Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1291. The Magic Tower (4)

It was a story as old as time. Battles were raging all across Lindel, and Jung Ha-Yan’s magic couldn't protect just her allies. Some were probably swept overboard by the massive waves, but there were surely adventurers who, in the heat of the fierce battle, couldn't retreat at all.

They definitely had the bare minimum contingency plan in place, but as always, there was no guarantee that everything would go according to plan.

Some probably chose to stay behind to help a comrade onto a ship, while others probably forgot about the waters amidst the chaos of the battle. Some were injured and unable to move, and others chose to remain behind to protect their comrades.

It all happened so fast, and there were countless unpredictable variables at play. The command center had almost certainly anticipated that such things could occur. Even so, the situation left them with no choice but to carry out the operation.

‘What a mess...’

At a glance, those who were swept away by the waves and lost to the sea seemed to be in the hundreds. It could be framed as an unavoidable sacrifice and the fallen could be honored as heroes, but how could someone as gentle-hearted as Jung Ha-Yan not be shaken by that sight?

“It’s over! It’s finally over!”

“Heuk... heuuuk... Ahh, we won!”

The raising of the victory banner and the cheers of joy could feel long or short, depending on one’s perspective. Cleaning up after a battle fought with one’s life on the line was always grim.

Even as Lindel’s three major guilds and command center announced humanity’s triumph, those who had already grasped the reality of the situation were busy searching for their missing comrades.

“Heuk... heuuung... You bastard... open your eyes. Please, just open your eyes!”

“Priest! Is there any priest with holy power left?! Hurry... hurry and get over here!”

“You asshole! You’re not dead, are you? You’re still alive, right?”

“Please... please...”

I saw people clutching the bodies of their comrades and family members. Naturally, Jung Ha-Yan was also watching all of this unfold from atop the Magic Tower. After the announcement, everyone threw themselves into clearing the corpses, and she was probably watching them do all that.

The dead weren’t even given a proper funeral. The survivors asked the priests to cast purification spells. Then, they gathered the corpses, quarantined them, and burned them, to ensure that a plague wouldn't spread.

The only comfort they had was that the civilians were evacuated, but even so, those civilians had lost their homes.

The old Lindel was no more.

All that remained was the Magic Tower. It was swaying, but it was still standing, while the rest of the scene resembled nothing more than a junkyard.

Given the state of things, even the cleanup was a lot of work in itself. Soldiers began moving debris from collapsed buildings to recover the bodies, while emergency camps for the gravely wounded were set up aboard the ships.

Of course, even Big Boy wasn’t exempt from this kind of work.

“Well... now that the battle’s over. You can climb back up by yourself, right? I should head down soon...” Big Boy said.

‘No, I can’t let him walk away here...’

His words made me grab the hem of his pants.

“...”

“...”

The thickheaded lump was, one way or another, the one who had defended the Magic Tower during this operation. It was obvious that he was connected to the Devil’s Guild somehow.

Since I, Lee Ki-Young, was neither a trainee mage of the tower nor anyone with official standing, I needed a clean identity, and if my identity could be tied to a combat unit with ties to the guild, I had no reason to refuse that arrangement.

In fact, I had every reason to cling to him.

‘Whatever it takes, I have to stick to his guy, but how?’

I had to force my way forward for now. One way or another, that was the only option.

“Wh-What the...?” Big Boy said.

I met the eyes of the startled man and said, “I’ll go with you too, hyung."

He seemed a little thrown off by the way I addressed him, but he didn’t look displeased.

From Big Boy’s perspective, this trainee mage probably came across as a fairly gutsy kid, and there was no harm in staying on good terms with something connected to the Magic Tower.

Perhaps I wasn’t useful right now, but I was probably a worthy investment for the future. Still, it seemed like he roughly grasped what I meant by saying I’d “go with him.” He had to have thought that I was asking him to add me to his party, so no wonder he was caught off guard.

It would be like poaching someone from the Magic Tower.

“What? Are you crazy? Are you trying to ruin my life?” Big Boy questioned.

“It’s fine. Strictly speaking... I’m... not part of the Devil’s Guild, and I’m not registered with the Magic Tower either... so if I disappear, no one here’s really going to care,” I reassured him.

“What kind of nonsense is that?” Big Boy questioned.

“...”

“...”

‘I’m a trainee mage with a story.’

A sad and wistful look—one that hid just a hint of malice deep inside.

“So... you’re going through something, huh?” Big Boy asked.

“It’s... hard to explain, but... I don’t want to stay here any longer,” I replied.

“...”

“...”

“I won’t ask about your circumstances, but I’m not exactly the kind of guy who can just take on an extra mouth to feed. To be honest, we haven’t even known each other that long.

"What makes you think you can trust me with your life? What if I’m not the nice guy you think I am? The truth is, I didn’t care whether you lived or died back there. I only looked after you because my comrade told me to do so.

"I just played along for a bit because I didn’t want to get on the tower’s bad side...” Big Boy explained.

“...”

“You think we're friends now just because I climbed the tower with you for a bit? You brat,” Big Boy chided.

“I-I’m useful, hyung! I can use all sorts of summoning spells... and I can grow fast. I can handle grunt work... what you tell me to do, I can do it. I can even help your other party members with all kinds of tasks. I’d be useful in lots of ways,” I told him.

“That’s not the point. Damn it, what am I even doing talking to some kid I’ve only known for a few minutes? Damn it all... just go your own way. I can’t be bothered,” Big Boy said.

‘What the hell? You’re just throwing me away like this? You’re the one who told me to look at the sky first.’

“I’ve seen my fair share of ridiculous situations, but this one’s new. Damn it, what kind of crap...”

‘You bastard, you’re the one who opened up to me first. Take me with you.’

Big Boy strode off with long, heavy steps, and of course I had no choice but to go after him.

“I-If there’s a problem, you can just send me back then,” I said.

“Forget it. I don’t want trouble with the Magic Tower. We’re mercenaries who make our living off subcontract work from them, you idiot!” Big Boy shouted.

“They’ll just assume I’m dead. If I change my appearance a bit, I can move around freely!” I said.

‘Don’t abandon me, you bastard.’

“What the hell am I supposed to do with some kid who can’t even swing a sword properly?” Big Boy questioned.

“I-I’m a mage. I even know a bit of alchemy and I can make potions for you,” I said.

“Just get lost already, kid,” Big Boy said.

“It’s true! Honestly, do you think the tower cares if one trainee mage goes missing? They don’t even know I’m gone... If I were important to them, someone would be looking for me by now,” I argued.

“...”

“...”

“You little punk... are you even really a trainee mage?” Big Boy mumbled.

‘Ah, this guy’s sharper than I thought.’

He started walking toward me, and of course, I had no choice but to hurriedly show him some magic.

“L-Look! O Lord, I beseech thee...” I muttered.

“You don’t have to be a trainee to learn magic, though... do you?” Big Boy asked.

He approached me and grabbed my upper garment, pulling it up. I struggled, but there was no way to escape his strong grip. Soon enough, I could feel his rough hands probing here and there. What he was looking for was obvious...

‘This?’

The retainer brand etched into my stomach.

‘I was pretty fast. I went straight for it. The storytelling’s perfect.’

In the second life, retainer trading was illegal, but in the first life, it was perfectly legal. Even in the second life, it was still happening quietly in the shadows, so it wasn't considered unusual here.

In fact, it was common for mages to own a retainer or two. Whether for unethical experiments or as assistants, buying retainers was nothing out of the ordinary, so having the “mage’s retainer” story wasn’t exactly a bad cover.

The reason I was wandering outside earlier was to find a good chance to escape, and the reason I was so happy at the end of the war...

‘Because I confirmed that my master was dead, Big Boy hyung.’

Literally, the brand on my stomach wasn’t red anymore, but black.

“You... were a mage’s retainer,” Big Boy mumbled.

“...”

“...”

‘Big Boy...’

“Did your master... die? Dead, huh...” Big Boy asked.

“...”

“...”

I could only grit my teeth as if everything was over. The fate of a retainer was obvious. Even if their master was dead, they would just be sold off again to become a retainer to someone else, but I could guarantee that our Big Boy would never abandon me.

‘Your nature and Unique Habit are good, aren't they?’

Sure enough, he immediately said, “From now on, answer what I ask truthfully. Depending on your answer, I’ll decide what to do with you. Don’t even think about lying. I’ve got a party member with a trait that can tell the truth from lies."

‘That’s a hell of a bluff. As if someone like that would be in your party.’

However, I stammered as if I was afraid, saying “O-Okay...”.

“Was your master from the Magic Tower?” he asked.

“N-No,” I answered.

“Then?”

“My master came from the Magic Kingdom of the Union of Kingdoms. Their name was—”

“You don’t need to tell me that. It’s better that I don’t know anything about them. Then, while your master was staying in the Magic Tower, did anyone see your face?” Big Boy asked.

“No. I-I was always in the... room... I mean, in the lab with my master,” I replied.

“Lastly... were there any other mages who came with your master?” he asked.

“I... don’t know. I was transported in a small box, so... I don’t know anything. I’ve never met other noble mages from the Magic Kingdom... I was always just in the lab...” I told him.

“Damn it... crazy bastard...” Big Boy muttered.

“Pardon?” I asked.

“No, I wasn’t talking to you,” Big Boy said.

Sure enough, Big Boy looked furious.

‘Well, damn... there’s hope after all.’

Surprisingly, this guy’s got a sense of justice. Well, perhaps not justice, but even in this hellhole, he hadn't lost his warmth just yet. Rough on the outside, soft on the inside... Big Boy was more than qualified to be my temporary meat shield.

I looked at him with an expectant gaze.

This always happened whenever one was taking in strays.

Someone with a heart that warm could never turn away from these eyes. Our time together was short, but there was no way he could just ignore my gaze. He was probably weighing whether bringing this retainer into his party would cause any trouble.

In the end, he would probably...

“Damn it... fine. Just come with me,” Big Boy said.

“What?! You mean it?!” I shouted.

“Quiet. Just follow me for now. I’ll have to think about what to do with you. The people from the Union of Kingdoms will be leaving soon, so I’ll keep you around until then,” he said.

“B-Big Boy, hyung,” I stuttered.

‘Thank god.’

“But let me make this clear. I’m not saying I’m accepting you into our party, got it? I’m not the type to take responsibility for some lost kid. I don’t have the means for it, and I hate dangerous work. It’s only until the people from the Magic Kingdom are gone. Understand?” Big Boy asked.

I nodded for now, but...

“Now I’m stuck with a pain in the ass... damn it...” Big Boy mumbled.

‘I’m never leaving.’

“...”

‘I’m holding out no matter what.’

I could guarantee that he wouldn’t be able to watch me walk away.