Chapter 1 Part 12: People Are The Enemy

The pen rolled out of my hand.

A wave of self-loathing washed over me.

Covering my face, I muttered.

“Who forgets how to work just from taking a little break?”

Right here, that’s who…

Answering my own question, I stared at the innocent ceiling.

Still, no words came to mind.

But the more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

I wrote observation logs often even while I was studying.

I wrote them well back then, so why couldn’t I write now?

Pondering the difference between then and now, I finally realized.

“Nothing gets done during work hours anyway.”

Honestly.

There were better things to forget.

Like the most important thing.

Plus, even when I was at the academy, I had trouble concentrating during class.

How did I even endure back then?

Back then, I couldn’t rest for even two hours, let alone two years.

Lost in thought for a moment, I pulled myself together.

Right, compared to back then, this was nothing.

I picked up the pen again.

My hand moved much faster than before.

‘The child is extremely sensitive.

So sensitive that he injured my hand…’

Ah, what do I even write?

I really have nothing to say.

What should I eat for dinner tonight?

What should I do after work?

I want to go home and lie down quickly.

Lying down is the best.

Blanket friend, pillow friend, gather around.

Always happy.

Yoreong yoreong yororong…

The self-loathing washed over me again.

And so, for twenty minutes, I wrote according to the flow of my consciousness.

Unaware that, at some point, the child was watching me.

***

“Done.”

After one final review, I closed the notebook.

After numerous trials and errors, a proper observation log was complete.

I could probably do it like this from now on.

I slid down and lay on the floor.

Even if no one else was around, I shouldn’t be doing this.

Anyone seeing me would point out my poor work attitude.

But I just couldn’t muster the strength.

Just five minutes like this.

This job was way too intense.

More precisely, it wasn’t the work itself, but the colleagues I worked with that were the problem.

The commotion earlier was practically caused by Aslan.

It was still vivid in my mind.

The dazed look in Aslan’s eyes.

Thinking about that look, I couldn’t be angry at Aslan.

I’d never seen eyes like that before.

How could I be angry?

If he hadn’t been so dazed…

“Wait.”

I sat bolt upright.

Had I ever been angry at Aslan?

I couldn’t recall anything.

What about the other mages?

What about Clam, whose nickname three years ago was “Crazy Fairy”?

Again, nothing came to mind.

Whenever incidents happened, I always made excuses and let things slide: “They’ve already been scolded enough by others, I don’t want to add to it,” “He must be feeling bad too,” “Anyone can make mistakes.”

It was no wonder my nickname was “Official Pushover.”

I buried my face in the floor.

“…What time is it now?”

It was probably time to head back.

The pocket watch slipped through my fingers.

It rolled across the floor and flopped over helplessly.

Thanks to the sunlight streaming through the window, the gem in its lid sparkled with rainbow colors.

Beneath the table, the child’s red eyes also sparkled.

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

At my voice, the child quickly turned his head away.

He seemed to be pretending not to notice.

I reached for the watch but couldn’t quite reach it.

Too lazy to get up, I groped around on the floor for a bit before burying my face again.

“Do you know what a birthstone is?”

The child still had his head turned away, but I could instinctively tell he was listening.

“It’s a gem that symbolizes the month you were born.

For mages, it’s the most precious gem of all.”

Because it allows you to handle mana efficiently.

Eventually, I got up and grabbed the pocket watch.

Most mages use staves with their birthstones embedded.

Staves are tools optimized for handling mana.

The barrier to entry is low, so anyone can use them.

That’s why academies, designed to teach large numbers, strongly encourage staff use.

Everything they teach is about handling mana using staves.

So even after graduation, they naturally continue using staves.

But the mages of the Magic Tower are different.

The moment you enter the Magic Tower, you discard your existing knowledge.

And you develop new ways of handling mana that suit your own style and preferences.

You choose a tool that fits that method and embed your birthstone in it.

I grabbed the thin chain attached to the pocket watch and let it dangle.

The watch swayed back and forth, the gem sparkling from different angles.

“My birthstone is opal.

This tool has a white opal embedded in it.”

I caressed the watch.

For your information, Aslan’s is garnet, and Clam’s is amethyst.

I recalled Clam’s earring and Aslan’s leather gloves.

The child slowly crept out.

“You can touch it if you want.”

I held the watch out closer.

Long claws touched the watch’s surface.

The child examined it this way and that, then opened the lid.

Tick-tock, the hands moved smoothly.

The child’s mouth fell open.

Such an innocent and bright expression.

The corners of my mouth rose on their own.

“Finally showing me your face.”

The child looked up at me.

I smiled brightly.

“Your eyes are pretty too, like jewels.”

His tail shot straight up as if burned.

Huh?

My eyes widened.

The child scrambled to turn around.

He seemed to be trying to get back under the table.

I carefully suggested.

“A little slower…”

Thud.

Before I could even finish, the child smacked his face hard against the table leg.

Oh dear, I’d inadvertently startled him again.

Feeling sorry, I scratched my head.

He grunted for a moment with his face buried in his knees, then fell silent.

I, who had been watching for a chance to heal him, grew puzzled.

He didn’t faint, did he?

It didn’t look like he hit it that hard.

Like the child had done earlier, I crawled towards the table.

The child’s state came into view.

Closed eyes, soft breathing, body wrapped in his tail.

Anyone could see he was asleep.

The tension drained from me.

All that wariness, and now this?

Isn’t this too defenseless?

What if I were a bad person?

“Maybe I should cover him with a blanket…”

I reached out my hand towards the child, then hesitated.

He didn’t like being touched.

I decided to use magic instead.

I clapped my hands lightly, and several soft orange butterflies appeared in the air.

The butterflies fluttered around the child.

Whenever they flapped their wings, a wave of warm air could be felt.

This magic was the best for chilly weather.

Checking my pocket watch, I set the magic to last for three hours.

“Good night.”

I whispered and closed the door.

Contrary to my worries, the day had ended safely.

As long as you didn’t provoke him, the child didn’t provoke you either.

In fact, he was calmer than my human younger cousins.

How did he end up being so wary of the mages?

There must be a story behind why he came to be called a beast.

Lost in thought, stroking my chin, the elevator arrived.

“Oh, Ms. Hilipa.”

As the elevator doors opened, a familiar face appeared.

Ms. Hilipa, standing there with a worried expression, was startled to see me.

When I politely greeted her as usual, she became even more surprised.

“What brings you here?

Did you come because you were worried about me?”

Ms. Hilipa stepped out of the elevator.

Then she circled around me.

“Clothes are fine, robe is clean, no injuries at all.”

“…Yes?”

“And most importantly.”

Ms. Hilipa’s hand grabbed my face.

My head naturally tilted down.

Ms. Hilipa pushed up her glasses and observed my face intently.

“You don’t look tired at all.”

“…Is that a bad thing?”

“Did you treat your wounds before coming out?”

I showed her my now-uninjured palm.

“I did treat them, but they were very light wounds.

Just a slight scratch?”

“That’s all you got hurt?”

…Surely she didn’t want me to be more hurt.

When I looked at her with wounded eyes, Ms. Hilipa quickly waved her hands.

“No, no, I’m just surprised.

I thought the child would go crazy on a stranger.”

“He’s calmer than the other mages, actually.”

At my pointed remark, Ms. Hilipa raised her hands.

And then she started clapping.

“As expected of Alice.”

Clap, clap, the sound of applause echoed in the hallway.

Good thing I closed the door before coming out.

If I hadn’t, the clapping might have scared him again.

“The dignity of the number one in mission success rate doesn’t go away.”

I wondered when she was talking about.

It’s not like I go on missions anymore.

Just as I thought that, Ms. Hilipa took something out of her pocket.

“Then I guess you won’t need this.

Brought it for nothing.”

“What is it?”

“Energy potions.

In case you were tired.”

My hand instinctively grabbed the potion.

“Who would refuse something free?

And I am plenty tired.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Thank you.

I’ll drink it well.”

Ms. Hilipa let go.

I sipped the energy potion like a soft drink.

This sweet lemon flavor, it gave me a temporary energy boost.

How great would it be if there was an energy potion that lasted 24 hours?

I heard someone was developing one before I quit.

There’s been no news, so I guess there’s no progress.

Ms. Hilipa looked around.

“By the way, where are Clam and Aslan?

Don’t tell me they’re skipping out?”

“No, I told them to leave.”

They were just getting in the way.

I was surprised too.

I knew they wouldn’t be helpful, but I didn’t expect them to be this unhelpful.

As my expression soured, Ms. Hilipa nodded in understanding.

“So you said the child didn’t resist.

Then they didn’t need to step in and subdue him.”

“Tell the other mages not to check up either, please.”

“Understood.

They might be a bit unhappy with me changing my tune in just one day… but if that’s what Alice wants.”

I’d drunk so little and the bottle was already empty.

I wanted another one, but drinking too much is bad for you.