Chapter 323 : Chapter 323
Chapter 323. The Sealed Archive (1)
The rookies’ dormitory was quiet.
Dawn was still far away, but mornings at the Mage Tower always began in a bustle.
The diligent laborers would already be preparing to head to their respective workplaces.
Yet one place alone was filled only with the sound of steady breathing from those sunk deep in sleep—the room assigned to the rookies of the Magical Beast Dissection Area.
Snore.
Hrrrk.
The rookie laborers, whose souls had been thoroughly wrung dry by beastified plants the day before, were snoring away without a care in the world.
As if to testify to their harrowing yesterday, the room was permeated with the sticky scent of plant slime mixed with the smell of dirt.
‘Good. They are sleeping soundly.’
Radel looked over his companions as they wandered through dreamland.
Peace, rather than traces of hard labor, rested on their sleeping faces.
Careful not to disturb that peace, Radel rose without a sound.
His movements were as stealthy as an assassin’s, not even producing the creak of a bed.
Leaving his companions behind, he quietly slipped out of the room and headed toward the laborers’ cafeteria.
Despite the early hour, the cafeteria was bustling with workers grabbing breakfast.
The smell of freshly baked bread and the warmth of hot soup filled the space.
Radel received a serving tray with soft bread, thin soup, and a chunk of unidentifiable meat.
It was a meal much like the breakfasts he had eaten in Raviedel.
“Let’s see…….”
Holding his tray, Radel glanced around.
His gaze settled on a large table by the window at the very back of the cafeteria.
It was an unspoken seat of honor.
Even if there were empty spots, neither rookies nor most senior laborers dared to sit there.
It was the table where the supervisors of each section—the true power holders of the Mage Tower—gathered.
‘That must be it.’
Radel did not hesitate.
With confident strides, he walked straight toward the table occupied by the senior laborers.
The boisterous chatter at the table fell silent the moment he appeared.
The seasoned laborers all turned their eyes toward him, as if to identify the impudent rookie who had trespassed into their territory.
Radel accepted their gazes without flinching and politely greeted Hector and Vargas.
“Good morning, sirs.”
Hector raised an eyebrow as he asked, his voice carrying a rough edge.
“Where are the others? Did you come alone?”
“They must have been exhausted from catching bugs yesterday. They are resting well.”
At Radel’s calm reply, Hector looked incredulous.
“Honestly, they are all knocked out. Why are you not resting?”
“I woke up early. I suppose I was hungry.”
As he spoke, Radel naturally took an empty seat and began tearing into his bread.
At his brazenness, Hector let out a hollow laugh, though he did not seem particularly displeased.
Radel recalled memories from his previous life—the basics of social life: if you want information, you sit next to the people at the top.
Radel’s bold behavior was enough to pique the interest of the other senior laborers as well.
A rough-looking man seated beside him spoke up.
“Hey, rookie. You are that ace from the dissection area, right?”
“And you pulled something off in the breeding facility too, I hear?”
“You have gotten pretty famous. Well, Hector even acknowledged you.”
At that last remark, Hector bristled and snapped.
“When did I ever acknowledge him?!”
The surrounding laborers burst into laughter. Despite their intimidating appearances, they were a rather cheerful bunch.
“By the way, you said your name was Radel, right? It sounds familiar somehow…….”
As one laborer tilted his head, another slapped his knee.
“The 8th Prince, you know. The Dragon Slayer.”
“That is right. Same name as that prince.”
“Though this one is just a bottom-floor laborer at the Mage Tower. Ha ha!”
They laughed loudly at their own joke, never imagining the two could be the same person.
After all, rumors were rampant that the 8th Prince was currently lying unconscious in a temple.
Then Hector grumbled a comment of his own.
“Becoming a Mage Tower laborer is no easy feat either.”
Hearing this, Vargas glanced at Radel and chuckled softly.
“Looks like he has taken a liking to you.”
“Do not say pointless things,” Hector replied curtly, though the tips of his ears were faintly red.
Ignoring Hector, Vargas asked Radel in a gentle voice.
“Is there anything difficult about working at the Mage Tower?”
As if he had been waiting for the question, Radel opened his mouth.
“The work itself is not difficult. However…….”
He paused deliberately, drawing the attention of the senior laborers.
“The Mage Tower is so vast that I still get lost quite often. Is there perhaps a guide map?”
“A guide map? Well, I have never seen one,” Vargas said, scratching the back of his head.
Other laborers chimed in.
“We laborers only go where we are told. There is no need for something like that.”
“Even the mages probably have not seen one. The Mage Tower is just too old.”
According to them, the Mage Tower was expanded and altered continuously, making a guide map meaningless.
At that moment, the oldest-looking laborer stroked his beard and spoke.
“Come to think of it, I did hear that there are blueprints passed down from when the tower was first built.”
“I remember that too. I think they said it was in the Sealed Archive.”
The Sealed Archive. Radel’s ears perked up.
The laborers chatted about a mysterious space within the Mage Tower.
A place sealed by powerful barrier magic that even high-ranking mages could not unravel.
Laborers were free to move up to the middle level, but from the upper levels onward, only mages were allowed.
Fortunately, the Sealed Archive was located on the middle level.
Radel had a clear sense of direction now.
To find the Mage Tower Master’s chamber, he would first need to infiltrate the Sealed Archive.
At that moment, Radel’s next objective was set.
***
After finishing his meal, Radel returned straight to the dormitory.
The room was still in disarray; the rookie laborers were just scrambling to get ready.
“We are late! Is the cafeteria not closed already?”
“At this rate, we will miss breakfast!”
Creak.
As Radel opened the door, resentful glares immediately fixed on him.
Radel met their blazing stares calmly and shrugged.
“You all looked so sound asleep.”
At that unruffled reply, the rookies were speechless, though none dared to argue.
The image of Radel shattering a beast’s skull with a hammer still lingered vividly in their minds.
Grinding their teeth inwardly, they hurried out of the dormitory.
“…Just you wait!”
Hearing their heated reactions until the door closed, Radel let out a quiet chuckle.
Once he confirmed that he was alone, Radel locked the door.
Then he carefully placed the book he had been holding onto the bed.
“You may come out now.”
The moment Radel finished speaking, the book floated into the air, its pages flapping violently.
“You brat! I thought I was going to die of frustration!”
It was the Spirit of the Library. He circled Radel’s head, venting his complaints.
“To forbid me from saying even a single word! Do you have no respect for a great spirit?!”
“I am sorry. But would it not be troublesome if you were discovered?”
The Spirit of the Library flared up, reaching his limit after being disguised as a motionless book.
Even if it was to conserve Magic Power, being unable to turn a page was an unbearable humiliation.
“Do you think this is why I agreed to the summoning?!”
“I truly am grateful. Without you, I would not even have been able to enter the Mage Tower.”
When Radel spoke sincerely, the Spirit of the Library faltered and cleared his throat.
“Hmph! So, what scheme are you plotting this time?”
As if he had been waiting for this, Radel got straight to the point.
“I need to go to the Sealed Archive. I heard the original blueprints are kept there.”
“The Sealed Archive? And how do you plan to get in there?”
The Spirit of the Library snorted.
“Even mages cannot enter easily. With your pitiful Magic Power, you will not break the barrier.”
“That is why I need your help.”
“Why should I? I am already dying of frustration in book form!”
Radel, having anticipated this, cast out the bait.
“That archive has existed since the tower was built. There must be extremely old records inside.”
After a brief pause, Radel added the decisive line.
“Perhaps…… there are traces left by Ancestor Hayden.”
“What did you say?!”
In an instant, the Spirit of the Library froze, his pages trembling.
“T-that swindler reached even here?!”
“It is quite possible. Ancestor Hayden had connections everywhere.”
Radel added seriously,
“The reason I came to the Mage Tower in the first place…… is to find traces of my ancestor.”
At that single sentence, the Spirit’s gaze changed.
“Grrrk……! If it is that scoundrel’s traces, then I must find them! I will help you—just this once!”
In the end, the Spirit of the Library swallowed the bait.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Radel’s lips.