Chapter 64

"An invitation from the Magic Guild?"

After somehow clearing that hellish underground labyrinth and finally settling matters like rewards, for some reason, I received an invitation from the Magic Guild headquarters sent by Brantark.

"It was sent to the mansion of the Margrave of Braidreder in the capital."

"Mr. Brantark, you're a member of the Magic Guild?"

"It's not like I joined because I wanted to."

Brantark waved the letter he was supposed to give me like a fan as he answered.

The Magic Guild is, as the name suggests, a guild to which mages who can use magic belong.

There are about two thousand members.

Considering the total number of mages, it seems small, but people who can only produce a spark, like farmers in the countryside, don't become members. Also, people who can make magic tools join the Magic Tool Guild, which is why the number of members is smaller.

"Huh? Can't you belong to both?"

In other guilds, for example, I received a membership card from the Commercial Guild when I was a child, and now I also have a membership card from the Adventurer's Guild.

Many people belong to multiple guilds, and since it's advantageous for the guilds to have more members, it's normal for them not to say anything.

However, you can't belong to both the Magic Guild and the Magic Tool Guild. It was a strange story.

"It's not that you can't..."

Apparently, they weren't that bad in the past, but now there's a reason why their relationship has become hostile.

"It's about the budget allocation..."

"The money issue is serious, huh?"

"Yeah."

After the Kingdom of Helmut was established and the government had some leeway, they began to allocate a budget for the research of magic technology to revive the excellent magic technology of the ancient magic civilization.

However, there weren't enough mages.

Even a public institution couldn't gather people so easily.

So, they started to allocate the budget to both the Magic Tool Guild and the Magic Guild and entrust them with the research of magic technology. From that moment on, both guilds began to be recognized as semi-public institutions.

"They've been arguing over which one has achieved more results and the budget allocation. That's the current state of affairs."

It was a somewhat pathetic story, but not an unusual one. It's probably the nature of humans in any world.

"The Magic Guild tried to increase its membership to compete with the Magic Tool Guild."

On the other hand, the Magic Tool Guild is an organization that has no use for people who can't make magic tools. At least, you can't become a member unless you can make general-purpose magic tools. Therefore, the number of members is small, but since magic tools are in high demand, the guild's presence is unshaken.

The Magic Guild needed to make even famous mages join, by force if necessary, to compete with the Magic Tool Guild.

"I don't really care."

"I feel the same way."

Magic is something you basically learn on your own.

Many people have mentors, but you can live without the Magic Guild.

If you don't say anything, no one will register as a member.

I had almost forgotten about the existence of the Magic Guild.

"Was your mentor a member?"

"He said he was registered without his consent. I'm the same."

"It's strange that such an organization is treated as a semi-public institution."

"They are entrusted with the research of shared magic arrays. There are a few excellent mages, too."

A shared magic array is something that allows anyone to use magic if they have mana, instead of relying on the individual mage's thoughts and imagination.

It's similar to the forced relocation magic array from the other day. The goal is to create a collection of magic arrays that can activate various magic spells by just infusing mana.

"I see, you flip through the pages of the magic array book to find the magic you want to use, and then infuse mana to activate it."

"Something like that. The small amount of mana is supplemented with magic crystals."

It's less responsive, but multiple people can use the same magic simultaneously. It might be valuable in the military.

"However, in the ancient magic civilization, most of the magic arrays were for relocation or forced relocation. Other attack magic, for example, has mostly disappeared after the traps were activated."

"The characters and symbols written on the magic arrays are incomprehensible patterns and pictures. The patterns are too complex, so there hasn't been much progress."

On the other hand, the Magic Tool Guild is gradually making progress. Since a certain variety of magic tools have spread in society, this is a visible achievement for everyone.

I see, no wonder the Magic Guild is in a hurry.

"So, as a token of gratitude for the young master who sold us the new magic array during the recent dungeon clearance..."

"Make him a member?"

"Correct."

For that reason, Brantark and I were visiting the headquarters of the Magic Guild in the center of the capital. The building of the headquarters is more magnificent than I imagined from the previous explanation.

And there's an equally grand building facing it.

"That's the headquarters of the Magic Tool Guild."

"If they hate each other, why are they facing each other?"

"If one of them moves, it gives the impression to the public that they're running away."

"Ah..."

While being amazed at such a ridiculous reason, we moved to the room where the president was waiting after informing the purpose of our visit at the reception on the first floor. The Magic Guild's top position isn't as grand as a commander-in-chief or something.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Bernd Karlheinz Varaha."

The president of the Magic Guild was an ordinary-looking old man with white hair.

He was wearing a robe, but he didn't look like a great mage.

At best, he probably had intermediate-level mana.

Anyway, I introduced myself as well.

"Thank you for coming today. Let's get started..."

The first thing I did here was register as a member of the Magic Guild. When the president rang a bell, a young female staff member in her early twenties came in and gave me a membership card.

"Do I not need to fill out anything?"

"Yes, Baron Baumwieser's identity is confirmed."

"Is that so?"

I only received the membership card from the young female staff member, and the procedure was complete. It seems that if they really want you to join, they'll even fill out the necessary information for you.

Furthermore, when I looked closely at the membership card, it said "Honorary Member." It seems I was made an honorary member right away.

"About this honorary member?"

"Yes, Baron Baumwieser is an excellent mage."

In other words, they want to lend my name for the Magic Guild's publicity. However, I don't want to take time for the honorary member's duties, so I tried to decline. But the other side quickly anticipated my intention and countered.

"The honorary member is just a name. I think you can see that by looking at Brantark over there."

"I'm an honorary member too. There's no work."

In return, there's no reward either.

Moreover, there are no membership fees like in other guilds. Since it's a guild with little use, collecting annual fees would increase the number of members who resign.

However, the more I listened, the more it felt like an organization whose purpose I couldn't understand.

"The research department is currently making great efforts in magic array research. Yes."

The new style of the forced relocation magic array we found is also being analyzed there. The Magic Guild is operated with subsidies from the kingdom for research and donations from a few generous individuals.

"Let's show you around right away."

I didn't particularly want to see it, but since they said so, we started moving to the basement where the research department is located, guided by the young female staff member from earlier.

"Brantark, about that president..."

To be honest, he didn't look like a great mage at all. So, I asked Brantark about it.

"Well, excellent mages either go to the field or to the research department we're going to."

It turns out that the person in charge of the organization is someone with administrative skills, even if they're not a great mage. So, the president isn't necessarily a great mage.

"Also, it's a place of employment for the children of nobles."

Since it's an organization funded by taxes, people who barely have mana but can't excel in the field end up working in the organization's administration.

"They've received education, so they can handle office work. And..."

Brantark pointed to the young female staff member walking in front of us.

Women who are barely considered mages in the capital often work there until they get married, and some even stay as staff after marriage.

"Office and management departments are basically bureaucratic work. Magic isn't really involved."

"So, the Magic Guild..."

Excellent people go to the field or the research department.

Those who aren't go to the department that runs the guild.

Indeed, it was reasonable.

"This is it."

When we entered the research laboratory in the basement, guided by the young lady, there were men and women who looked like typical mages, busy with the prototyping and analysis of the new magic array.

Their mana levels also seemed to be at the intermediate level.

"This is the heart of the Magic Guild."

To be honest, if the floor above us were to blow up and all the staff, including the president, were to perish, it wouldn't affect the operation of the Magic Guild at all. The research department is the core of the Magic Guild.

Brantark explained to me in a low voice.

"Oh! Is this Baron Baumwieser, who sold us the new magic array?"

One of the elderly men, who noticed our arrival, called out. He had messy, graying hair pulled back carelessly, and he introduced himself as Lucas Getz Beckenbauer, the head of the research department, a typical researcher.

"Brantark, Alfred's disciple has a wonderful amount of mana."

"Right."

It seemed that these two knew each other. They were talking casually.

"Alright, with this much mana. Baron Baumwieser, this way."

Beckenbauer didn't seem to have any intention of giving a formal tour of the research department. He pulled me by the hand and dragged me to his research space.

"Brantark?"

"He's a researcher, you know. A so-called research geek?"

From my assessment, Beckenbauer's mana level was at the higher end of intermediate. He could probably earn much more as an adventurer, but he spends his time on research at the Magic Guild.

Most of the people here are like that.

"This is the improved version of the magic array you sold us the other day."

"Brantark, can you understand it?"

"No, it's like a spot-the-difference game..."

Focusing on the dizzying patterns of the magic array, Brantark and I felt that researching magic arrays was impossible for us.

"So, what does this move to?"

"No, it's a prototype that accidentally produced the opposite effect."

"Opposite?"

"Yes, it's a magic array that pulls things to this location."

According to Beckenbauer, this magic array has the effect of pulling people or objects to the magic array.

"I understand the effect, but what does it pull?"

"That's the part that makes this a prototype."

Like ordinary magic, it depends on the mage's imagination.

"Explaining it in detail wouldn't make sense. Let's try it. Like this..."

Beckenbauer stood in front of the magic array, closed his eyes, and concentrated for about ten seconds. Then, the magic array glowed blue-white for a moment, and the next instant, something white like a cloth was placed there.

"What is this?"

"Underwear..."

On the magic array was a pair of white women's underwear. It didn't look new but rather like something someone had just been wearing.

"Beckenbauer-san?"

"I moved the underwear that the young lady staff member was wearing."

The shocked statement from Beckenbauer caused all the gazes in the research room to turn to the young lady staff member who had guided us there.

Suddenly, she turned bright red and was trembling with anger.

"In this way, the amount of mana required for this magic array changes depending on the size, weight, and distance of the object to be pulled. Theoretically, it can transcend time and dimensions, but the mana consumption would be astronomical..."

"What are you doing all of a sudden!"

The young lady staff member slapped Beckenbauer's cheek and dragged away the underwear from the magic array.

Beckenbauer was left with a red mark on his cheek.

"I'm the head of the research department..."

"Frankly, that was your fault."

Brantark's reasonable comment was echoed by everyone, including us and the other staff members.

"That's an interesting thing."

"It's a failure in the sense that it was an accidental product, but from a researcher's perspective..."

The magic array that accidentally created the opposite effect of the forced relocation magic array, which we had been trying to improve, had been demonstrated to us.

After the young lady staff member, whose underwear had been taken, slapped Beckenbauer and left, I looked at the magic array.

However, no matter how much I looked, I couldn't see the difference from the previous magic array. I probably wouldn't understand it even if I tried forever.

"Shall we try it?"

"Is it okay?"

"To be honest, the success rate isn't that high. It's also less dangerous."

If you can't accurately imagine the object and its location, it's just a waste of mana. There was a reason why Beckenbauer targeted the underwear of a young lady staff member in his line of sight.

"Pulling a man's underwear wouldn't be fun."

"I can understand that, but..."

The only question left in my mind was, "Why the underwear?"

"By the way, theoretically, it can transcend dimensions and time, right?"

"Theoretically, yes."

In this world, the concept of parallel worlds, similar to this one, exists. It's said that in the ancient magic civilization, objects from other worlds were brought in using magic.

Whether that's a fact or a legend is unknown.

"(There's a person from another world here...)"

It wasn't clear whether it was reincarnation or possession, but I could confidently say that other worlds exist. Whether others would believe me was another matter.

"Then, let's try it."

For that reason, I decided to try using the magic array. The amount of mana consumed by this magic array is proportional to the weight of the object and the distance.

Pulling a heavy object from a long distance requires a tremendous amount of mana. Moreover, if the imagination fails, the mana is wasted.

"Does that mean it's different in terms of time and dimension?"

"The mana consumption would be astronomical. I would probably faint from mana exhaustion without achieving the goal."

Even Beckenbauer, who has a mana level above intermediate, would need a considerable amount of mana to pull an object from another world.

First, I decided to imagine something nearby for safety.

"What should I try?"

"Baron Baumwieser, you need to solidify your imagination before..."

Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to stand in front of the magic array and concentrate without properly deciding on a specific object. The magic array glowed blue-white, and something similar to what was there earlier appeared on it.

Upon closer inspection, it was a pair of women's underwear.

In this world, undergarments similar to those on Earth are common. In the countryside, like my hometown, they might be homemade pumpkin underwear, but in the capital and cities, there are specialized clothing stores that offer refined designs.

This pair seemed to be of a certain value, though not necessarily for the nobility.

"The color is yellow, and it's for women."

"With a bunny pattern on the pack..."

The owner of this underwear seems to like cute things.

"Whose is it, kid?"

"Who knows? I just imagined something from inside the mansion."

I imagined something from inside my mansion, so it was likely pulled from someone's dresser.

"Imagining something so vague and still succeeding. You're truly Baron Baumwieser. And this underwear..."

Beckenbauer held the underwear and confirmed its warmth. He was checking the object that had been summoned from a researcher's perspective, but from the outside, he looked like a perverted old man obsessed with underwear.

"Hmm, it must have aligned with my earlier imagination. This underwear was definitely worn by someone."

"Really?"

If that's true, I've done something terrible. As I was thinking this, the door to the research room suddenly burst open, and a woman rushed in.

It was Iina, who was supposed to be resting at the mansion today.

"Vell! My underwear!"

"You figured it out quickly."

"Having my underwear suddenly disappear could only be magic."

Moreover, she knew I was visiting the Magic Guild today. She rushed to the Magic Guild to retrieve her underwear and was guided to this underground research room by a kind female staff member.

It was definitely the female staff member whose underwear Beckenbauer had taken earlier.

"Oh! Summoning the underwear of a woman from a noble mansion on your first try. What a remarkable talent. However, she looks like a cool beauty, but her underwear is cute. That's a certain kind of gap, isn't it..."

"More importantly! Give