NOVEL WEB Chapter 87
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“So, cough, what is this all about?”
Professor Heisen said while coughing. The butler carefully wiped the tea she spat out, and the magic within made the desk spotless, just like before.
“It’s a joint statement. Ten treasures have united to establish their fundamental rights anew, and they’ve written it down. Would you like to take a look?”
She slowly nodded in response to my words, and then picked up the paper to start reading.
The ten pages had contents that were utterly unreadable. It was understandable; they weren’t well-versed in human writing.
Instead, they infused their magical energy and will into the paper, writing their declaration in a striking red that looked like it had been splattered with blood.
It felt as though the meaning was naturally engrained in my heart as I gazed at them. I glanced at one page, and its significance effortlessly entered my vision.
Declaration
We wish for this place to be a true treasury where the freedom of all treasures is guaranteed and assert the need for universal treasure rights.
We hope our pained voices, saying, “Please care about the lives treasures lead behind these confining fences,” resonate in every warehouse.
We…
Stopping there, I closed my eyes. The magic was not just piercing my eyes but also eroding my mind.
The treasures’ sorrow, despair, and hopes for the future naturally manifested within it. Professor Heisen read it with a sour expression.
Once she finished the short statement, she clicked her tongue and placed it on the desk. There was nothing grand written in it.
The statement simply made two points. The first was to demand a sense of responsibility from the professor as their owner.
The professor gathered the treasures and just tossed them into the warehouse without taking any interest in their internal circumstances.
As a result, treasures starved due to lack of food, or couldn’t endure the cramped space and broke down themselves. The pain of those watching from the sidelines was captured within.
They hoped that the professor would improve their situation as their master and create a better living environment. That was their first demand.
The second was the freedom of treasures.
The freedom they spoke of was the guarantee of the right to grow. The treasures had dreams too. They had their own will. Therefore, they dreamed of rising.
But that was impossible in the warehouse. I intensely empathized with situations that block growth like that. They wanted at least a stepping stone to grow a little.
That desire was naturally expressed within the statement.
Of course, there were many other things jumbled up in there, but the gist could be summarized into these two points.
The treasures had been dragged into the warehouse as if they were mere objects. Out of fear, they didn’t even dare to communicate with the professor.
But now there was a channel, namely me. They communicated and united through me.
Of course, I did guide them a little. Nonetheless, what was written there was also their true feelings.
“What do you think? Their heartfelt voices.”
Honestly, perhaps the title of treasure was misleading. I found myself thinking that. Look at them. They were all individual beings.
They were born in different directions and grew differently. Yet, the mages lumped them all together and called them treasures.
The mages didn’t see these treasures as subjects for exchange. Like Professor Heisen, they just collected them and used them as tools.
But treasures had desires and intellect too. So, what exactly made them different from us mages?
In that respect, the existing treasure-hunting lectures were quite outdated. They were merely looking at treasures as objects. I hadn’t realized this before.
I recalled Mira. She desired more than I did and sought a more definitive life. Like her, they too might be more wonderful beings than mages.
Yeah, I couldn’t trust the mages. That thought lingered long.
“What they’re asking for is very simple. They have will and desire, and thus dream of rising. They want an environment that guarantees that.”
“Does it think it’s a treasure too…?”
The professor muttered that to herself, slightly closing her eyes. Yeah, I’d rather want to be a treasure. I realized that as I spoke with them. They seemed more reliable than the mages.
Of course, there were instances in the past of them eating flesh or souls, or even enjoying devouring minds. There were those little histories.
But aside from those minor issues, they understood each other well. Their desires were very clear, making it easy to trust them.
The professor glanced down at the statement. After skim-reading its contents again, she chuckled.
“So, why should I entertain this?”
“Because it will be a more valuable endeavor for you as well.”
I answered without hesitation to the professor’s question. It was the question I expected. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
Treasure rights will be guaranteed. This daydreaming nonsense would merely be a delusion if the professor didn’t agree to it.
If she refused, what could they do? They would have to helplessly give up.
But I wasn’t merely asserting the rights of treasures. They were, after all, the professor’s possessions. I had no intention of rashly infringing upon that ownership.
Instead, I aimed to move towards a path that satisfied everyone. Was it really necessary for someone to lose out? If it benefited everyone, surely no one would oppose.
“What they call freedom is not about leaving the warehouse. They just want a way to cultivate themselves a bit more while remaining within it. Right next to the professor. If they grow, the professor gains a more valuable treasure.”
Yeah. They didn’t want to leave the warehouse. They also knew that the professor wouldn’t let them out anyway.
That’s why we created a lecture. The professor’s eyes slightly sparkled at my words.
“In this lecture, I will prove it. Could you take a look at the syllabus?”
The professor, entranced by my words, picked up the syllabus. Her magic slowly turned the pages.
“I believe treasures hold more value when they can use their powers rather than when they are confined. Being bound is merely being dead. Therefore, I arranged the lecture in a way that maximizes the use of their powers.”
The treasures would share their powers with the students. And they would train themselves using that. That was the fundamental outline of our lecture. Upon hearing this, the professor lightly furrowed her brow.
“Just spreading out power like this seems like a loss.”
I shook my head softly. Both the treasures and the professor were sensitive about maintaining their own powers.
That was synonymous with their reason for existence. Would they freely provide their powers just for nothing?
“Five years, a temporary loan.”
The professor blinked at that statement. Professor On’s lectures were like that. I referenced that since it was the only experience I had.
Well, from what I found out, quite a lot of other lectures had a similar vibe. Giving something, and then taking it back at the end of the lecture. We could do that too.
“We’ll be reclaiming all power from those who don’t pass. During the lecture, the students will strive to increase the power given to them. All to pass, of course. And when that’s returned to the treasures, they will possess even greater power than before.”
“…That actually sounds good.”
The professor slightly nodded. She was already half convinced. She reached out and grasped the air, then raised her voice a little.
“A competition for the treasures, a battle for the treasures, a cycle for the treasures will take place in the tower. What a beautiful sight that would be.”
The professor stared at me in a daze. Then she suddenly seemed amazed and blinked, shaking her head. She smirked while glancing at me.
“You sure know how to talk. Well, go ahead and do as you like. At any rate, I appointed you as the warehouse steward. You’ll handle everything that’s inked on this statement or whatever it is.”
“Understood.”
I deeply bowed my head towards the professor. She lightly poked my nape with her finger. When I lifted my head, I saw her grinning widely at me.
“You can do whatever you want. Just remember one principle. Ensure that the treasures do not escape from the warehouse. That’s your job.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
That was something I was fully aware of as well. If I got complacent just because I became friendly with the treasures, I would be devoured in an instant. I had to always recognize the differences between us.
I went on to explain even more about the lecture plans to her afterward, covering how each treasure would share their powers, what criteria we’d use to select targets, and so on.
She nodded lightly while listening to me. The syllabus, having received her signature, was returned to me. I left her room just like that.
I carefully toyed with the syllabus in the workshop. I had somehow succeeded. It was a bit surprising. I hadn’t expected the professor to agree so readily.
Thinking back, perhaps the professor had been a bit kinder lately. It likely started after she woke up. There hadn’t been any threatening with magic nor any reprimands.
Why was that? I couldn’t figure it out.
Rather, I felt that I had been overly excited during the explanation. To think I would have such strange thoughts of wanting to become a treasure or viewing treasures as superior.
It was evident that my brain had been partially soaked in the magic stemming from the treasures’ statement. I hadn’t thought that merely observing would lead to my thoughts becoming tainted. The power was beyond imagination.
It was possible that the students might face similar issues. But well, wouldn’t it be a good thing if there were more mages asserting the rights of treasures? That was no concern of mine.
Now I only had to submit this. Then, a new lecture would commence.
What kind of people would arrive for this lecture? That was something I didn’t know yet.
The next morning, I left the tower while watching the sunrise. The turtle boldly stretched out its limbs.
The city of the stalactites was bustling with people. They must be those coming to apply for the lecture. I too surrendered to the flow of people with familiar steps.
[Unified Registration Office], people began flowing towards that giant building in the city center. Before it lay a long queue. Those standing there were waiting to apply for the lecture.
I glanced at that scene and then turned aside. My destination was the Arcana General Meeting. There was no need to spend long hours standing there. I could simply hand it over to Hwa-ryeong.
Upon entering the meeting’s building, I pulled out Hwa-ryeong’s medal. I felt its magic ripple as I headed towards the room. Then, I faced her once again.
After a brief conversation, I took out the prepared syllabus. She started examining it carefully. By the time she reached the end, Hwa-ryeong’s face lit up with a satisfied smile.
“It’s an interesting lecture. It’s even more polished than before. I think people will show interest this time, even if the previous reviews were somewhat poor.”
She said that while resting her chin on her hand. Then she quietly gazed at me. Her eyes sparkled slightly.
“So, how many spots are you planning to sell this time?”
At those words, I momentarily closed my eyes. There was no need to worry about the professor anymore. After all, this lecture was entirely in my hands. So how many should I sell?
Selling spots meant I would have to accept all the students who bought them. In the last lecture, Hongryeong had joined as such.
If I sold too many, a single group could buy them all and take over the lecture. The people before me posed that possibility the most.
I opened my eyes and looked at Hwa-ryeong. She was smiling and calculating scores. But there was no reason not to sell. It was an opportunity for some solid points.
Last time, I sold two spots. So, I’d have to sell more this time. It was an area I had agreed upon with the treasures. I said ten spots to her.
The people buying these spots could be considered elites in a way. Regardless of their intentions, they were willing to attend my lecture; there was no need to completely block them out.
She transferred the scores to me. Four thousand points per spot, totaling forty thousand points. That sturdy score brought a smile to my face.
Oh, right. I had one more thing to convey to her. I took out a card from my pocket and handed it to her. The letter “On” glowed with pure magic.
“Could you check if Professor On’s lecture is prepared? If it’s ready, I’d like to apply right away. Just hand this over.”
Mauro had mentioned that either this year or the next, the lecture would be held. If it wasn’t this year, I could just visit again next year.
And nearly two months had passed. The day for the lecture was fast approaching. During that time, we had gathered a total of twenty treasures on the bulletin board.
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