Chapter 1 Part 26: People Are The Enemy

“Alice, why are you so late?

You promised to come back quickly.”

Objectively speaking, the one at fault was Aslan.

He starts a conversation, gets angry all by himself, and ends it all by himself.

Communication requires interaction to happen, but someone like Aslan, who only thinks of himself, couldn’t possibly manage that.

But it was strange, Alice frowned.

“Are you listening to me, Alice?”

Why did I feel like I was the one at fault?

I just stood there and even got cursed at.

I was told he didn’t like me, but I didn’t feel bad at all.

That was the amazing thing about Aslan.

Even when he spoke roughly with no filter, you just let it slide and moved on.

It was night and day compared to Clam, who could grind people into the mud without using a single harsh word.

“Alice?”

That was why Alice held Aslan’s qualities in high regard.

What I mentioned earlier was one merit, but the fact that he held no grudges also played a part.

No matter how bad things got, once the day passed, it was over.

He never brought it up again or nitpicked.

“Alice!”

The fact that Aslan showed such blatant hostility towards him meant…

No, did he forget what he himself just said a moment ago?

If he really hated me, he wouldn’t have talked to me at all.

If that were the case…

A look of relief dawned on Alice’s face.

‘He neither likes me, nor dislikes me.’

That changed things.

It would be okay even if it wasn’t resolved right away.

As long as he didn’t dislike me, there was plenty of room to improve the relationship.

This was the Magic Tower, a place where mages lived under one roof.

Starting a fight brought nothing good.

It just made you the talk of the town and made work uncomfortable.

Just imagining it was horrifying.

“Alice!”

After all, good relationships made life easier.

Being hated by people you lived with…

Alice covered his ears and stepped back.

The basket was about to fall clumsily to the floor, but Asher was faster.

Asher’s tail whipped out and snatched the basket.

“Sorry for shouting.”

Whenever his tail swayed, the basket shook along with it.

Asher stood on his tiptoes, trying to meet Alice’s eyes, then gave up.

“But I couldn’t help it, Alice was acting weird.”

“…Huh?”

Alice didn’t understand.

Frustrated by his clueless reaction, Asher brought a mirror.

“Your face is white.

Just like snow.”

“Ah…”

Asher’s words were true.

Alice’s face in the mirror looked like it had aged ten years in that short time.

Alice touched his face with his palm.

Asher took food out of the basket and asked.

“Did something happen?”

“No.

It’s nothing, just…”

Trailing off, Alice plopped down onto the floor.

“Social life is so hard.”

As expected, quitting was the answer.

Alice buried his face in his knees.

And instinctively, he sensed how today would end.

Today was definitely going to be a beer ending.

***

“Is that person going to be okay?

He’s been drinking non-stop for hours.”

“Shh.

If he looks even slightly unwell, let’s send him straight to the doctor.”

The waitstaff, carrying food and beer, glanced anxiously at the corner table.

Having thrown off his robe as soon as he left the Magic Tower, Alice was downing alcohol at a frightening pace.

Once his mood got gloomy, bad memories came flooding out in chunks.

Gloom was like a swamp.

If you let your guard down even a little, you’d never escape.

Looking down at the table, Alice muttered.

“…I’m both pitiful and pathetic.”

When you dig in to figure out the cause of your own pitiful state, you eventually realize the problem is your pathetic self.

So Alice had no choice but to pity himself and loathe himself at the same time.

When he was young, he never knew pity and loathing were such close emotions.

Alice touched his glass with his finger.

“Ah, if I keep this up, my mind will really become impoverished.”

Before falling completely into the swamp, he had to force himself to think happy thoughts or divert his attention elsewhere.

Alice closed his eyes.

Okay, calmly, let’s recall some good memories.

Surely there are as many good memories as bad ones.

So don’t hate yourself or think yourself so pathetic…

‘Mom’s late today.

You clean up and feed your siblings on your own.’

‘This is all because we trust you.

You’re busy studying too, but you can manage this much, right?’

‘Don’t try to stand shoulder to shoulder with us, commoner.

Do you think just anyone can become a mage?’

Thump.

Alice slammed his beer glass down roughly.

Was it sweat or tears streaming down his face?

Alice cried out.

“As expected, I’m pitiful…!

And pathetic…!”

How could one’s fate be so wretched?

What made it more unfair was that he just took it back then.

If he could go back to those times now, he could use his social skills and refute them satisfactorily at least once.

Whenever a problem arose, the solution never came to mind until after the situation was over.

If the solution had come to mind back then, his life would probably be different now.

Just as Alice was holding his head in agony, a man approached.

“Excuse me, are you alone?”

Alice looked up at the man blankly.

“If you’re alone, would you like to…”

Still with a blank face, Alice said.

“Oh my, can you see me?”

“Huh?”

As the man also went blank, Alice suddenly stood up.

“To ordinary people, I should be invisible…!”

“What the, is this guy crazy?!”

Startled, the man didn’t even reply and ran away.

Normally, he would have refused politely, but he was in such a bad mood that he impulsively pretended to be crazy.

Alice refilled his glass with beer.

“I have no guts, no creativity, and no luck.”

A life truly born with nothing.

Just as Alice was about to down his beer again.

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Who was that?

Alice’s hand stopped.

He looked around.

But it was full of strangers.

“Of course, I admit you have no guts and no luck.

But you have plenty of creativity.”

This voice, it was scarily familiar.

Alice stood up completely.

But the result was the same this time too.

Had he finally gone crazy from being too tired?

Alice pinched his own cheek.

“Wow.

I didn’t expect to be chased out by someone imitating a ghost.”

It hurt.

A lot.

Which meant…

Goosebumps erupted all over his body.

Dreading the answer, Alice slowly looked up.

An amethyst earring dangled in the air.

The saying that suspicions could kill a man was true.

“Did you see that guy’s face just now?

It was hilarious.”

His hair flowed downwards, revealing his white forehead.

Clam was hanging upside down from the ceiling light.

The moment their eyes met, Clam winked.

“Beautiful evening, isn’t it, Senior☆”

Why are you popping out from there…?

Alice froze solid.

“Get down quickly…!

You can’t be seen by others!”

“Your reaction is too dry, Senior.”

Oocha.

Clam landed softly on the floor like a cat.

“I was hoping for a reaction like

[Amazing, Clam! Where did you appear from?] or [How did you know I was here?!]”

“…From the start, I’m a mage too, so what do you expect?”

“A junior always wants to surprise their senior.

Don’t you know that, Senior, a master of social life?”

“That’s just you, so of course I don’t know.”

Clam sat down in the opposite seat very naturally.

Alice nervously glanced at the people around him.

Fortunately, he came down right away, so no one saw Clam hanging from the ceiling light.

“Are you keeping your junior for stew?

Why are you drinking alone, Senior?”

Everyone could see Clam’s dazzling appearance.

As Clam swept his hair back, everyone gasped.

Within just three seconds of appearing, Clam captured everyone’s attention.

People openly whispered about Clam.

“Who’s that person?

When did he appear?”

“That’s not important.

Look at that robe.

That’s definitely…”

“A mage?

And from the Magic Tower?!”

Their voices grew loud enough for Alice sitting opposite to hear, but Clam didn’t bat an eye.

Of course he was used to it.

From a young age, Clam received primary attention for his dazzling looks inherited from his mother, and after becoming a mage, he received secondary attention, called the “Fairy of the Magic Tower.”

“As expected, mages are different from us.

They shine just by appearing.”

No, even for a mage, it’s impossible to shine just by appearing.

Of course, you could create a halo with magic, but normally you don’t shine like that just from looks.

That guy is exceptionally different.

Thinking that, Alice asked the waiter to bring one more glass.

Meanwhile, Clam quietly listened to the praises about himself, then suddenly winked.

People blushed and admired him.

“He’s like a fairy!

So cute!”

Hmph.

Clam fiddled with his earring and even waved his hand.

What’s gotten into him?

Even Alice admired it.

“Your service is amazing today of all days.”

“Today I’m in a good mood because I met you, Senior.”

Mages are always beings that inspire fantasies in people.

In that sense, Clam suggested to Alice.

“How about you inspire some fantasies in people too, Senior?”

“I don’t particularly want to.”

“What do you mean, still, a little…”

Clam couldn’t finish his sentence as he scanned the table.

Clam’s face turned serious.