Sitting casually on a pile of boxes stacked haphazardly on the bridge, I watched the people passing by.
I infused magic into the ring on my finger.
A sigh escaped me.
That damn ham and beer.
The taste still lingered in my mouth as if the scent hadn’t faded yet.
It was an unexpected expense.
While listening to various stories in the tavern, I was able to learn the general prices in this city.
Outside, 10 magic stones would be required for an item, but here, it wasn’t even worth 1 point.
But the ham and beer had cost me 5 points.
Damn, this was daylight robbery.
I wanted to complain, but deep down, I couldn’t help but lower my head.
For that taste, it was worth 5 points.
I had been thinking about staying here for a few days, so I checked the lodging prices, but it was ridiculously expensive.
Staying at an inn cost 5 points per day, and if I paid for a month upfront, it would be 100 points.
Either way, with all the points I’d spent on beer, it was a huge burden.
Even getting to the upper floors required points.
The lowest floor was free, but the higher you went, the more you had to pay for the toll.
In the end, everything boiled down to one thing.
I needed points.
Points.
I suddenly realized how amazing it had been to stay at the professor’s tower.
This stalactite city was like a refuge for wizards who couldn’t afford the rent on the surface.
Many wizards struggled living underground like this.
But as soon as I entered the school, I was able to stay at the professor’s tower, a place filled with powerful magic.
If it hadn’t been for the professor, I’d probably be struggling on the streets just like them.
No, I would have been living even more miserably than them.
All of them were stronger than me.
I felt a strong sense of respect and loyalty toward the professor.
I had misunderstood such a kind-hearted person.
Hmm, the professor had treated me well all this time, always kind… Hmm.
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t imagine the professor being kind-hearted.
The professor was narrow-minded and liked to nitpick.
My respect and loyalty quickly faded.
I sighed.
‘What if the professor tried to charge me for accommodation?’ Given the professor I’d seen so far, I was sure they would.
With another sigh, I stood up from my seat.
‘Should I start moving?’
First, I needed to submit Professor Irien’s syllabus.
While doing that, it would be good to find out how much Professor Heisen’s class would cost.
***
I headed toward the registration office where I had heard classes were signed up.
[The Integrated Registration Office], one of the largest buildings in the city center.
Not only did it handle class registrations, but all paperwork in the city went through there.
Under that sign, countless wizards were lined up, standing in a long queue.
It seemed that many people had gathered, likely because it was the registration period.
The line stretched not only on the lowest floor but also up to the upper levels.
The registration period for new students was about a month after their admission.
But a week had already passed, meaning I had just three weeks left to sign up for Professor Heisen’s class.
‘But where on earth was I going to get the points?’
I sighed again and joined the long line.
I quietly waited for a long time.
Some wizards cut in line, trusting their own strength, but I remained silent.
I didn’t want to stand out, and I certainly didn’t have the confidence to win in a confrontation.
The line moved quickly.
I carefully opened the door to the building and stepped inside.
Inside, the building was packed with people.
At the 10 counters, clerks were assisting the crowd.
I picked a line that seemed the shortest and waited for the person in front of me to move.
The line slowly shrank, and others stood behind me.
Seeing this, no one attempted to cut in.
It seemed that it took quite a while to handle each person’s business, so the line moved slowly.
When it was finally my turn, I sat down in front of the counter.
The receptionist smiled and welcomed me.
She had a friendly smile on her face.
“Hello. Welcome to Arcana General Trading, Department 5, Customer Service Division.
My name is Hwaryoung, an intern.
“How may I assist you today?”
“Hello. I came to inquire about course registration.”
I politely bowed my head as I spoke.
This receptionist was much stronger than me.
By a lot.
“Yes, you have a question about course registration. Are you thinking of applying for a specific professor’s class?”
She smiled as she spoke.
But the smile seemed stiff, as if it was practiced.
Her eyes glinted coldly, and she wasn’t smiling at all.
A cold sweat ran down my back.
Carefully, I mentioned Professor Heisen’s name.
“Hmm, just a moment.”
She used her magic to pull out several folders and began flipping through them.
After a moment, she pulled one out and handed it to me.
“Professor Heisen’s class has a very good reputation. But many students can’t keep up with the difficulty, so the number of applicants is low. Because of that, the cost for this class is 5,000 points, which is cheaper than other courses.”
I froze when I heard the number. 5,000 points.
It was quite an astronomical amount.
“The class size is 300, but 800 people have already applied. After registration, individual screenings will be held, and the results will be posted after the registration period ends. Please check back then.”
‘So many people had already signed up.’
‘Even though there was still plenty of time left, the number of applicants had already exceeded the class limit.’
‘If I didn’t get in, I wouldn’t get a refund.’
‘More people would likely apply as the deadline neared.’
‘And there was another huge problem.’
‘I didn’t have enough points.’
Seeing that I wasn’t saying anything, her eyes slowly narrowed.
The smile that had been on her lips faded, and the magic in her hand became sharp and focused.
“Are you lacking points?”
A deadly, suffocating aura emanated from her words.
“Ah, hahaha. Like I said, I was just asking. That’s not my main concern. What I actually need to ask is this.”
I quickly pulled out a bundle of papers from my spatial pouch.
A powerful magical aura emanated from it.
It was Professor Irien’s syllabus.
When she saw it, her eyes widened in surprise, and her smile returned, but this time it was more natural.
At the same time, the magic around her softened.
The sudden change made my cold sweat intensify.
“Oh my, may I ask what this is?”
“This is the syllabus for a class given by my professor. I came to submit it. I heard that it needs to be registered to proceed with the course.”
“Just a moment, let me check.”
She took the document from me and stood up.
As she left the counter and headed somewhere, I slowly relaxed my stiffened body.
That person seemed to be related to Hong Ryeong in some way.
The way she handled magic was strikingly similar.
If that’s true, then she must come from a prestigious family.
It was surprising that someone from such a family was working as a clerk here.
But, on the other hand, it was likely only possible because she came from such a family.
After all, entering Arcana General Trading was something only a very select few could achieve.
Soon, she returned to the counter.
This time, a smile more natural than before was on her face.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting. I’ve confirmed the course details. Should I go ahead and register you now?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve confirmed it. The class is for students on the 1st and 2nd floors, and the size is 200 students. The course duration is 5 years, with one lecture every three months. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s all correct.”
The division into 1st and 2nd floors was a classification of students.
It was said that the building had 12 floors in total.
Fortunately, the professor had some basic knowledge to create the syllabus.
These details had been decided after discussions with the professor.
Since there wasn’t much time left to prepare for the class, we had planned to start with the easiest students.
In fact, this was something I had strongly insisted on.
If a really strong wizard showed up, it would be difficult for me.
The professor didn’t care who attended, but for me, it was a matter of survival.
“Okay, I will register you now.”
“Does registering require points?”
I asked carefully.
I might have looked a bit clueless, but I couldn’t help but worry.
She smiled softly and shook her head.
“No, points are only used for course registration. You can’t earn points by attending lectures.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
“No, I’m fine.”
I shook my head as I spoke.
I had to leave quickly.
There was a glint of curiosity in her sharp eyes, directed at me.
“Yes, this was Hwayeong from the Customer Service Division, Department 5 of Arcana Comprehensive Corporation.
“Thank you for using our services.”
I carefully stood up.
She kept looking at me with a smile on her face.
I bowed my head and quickly left the room.
It was that gaze.
That one stuck with me.
When I looked back, I saw her still staring at me, even though another person had sat down in front of
her.
It felt strange.
I hurried out of the building.