“Tower Master, please wake up.”
I had no idea how long I’d been asleep since emerging from the trial. The voice that woke me was now a familiar, melodious one.
As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw the face of a beautiful silver-haired woman right in front of me.
“Are you awake, Tower Master?”
“…Eia, huh? How long have I been out?”
She straightened her posture and replied,
“You have been sleeping continuously since emerging from the trial. The current time is 12 noon. If you get ready quickly, you will not be late for the Academy’s afternoon classes.”
Even before she finished speaking, I had already closed my eyes again, preparing to sleep.
“…Tower Master. You must wake up.”
She shook my shoulder.
“…Just 30 more minutes.”
I simply squeezed my eyes shut. Normally, I’d try to get up, but today, I just couldn’t. The accumulated fatigue hadn’t yet faded.
“You cannot. Last night, you ordered me to wake you up on time no matter what you said.”
“…Then I’m giving you a new order. Please, just leave me alone.”
“The Tower Master from last night was more rational than the Tower Master of today. Request denied.”
…What kind of homunculus is this?
When I refused to give in and maintained my defensive stance, Eia pouted slightly and asked,
“Then how should I wake you up?”
“I don’t know. Maybe if my bride suddenly appeared out of nowhere to wake me up, I’d get up.”
I muttered something random while shifting my position to the perfect curled-up sleeping posture.
‘Ahh, this is nice.’
Sleepiness washed over me. My eyelids felt heavy.
Just as I was about to fall into a comfortable slumber, a voice whispered in my ear.
“Honey, breakfast is ready~”
Goosebumps ran down my entire body, and I shot upright.
“Uwaagh! What the hell?!”
Eia was suddenly standing there—wearing an apron.
And not just any apron. It was that infamous one from subcultures—the back completely open, nothing underneath.
“I customized my approach to suit the Tower Master’s preferences.”
I clutched my throbbing forehead.
“That was just a joke!”
“Are you not pleased?”
She was really pushing it. When I strongly denied it, she tilted her head.
“Curious. I have read that all men have fantasies about a newlywed bride’s outfit.”
…What am I going to do with you, you search-obsessed homunculus? It seems she’s learned everything about the world through the internet, and now her values are straight out of a fantasy.
“Forget everything else—just look at your outfit! What kind of bride in the world wears something like that?”
She glanced down at herself and responded matter-of-factly,
“I searched for ‘honeymoon’ and found this attire.”
“What you’re wearing only appears in manga or adult magazines. It’s basically cosplay!”
“Understood. I will correct it.”
With a snap of her fingers, she returned to her usual outfit.
…A bit of a shame, actually.
Eia crossed her arms with a satisfied expression.
“But you did get up. I declare that I have successfully fulfilled the Tower Master’s order.”
“…Much appreciated.”
I felt like I’d been tricked, but at least the shock had driven away my sleepiness. After drinking the cold water she handed me, my mind cleared.
“Though it’s a bit late, congratulations on unlocking the second floor, Tower Master.”
Oh, right. I had cleared the trial yesterday.
Remembering that put me in a great mood.
I had gained remote casting and even created my own original spell. That was an almost absurd level of achievement for a single day.
“I have also regained control over the second floor’s management functions and acquired new abilities as a homunculus.”
“New abilities?”
-This one, for example.
I flinched.
Eia’s voice was now directly inside my head.
-I can now communicate with you anytime, anywhere, and share your vision through the Sage’s Eye.
‘Oh, so the search fairy is now online 24/7?’
She must have read my thoughts because she pouted.
-It’s not just for searches.
“Then what else?”
-I can assist with some of the magical calculations that you need to process.
“…What?”
I unconsciously shot to my feet.
“A-Are you serious?”
-Of course.
“Let’s test it right now.”
I wasn’t overreacting—if this actually worked, it would be revolutionary for a mage.
I spread both hands. In my right hand, I prepared a shield magic circle, and in my left, a gauntlet magic circle.
“I’ve set the field. I’ll handle the right side, so you finish the left.”
-Understood, Tower Master.
“Here goes.”
Swish!
As usual, I quickly completed the shield magic circle in my right hand. Then, swallowing nervously, I glanced at my left hand.
“…!”
The gauntlet magic circle had indeed formed there.
Examining it closely, it was almost identical to the ones I created myself.
-The Tower Master and I share part of our metal system. If it is a spell you can cast, I can execute it at a similar level of proficiency.
“Wow…”
If I had this ability during the battle against Baphomet, it would have been a massive help.
But regardless, this was an incredible gain.
By dividing tasks with Eia, I could significantly shorten the casting time for large-scale magic, and I could now cast two spells simultaneously.
Moreover, my magic proficiency was shared with her. My growth was her growth, meaning my efficiency would skyrocket.
“This is amazing, Eia. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
She smiled brightly.
“Yes, Tower Master.”
“That aside, you can finally experience the outside world now. You’ve spent seven years inside the tower, only browsing the internet.”
“Correct. Though I cannot leave the Magic Tower myself.”
“Since I’m in a good mood, is there anything you’d like to see in the outside world?”
Her eyes widened for a moment before returning to normal.
“A homunculus’s desires are not important. As long as it is something the Tower Master wishes, I will be satisfied.”
“Come on, don’t say it like that. You must have at least one thing you want to see after seven years on the internet.”
She hesitated for quite some time before answering.
“In that case…”
“In that case?”
“I would like to see a concert by the group Exio.”
My mind went blank for a moment.
“Exio is an excellent boy group—… Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Ah, no, I just didn’t expect such a… normal request. But alright, I’ll check if they have any upcoming concerts.”
“Thank you!”
I felt her tone rise sharply.
Was she really that happy?
I went downstairs to the first floor with Ea.
“Good morning.”
And there, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, I spotted a man sitting in the lobby, tapping away at his laptop with a morning coffee in hand.
“…What are you doing here again?”
“I’m at work.”
Slurp.
Jung Seojin took a sip of his steaming coffee and answered.
“I bought some salad and coffee over there, so help yourself.”
“Oh, really? Thanks.”
I strolled over casually and took a seat at the corner of the table.
A pre-packaged salad set from a well-known bakery franchise was placed there.
I peeled off the plastic lid and drizzled the enclosed apple dressing around three times.
“Are you planning to work here from now on?”
“Yes. If I want to provide proper consulting, I need to accurately assess the capabilities of the Mage Tower.”
“Aren’t you busy with your own work?”
“I’ve taken care of most of it.”
Jung Seojin adjusted his glasses.
“…In the end, this is Unix’s business. For the time being, I’m fully committed to the Mage Tower.”
“That works out great for me.”
I mixed the salad thoroughly with a disposable fork and took a bite. It was a chicken breast salad. Eia brought me some water.
“Eia, you should have some too,” Jung Seojin quickly suggested.
“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t need to consume food to sustain my life.”
“That means you can eat. At least try tasting it.”
Jung Seojin put his laptop aside, took out another salad set, and handed it to her.
Eia hesitated.
“Even if I eat, it will just convert into mana…”
“It’s fine,” I said.
“Humans don’t only eat for survival. And taste isn’t something you can experience through an internet search.”
“If that is what the Tower Master says…”
In the end, Eia sat quietly across from me.
Mmm.
I kept thinking about that apron outfit from earlier, and it made my nose sting for some reason.
“Here you go.”
Jung Seojin kindly removed the packaging, poured the dressing properly, and handed it to her.
Eia thanked him, picked up the plastic fork, and took a bite.
It was just a simple chicken salad, but as soon as she tasted it, her eyes widened, and she started eating hastily.
She eats so adorably.
And next to her, Jung Seojin watched with a look of pure happiness.
“Hey, Seojin.”
“Yes?”
“Are you perhaps…”
“Yes?”
“…No, never mind.”
Nah, it couldn’t be.
I continued eating my salad and casually asked,
“By the way, did you see Eia in her apron outfit?”
Thud.
Suddenly, Jung Seojin fell to his knees with a devastated expression.
“What did you just say?”
“What?”
“Whose outfit? Eia’s? Ha… Hahaha!”
Now, he was laughing blankly, completely out of it.
“I should’ve come earlier!”
I took a moment to reflect on the Jung Seojin I thought I knew.
…Was he always like this?
After a short silence, he pulled himself together and adjusted his glasses.
“I showed an embarrassing side of myself for a moment, Tower Master.”
“…At least you know it, you crazy bastard.”
“That aside, what on earth did you do overnight to end up like that?”
He pointed at my torn shirt and pants.
“I told you yesterday. Office expansion.”
“…It looks more like you fought a war.”
“Pretty much. Anyway, how’s the distribution line coming along?”
Jung Seojin turned his laptop screen toward me and opened a file.
“Here’s the status of the outsourcing contracts.”
I widened my eyes as I looked at the screen.
Eia, curious as well, floated closer beside me—salad container still in hand.
“…Wow, you did all this in one day?”
Jung Seojin had acquired a bankrupt logistics warehouse and signed contracts with three distribution companies.
“Starting tomorrow, the distributors will go around the market and collect potion ingredients. In order: Heuksan(Black Mountain), Halley, and Hosong.”
“Nice. Nice.”
As expected, he’s competent. Everything is falling into place.
“But where did the deposit money for these contracts come from?”
“I used my own funds, though it wasn’t much.”
Wow, that actually touched me a bit.
“I feel bad about that.”
“I know the Tower Master’s circumstances well. Think of it as an investment in the growth of the Mage Tower.”
So, all the money he showed me before was meant to be spent on the tower.
By signing with a third-generation chaebol, I secured not only a key talent but also business funds.
‘Now then, let’s see. What’s next on the list?’
With Seojin handling the potion ingredient supply and distribution routes, that part was settled.
Now, the problem was finding someone to actually make the potions.
I could do it myself as the Tower Master, but I couldn’t afford to be stuck brewing potions forever.
It’d be better to assign a dedicated person to the task.
“I should take a shower and head straight to the academy.”
Hearing that, Jung Seojin gave me a surprised look.
“You’re still interested in the academy? You already have a facility where you can make potions.”
“I plan to stay until early graduation. Besides, there’s someone there I’ve had my eye on.”
Jung Seojin nodded seriously.
“I see. Indeed, if you’re looking for talent, there’s no better place than the academy.”
Not just for potion-making. To properly run the Mage Tower, I needed far more people than I had now. At the very least, I wanted one manager per floor.
But where could I find such talent?
Hiring professional hunters was out of the question.
There was no way experienced fighters would listen to a mere student deemed “not battle-worthy.”
Even if they did listen, most hunters were already contracted with guilds, and I had no means to pay the massive penalties for breaking those contracts.
That meant I had to find uncontracted players. But most of them were just nobodies, making recruitment difficult. I couldn’t just wander the hunting grounds all day, manually checking each person’s status screen.
In that sense, the academy was the perfect place to recruit talent—A place brimming with promising, guild-free newcomers.
The ideal scenario was finding a worthy prospect, growing alongside them, and together, developing the Mage Tower.
I grabbed my coat and turned around.
“I’m heading out to find some talent, Eia.”
Still munching on her salad—with dressing smeared on her lips—she smiled and replied telepathically.
—Take care, Tower Master.
