitated while watching his wife’s expression, and she asked.

“Do you really need to go that far? You’re saying you’ll take this person and sleep out together?”

Wait a minute, ma’am.

If you put it that way, it sounds like I’m some young man who came asking to take your daughter on an anniversary trip.

“To be honest… I thought my husband would be rejected when he applied to that party. I don’t know much about it, but it was recruiting for some really famous wizard, right?”

“That wizard is me.”

“Oh… Really?”

Her expression looked very dubious. Right. I understand. After always seeing a dependable bear-like monk, it’s hard to believe when looking at a dried-up anchovy of a kid.

“We’ll just live together for one day, have a light party formation party, and I’ll send him back nicely tomorrow morning. I promise.”

“……”

Lenik’s wife thought for a moment and asked.

“Are there women there too?”

“There… Are, but don’t worry. We’ll sleep in separate rooms.”

Nobody’s interested in a 46-year-old muscle-bound monk (married, with two sons and a daughter) whose hair is falling out and whose beard is growing scraggly, except for you.

“And there’s one undead too.”

“Undead?”

Her expression fell into even more anxiety and confusion.

“What kind of party did you get into…”

Even I think our party is a bit strange.