<630 – Theme Park of Oknodie (5)>
I returned to the academy to share the joy of my job with Professor Dito.
After a long time, the naive Titosso came running in, shouting “Waaah!”
While training by rolling, I started to drift away faster than Titosso could run, and when I saw Titosso trip while trying to catch up, I rushed back, startled by their whimpering.
“It’s open!”
“Oknodie!”
Titosso’s face lit up with a bright smile, looking like they’d never been close to tears.
“Did you hear? The Theme Park of Oknodie just opened! Can I go over the weekend? Huh? Huh?”
“What about studying?”
“That’s fine! Kind seniors said they’ll do my homework if I just introduce them to some high-ranking officials from the church!”
…Sometimes, I wonder if beneath Titosso’s innocent face there isn’t a great darkness sleeping. Their ability to manipulate people so easily is totally villainous!
“Well, I guess that’s okay!”
But it’s the seniors who want to make a good impression, not me!
When I casually encouraged Jiang, they confidently expressed their willingness to participate, saying, “Why not?”
“But what usually is there at the theme park?”
“Don’t you know?”
“Assassins are sent on missions or infiltrate places, so they don’t usually go out for fun.”
“Ah, I see! Well, there are usually Vikings!”
“From the Northern Pirates?”
“They aren’t pirates, but there are pirate ships!”
“That sounds even more amazing.”
“Really? There’s also a ride called the Gyro-Drop that shoots up into the air and then plummets to the ground.”
“How high does it go?”
“Hmm, about 100m?”
“…At that height, isn’t it usually fatal?”
“There are safety measures!”
“Then why do people ride it?”
Good question.
“Honestly, I’ve never been on it, but people say the thrill is enjoyable!”
“So it’s a training device for people who have the qualities of a warrior that enjoys danger.”
I get the feeling that my image of a theme park isn’t quite getting across.
“Is it just for the thrill?”
“No way! If you ride various attractions and collect visit stickers, you’ll get collectibles, and if you perform well in challenges, you receive awards like achievement medals!”
“Hmmm. Really? Then do they also have games where you throw daggers to hit a target?”
“They have balloon darts!”
“What about games that cut the tendons of fleeing targets to catch them?”
“They have a similar game called Whack-a-Mole!”
It seemed Jiang was satisfied with what they heard, so they happily moved along.
After riding the teleportation magic circle, we arrived in the Kingdom of Troy.
Before entering the territory of Duke Yuda of the Holy Central Empire, this place is one of the small countries that looks like a secluded island.
The Kingdom of Troy, which serves as a buffer zone to block monster invasions, had a surprisingly sophisticated feel, with buildings towering above.
“Welcome! You have entered the Dark Theme Park Collection Center.”
“Eh? It’s the Ghost Hotel receptionist!”
As soon as I saw the receptionist who came out to greet us, my curiosity exploded with questions.
“Hello, Uncle. Did you get fired from the Ghost Hotel? How much did you earn before? How much do you earn now? Can the Ghost Hotel receptionist be considered the same industry for changing jobs? Is this job fun?”
“Unfortunately, I am here on assignment from higher-ups for a business partnership. Once suitable personnel are added, I will be reassigned.”
“Oh, I see!”
Jiang scoffed from the side.
“Oknodie. You shouldn’t annoy them like that. It’s a nuisance while they’re working.”
“Is that so?”
“Not at all. My job is to serve the VVIP client, Oknodie, and their companions, so please feel free to ask anything.”
“Then can I ask?”
“Only if it doesn’t cause trouble for Oknodie, I’ll gladly answer.”
“I’m okay!”
Titosso, excited, chimed in.
“Could you possibly list three advantages and disadvantages of [Ancient Chanting Magic, Medieval Circle Magic, and Modern Ritual Magic]? Please limit it to accredited papers from the International Magic Research Society for references!”
“Fool. How can you solve assignments here?”
“You never know!”
Even though Jiang thought it was absurd, surprisingly, the receptionist complied with Titosso’s request.
“As for Ancient Chanting Magic, it lacks theoretical understanding of magical workings, yet utilizes the greatest implementation power. Chanting magic encompasses timeless knowledge and is unaffected by the progress of the era or technology. For reference, you should read [The Origin of the Magician: The Potential of Ancient Chanting] by Alexandra Salad.”
“Wow! You really answered!!”
“The downside of Ancient Chanting Magic is its difficulty in decoding and understanding, and sharing the same implementation requires having the same triggering experiences and mindset inherited from a master. Thus, without receiving the same method from the individual, passing down the magic is challenging, and even if one obtains a magic book, it often leads to vague interpretations. Again, referring to the same author’s [Secrets of Ancient Chanting: Difficulty of Decoding] would be good.”
The answers from the receptionist flowed out as if they had simply googled it!
Titosso was so moved that they sparkled with a yellow glow of happiness while the receptionist laughed, saying they were adorable.
“Of course, I won’t give three answers. You can think about the answers I’ve given and discover the rest yourself.”
In fact, such theoretical studies are perfect for gaining experience points in [Mana Studies +1].
This truly is a model answer that wouldn’t have any issues being submitted as a professor’s assignment.
“Why does the receptionist know this?”
“Do you know what one considers when hiring receptionists at a secretive hotel that receives all sorts of people from the underworld, like the Ghost Hotel?”
“Bloodline.”
“Ha-ha! Good one! It’s indeed bloodline, but the next factor assessed is academic connection.”
“…No way?”
“Yes. Typically, they hire talents from the same academy. Fortunately, the owner of the Ghost Hotel is a graduate of Gift Academy, so he gives preference to those from the same academy. I too benefitted from my connection with the owner.”
With this new information, Jiang, who had been playfully treating the receptionist lightly, started to become a bit cautious.
“What batch of students were you?”
“The entrance batch, about the 965th. I graduated in 972, so it’s a bit embarrassing since it took me seven years to finish a four-year academy.”
“…Receptionist, are you good at fighting?”
“Please step closer to the reception desk. I will show you a good spectacle.”
With Jiang now calling him “senior” instead of “uncle,” the receptionist entered the desk and opened the window.
Even though it had been bright daylight before entering the desk, it was now filled with pitch-black darkness outside.
“The truth is, this reception is connected to the Ghost Hotel. It can be considered a tunnel established for my lodging in the hotel.”
“Why is it like that outside?”
“To prevent invasions from external dimensions, we have sealed all pathways except the official entrances with dimensional force. However, if one is skilled enough, they could perform such tricks even through closed paths.”
The receptionist summoned three different dimensional spirits of force from their fingertips and condensed the mana to unleash it outside, causing an explosion.
Each dimension tore at the barriers of dimensional force, trying to connect to this dimension, and as their powerful forces collided, gaps appeared in the barriers.
Beyond those gaps, instead of the previous darkness, the grand entrance of a massive Ghost Hotel rose high into view.
“Isn’t it amazing that you can freely move between dimensions without having to chant any grand invocation like [Dimensional Gate Spell]?”
“What’s so great about that?”
“It means zero commute time.”
Jiang looked genuinely envious.
“Assassins have flexible commutes too! Why are you so envious?”
“Imagine finishing a mission outside and having to return to the cliff of Cheonryeong Mountain every time.”
“Oh. That’s a bit much.”
Honestly, the road back to the academy is so far that I sometimes consider just staying out, but zero commute time and instant long-distance travel is also tempting even for a veteran like me.
Of course, Titosso, not knowing such extraordinary magic, asked straightforwardly.
“So what about Medieval Circle Magic and Modern Ritual Magic?”
“Circle Magic is a primitive form of magical practice that solves the difficulties of implementation, imagination, and experience by forming an inner microcosm and arranging magic according to certain rules. It’s easier than chanting magic but more primitive than ritual magic.”
“More primitive than ritual magic… What’s next?!”
“Also, if the scale is large, lack of imagination and experience makes it harder to improve compared to chanting magic. You can refer to [Understanding Circle Magic] by Richard Forkborn.”
As Titosso was taking notes, they suddenly realized something and was taken aback.
“Senior… Did you really wait until I finished taking notes?”
“Indeed.”
“But professors didn’t do that! Why are you waiting for me?”
“Of course, during my student days, I faced the same struggles and thought I shouldn’t become such an adult.”
“Senior…! I’ve come to respect you! As a candidate for the mayor position in Kanelle City, I want to repay your kindness, so please tell me your name!”
At Titosso’s heartfelt outburst, the senior awkwardly scratched their head, appearing flustered.
“Is it enough to just tell you my name?”
“You have a surname too?! Which family are you from?”
“I would rather not say that, but…”
“Please!”
“Fine. My name is Valefor. Valefor Wasabi.”
The cheerful atmosphere vanished like a puff of smoke, and both Titosso and Jiang froze simultaneously.
“If it’s the Wasabi family, then you’re from those three great traitor families in the Empire…?”
“Correct.”
“Yikes! So, the Wasabi family hides wasabi in food of people they dislike, and then makes them eat it, preventing them from drinking water; is that rumor true?”
“Unfortunately, it’s true that such bad practices existed only until my prior generation.”
Jiang tightened their mask and hugged their water pouch close, stepping back.
“I’m not eating a single thing from that senior. No matter how nice they act, I won’t be fooled!”
The scary reality of their background hit hard.
Just earlier, they were such a kind and respectable senior, but now treated as a descendant from the feared traitor family.
But is it really something to make such a big deal about?
“Then what about me?”
“Huh?”
“The foundation does way worse things.”
Jiang’s eyes under the mask twitched rapidly.
They looked almost as if feeling a pang of conscience.
