Unexpected

"I'm sorry, could you give me a little more time?"

Upon hearing Will call his name, Silverleaf spoke with a nervous expression.

In truth, his current position was the best possible one for Silverleaf.

The underachievers had nearly finished their interviews, and the top students had yet to begin; as the student scheduled in this exact slot, Silverleaf was destined to be the most dazzling performer of the entire interview process, regardless of the outcome.

And wouldn't Silverleaf's brilliant performance make the top students who followed and the underachievers who preceded him seem "mediocre" by comparison?

Since Silverleaf had realized this, he had no interest in proceeding.

After all, he was a Succubus!

Silverleaf knew well that no matter how outstanding he was as a "Succubus-blooded" individual, in the eyes of "humans," he was merely a commodity.

He could only survive by blending into the human collective, becoming a member of the group; only when his group was respected would he be respected in turn.

The Magic Academy of the City of Academies was the "group" Silverleaf belonged to, and he was the Chief Student of this group.

Silverleaf would never allow others to look down on his classmates or treat them like chess pieces.

However, lacking sufficient intelligence, Silverleaf did not know Will's true objective.

In any case, he would start by disrupting the opponent's chessboard and see what happened.

Silverleaf lowered his eyes, hiding his small schemes behind long lashes, and allowed his face to show only the nervous incompetence of a bluffing top student facing a real problem.

"I feel like it would be better if I made some revisions. Could you give me a moment?"

"But everyone has the same amount of time..." Will tried to refuse.

"Please, Mr. Angell."

Silverleaf bypassed Will entirely and appealed directly to Angell.

Based on Silverleaf's observations, this Black Robe seemed unexpectedly easy to talk to.

Angell nodded as expected: "You may."

"But Silverleaf is already the most outstanding child of this year; it isn't very fair to the other students!" Will added, seemingly unintentionally, to stir up resentment against Silverleaf, before continuing to call out: "￥#&￥#·&%%#%#."

He rattled off a long, difficult-to-pronounce, and seemingly noble-sounding name.

Silverleaf froze.

Then he saw Jack stand up with a blank expression.

Right, that was Jack's real name. As a noble, that guy had a very troublesome legal name, but because it was too hard to pronounce—and because the Black Goat they had kept at school as an experimental subject had finally died—everyone had taken to calling Jack, who also had horns, by that Black Goat's name.

Still, how could things turn out like this?

The troublesome part was that, judging by the ranking, Will had truly been prepared from the very start!

After he, the Chief Student, had declined, Will had immediately thrown out the worst student at the bottom of the list, ensuring that no matter how the subsequent students performed, people would feel that this year's batch was a total failure.

Silverleaf closed his eyes in regret.

He held no hope for Jack's interview results.

Because that Jack had handed in blank papers for three whole years! He hadn't written a single word on any exam!

Silverleaf felt embarrassed for Jack just thinking about the blank slate that was about to appear.

He didn't understand how Jack could have the thick skin to keep staying at the school.

However, the questioning Silverleaf imagined Angell would give upon seeing a blank paper never came. Instead, half a minute later, a collective gasp echoed through the room, as if everyone had seen something inconceivable.

"You created this?" Silverleaf heard Angell ask.

"...Yes," Jack replied dully.

Created?

What had Jack created?

Silverleaf couldn't help but open his eyes, and then he gasped.

A miracle!

That Jack hadn't handed in a blank paper!

But this thing was even worse than a blank paper, wasn't it?!

Silverleaf stared at the Game Table in shock.

It wasn't a Magic Wolf, nor was it any other animal; it couldn't even be called a physical object. It was just a mass of black—though calling it purely black wasn't quite right, because this mass of black was tinged with green, red, yellow, blue, and Purple. In short, it was impossible to describe. Looking at it for too long made one feel dizzy, making one want to give up on thinking entirely.

How on earth did he write a Rune into this kind of form?!

Angell also found it incredible: "This child seems like he could be cultivated into a Special Effects Artist."

"Huh?" Will blinked, looking at Angell in disbelief. "You want this kind of thing too?"

"What do you mean by 'this kind of thing'?" Angell frowned.

He took Jack's hand and raised it: "This is the talent I've been looking for!"

"Ah..." Will and Owen both wore expressions that were hard to describe.

"Master, I believe everyone wants to know your recruitment criteria," Mithril stepped forward as a representative, though it was actually just satisfying its own curiosity, as it didn't understand why Angell wanted to recruit such things. "Isn't it true that only children who copy the runes correctly can be admitted?"

"Oh, there's an exception."

Angell looked at the whiteboard he had filled with runes. "Actually, I incorporated an Appraise spell into the first paragraph of the runes. The phantom images formed by the runes written by each person have subtle differences, revealing certain personal traits. Those with more interesting personal traits are my recruitment targets."

...What is an interesting magical trait? Do you think you're collecting toys?

Everyone's expressions became even more indescribable.

However, because Angell said this, the previously tense atmosphere relaxed somewhat. The boys were more or less optimistic; they didn't think the runes they wrote were uninteresting. Even if they failed in other areas, perhaps there was some aspect that would catch Angell's eye?

After all, even Jack could be chosen!

The Horned Boy, however, stared blankly at the hand Angell was holding.

It was as if he had only just understood what Angell had said, and he asked slowly, "...You will give me food to eat...?"

"You can eat until you're full," Angell said.

Jack seemed to freeze there, and it wasn't until three minutes later that he offered Angell a smile so faint it was almost non-existent.

But because Jack's facial reaction was so severely delayed, almost no one noticed it.

The interviews proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Those after Jack were all top students rated as A-level by Branch President Hume. However, just as Silverleaf had worried, under the impact of that indescribable object Jack had produced, they didn't seem much different from the previous students.

After all, having learned the rune major diligently, the best they could do was complete the third paragraph of runes perfectly.

By the time they reached the fourth paragraph where they had to write their own "poetry," it required accumulation, so the later students were slightly better than the earlier ones. The Magic Wolf didn't appear lame or fail to perform the intended actions, but it didn't have any distinctive features either.

In short, it lacked impact.

Finally, it was the turn of Silverleaf, who had saved himself for last.

He was indeed the most outstanding.

When his Rune Board was inserted into the Game Table, the phantom that appeared was no longer a round, silly wolf, but a majestic giant wolf with fur like silver needles.

After it appeared, it tilted its head and let out a roar, making the surrounding onlookers instinctively want to step back.

"Why is it a complete wolf?" someone asked in horror.

"Because there were three errors in the fifth paragraph of the runes," Silverleaf replied with the calm and confidence of a student answering a teacher's question. "As long as those three places are corrected, the size and shape of the phantom will adjust to its current state."

After saying this, he glanced at Angell.

But Angell did not show a look of approval like his teachers; he only nodded. "Continue."

"Very well." Silverleaf pressed the Keyboard.

Naturally, Silverleaf did not suffer from the lack of Mana that Enlise had experienced.

"Forward."

The White Wolf marched forward majestically.

"Backward."

The White Wolf retreated cautiously.

"Jump."

The White Wolf lunged forward ferociously.

"Dodge."

The White Wolf rolled nimbly and dodged to the side.

"Ultimate Skill."

The White Wolf let out a roar of Wrath, and white light shone from its entire body. It opened its mouth, and the blinding light swallowed everything.

When the white light faded, the boys couldn't help but applaud:

"That's amazing!"

"As expected of the Chief Student!"

"It's hard to imagine we were copying the same paragraph of runes."

This gap in strength made all the students overlook the fact that Silverleaf had deliberately delayed the timing just now, because everyone knew full well that even if they delayed the timing, they couldn't achieve this level, so they could only be convinced.

Silverleaf, however, was used to the sycophancy of his peers. He looked at his future boss again.

Angell still had a deadpan expression. "That's about it!"

Tsk, how is it that his reaction is even worse than when he saw that indescribable thing of Jack's?

Silverleaf felt somewhat resentful inside.

But he didn't show this resentment, only revealing a perfect smile. He nodded at Angell and turned to return to his classmates.

He heard Angell say to Mithril, "Help me make a note: this one's base salary is set at three Gold Coins per month."

Silverleaf's body froze.

"Care to explain?" Mithril asked.

"Test results." Angell looked at the whiteboard again. "Five levels of runes. Those who perfectly interpreted the prompt and completed four or more levels will be listed in the Development Team, with a base salary starting at three Gold Coins, plus bonuses and other benefits. Those who completed three levels, while starting at the same base salary of one Gold Coin, are also Development Team members, with future raises considered based on three months of performance. Those who completed two levels are regular members; they can only enter the Development Team after demonstrating excellence later on. Finally, those who only completed one level will have roughly a three-month internship period without bonuses. If they can complete two levels by the end of the internship, they can become official employees... As for those who couldn't even complete one, I am truly sorry, but we have no need for employees who cannot perform the work."

Angell's words had not yet finished before the youths began to stir.

"Does that mean I've been hired?!"

"I finished the third level, so am I a member of that Development Team thing?"

"I only got the second level... Damn it, I was so close."

"Is Silverleaf the only one who finished four or more?"

They discussed it excitedly, completely forgetting that they had been unwilling to join this Workshop in the first place, filled only with the joy of passing the assessment.

Angell finally curled the corners of his mouth slightly:

"The educational quality of the City of Academies is quite good; there wasn't a single person who couldn't complete even one level of runes!"

No, there was one!

Right next to you!

Everyone looked at Jack, who was standing beside Angell.

However, at this moment, no one really wanted to complain about it. After all, Angell's salary and benefits were relatively fair, and everyone had no objections. Even those with only intern status were just thinking about how to improve themselves to become full-time.

Even Silverleaf revealed a genuine smile.

He no longer cared that Angell had praised Jack while seemingly ignoring his own performance.

—Compared to what the boss says, is there any praise in this world higher than a real, hard-earned salary?!

If there were, it would definitely be an even higher salary!

*

Angell certainly wasn't just paying lip service.

In his heart, he was actually more anxious about the onboarding process than these youths.

So, after the interviews concluded that night, Angell signed contracts with all the students in triplicate: one to keep, one for the individual, and the final one for Will to take back and report to the Magic Association.

The graduates who had become employees naturally didn't need to leave with Will; they happily followed the Receptionist Cat back to the dormitory.

Angell saw Will and Owen to the door.

At this time, Magic Gear was about to close. Guests were leaving the workshop in twos and threes. The Light Magic, a remnant of the Magic Era, gently enveloped the interior of the workshop. That light, indistinguishable from natural daylight, formed a clear contrast with the dim, yellowish Gas Street Lamps on the street outside.

Seeing this, Will wore a complicated expression. Not knowing what he was thinking, he suddenly sighed, "As expected, the light of magic is still brighter!"

"Only temporarily. Technology will catch up to magic one day," Angell said.

Will looked at Angell in surprise; he hadn't expected Angell to speak up for technology.

"...Does Mr. Angell also believe that technology is superior to magic?" Owen's gaze turned sharp.

"The world isn't a diode; it's not one or the other," Angell said.

Technology had indeed developed very interesting Electronic Games, but magic could easily create Holographic Projections.

Angell wouldn't be foolish enough to choose only one.

A mature adult should say, "I want both!"

But Owen and Will didn't know Angell's thoughts.

They looked at Angell in confusion, not even understanding what a "diode" was.

However, looking at the street lamps, Angell felt a bit emotional: "But if it continues to develop like this, no matter how bright Magic Lamps are, no one will be able to afford them."

Because Magic Lamps were, after all, "magic," requiring Mana to be lit.

Compared to Electric Lamps, which could be turned on by simply pressing a button without knowing the underlying principles, it was still too troublesome.

Before long, when the Incandescent Lamp was invented, wouldn't those nobles throw away the last Magic Lamps in their mansions and replace them with Electric Lamps?

Compared to universality, functionality actually ranked second.

The magic of this world was stepping toward decline, bit by bit, in just this way.

"That might not be a bad thing!" Will muttered in a voice that neither Owen nor Angell could hear.

*

After leaving Magic Gear, Assistant Will returned to his residence alone.

Although he still carried the employment contracts signed between the students and Magic Gear, there was no rush to file them.

After all, the Magic Association was considered a public institution, and association employees were half-civil servants. Even if an assistant (secretary) sometimes had to work overtime for their superiors, the work wasn't as stressful as that of a Corporate Slave.

Now that he had completed the commission from Branch President Hume, Will could easily go home, take a hot bath, have a comfortable sleep, rest for two or three days, and then go to the association to report.

The reason Will had urged Angell to finish the interviews today was because others were in a hurry.

Will opened the door to his residence; the room was pitch black.

Will fumbled to turn on the light.

He didn't know when the era Angell spoke of—where technology surpassed magic—would arrive. As far as the present was concerned, magic was actually more convenient than technology, but unfortunately, Will couldn't afford it.

Will had once calculated that for a household's living expenses—such as water supply, lighting, washing, and cooking—the cost would be around 5 silver if one used gas and water. Any family with normal laborers could afford this. However, if one were to switch to using mana, even excluding the expenses for magic items, the amount of mana consumed would require the output of a Novice Mage just to keep up.

Graduates from the Magic Academy of the City of Academies were considered one in a thousand, yet they were merely Magic Apprentices.

As a Magic Apprentice who had graduated from the Magic Academy of the City of Academies, Will naturally could not sustain such an expensive magical lifestyle, so he honestly rented a terraced house equipped with gas and steam pipes.

The rent for this house was twenty-six silver per week. It had five rooms and three halls, and with a hourly worker coming over to clean and prepare dinner, it was considered quite respectable.

But he was only able to afford such a house after joining the Magic Association; if he had gone to the Mage Tower instead...

Will's movements paused for a moment.

He did not turn on the lights, as he noticed another breathing sound in the darkness. Upon closer inspection, a black shadow was sitting on the sofa next to the coffee table in his living room, seemingly watching him.

An ordinary person might have been quite terrified, if not panicked, upon encountering such a scene.

But Will seemed quite accustomed to it.

His movements faltered, then he offered the black shadow his usual kind and gentle smile:

"...You've come?"

The black shadow asked in a gloomy, heavy voice, "Back from the City of Academies?"

Will nodded and said, "Yes, just as you predicted. The new owner of Magic Gear sought out the Magic Association after taking over the workshop."

Indeed, Angell's actions were within the "expectations" of certain people.

This was not the first time Will, as an assistant, had dealt with matters related to Magic Gear.

Theoretically, the Magic Association was supposed to provide a certain level of protection to magic goods and magic factories within its jurisdiction. However, many within the association had been swayed by outside influence, defining the closure of magic shops as "purely commercial activity" and gradually rescinding this protection.

As the largest alchemy workshop in the Magic Capital, Magic Gear had naturally been coveted by many.

To completely strip it of the Magic Association's protection, some had spent a full decade working toward this goal (though the workshop master's own incompetence was also a factor). It had reached the point where even people like Mayor Owen and Branch President Hume had given up on paying attention to this alchemy workshop, having no thoughts on its eventual closure.

They had nearly succeeded; this year, Magic Gear had almost become easy pickings for others.

No one had expected Angell to drop from the sky.

The "masterminds" behind the scenes had worked hard for over a decade, so they were naturally not about to let go easily. They were restless, brewing a new round of acquisition plans.

However, no one believed Angell could bring Magic Gear back from the dead. On the other hand, Angell's status as an "Intermediate Mage" was a significant obstacle. After all, the Magic Association could not ignore the employment of even Magic Apprentices, let alone a genuine mage like Angell. As long as Angell revealed his identity and sought help from the Magic Association and the Mage Tower, the magical community, out of respect for Magic Gear's past history, really could not ignore him.

It was because of this that Will had been approached by the person before him.

The other party had told him to "act according to the situation" when Angell came knocking.

But Angell's actions had deviated somewhat from everyone's expectations.

"That black-robed man did not request rescue from the Magic Association. Instead, he requested to hire Rune Apprentices. At the time, Branch President Hume was worried about the graduates, so he urgently ordered me to go to the City of Academies. I had no choice but to leave a message in a hurry," Will reported, trying hard to peer through the pitch-black darkness to gauge the other's emotional reaction. "However, I never received any instructions from you."

"Gaha! What instructions were needed!" The black shadow let out a hoarse, grating laugh like a crow upon hearing this. "That black robe is quite clever! He realized that asking for help directly wouldn't work, so he simply used the students as a gimmick to scam subsidies? He can even sell a favor to the old man."

Just as students in magic majors received subsidies for their tuition, Mage Towers also received subsidies for accepting these students. Therefore, some Mage Towers short on funds would agree to the Magic Association's requests to recruit Magic Apprentices; Silverleaf was originally going to be assigned to such a place.

"But an alchemy workshop is not a Mage Tower. Whether it falls under the subsidy scope is very subtle. Even if Hume wanted to show favoritism, getting that money wouldn't be so easy!" The black shadow sneered.

...I don't think he's scamming subsidies.

Compared to the subsidies, the treatment he gave those students was far too good; it already exceeded the amount the subsidies would provide.

Will frowned.

He spoke hesitantly, "Is it really okay... I saw that business at Magic Gear seems very good."

"Selling at a loss to drum up interest," the black shadow said dismissively.

He had clearly been to Magic Gear as well.

"The current test-period trials are practically free, which is why so many people go to play. But in reality, how many can afford it? And of those who can afford it, how many are willing to spend the money? Probably only the Little Crown Princess of the Roy Family would be willing to be such a sucker!"

Will had originally thought the same.

Although the game table was somewhat interesting, the cost was high!

Not to mention the wages of those Rune Apprentices tonight, for such a large alchemy workshop, the lighting costs alone required a significant amount of money (mana). Moreover, there were the mana-consuming leaderboard projection screens in the workshop, and even the game tables themselves. The mana consumed daily was clearly not a simple number; it probably couldn't be earned back with a few drinks, right? Even if that black-robed man was an Intermediate Mage, he couldn't possibly supply such a massive amount of mana all by himself!

Even Branch President Hume did not look favorably upon the future of this workshop.

However, after last night's "interview," Will had a bad premonition. He felt that Magic Gear might not close down as smoothly this time.

"What if! What if that game table becomes a big hit?" Will couldn't help but ask. "After all, besides the Young Lady of the Roy Family, I saw the Eldest Young Master of the Friedrich Family there too." His name was even hanging at the top of the leaderboard.

"That good-for-nothing," the black shadow sneered, but did not answer, only asking strangely, "Why are you more anxious about the closure of Magic Gear than we are?"

"...I just feel that things that should perish are better off perishing quickly," Will said.

"Gahahahaha, things that should perish, you say? Hahahaha!"

The black shadow laughed with a hoarse, grating voice, as if he had heard a very ridiculous joke.

But that was what Will believed.

Will believed that the extinction of magic was as it should be.

He held no hatred for magic; if anything, becoming the respectable person he was today was thanks to magic.

If he hadn't had magical talent, hadn't entered the City of Academies, and hadn't been favored by Branch President Hume, he certainly wouldn't have such a stable job now, nor would he be living such a respectable life.

But because of this, he noticed how cruel a world with only magic was.

Magic talent determined everything!

Archmages stood high above, official mages possessed aristocratic privileges, and mortals without talent could only struggle bitterly.

Even though the times had changed, the Magic Association could still scrape together vast sums of money to forcibly maintain the dignity of magic; the mages they cultivated had no practical use, yet they never considered whether such high-cost Mana was worth wasting in this way.

Conversely, industry brought about cheaper living costs and changed the way the public lived.

Therefore, even though Will felt he was being ungrateful, he hoped even more that magic would just wither away.

As for something like Magic Gear, which existed merely to produce toys, it surely had no value in being revived, right?!

A dignified mid-level Black Robe—why couldn't he do something more contributory?!

It was clear he could distinguish between a pearl and a fish eye, yet in the end, he still threw them into the pot, making them do useless work.

That was what Will believed.

The Black Shadow, however, clearly didn't take Will's words to heart, nor was he prepared to tell Will anything useful.

"You're right, Magic Gear is destined to perish, so don't worry about any revival!" He figured this conversation was about over. "In any case, you just stay responsible for keeping an eye on Hume. If he prepares to do anything unnecessary, find a way to stop him and tell us. There's no need to dirty your hands for now."

For now... is it?

Will said urgently, "Wait a moment, I haven't finished yet!"

"?"

"On the way back by train, I ran into Mayor Owen, who had just returned from the Royal Capital. He was originally furious about this matter, but after visiting Magic Gear, he didn't seem so angry anymore," Will said quickly.

"Owen... is that so?" The Black Shadow was somewhat startled, but he then waved his hand dismissively. "Even if he doesn't oppose it, it won't get in the way."

"But..." Will was still somewhat uneasy.

Seeing him like this, the Black Shadow finally revealed some inconsequential intelligence: "As long as the honorable Mayor isn't insane enough to endorse Magic Gear, those who can afford it won't buy it even if they are interested in the Game Table! After all, compared to an interesting toy, everyone wants the expertise and equity of that interesting toy more!"

"You mean..."

"That toy is about to end its testing period and start sales, right?" The Black Shadow cackled. "I'm afraid the number he sells on that day will be the total sales volume."

...Piracy?

Or a ban?

Or perhaps both?

Will frowned; he hated such dirty business tactics.

However, the Black Shadow never intended to seek Will's opinion; he stood up, opened The Gate, and walked out honestly.

The exit of a villain without magic was just this lacking in style.

*

Will ultimately could not find peace of mind.

He felt that anyone who had met Angell could not find peace of mind.

Perhaps that was just how Black Robes were; even when they were making a toy, they always made people feel that it contained something ominous.

Although Will didn't know how that Game Table could be ominous.

Therefore, Will didn't rest well the next day; instead, he got up early, organized the contracts signed by the students with Magic Gear yesterday, and went to report to the Magic Association.

He went on foot.

The townhouse Will rented was about a fifteen-minute steam carriage ride from the Magic Association, or thirty minutes on foot, but compared to the noisy steam carriages, Will preferred walking.

Especially when walking halfway, he could go to the alley across the street and buy piping hot, freshly baked bread.

Thinking this, Will looked across the road.

Just then, several Newspaper Boys ran past on the street, shouting as they ran:

"Extra, extra! Eastern Border Daily! A new invention from Magic Gear! Highly recommended by Mayor Owen!!"

...A new invention?

Will yawned, thinking uninterestedly with his muddled brain.

Anyway, so-called new inventions were mostly advertisements. Actually, Cecilia was still doing okay; he heard that the City of Industry, Sensenata, could churn out hundreds of new inventions a day...

Wait a minute, where did they just say the new invention was from?!

Will's yawn was only half-finished when he suddenly sobered up.

He stood there stunned with his mouth hanging open as if his jaw had been dislocated, and it was only after a long while that he walked quickly toward the Newspaper Boys.

"Where did you just say the new invention was from?" Will asked.

"Magic Gear's! It's the largest Alchemy Workshop in our Magic Capital, the one located on the Road of Heroes!"

"That's right, the new Game Table they invented is so much fun!" another Newspaper Boy said, taking the opportunity to shove the Newspaper he was holding into Will's hand. "Sir, buy a newspaper and take a look. It's outdated not to have played this now!"

"Yeah! Especially since it's the last few days of the testing period! Maybe it won't be this cheap later!"

"And even if you don't play, it's very interesting just to go and see!"

"There's carbonated water to drink, too!"

The other newspaper boys chimed in as well. They were clearly customers of Magic Gear, and they were so excited when mentioning the game tables and Magic Gear that they didn't even seem like they wanted to sell newspapers; they just wanted to promote Magic Gear.

Will was besieged by the group of children and couldn't break free, so he had no choice but to buy a newspaper.

Though, he had intended to buy one anyway.

Where on earth did that "Highly Recommended by Mayor Owen" come from?!

Will remembered that when he parted ways with Mayor Owen last night, the mayor hadn't expressed any intention of recommending anything.

Will thought irritably, flipping through the newspaper with a loud rustle.

He quickly found what he was looking for.

On the third page of the Eastern Border Daily, an entire page was dedicated to a massive advertisement for Magic Gear. The most eye-catching part was, naturally, the photo at the top.

The subject of the photo was a cute Golden Shaded Cat, but in the background, two figures had been heavily circled in black ink. The one with the excessive tonnage was obviously Mayor Owen, but the tall, thin youth beside him made Will's vision go dark!

Wasn't that himself?!

Seeing the blurry figures of the teenagers in City of Academies uniforms behind them in the photo, Will quickly realized this had been taken when he brought his students for their interviews yesterday.

The caption for the photo read: "Mayor Owen and Assistant Will Inspect Magic Gear."

Damn it, what kind of nonsense was this?!

While it was true that the mayor had brought an assistant, he wasn't the mayor's assistant—he was the assistant to the Branch President of the Magic Association! Had anyone ever seen a cross-departmental inspection with an assistant like that?!

The Eastern Border Daily was supposed to be a respectable newspaper; how could they just make things up based on a picture?!

Will almost tore the newspaper to shreds.

But tearing the paper wouldn't solve the problem. Will finally calmed down, took the newspaper, and walked quickly toward the Magic Association, deciding to find Branch President Hume and have him step forward to condemn the Eastern Border Daily and demand an apology for this fake news!

Because Will was in such a rush, he didn't even notice a very familiar carriage parked at the entrance of the association as he went inside.

This was the same carriage that had given him and his students a ride yesterday.

Will hurried to Branch President Hume's office door. He knocked carelessly and, without waiting for a response, pushed the door open and walked in: "Lord Dunlop, I have something I must report to you... May—Mayor?!"

Will stared in surprise at the fat man sitting on the sofa in the Branch President's office. He hadn't expected the man to be here so early.

Branch President Hume was sitting on the other side of the sofa, piling marshmallows into his coffee cup.

Seeing Will enter, he chuckled and said, "Is this about those graduates? I heard from Owen that they have all been hired by Magic Gear. You've worked hard this time, but there's no need to be so rushed. After such a long business trip, you can take today off and report to me tomorrow."

"Ah, no..." Will was stunned by the words, taking a long time to react. "I'm not talking about Magic Gear... no, wait, it is about Magic Gear!"

Although he didn't understand why Mayor Owen was here so early, it was a good thing!

The mayor certainly wouldn't be happy to see such fake news either!

Will perked up. He placed the newspaper on the coffee table between the sofas.

"I went out this morning and saw that the Eastern Border Daily actually published this kind of news—"

"Hahaha, it's already out? That was fast." Mayor Owen laughed immediately.

Will looked at Owen in disbelief, only to hear Owen boast, "It seems a reporter happened to be at the workshop yesterday. They caught a photo of us while taking pictures of the cat and asked if they could publish it as a human-interest piece. I thought, what's the point of being a backdrop for a cat, so I told them to blow it up, and it turned into this."

Why were you competing with a cat?

No, was that really your reason for spending an entire page advertising for Magic Gear?

Will didn't know how to respond to that.

He even started to wonder if Owen had been cursed by Angell with black magic after returning home.

But Owen's mind was clearly sharp.

He said to Branch President Hume, "With this report, once their game tables go on sale, we can have the Eastern Border Daily follow up with a feature on this batch of magic graduates! Let them see that the Rune Apprentices we train are actually in demand! That will stop them from always saying we just spend money to stabilize employment rates when the mages we train are useless!"

Hume was also a bit surprised to hear this.

Although he had agreed to help Angell, he didn't know what the alchemy workshop's new product was; he had just been planning to use Magic Gear to let the students practice their skills before eventually handing them over to the Mage Tower.

Hume asked curiously, "You seem very satisfied with that Magic Item? I heard it was just a toy?"

"It's not as simple as a toy." Owen shook his head.

The game was far more than just a toy, and even the production process was far more than just a game.

Owen still remembered the way those Rune Apprentices' eyes had sparkled last night as they looked at the runes they had crafted.

How many years had it been since he had seen people so interested in magic?

Owen had only felt a bit sentimental when he left Magic Gear yesterday, but the more he thought about it on the way back, the more excited he became. He increasingly felt that Angell hadn't created such a "toy" by accident. How could anything done by the Black Robe be so simple? When he got home and received the call from the newspaper asking to confirm the photo, Owen had very generously let them publish it.

But it was hard to explain all this in words, so Owen said, "Go take a look at that game table, and you'll understand what I mean."

"Hmm, so you're willing to go, then?" Hume said.

He took out several invitation letters.

These invitations were black and looked like ominous funeral invitations at first glance, but the covers were decorated with intricate gear patterns drawn in golden magic ink, and these gears were constantly rotating, making them look exquisite and magnificent.

"These are invitations from Magic Gear. They are preparing to end their testing period and officially open in two days, so they sent us a bunch of these," Hume said.

He actually felt that Angell's invitation wasn't very sincere, as the other party had sent it via regular post through a mailman (judging by the lack of a stamp, it was clearly a smuggled letter using magic). The sender had simply tossed it into the Magic Association's public hall and left it at that, as if it didn't matter at all whether the president of the Magic Association was invited or not.

(Angell: They aren't my target customers anyway; I'm just being polite as per Mithril's request.)

Hume hadn't really wanted to go at first, but seeing Mayor Owen's attitude, he became somewhat interested.

Hume handed one of the Invitation Letters to Mayor Owen. "He also invited the 'guest who visited the Workshop yesterday.' Do you want to go and take a look?"

"Go? Of course I'm going!"

Mayor Owen replied as a matter of course.