Chapter 53
- Boo, trash.
- Can you sleep at night at this price?
- 100 gyeongdan for one heatstone lol
- Even the Head Mod's marketplace items don't cost that much; who do you think you are?
The Vermilion Mage Tower raised the price of heatstones.
As though in response, the Gallery erupted in fiery cheers.
100 gyeongdan might sound simple enough, but considering that it was actually around 100,000 won, this was an absurd rise in prices.
“At this point, it would be better to boil things over a fire.”
Bathing once now cost the equivalent of 100,000 won. At this rate, it was about to become a hobby enjoyed only by the rich.
Just then, the Head Mod of the Mage Tower hurriedly posted something to put out the fire.
[Title: Unfairness]
Author: UltimateStormMage
(Meme of a completely emptied warehouse)
First of all, let me make this clear: I did not leave stock behind and raise the price.
Heatstones aren't a manufactured product to begin with.
They're byproducts left over from magical experiments, and no matter how material-intensive magic is, we're still only one Mage Tower;
When all the major races buy them up, how is our one Mage Tower supposed to meet the demand?
- Sigh...
- He has a point, though...
- No, but figure something out somehow!
- Give us heatstones! Give them to us cheap!
ㄴ UltimateStormMage) Fuck;
Supply was woefully insufficient compared to demand.
Heatstones had originally been mana stones.
Stones that literally contained mana.
After being used in magical experiments, the heat remaining inside them failed to dissipate completely, turning them into heatstones.
- Storm Mage, you are a bad person.
- No price gouging!
That said, there was no way to demand that the price be kept at this level, either.
Mage Towers were money pits by nature.
But was that necessarily a bad thing? Not really.
The more money a Mage Tower spent, the more the surrounding commercial district naturally prospered.
From Keliarton's perspective, and from that of the Vermilion Mage Tower, which needed immediate income, there was no reason to lower the price when so many people wanted them.
“It's not as though we can rely on the other Mage Towers, either.”
Not all magic consumed large amounts of mana stones.
The Vermilion Mage Tower used an unusual amount because it was the first to attempt and develop magitech.
Around then, I grew curious.
“What on earth are they researching that consumes so many mana stones?”
What the hell is magitech, you otaku.
But who am I? The Gallery moderator.
Instead of fretting over it, I immediately asked Storm Mage.
Head Mod*: So what did you make?
Mage Tower research materials were not usually shown so readily.
I thought I might not even get a reply, but before I had finished thinking that, a response came back.
UltimateStormMage: This, hehe
(Meme of a carriage moving automatically after being given a mana stone)
(Meme of a golem rising after a mana stone was infused into a rock)
Isn't it cute? ㅠㅠㅠ Don't downvote ㄴㄴㄴㄴ
“Musk?”
How did he make this?
Steampunk naturally came to mind.
A field in which science and magic did not exclude each other, but fused together in harmony.
“A genius?”
In the Middle Ages, especially in places where magic took priority, there should not have been any room for science yet.
Otherwise, people wouldn't say things like pouring milk on wounds or claiming that cleanliness polluted the soul.
Head Mod*: Wow, are you a genius? That's amazing.
UltimateStormMage: Hehe, not at all. Compared to Head Mod's magical enlightenment, I'm just a young greenhorn.
“No wonder it consumes so many mana stones.”
But putting that aside, why did he keep mistaking me for a grand mage?
If I left him alone, the misunderstanding was only going to deepen.
So I tried telling him the truth.
Head Mod*: No misunderstanding ㄴㄴ I can't use magic
I don't know the first thing about real magic.
UltimateStormMage: Oh, don't be so humble, hehe.
The Vermilion Mage Tower is an imitation from the start, after all.
“Oh, no way?”
The instant I heard Storm Mage's words, my eyes narrowed.
Could it be that the things called magitech and the Vermilion Mage Tower were all...
Head Mod*: Don't tell me you mean by ‘imitation’...
UltimateStormMage: They're all clumsy attempts to imitate Head Mod's magic, hehe.
Head Mod*: Ah
The countless modern goods I had scattered across the marketplace to revive the Gallery because I was bored.
The Vermilion Mage Tower was a group fascinated by those modern goods and by science, studying them under the belief that they were magic.
The problem was that modern goods were pure science, without even a trace of magic in them.
But they believed it was magic and researched it anyway...
Head Mod*: Then magitech is...
UltimateStormMage: That's right. It is the discipline I dare use to refer to the magic of the Grand Mage Head Mod.
The Vermilion Mage Tower was a place where mages gathered to research and study science.
And they were specifically pursuing modern artifacts, mistakenly believing them to be my magic.
But what could I do? I was a scholar to the bone.
“This is dizzying.”
Suddenly elevated as both the essence of the Mage Tower and its master, I set the Gallery aside for a moment and closed my eyes.
“So that's why their heatstone production was so high.”
Since they regarded modern science as magic and researched it, they probably needed twice as many materials as other magic did.
Because it wasn't magic to begin with.
Yet despite the Vermilion Mage Tower's efforts, the Gallery was still struggling with a shortage of heatstones.
The problem was that even if mana stones overflowed, there was a limit to how many could be used.
“Then...”
Just then, an idea flashed through my mind.
Short on heatstones? Then why not keep consuming magic beast stones instead?
[New item stocked in Head Mod's marketplace!]
[New item ‘Refrigerator’ registered.]
It was time to release home appliances.
*
People cannot live without refrigerators.
More precisely, anyone who has tasted life with a refrigerator becomes incapable of living without one.
In other words, there was a reliable place to consume mana stones.
- Ah, I want some meat.
ㄴ Don't say that out loud, dumbass!
- Guess we'll just have to wait until it appears in the marketplace.
- Meat doesn't show up in the marketplace very often.
- What meat? Just eat tuna.
And in this other world, food preservation and expiration dates were extremely important issues.
Food was the greatest problem of the apocalypse, after all.
It wasn't for no reason that people even hunted and ate magic beasts.
So the Gallery users depended on the marketplace.
- Fuck, the canned tuna sold out again;
- I was definitely waiting for it, but this is seriously dizzying;
- Tips for getting canned tuna
ㄴ 1. Go into a back alley
ㄴ 2. Shout “Canned tuna!” ← A black-market dealer will appear and sell it for 50 gyeongdan per can.
ㄴ Fuck, is that really true?
ㄴ Aside from how absurd it is, that's fucking expensive lol
Canned tuna in particular was in enormous demand, to the point that it had even spawned black-market dealers.
And so, just like any other day, the Gallery users were anxiously waiting for the marketplace when...
[Refrigerator in stock!]
[Two-Door Refrigerator] - 500 mana gyeongdan
An unfamiliar item appeared in this other world.
A refrigerator divided into two sections, a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment. The most common form.
But the Gallery, half-mad with its obsession over food preservation, reacted less enthusiastically than expected.
- What is this?
- 500 gyeongdan? Hey, Mr. Joo, are you kidding me?
- Seriously fucking expensive.
- Refrigerator ← What's this bastard?
ㄴ Is Mr. Refrigerator your friend?
ㄴ 500 gyeongdan isn't my friend, though lol
Until then, the marketplace had only stocked items that were not particularly expensive.
But when 500 gyeongdan suddenly appeared, awkwardness came before delight.
Of course, I had never brought in expensive items like home appliances before, nor had I intended to try.
“Where are you planning to get electricity?”
I wasn't going to pray for lightning to strike from the sky on a rainy day, so even if I sold one, it would just be a pretty metal box.
But that was no longer the case.
[Notice: It's Me]
Author: Head Mod*
(Meme of a magnificent refrigerator)
(Oh my, I have to buy this! beastfolk emote)
Everyone struggling with food preservation,
Why aren't you buying a refrigerator?
This is an absolutely essential item.
A www that will erase everyone's worries.
[Recommendations9999+] [Dislikes132]
- Fuck, this is a notice post? lol
- It looked like another unhinged bait post, but holy shit, the author is Head Mod lol
- Fact) I'm used to it now.
ㄴ Fact) That's a fact.
- I-I honestly think the refrigerator is too expensive...
ㄴ Gallery user, what are you talking about?
ㄴ As expected, a sincere opinion from the Gallery Emperor.
Despite posting such a heartfelt notice, the number of purchases did not easily increase.
That said, there was no need to worry or pay attention to the sales rate.
“It'll sell anyway.”
I even had a kind of certainty about it.
There was absolutely no reason for this refrigerator not to sell.
And there would always be people who bought things without hesitation, even when they were this expensive and available in such small quantities.
For example...
[Administrator Chatroom]
Dead-Set Vampire: Head Mod
Head Mod*: Yeah
Dead-Set Vampire: (Meme of a refrigerator tucked into one corner of a grand castle office)
Dead-Set Vampire: How do I use this?
The suspiciously wealthy Sub Mod was one of them.
*
There were 100 refrigerators in total listed on the marketplace.
Only 10 of them barely sold.
Erzsebet was one of those ten.
“It looks strange.”
Tap.
The refrigerator's first impression was strange.
Its purpose seemed to be nothing more than that of a giant drawer, yet its exterior was pointlessly beautiful, like a work of art.
The lines were beautiful enough to impress even Erzsebet, who had grown tired of seeing works of art.
And despite looking like it would be heavy, it was light enough for a person to lift if they set their mind to it.
What on earth was this thing for?
“It's really strange.”
She was standing in front of the refrigerator, staring it down, when...
A reply came back from Head Mod, whom she had been waiting for.
Head Mod*: Try putting a mana stone inside the freezer.
Dead-Set Vampire: Like this?
Dead-Set Vampire: (Meme of a mana stone placed inside)
Erzsebet did as Head Mod instructed for the moment.
Then, just as she was about to save a screenshot and fumble it over to Head Mod...
Vroom. Whirrr.
“...!”
Light began leaking from the beautiful rectangle.
Then came an inexplicably refreshing sound.
[Hello. Beginning operation.]
“?!”
The beautiful, composed voice of a woman flowed out of the work of art.
Was there a person inside?
Erzsebet looked all around, but no matter how she examined it, there was no opening large enough for a person to get inside.
Erzsebet's eyes widened until they were as round as saucers.
“This is Head Mod's grand magic...!”
Some called it magitech, while others called it grand magic.
Erzsebet could only nod as she once again felt the full extent of his magical abilities.
And this was apparently only the beginning.
- Ding, ding ding.
[Please close the door to freeze.]
“...Sorry?”
Following the refrigerator's voice, Erzsebet put the cola and tomato juice inside as Head Mod had instructed.
Then she crouched down in front of the refrigerator.
Head Mod had told her to wait at least an hour to see its effect.
Waiting was the one thing she was confident in.
Erzsebet tilted her head and gazed at it—or rather, at her, the consciousness of that grand magic.
“You really are audacious.”
No living creature could dare make such an audacious demand in front of the mistress of the Ruined Castle, Mariaka.
‘Could it be because you're not just any creature of Head Mod's?’
As she sat alone in deep contemplation, a new notification appeared.
Head Mod*: It should be ready now. Take them out and try drinking them.
Dead-Set Vampire: Okay.
“Excuse me.”
Ding.
It was the moment she opened the door and reached inside.
“C-cold!”
Erzsebet's mouth fell open for a moment.
She hadn't even realized it was using magic, so how...?
But even more astonishing than that were the cola and tomato juice, which had become perfectly chilled!
“Delicious!”
The cola's carbonation had become perfect, while the slightly bland tomato juice had regained its perfection.
When she entered the Gallery to check its reaction with astonished eyes,
the Gallery was reacting much the same way.