Chapter 29: Crafting for Coin (1/2)

[There were only two rules in the university.]

[One was the right to survive.]

[Every student had the right to their own survival.]

[No one could infringe upon this right without consent.]

[The other was the right to possess.]

[Every student had the right to what they owned.]

[Likewise, no one could take it away without consent.]

[I stared down at the page where these rules were written.]

[It was only after seeing this that I understood why the city was functioning, at least somewhat properly.]

[In truth, it didn’t make sense for wizards to roam the city like docile sheep.]

[These were beings who would kill if someone was weaker than them and steal anything valuable.]

[I had never understood how such beings could coexist peacefully, smiling at each other.]

[But if these basic rules existed, then it made sense.]

[Looking at this text, my sapling ached.]

[I instinctively knew.]

[This was some kind of contract given to all students.]

[If they failed to abide by it, the tree of wisdom would surely rot away.]

[So, everyone quietly earned their points and lived in peace.]

I turned the page.

The story on the next page was quite useful.

[The university was said to be a continent in itself. Just like when I had once spied from high up with the professor’s help, it was all mountains, forming a vast mountain range.]

[The center was in the north, at the highest peak. A place where no one dared approach.]

[And surrounding it was the sea. This sea was said to be a vibrant blue. Its distinct magical power was said to allow some to live in the sea itself.]

[It was a fascinating story. How could the sea be blue? How could anyone live in it? As someone from an island, it was hard to believe.]

I kept turning the pages.

In less than an hour, I finished the thin booklet of about a hundred pages.

I closed the book with a sense of satisfaction.

But as I did, the book turned to dust and vanished.

I had bought it for five hundred points.

I had known it would disappear, but it still stung to see my points vanish into the air.

At first, I hadn’t planned on spending this much.

The first time I heard the name ‘Abyss Secret Society’ was in a tavern.

After that, I kept hearing the name as I gathered information.

It was the name of a huge organization that owned a whole city.

They were an organization that handled all the information in the continent.

I had seen their name on a map as well, and their base was located in this stalactite city.

I had some points, so I thought I’d visit them.

Sure enough, as an information organization, they knew an immense amount.

They even knew about me.

The fact that I was a new student, that I lived in Professor Irien’s tower, and that I had surpassed two lecture positions.

They didn’t ask why I visited.

They simply handed me a booklet along with a piece of paper detailing my personal information.

It was the ‘New Student’s Guide to the University.’

I was taken aback, but they told me that this was the most useful information I could buy with the points I had.

I bought the booklet almost hypnotically.

As they said, it was indeed useful.

Inside, it was filled with information about the university.

To a new student like me, it was precious, invaluable information.

But to others, it was just basic knowledge.

In this way, all information was essentially points.

They were a massive organization that monopolized knowledge.

This was the reason why the Abyss Secret Society could control one of the twelve cities in the continent.

I could feel my desire to earn points growing stronger inside me.

I still couldn’t return to the tower.

I needed points.

This time, I had earned points by selling lecture positions.

But those lectures were for five years.

They weren’t a regular source of income.

If I relied on just that, I couldn’t dream of advancing to the next level.

I recalled course registration.

Even five thousand points were merely an entry fee.

Just like I sold my position, unless there was a connection or I paid more points, nothing was guaranteed.

Fortunately, I had been advised by Professor Irien and Professor Heisen to apply for the courses.

Still, I needed a more concrete way to earn points.

***

During the last two days, I stayed in the city not only to learn about the university but also to see how others earned points.

Of course, I indulged in food a little as well.

My diet, which used to consist only of ham and beer, gradually started to include other dishes.

The various meals made from monsters and herbs were enough to make me gasp in admiration.

I even bought several cookbooks, thinking I’d research them once I returned.

After this excessive spending, I was left with only three hundred points.

Most wizards earned points by completing commissions.

These commissions were varied—some from the university, others from various organizations, and even private commissions.

I had seen all of this in a commission exchange before.

But those were too trivial.

And none of them were something I could do.

Once I returned, I would be tied up in the tower.

I’d have to supervise classes, manage the tower, make puppets, and train.

I couldn’t leave to do commissions.

I wasn’t the type to wander around like others, and it wasn’t my specialty either.

Then, I realized I had to make use of my unique skill.

I jumped up from my seat and stormed out of the inn.

My goal was the shop where other puppet masters stayed.

The map I had just seen in the booklet included the entire structure of the city, including the locations of puppet masters.

I had passed through this area before.

I planned to learn the tricks of the trade from them.

***

The shop was located on the outskirts of the city, in a dark area with almost no light.

As I entered, the first thing that caught my eye was the line of puppets stretching along the road.

The puppet masters were gathered in a few small buildings beyond.

I entered the largest shop.

The sign read [On’s Puppet Workshop], a name that seemed somewhat familiar.

As I entered, I saw numerous puppets hanging on the walls.

The owner was nowhere to be found.

I slowly began to look around.

The first thing that caught my eye was a cleaning puppet sweeping the floor.

The structure of the puppet was simple.

Efficient movements, efficient magic, and efficient materials.

It was the embodiment of extreme efficiency.

I was amazed by this extreme efficiency.

I couldn’t make puppets like this.

My own puppets focused on beauty.

But this was a form that had much to teach me.

As I continued to admire the puppets, I heard a rustling sound.

From the back of the shop, hidden behind the puppets, someone walked out.

“Looks like we have a customer.”

An old man with wrinkles on his face appeared.

Wearing a monocle, he walked toward me.

I bowed my head in greeting.

His magical aura was almost nonexistent.

He was so old that it seemed his magic had almost faded away.

I had heard there were many wizards who died this way in the university.

I too might end up like this.

“Good day. I was hoping to buy a few puppets.”

He looked me up and down.

Then his gaze stopped at my hands.

I awkwardly wiggled my fingers.

‘Why was he staring at my hands so intently?’

“You’re someone who handles puppets, but why aren’t you using your own?”

I was startled and lost for words.

‘How did he know?’ I looked down at my hands.

There were only slight calluses, but my hands were smooth like those of a wizard.

“How… how did you know?”

“It’s my secret. I won’t tell you.”

The old man chuckled mysteriously as he began to fiddle with the cleaning puppet I had been examining.

As he touched it, the puppet was completely disassembled, revealing its inner workings.

“You were going to disassemble it, weren’t you? Well, you can examine it here.”

“No, no. I wasn’t going to do that.”

I was caught off guard.

I waved my hands, trying to deny it, but he just smiled knowingly.

My gaze naturally shifted toward the disassembled doll.

I knew I shouldn’t be looking, but I couldn’t help myself, captivated by the beauty the circuits formed.

“How is it? Worth a look?”

The old man spoke.

I absentmindedly nodded.

Those circuits, that magic circle.

At first glance, it seemed like it only pursued efficiency, but the structure within was astonishingly beautiful.

It was beauty born solely from the pursuit of efficiency.

I spent quite a while examining it.