Chapter 17 - There's Something Under the Ground

The 213th Regular Academic Conference came to an end.

Although there had been an incident where the witch Erpha was dragged away as an abomination, the safely reopened academic conference was able to end by presenting outstanding magical technology developments and new technological revolution directions, as it always had.

While every presenter's paper was excellent, no matter how good they were, none could surpass the Three Primary Colors Research in terms of impact or completeness.

The representative paper presenters were seated in the front row of the audience, and they were all looking at witch Erpha with surprised expressions.

She still had four arms, but she was no longer wearing a mask.

As a result, her brilliant beauty was revealed to everyone unfiltered.

Even when she used to cover her face, she had received numerous love confessions from many mages just with her exposed right face.

Now that her left face had also become perfect, her beauty could function as a charm spell on its own without using any other magic.

"With this, we conclude the regular academic conference! A modest reception has been prepared, so please enjoy!"

The academic conference ended.

As befitting mages, with one wave of a wand, the conference hall was instantly tidied up, and tables prepared with snacks, alcohol, and drinks appeared, and the gathered people began to chat while enjoying drinks and snacks.

The center of attention was, of course, Erpha.

Before the conference resumed.

The priests of the White Order had come up on stage and declared that Erpha was no longer an abomination and had completely returned to being human thanks to the miracle of the Saint of Healing.

She was a great researcher who would go down in history with the Three Primary Colors Research, and she had even experienced a miracle.

It would be stranger not to be curious about this.

"Miss Erpha. I have a question."

"Did you really experience a miracle? As a mage, what do you think about miracles?"

"Were you really an abomination? Why was that left face like that?"

"Would it be alright if our company utilizes the Three Primary Colors Research? The magic optimization problem is a very important issue for us as a car company..."

Surrounded by numerous people, Erpha had to endure an endless barrage of questions.

She answered each and every question calmly.

With a smiling face.

Due to her upbringing and past experiences, she had a very shy personality.

Even when she had to appear on such a big stage, it was her routine to just make the presentation and quickly return, so she never had the opportunity to make her face known to people outside the Magic Tower.

But in a very dramatic way, her face could be firmly imprinted on everyone's minds.

As a living witness to the miracle who experienced the Saint's healing and as one of the greatest geniuses in Magic Tower history.

"Haha! I didn't know you were such a pleasant person! Humble yet confident at the same time! Very impressive! Here’s my business card! I'd like to contact you often!"

After exchanging numerous business cards, making Erpha's pockets bulge, Tower Master Yorgen carefully squeezed through the people.

"I'll make a small announcement. May I have your attention for a moment?"

After tapping a wine glass with a teaspoon to focus people's attention, Tower Master Yorgen stepped forward with a smiling face.

"The witch Erpha here has lived in the Magic Tower for nearly 10 years. She is an excellent witch and has never caused any major problems in terms of character or personality. Although she had been hiding her left face until now, as you can see... she has experienced a truly great miracle and returned to normal."

Tower Master Yorgen looked at Erpha with a proud expression.

And at the same time, it was an apologetic face.

"When she was dragged away after being pointed out by the White Order, I couldn't do anything. Erpha could have resented us all. But after experiencing the miracle, she said that all those things were just in the past. She declared that she wanted to continue her career."

Yorgen looked at Erpha and bowed slightly to apologize.

"Her character, goals, and outstanding talent were enough to move me. She is much more personally mature and impressive than me, who couldn't take any action even when a witch under my command was being dragged away. Shouldn't such a person... be my successor? That's what I thought."

Everyone looked surprised.

Yorgen was now declaring that he would designate Erpha as the next Tower Master of the Mars branch Magic Tower.

"I will step down soon. My body has aged, and my mind no longer works as quickly as it used to. I've become obsolete now," he said this with a hearty laugh as if joking, but everyone here knew.

Yorgen was too powerful a mage to be called obsolete.

He was one of the few who had received the title of Archmage directly from the Emperor.

And the person he publicly declared to be more impressive than himself was standing before their eyes.

"Erpha will lead the Magic Tower after me. So even if you don't see me one day, I hope you all won't be surprised. Well then! Let's toast to the great future of this great witch!" Yorgen shouted, raising his wine glass.

All the gathered people burst into laughter and raised their wine glasses together.

"To witch Erpha!"

"Cheers!"

Cheers.

Applause.

Gazes of admiration and respect towards her.

These were things Erpha had dreamed of.

But now all those things didn't matter anymore.

It was truly ridiculous.

When she longed for all those things so much, there was always an anxiety that it all felt like a bubble that could burst at any moment, but when she abandoned it all, her dream came true in a complete form that would no longer break.

Mr. Amael.

Erpha recalled one person's name inwardly.

It was all thanks to him.

Her life.

All this glory.

Everything was thanks to that man's grace.

Now her career and all her efforts and glory were for Amael.

Thinking that, Erpha raised her glass.

"Cheers!!"

Amidst the laughter and applause, Erpha was thus recognized as the next Tower Master.

It was a brilliant and glorious moment, but for a certain someone, it was also a scene of jealousy that made them shed tears of blood.

There was one witch watching Erpha from a distance.

Tudel.

She glared at Erpha with her fists clenched so tightly that they bled.

After watching Erpha smiling amidst cheers and blessings for a long time, Tudel eventually turned and started walking towards the outside.

"It's not over yet," she muttered with a devilish smile, her face twisted with anger and disgust.

"A miracle? A saint? There's no way such things can actually exist."

By now, “saint” was also used as another name for a con artist.

Tudel believed that there were no real saints or real miracles.

If she could prove that the Saint of Healing was a fake.

If she could prove that he wasn't a real saint but an elaborately crafted con artist.

If that happened, Erpha's position, who was saved by the miracle of this con artist saint, would naturally be shaken as well.

The White Order might even arrest her as an abomination again.

"Just wait. Saint of Healing. I will definitely reveal it. That you're a con artist."

Tudel smiled.

It wasn't over yet.

There was still a possibility that Erpha could be destroyed.

***

Large trucks and various heavy equipment entered the neatly emptied factory site in a line.

"Remember!! It's a huge high-rise building! We need to make the foundation solid! Start digging!!"

Jonathan Karma led the workers as if he was used to it, continuing the construction of the high-rise building.

And most of the people who volunteered to work below were poor people from the slums.

"Here! Receive today's wages! It's the will of the Goddess of Grace! We'll pay you 1 saled for a day's work!"

And the Lilia Order was bearing enormous losses to employ and work all of them.

I was watching all of this with satisfaction.

Yeah!

You're doing well, you idiots!

The amount of money being spent must be enormous.

Thanks to my orders, they were even paying wages to the holy knights of the Sun Order.

I had also entrusted large-scale funds to Jonathan Karma, a failed businessman who ruined his factory.

They were handing out ridiculously high wages to the poor and even taking care of their meals, so money must be melting away at an unbelievable rate.

Even though High Priest Yodel was now wearing a pious and faithful expression, when time passed and the money had melted away astronomically, and I didn't stop there but continued to spend money and live extravagantly, he'd probably leave in disgust.

My plan was steadily coming to fruition.

I had set up a shabby clinic near the construction site and was still treating the poor people who kept coming, praying for the Lilia Order to go bankrupt as soon as possible.

"Saint."

After continuing to treat people all day like that.

Jonathan Karma carefully approached me and spoke, "While digging the ground for the foundation work, we've hit a huge rock that's delaying the work. The rock is so hard that we can't break through it with the excavators we're currently using."

My ears perked up.

"Then what should we do?"

"We need to rent more expensive, high-end equipment. For this... it seems like we'll have to spend quite a lot of money."

"Proceed."

Heaven is helping!

Heaven is helping!!

Spend a lot of money!

Spend it generously!

Spend it generously enough to bankrupt the Lilia Order!! Quickly!!

"Yodel. Please rent the high-end equipment that Jonathan is requesting right..."

"Saint!"

Ah damn.

Damn!

Damn, no!!

The nuclear bomb witch! You again?

"Witch! You've come at just the right time!"

Of course, before I could try to stop anything this time too, the witch heard the situation from Jonathan and smiled as she took out her wand.

"Don't worry. I'll solve it for you!"

Troll!!

There's no troll like this troll!!

Please just leave without interfering with my plans!!

I need to bankrupt the Lilia Order, do you know how much money has been saved because of you?

Please!!

...But all this shouting was only in my heart.

With what courage would I shout at a super-special nuclear bomb that could blow away the entire empire?

I could only watch as the witch approached the construction site with her wand.

"Huh? It's a mana-absorbing stone? Why is there such a large mana-absorbing stone?"

The witch's surprised voice was heard for a moment, and then the next moment.

The ground shook as if there was an earthquake.

When I turned my head, I could see the witch trying to pull out a black rock firmly embedded in the center of the construction site while holding her wand.

"It's absorbing mana, so it's hard to pull out with just magic! I think we'll need some help! We need to pull it out together!"

"We will do so!"

The workers from the slums who were working rushed in and started to exert force while grabbing the huge rock.

"Now! Put your strength into it! One, two!"

With a cracking sound, the huge black rock was pulled up high into the sky.

This is annoying.

Just looking at its size, it seemed so damn hard and heavy, if I had made them pull it out with equipment, I could have made them spend much more money.

Still, let's take comfort.

Building a high-rise building on this useless piece of trash land is already an insane waste of money.

If things continue like this, the Lilia Order will surely go bankrupt...

"Something is gushing out from under the ground! Witch!!"

With a refreshing pop sound, I heard something gushing and pouring out.

When I turned my gaze back there, I could see the workers backing away in confusion.

Water with a brilliant blue color was endlessly gushing out from under the ground where the huge rock had just been pulled out.

The witch with the wand approached the water slowly with a surprised expression.

After carefully touching the blue water, the four-armed witch shouted in shock, "Elixir... It's an elixir source!"

E… what?

Elixir?

No, why is that coming out of there?

Why the hell is that coming out of there?!