The Magic Gear had opened up memberships.
As promised, the player who ranked first at each Game Table had also received a Membership Token for free.
Their Membership Crystals were shaped differently from those of other members. They were a little plainer than those of high-level VIP members, yet more ornate than those of ordinary members. A tiny crown shimmered in the center of each crystal, radiating golden light.
The shade of gold varied depending on their position on the overall leaderboard. The higher the rank, the brighter the glow, and each crystal had a different magical effect.
Take Young Lady Leisiphia, for example.
She had ended up fifth on the overall leaderboard. Her Membership Token came with a magical shield. Not only did it protect her from attacks, it also shielded her from ordinary rain. A golden barrier would light up around her, keeping even a single raindrop from splashing on her.
Leisiphia didn't think she was likely to get caught in the rain, but even for a young lady like her, this was an extremely useful feature.
Most importantly, she had earned it through her own ability!
No one had flattered her on purpose, nor was it a toy presented to her because of her status. She had won it through sheer effort, competing against thousands of players—though she had practically monopolized a Game Table, had experts coaching her, and had a dozen sparring partners. Still, making good use of her resources to secure a high ranking was part of her ability.
But after getting this involved, Leisiphia didn't dwell on not coming in first.
She had understood from a young age that, just as she had been born into the noble Roy Family, some people were born with talents kissed by the gods. There was no need to compete with such people for first place in their fields. As someone of high status, she only needed to learn how to win over the talented people she needed.
She admired the Magic Crystal in her hand, wondering whether to have it hung from a chain made from the diamond an Imperial Prince had given her last year, or to keep things simple with platinum and pearls.
Just then, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Let me through! I have something to ask!"
Leisiphia frowned and looked up. It was that perennial runner-up... Oh, right. He wasn't second anymore. This time, he'd won the Membership Token for first place.
He had also passed the Mana Appraisal, which meant he was just barely within the City of Academies' admissions range, right?
That meant he was qualified to speak to her.
Leisiphia nodded to her servant, and only then was Kata allowed to approach the young lady.
Kata couldn't stand this sort of noble affectation, but he had no time to argue with Leisiphia. He demanded, full of indignation, "Where is 'that guy'? Why didn't he come?!"
Everyone knew who Kata meant by "that guy."
The "former" first-place player, Leibniz.
For some reason, Kata refused to call him by his name, as if saying it would mean he'd lost.
And Kata really had been losing all this time.
Until today.
Angell had sent a special Invitation Letter to the first-place player at each Game Table, asking them to "test" the newly developed fighting game, Battle of Destiny: Prologue.
The test wouldn't affect their eligibility for membership, but the winner would receive ten thousand Points.
All the players had been eager to participate. Even Young Lady Leisiphia had temporarily set aside her noble reserve, stepped into the Arena, chosen the White Wolf character, and bitten her beautiful-girl opponent until she looked like a broken doll.
Kata had also reached the top during this test.
The Points he earned in the "test" had finally brought him to first place on the overall leaderboard.
But Kata himself wasn't satisfied.
Because Leibniz hadn't taken the stage at all!
Their final scores had been very close, and Kata had managed to make a comeback thanks to the test's Points. But it felt awful to throw a final punch and miss his opponent.
Kata had no other way to find Leibniz, so he'd come to ask Leisiphia.
"That guy got an Invitation Letter too, didn't he? Why didn't he compete?" Kata asked indignantly.
"How rude!" the young lady snorted.
She opened her lace fan, covering her little mouth, and looked down at Kata. "An Invitation Letter is merely an invitation. It doesn't mean the recipient has to come. And even if they do come, they aren't obligated to compete. The most important thing about something like a 'game' is that you play of your own free will, isn't it?"
But Leibniz had come.
When he saw the new game, he had said, "What's false is false," then turned and left.
It was no wonder he had reacted that way.
This time, the game wasn't about "meditation," but about "using mana."
If the rumor about Leibniz's elder brother was true...
Behind her fan, Leisiphia sighed softly.
Of course, the young lady wouldn't gossip with others, especially not a commoner like him. She only asked with a cold laugh, "Isn't it better that Leibniz isn't here? Now you're first."
"Who cares about that!" Kata hated hearing things like that.
Without hesitation, he pulled out the Membership Token that symbolized first place and held it out to Leisiphia. "Give this to him and tell him I want to challenge him!"
The crystal was brimming with golden light, as if it had captured the sun. Its mana was easy to sense.
The Workshop Master really was generous! They'd given away a genuine treasure.
So Leisiphia thought.
Seeing this commoner boy casually hand over a Magic Item that even she coveted made her feel a little impressed.
But Young Lady Leisiphia wasn't the sort of person who'd agree to help just because she'd been touched by something so trivial!
"Hmph! How dare you try to order me around, young lady that I am?" Leisiphia lifted her chin. "Do it yourself!"
"Of course I want to go myself, but you people wouldn't even let me through the gate!" Kata said.
He knew that much, at least.
In the noble district of the outer city, even getting near the area in a Carriage without a family crest would get you questioned by a Security Officer. And he was a commoner who couldn't even afford a carriage.
"That's your problem," the young lady said coldly.
She enjoyed Kata's expression—wanting to bite someone but unable to do anything about it—for half a minute, then abruptly asked, "By the way, I heard you're going to study Magic at the City of Academies?"
"That's none of your business!" Kata replied angrily.
In truth, this was another thing troubling him.
He hadn't decided yet.
Passing the Mana Appraisal was supposed to be a good thing. If he majored in Magic, he could receive a substantial allowance and have his employment taken care of. Kata was very tempted by that. But after asking around, his family had heard that the main career path for Magic graduates was joining the Mage Tower. That had made his parents hesitate.
Most Mage Towers were run under tight restrictions. Things weren't as harsh as they had been in the Magic Era, but it still wasn't easy for Magic Apprentices in the Mage Tower to go home for a visit. Worse, the Mage Tower was no place to find love. There were plenty of mages doomed to a lifetime alone—just look at Angell and Hume, the president of the Magic Association. Neither of them was married. Assistant Will didn't seem like the sort who could find a girlfriend, either. If even the mages outside the Mage Tower were like that, there was no need to mention the ones inside.
Kata's family wasn't wealthy, but they were the sort who were content with what they had. His parents didn't want to give up the chance to see their son again just for a sum of money. Besides, being a mage didn't improve one's status by much these days. So they'd urged him to give up on the City of Academies and become an accountant at a factory recommended by his uncle. That way, he could come home more often and get married like a normal person.
Kata himself didn't want to study all that messy Magic History and Runes, either. His magic grades had been pretty poor back at the Charity School. But he vaguely felt that giving up would be a shame, so he'd been troubled about it all along.
But Leisiphia said, "Leibniz will be going to the City of Academies too!"
"What?"
"But unlike you, he's been hired as a mathematics professor," the young lady explained.
Kata didn't take in the rest of her sentence at all. He didn't care what Leibniz was going to do.
"Anyway, if I go to the City of Academies, I can see that guy and challenge him, right?" Kata asked.
"In theory, yes." You'd also need a Game Table.
Leisiphia nodded, clearly enjoying the prospect of trouble.
"Fine!"
Kata clenched his Membership Token and turned to leave, as if he couldn't wait to report to the City of Academies.
Leisiphia frowned at his rude behavior.
"Stop, you commoner!"
Two servants blocked Kata's way.
"I answered your question, so now it's your turn to answer mine." The young lady snapped her fan shut.
"What?" Kata looked at her with an expression that said this was a hassle.
"The Workshop is reopening today, and Game Tables are officially going on sale, right?" Leisiphia asked seriously. "How many did the person who hired you to boost their ranking buy?"
"You're even competing with him over this?" Kata asked oddly.
"Hmph, answer my question," Leisiphia urged.
It wasn't that she wanted to compete!
It was just that there were all sorts of restrictions on a future Crown Princess Consort.
For example, she could only speak to certain people, go to certain places, eat certain foods, and take an interest in certain things.
And the person who had hired Kata was someone Leisiphia absolutely must not associate with—a person of the underworld.
During the testing period, Leisiphia had fought the other person fiercely for a place on the leaderboard, but in private, they had silently agreed to pretend not to see each other, as if they didn't know who the other person was.
Buying a Game Table now required the same sort of consideration.
It wouldn't be particularly honorable for the Roy Family's young lady to be obsessed with an experimental product from an Alchemy Workshop, but it could at least be an amusing anecdote.
But if the Game Table were sold to the wrong person and ended up in the wrong place, she'd just have to...
Just secretly buy one to play with!
As a future Crown Princess Consort of noble status, she absolutely mustn't be interested in something so vulgar!
Leisiphia thought as she twisted her fan.
Kata had no idea that someone could have so many reservations about buying a toy. He thought it over, decided it probably wasn't confidential—in fact, everyone would find out soon enough—and answered without guile.
"Our boss couldn't buy any Game Tables!"
"Huh? The Alchemy Workshop isn't selling them?" Leisiphia raised an eyebrow.
That was good news. As far as the young lady was concerned, there was no such thing as something that truly "wasn't for sale." It was only ever a question of whether you'd offered enough money.
"They're not for sale. Our boss got the agency rights for the Game Tables."
Kata replied.
*
"The Street Volunteer Committee is just Mxfia by another name."
Mithril explained to Angell, "They used to be the Mercenary Guild. After the Magic Era ended, adventurers could choose to give up adventuring. But mercenaries, who had always operated in the gray areas—or even outright criminal ones—couldn't return to ordinary life so easily. So they stuck around, later taking in some unemployed and bankrupt people, and eventually became Mxfia organizations of all sizes."
"Cecilia City is actually one of the better places. The public order is decent, and it still has its traditions. I hear that in places like the City of Industry, their influence is far greater."
Yes, Angell understood the reasoning, but who on earth had come up with the name "Street Volunteer Committee"?
That was genius!
Angell thought, amused.
In truth, this was hardly a situation to laugh about.
Ever since the announcement that the Workshop was reopening and would also reveal its sales plan for the Game Tables, a crowd of burly tough guys had gathered in his corridor and office.
Although the Alchemy Workshop had a Defense Array that prevented people from using violence, any ordinary person would have been extremely unsettled facing so many hulking brutes.
Of course, the tough guys were even more unsettled when they saw Angell.
"Why didn't anyone tell us the Workshop's owner was a Black Robe?!"
"What's wrong with being a Black Robe? I could take on ten mages that skinny!"
"Idiot! Black Robes are Black Mages. I hear they use forbidden spells to alter their bodies. They're basically living corpses, don't feel pain at all, and like to eat people! I bet he could eat ten of you!"
"His eyes are terrifying!"
"Should we apologize and leave?"
"Won't the boss get mad?"
Mithril seemed worried that Angell might be upset.
"They've been very well-behaved. When they heard the Game Tables weren't for sale, they didn't make trouble. They even played by the rules and contributed a lot to Happy Water sales, so please bear with them a little."
"I'm not upset!" Angell said in confusion, glancing at the men.
The tough guys started trembling like chicks even harder.
"He says he's holding back!"
"Is he holding back from eating us?"
"Mom, I'm scared!"
Fortunately, this unpleasant scene didn't last long. Soon, the clear sound of leather shoes striking the floor rang down the corridor, and a tall, handsome man walked in.
The man wore a silver-gray Jazz Hat, a silver-gray pinstripe suit, and a matching trench coat. A long white scarf hung around his neck. Angell really wanted to make fun of his outfit, but after thinking about it, there wasn't anything wrong with it. It was just overly pretentious.
"Are you the Workshop Master?"
The man spoke in a theatrical tone and raised his crimson eyes.
If an ordinary human met those eyes, they would surely be terrified. They were a sign of Demonic Energy corruption, and their presence stirred the deep-seated, blood-borne fear of encountering one's natural enemy. Combined with the man's strange tone, they made it seem as if a cat were cruelly toying with a mouse.
But to Angell, they were nothing but comical.
Especially since those red eyes looked familiar.
"You are..." Angell said uncertainly.
The man had also gotten a good look at Angell's face. His reaction was barely any better than his subordinates'.
His eyes widened, his pupils contracted, and his whole expression boiled down to one word: terror. Then, almost reflexively, he bolted for the door.
"Ah, I remember now!" Angell cried out in delight.
Behind Angell, Mithril turned into darkness in an instant. A huge claw shot out and slammed down on the man, pinning him firmly to the ground.
"Boss!"
His underlings hurriedly drew their knives and guns, aiming them at Angell and Mithril.
Though the scene was deeply strange and their faces were full of fear, none of them backed down.
Only Angell clapped his hands and said, "Isn't that Little Blood from the next street over? You've really grown up!"
Angell sounded like a neighborly old man, and everyone froze for a moment.
Half of Mithril's catlike head emerged from the darkness it had become. It asked hesitantly, "Someone you know?"
"Yeah. You should know him too, Mithril," Angell said. "He's the little guy who used to follow me around everywhere when he was a kid—"
"Who'd want to follow you? You bullied me whenever I didn't do what you said!" the man shouted.
But when he met Angell's gaze with his blood-red eyes, he still called out reluctantly, "Big Brother Angell."
Once the man admitted who he was, Mithril hesitated, then let him go and turned back into a kitten.
The men called Little Blood by Angell hurriedly went to check on their boss's injuries. But the man straightened his coat and tie, signaling that he was fine.
Then he looked at Angell in embarrassed disbelief. "It's been a hundred years. Why are you still alive?"
"Hey, Little Blood, aren't you still alive too?"
"My name isn't 'Little Blood.' It's Thornmoon... You never remembered my name, did you?" Thornmoon said. "But at least you remember I'm a Blood Elf. So why would it be strange for me to live a hundred years?"
Elves were a Long-lived Race. Compared with the short lifespans of humans, they usually lived for four or five hundred years.
Blood Elves, especially those with deep ties to the Demon World, were said to live for as long as a thousand years.
Thornmoon had been Angell's underling as a child. A hundred years had passed, but he had only just reached adulthood.
Thornmoon found Angell unbelievable. "How are you still alive as a human...? No, why are you still young?!"
Mages did live somewhat longer than ordinary people thanks to mana. The long-lived ones could reach 150 or even 200 years old, but that didn't mean they could reverse the laws of time. Once they reached a certain age, they still grew old.
That was why, in most people's minds, mages were white-haired, white-bearded old men. Someone like Angell, who could stay young, was an absolute exception.
Thornmoon's eyes widened again in shock. "Y-you didn't really turn into a lich, did you? Or a vampire?!"
The crowd erupted in an uproar, looking at Angell with even greater fear.
"What a shame. I'm still human! There's a special reason I look like this now," Angell explained.
But it seemed no one believed him.
Even Thornmoon's wary expression didn't soften.
Angell couldn't help quietly grumbling to Mithril, "Seriously, why is everyone so afraid of me?!" He was, after all, just a harmless corporate slave at heart.
But Mithril's fur suddenly stood on end, making him look like a black puffball.
"I remember now," Mithril said.
"You remembered Little Blood, too?" Angell asked.
"No, I remembered what you were like as a child!" Mithril, still a puffball, carefully backed away toward the edge of the table, trying to put some distance between himself and Angell. "Why would you be afraid of children? You were the biggest little troublemaker of them all!"