Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 56

Vanessa snapped out of her chores, realizing it was almost time for her appointment with Chebatti.

She left her key with the innkeeper and headed to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

Phydom was a city that shone brightly, like a star, even at night. It wasn’t scary, but rather invigorating because it was so crowded.

On graduation day, Vanessa had dinner with Lina and Chebatti’s families, packed her bags, and took a train to Phydom.

Chebatti and his family had insisted, at least ten times, that she could stay at the Milo Dotti mansion until she found a job. In fact, they said she could stay even after she found a job.

However, Vanessa wanted to try living on her own first, even if she had to ask for help later if things got too difficult.

She felt she really needed to do everything independently now, especially after sending such a harsh letter to her teacher.

“If I had to describe it, I guess I was just sulking,” Vanessa said gloomily to Chebatti, who had come to the restaurant to see her.

Chebatti was already working with a magical engineering technician he’d met during his internship. Vanessa listlessly twirled her fork over her food.

“I sent it because I was upset that my teacher didn’t come to see me until the very end. It was so childish.”

“You’re still young enough to be childish.”

“I’m four years older than you….”

Lina couldn’t come with her because she had to return to the Aurelia region, where the Delina family estate was located.

Maybe she would come to Phydom later, where the biggest business opportunities were, but for now, Chebatti was the only one Vanessa could rely on. Knowing this, Chebatti often came to see her.

“The results are coming out soon, right?”

“Yeah, in a few days. I heard a lot of people applied to the Magic Department this time.”

“Even so, no one is more qualified than you, Vanessa.”

Chebatti kindly cut off a piece of cake and offered it to her. Vanessa said dejectedly, “I wish that were true. If I fail, I’m really screwed. Who would hire a wizard without knowing their magical condition [referring to the specifics of their magical abilities and limitations]?”

“There are plenty of wizards in the world whose conditions are unknown. Many places need people to configure magic circles. Plus, you’re very skilled in Edirnean [likely referring to a specific magical language or system]. There’s no way they’d ignore a student who graduated from Bamberg Academy with honors.”

Chebatti said firmly, looking at Vanessa, who was clearly anxious.

“Honestly, you don’t even need to worry about failing the Magic Department. They suffer from a shortage of wizards every year. It’s not going to happen.”

Vanessa felt even gloomier seeing Chebatti give such confident and logical answers. She buried her face on the table.

“I don’t know… I want to write another letter to my teacher. I’m such an idiot… Why did I do that when he might not even come…? Vanessa Rose, you ungrateful wretch….”

*It’s all Gideon’s fault. I sent the letter when my emotions were all over the place.*

*No, it’s my teacher’s fault too. He was so kind that he made me have such high expectations.*

Chebatti clicked his tongue as he watched Vanessa writhing on the table.

After the meal, Chebatti chatted for a while and then subtly tried to persuade Vanessa to come back to the Milo Dotti mansion, but she firmly refused.

“Tch.”

“I’ll ask you later if things get really tough.”

“Where is your rent coming from right now?”

“I can do odd jobs. Thank you, as always, Chebatti.”

Chebatti pouted, then jumped up and hugged Vanessa.

“Make sure to come if you’re having a hard time. The Milo Dotti mansion is right nearby! My mom really wants to see you too.”

“Of course. Don’t worry, Chebatti.”

Vanessa walked with Chebatti until she could see the road to his house, then they parted ways. Chebatti waved and headed back with a light step.

Vanessa watched his retreating figure for a moment, then sat blankly on a bench, watching the people hurrying by.

*Where are they all going to and from?*

She felt completely disconnected from the bustling noise around her. This reminded her of the rejection letter she received yesterday.

「I appreciate your intentions, but the orphanage is doing well these days, so we don’t need any further support. As I said in the past, I hope you forget about this place and live well.」

The orphanage director’s letter was very short.

Vanessa sighed softly. She didn’t know where they were getting support from, but it was good that Louis’s orphanage was thriving.

*Okay, let’s forget about it.*

Even so, she sometimes felt a sudden surge of loneliness.

Moving her body without thinking was a good way to get rid of unnecessary thoughts. Vanessa walked down the brightly lit street and returned to her lodgings.

The owner indifferently handed back her key.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. The tenant in the next room asked me to tell you they’re very happy you’re quiet.”

Vanessa’s room was on the fourth floor of a small building. At the end of the long hallway was a green door. Behind that door was a small room with an attached bathroom.

Besides the space for a bed, the rest of the room was filled with a small desk and a high stack of books.

However, despite the room’s crude structure, the items inside were quite valuable.

Seeing the neatly arranged clothes and the expensive Hornir [likely a magical artifact or decorative item] on the desk, the innkeeper had asked if she had failed in business and was now down on her luck.

“I need to clean up….”

Vanessa ignored the messy desk.

*It’s just going to get dirty again soon anyway. Can’t I just ignore it today?*

Then, she noticed a pile of letters at the base of the Hornir. They hadn’t been there when she left.

Filled with anticipation, Vanessa hurriedly grabbed the letters. *Could one be from my teacher?*

But the letter on top was from Lina.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

To Vanessa Rose, who must be missing me.

Damn it, I have no tact at all.

Sorry for starting with a curse. I want to come to Phydom quickly.

I miss you, Vanessa. Are you doing well? Are you eating well?

If I leave you alone, you’ll just hole up and study, not eat or anything. You’re not still doing that, are you?

Chebatti said he’d check on you often, but I don’t really trust him. He gets so absorbed in things when he’s interested in them.

Come to think of it, Evan confessed to you, right? I know everything. Don’t even think about hiding anything from me.

So, what’s the purpose of this letter?

I just wanted to procrastinate. My parents are watching me from afar….

Bye….

From Lina Delina.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Vanessa folded the letter with a dubious expression. She thought Lina would be busy preparing to take over the family business, but instead, she sent such a frivolous letter.

Still, she smiled for a moment. She found it funny that Lina was trying to take care of her meals even from afar.

The next letter was a transcript that Vanessa had requested from the academy, and a few were notifications that books she had ordered from the bookstore had arrived.

And the last one was a thin, light gray letter. She was puzzled because there was no return address or any other information on the outside.

Vanessa tore open the letter without much thought. Something rolled out before the letter and fell under the desk.

She bent down to pick it up and found that it was a thin pin meant to be inserted into a collar. The pattern engraved on the end was….

Vanessa waved her arms in surprise and knocked over the pile of books on the desk.

“Cough, cough, hack.”

The sensitive neighbor immediately pounded on the wall, but the coughing wouldn’t stop. This letter was from the Royal Magic Department!

「To Vanessa Rose. Congratulations on passing the Magic Department entrance exam. Your start date is three days after the date you receive this letter. Nothing is required; just insert the enclosed pin and report to the third floor of Priva Second Fortress. Thank you.」

“I’m sorry!” Vanessa apologized to the next room through the thin wall, covered her mouth, and bounced her feet on the bed. *What should I do? I’m so happy!*

Of course, that feeling didn’t last long. Well, it lasted about a week, so I guess you could say it lasted quite a while.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The Magic Department is, strictly speaking, a department within the Royal Cabinet that is ‘responsible for some of the administrative work related to magic and wizards.’

This is a rather ambiguous explanation, and perceptive people would notice something strange.

‘Some of the administrative work’?

The reason the Magic Department was established was that ordinary people had difficulty dealing with wizards.

If ordinary Justice Department officials went to apprehend wizards, they would likely be long gone. So, a separate Magic Department was established to manage and supervise them.

If that’s the case, you can immediately realize that the Magic Department often clashes with other departments.

On her first day of work at the Royal Magic Department, as Vanessa left her lodgings, Cezar, who had been contacted by Chebatti, was standing in front of the entrance to the royal castle.

Cezar handed her a small flower, saying he was worried she would get lost on the way.

“Congratulations, Vanessa. Though I don’t know if I should congratulate you.”

“That’s a bit much. It’s only my first day.”

“Haha. I’m just saying you could have gone to a better place.”

Cezar looked very tired for some reason, likely from working overtime.

Vanessa followed Cezar out of the alley and started walking down the main street. As she had felt when she first arrived in Phydom, many people were being swept into the royal castle like a tide.

“Maybe nothing will happen today. The Magic Department is busy these days, but they won’t make a rookie do anything. Where did they say you had to go?”

“The third floor of the Second Fortress.”

As Vanessa nervously rubbed her hands, Cezar looked at her with a nostalgic expression, remembering his own early days.

“I was like that at first too. But now….”

He stopped himself for Vanessa’s sake.

Anyway, Priva Royal Castle wasn’t far away. Even from a distance, it was huge and imposing. As the elegant figure of the castle, which seemed to be drawn from a fairy tale, came closer, Vanessa became increasingly anxious.

The First Fortress was literally where the royal family lived, so it maintained the oldest appearance of the castle.

The pure white walls and the splendid golden spires somehow reminded her of Bamberg Academy, but it was several times more magnificent, and the sculptures embossed on the exterior made her understand the people who claimed that the hand of God had touched it.

The Second Fortress was built later, when the cabinet was established within the royal family.

That’s not to say that the Second Fortress wasn’t splendid; it simply had a more refined atmosphere.

Most of the cabinet departments were located in the Second Fortress, so Vanessa only needed to learn the way to that side.

The soldiers guarding the front gate of the castle seemed to be searching the people entering very carefully. The line waiting to be checked stretched out long.

They checked the pin on Vanessa’s collar and nodded.

“The First and Second Fortresses aren’t connected anyway. The security in the First Fortress is incredibly strict. I recommend not going there unless you absolutely have to.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

Vanessa looked around at every step. There was a lot to see, as she had to walk quite a long way even after passing through the castle gate.

Carefully manicured gardens lined the way, and white corridors extending from the buildings added to the beauty. Countless people were running around 정신없이 [a Korean expression meaning ‘mindlessly’ or ‘frantically’] with documents in their hands.

“I thought there might be documents flying around like in Nimrod [likely a reference to a chaotic or disorganized place].”

Cezar smiled when Vanessa said this, unable to take her eyes off the busy people.

“Magic is prohibited in most areas inside the royal castle. The Second Fortress is where wizards and non-wizards interact the most. They avoid using magic for unnecessary things to respect each other.”

Cezar took her to the third floor of the Second Fortress before parting ways with her.

Left alone, Vanessa wandered around for a while. The people on the third floor were moving so busily that it was difficult to ask for directions.

Vanessa cautiously stepped forward, looking at the words ‘Magic Department’ on the door at the end of the hallway.