The Abandoned Mage Hunter
I relayed Seraph’s proposal to the clan members without holding back, including the reactivation of the ancient magical city of Magia and the establishment of a mercenary academy. Half of them looked intrigued, while the other half seemed skeptical, their faces showing signs of reluctance.
Those hesitant were mostly the ones who had participated in the reactivation of Magia a year ago, only to face disappointment due to distance issues. I remembered how disheartened they had been, and I couldn’t blame them. They had gone through all sorts of hardships to lay the groundwork for the city’s revival, only to have to turn their backs on the project just as it was about to succeed.
“Clan Lord, does reactivating Magia mean we’re going to repeat the old plan from scratch?”
As expected, concerns arose right from the start, with memories of the past still fresh in their minds.
“No, it doesn’t.”
I answered immediately. Since we were revisiting a halted plan, I needed to present a solid solution.
I crossed my hands and spoke calmly.
“I understand your concerns, and I assume it’s mainly about the distance. However, distance is no longer an issue.”
“What? Have you found a solution?”
“Yes. Among our recent achievements is something called the Memoria Stone. It’s crucial for constructing a warp gate, and if used properly, it can register Magia as a new city on the northern continent.”
“Memoria Stone…?”
Won Hye-soo asked, eyes wide with curiosity, and a murmur spread among the clan members.
Amidst the commotion, I focused on a woman sitting quietly in a corner of the meeting room. Helena remained silent, a faint smile playing on her lips.
There’s a saying that seeing is believing. I thought it would be better to show them rather than just talk, so I took out the Memoria Stone I had prepared earlier.
“Helena Lu Aeyens.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Helena responded with a knowing smile, as if she had expected to be called.
“The current warp gates are relics from the ancient Hall Plane, and we users don’t know the details of their construction or operation. But as someone who has lived through the mythic era, I believe you might know more.”
“That would be a misconception.”
“Misconception?”
“Yes. Warp gates are based on spatial magic, which originated from us. So, it’s not just a matter of knowing a bit more.”
At first, I was puzzled by her words, but then I remembered Helena’s true nature. Her soul was that of Magna Carta, who had lived for thousands of years. As the mightiest dragon, spatial magic would be trivial for her.
“Does that mean we can build a warp gate in Magia?”
“Build? Well, with the Memoria Stone, we can activate and maintain a warp gate anytime, anywhere.”
“Can you show us now?”
“Certainly.”
Helena extended her hand with a smile. I tossed her the Memoria Stone, which she caught deftly and held gently. She glanced at me, then closed her eyes and murmured softly.
“Spatio Ad Salire.”
An incantation I couldn’t understand flowed from her lips, and a small change occurred around Helena. Her fist, clutching the Memoria Stone, seemed to shimmer as if steam was rising from it.
As everyone watched intently, Helena opened her eyes and spoke.
“The Memoria Stone has the ability to remember a location. I just… ahem, remembered the location of the Clan Lord and calculated the coordinates. Spatio Ad Salire is the spell that inputs these coordinates into the Memoria Stone. So, you could say the preparations are complete.”
With that, Helena thrust her arm into the shimmering space.
“Like this.”
At that moment, I felt a jolt of surprise. Helena’s arm vanished, only to reappear right in front of me.
I was seated at the head of the table, while Helena was at the far end, over ten meters away. Yet, she had bridged that distance in an instant.
The clan members gasped in amazement, and I nodded in satisfaction. Helena looked at me, as if asking for my opinion, and calmly withdrew her hand.
“I think this is worth trying again. I’m curious about your thoughts.”
As I spoke with a sense of satisfaction, the reactions around me changed noticeably.
“Incredible. If the distance issue is resolved, I’m in favor.”
“True, but… I’m still worried. Can we really achieve more than what we invest in the city?”
“What are you talking about? This isn’t just about breaking even. We have the mercenary academy. That’s reason enough to make this plan succeed. There’s nothing holding us back now.”
“Still, just the mercenary academy might not be enough. Since we’re reactivating it, we should also decide on the future direction of Magia’s development.”
The previously hesitant clan members began voicing their opinions eagerly, their faces alight with enthusiasm, much like when we first conceived and presented the plan.
But I tapped the table to call for order. While their excitement was welcome, they were getting ahead of themselves. We didn’t have the luxury of time, and there were pressing matters to address first.
“Alright, alright. Let’s settle down. I understand your thoughts, but we can’t achieve everything at once. We need to take it step by step. For now, we have two tasks: first, construct a warp gate connecting Magia and Monica. Second, build facilities in Magia to train our recruits. These tasks alone will take several months.”
The meeting room quickly quieted down. I tapped the table twice more. With consensus reached, it was time to flesh out the plan.
And so, the meeting continued, taking longer than expected.
A few days passed.
The initial excitement from our achievements and the birth of new life quickly subsided. I had instructed everyone to mobilize all available resources to push the plan forward. This created a bustling atmosphere that swiftly replaced the previous excitement.
However, these tasks weren’t something we could accomplish immediately. There were formal procedures we had to follow as users. Still, the meeting had made some progress, allowing us to outline our next steps.
As Helena had said, the warp gate could be resolved quickly. Aside from the Memoria Stone, the essential requirement was the coordinates of the Monica warp gate, which Helena could calculate.
There was one necessary step, though: obtaining permission from Istantel Row, who owned the Monica warp gate. Given our friendly relations, I doubted they would refuse.
As for constructing the mercenary academy, I knew what facilities were needed, having graduated from a user academy myself. But we needed residents to build them—a lot of them.
Materials could be purchased, and residents could be hired. But the problem was that we couldn’t start construction yet. The scale of the project would be enormous, far beyond that of a clan house, and we couldn’t shuttle back and forth between Monica and Magia for construction.
In other words, activating the warp gate was essential to proceed with the next steps.
Despite feeling like we were facing one challenge after another, I hadn’t forgotten our original goal.
That was the activation of the user academy.
“Oh my, who do we have here? The Mercenary Lord visiting me in person. I’m truly honored,” said Lee Hyo-eul, setting down her teacup with a teasing tone. As I looked down, I saw the steam rising from the green tea, creating gentle ripples. It didn’t look particularly appetizing.
“Oh, what’s with that look? I went through the trouble of making it for you.”
“Then can I skip drinking it?”
“Haha. Haha. Hahaha. No?”
”…I’ll drink it gratefully.”
I quietly picked up the teacup.
I was at the central administration office, seeking information about the activation date of the Inn of Beginnings and the instructor participation rights related to the user academy. Lee Hyo-eul was the user with full authority over these matters.
As I managed to swallow a sip, Lee Hyo-eul wiped her mouth and spoke.
“Ah, nothing beats the taste of my own tea.”
”…Is that tea or alcohol?”
“How rude. Anyway, what brings you here today? I heard the Mercenary Guild has been quite busy lately.”
“Busy, yes, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be.”
After setting down the teacup, I shrugged. Lee Hyo-eul nodded in agreement.
“True, the Mercenary Guild is full of capable users. You just need to set the direction.”
“Exactly. Today’s visit is about setting that direction.”
“Ah, so you’re here about the user academy?”
“I won’t deny it. I wanted to discuss the activation date of the Inn of Beginnings and the instructor participation rights.”
Lee Hyo-eul scratched his head with a resigned expression. He averted his gaze, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.
“The timing isn’t the issue. It’s about two weeks from now…”
“Two weeks, huh.”
“Yeah. But… can’t you just be satisfied with one ticket?”
“If that’s the situation, I guess there’s no choice. But I don’t get why you said there wouldn’t be any tickets available. The instructor qualifications are distributed fairly, so there should be some clans willing to sell, especially in times like these.”
When I first heard from Jo Seung-woo, I thought it made sense. But the more I pondered, the more something felt off.
Even if an angel hinted otherwise, there’s a high chance tickets will be available this time too. I’m certain of it. Historically, almost 99% of top-performing rookies at the User Academy have chosen offers from major clans.
So even if someone got lucky and secured a participation ticket, less competitive clans would have to consider selling. Especially now, with the competition for tickets heating up, some clans are bound to sell at a much higher price than before.
Lee Hyo-eul scratched his head again, clearly caught off guard. After a moment, he sighed deeply and spoke.
“Well, I guess there’s no helping it. I was going to ask you for a favor anyway, sooner or later.”
“A favor? For me?”
“Well, the Mercenary Clan has plenty of money, right?”
”?”
It was a bit out of the blue, but true. Ever since we conquered the Forest of Jewels, the Mercenary Clan’s wealth has been unmatched. The gold and jewels we possess are immense, and our equipment and classes are beyond measure.
“Explain more. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
”…Actually, at least one ticket is expected to be available this time. More could be, but that’s not for me to know.”
Expected, huh. So my hunch was right.
“Anyway, what I wanted to ask was… if a ticket does become available, I’d like the Mercenary Clan not to bid on it. I’m planning to buy it through a proxy, and I can’t compete with the Mercenary Clan.”
“Convince me.”
“Sorry, it’s personal. I can’t disclose it.”
“Then there’s nothing I can do. Every ticket is precious to me too.”
“Ugh. I figured you’d say that. But I’m not asking for free. There’s a condition. If you agree to my request, the Mercenary Clan will get at least one additional spot. For free.”
”…Go on.”
At least one free spot. That changes things.
I quickly shifted my attitude, showing I was willing to listen. Lee Hyo-eul gave a bitter smile, revealing his true feelings.
That’s when it happened.
Bang!
“Sister!”
The door suddenly burst open, and a young voice echoed through the room. Both Lee Hyo-eul and I turned our heads. The voice was so whiny that I initially thought it was An Sol, but…
Wait a minute.
Lee Hyo-eul… seemed strange?
At first, he turned his head with me, then looked surprised, glanced at me, and quickly composed himself.
Moments later, Lee Hyo-eul stood up abruptly.
“You! Who said you could just barge into this room?”
“Huh? Sister, why are you suddenly angry…?”
“Can’t you see there’s a guest?”
“S-sorry!”
The whiny voice turned into a tearful one. Lee Hyo-eul frowned and bit his lip, then looked back at me.
“Mercenary Lord, I’m sorry. She’s a close younger sister I’ve known for a long time, but she’s a bit immature. Could you wait a moment?”
“Sure, if it’s just a moment. Go ahead.”
“Thank you.”
Lee Hyo-eul quickly approached the young woman. He seemed to be trying hard to act nonchalant, but I could see him discreetly pulling her arm, as if trying to get her out of my sight as soon as possible.
I have no idea why Lee Hyo-eul is acting this way.
But I do have a third eye, you know.
I glanced sideways at the door with my third eye.
Name: Maeng Ara (1st Year)
Class
① Guardian of the Northern Continent: Active
② Normal Priest (Beginner): Inactive
Nation: Barbara
Clan: Mage Hunters (Clan Rank: C Plus)
As expected.
The young woman who just entered was the new Guardian of the Northern Continent. I chuckled. Even if a guardian is supposed to be a hidden existence, it doesn’t mean much to me. Lee Hyo-eul couldn’t do anything to me, so I doubt a first-year would be a problem.
Well, it’s my first time seeing her, but she does seem a bit naive, just like her name suggests.
And the clan name… Mage Hunters? It’s amusing, but it feels like it’s referring to me.
Thinking that, I chuckled and picked up my teacup.
And at that moment, a thought flashed through my mind.
“Oh.”
Clink.
I set the teacup down without realizing it, staring blankly into space.
One part of the player status window still floating in the air caught my eye.
Mage Hunters.
The moment I confirmed it, I stood up immediately.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
It seems I’ve been using the expressions “꽤나” and “깨나” incorrectly. I usually rely on a Korean spell checker, but it sometimes gives incorrect suggestions. “꽤나” is an acceptable expression. And “깨나” can be used like “돈깨나 있구나.” Haha, embarrassing. OTL.
The Mercenary Academy doesn’t provide benefits to existing users. Like the User Academy, only new users can receive benefits. However, as stated in the conditions, both academies can provide overlapping benefits. This means the period of benefits for new users is extended. :)
Ah, I might be quite late tomorrow. I have a visit to Joara planned. I received a call today, and it might take longer than expected. ㅜ.ㅠ
And…
Haha, I’m fine. Really, I’m perfectly fine.
To those who worry about me, you can rest assured. Yes, being a “pervert” is better than being a “loli” or “loli lover,” isn’t it?