TL/Editor: raei


    Status: 5/Week Mon-fri


    Illustrations: Posted in discord.


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    The mana stones in the stake-like magical devices simultaneously lost their light and crumbled into dry sand, while the flashy lights faded away.


    "W-who are you?"


    "...Shouldn''t I be the one asking that?"


    What appeared suddenly in the now-quiet golden meadow was a female mage, her face scrunched up as if her butt hurt from landing hard on the ground.


    Her messy hair tied up haphazardly, crooked glasses, and the pen and ink stains on her hands painted a clear picture of who she was. It looked like she''d been working on a thesis until just moments ago.


    Dark circles, glasses, and a ★-rated appearance combined to create the typical image of an unkempt yet naturally beautiful scholar.


    "Hmm, so you''re the hero. And this is a request from the Magic Tower... Franks, that bastard."


    "...?"


    Fortunately, multiple people weren''t summoned randomly, and the summoned person was an elite mage who''d be in the top 0.1% in intelligence in this fantasy world.


    Thanks to that, we were able to start a calm conversation without any confusion or commotion. Of course, by conversation, I mean Han Se-ah nervously showing the crumbled stakes and rambling on about the request she received from the Magic Tower.


    Maybe it was because her research was interrupted, but the mage''s sharp gaze made her look like a stressed office worker. Was that why Han Se-ah was acting so submissive?


    "So, this is the request you received from the Magic Tower in the adventurers'' city, right? I think I know why."


    "What is it?"


    "What else? These bastards messed up the coordinates and blew up someone else''s research lab."


    It seemed she personally knew Franks, the request manager she called a bastard. No, if she even knew what kind of research he was doing, they were probably more than just acquaintances.


    Despite being suddenly kidnapped to the tower, she remained calm as she analyzed and explained the situation.


    I couldn''t understand the magical theory at all, so I''ll skip that part. To put it simply, it was like, "If fake safe zones can summon people, why don''t we try it too?" They needed to know the conditions for summoning to either prevent or utilize it, so they used magical devices to force it to activate.


    If the magical devices had activated normally, the research team waiting nervously in the lab - that is, Franks, the request manager, and the hired mercenaries - would have popped up and trampled the prairie. But due to a small mistake, this lady, who had been organizing documents alone in the neighboring lab, was transported here instead.


    "So then..."


    "I need to gather my materials and return anyway. I''d like to ask if I could join your group."


    "Y-yes. Of course."


    Of course, we couldn''t just brazenly abandon her and leave, even if the Magic Tower''s mages had made a mistake. She knew about this quest - or rather, the project the Magic Tower was working on - and was just a 3★ theoretical mage. Leaving her behind would be as good as telling her to die.


    And so, in addition to the three close-combat warriors, we gained one more temporary companion.


    A companion named Maelis Borange, 3★ ''Persistent Recorder''.


    "Hmm, hero. Do you happen to have any spare magical devices left?"


    But this is a first. She''s progressing the quest normally, was it possible with just the help of a 3★? Why hasn''t this happened until now?


    -But why is someone donating in won while talking like a foreigner living in Korea?


    -lol Just one 3★ is enough for the quests to progress on their own


    -I gave up on being a mage after seeing this. It''s better to leave magic to NPC companions


    -Is it because it''s a virtual reality game that you need real-world abilities to be a mage...


    -If this is true, doesn''t it prove that Han Se-ah''s brain level is under 2★?


    As one viewer pointed out, if just one 3★ mage was enough to keep the quest line from getting tangled, how had they managed to mess up everything until now? Could this also be considered a talent? A talent as an internet streamer or jester, that is.


    "Ah, I see the hero is the type who relies on intuition. There are quite a few mages like that."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes. There are quite a few people who can''t explain magic theoretically but can freely wield it relying on their senses. On the other hand, there are people like me who only use magic according to set theories."


    If there was one fortunate thing, it was that Maelis seemed to understand even when Han Se-ah showed her clueless side.


    She didn''t lose her rose-colored glasses view of Han Se-ah as a genius mage chosen as a hero, the first human to break through to the 55th floor, able to use unique spatial magic (the inventory), and able to sense paths she''d checked once before (the minimap).


    On top of that, when using intermediate magic, Han Se-ah could apply magic skillfully as Maelis had said, so the misunderstanding kept piling up. The smart mage auntie who expertly modified the magical devices with a professional touch praised Han Se-ah, causing the eyes of our companions to fill with trust and affection.


    "There seems to be another safe zone if we go that way. There are no monsters nearby... Hm?"


    "What is it? Did something appear?"


    As we were moving forward smoothly like a ship catching a tailwind, thanks to Maelis''s persistent assistance living up to her title and the lucky totem''s great performance in the party, Grace suddenly turned around in surprise.


    "Behind us, I think an ogre has appeared. It''s close enough that it should have noticed us. We need to prepare for a fight."


    At her words, I turned around and focused my mana on my eyes. Far off on the horizon of the prairie, something bulged up alone. Since berserk ogres were larger than regular ogres, it looked like a huge rock or sculpture sitting alone on the prairie.


    Hmm... If that''s the case, the berserk ogre probably saw us too, as Grace said. Leaving aside the possibility that it smelled us, at this distance, it must have spotted us scurrying around on the prairie. After all, there was nothing on this prairie except for the actual grass.


    "It''s definitely coming this way... Ah, it''s running."


    "The dust it''s kicking up looks similar to when Roland runs."


    As if to prove Grace''s words right, the creature that had been lumbering towards us suddenly started running. A cloud of dust rose from beyond the prairie, and we could hear a fierce roar-


    "Grooooar!"


    Amidst the tense atmosphere among our companions, seeing Maelis''s face full of curiosity and Han Se-ah''s face full of expectation, I felt a sudden surge of mischief.


    "Hmm... If we run to the safe zone, will that thing disappear?"


    "Oh my? That is quite curious indeed."


    "W-what?! You''re joking, right, Roland?!"


    At my question, Maelis''s eyes sparkled with curiosity, while Han Se-ah''s eyes widened in shock. It''s a bit of a shame that if we don''t face that ogre now and run away instead, we''ll probably lose about three missions.


    At that speed, it''s probably best to fight it now.