Chapter 20

The next day.

Yujin, after spending a comfortable night at the dormitory, headed down to the first floor.

“Hey, you’re up? The other knuckleheads are probably still passed out with some girls, but good on you for being diligent!”

As soon as Yujin descended to the first floor, Mary, the innkeeper, greeted him. Yujin chuckled and replied,

“Guess I woke up early. Did you have a peaceful night too, Mary?”

“I need to eat well and sleep well to work hard, so duh! But seriously, those Eastern friends of yours sure are polite!”

Mary laughed heartily in response, and Yujin couldn’t help but smile at her cheerfulness.

Cheerful people really do make everyone around them feel good. Despite being in an unfamiliar world, Yujin felt like he might get used to this place quickly because of these new connections.

Mary then asked him,

“So, aren’t you hungry? I was just preparing breakfast.”

“Well, I just woke up, so my appetite isn’t huge… but the smell coming from the kitchen is making me hungry. How long until it’s ready?”

“Just wait a bit! The tables were already cleaned yesterday, so take a seat wherever!”

“Then I’ll go ahead and sit down.”

With that, Yujin took a seat at one of the tables on the first floor, which doubled as a tavern.

Though he had just gotten out of bed and wasn’t particularly hungry, his statement wasn’t entirely false. After all, Hugo had been boasting about how amazing the food here was, and the kitchen was indeed already emanating delicious aromas. It was enough to stimulate his appetite somewhat.

Of course, since he was now a dragon, nutritional replenishment wasn’t strictly necessary, but hey, “gourmet pleasures” weren’t called that for nothing.

『Food… come to think of it, this will be the first proper meal since our last campout.』

Meanwhile, Tiamat, who was always with Yujin no matter where or when, muttered something while looking forward with anticipation.

Curious, Yujin asked,

“Can you taste food even now, Lady Tiamat?”

『Didn’t I tell you? I can taste whatever you consume.』

“Oh, I see.”

He hadn’t realized during their last camping trip when they ate combat rations, which weren’t exactly gourmet anyway.

『Which is why I’m looking forward to this. Who would’ve thought I’d get to enjoy a proper meal after dying…』

“If you haven’t tasted food for thousands of years, I guess I understand your excitement.”

Yujin smiled inwardly as he said this.

And then…

“…Speaking of which, I sense some familiar faces approaching.”

Yujin turned around slightly, sensing something. Sure enough, not long after, the inn’s door opened, and someone walked in.

“Landlady Mary, we’re here!”

“Oh my, Hugo!”

“Haha, we made it quicker than expected!”

Hugo’s party entered the inn. Mary greeted them warmly.

“What brings you here so early?”

“We have a breakfast appointment with Yujin, plus we’ve finished settling accounts, so we’re also here to distribute Yujin’s share.”

“Ah, good timing! Breakfast was almost ready anyway. Come on in.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Hugo, Chrome, and Mirien entered, and Yujin greeted them.

“Hello, Hugo. And hello to you too, Mirien and Chrome.”

“You woke up early, Mr. Yujin.”

“…Hello.”

Hugo grinned and returned the greeting, while Mirien gave a brief nod in acknowledgment.

“But geez, waking up so early just to keep a breakfast appointment? Where’s the drinking party?”

On the other hand, Chrome complained loudly about missing out on the drinking party. Curious, Yujin tilted his head and asked,

“What drinking party?”

“Don’t worry about it, Yujin. Chrome here wanted to combine the breakfast appointment with a drinking session, but I dragged him along to keep the breakfast promise. Besides, Mary wouldn’t approve of drinking at breakfast.”

“Damn! What’s wrong with breaking the rules a little?”

“So, can we consider this breakfast appointment fulfilled?”

“Ah… I see.”

It seemed Hugo was worried about future drinking bills and decided to kill two birds with one stone by having breakfast together. Yujin chuckled dryly.

“By the way, if you want a drinking party, Mr. Yujin…”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t really enjoy drinking much.”

“Tch. Are humans really incapable of appreciating the taste of alcohol?”

Though Chrome grumbled unhappily, he didn’t complain further. He simply claimed a spot at the table where Yujin was sitting.

Mirien and Hugo also took their seats, and the four of them gathered around one table.

After they settled down, Yujin looked around and asked,

“Where are Eri, Sia, and Hans?”

“Ah, Eri and Sia should be at the Academy dormitory. Since they’re students, they’d likely be at the Academy at this time, especially since exams are over. As for Hans, he was a temporary porter for us this time, and he has his own schedule. He’s probably working as a porter for another party right about now.”

“I see. Hans sure is diligent.”

While they were chatting, Mary approached them carrying large trays filled with food.

“Alrighty, let’s dig in! Breakfast isn’t too elaborate, but a full stomach is important!”

‘Is this not elaborate?’

Just looking at it, the table was groaning under the weight of the dishes. Light soup, bread, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages, salad—sure, these were common items in what’s often called an English breakfast.

But then there were roasted turkeys, stews, steaks… Dishes Yujin didn’t recognize. For breakfast, it was excessively abundant. Even someone with a strong stomach might find it overwhelming.

Of course, as a dragon, Yujin could handle this amount, but it was honestly excessive and intimidating.

“Wow, it’s Mary all right.”

“Hehe! We’re gonna have a hearty morning today!”

“Itadakimasu!”

“…Isn’t it a bit much?”

Hugo’s group, far from feeling burdened, was already salivating. Was the dining culture here different from Earth’s?

『You should start eating too, Yujin. I haven’t tasted proper food in ages.』

Tiamat urged him on as well. Perhaps he was the odd one out.

Concluding this, Yujin picked up his utensils and began eating with Hugo’s group.

First, he scooped a spoonful of the light soup into his mouth.

“…Oh.”

Yujin inwardly gasped. The rich flavor of the soup was surprisingly good.

Even compared to modern foods back home, laced with MSG, it didn’t fall short.

『Mmm… how long has it been since I tasted something this good?』

Tiamat also expressed her satisfaction with a contented laugh. Yujin smirked and decided he should pay more attention to culinary pleasures going forward.

Thus, breakfast with Hugo’s group commenced.

***

“So, Mr. Yujin, you mentioned this was your first time in Maze City, right?”

During their meal, Hugo suddenly spoke. Yujin swallowed a bite of meat before responding.

“Yes. I’ve done some research, but there’s still much I don’t know.”

“I see. Well… based on what I saw you do in the maze, you seem to have a good grasp of the basics… Oh, have you joined the Mage Association yet?”

“The Mage Association?”

Yujin feigned ignorance despite knowing about it.

Of course, he did know.

The Mage Association. Literally an organization formed by mages.

Created by the inherently closed-off mages to solidify their domain, the association manages exchanges between mages and collects their knowledge, keeping it strictly within their circle and never sharing it with outsiders.

Additionally, they create various privileges exclusive to mages, making it a highly exclusive and arrogant group. However, joining provides numerous benefits, and conversely, non-members often face significant disadvantages in the mage community.

Hugo briefly explained this before continuing,

“That’s what it’s like… but Mr. Yujin…”

“I haven’t joined the association.”

“Figures. In fact, the association can be quite ruthless towards unaffiliated mages without any school affiliations. I’m not a mage myself, but I’ve heard they discriminate heavily.”

Indeed, that’s exactly the case. Mages without a school affiliation or faction are often dismissed as vagabonds and not recognized as true mages.

A “school” affiliation doesn’t mean merely following a certain style; it means being officially recognized by that school. Thus, unaffiliated mages are seen as unrecognized by anyone and looked down upon.

Moreover, Yujin, appearing as a human from the Eastern continent, where magic isn’t widely associated, would likely face even more discrimination. The chances of the association accepting him were slim.

‘Honestly, it doesn’t bother me much…’

But frankly, Yujin didn’t care whether the association discriminated against him or not. Missing out on the privileges created by the association or finding it inconvenient to enter the mage world wouldn’t affect him much beyond that.

Sure, enduring inconvenience in a place where he’d live going forward wasn’t ideal, but Yujin didn’t dwell on it too much.

However…

‘What does Lady Tiamat think?’

『Can I be honest?』

‘Speak your mind.’

『It’s ridiculous. Magic originated from dragons like us, yet mortals impose their privilege systems and expect us to endure inconveniences related to magic. I don’t like it.』

‘I see.’

Though Tiamat was usually kind to mortals, her pride in dragons and magic seemed unmatched.

In that case, there were only a few options: crush the association’s arrogance and end this absurdity, destroy the mage-centric privilege system, or remain entirely free from such entanglements.

“Hmm… troubling. Mr. Yujin is an excellent mage, but mages value academic knowledge over power and tend to be insular, so I don’t know how I can help…”

“Hugo.”

“Yes?”

As Hugo pondered ways to assist Yujin, Yujin called out to him.

When Hugo looked up, Yujin asked,

“What is the ultimate goal most current mages aspire to? Or perhaps unsolved mysteries they seek to unravel?”

“Erm… I don’t know much about that…”

Hugo scratched his head awkwardly, remembering he was a warrior, not a mage.

At that moment,

“…Space-Time Magic.”

“Eh? Mirien?”

Quietly continuing her meal, Mirien suddenly spoke. Both Hugo and Yujin turned their attention to her.

“!”

When Yujin’s gaze met hers, Mirien flinched but continued under his encouraging look.

“…To alchemists, the Philosopher’s Stone is a lifelong pursuit. Similarly, for mages, it’s Space-Time Magic.”

“Space-Time Magic, huh…”

“Currently, spatial magic consists of three types: teleportation, spatial compression and expansion, and pocket space. Time magic doesn’t exist at all. Even these three types of spatial magic were barely implemented using knowledge left behind by transcendent beings, and only a select few exceptionally talented mages can use them.”

“Hmm…”

“Therefore, mages regard mastering space-time magic as their ultimate aspiration. After all, time and space are domains traditionally controlled by transcendent beings…”

“In that case, I suppose that’s what I should aim for.”

“Huh?”

When Mirien questioned him, Yujin simply smiled meaningfully, picked up his utensils, and took another bite.

‘Maybe… if I produce a groundbreaking paper with results that would make the association grovel, things will work out somehow?’

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