The lecture had just concluded in Falkenberg Hall, a structure erected a decade ago with a generous donation from the von Falkenberg family, making it the third-largest building on campus. With the vacation having emptied the grounds of students, the quiet was an invitation to explore. I left the hall and set off on a walk. “It’s quite spacious.” The university campus was far more sprawling than I’d anticipated. Its flat, open grounds, dotted with gardens, sports fields, and grand buildings, all connected by winding pathways, reminded me of the American universities the game’s design team had used as a model. I headed toward my new workplace: the Argent Spire. In the game’s world, the Kaiserliche Akademie was the highest-ranked institution, and the Argent Spire was its most esteemed department. If the magic department was its prestigious school of medicine, then the Argent Spire was its renowned teaching hospital. As I walked, I became aware of someone trailing closely behind me. For a moment, the thought of an assassin flickered through my mind, but it was only the robed mage who had accompanied me from the car. I couldn't recall his name, and his face remained hidden in the shadows of his hood. “Your name was Zoro, wasn’t it?” I asked. “S-sir? No, not at all! My name is Alaric, sir!” he stammered. “Ah… Alaric.” A heavy silence fell between us. Sensing the mood, Alaric suddenly began to speak, his voice strained. “Professor! T-the way you walk… it’s like a portrait in motion. I, uh, should have brought a camera—” "That won't be necessary," I cut him off. "And please, speak freely." Perhaps the real Kaiser-Licht had instructed him to offer such fawning praise. True to its name, the Argent Spire was a colossal spire visible from anywhere on campus. I simply had to walk toward it. It didn’t take long to arrive. A soft chime sounded as a disembodied voice emanated from the entrance. Head Professor: Kaiser-Licht von Kaiser-Licht identified. Authentication complete. The magitech gate scanned my biometrics and irises before sliding open without a sound. As soon as I stepped into the lobby, a sea of robed figures stopped what they were doing to bow their heads. I gave a slight nod in acknowledgment and turned to Alaric. “To the office.” Alaric scurried to press the elevator button. My office was on the 77th floor. The lift, powered by mana stones, arrived in three seconds. Head Professor: Kaiser-Licht von Kaiser-Licht. My office occupied nearly half the floor, a vast and luxurious space. The interior was as pristine as a sterile laboratory, its shelves lined with countless books. My gaze swept across the desk, taking in the symbols of Kaiser-Licht’s station: a flawless crystal orb, a heavy fountain pen, a nameplate carved from a solid diamond, the official seal of a Royal University Professor, and a golden staff leaning beside it. I surveyed the opulent room, careful to keep my expression neutral. As I settled into the chair, a document on the desk caught my eye. It was bound like a guestbook. “Ah, that’s the list of sponsored novice mages for this year!” Alaric supplied. I opened the document and began to read. │ Novice Argent (Debutant) │ │ Jurian │ 19 years old │ │ Property(ies): Elemental │ Category(ies): Support │ Sponsorship: 30,000/500,000 │ The system’s purpose became clear at once. In this world, the Argent Spire was a research institution, much like the great scientific institutes of my old world, and research demanded funding. Mages, however, required far more money than any modern scientist. They needed astronomical sums not just for developing their magic—be it practical, destructive, or otherwise—but for their basic living expenses, training, and the costly materials essential for their advancement. As my eyes scanned the list, certain names seemed to glow with a faint golden light. My intuition, a product of my Dominus Aerarii and Inquisitor's Gaze traits, told me these were the profitable ones. A born magnate and exceptional financier with an unrivaled intuition for profitable things. The more information provided, the more accurate the intuition becomes. The ability to visually perceive intuition, attributes, mana points, and similar elements. It is primarily used in conjunction with other traits rather than on its own. It was a perfect synergy: an innate sense for profit combined with the ability to see the data I needed. By simply analyzing these scouting reports, I could identify the mages who would yield the greatest returns. “This name looks familiar…” My finger stopped on a named character from the game. │ Novice Argent (Debutant) │ │ Epherene Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Silbermond │ 17 years old │ │ Property(ies): Material │ Category(ies): Destruction and Support │ Sponsorship: 0/10,000,000 │ Silbermond. The name echoed in my memory. The woman in the photograph had hair the color of pale ash and jade-green eyes that stared back with raw defiance. She was beautiful, but in an unrefined way, like an unsheathed blade or a young predator—a leopard cub, all sharp edges and simmering intensity. I hadn’t personally designed this character, but I recalled the developers mentioning she held a deep-seated enmity for Kaiser-Licht, something to do with her father. Unsurprisingly, her sponsorship was zero, while every other novice had secured at least 10,000 elne. “Why is her funding at zero?” I asked. Alaric flinched. “Sir… that’s Epherene Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Silbermond.” “And what is the issue?” “Well… the other professors, and the tower’s sponsors… they’re being cautious. Because of… you, sir.” Because of Kaiser-Licht. Of course. I nodded, my eyes returning to Silbermond's scouting report, where one detail stood out. │ Sponsorship: 0/10,000,000 │ “Alaric, what does a meal in the cafeteria cost these days?” I asked. “Ah, a king-sized cutlet is three elne. It’s quite delicious. You should try it sometime… Oh, I’m sorry.” So one elne was roughly equivalent to a thousand won. “Then this girl is hopelessly naive.” The maximum requestable sponsorship was ten million elne. She was asking for the equivalent of ten billion won, a sum she could live on for the rest of her life. Though it was an investment, it was still a debt she would eventually have to repay with interest. “Funding…” I murmured, rubbing my chin in thought. Epherene Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Hebel Silbermond was Kaiser-Licht’s enemy. Or rather, he was hers. But her grudge was irrelevant. If I followed the original game's script, my fate was already sealed, and it didn't matter whose hands delivered it. Fatum Maligni. A destiny where the entire world clamors for your death. However, what doesn’t kill him makes him stronger… The Villain’s Maligni was a predestined death. In the game, Kaiser-Licht’s end was a multifaceted certainty: a sword through the heart, a wand, an arrow, poison, a bomb… the method changed, but the outcome never did. He always died. To avoid that, I had to make choices the original Kaiser-Licht never would. But there were complications. “Alaric, I imagine many of these novices would be reluctant to accept money from me, correct?” Alaric flinched as if struck, shaking his head frantically. His frantic denial was a resounding confirmation. “Even so. I will provide the funding. They are not in a position to refuse it.” After a moment’s consideration, I checked the boxes next to several names, but I left the sponsor field anonymous. Revealing myself would only cause problems down the line. “You may leave now, Alaric. See to your duties.” Alaric bowed and departed, his footsteps more assured than before. I swiveled my chair to face the window. The view from the top of the Argent Spire was breathtaking. Sunlight streamed through the vast sky, catching the wings of a flock of migratory birds soaring near the clouds. They fluttered through the shimmering particles of light, an image of absolute freedom. “To survive… I need money,” I murmured. An immense amount of it. Money could solve certain problems, pacify certain enemies. It was a lifeline. Fortunately, with my attributes, acquiring it wouldn't be difficult. Investing in promising mages was a guaranteed path to immense returns. “But what comes after that? As time goes on, what is my path? Where am I headed?” Beyond money, what came next? The list of named characters who hated me was long, and any one of them could bring my death. To survive them… “I’ll have to rely on my own strength.” My own power. Wealth was a part of it, but I needed something more fundamental: personal combat strength. Thankfully, I knew this body’s talents. Though he claimed mastery over all elements, Kaiser-Licht’s true aptitude lay only in earth and fire, with a corresponding talent in the Manipulation category. But I also possessed other attributes, including one called Alchemist's Gaze. Consumes the user's mana to unlock the potential of a target. Enhances the target's performance by the amount of mana consumed and grants special effects appropriate to the target's category if no potential exists. Mana could only be bestowed in units of thousands, and overlapping use was not possible. It was a higher-grade attribute than Dominus Aerarii. I picked up the fountain pen from the desk to test it. [Mana Points: 1,315 / 3,375] My mana had recovered sufficiently. I focused my mind, activating the attribute. A faint pull at my temples and the back of my neck signaled the consumption of mana. That was all. The pen looked unchanged, but I knew, through the system, that a fundamental alteration had occurred. [von Falkenberg Fountain Pen] Miscellaneous – Writing Instrument A fountain pen engraved with the family crest in pure gold. Durability enhanced by Alchemist's Gaze. Increases writing proficiency when equipped. I took a sheet of paper and began to write. The ink flowed with an impossible grace. It was as if I had become Han Seok-Bong himself. “…If that’s the case.” I set the pen down, my mind racing, connecting my attributes and talents. Inquisitor's Gaze, Alchemist's Gaze, Comprehension, Manipulation, and the elements of Fire and Earth. As I considered the combination, my Comprehension trait activated. An electric current shot through my brain, heating my entire body and raising goosebumps on my skin. A brilliant idea took shape. Earth and fire combined to create metal. The Alchemist's Gaze could then enhance that metal. And as a mage with a talent for Manipulation, I could control that metal. It would be like telekinesis, my own version of a levitating blade. It was theoretically a perfect primary ability. Kaiser-Licht's lack of raw talent could be offset by the sheer quality of the metal. This world had more than just steel; fantasy metals like mithril existed, and with my future funds, I could procure them. Satisfied, I nodded to myself. “If clearing the game is the only way, then I will endure until the very end… Ah, why am I talking to myself?” I bit my tongue, suddenly aware of my posture. My back was pressed rigidly against the chair, my neck resting perfectly on the headrest, my arms angled just so on the armrests. This suffocating formality had become second nature, a part of the body I now inhabited. The ease of it was unsettling. I reached for the crystal orb. “Alaric, are you there?” “Yes! I’ll be right there, sir!” I heard a frantic scramble and the sound of something crashing to the floor before Alaric appeared in the doorway, breathless. I felt a pang of pity for him. It seemed the life of an assistant mage wasn't so different from that of a graduate student back on Earth. "I'm finishing for the day. You may leave after you've borrowed a few books for me from the library. I’ll give you a list." He looked as if he wanted to stay, but I was already writing. One book on the magical properties of metals, another on the basics of manipulation magic. The titles were both introductory texts, and a flicker of confusion crossed Alaric’s face. It was quickly suppressed, however, and he bowed nearly ninety degrees before turning to leave.

Chapter 5: A Portrait in Motion