====
[Who was the b*stard who created the Epsilon Hall flood last time and ran off?]
The vending machine was completely emptied of ice water and left abandoned.
The professor is still so angry that the classroom temperature has dropped to minus 30 degrees Celsius.
There are still two hours of class left, so if I freeze to death here, it’s your fault, damn it.
— The vending machine that only had ice water?
— Hmm… this is some harmless troublemaking.
— Are you talking about the Extreme Magic class? Go quickly and call the dormitory supervisor of Marylin Hall.
ㄴ Supervisor? Dormitory manager?
ㄴ Yes, there’s only one person in the Tower who can handle that professor.
ㄴ When I dropped off my books and went to the classroom after class, the atmosphere between them was a bit strange… Could it be?
ㄴ I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I also want to flirt with a pure-blooded magician, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous
ㄴ Good thoughts, good thoughts, good thoughts, good thoughts, good thoughts, bad thoughts, good thoughts, good thoughts, good thoughts, good thoughts…
ㄴ Oh, there’s one bad thought in there.
====
====
Marine451
[It seems like there have been a lot of strange incidents happening recently.]
Someone emptied the vending machine of ice water, left the door to the basement floor where graduate students live wide open, and the other day set up a buffet like the one in the cafeteria, which was strictly forbidden.
Especially the case where, two days ago at 3:30 AM, someone broke into Room 105 in the female dormitory of Silife Hall and stole underwear from the drawer under the bed was truly malicious.
Isn’t all this the work of outlaws?
— If these are outlaws, they’re really worthless
— It’s ordinary troublemaking.
— One of these is suspiciously detailed…
— Isn’t the last one you? Hahaha
— If you track the access logs of the Witch Note, won’t it be caught by the Security Department?
ㄴ Marine451: How would you know? Haha
ㄴ It won’t be caught, but if it’s a clear crime, Administrator will directly check and process it as an ‘accident’.
ㄴ Crazy
ㄴ Marine451: What? Really?
ㄴ This is scarier. Be careful… ====
====
[Looking at the actions of lawless individuals this year, there’s one person who keeps coming to mind.]
Clearly, they are annoying troublemakers, but they don’t commit particularly severe crimes.
They seem to be walking a fine line, almost crossing but not quite.
Moreover, it’s not just one or two; they are collectively causing similar incidents, indicating there’s definitely something behind it.
Given that all the secondary accounts have gone silent since ‘that notice’, I won’t say who, but hmm…
— Oh!
— Oh my…!
— Pure evil
— King of the forum, is it you again?
— The Security Department must be having a hard time
ㄴ It might be a plan to paralyze the Security Department after the Intelligence Department.
ㄴ I’m from the Security Department, and now I’m at the Round Table meeting again.
ㄴ Isn’t Administrator planning something like the last bee incident?
ㄴ Ah, it’s still just a suspicion, so it can’t be mentioned directly yet~
====
“Director Stollen. You need to speak.”
“…”
“Director Stollen?”
“Oh, sorry. I was receiving an important communication.”
Director Stollen of the Security Department closed the Witch Note and stood up.
He was about to report on the Round Table meeting regarding the recent intrusion of lawless groups.
Unlike before, there hasn’t been significant damage this year, but the Magic Tower’s administration has been keeping a close eye on this matter.
The reason being that there is something suspicious about their affiliations.
“Most of the lawless individuals are former adventurers with a history of activities in the Jehepf region. However, they all remain silent about why they came to the Magic Tower or their criminal motives.”
“Are they really adventurers?”
Sweating and standing up, Vernong, the Director of the Intelligence Department, asked, and Stollen adjusted his monocle.
He himself was incompetent but was good at sensing things in such situations due to the capabilities of his subordinates.
“I heard they are all masters of swordsmanship, which is unusual for adventurers…”
“Details beyond that are still under investigation. And, this is originally the Intelligence Department’s responsibility.”
“Ahem, the Intelligence Department is busy with follow-up measures after the recent train terror incident… Wouldn’t it be possible for the Security Department to handle a simple magical interrogation?”
“We also currently do not have the capacity to find the ringleader. However, we have managed to secure some evidence from witnesses that the Haeju School is involved in this matter.”
“…”
“…”
There was a response indicating some hidden agenda.
Stollen suspected that the Intelligence Department had covered up the incident where Vincent went missing on the 44th floor.
Something must have happened after the investigation committee concluded.
For example, an unexpected accident during the arrest process.
Anyway, with the Intelligence Department too busy to pay attention elsewhere, it was a perfect opportunity for him.
Stollen already knew who they were and why they entered the tower.
Unlike the Intelligence Department, the Security Department troops operating in the open couldn’t secretly deal with them, so he was just responding cautiously.
‘To think that one of Holcroft’s Wings would enter the Magic Tower on their own.’
If he could deal with the 4th Prince’s nemesis here, he would have a direct connection with the imperial family.
For some unknown reason, the 4th Prince Ashfel seemed to be targeting the Holcroft family, especially the daughter of the deceased head.
‘If I can cut off their limbs, I’m sure I could be invited to the ‘alliance’ as well.’
The top brass of the Silver Wing Knights, who are trying to climb the tower while hiding their identity.
Stollen sent a message as soon as the meeting was over to ensure they wouldn’t leave the tower alive.
In the past, before the research department’s masterpiece became entangled with witches’ schemes, magicians used an old-fashioned communication method.
The method used by ‘them’ who were under Ashfel’s command was to never use Witch Notes.
For some unknown reason, it seemed they were extremely wary of the figure behind the forum known as the ‘Administrator’.
Although Stollen didn’t care about the thoughts of the cursed sorcerers, he understood their caution.
He had just seen the last post on the forum.
‘Could it be, no, it can’t be.’
The owner of the forum, who is evaluated to have the strength comparable to the Tower Master, wouldn’t take in lawless individuals from a ruined family.
Even if they were leading them, there was no reason to create such a crude commotion like the vending machine shortage.
No matter how he thought about it, Stollen couldn’t understand the phenomenon with his head.
Shaking off these thoughts, he immediately left the meeting room.
*
“Huff, ha…! Is this enough, curse, or rather, cursed magician…!”
“Impressive. Have you already written ‘King of the Bees’ on the statue in the Undra family garden?”
“Right, so there’s nothing more to do, is there?”
“Hmmm……”
Chased by the Security Department, pursued by pure-blooded magicians, and with wanted posters circulating everywhere, they were arrested on by one.
The number of the Silver Wing Knights had dwindled significantly in just a few days.
Douglas and his subordinates, who had become a mess, stared at me with exhausted eyes.
Their despair was evident as they could only watch their comrades, who had been thrown out of the Magic Tower in a barred cart, blending into the crowd.
“In fact, until now, it was just simple amusement, and I still have the ‘full course’ of the Haeju School that I painstakingly prepared, but……”
“No, I don’t want it!”
“Mommy…”
The knights, sensing that it wasn’t over yet, trembled in fear.
Some even broke down in tears and collapsed.
After confirming that the toys had started malfunctioning, I briefly checked the forum.
The gossip about the unidentified lawless individuals was still active.
It was unexpected that the Security Department was moving so sluggishly, but if they had stirred up the starting floors this much, the Curse Names must have become relatively stronger.
Among them, some showed talent for curses, so they would likely not die tragically due to the labyrinth’s mist.
Since I also found it reasonably entertaining, I decided to send them off with some consolation.
“Since the knights also have a purpose in coming here, we shouldn’t waste any more time. I will guide you to the trials of the starting floors.”
“I heard that the procedures for entering the labyrinth are complicated. Can we really get in?”
“Fortunately, I am affiliated with the Living Department and requested a special position as an examiner from the head. You should observe the situation and then come to the far left line where I am standing.”
“…”
“Hmm? Aren’t you happy?”
I pushed the knights, who were now looking at me with fear, into the magic elevator.
As expected, the 9th floor, where the labyrinth was about to open, was crowded.
As soon as the door opened, I parted ways with the knights and, after receiving some instructions from the head of the Living Department, stood at the entrance of the labyrinth.
Magicians holding papers with grades and completion certificates for quests from the Starting Layer gathered in droves.
Selecting those who were at the level to pass through the labyrinth was entirely at the discretion of the examiner.
Academic performance, evaluations from the school that issued the request, magical hierarchy, etc., were all considered, but those in line on my side had one more gate to pass.
“Troublemaker?”
“Yes?”
“Fail, come back next time.”
I filtered out all the malicious individuals active on the forum by checking the Witch Note.
After all, such people would only cause problems even if they were eroded by the labyrinth’s mist, so it was a twofold benefit.
“What about the documents?”
“Ahem, here.”
“Pass.”
On the other hand, members of the Silver Wing Knights who were lined up according to my instructions all passed.
I stamped the documents with a bold stamp.
“Next.”
After about an hour of mechanically stamping, finally, only one person was left.
Irene, a senior member of the Silver Wing Knights.
As the crowd on the 9th floor gradually decreased, I silently urged her to submit her documents quickly.
However, as she stared intently at my fingers tapping the table, she suddenly asked me something.
“Are you perhaps an adventurer?”
“Hmm?”
“I have a clear memory of having seen you somewhere.”
“I have been in the Magic Tower for five years.”
Realistically, there was no chance that she or any other member had met me.
The regions and times of activity did not overlap at all.
But perhaps because I was the only receptionist who had been stationed within the guild.
Irene continued to try to identify me with a vague sense of familiarity.
“Hmm, no… but I definitely saw you somewhere…”
“No matter how hard you try, you won’t recall it on your own.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s the law of the world. Or perhaps, a curse?”
I snatched the documents from her hand and stamped them with a resounding thump.
Without hesitation, I grabbed her wrist and threw her into the labyrinth.
“Let’s watch from above.”
“Eek!? Wait, what did you just say…!?”
After confirming that the last person had gone up, I quickly packed my things and went up to the 19th floor.
Now it was time for them to prepare for the final ordeal to meet Mariel.
