Episode 76
076:The Worst Misunderstanding
Moiran chuckled dismissively and brushed aside her thoughts about Geumson. golden hand, whose reputation was soaring on Repinet. Even a player like him couldn’t have noticed the magical anomaly the moment he arrived in the city. Even if he had, he couldn’t have fixed it this quickly.
As she thought this, a small spider-shaped brooch hanging at her waist vibrated faintly. Clicking her tongue, she brought a finger to it.
[Communication request from the ‘Arachne’ guild.]
“…Talk about timing.”
Moiran muttered softly and accepted the call. A cold, sticky voice flowed into her ear.
“Moiran, status report?”
“There’s nothing unusual to report, ‘Master.’ Everything is proceeding according to plan.”
“According to plan? Then why is Airtoss so quiet?”
Peaceful Airtoss, contrary to what Moiran had said. Noting this, Moiran’s voice also rose as if irritated.
“Are you doubting my work? The incubation period is up to 72 hours. The reaction is just a little slow!”
Moiran wasn’t lying. But she was also trying to hide her anxiety that an error might have occurred in her calculations. A brief silence came from the other side of the communication.
“…Factor in variables, Moiran. The external operation team is proceeding as scheduled. Produce visible results before then. Failure is not tolerated.”
“Yeah, yeah, got it~.”
She answered curtly and cut the communication first.
“Anyway, so much nagging.”
Moiran grumbled the moment the call ended. While doing so, she took out the black bag hidden under her bed and mumbled.
“Right… the effect just hasn’t shown yet. My calculations are perfect.”
Denying the fact that a variable had entered her perfect plan, she began preparing a second phase of sabotage in case of failure. The materials inside the bag for the second operation emitted an ominous glow.
At that moment, Geumson was repairing the power device of the central clock tower, one of the damaged magical circuit points.
“Phew… that puts out the immediate fire at least.”
Many damaged points remained. But fixing this much seemed sufficient. However, just as golden hand tightened the last screw and closed the control panel cover…
“Teeeeet! Tee-at!”
Tia, who had been keeping watch on Geumson’s shoulder, flapped her wings urgently toward the top of the clock tower.
“What’s wrong, Tia?”
golden hand looked up. At the very top of the clock tower, silhouetted against the moonlight, stood a figure. The silhouette wore white robes and held a staff imbued with starlight. Seeing this, Geumson’s heart seemed to sink.
‘That person…!’
Just watching. But Geumson couldn’t move, as if his entire body had frozen. A message appeared simultaneously.
[Archanage Astrid Lv. 420]
She looked down at golden hand with an impassive face and spoke.
“For a long time… I have been watching the quiet breaths of this city. But… I don’t recall seeing you before. Why do you disturb such a beautiful garden?”
Her voice held a clear, deep resonance, like stars in the night sky. However, the magical energy of the entire city began to gather around her—smoothly, yet like an unstoppable, massive river. It started to press down on golden hand, as if gently embracing him.
“Child, will you tell me the reason?”
Gentle pressure. But under that gentle pressure, golden hand couldn’t move a finger. All he could do was read the messages appearing.
[The Archmage ‘Astrid’ has sensed your presence.]
[She has mistaken you for an intruder threatening the city.]
Geumson swallowed hard. He had met Astrid, whom he was seeking. But it seemed there was some misunderstanding. And it was the worst kind of misunderstanding.
‘Damn it, this… I’m no match for her.’
The magical energy gathering around Astrid and pressing down on him was on a level Geumson had never experienced. His mind began to race. He couldn’t just stand there and take this helplessly. He thought of all his abilities, items, and their combinations.
‘Use Giant’s Might to maximize physical stats and break free, activate ‘Silent Earth’ with the Hammer of Forgotten Void to disrupt the magical flow, and at the same time use ‘Disarmament’ to cripple her equipment balance…’
A scenario forming in his mind. But he soon stopped that train of thought. He considered another scenario. Stopped. Another scenario…
‘Damn it…’
golden hand gritted his teeth. He couldn’t resist. No matter what scenario he thought of, it hit a dead end. No attack of his could reach Astrid. The gap between him and Astrid wasn’t one that could be bridged by skill compatibility or item effects he currently possessed.
Infinite Chain Strike was useless in a situation where he couldn’t land consecutive hits. Other damage amplification effects were also specialized for fighting large monsters. They were insufficient against such a refined and powerful magic user. Feeling unfairly accused, which only made him angrier, golden hand raised his voice.
“I… I didn’t disturb the city! I was actually repairing the damaged magical circuits!”
“Repaired, you say?”
Astrid’s eyebrow twitched slightly. She moved her staff-holding hand a little. Then, the interior of the central clock tower’s power device, which Geumson had repaired, appeared in the air like a hologram. The flow of magical energy, much more stable and efficient than before. For the first time, a flicker of doubt passed through her eyes.
“It certainly has improved compared to what I remember, child.”
Golden Hand felt a little relieved at Astrid’s words. But Astrid’s thoughts seemed to be going in a slightly different direction.
“Your craftsmanship is good, but… wouldn’t the only one who could repair the damaged circuits be the one who damaged them?”
“No… I just came here to learn magic from you, Astrid-nim.”
“To learn magic? From me?”
Astrid showed curiosity. To this Astrid, Geumson brought up the matter of Callis.
“Prince Callis of the Arcadia Kingdom. I came on his introduction. He told me to meet you…”
golden hand mentioned Callis’s name. However, Astrid’s reaction was different from what he expected.
“Callis, Callis, you say…”
Astrid frowned, looking momentarily confused, as if her head was aching. But the words from her mouth were not the answer Geumson hoped for.
“The name Callis… I can’t recall it. It’s a name I’m hearing for the first time. Child, the habit of lying to escape a crisis is not a good one.”
Golden Hand tried to protest at Astrid’s answer, but…
“Shh.”
Astrid brought her index finger to her lips. golden hand found he could no longer speak. Her eyes had turned cold again.
“I don’t wish to hear any more excuses. Since you’ve laid hands on this city’s magical circuits, you must pay the price.”
Words were useless. Cold sweat trickled down golden hand’s spine. Further conversation was meaningless. Though he felt wronged, Geumson thought of the last option remaining to him now.
‘Damn it, if it comes to this… do I have to give up on learning magic from Astrid?’
The last option left to golden hand. That was escape. However, escaping while under this misunderstanding meant he could never learn magic from Astrid. But the connection with Astrid, which had already gone awry, was merely something he couldn’t bear to give up.
‘No choice.’
There was no sign of the misunderstanding clearing. This was truly dangerous. He had no choice but to execute the last option.
‘City Return, destination Airtoss!’
Without hesitation, golden hand activated the skill. An ability usable once per day to instantly teleport to a designated city’s coordinates. He hadn’t set another city. The designated place was an outer district far from the city center. That much should be enough.
[Using ‘City Return’ skill.]
[Instantly moving to designated coordinates ‘Airtoss Outer Citizen Residential District’.]
Fwoosh—!
Along with the message, golden hand’s body was enveloped in a faint light and vanished from the spot. A teleportation skill forcibly activated, piercing through Astrid’s magical restraint. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in a quiet alley in the city’s outskirts, kilometers away from the clock tower.
“Phew… I’m alive for now.”
Geumson breathed heavily and checked his surroundings. He seemed to have escaped Astrid’s sight for the moment. He immediately turned to flee outside the city.
But golden hand’s feet wouldn’t move, as if stuck to the ground.
A voice came from behind him.
“Child, did you think that would work? You should have run farther. Far enough for me to forget you.”
golden hand’s body turned to stone. Slowly, very slowly, he turned his head. There stood Astrid, silhouetted against the moonlight.
Exactly as she was when they first met.
Looking down at him without a single drop of sweat.
The absolute escape skill, City Return. Astrid had simply followed the magical trail it left and caught up. Even escape was futile.
“W-wait! It’s true! I didn’t destroy the city, I repaired it! And this is a letter of introduction from Callis-nim!”
With the feeling of grasping at straws, golden hand presented the letter of introduction. But Astrid didn’t even glance at such a letter. She merely slowly raised her hand. Magical energy gathered at her fingertips. Astrid’s beautiful magic, incongruous with the life-or-death situation.
‘Damn it, things are getting tangled up.’
