Ding-ding-ding. Ding-ding.
The ringing of a cellphone stirred the man from his sleep.
Stretching his hand out, he searched for the table.
Grabbing the vibrating phone, he reluctantly opened his eyes and examined the screen.
6 AM.
“Don’t be like this. Be humane.”
Monday.
No matter how many times he looked, he firmly acknowledged the fact that this wretched day existed.
“…Damn.”
Today was another day at work.
The man, drying his face, thought to himself.
“This world, if only it had fallen apart.”
Quietly wrapping his body in the blanket again, he hunched over.
His slightly sagging body trembled at the ringing sound.
Ting-ting. Ting-ting.
As the sound from his mobile phone changed, the man opened his eyes quietly.
“Hello? Seonal. Are you awake?”
A woman’s voice echoed.
“Hello…?”
“Yes.”
“Seonal, good morning.”
Seonal, upon hearing the words of the team leader, Edinal, he suddenly woke up.
“…I had a long night, ma’am.”
“Stop denying reality, and by the way, did you forget the complaint that came in on Friday?”
“…Just a moment.”
Seonal, like a turtle, blinked his eyes slowly and even his movements became slow as he looked at his mobile phone.
The 21st.
“What day is it again…?”
Seonal finally stood up from his seat.
“Yes. A wretched complaint came in, right?”
Running his hand through his hair, he couldn’t help but furrow his brows.
He couldn’t remember if someone had come with a complaint on Friday.
Seonal closed his eyes and thought carefully.
—Who’s crying?
Absolutely no one.
The words abruptly brought forth by the clearly angered Centaur, Kentauros, were familiar to him.
Most complainants were always angry.
But Kentauros’ complaints were particularly dangerous.
—She’s crying near the apartment. I saw that, and his hair was moving like a snake, like Medusa. She’s crying loudly! What? Getting angry! He’s throwing a tantrum! It’s too noisy!
‘Then call the police.’
Seonal thought like that at the time, as Kentauros continued.
—We called the police! We did, but they can’t do anything. They measured the noise, but it didn’t reach the standard for arrest! I’m going crazy! Seriously, I don’t know how many days I haven’t slept!
At that time, he was looking at a document summarizing the approximate characteristics of the Centaur species.
How did he get so lucky?
Of course, there was also information about other species besides Centaurs.
It was a mix of various papers and materials he had collected so far, added to the conventional dictionary that everyone learns about “what is a species.”
There might be subjective aspects, and his thoughts might be mixed with the existing materials, and there might be parts copied from existing books.
—Sensitivity.
Anyway, he didn’t know how many asterisks there were in that document.
—Talking about assimilation or adjustment… Anyway, the police collect taxes and have fun.
Maybe taxes should be collected from playing.
—Anyway, they said to go this way? The Special Unit for Addressing Concerns and Resolving Disputes among Different Races. Yeah, here. What was it, resolving conflicts and problems among different species?
“…Damn.”
Seonal frowned at the gradually emerging content of the complaint.
“But why?”
Soon, a question arose.
But at the same time, it was resolved.
“No? Please say no. The police aren’t this diligent.”
“They were diligent. More complaints piled up during that time, so the police requested cooperation already.”
“Why?”
Seonal complained with a disgruntled tone.
‘These damn police officers don’t even let people sleep.’
“Because complaints have already piled up like crazy, right?”
“Damn!”
“How lucky is Seonal like this? It turns out, Mr. Seonal lives nearby. It’s a perfect day to solve complaints and come back, isn’t it?”
“No. It’s so cloudy that the word ‘wretched’ could come out.”
Seonal looked outside.
It was cloudy. It looked like it could rain any moment.
Even without that, he was having a terrible dream.
Linel.
Didn’t the Master who appeared in his dream mention that name?
Linel Prua.
His name before reincarnation.
“It’s time for Seonal to show his excellent and splendid magic.”
Seonal’s lips momentarily twitched.
The magic he had prayed for his whole life worked. The path of circulation growth allowed him to use magic now.
“Oh. Team leader, please go ahead. Take my luck as well.”
“I’m going to take half a day off today. Well then, goodbye!”
“Yes?”
Seonal stopped with his hand on the door handle.
“By the way, I’ll send you the location quickly. Don’t worry, Seonal. I’ve already taken care of the special allowance for solving inter-species complaints.”
Blink.
Edinal’s eye-smile was evident.
“No. It’s not about special allowances or whatever….”
Thunk.
Ding ding ding.
As the disconnected sound echoed through the mobile phone, Seonal swept his long hair aside.
“Whether it’s special allowances or not, I don’t want to work.”
Seonal pressed his forehead against the door and stepped outside.
Mimicking pressing the finger twice, the television turned on, and the coffee machine started moving.
Tap tap!
As the alarm sound from the mobile phone rang, Seonal plopped onto the sofa, and the sun appeared in the sky that had been hazy until now.
“…Mr. A was caught for using magic on a busy road. At that time, Mr. A didn’t even have a magician’s ID issued by the Mage Association, but he wanted to show people the magic of flower petals fluttering in the fall.”
“…Nonsense.”
Seonal revealed a cold smile at the news.
‘Going to jail for that reason. When will the Magician Association fall apart?’
Using magic without a magician’s license issued by the Magician Association was considered a serious crime and illegal in this new world where he was reborn.
In this country, there were only two fields that allowed magic even without any license.
One is becoming a magician affiliated with the Magician Association.
The other is civil servants.
When Seonal reached out, the cup filled with coffee flew to his hand.
‘I went through reincarnation just to become a magician.’
But what could he do when the Magician Association rejected him because his magic was different?
Become a civil servant.
‘Back then, well, I thought that if I became a high-ranking civil servant, I could expose or audit the corruption of the Magician Association.’
Even with the memories of his past life, he thought that seeking revenge against the Magician Association, which treated him like an old man, was a small matter.
‘But reality is all about going to work.’
Gulp.
“…Ha.”
Seonal took a sip of coffee and sighed.
‘If only the world had gone to ruin.’
Checking the message sent by Edinal, he closed his eyes briefly while playing his favorite music.
I hate Mondays. I hate Tuesdays. I hate Wednesdays too. Going to work is the worst. ♬
***
Special Unit for Addressing Concerns and Resolving Disputes among Different Races.
Division 1.
Seonal.
The civil servant ID hanging around Seonal’s neck shook as he got out of the taxi.
Platinum hair sparkled in the sunlight, as if rebelling against the world.
He sighed as he looked at the sky, as if facing the most undesirable task in the world.
Digging through the cross bag he brought from home, he put on sunglasses.
-Medusa – Staring into the eyes results in paralysis or, in very rare cases, turning into stone.
Recalling the document he had memorized sweetly, Seonal raised the magic sunglasses to ward off the power of the Medusa species.
-Issue to be resolved – Appeasement of Medusa.
Thinking of the complaint in his mind, Seonal walked to the apartment complex.
The atmosphere was ominous, and the police had arrived first.
‘Fast, very fast.’
With a capitalist smile on his lips, Seonal approached the police who were controlling the people.
“Excuse me. I’m the civil servant, Seonal, who came in response to the complaint.”
Seonal showed his civil servant ID.
“We’ll check.”
Seeing the sharp-eyed police, Seonal raised an eyebrow.
It was unusual. Usually, they would just glance at the ID and let it slide.
‘Is he a rookie?’
Looking at the police officer who was checking the ID, Seonal rummaged through his bag and pulled out the sunglasses.
“You forgot your sunglasses. It’s important to wear them.”
Both police officers who were controlling the citizens were not wearing sunglasses.
One looked like a lizardman, and the other seemed to be a werewolf, judging by the unusually sharp claws.
“It’s okay. We’re currently in control.”
Smiling at the answer, Seonal lightly pointed with his finger elsewhere.
There, other Medusa species were watching the incident.
-Strong protective instinct.
Among the information about the Medusa species, Seonal focused most keenly on that line.
Maybe he was swept away by the atmosphere, but there was a high possibility that he might get excited involuntarily.
“Write it down as a sign of wishing each other well. You never know, right? If you get paralyzed, it hurts at the same time.”
Ping.
With the confirmation of the civil servant ID, Seonal left behind the frozen expressions of the police officers and entered the building.
“…Calm down.”
“We received a report and came to check, so calm down.”
Seonal looked at the Medusa, whose protective glasses were sold somewhere, and the police officers who were trying to calm her down or who might have been paralyzed while trying to calm her down.
There were no protective glasses on the face of the collapsed police officer.
Is it the current regulation? How powerful is the power possessed by the Medusa?
“Uwaaa!”
With the scream of the Medusa, the snakes hanging from her hair wriggled.
“Why are you looking at me like that? No, don’t look at me! It’s not because I want to do this!”
The eyes of the Medusa were sparkling like light bulbs.
‘…Did she get too excited?’
Looking at the police officers who were also excited for some reason, Seonal observed the situation.
Living together with different species made it difficult to understand each other.
Those who accepted this situation were also different.
The most excited police officer, who was clearly more concerned about his friend, was undoubtedly a goblin species that valued friends much more.
“Excitement doesn’t really help in various situations.”
In a situation where no one seemed to notice his arrival, Seonal searched through his bag and pulled out a small pouch.
Holding a pinch of dust in his hand, he spread his fingers and exhaled a “hoo.”
With the mana circulating in the air and the wind rising along with it, a cascade of magic showered down on everyone. It was a powder that could calm excitement.
Seonal counted silently in his mind.
3.
2.
1.
“Hello. It’s Seonal from the Special Unit for Addressing Concerns and Resolving Disputes among Different Races.”
Finally composed, Seonal introduced himself to Medusa.
He still looked like a student.
In an apartment, what could possibly make the Medusa species suddenly excited? Above all, why would she be crying?
Seonal took sunglasses out of his bag.
“There are various complaints, but there are still many things that can be resolved through conversation.”
“The design of protective glasses is so unappealing. Don’t you think?”
“…I don’t like it.”
Medusa hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
Whether the excitement had subsided or not, the sparkle in Medusa’s eyes lessened.
“I know. Even I find it unappealing. Different magician make them differently.”
Medusa’s species had to suppress their power to avoid causing harm to other species. To suppress that power, magical power was necessary, but the magical style they used was complex, making the glasses thick and tacky.
Seonal picked up a broken pair of protective glasses.
[Analysis.]
When he used magic by tapping the glasses, his eyes glowed red. The magical patterns engraved on the glasses were intricate.
The basics of magic used by the Magician Association were always a circular shape. Inside, there were patterns like rectangles, serpentine curves, diamonds, and angles, all filled with mysterious symbols.
Interpreting the circle, it seemed to say something like, ‘Oh, Mana, please blah blah, the will of a humble mage, etc.,’ with 90% of meaningless and groveling symbols.
No wonder mana would be unusually heavy.
The spaces between those symbols were filled with mana, but they were ultimately just decorative elements.
But here, the more flamboyant the symbols, the more recognition magic received.
“How tacky.”
Seonal chuckled to himself.
Even when he was ‘Linel,’ he was using an inefficient method that had been discarded about two centuries ago.
Thanks to this tacky method, the glasses were thick, tacky, and naturally, how would they look to teenagers in puberty?
How many times had such complaints already occurred?
“What do you like?”
After discarding the glasses, Seonal asked, and Medusa blinked.
For this day, she had brought several frames.
“Medusa species requires protective glasses, you know? It’s a big problem if you don’t wear them. So, choose.”
After finishing his sentence, Seonal lowered his sunglasses slightly.
“…I can endure it for a moment.”
Seonal’s orange eyes emitted a faint light.
There were various ways to build trust. One of them was to show confidence in that moment.
“See? I’m an amazing mage. So don’t worry, just choose. I’ll enchant the glasses for you.”
“Does that really work?”
“Yes.”
“It took a long time for these glasses. I don’t know how many weeks.”
Indeed. Since she must have forced the symbols in.
“I’m fine. Oh, how about this one? It’s pretty, right?”
“Yes… it’s pretty.”
When Seonal showed the glasses he held, the light in Medusa’s eyes disappeared, and only a glimmer of brightness remained.
“I was teased at school. My glasses were the tackiest. Glasses are expensive, so my mom got me a cheap one.”
Medusa’s movements in choosing the glasses were cautious.
“You can choose three.”
Seonal recalled Edinal and smiled.
“Three? But protective glasses…”
“The regulations for protective glasses are not strict. You just need to prevent someone from being paralyzed when you look at them. That’s the limit of the regulations. If you get in trouble, come find me.”
With confidence, Seonal handed over his official ID, and as he shook it, Medusa’s hands became busy choosing glasses.
With glasses in hand, Medusa smiled widely and handed them over quietly.
Magic was as seen on the broken glasses. It wasn’t about who engraved the patterns more intricately; it was about capturing mana by combining known words in a sentence puzzle.
It meant that the one who knew more words and had more mana capable of using those words would inevitably be stronger as a mage.
Seonal was undoubtedly the one who knew the most words here.
Magic was engraved on the glasses.
[Neither paralysis nor petrification affects anyone.]
With swift and concise movements, both Medusa and the police momentarily lost their wits.
It was like a conductor’s smooth skill.
When Seonal pointed to the glasses, Medusa blinked.
“Already? It’s only been a few seconds.”
“Is it really done?”
The police even cast skeptical glances at the unbelievable scene unfolding before them.
“This is magic,” said Seonal confidently, turning his gaze to Medusa.
“It’s okay. Trust me.”
Seonal urged, and Medusa cautiously put on her glasses in response to his insistence.
Seonal removed his glasses and looked at Medusa. She slowly opened her eyes, which had been tightly shut.
“See? You are fine.”
Medusa, who had been wide-eyed in disbelief, burst into a broad smile.
“Do I look good?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
In response to Medusa’s question, the police officers, hiding their astonishment at Seonal’s magic, praised her.
“It’s really okay.”
“Do I look good?”
Medusa, happily beaming, suddenly lowered her head belatedly.
“…Sorry.”
As she gradually recalled what she had done, a different fear crept in.
Weren’t they the police?
“It’s okay. Those police officers over there aren’t scary. We just had a brief chat, and once I explained, they let us go. Oh, I’ll go with you.”
Seonal, who was talking, raised the corner of his mouth as something came to mind.
He looked remarkably tender.
* * *
“Seonal, sir?”
“Yes.”
Seonal looked at Edinal with indifferent eyes.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a request for an additional allowance that I submitted with the report. I’ve only increased it slightly from the cost of the glasses. You should include it with the special allowance, Team Leader.”
Since it happened during work, it was only natural to claim it.
“Oh. The special allowance should include an extra 2 hours. You received the message, right? It was resolved neatly.”
As Edinal’s usual lively smile disappeared, one corner of Seonal’s mouth lifted.
It was Monday today.
Considering that he moved even earlier than his usual commuting time, it was only natural for his anger to be higher than on any other day.
