Chapter 74

◈ Chapter 74. It's Just a Rumor (1)

─The Weight of the Chief (Repetition)▲

●Proceed with the verification at the Topaz Hall. (Success)

●Successfully hold the regular academic conference. (In progress)……

An event at the Magic Tower.

The regular academic conference is about to begin.

I don't know how it will be for other players,

But for me, the regular academic conference is an event of utmost importance.

"Is it already this time?"

Why, let's recall the last regular academic conference.

Even back then, when I knew nothing, I had learned useful magic just by participating in the conference, including Marcello's advanced magic, [『Odd』].

Such regular academic conferences at the Magic Tower were,

For me, large-scale events that could enhance my magical level……!

"New knowledge always stimulates interest."

Yes, this time, I can't help but agree with this pretense.

Most importantly, I now have a concrete reason to tackle the rift.

It means I need to dive into the rift more actively.

Especially into the rifts that boast a considerable appropriate level.

‘If my level is insufficient, I need to make up for it in other ways.’

That's why I can't help but look forward to it.

‘In that sense, it's good news.’

Of course, my situation has changed from the first regular academic conference.

As the quest indicates,

I am now a co-researcher with Marcello,

And I have to bear the weight of the chief.

"I need to show a demeanor befitting that role."

Grandpa Granfel is someone who is accustomed to weight and position.

Thanks to him, as soon as the arduous physical training ended,

I headed straight to my desk without a proper rest.

I reached out to the neatly stacked magic books on the desk.

Yes, these heavy magic books are,

The weight I need to bear.

"A broader understanding is necessary."

The research presented at the regular academic conference.

All magic is of a high level and new, having undergone verification.

Since I have a weight to bear, I can't afford to casually observe anything, unlike in the past.

In other words, the noble pride does not intend to treat the efforts of the presenters lightly.

Swoosh─

……In the end, it seems I'm the one who will be exhausted this time too.

Somehow, I can't even remember the last time I visited my dorm room.

The research lab at the Magic Tower.

↓

Frost.

↓

The office of the Yusra Kingdom.

↓

Back to the research lab at the Magic Tower……

It's not just a feeling; I really only go to those three places.

If this is the case, it would be better to move altogether.

After a brief sigh,

"Enough with the distractions."

Rustle─

I opened the magic book.

Despite my complaints, I focused to a terrifying degree.

The book I was examining so intently was none other than one about 'miracle herbs.'

The preliminary verification at the Topaz Hall.

The few research projects I approved.

One of them was a study on the cultivation method of miracle herbs.

"Interesting."

It was a field unfamiliar even to the Magic Tower.

Naturally, it was unfamiliar to me as well.

But who is Granfel?

He is not someone who would present an unfamiliar topic at a regular academic conference.

I was responsible for approving that research.

In the end, I had to bear the weight of that responsibility.

‘There are so many related topics.’

Healing, pharmacology, manufacturing……

How can there be so many things to memorize?

If it weren't for Granfel's talent, I would have given up long ago. Really.

But everything depends on one's mindset.

‘If you can't avoid it.’

Yes, enjoy it.

Dream of a happy future.

The cultivation method of miracle herbs.

That research will become valuable elixirs and potions in the future.

I might as well try a cup of tea.

Of course, while my mind had just resigned itself, my body was already enjoying it.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Swoosh─

In the lab, the sound of flipping pages was all that could be heard.

*

Beep─

I changed the channel.

-It is difficult to even measure the value of player Lee Ho-yeol, who is associated with the Gaon Guild……

Beep─

-Debates over the message that appeared in the Quirnberg Machine Tower rift continue. The key to solving it is, of course, player Lee Ho-yeol……

Beep─

-The skill to freely move the mechanical device shown here. Despite searching for all kinds of players and classes, no player with such a skill could be found……

No matter how many channels I changed, the stories about Lee Ho-yeol were in full swing.

"Sigh."

Mrs. Choi Gang-hee sighed deeply as if the floor would cave in.

With this, she couldn't even make excuses.

"What, his face appears on TV as soon as it's turned on."

Honestly, she saw her son's face more often than her husband's.

Snip─

Mr. Choi Jun-wook was cutting something out with concentration.

"Are you cutting out the newspaper again?"

"Huh? It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. Every time his name appears in the newspaper, you take out your scissors."

"Hehe. It's not like that."

Despite his denial, his smile reached his ears.

Cutting out newspaper articles.

As Mrs. Choi Gang-hee said, it was Mr. Choi Jun-wook's new hobby.

Someone might ask out of curiosity.

The youngest son of a wealthy family.

What's so strange about cutting out and keeping newspaper articles about your son?

Of course, Mrs. Choi Gang-hee had a lot to say too.

"Mr. Choi, do you know that you've collected more than a box of articles? No, it's not just a box. Wherever you look in this house, newspaper clippings pop out……!"

"Ah, my dear. They will all become memories later……"

"In this age where you can see news on your phone. Last time, Yerim even taught you how to capture newspaper articles. You insist on cutting out paper newspapers and don't even organize them properly."

That's right.

It wasn't just a day or two.

It wasn't just a line or two in the newspaper!

Lee Ho-yeol.

Articles mentioning his name?

When you buy a daily newspaper, with a little exaggeration, one article out of ten mentions Ho-yeol's name.

Politics, economy, even entertainment and sports newspapers.

His articles were plastered everywhere.

"Hmm─ What is it? Are you two fighting again?"

"Who would fight on such a nice day?"

"Look, he doesn't put down those scissors."

For Yerim, this was a familiar scene.

The moment she opened the door, her brother's face on the TV was also familiar. Still, look at this? Yerim smacked her lips.

"Mom, it's the day after tomorrow for your birthday. Have you heard from Ho-yeol?"

"He's busy. How could he have the time to contact you?"

"No, no matter how busy he is, where is the son who forgets his mother's birthday?"

No matter how successful he is,

A brother is a brother.

A son is a son.

Yerim cleared her throat loudly.

"As your sister who is like the sky, I have to say something."

Of course, that was an excuse.

Yerim's true intention was dark.

She was just full of the desire to tease her brother.

"I've been looking into this since his dorm days, you know?"

Why, from chicken breast to salad ingredients.

Sisters might have been fooled by Lee Ho-yeol, but not me.

Yes, Yerim didn't give up from the beginning.

What caught Yerim's attention was an article about Ho-yeol in an entertainment newspaper.

Yerim inserted herself into the middle of the estranged middle-aged couple.

"Mom! What do you think about a foreign daughter-in-law?"

Here, the foreign daughter-in-law was Jesse Haines.

Jesse's decision to join Ho-yeol, leaving her own guild, was a big topic. Of course, it also piqued Yerim's interest.

"Thorn. Are you going to say something unnecessary again?"

"……Mr. Choi. It's not fun. Then, Dad!"

"Huh?"

"What do you think about a daughter-in-law from a wealthy family?"

Here, the daughter-in-law from a wealthy family was the master of the Myth Guild, Baek Yiseul.

The one who was repeatedly turned away by Ho-yeol.

It was shocking at the time.

Baek Yiseul, who was subtly popular among women as a femme fatale,

Being humiliated by her brother, Ho-yeol.

‘Sisters were making a big fuss back then. ’

They even wondered if Ho-yeol had some mysterious charm that we didn't know about.

However, Yerim's imagination didn't last long.

Bang!

"Ouch! Mom, why are you hitting my head?!"

"Thorn, you always try to tease Ho-yeol whenever there's a chance."

"I'm not teasing. There's definitely something going on. Do you know the complex and subtle relationship between men and women? Who knows if they're even flirting!"

Snip─

Mr. Choi Jun-wook, who had been silently cutting the newspaper, spoke softly.

"Of course. I'm a master of relationships, after all, which is why I had you all."

He had four children, all born in consecutive years……

Of course, he couldn't finish his sentence.

Because Mrs. Choi Gang-hee finally exploded.

"Everyone, be quiet!!"

Both of them were already in a troubled state of mind.

Even if their son appeared on TV every day,

A mother's heart couldn't be helped.

Moreover, Ho-yeol was a player.

Until now, it seemed strange to worry,

But Ho-yeol had been handling everything well, without any crises……

Worries about one's child never end, after all.

"……Is he eating properly?"

She would try to make him eat at least one proper meal when she visited occasionally.

Knowing how busy Ho-yeol was,

She couldn't easily bring it up.

Yerim, sensing her mother's feelings, said,

"That's why raising a son is useless……"

But before she could get a slap on the back,

Tap tap─

"……What's that sound?"

A sound of something touching the window was heard.

Mr. Choi Jun-wook, who turned to the window where the sound came from, was startled.

"Ah! What's that?"

Something was poking through the open window.

It was a paper bundle with wings.

To be precise, it was a letter that had been enchanted with magic.

Flap flap─

The letter, which had been flapping its wings, fell precisely into Mrs. Choi Gang-hee's arms.

A living letter.

Until recently,

This would have seemed like a movie scene,

But now it could be guessed.

"……Is this from our Ho-yeol?"

That's right.

Just by its appearance, it could be recognized.

The letter, rolled up and sealed with wax, exuded a sense of dignity.

Yerim asked subtly.

"Why not just send a text? Why go to such lengths? Right, Mom?"

"That's true. He's so busy……"

"Tsk. Don't say things you don't mean!"

Good job, my brother.

No matter how busy you are, you should remember your mother's birthday.

Mrs. Choi Gang-hee's brightened face made Yerim feel good too.

Still……

"Mom, he's really crazy!"

When she peeled off the wax seal, what was inside?

How many words could this be?

A long letter that must have taken hours to write.

"……Did you know Ho-yeol could write like this?"

Each word exuded formality.

Of course, it wasn't just the letter.

Mrs. Choi Gang-hee found something in the rolled-up letter.

She didn't need to look closely.

The appearance was more than familiar.

Yerim was startled.

"Isn't that a tea bag? Green tea? What is it?"

A densely written letter.

Finally, Mrs. Choi Gang-hee found the postscript and said,

"……Miracle herbs? He says it's tea made from miracle herbs? From Ho-yeol?"

*

Sending a letter didn't require an owl like in a movie.

All that was needed was a little magic.

No matter how busy he was,

He couldn't ignore the formality.

"I am ashamed that I cannot attend."

Mom, Mrs. Choi Gang-hee's birthday was the day after tomorrow.

If it weren't for the regular academic conference, I would have attended that family event.

In that sense, I can only be grateful for the regular academic conference.

Why, even if it's just written, it's hundreds of lines.

Imagine saying all that out loud.

‘Especially in front of my sisters?’

……Just thinking about it is terrifying. Really.

Anyway, I didn't forget to include tea made from miracle herbs.

Both of them were at an age where they needed to take care of their health.

In that sense, tea made from miracle herbs would be helpful.

Aren't miracle herbs ingredients for potions and elixirs?

It was natural that the tea would have similar effects.

‘It was worth looking into the books.’

Of course, this was only possible because I had knowledge about miracle herbs.

Thanks to the various magic books I read in preparation for the regular academic conference, I had a rough sense of how to use miracle herbs.

"However, I still have a long way to go."

Of course, having a sense is different from having an epiphany.

Most importantly, knowledge about miracle herbs is not something you can understand just by looking, like magic. It's a subject that requires memorization.

Moreover, miracle herbs grow on the vast continent of Arcana.

There are said to be hundreds, thousands of types of miracle herbs growing on the vast continent of Arcana.

Building knowledge about such miracle herbs……

Is it even possible?

Doubts arose from the start.

As I said, everything depends on one's mindset.

‘It also means the possibilities are endless.’

Swoosh─

So, the person who is disappointed,

I, who is disappointed with my level, have no choice but to dig deeper.

Once again, I delved into the books about miracle herbs.

However, my reading didn't last long.

──────

Miracle herbs are a category of plants that grow on the continent of Arcana……

──────

"……!"

Suddenly, a phrase came to mind.

The Demon King, Decarabia.

Information about him.

Yes, Decarabia commands a familiar bird and

Possesses knowledge about all minerals and 'plants'.

All plants.

That means it includes knowledge about miracle herbs.

Yes, I have a trophy left by such a Decarabia.

[Impure Knowledge Pentagram]

[Grade: Epic]

[Restriction: None]

[Effect: Sealed]

[Description: Cursed by a demon, its effect is sealed. To know its proper effect, it must be purified.]

A trophy that is ominous from its name and grade……!

‘……Wait, could this impure knowledge be……?’

However, I know that the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

Moreover, Granfel's character doesn't get overly excited or disappointed.

So,

I just say it casually.

"All hypotheses require verification."