Chapter 2: Mage (4)
The 2nd Magic Enforcement Department directly under the Commander of the Multi-Species Magic Alliance.
Originally a department of the Investigation Bureau, it was independently promoted to handle immediate on-site responses. It was in charge of magic crimes and paranormal phenomena, and had the authority to take immediate action based on the judgment of the officer in charge.
The Magic Enforcement Department was quite famous even within the Magic Association. Although it was called an elite unit of sorts, with only the most combat-capable mages and martial artists assigned to it, everyone was reluctant to join.
Desk work was rare, and most of the time had to be spent on-site. They had to be dispatched to crime scenes that the Investigation Section couldn’t handle or to areas where paranormal phenomena occurred with immeasurable danger, so it had the highest mortality rate within the department.
It was perhaps an inevitable result that the personalities of the Magic Enforcement Department members were fierce.
Especially in the case of the 2nd Mobile Strike Team, they were too well-known for their crazy personalities and extreme actions.
Lee Hwa-yeon, the captain of the 2nd Mobile Strike Team.
Within the Magic Association, she was called the Witch of Fire, the Mage of Ashes, and to criminals, she was called the Crazy Bitch of Detection, the Bloodhound, the Hellhound, and was an object of fear.
Three years ago, during a dispatch to the Middle East, she had a record of burning down an entire city.
Hwa-yeon was in the Magic Enforcement Department for the first time in a long while. She was tired from staying up all night at the scene for a week, and as soon as the case was wrapped up, she was summoned.
An interview with the head of the Magic Enforcement Department was in progress.
The head of the Magic Enforcement Department was known to be a 3rd-grade mage who could handle spirit magic.
3rd-grade mages were by no means common. Even in Korea, where there were the most mages, their number did not exceed 20.
3rd-grade magic was such a high-dimensional realm that it was impossible to reach unless one was born with it. Its destructive power could be called despair.
Officially, only two people could forcibly perform 2nd-grade magic: the commander of the Magic Association and the High Elf Queen.
A great mage who knew how to use 1st-grade magic.
The ruler of magic.
They were called Archmages.
El Sarso Adin, the head of the Magic Enforcement Department and a High Elf, sighed and looked over the incident report. It was a report hastily written by Hwa-yeon. The handwriting was poor, the format was not followed, and even the content was completely inconsistent.
“…You caused 3rd-degree burns all over the body. Couldn’t you have easily subdued him if it were you?”
“Yes, probably.”
“Was it intentional?”
“Because such a vicious criminal has no human rights.”
Adin put down the report and let out another deep sigh.
“In 30 years, 40 years, when he’s released, he’s bound to commit crimes again. There are more than 10 victims, and he even learned magic illegally and was cunning. Wouldn’t it be better to just kill him?”
“…The suspect didn’t die, and the hostages were safely rescued, so I’ll let it slide. I wonder how long I can cover for you.”
“Hey, you have to do it for a thousand years. You’re a High Elf.”
“Even High Elves can get angry.”
Hwa-yeon was reflected in Adin’s golden eyes. Hwa-yeon flinched and avoided his gaze.
“Captain Lee Hwa-yeon, don’t act like fire, have composure and make judgments. If you’re a mage…”
“Sharpen your will within composure. That’s what you’re saying, right?”
Hwa-yeon smiled slightly.
“But humans have a short lifespan. To leave something behind, you have to live fiercely.”
“Then you’ll only leave destruction. I’ll give you a vacation for the time being, so cool your head and come back.”
“Oh! Thank you.”
Hwa-yeon got up from her seat, saluted, and left the department head’s office. Although it was close to a disciplinary action, she was in a pretty good mood for getting a vacation anyway.
“Hmm?”
Her cell phone rang.
A text message had arrived, and upon checking, it wasn’t an advertisement message. Not many people knew this number. Only her direct subordinates.
The moment she saw the message, her face crumpled.
Because after proudly listing her criminal history,
[If you’re confident, come to A-Area. Puppy on fire.]
That’s what he left.
She was about to go home, but she turned her steps and went downstairs. She saw neat offices, and team members unpacking and organizing their belongings.
As always, after returning from a dispatch, they checked their equipment and wrote overdue reports.
“Loyalty.”
“Oh, yeah.”
When Hwa-yeon approached the office, everyone stopped what they were doing.
The most senior member among them saluted.
“Are you sunbathing the equipment?”
“Yes, we borrowed the rooftop in cooperation with the Investigation Bureau.”
“Right. That rooftop is quite spacious.”
And it was the easiest to push around. Unfortunately, entry to other departments’ buildings was prohibited.
“Hey, Pil-hwan.”
“Yes! 8th-grade Kim Pil-hwan!”
“Go to the Investigation Bureau and look up this number.”
“You mean the number? That…”
Pil-hwan hesitated for a moment.
“Why?”
“Uh, blind dates…, you shouldn’t look up…”
Bam!
A fist was driven into Pil-hwan’s face. He flew away and crashed into a corner.
“…It’s not that this time.”
“Phew, that’s a relief. I was worried about what excuse to give to the Investigation Bureau guys.”
“Shut up and go quickly.”
“Yes!”
Pil-hwan got up as if he was used to it and ran out.
When she waved her hand, the other team members started working again.
After a while, Pil-hwan returned.
“Captain, the results are out.”
“Yeah, who is that bastard?”
“It’s an orc who was released from prison 4 years ago. His name is Gorgun Gerta. Seems to be called Gentak. He has a colorful criminal record. A wanted order has just been issued. The Investigation Section…”
At Pil-hwan’s words, Hwa-yeon looked at him. Not only her but also the team members around her.
“Ha.”
Crack!
The armrest of the chair she was holding shattered.
A deep bloodlust swirled in her eyes. The air around her seemed to slowly heat up.
“Pil-hwan, prepare the car.”
“Understood!”
The other team members got up and looked at her.
“Shall we be dispatched as well?”
“No, keep doing what you were doing.”
Because she had to burn them alive.
If she didn’t kill them herself, she wouldn’t be able to extinguish her anger.
The fire had already been lit in her mind.
Hwa-yeon left the building. Along the way, she encountered other people, but they all fled to the side in fright. They even had the illusion that their necks would fly off if they dared to speak to her.
Arriving in front of the A-Area of the special residential district, she got out of the car.
“You wait here.”
“Yes!”
Hwa-yeon thought she would burn all the criminal bastards she encountered.
Especially with orcs, it was a pleasure to burn them.
Because they burned really well for a long time. Whenever she heard their screams, she always realized that what she was doing was the right thing.
Going to A-Area, she saw vehicles from the Investigation Bureau.
“What are these rookies doing?”
Hwa-yeon’s face crumpled.
People wearing blue uniforms representing the Investigation Bureau were controlling the police line and investigating the surrounding orcs.
As Hwa-yeon approached, the Investigation Bureau personnel were startled and hesitated.
“Oh, oh? Th-that…, loyalty!”
“Who’s in charge here?”
“Yes! It’s me! Han-oru, 9th-grade, 4th Public Security Section!”
“Why is the Public Security Section here?”
Han-oru, a half-breed of a werewolf and a human, gulped his saliva. Although the characteristics of beastmen were quite faint due to being a half-breed, his round eyes remained the same.
“We were dispatched after receiving a report from a resident here.”
“Resident? Those are illegal occupants. Speak properly.”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Han-oru shouted loudly, tensing up.
The orcs who had gathered around did not have a favorable gaze. They were highly vigilant. She wanted to burn all those illegal occupants, but she endured it while smoking a cigarette.
Entering inside the police line, she saw a half-collapsed building. There were orcs receiving emergency treatment at the scene, and a huge orc being carried out while kneeling.
When she stopped them, the Public Security Section personnel immediately put the huge orc on the ground.
“Who is this bastard?”
“Yes! From what we’ve found out…, he’s Gorgun Gerta, an orc called Gentak.”
“This guy is Gentak?”
She looked closely at Gentak.
He was still alive, but his skin was completely burned. His tendons and muscles were all severed, and he was thoroughly burned to the point where there was no room for recovery.
It seemed there was an abnormality in his brain as well.
“It’s a sophisticated skill. Clearly the work of a high-level mage…”
Her eyes widened.
The magic circle drawn on Gentak’s abdomen.
It was the only intact body tissue on his charred flesh.
Thud!
The cigarette stuck to her lips fell to the ground.
“Crazy…!”
“Wh-why are you doing this?”
“Fuck…”
She couldn’t help but curse.
“Who did this?”
“We haven’t investigated that far yet.”
Hwa-yeon’s expression became tense for the first time in a long while.
‘The magic circles…, they’re overlapping. Simultaneous casting, not sequential…’
It was multicasting close to the realm of ability.
Judging from the traces, it was certain that multicasting occurred in a fleeting moment.
‘Casting time is 1 second? No, it was cast instantly. And multicasting at that? It doesn’t make sense.’
Flame Ignition and Mana Compression.
They were magic of different attributes.
What kind of monster could perform such a miracle?
“Han-oru.”
“Yes! Han…”
“Withdraw the Public Security Section guys right now.”
“What? But…”
“From now on, it’s under my jurisdiction. Han-oru, you stay.”
The Public Security Section personnel, except for Han-oru, began to withdraw.
Hwa-yeon immediately contacted the head of the Magic Enforcement Department to report the situation.
“Any witnesses?”
“There was a CCTV, but it was destroyed. The witnesses are those young beastmen over there. The orcs said they don’t know anything.”
There were beastmen wrapped in thick towels, shivering. They had just received emergency treatment. When she approached and asked, the children spoke in incomprehensible words.
“A human boy? A human boy did it?”
The children’s words were not believable at all.
As her expression crumpled and her voice rose, the children flinched. They were frightened by her rough aura.
“Waah, waaah”
“Sniff, sob!”
The children started crying.
Han-oru barely managed to comfort the children.
She shook her head as if she had a headache. The orcs had gathered around at some point.
Their gazes were by no means friendly. The relationship between the orcs of the special residential district and the Magic Association was extremely bad.
“Cooperate with the investigation. Any witnesses?”
“…….”
“It’s better to come out obediently.”
Everyone remained silent.
“With such a commotion, there can’t be no witnesses.”
“…….”
“Han-oru, are there any suspects among them?”
“What? Ah! There’s an ongoing case. A group brawl with beastmen…”
Han-oru brought the list. Using that as an excuse, they could take them to the Magic Association for investigation.
Some orcs from the list were seen.
Hwa-yeon looked at those orcs.
“You, and you! Follow me.”
The orcs became fierce.
If she approached, they seemed ready to block her even with their bodies.
Hwa-yeon’s fists clenched. Blue sparks flickered around her body.
“I’ll burn anyone who interferes.”
It was a simple threat.
However, the notoriety of the Magic Association’s Enforcement Department was so great that it wouldn’t sound like a simple threat.
The orcs were too stubborn. She had never seen an orc cooperating with the Magic Association.
If you show weakness, they ignore you, and if you go strong, they confront you like this. This was why she didn’t like orcs.
As she reached out her hand, a magic circle was drawn right in front of her. It was the magic circle that made her known as the Witch of Fire and the Mage of Ashes. Bloodlust rippled like a mirage.
Hwa-yeon’s eyes sharpened.
They were illegal occupants and were hiding something.
Having seen the traces of multicasting, she couldn’t let it slide. It was too great of a threat.
Even if somewhat extreme methods were used, it was better to find out.
It became a confrontation that couldn’t be backed down from.
The shacks here were all illegal constructions.
It wouldn’t be bad to carry out the delayed demolition now.
The temperature around her gradually began to rise. Now, no one could easily stop her.
“It’s better to stay away. Unless you want to burn to death.”
“Wait a moment.”
A group of people in suits approached her.
The corporate badge attached to their left chest was particularly eye-catching.
“I’m Lee Gi-hwan, the head of the Future Strategy Office of Ilshin Group.”
“…What business does a corporation have?”
“Our young master Lee Jin-woo wants to purchase the intellectual property rights of the restaurant here. It must be preserved in its original form. The matter has been settled with the Magic Association as well. Please check.”
Hwa-yeon lowered her hand and checked her cell phone.
[Old man Adin: I’ve sent personnel now. The Investigation Bureau staff will arrive soon too. Captain Lee Hwa-yeon! Don’t even think about burning it down.]
[Old man Adin: If you burn even a single plank there, you’ll be in debt for life.]
[Old man Adin: The finances of the Magic Enforcement Department are at stake. For now, return!]
Hwa-yeon still had no intention of stopping.
“By the way, he has purchased all the restaurant buildings. Land cannot be purchased, but buildings can. Ah! If the fire spreads by any chance, it would be a real disaster. If you have about 5 billion won, you can do as you please.”
“…….”
“The lawyers will be desperate. Of course, if you have money.”
However, at Lee Gi-hwan’s words, she erased the magic circle.
She was poor.
Forget 100 million won, she didn’t even have a million won on hand at the moment.
Her salary was often confiscated due to disciplinary actions, and it was common for her salary to disappear as compensation.
Moreover, she had recently signed an installment contract for her long-dreamed car. With her retirement allowance as collateral.
“…Fuck.”
“Then I’ll be on my way…”
“Wait, you said your name is Lee Gi-hwan?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Hwa-yeon stopped Lee Gi-hwan.
“Your master…”
“He’s not my master. I’m just doing him a favor.”
“…That Lee Jin-woo purchased the restaurant here? Does that mean he came here?”
“I can’t reveal the details, but in the afternoon, he purchased an entire department store. There’s a department store near the Magic Association Headquarters, isn’t there?”
“That one? Crazy…, this is why chaebol kids are…”
A store is one thing, but a department store?
Even a small bag in the luxury store of that department store was ridiculously expensive. Whenever she saw it from a distance, the urge to burn it rose up.
Lee Gi-hwan bowed and disappeared.
She cursed and searched for information about Lee Jin-woo on her cell phone.
Lee Jin-woo.
15 years old.
Still a minor.
A minor was flaunting his money. His balls must have been itchy.
Hmm…”
If he were at least ugly, it would have been a small consolation, but he was strikingly handsome. Hwa-yeon suddenly disliked Lee Jin-woo.
‘Human boy, mage…, multicasting.’
Those keywords overlapped, but she chuckled and dismissed it.
There was no way that money-flaunting kid Lee Jin-woo could be a mage who had achieved the realm of ability beyond genius.
She barely suppressed the anger that kept trying to flare up.
It was incomplete combustion.
She would thoroughly find out what happened with this case, what was involved, and why such a message was sent.
“I’ll burn you.”
She would burn everything to ashes.
With that thought, she turned her back. She opened her cigarette case to smoke but found no cigarettes.
“Ah…”
She remembered the cigarette she had dropped on the ground earlier.
Quietly looking around, she crept up and picked it up.
“…I’ll burn you.”
Anyway, she would burn it.
