Resolutions of Their Own

The last rays of the setting sun streamed through the tall floor-to-ceiling windows, turning the ground-floor lobby into a hall cast in gold.

Directly opposite the entrance, the Hilt Consortium's emblem-a pattern of enormous overlapping gold coins-was mounted on the wall as a gilded relief. Beneath it stood a spacious reception desk, where several beautiful women of different races rose with smiles and bowed in greeting from afar.

Roland glanced over and spotted humans, Orcs, Half-Orcs, and Half-Elves among them. The head receptionist had long, pointed ears and a refined, graceful air; she seemed to be a full-blooded Elf.

With Rick leading the way, the group headed to the suspended lift and began ascending from the second floor.

Marketing, investment management, human resources, legal counsel, magical materials, manufacturing, slave management, magic circle maintenance, intellectual property, finance, alchemy, mercenary services, mineral resources, ruin exploration, planar trade...

They had every department imaginable.

The company's business interests were extraordinarily broad. It had even obtained special authorization from Atrelin, the Arcane Empire, granting it rights related to planar colonization. In some other worlds, it controlled nations and armies of its own, so its headquarters housed a great many departments.

Unfortunately, working hours had already ended. Roland and the others had arrived unexpectedly, without any proper arrangements, so all they could do was take a cursory look around.

Afterward, they followed Rick to a nearby hotel, where, entirely as expected, they enjoyed a lavish dinner free of charge.

Many of the ingredients in that dinner, much like the company's employees and slaves, came from all over the world and even from other worlds.

The Hilt Consortium's greatest value lay in supplying Atrelin's mages with all manner of magical materials, while also providing people from every walk of life with a wide variety of other goods.

Over dinner, they chatted about all sorts of things, though Rick mainly took the opportunity to lavish praise on Roland, peppering his words with compliments.

Sophia and Polina were well accustomed to social occasions and naturally understood what this meant, which only deepened their surprise.

"I misjudged him. I really misjudged him this time. I never imagined Roland was actually a rising star in the arcane world. I thought Froya was just trying to save face and making things up to impress me!"

After returning to the hotel where they were staying, Sophia called Polina to her room. She showed no sign of feeling defeated; if anything, she was unusually excited.

"I'll ask my friends in the tower to forward some news from the arcane world. Let's see just how impressive this Roland really is."

Although Sophia had been away from the arcane world for some time, she still had connections in the Mage Tower, so looking into such matters was hardly difficult.

Before long, a paid message arrived. Her friend had compiled the information she wanted and sent it over.

Polina had once belonged to the tower as well, and she joined Sophia in reading it with some curiosity.

The more they read, the more astonished they became, and the more deeply they sighed.

In the end, those feelings turned into an inexplicable lament, along with heartfelt relief.

"Thank goodness we left the arcane world. We don't have to compete with monsters like this!"

"Froya really is a complete fool. If anything, this only proves that the Runes School is finished.

"I originally thought the Runes School was a pit, with everyone trapped inside trying to climb up the walls. Now I realize it's a bottomless abyss, with a few winged people flying overhead!

"With our talent and learning, we could work our entire lives and still never match what he achieved as an apprentice. At best, we'd just be arcane drudges. We'd be better off changing careers early!

"Ideals, staying true to your original aspirations-it's all just foam on the crest of a wave. None of it matters nearly as much as making money!"

"At least the gold coins in our pockets belong to us. They'll give us some security in the future, if nothing else."

Polina spoke with considerable sympathy. She and Froya were of one mind and purpose, so naturally their thinking was much the same.

"Exactly. People need to know their own limits and understand where their strengths lie... hmm?"

Suddenly, Sophia narrowed her eyes.

She looked at the information displayed on the screen of her Projection spell, then at Polina beside her, and abruptly made up her mind.

"Polina, this is a wonderful opportunity for you."

"What opportunity?"

"Get close to Roland, and you could save yourself at least twenty years of hard work!

"Of course Arcana reigns supreme in this world, and knowledge is king. But your youth, your beauty, and the reputation and achievements you've earned in the arts are also resources successful people value. You can each offer what the other needs!"

"Offer what the other needs?"

Polina unconsciously straightened her chest, her figure as graceful as a white swan.

Then she smiled faintly and gave Sophia a reproachful glance. "Aunt Sophia, honestly, why must you make it sound so ugly?

"I'm a young woman too. I have every right to pursue a beautiful romance. Compared with a younger schoolmate of such unparalleled talent, all those previous suitors who seemed so presentable pale into insignificance. Surely I don't have to ignore someone better and deliberately choose some vulgar man with no ambition?

"To be honest, he seemed unremarkable at first glance, but now that I think about it, he really does have a certain intellectual charm."

At first, although they had been surprised, they had not been truly certain of his future potential.

Only after reading those materials themselves and learning about Oracle did they reach their own conclusions.

Meanwhile, at the hotel where Roland and the others were staying, Roland, Skord, and Yvonne had gathered to comfort Froya, who was clearly in low spirits.

At first, they thought she had eaten something that triggered an allergic reaction. Only after asking did they realize that she was upset by Sophia's change, and by this cruel reality as well.

Her face visibly flushed with drink, Froya waved her arms about. "The truth is, even I can't say which of us is right and which is wrong.

"Everyone has their own ideals and ambitions, and everyone has the right to take responsibility for their own life. What makes me angry is that I'm completely powerless. I can't change any of this...

"I can't prove that she's wrong and I'm right, and I can't change the state of the Runes School either."

As though she had suddenly made up her mind, she addressed Skord and Yvonne, her voice thick with tears.

"If you want to advance in Arcana, or pursue something outside it, you should do as Sophia said and switch to another school once you've learned enough here.

"The Runes School's knowledge is fundamental and very useful. But unless you have talent like Roland's, you'll spend your whole life as an arcane drudge. You might not even qualify to become a junior teaching assistant.

"Think carefully about whether that's the future you really want."