Chapter 5 - Tutorial Start 05

Han Se-ah gazed admiringly at the wooden sliding door that opened automatically while I headed straight to the counter. Translucent drones were busy flying around, filming the lobby of the Magic Tower branch, which was full of automatic doors and various magical artifacts.

Despite being a Magic Tower branch, the lobby looked no different from the Adventurers Guild.

There was a counter, a beauty receptionist, and many people sitting at tables who came to work at the Magic Tower. The only thing that seemed different was that there were no dirty papers stuck to the request board and the people sitting at the tables were quiet.

"What brings you here?" asked the blonde beauty sitting at the counter.

It was unclear whether the high-ranking members of the various factions had a blonde fetish, or if it was the result of NPC modeling and rewriting at the game company.

"I want to have a wizard qualifications test done."

"Is it for her?" asked the beauty receptionist , looking at Han Se-ah immediately and not me, as if she knew my face.

I had been coming and going for requests so many times that it was a bit convenient at times like this. As soon as I slid a gold coin across the counter, she started to write something down.

Meanwhile, Han Se-ah witnessed me handing over the coin and receiving the documents through the camera and came running over.

"Uh… Does the test cost money?"

"Yes, you need to pay for the test reagent to determine your magical aptitude and a reward for the wizard who will help you," replied the receptionist.

If the beauty in the Adventurer's Guild, Ellis, was a bubbly beauty, this one was a sharp-eyed and dominant beauty. The receptionist, who spoke as if it was a given, tapped a gadget that looked like a horn speaker on the counter and whispered softly., "There is a customer who wants to take the aptitude test."

The gap between the Adventurers Guild and the Magic Tower was enormous. The country bumpkins who smelled of horse poop often misread the words on old parchment, but the tower used magic items that looked like microphones and speakers.

Han Se-ah also felt that, and she looked at the magic device inside the counter with twinkling eyes, completely ignoring the receptionists rude behavior.

"You can go up to the second floor through there,"

The receptionist gestured softly and pointed to the stairs behind the counter while Han Se-ah's eyes sparkled.

Perhaps because of her desire to become a wizard, Han Se-ah nodded quietly and quickly headed to the stairs.

"Excuse me, Mr. Roland?"

"Yes?"

"Well, about the examination fee…."

Han Se-ah, who was leading the way up the stairs, slowed down her steps and talked to me. As a senior adventurer, it was a small sum of money to spend on drinking and snacks, but for a novice adventurer, gold coins were something that could not be earned even if they risked their life. Even if one didn't have basic knowledge of the game, a big gold coin would still feel expensive.

"I won't ask you to pay me back, so don't worry," I reassured her.

"Oh, really? Isn't this too much of a burden for you?"

After 30 minutes of playing the game, she looked pale as if she felt like she was in debt. Instead of staring at a boring staircase, I answered with a slight smile as I looked in the direction of the drone filming by my side.

"If Hannah has the potential to become a wizard, then it's worth the cost of recruiting talent. And if she doesn't, she can become a senior adventurer later and help beginners like me, so there's no loss."

"I see, thank you." she replied with gratitude.

As I walked up the stairs while receiving thanks, I saw a clean corridor and neat wooden doors. Only one door was open, making it easy to know where to go. Walking down the hall and into the open door, revealed a very simple room.

There was a desk and two chairs placed alone in the middle of the empty room without any decorations. A wizard with a silver tray and glasses was sitting at the desk.

"Go ahead. I'll wait out here"

"Yes!"

There was only one chair in front of the desk, so I stopped by the door and stepped aside so that Han Se-ah could go inside. She clenched her fists tightly, seeming nervous about standing at the crossroads of whether or not she could become a wizard.

As soon as she made a fighting pose with her fists clenched, I could feel the translucent drone capturing both her and me at the same time. Even though I didn't know her gaming skills, I could feel that her broadcasting skills were professional level.

With a kind and encouraging senior and a rookie full of fighting spirit, wouldn't viewers of the broadcast be able to accept them comfortably without bias? If someone hates both kind and hardworking people to the point of attacking them, they must be a seed of hatred that hates everything in the world.

'A wizard would be nice if possible.'

A party that consists of a heavy armored knight in the front and a mage in the back. If you consider balance, you can bring an archer for exploration and a priest for recovery, and it's also possible to add another mage to enhance firepower. On the other hand, it's a combination that can expand infinitely under the premise that I participate in the party.

"Ooh, kiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

While I was devising combinations in my head, a loud scream suddenly came from the room. Even though I knew that there couldn't be anything happening inside the tower, I was still startled and rushed in after opening the door. How could I not be nervous when the first clue to escaping this other world in 10 years is screaming?

Of course, there wasn't any danger.

All I could see was the wizard looking at Han Se-ah coldly, and Han Se-ah, who had both arms raised excitedly. But upon seeing me rush in, Han Se-ah's ecstatic face grew embarrassed as if she understood the situation.

"…What's going on?"

"Congratulations, Ms. Hannah seems to have quite a talent for magic."

"Oh, I see. Thank you."

"Yes, with this, the inspection is complete. If you have any intention of walking the path of magic instead of the path of an adventurer, please feel free to come to the tower at any time."

"Hey, uh, I'm sorry…?"

Han Se-ah, who was smiling and flailing around like a dolphin next to me, finally composed herself and apologized to the wizard who had a professional and composed attitude.

"It's all right. I've been through so many disturbances from people who couldn't accept that they don't have the talent for magic, so screams of joy like this is quite cute."

Her cheeks burned red as she realized that she had become something like a complainant at a government office. Her eyes were busy moving sideways, and her mouth was wiggling, so she must have been listening to her viewers.

The wizard of the Magic Tower, known for being sharp-tongued, ended up being kind to Han Se-ah after taking a good look at her. Perhaps it's because of Han Se-ah's appearance. Disregarding the wizard's disappointed persuasion, Han Se-ah, with her cheeks still flushed, rushed down the stairs and out of the building.

※

"There are two paths for those who have the potential to become a wizard."

"…two?"

After catching up with her, I naturally set my feet to be caught together by the camera drone and then began to explain kindly to her, whose face was still beet-red.

"The first is to enter the tower, as the wizard just said. By doing so, you can have a more detailed examination to accurately determine your potential and then receive education under the command of a wizard suitable for your potential. It has a similar relationship to the servant of a knight or the apprentice of a blacksmith."

"Then the second one is an adventurer, right?"

"Yes, the other way is to become an adventurer. You develop your skills through actual combat in the tower, not in the lab, and the magical knowledge you don't know is obtained by buying it with the money you earn from adventuring. For the Magic Tower, it's okay to join, but even if you don't, you will become their customer."

A person with excellent wizarding qualities has no choice but to become a VIP customer of the tower due to their growth, even if they do not enter the tower. Conversely, people who are not excellent in quality are only office slaves if they join the Magic Tower, and even if they become adventurers, they have little purchasing power due to their mediocrity.

The reason why they dismiss someone with excellent qualities is due to financial interests, so it seems that they are pursuing profits to the bone rather than pursuing learning.

"So, Hannah, what are you going to do?"

"What? … Of course, I'll be an adventurer. That's why I came to this city!"

After cooling her cheeks with hand fanning, she looks at me and smiles a little. Well, it's a question not worth asking if you know she's a broadcaster. After hearing the obvious question, Han Se-ah spoke up with a smile.

"And why don't you speak informally? …because you're my senior!"

As she spoke, she extended her hand.

"Okay, got it." I replied.

Was she asking for a handshake? As I shake her hand, a message window suddenly appeared in front of my eyes.

[Join forces with broadcaster 'Han Se-ah' and form a party 1/1 ※ CLEAR]

[Reward: Access to Han Se-ah's broadcasting station]

Access to a broadcasting station? What's this about?