Something Beneath the Ground

The 213th Regular Academic Conference had come to an end.

Although there had been an incident where the witch Erfa was taken away as an Abomination, the conference resumed smoothly and, as always, concluded by showcasing remarkable advancements in magical technology and charting the direction for new technological revolutions.

Every presenter’s thesis was outstanding, but in terms of impact and completeness, none could surpass the study of trichromatic magic.

The lead thesis presenters sat in the front row of the audience, all staring at the witch Erfa with astonished expressions.

Her four arms remained as they were, but she was no longer wearing a mask.

This allowed her radiant beauty to be unveiled to everyone without any filter.

Even when she had hidden her face, revealing only her right side, she had received countless love confessions from fellow magicians.

Now, with her left side fully healed, her beauty was so overwhelming that it could function as a bewitching spell on its own, even without the aid of magic.

“And with that, I declare the Regular Academic Conference officially closed! A modest reception has been prepared, so please enjoy yourselves!”

The conference ended.

As if in typical magician fashion, a single wave of their wands instantly transformed the conference hall. Tables laden with snacks, drinks, and wines appeared, and the attendees began mingling, enjoying the refreshments and chatting.

Naturally, the center of attention was none other than Erfa.

Before the conference resumed, priests from the White Order had taken the podium to announce that Erfa was no longer an Abomination and had been completely restored to humanity through the miracle of the Saint of Healing.

Not only was she a historic researcher whose trichromatic studies would go down in history, but she was also someone who had experienced a miracle. It would have been strange if people weren’t curious about her.

“Lady Erfa, I have a question.”

“Did you truly experience a miracle? As a magician, what are your thoughts on miracles?”

“Were you really an Abomination? And why did your left side look like that?”

“Would it be possible for our company to utilize your trichromatic research? Optimization magic is crucial for us as an automotive manufacturer...”

Surrounded by countless inquisitive individuals, Erfa patiently answered each question with a smile.

Due to her upbringing and past experiences, she had always been quite shy. Even when she had to appear on big stages, she would typically deliver her presentation and leave as quickly as possible.

This time, however, her dramatic return made her unforgettable to everyone.

She was now the living proof of a miracle and one of the most brilliant geniuses in the history of the Magic Tower.

“Haha! To think you’d be such a delightful person! You’re both humble and confident—a truly remarkable combination! Here’s my card; I’d love to stay in touch!”

By the time her pockets were stuffed full of business cards, Orgen, the Master of the Tower, cautiously stepped forward through the crowd.

“I’d like to make a brief announcement. May I have your attention?”

With a tap of his teaspoon against a wine glass, Orgen captured everyone’s focus. Smiling, he stepped forward.

“The witch Erfa has lived in our Magic Tower for nearly a decade. She is an exceptional magician who has never caused any issues in terms of character or personality. While she had hidden her left side until now... as you can see, she has experienced an extraordinary miracle and returned to her original form.”

Orgen looked at Erfa with a proud, yet slightly apologetic, expression.

“When the White Order dragged her away, I was unable to do anything. She had every reason to resent us all. However, after experiencing a miracle, she told me that all of that was in the past. She expressed her desire to continue her career.”

He bowed slightly toward Erfa, signaling his apology.

“Her character, ambition, and exceptional talent have moved me deeply. Despite my inaction when she was taken, she has shown greater maturity and dignity than I ever could. It is only fitting that someone like her becomes my successor.”

Gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd.

Orgen was effectively announcing that Erfa would be the next head of the Mars Branch Magic Tower.

“I will soon step down. My body has aged, and my mind no longer works as swiftly as it used to. I’m nothing but an old relic now.”

Although he chuckled as if joking, everyone present knew the truth.

Orgen was far too powerful to be called a relic. He was one of the few to have been personally granted the title of Grand Magician by the Emperor himself.

And now, the person he declared greater than himself stood before them.

“Erfa will lead the Magic Tower after me. So, if one day I disappear from sight, please do not be alarmed. Now, let us raise our glasses to the bright future of this extraordinary witch!”

Orgen lifted his wine glass high.

The gathered crowd broke into applause and cheers as they raised their glasses in unison.

“To the witch Erfa !”

“To Erfa !”

Cheers.

Applause.

Admiring and respectful gazes, all directed at her.

These were the things Erfa had dreamed of.

But now, none of them mattered anymore.

It was laughable.

When she had desperately longed for all of this, the fear that it could vanish like a fragile bubble had always loomed over her. Yet, now that she had let it all go, her dream had come true in its most perfect, indestructible form.

‘Amael .’

Erfa silently thought of one name.

It was all thanks to him.

All of her life.

All of this glory.

It was all thanks to him.

Now, Erfa saw her career, her efforts, and her glory as belonging entirely to Amael.

With that thought, she raised her glass high.

“To the future!”

Amidst the laughter and applause, Erfa was recognized as the next Master of the Tower.

It was a moment of radiance and glory—but for someone else, it was a scene of bitter, tear-filled jealousy.

In the distance, a single witch stood watching Erfa.

Tuidel.

Her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white, she glared at Erfa with fiery hatred.

For a long moment, Tuidel stared at Erfa, who smiled amidst the cheers and blessings. Then, turning abruptly, she walked away.

“This isn’t over yet.”

Her face twisted with fury and loathing, and a devilish grin spread across her lips.

“A miracle? A saint? There’s no way such things could exist.”

The title of Saint had become synonymous with fraud in recent years. Tuidel firmly believed there were no real saints, nor true miracles.

If she could expose the Saint of Healing as a fraud—

If she could reveal that he was nothing but a carefully orchestrated con artist—

Then, naturally, the position of Erfa, who had been “saved by his miracle,” would begin to falter.

The White Order might even arrest Erfa once again, labeling her as an Abomination.

“Just wait, Saint of Healing. I’ll prove it. I’ll expose you as the fraud you are.”

Tuidel laughed.

It wasn’t over yet.

There was still a chance for Erfa to fall.

Large trucks and heavy machinery rolled neatly onto the vacant factory site.

“Listen up! This is a massive skyscraper! The foundation needs to be solid! Start digging!”

Jonathan Karma shouted commands with practiced ease, overseeing the construction of the skyscraper.

Most of the laborers volunteering for the work were impoverished residents from the slums.

“Come collect your wages for today! By the will of the Goddess of Grace, you’ll earn one saled for each day’s work!”

The Lilia Order was burning through a colossal amount of money to hire and feed these workers.

I watched the scene with a satisfied grin.

Yes. Perfect. Keep going, you fools!

They were spending absurd amounts of money.

By my orders, even the Templar Knights of the Solar Order were being paid wages.

Jonathan Karma, a failed businessman who’d run his factory into the ground, was entrusted with a large sum of money.

And they were handing out ridiculous wages to the slum workers, even covering their meals. The money was draining at an insane rate.

Even though High Priest Yodel wore a pious and faithful expression now, the moment he realized the astronomical costs and saw me continue to waste money so extravagantly, he would surely leave in disgust.

My plan was falling perfectly into place.

I had set up a shabby clinic near the construction site, treating the endless stream of impoverished people while praying for the Lilia Order to go bankrupt as soon as possible.

“Saint.”

After what felt like an entire day of treating patients, Jonathan Karma cautiously approached me.

“We’ve hit a massive boulder while digging the foundation. It’s delayed the work. The rock is so solid that our current equipment can’t break through it.”

My ears perked up.

“What do you need, then?”

“We’ll need to rent more expensive, advanced equipment. That means… it’ll cost quite a bit.”

“Proceed.”

Heaven was on my side!

Spend! Spend more!

Burn through the Lilia Order’s funds until they go bankrupt! Quickly!

“High Priest Yodel, please arrange for Jonathan’s requested equipment to be delivered immediately—”

“Saint!”

Oh, no.

Not again.

Not her!

“Lady Witch! What perfect timing!”

As expected, before I could even stop her, the witch Dawon had already heard Jonathan’s explanation. With a cheerful smile, she pulled out her wand.

“Don’t worry! I’ll take care of it!”

Troll!

There’s no greater troll than her!

Why can’t you just leave me alone and let the Lilia Order go bankrupt? Do you know how much money you just saved them?

I was screaming internally.

But what could I do? You don’t yell at a walking magical nuclear bomb capable of blowing up the entire empire.

All I could do was watch as Dawon approached the construction site, wand in hand.

“Huh? This is mana-absorbing stone. But why is it so huge?”

I heard her surprised voice, followed by the ground shaking violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

Turning my head, I saw Dawon, wand in hand, struggling to dislodge a massive black rock embedded at the center of the construction site.

“It’s absorbing mana, so I can’t remove it with magic alone! I’ll need some help! Everyone, let’s work together!”

“Understood!”

The slum laborers rushed forward, grabbing hold of the enormous boulder and straining with all their might.

“Come on! On three! One, two!”

With a cracking sound, the gigantic black rock was finally lifted high into the air.

Annoying.

Just by looking at it, I could tell it was absurdly hard and heavy. If they’d used equipment, it would’ve cost a fortune to extract it.

Still, I consoled myself.

Building a skyscraper on this useless land was already an outrageous waste of money. If things continued this way, the Lilia Order would surely go bankrupt—

“Something’s rising from the ground! Lady Witch!”

With a pop! and a rushing sound, something began gushing from the hole where the boulder had been.

Turning back, I saw the workers retreating in shock as shimmering blue liquid spilled endlessly from the ground.

Holding her wand, Dawon cautiously approached the liquid. After dipping her hand in and examining it, she cried out in astonishment.

“Elixir… It’s an elixir spring!”

Eli… what?

An elixir?

Why is that there?

Why there of all places?!