ETHTKE chapter 23

* * *

For a moment, I could distinctly feel countless eyes fixated on the tip of my fingers.

I thought it would be burdensome, but instead, it was simply exhilarating.

If I showed my abilities in front of so many people, no one would think of me as a mere parachute hire anymore.

So, this was rather an opportunity.

I could feel the massive magic condensing into a small orb within my palm.

The magic soon floated high into the air, and then, breaking into countless beams of light, it scattered like a torrential downpour, spreading to every corner of the ground.

I didn’t have to wait long.

The blackened trees, stripped bare to their branches, began to regain their original green hue as soon as they were touched by the beams of light.

The sight was as alien and mysterious as a firework display under the bright sun.

Ah, but… hold on a second. This is consuming more magic than I expected.

If I weren’t a veteran possessor, I might have passed out by now from not being skilled enough in controlling magic.

“-… Dowoon, open your eyes.”

“-Dowoon.”

Something was faintly buzzing in my ears, muffled as if blocked by a heavy barrier, but I ignored it and focused all my attention on the spell I was casting, eyes closed, to speed up the process.

“Cheong Dowoon!”

At that moment, Baek Yigang’s voice pierced through the fog in my ears, snapping me back to reality.

Thanks to that, I quickly regained my senses.

As I slowly opened my eyes, which I had tightly shut, I saw an overwhelming expanse of lush greenery before me.

“What the…? No one said it would be this dense of a forest!”

No wonder it was consuming so much magic! I was starting to wonder why it was taking so much out of me!

Whoever made me do this, just wait until I catch you. I won’t let you off easily. Seriously.

“Yigang, what about the Poison Garden?”

“That’s restored too. You can stop now. You’ve turned areas that weren’t even originally green into a forest. It’s more than enough.”

“Phew, thank goodness…”

A sigh of relief escaped my lips at Baek Yigang’s words.

Whatever the truth, I had felt a small sense of responsibility since it had burned down right when I arrived, whether by coincidence or not.

But now, that weight on my heart was lifted.

“Wow, Dowoon, you’re amazing.”

As I struggled to catch my breath, someone behind me let out an enthusiastic exclamation.

Turning my head, I saw a familiar man with orange hair smiling broadly and clapping.

“… Reggie, senior?”

“Restoring that vast forest in just a few minutes, that’s incredible! It would have taken me half a day at least. You’re a terrifying rookie, aren’t you? No, I guess I shouldn’t call you a rookie anymore.”

Reggie, who usually didn’t praise others, was showering me with compliments.

Blue, who was next to him, also patted my shoulder, encouraging me.

“Exactly. A ‘hadukma’ is different.”

“… ‘Hadukma’?”

“It means ‘a wizard who fell from the sky.’ Remember it well, it’s your nickname.”

As I tilted my head in confusion, Blue smiled and carefully explained the meaning of the abbreviation.

But… when did I get such a nickname?

Although, considering I appeared out of nowhere, it’s not entirely wrong…

“Anyway, I look forward to working with you, Cheong Dowoon!”

“Yes, exactly. Now, you’re truly an imperial wizard.”

Blue and Reggie smiled broadly, grabbing my hands and shaking them vigorously up and down.

Ah…! Now I understand why Baek Yigang insisted that Blue and Reggie follow us.

Since these two are current imperial wizards, they needed to be the first to acknowledge me.

“Now that the existing imperial wizards have recognized him, there won’t be anyone who dares to question Cheong Dowoon’s abilities anymore.”

Baek Yigang, who had been observing the reactions of Blue and Reggie, spoke in a firm voice to the nobles who were also watching. His deep voice resonated through the dense forest.

“I hope this lush forest is well imprinted on your outdated vision.”

Baek Yigang’s voice, sharp with thorns, spread widely among the people who were astonished by the sight of the forest.

“I’ve never seen magic on this scale before…!”

“To have someone like this as an imperial wizard, it’s rather reassuring, isn’t it?”

“So, those rumors about him being a parachute hire were just nonsense, huh.”

The strange murmur from earlier had completely flipped, and now the atmosphere was entirely different.

Luckily, it seemed the show had gone over well.

It was indeed a rather sudden event, but I gained a lot. Since there was no major loss, I could track down the person responsible later…

“Let’s go.”

As I was mulling over things, Baek Yigang’s voice cut in.

“Huh, already?”

“There’s no point in sticking around in front of these people any longer. We’ll just become a spectacle.”

By “these people,” he likely meant the nobles.

Judging by Baek Yigang’s expression, it seemed that there had indeed been quite a bit of discussion about me during the meetings, as Blue and Reggie had hinted.

Baek Yigang’s relaxed expression, as if a weight had been lifted, was quite satisfying.

Indeed, that arrogant look suits Baek Yigang so well.

As annoying as he always is, I’ll let it slide this time.

“Cheong Dowoon, the Founding Festival is coming up soon. About two weeks left, I suppose.”

“Hmm, finally.”

His words caused a tension I hadn’t noticed to creep up my spine.

The day was finally approaching when the first chapter of the original story would turn.

In other words, the main protagonist, the Third Prince, would soon make his entrance.

Beyond the shimmering magical orb, the fully restored, dense green forest flickered precariously like a mirage above flames.

Eyes like dull, fading stars narrowed as they stared intently at the forest displayed in the orb.

“Hm, that’s quite useful… Rather than killing him, it would be better to keep him close.”

A voice filled with intrigue slipped from between Piel’s lips.

He had watched, expecting Cheong Dowoon to fail, unable to handle the rapidly increasing consumption of magic and eventually collapse, but the outcome was a surprising display of extraordinary power.

Seeing this, Piel felt not just interest but an immediate desire to take Cheong Dowoon and conduct various experiments on him.

Unfortunately, with his older brother Hail close to Cheong Dowoon, that would be difficult.

“Difficult, but worth a try.”

Just as Piel was rapidly strategizing how to get his hands on such a fascinating toy, his confidant quietly appeared and bowed.

“Your Highness, Asel Fern has been assigned as Cheong Dowoon’s guard. Additionally, it has been confirmed that a high-ranking shadow is also lurking nearby.”

Upon hearing the brief report from his confidant, Piel’s eyes glimmered with a strange light.

“Though he’s proven his abilities, his identity remains unclear. To assign Asel to such a person…”

Even just having Asel, who could handle a hundred men, would have been enough, but adding a high-ranking shadow was certainly overprotective.

“That’s not like my brother.”

A small, meaningful sigh, filled with doubt, escaped.

After staring at the iWizard of Dowoon in the magic orb for a long time, Piel slowly turned to face his subordinate.

“Keep a close watch on Cheong Dowoon. There must be something between him and my brother. If you can’t figure it out, I won’t let you live.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The loyal confidant quickly vanished into the shadows.

And a moment later, the sound of flapping wings came from the window. It was a sound Piel had been waiting for all day.

Piel quickly approached the window and opened it. A large bird, folding its wings, scattered black feathers as it hurried inside.

“What took you so long? Quickly, report what Cheong Dowoon did in the magic department.”

The black bird, familiar with perching on Piel’s outstretched arm, opened its bright yellow beak and began chattering away, reporting everything it had seen and heard.

Kkyooukk, kkyoouk, kkyoukkyouk.

The strange language of the underworld, incomprehensible to ordinary people, filled Piel’s room with its eerie sounds.

However… as the bird continued to speak, Piel’s brow furrowed more and more menacingly.

“Cheong Dowoon liked something that Blue and Reggie made?”

No way…?

Piel couldn’t believe his ears. His platinum eyes were filled with disbelief.

No sane person would ever like something those weirdos made, right?

This was an absolute, unwavering truth, with no room for doubt.

“Did you see what it was?”

Maybe this time, what they made was something that someone could actually like. That might explain why Cheong Dowoon liked it, right? If that’s the case, then it makes sense.

Although the chances of those guys creating something ‘normal’ are nearly non-existent…

It wouldn’t hurt to find out what Cheong Dowoon likes; it could be useful when trying to win him over.

If possible, I might even bring everything he likes to gain his favor.

After all, who wouldn’t like being showered with things they love?

At Piel’s question, the bird opened its beak wide, as if waiting for this moment, and answered clearly.