Entry into The Tower of Growth was scheduled for the fourth week’s Monday.

The night I was seen off by Baek Ahrin and came in was Tuesday of the third week.

That dawn, I battled through with magic tomes until daybreak.

Although part of me wanted to surrender to fatigue and sleep, my will to grow as much as possible before entering The Tower of Growth prevailed.

Ultimately, I spent the whole night awake. Counting from the dungeon, that made it almost two sleepless nights in a row.

The next day.

Dragging my tired body, I reached Ipchun class in the early morning, which was bustling with activity.

And this was before everyone had even arrived.

If you listened, half of the talk was about the dungeon: aches from sleeping there, how tiresome it was to track monsters, and so on…

Many were boasting to friends about the difficulty and achievements of the last two days.

“…Hayul.”

Then I was unexpectedly nabbed by the crushed expression of Hong Yeon-hwa.

“Ughhh…”

My cheeks bulged out to each side, akin to kneading freshly extracted dough. A faint pain accompanied it.

“What happened last night…? Huh…? Why does your face look even more dead than yesterday…?”

Heads turned in Ipchun class, not because it was something odd to see. It was now just a routine sight.

At first, everyone was shocked, but as this behavior repeated, it seemed they’d grown accustomed to it.

“Ugh…”

Speech was impossible. I wanted to retort, even with holograms, but… how could I with Hong Yeon-hwa looking so worryingly at me?

It felt weirdly not unpleasant to have my cheeks tugged like this. In fact, there was something oddly comforting about it.

A difficult-to-describe, squishy emotion filled me. A warmth seemed to grow somewhere inside my chest.

After five minutes of whining and complex emotions, I was finally free. I massaged my stinging cheeks with my hands, trying to cool them down.

“…Come here.”

Perhaps distressed by what she had done, Hong Yeon-hwa reached out and gently caressed my cheek.

Her touch, tinged with a tinge of guilt, was quite soft. Being touched like that, I almost believed my cheeks were deflating.

It was a typical morning start.

“Hmm?”

An incongruous voice interjected into the usual morning routine. Hong Yeon-hwa looked around.

There stood a woman, with arms crossed and an incredulous look—Baek Ahrin in her school uniform, nodding her head with her tied-up ponytail swaying with the motion.

“Ahrin?”

“Yes, it’s Baek Ahrin, who has been neglected by Hong Yeon-hwa for days.”

“What’s with the dog talk… Umm, stop making weird sounds.”

“…Why not just curse?”

“Cursing? What cursing? Why are you saying such strange things? When did I ever do that?”

Baek Ahrin shook her head in disbelief, then composed herself and turned to smile warmly at me.

“Good morning, Hayul.”

[Good morning.]

I managed my expression and returned the greeting.

It was a regular morning exchange. A commonplace conversation. Despite not being very close to Baek Ahrin, it was the sort of talk shared even among strangers.

Hong Yeon-hwa tilted her head, looking puzzled, as if it was unusual, but didn’t consider it strange.

Meanwhile, Baek Ahrin’s lips curved into a playful smile.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“…What?”

“I did see you to the dorm, but I was just checking, you know.”

The atmosphere got strange with her follow-up. The nuance was kind of… something else, and so the tenor of the glances around us changed.

Taken at face value, the question seemed innocuous, yet with a different emotional line added, the interpretation shifted. Baek Ahrin’s sly tone magnified it.

Hong Yeon-hwa’s head tilted, blinking several times as if to confirm what she’d heard. Then her expression hardened like stone.

Click, clack. Hong Yeon-hwa’s head turned sharply.

Her gaze moved from Baek Ahrin’s beaming face to me, examining my overtly fatigued visage with scrutiny.

Whoosh. I felt a surge of Gop-hwa within her.

I shook my head desperately.

…

…

“Hmph, it hurts.”

“You’re talking rubbish, causing misunderstandings.”

A bump had been raised slightly on Baek Ahrin’s head, who now bore an aggrieved look.

Gingerly caressing her own head, the bump was quickly hidden thanks to her skillful touch imbued with mana.

“Who goes around speaking like that?”

“What did I say? It’s all Hong Yeon-hwa’s misunderstanding. I mean, what were you thinking to commit such an outrage? Could it be that…?”

“Shh…! Be quiet.”

With a “could it be” from Baek Ahrin and hands cupped over her mouth, Hong Yeon-hwa ground her teeth in apparent irritation.

It was routine for Hong Yeon-hwa and Baek Ahrin to bicker back and forth.

The issue was that their squabbles always drew even more attention.

My seat was at the very back by the window, and now, with Hong Yeon-hwa to one side, Baek Ahrin joined us as well.

Hong Yeon-hwa made sharp retorts, and Baek Ahrin responded with feigned innocence before slyly counterattacking. Such exchanges continued until the lecture began.

…

…

Days passed.

As always, my days were busy without pause.

Baek Ahrin, who slyly joined the rearmost seats, bickered with Hong Yeon-hwa as my background music while I welcomed the morning in Ipchun class.

Morning theory lectures were followed by one-on-one teachings with Professor Atra in the afternoons.

“To cast a spell, you must assemble the spell formula with mana as the material, and depending on the complexity of the spell formula, it’s divided into one of six grades.”

During Friday’s “Basic Magic Theory (I)” lecture,

The middle-aged professor with the notable long robe and mustache was immersed in his teaching at the podium.

“Lowest-tier and low-tier spells are often looked down upon. It’s true they do have less effect compared to higher grades. But remember this,” he said, meeting the eyes of the attentive students.

“A mage is one who prepares. The most powerful and dangerous mage in this world is the one who has finished preparing.”

Complicated spell formulas proliferated on the hologram projected across the wall. It wasn’t just a single spell formula, but several integrated organically.

“Delaying the activation of an assembled spell formula. The most basic example would be a magical artifact. By occupying space with their formulas, mages can create their own domains. In these areas, even lower-tier spells can demonstrate satisfactory efficiency.”

These areas are commonly referred to as a mage’s workshop.

Occupying the space with one’s branded spells and establishing a realm of mana sovereignty, then unleashing prepared spell formulas.

Essentially, it’s about constructing an environment suitable for oneself through magic.

The main time I used this method was during the fifth run,

A run where I was not a pure mage but had a heretical route, so I didn’t properly utilize workshops or fortifications.

I had been more focused on countering rather than creating workshops. Thus, I had some idea of how troublesome a mage’s workshop could be when the opposition prepared well.

‘Huff…’

During the theory lecture on magic, and while I listened attentively to various subjects, my concerns about magic were especially pronounced in recent days.

The professor’s explanation was complex but not entirely difficult to understand.

The professor, once a mid-tier hero in active service and now a scholar dedicated to theory and education post-retirement, was adept in his explanations, and a newbie like me could grasp enough as long as I concentrated.

“─ That concludes today’s lecture. Use the remaining time to prepare for your next class.”

The roughly two-hour lecture ended. I overhead some students thanking the departing professor while I mindlessly drummed my desk with a pen.

Today was Friday of the third week.

Since the dungeon practice ended last Tuesday, the lectures had mostly revolved around the tower and magic theory.

It was a welcome development, particularly regarding magic.

Undoubtedly, the lessons were beneficial. I had no reason to deny it. The classification of magic grades and the applications of lowest-tier and low-tier spells were explained in detail and relatively easy to understand.

However, I still had not uncovered the reason for my increased magic output. An involuntary sigh escaped me.

Once the lecture finished, the surroundings buzzed with activity. Some students began to calmly prepare for the next class, while others engaged in conversations with nearby friends.

The topics were similar.

The Tower of Growth.

Very few days remained until entry. Moreover, today would be the last day of school before we entered the tower. I wouldn’t see my classmates again until we assembled just before entering.

‘Ah, ugh…’

The matter of my magic’s output. I had wanted to clarify it before entering the tower, but things hadn’t gone as planned.

I participated actively in classes and pored over texts whenever I had a spare moment after lectures.

At times I even sought advice from Professor Liana, but it was a phenomenon even she did not fully comprehend.

My head throbbed. Perhaps from the recent stretch of sleepless nights, it felt worse than usual.

I pressed my temples with my hands, trying to halt the headache.

“Hayul.”

In the midst of the bustling surroundings and piercing headache,

Strangely, Hong Yeon-hwa’s voice cut through clearly.

When I turned, there was Hong Yeon-hwa, giving a furtive glance my way, with a hand extended. Held within her grasp was a candy, bundled in its invariably upscale wrapping.

[Thank you.]

It was a constant kindness. As I unwrapped the sleek surface of the candy and popped it in my mouth—something I had balked at initially due to the price but had grown accustomed to receiving daily—it now stirred no particular feeling. It was as if my sense of economy was being destroyed.

I rolled the round candy around with my tongue.

Its familiar non-taste. A contrast to the sweetness of the past that now only soured my mood.

But at the moment, I didn’t feel that bad.

Was I being too eager to resolve this matter?

Sucking on the tasteless candy, I suddenly thought it might be impossible to find the cause as quickly as I hoped.

Perhaps I was too hasty in seeking the cause. My eagerness, with the impending tower entry, could be narrowing my perspective.

The worry that a tumble in The Tower of Growth might plummet my growth curve might be constraining my thoughts.

Lately, I found myself flustered by many things. Issues thrown at me from all sides filled my head to the brim.

‘…Being too hasty isn’t good either.’

The Tower of Growth was now just around the corner. If I overexerted my body and mind any further, I might ironically end up frail within The Tower of Growth.

Should that lead to unsatisfactory results… there’d be no greater folly.

“Hmm.”

While engaged in this self-reflection, Hong Yeon-hwa, having noticed me fiddling with the candy, suddenly coughed to catch my attention.

“Hayul, do you happen to have time after today’s major lecture?”

[Time?]

With the candy reduced to the size of a grain of rice, I chewed and swallowed it, then tilted my head inquisitively.

Time? Most likely, yes.

Professor Atra was punctual with lecture timings, and there were no further engagements afterwards.

“So… could you spare some time for me today?”

After brief contemplation, I nodded, and Hong Yeon-hwa’s anxious expression lit up with relief.

“Thanks! I’ll text you where to meet.”

[May I ask what the meeting is for?]

“Oh. I should’ve mentioned that first.”

With a chagrined laugh, Hong Yeon-hwa brushed her hair with her hand awkwardly.

“Just, something like a gift for you…?”

‘A gift?’

Don’t I already receive candies? I prodded, asking if she couldn’t tell me in advance, but Hong Yeon-hwa evasively dodged answering.

Mixed with worry and anticipation, I awaited the unknown.