I Got an Otherworldly Dating App

The relatively low salary might have been a small risk for women, but for men who had to bear more financial burdens in relationships and marriages, it was a fatal risk that could not be ignored. That was why Leo thought about changing his major. But it was only possible after the first semester of his freshman year. And due to various other circumstances, he ended up not changing his major and stayed.

Recently, he had been thinking about getting a job at an association and living single. Besides, since it was a gate-supported department, Leo could probably get a job somewhere with half a diploma, so he didn't really have to look at it that negatively.

Knock-knock.

"I'm Leo."

"Oh, Leo? You said it was because of the withdrawal request, right? Would you like to come this way?"

When Leo arrived at the department office, feeling somewhat nervous, there was still a teaching assistant with dark circles and several working-study students.

"First, please fill out the withdrawal request form, and then you can have an interview with the professor later."

"...If you were to drop out, wouldn't they have stopped you at least once?"

"Then why don't you try to enjoy your campus life diligently instead of dropping out?"

"That's a bit..."

"Right? Dropping out is something that you can't do with your heart. You probably have your own thoughts, so why would I, an outsider, interfere?"

That was right. In fact, Leo didn't really want anyone to stop him.

He just blurted out that because he wanted to tease the teaching assistant he often saw on the way home one last time. The teaching assistant had dark circles, but she was known in the department for being deep-thinking and good at reading people.

But why was she working as a teaching assistant?

Leo guessed it was because she enjoyed reading people and being good at reading people were two different things.

'In reality, there wasn't much to write for my personal information. There was a space for a reason, so I spent some time thinking about what to write, but in the end, I just roughly wrote that I was admitted to the Magic Tower.'

"Oh, right. You told me to wear my magician registration card around my neck, right?"

Leo remembered something he had heard earlier that had only skimmed over.

"It's not mandatory that recommended magicians wear their registration cards around their necks. I don't know the exact reason, but I guess it's to prevent crazy situations where things go amiss or pick on magicians. Of course, it's not because they're worried about guys getting their arms and legs broken and picking on magicians. If you think about it, even the top-level hunters are full of guys who are stronger than magicians in a duel. They're probably begging me to wear the registration card because they're worried that someone might offend our precious magician.

"Should I wear it too?"

"Honestly, isn't that a bit much? You could just wear a robe instead of having to wear the registration card... What's the difference between wearing your corporate ID card outside of work and wearing it?"

"Uh... Leo?"

"Huh?"

"Well, the reason you write it might seem like it's just for show? Of course, the professor will interview you based on this, but such a ridiculous lie is a bit..."

It felt as if he was being taken aback by the look in the teaching assistant's eyes that said, "What kind of crazy guy is this?"

It was too much of a stretch to just write the four words "Enrolled in Magic Tower" in the reason column.

If someone who didn't know the context saw this, they would definitely think that Leo was just a crazy guy.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. There are often people who don't want to reveal their reason for dropping out. I'll give you a new paper, so write it again..."

"Here."

Leo took out his magician registration card from his pocket and handed it to the teaching assistant.

It was a brand new card with the Magic Tower and government marks clearly printed on it.

"...Huh?"

The teaching assistant's eyes widened as she received the registration card. She had dark circles and frowned a lot, so he thought her eyes were small, but they're really big.

"Uh... That…"

"Impersonating a wizard is a serious crime punishable by 10 to 15 years in prison..."

The eyes of the teaching assistant and the working students grew wide as a small fireball rose above his palm.

"Who am I? A 1st circle wizard and future 8th circle great wizard. Respect, praise. I went to the Magic Tower in the morning to register."

***

The moment Leo's mini magic demonstration was witnessed, a single thought flashed through everyone's minds except for Leo himself. 

The Gate Support Department, which was predominantly comprised of women, from the teaching assistant Lea to the working-study students, saw this as an opportunity for social advancement. Since ancient times, marriage was an opportunity for upward mobility, and high-level hunters were socially recognized as upper-class individuals.

It was a dangerous job with high risk and huge profits, and casualties were frequent, but hunters who were frequently threatened with their lives were considered to have heightened desires. 

In particular, when they left the Gate and visited the Association to settle accounts, it was the peak time, and the female employees working at the Association counters were desperate to seduce such hunters. Rather than the merit of being a quasi-civil servant, seducing one such high-level hunter was one of the main reasons why women applied to the Gate Department to rise in status.

What appeared before their eyes were young juniors or classmates from the same department who had just become magicians and were relatively less competitive. Of course, the other working students, except for Lea, didn't even know what Leo looked liked. Even though their peers knew his name, their seniors and juniors didn't know his face, so it was almost like a first meeting. Still, the fact that they were in the same department was encouraging in itself.

Name? So what if they didn't know it? They could just start thinking about their child's name from now on.

"I heard that magicians make a lot of money."

"1st Circle… Isn't it worth a try? They just started today."

"There's a chance, but if I go right now, wouldn't that make me look like some easy woman?"

Each of them had their own sinister intentions, thinking countless worries. Leo, sitting quietly at the back, suddenly felt a strange chill. It felt like he was the only male lion left in a pride of female lions during mating season.

"Tsk, look at the assistant, I guess it's already over…"

"Leo?" 

Unknowingly, the subtle changes in Lea's appearance stood out. Her lips, typically a pale shade, were painted a striking red, and her hair, usually tied back, was styled loose and flowing. There was an unmistakable fragrance in the air, and her voluptuous figure, even through her professional attire, was undeniable.

"Do you have time tonight?" she asked, her voice soft yet filled with intent.

"Uh…" Leo was caught off guard. 

Lea, at 27 years old, was acutely aware of her ticking biological clock. A gap of six years wasn't uncommon, and she knew that finding stability and a partner before the age of 30 was crucial. 

Her experiences had taught her that even three years could slip by in the blink of an eye. This urgency wasn't lost on Leo, and though oblivious in most situations, he wasn't so naive as to misunderstand her intent now.

"I think I'm screwed," he muttered under his breath, beads of cold sweat forming as he met Lea's determined gaze. While it was flattering, Leo couldn't shake the feeling that this situation had turned into a delicate, dangerous game.

'Iris might be okay with me having someone else, but marriage… I'm not sure.'

Leo welcomed with opened arms irresponsible pleasure, but if there were strings attacked, he didn't want anything to do with it.

The sight of Lea secretly pressing her chest against Leo's arm was terrifying in itself. At that moment, he was trembling, wondering if he might end up getting married.

"Lea, can't you see that the child is in trouble?"

"Professor?" A light voice broke through, like salvation coming down to save him.

"Student Leo? It's been a while."

It was Professor Aurora, the professor of the Gate Support Department.