The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 74

The next morning.

After a quick breakfast in the lobby, we immediately started our local adaptation training.

“Since the environment has changed, we won’t do any strenuous training. If anyone feels anything unusual, please let me know right away.”

We did light physical training to help our bodies adjust to the time difference and practiced mana circulation to adapt to the local mana concentration.

“Now that we’ve loosened up our bodies and circles [referring to the mana circuits within a mage], we’ll spend the rest of the time on artifact adaptation training.”

After these two training sessions, we focused on mastering the competition artifacts, which we weren’t yet fully comfortable with.

“Okay, next is…”

As we went through the adaptation training step by step, it was already 6:30 PM.

Time for dinner.

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard. It wasn’t too tough, was it?”

“It was a breeze~”

“It was more like a relaxing vacation, man.”

The seniors grinned, looking completely at ease.

Their faces were so fresh and clean.

Back in Korea, we’d be sweating buckets and dying around this time.

“From now until the competition starts, we’ll only do this kind of light training. Starting tomorrow, we’ll even cut that in half.”

“If training is cut in half, what will we do with the rest of the time?”

“What else? We’ll have strategy meetings. We couldn’t do them in Korea because the schedule was delayed.”

“Ah, right.”

Due to the aftermath of the Baekryeong Island incident, we hadn’t been able to hold any strategy meetings.

“We’ll also do simulation training while we’re at it.”

“Ooh.”

I created a simulation of the Olympiad based on the information I had gathered.

By having everyone learn from this, I plan to minimize mistakes and ensure a 100% understanding of the strategy’s key points.

“And from 8 PM to 10:30 PM is free time. Of course, anything that puts a strain on your body, like training, is prohibited. Well, I don’t need to explain how to rest during this free time, right? You all know how to relax, don’t you?”

The seniors each gave their own version of an OK sign.

Well, everyone has their own ideas about how to manage their condition, so they’ll probably do well.

“Well, there are a few more things to announce, but everyone must be hungry, so I’ll announce them later in the group chat.”

“Ooh!”

The seniors’ eyes lit up.

The hotel we were staying at had meals as delicious as its facilities, so everyone had been eagerly waiting for this time.

“Then, we’re dismissed. I’ll see you all at 9 AM tomorrow.”

“Good work!”

“See you tomorrow!”

“Let’s go eat!”

The seniors rushed towards the dining hall. They’re so mature in other ways, but in this aspect, they’re just like students.

“Let’s go too.”

Soonchan got up from his seat and approached me. Adela followed behind him.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Just as we were about to head to the dining hall.

“Shin Hayul.”

Jung Sua approached us.

She looked like she had something to say.

“The schedule for visiting the Red Magic Tower has been set.”

“Oh.”

“Wow.”

Adela and I exclaimed at the same time.

“When is it?”

“The visit is tomorrow. The time is 2:30 PM. We should leave here at 1 PM, so please eat lunch as quickly as possible and get ready.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“They said that others can come along, so please inform them as well.”

As if she had said everything she needed to, Jung Sua bowed her head and turned away from us.

Even her departing figure was very cool.

“The Red Magic Tower… I’m already looking forward to it.”

“Yes, me too.”

The Red Magic Tower, known as the largest and best-equipped among the 12 existing magic towers.

What kind of utopia will unfold inside?

* * *

10 PM that night.

It was the time when everyone was resting in their rooms, focusing on their condition.

I went out for a short walk.

‘Do they maintain this place every day?’

The garden within the hotel grounds.

The flower beds and trees, well-groomed by the gardener, were harmoniously arranged.

Looking at the cross-section of the cut branches, they seemed to have been cut just this morning. I wondered if they were taking extra care because we had arrived, or if they did this every day.

If it’s every day, it must be really hard.

Instead of admiring the beautiful scenery of the garden, I was filled with such trivial thoughts.

I guess I’m not a very romantic person.

As I was thinking this, I arrived at the gazebo in the center of the garden and encountered an unexpected guest.

“Hello.”

Adela. She must have been taking a walk before bed, just like me. She was sitting in the gazebo, wearing only a coat over her pajamas.

“Do you have any worries?”

I sat down next to Adela and asked casually.

“No. Do I look like I have any worries?”

Adela glanced at me and then looked up at the sky again.

The sky was full of stars.

Perhaps because there were no other residential areas near the hotel, there was no light pollution.

The starlight shone exceptionally brightly.

“You do have worries.”

Adela has a habit of taking walks when she has worries.

Sometimes she takes a walk to change her mood when something isn’t going well.

But if she’s walking quietly at night and looking up at the night sky like today, she’s 100% worried about something.

“……”

Adela turned to me with a somewhat sentimental expression.

“Tell me. Maybe I can help.”

With an important competition less than a week away, it wouldn’t do for Adela, a key member of our team, to be preoccupied with worries and not be able to perform at 100%.

Even if that weren’t the case, as a friend, I wanted to listen to my friend’s concerns.

“…It’s really nothing.”

Adela looked up at the sky again.

She looked like she had something on her mind.

“What is it? Is there a problem with your magic? Or is there a senior who’s making you uncomfortable?”

“No. It’s nothing like that.”

Adela waved her hand, denying it. It definitely didn’t seem like that.

“Or maybe, since Soonchan is growing so rapidly, you’re feeling impatient?”

Soonchan’s recent rise has been tremendous. Maybe Adela is feeling impatient because of that.

“…Impatient? Why would I be impatient when a friend is growing?”

Adela tilted her head as if she didn’t understand my words at all.

It didn’t seem like that either.

“Never mind then.”

It seems like she doesn’t have the emotion of jealousy.

Did all the stats that would have gone to jealousy go to magic instead?

“Then what is it?”

It’s not a concern about magic.

It’s not a concern about relationships. Then what could it be?

“…You won’t laugh, right?”

Adela fidgeted with her fingers and lowered her head.

“I won’t laugh. Do I look like someone who would laugh at someone’s serious concerns?”

“……”

Adela stared straight into my eyes. I could see a strange sense of desolation and despair in her eyes.

She definitely seemed to be having a huge problem.

“…Then I’ll trust you and tell you.”

“Okay. Tell me.”

I waited for Adela’s next words with a serious face.

“Do you know? In America…”

Adela’s expression suddenly darkened.

“They don’t have banana milk.”

“…What?”

I was momentarily stunned.

What did I just hear?

“What’s missing?”

Did I hear wrong?

“Banana milk.”

“……”

I heard it right.

“What should I do? If it’s not there…”

“Cough.”

Adela was worrying with a serious expression. I couldn’t help but laugh at her.

“Ah, you said you wouldn’t laugh!”

Adela shouted with a flushed face.

“I’m serious. If it’s not there, my magic utilization will decrease by about 14.7%.”

“…Ah, that, cough. Really?”

I desperately tried to hold back my laughter. The fact that it was 14.7% and not just 15% was the funny part.

Adela’s expression became even more sulky.

“That’s it. I’m going.”

Adela got up from her seat with a pouty face.

“Sorry. It was such an unexpected concern that I couldn’t help but laugh.”

Adela looked at me with narrowed eyes. Her expression seemed to say, ‘I’m this serious, and you’re laughing?’

“No. Listen carefully. First of all, Adela, they sell banana milk in America too.”

“…Really?”

Adela’s eyes widened.

Her dilated pupils trembled.

“T-They sell it?”

“Yeah. There’s a place called a Korean market in America, and you can find almost anything there.”

Adela was speechless with shock. Then, she soon let out a sigh of relief.

She was genuinely relieved by the fact that she could have banana milk.

“Ah.”

But her relief was short-lived.

Adela’s expression soon turned red with anger and embarrassment.

“Hee-yoon unnie… [Unnie is a Korean term used by a female to address an older female friend or sister]!”

It seemed that Jin Hee-yoon was the one who told Adela that there was no banana milk in America.

Adela bit her lip as if she was frustrated and turned around.

“…I’ll go first.”

“Okay. Go in.”

Adela, with her ears flushed red, walked away with heavy steps.

She was probably going to Jin Hee-yoon’s room.

“Hehe.”

I laughed again at Adela’s clumsy side.

It’s been a while since I laughed so much.

* * *

The next day at lunch.

We arrived at the Red Magic Tower at the scheduled time.

“Wow…”

“What is this place?”

As we entered the Red Magic Tower, exclamations burst out from the group simultaneously.

“What is this place? Is it a spaceship?”

“So this is the Red Magic Tower… It’s amazing.”

The cutting-edge facilities were one thing, but the interior design was unique.

It felt like we had stepped directly into a sci-fi movie.

It was natural for everyone to be amazed.

I was also very surprised.

“Please wait here for a moment. I’ll go and fill out the visitor forms.”

“Yes.”

Jung Sua bowed her head and headed to the computer for visitor form completion.

For reference, there wasn’t a single person in the lobby of the Red Magic Tower. There were only 10 computers and an AI guide robot.

As expected of a facility where the highest authority in artificial intelligence magic was the tower master, everything was automated.

“Jisu, unnie was wrong. I won’t play such pranks again.”

As I was observing the surrounding scenery, I noticed Adela and Jin Hee-yoon.

“Please forgive me just once. Huh? Unnie was wrong.”

“Is there anything that you did wrong, senior? It’s all my fault for being so serious.”

Adela’s expression was very cold.

She even called her ‘senior’ instead of ‘unnie’. She seemed to be very upset.

“…Why are those two like that?”

Soonchan quietly approached me and whispered.

“Hee-yoon senior seems to have played a prank on Adela.”

“A prank? Adela is acting like that just because of a prank?”

Soonchan tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand.

“Well, maybe she stole her banana milk or something?”

“Hmm. It was something worse than that.”

“Oof…”

Soonchan shuddered for a moment.

“I shouldn’t get close to those two today. I might get splash damage.”

Soonchan shook his body and looked away from Adela and Jin Hee-yoon.

I also glanced at Jin Hee-yoon’s attempt to act cute towards Adela one last time, then completely lost interest.

It would be a headache to get caught up in it.

“By the way, the interior here is insane. It’s beyond cutting-edge.”

“They say they’re focusing on researching the mechanization and automation of magic these days. That’s why the interior is like this.”

“So that’s why it’s so mecha-like.”

“Right.”

As Soonchan said, it was very mechanical.

“But it’s funny to ask this now, but is it okay for us to be here at this time?”

“Why?”

“Well, this is Dahlia Salentia’s base.”

Dahlia Salentia.

A 5th circle user belonging to the American team, and renowned as the next tower master of the Red Magic Tower.

In other words, this is enemy territory, if you think about it.

“So what? It’s not like we’re going to use magic here. It’s just a simple tour.”

“I guess. It doesn’t really matter.”

Soonchan nodded as if he was quickly convinced.

“But it’s a pretty interesting setup.”

“What is?”

“This Olympiad. It’s practically become a proxy war between the three magic towers.”

The Green Magic Tower, with Kyle Bentia as their next tower master candidate.

The Red Magic Tower, with Dahlia Salentia as their next tower master candidate.

And me, who is receiving massive support from the Blue Magic Tower.

As Soonchan said, this Olympiad has become a three-way battle between Blue, Green, and Red.

“I wonder if the tower masters are even betting on this?”

“I don’t think Kim Kang-in would do something like betting?”

“Hmm. Maybe not? I guess.”

That’s when it happened.

“All three of you. They’ve already placed their bets.”

The entrance opened with a loud noise, like Iron Man transforming.

A woman came out from inside.

A woman with long red hair, who looked to be about my age.

“Thanks to you, I’m getting scolded in real-time. They said they won’t let me off if I don’t win.”

A woman with an aura as if she was wearing passion all over her body.

“Aren’t you being too harsh on your disciple? Does the Blue Magic Tower master also treat their disciple like that?”

Dahlia Salentia.

She approached us with a confident smile.