Chapter 46  

"Your name is Lee Shin? That's an interesting name.”

"It’s Lee Shin again? People from the Black Magic Tower sure are funny…”

"Is Lee Shin your real name? Are you sure you didn’t copy someone else’s name?”

Lee Shin spoke with the wizards he met outside of the Black Magic Tower, and when people heard the name Lee Shin, they all gave the same response.

"Well, I’ve heard rumors about Lee Shin being He Who Knows Death or something, but I’m not sure if that’s true because there have been a lot of people impersonating him. Also the rumors don’t make much sense, so there aren't many people who actually believe it."

"What good is there to impersonate?" Lee Shin asked.

"It's for the reputation. And there were some scammers going around, claiming to be Lee Shin. Well, I was thinking that I haven’t seen them in a while…” The wizard glanced at Lee Shin after saying that.

"Please don't look at me like that. I have no intention to scam," Lee Shin said.

"Are you sure? But then what brings you here? What is a wizard from the Black Magic Tower doing here?" The wizard of the Blue Magic Tower looked at Lee Shin suspiciously.

"I'm here for a field trip," Lee Shin replied.

"A field trip?" The wizard was surprised to hear such an unexpected response from Lee Shin.

The wizard gave an interested look and nodded.

"Hmm... I mean if you've just become a third-class wizard, then it's understandable. All right, come with me," the wizard said.

Unlike the Black Magic Tower, there were a lot of people on the Blue Magic Tower starting from the first floor. Those people were learning to become the wizards of the Blue Magic Tower. When these wizards saw Lee Shin’s black robe, they began to whisper to each other, glancing at Lee Shin.

"Is that a wizard from the Black Magic Tower?"

"What is he doing here?”

"He probably realized that the Black Magic Tower had no potential when he went in.”

"But I feel sorry for the Black Magic Tower. That guy must have been the first wizard they had gotten in a while, and they are already losing him.”

Those whispering were students who could not even be called wizards yet. Even though they knew that Lee Shin was a third-class wizard, they refused to admit that Lee Shin was better than themselves.

‘If I were in the Black Magic Tower, I would have passed the exam already.’

‘I would rather not get a wizard’s title if my only option was to get one from the Black Magic Tower.’

They thought their opponents from the Black Magic Tower were inferior to themselves.

"You are here just in time. Today is the day for the learners to learn about spells. You should pay attention.”

The blue wizard led Lee Shin to the classroom and then left. Lee Shin could see the students who were gathered to listen to the lecture. Since they were not recognized as wizards yet, they did not even have their uniforms. The fact that a third-class wizard joined the students in the same lecture was, in itself, an act that demeaned the wizard. Even though he was aware of that, the blue wizard had put Lee Shin in this classroom.

'Well… I had expected it, but it still doesn’t feel good to be treated this way.’

Lee Shin had expected such unpleasant treatment, because he knew how poorly people thought of those from the Black Magic Tower. Originally, if a third-class wizard came on a field trip, it would have been normal to be brought to the lectures third-class wizards attend.

However, the wizard led Lee Shin to a students’ lecture. Lee Shin tried to endure the frustration and sat down. A blue wizard had come into the classroom to give the lecture, amid whispers louder than what Lee Shin had experienced in the lobby.

"Nice to meet you all! My name is Lauren, a first-class wizard. I see that we have an unexpected student here today." Lauren looked at Lee Shin and gave a mysterious smile.

"Well, let's begin the lecture," said Lauren.

The lectures that the students took were on the fundamentals of magic. They were learning the basic knowledge to become a wizard of the Blue Magic Tower, which was to generate mana and create water.

"When you become a wizard, creating mana is a very basic skill. Even if you are not a wizard yet, it is possible to create mana. However, a wizard should know how to change the nature of that mana power," Lauren explained.

The next moment, Lauren approached the student who was sitting at the front of the classroom. She then picked up a tissue from a student’s desk, and soon the tissue that she held using her index finger and thumb began to get wet little by little.

"Those who can't even change the nature of the mana power should not be called wizards. The nature of water is said to be very fluid; it can change into anything and it has the best balance among various elements of nature. Now, you don't have to worry about turning water into some other form. All you have to do is successfully change the nature of the mana. It's considered a success if you can just make the tissue wet like I just did," Lauren explained.

After Lauren's explanation, the learners tried hard to create water by generating mana.

"What do I have to do?”

"A nature that is fluid…?”

"Water... water…”

In the classroom, there were voices filled with frustration everywhere. When Lauren demonstrated, she made it seem very easy to create water, but creating water was not that easy for the students.

"Umm… why aren’t you doing it?” Lauren approached and asked Lee Shin, who was not doing anything but just staring at others around him.

Lee Shin barely managed to hold back his laughter because he could see the intention of the wizard who was standing in front of him. Her half-closed eyes and raised eyebrows made her curiosity and contempt about him simultaneously visible.

"I was looking at how the other learners were doing it," Lee Shin replied.

"Why is that? Is it because you cannot do it without watching other learners? So did I incorrectly see the clothes that you are wearing right now?” Lauren tried to humiliate Lee Shin.

Lauren had a disgusted expression on her face, one side of her mouth raised. As if Lee Shin was considered pathetic to anyone in the classroom, her derogatory tone was far from being polite.

"So… do I just have to make water...?” Lee Shin asked.

"Yes," Lauren replied.

The disdain of a first-class wizard, who could not even manage to become a Clarte did not bother Lee Shin, not even a bit.

"Hah." Lee Shin laughed for a second.

‘Are you laughing?’

Lauren, who had been looking at Lee Shin for a moment, frowned momentarily. She was furious that only a third-class wizard of the Black Magic Tower laughed at her. When she was about to generate mana to humiliate Lee Shin, Lauren felt a momentary surge of mana power from Lee Shin and could not move as if she was frozen on the spot.

‘W-w-what’s going on…?’

The amount of mana that she had felt could not have been felt in a third-class wizard. She had felt it only for a moment, but then it soon disappeared.

‘Was I… mistaken…?’

The moment her eyes met Lee Shin’s, Lauren felt as if she had encountered the master of the Blue Magic Tower.

"It’s done," Lee Shin muttered.

"What?" Lauren asked.

.

Lee Shin had pushed his chair to get up from his seat.

"W-w-what are you doing!" Lauren shouted.

When Lauren noticed that Lee Shin was suddenly at a higher eye level, she started to panic. Then, when Lee Shin raised his arm, Lauren got shocked and warmed up her mana thinking that there would be a surprise attack.

"You punk! How dare you—" Lauren shouted in anger.

“I did it,” said Lee Shin.

"What?" Lauren asked.

When Lee Shin replied with some unexpected words, Lauren turned to the direction that his finger was pointing at. When she looked, there was a clock and she could see that the hour hand of the clock had just crossed the hour mark.

"Why is your hand shaking so much?" Lee Shin asked innocently as if he did not know anything.

Lauren’s hands were shaking, subconsciously.

"Uh, I-I-I’m not feeling well. Our lecture is over! Everyone get out and go practice!" Lauren shouted.

After saying that, Lauren turned around and left the classroom. She was frowning with humiliation.

‘How dare that bastard... humiliate me?’

He was only a guy from the Black Magic Tower! How dare a guy who had only just become a third-class wizard do that! Lee Shin had done nothing to her, and neither did any of the students think Lee Shin had done something strange. However, Lauren was ashamed at how she could not control her emotions.

"Hey, Lauren! Where are you going? Your face is so red!” another wizard coming from the other side asked Lauren.

"Mind your own business!” Lauren replied.

"Weren’t you just giving a lecture? What made you so angry?” the wizard asked.

"A bastard from the Black Magic Tower was in my lecture, that’s why!” Lauren replied.

"Well, that’s not even a big deal. By the way, it's suddenly raining outside, so bring an umbrella with you," the wizard said.

"What? It's raining? Tsk," Lauren muttered.

Lauren was trying to go outside to cool her head, but once again, she had to try to calm her soaring irritation indoors. She entered her room.

Bang!

She slammed the door and looked out of her window, listening to the sound of rain.

‘Rain…’

- I did it.

The voice of the wizard from the Black Magic Tower suddenly came to her mind. After Lauren shook her head because of a ridiculous thought that was hovering in her head, she laid on the bed and closed her eyes.

* * *

"I’m here to sit in a class,” Lee Shin said.

"Oh! I see. Then are you planning on taking the test?”

"Umm… I still want to think about that. Can I have a brochure please?" Lee Shin asked.

"Yes, we are handing it out to those who are sitting in. Here you go."

"Thank you," Lee Shin replied.

When Lee Shin tried to leave after receiving the brochure, he could sense the obvious stares from his surroundings. In their view, Lee Shin was a wizard who gave up because he was not confident of passing the third-class test even after listening to the students’ lectures.

"Ugh, I knew he would do that."

"But I still thought he would at least take the test because he is a third-class wizard... Is he giving up already?”

"The reputation of Black Magic Tower is much worse than I thought.”

"This is just as I’ve expected. I'm glad I didn't go to the Black Magic Tower even if I had to stay in this tower much longer as a student.”

Like hyenas waiting to pounce on a weak lion, as soon as Lee Shin had left the Blue Magic Tower, all kinds of ridicule poured out. They were people who could not manage to pass the third-class test when it was an easy test for one who had some talent.

The fact that one had passed the third-class test made him or her the subject of envy and jealousy. The level of hatred increased if the wizard was from the Black Magic Tower. These people just needed someone to relieve their own sense of inferiority. "Hmm… is the brochure all about the lecture times of the third-class wizards?" Lee Shin muttered.

It was showing occasional lectures that were held for the third-class wizards of the Blue Magic Tower. While Lee Shin was looking through the list, he saw a very familiar name.

‘Shun Grammys.’

He was a Clarte of the Blue Magic Tower, and many people had predicted he would soon be a Head Clarte. He was a genius who could possibly even become the master of the mana tower in the future. Lee Shin noticed that the lecture by the Clarte Shun Grammys was scheduled for tomorrow.

‘Great.’

* * *

The next day, Lee Shin had visited the Blue Magic Tower once again, and when the wizards of the Blue Magic Tower saw him, they began to gossip about him again.

"You're back again?"

"Didn't you give up already?"

"Take it easy… You guys from the Black Magic Tower don't seem to get embarrassed.”

Some people said it explicitly so Lee Shin would get humiliated, but Lee Shin did not bother much. When they saw that Lee Shin did not react to their mockery, more and more people began to gossip and laughed at him. Lee Shin ignored them all and headed to see the receptionist.

"I'd like to take a lecture from Shun Grammys," Lee Shin said.

"Sorry? Umm... well..." The receptionist hesitated.

The receptionist seemed to be stunned. Lee Shin could clearly see what she had to say, but he still asked.

"As far as I know, if you are a third-class wizard, you are allowed to sit in the lecture prepared for the third-class wizards,” Lee Shin explained.

"Well... Shun Grammys’ lecture is so popular that all the seats are..." The receptionist tried to explain.

"The seats are all taken?" Lee Shin asked.

"Huh? Well..." The receptionist did not give a clear answer.

"It’s still open, so go sit in it,” a voice replied.

When Lee Shin had turned around to look at the person who suddenly interrupted them from behind, there was Lauren.

"You know there are places left for the sit-ins. Let him sit in,” Lauren said.

"Sorry? Oh... I see," the receptionist said.

Until a while ago, when Lee Shin asked, the receptionist seemed to hesitate and did not seem comfortable giving him a seat. However, at Lauren’s instruction, she immediately handed Lee Shin an attendance card.

"He is a third-class wizard, so of course he should be able to attend the class. Don't you think so?" Lauren smirked.

When Lee Shin saw Lauren’s smirk, he laughed at her for a split second.

‘Are you laughing at me again, you son of a bitch?’

Pretending that she had not noticed anything, Lauren patted Lee Shin on the shoulder with a smile, because she was ashamed to be angry at a mere third-class wizard.

"Well, good luck with that. Although I’m not sure if you will be able to understand the material,” said Lauren.

"Okay," Lee Shin replied.

When Lee Shin answered half-heartedly and walked towards the classroom, she gritted her teeth, but managed to hold back her anger.

‘Let's see if you can keep that attitude even in that class.’

Lee Shin left Lauren and arrived at the classroom. This classroom was much bigger and cleaner than the one the students were in. There were numerous third-class wizards in the classroom.

"What the hell? Is he from the Black Magic Tower?"

"Why is he here?"

"Isn't he the one who couldn’t even keep up with the students’ lecture the other day?"

"What made him come here?"

"Come on, he’s going to hurt our reputation. Why would someone let him in?”

Smirks, taunts, rebukes, and snubs abounded; and yet, Lee Shin walked in proudly and sat down. When it was time for the lecture, Shun Grammys entered. His eyes scanned the entire classroom, past Lee Shin. He gave no particular reaction, just like when Lee Shin had attended Lauren’s lecture.

"Let's begin. Today's lecture is on spears and shields. You will get to choose your opponent, choose either a spear and a shield, and then proceed to battle," Shun explained.

This course was on battling, with the focus on spear and shield. It was difficult for Lee Shin to even participate in this class because it was his first day.

“I will announce the results of our last mana power control test, starting from the first place to the last," said Shun.

When Shun flicked his finger, their rankings appeared on the big screen.

"I see that there are three students who are sitting in this time, and it would be boring to just watch others do it, right? Would you guys like to participate?" Shun asked.

‘Were there two other people besides me?’

Lee Shin's gaze moved along with Shun's, and there sat two wizards dressed in red and gold uniform.

‘Well, I don't know about gold, but... red is kind of unexpected.’

"I will."

"Same here."

When the two answered, Shun’s eyes turned to Lee Shin.

"Sounds good.”

When Lee Shin answered, hostility toward him soared around him.