Chapter 106

"Are you the wizard of the Mage Tower?" I looked at the door in surprise.

Isaac opened his eyes and whispered in a low voice. "Please come in."

With a squeak, the door of the Mage Tower's drawing room slammed open. And Henry, a little wizard who was much shorter than his age, poked his face through the crack in the door and opened his eyes wide.

"I came here after hearing rumors, Mr. Yeo!" The glasses that occupied almost half of Henry's face slid down.

"That's proof that Henry was excited." I smiled brightly and opened my arms towards Henry.

"Henry!"

"Huh, hehe." Little wizard Henry held his glasses tightly in both hands and looked at me with a smirk.

I looked at Henry's cheeks, which were swollen white like steamed buns, and smiled happily. "Come here!"

"Ooh, Mel!" Henry walked in front of me and climbed onto my lap.

I stroked Henry's chestnut-like hair. "What were you doing?"

"…Phew, work. I'm busy. It's a different car." Henry covered my nose and mouth with one plump hand and stuck out his eyes. Then, as if shy, he twisted his body and grabbed my sleeve again and muttered.

"Isaac, Mel is very close to Isaac-sama."

"Ugh."

"…Hmm." For some reason, Henry, whose cheeks were red, looked up at me as if he were bending his head.

Isaac and I exchanged glances.

What is this… I'm embarrassed.

I thought the age of being ashamed of a little boy's words had passed, but why did I feel strange?

"Friendly." Isaac naturally stroked Henry's head and whispered. Then he smiled at me and asked. "Come to think of it, Mel."

"…Yes?" When I looked at his handsome face, which seemed sweet to the world, I must have been fascinated without realizing it. The answer came out one beat slower.

"Henry is a child, so why don't you ask for his opinion? You know what kids like."

Yes. You can ask Henry!

I quickly came to my senses and switched my mind to business.

"Yes, Henry."

"Woong."

"Tell me from a child's point of view. Except for genius children."

"Yes! I'll tell you I'm stupid." Henry closed his eyes tightly and nodded. It was as if he imagined that he had become an idiot. Cutely.

"What are the things that small children are interested in every day and can carry with them?"

"Are you going to go around every day?" Henry scratched his head as he opened and closed his small, triangular mouth.

"Hmm, ginger!"

I clutched Henry's plump, sausage-like arm and asked. "What is that?"

"Hehe, I'm a sorcerer who helps Mel. I like it. Tell me!" Henry laughed, revealing his small teeth. Then he put his hand to my ear and whispered to me.

I had a serious exchange of opinions with Henry.

I think this is a pretty good opinion.

After hearing this, I understood. After all, our Henry is definitely a genius child wizard!

Thinking that the children might be kidnapped as sacrifices at any time, Isaac and I stayed up all night in the Mage Tower to make the things Henry had mentioned. Then we went straight to the Imperial Malton Academy.

After stopping by the president's office and giving a briefing session, we headed to the large playground to meet the children who wanted to experience the products.

As I passed the building, I asked the president carefully. "President, what do you think of God?"

"I don't have any big ideas. I'm not a very faithful believer."

I glanced at the president who was drawing a line for God. It was a straightforward and neat answer to a straightforward question.

I don't think I was brainwashed.

Fortunately, the president of the academy did not have the same dynamic eyes as Abel.

It's fortunate, but it's very strange. Of course, the Pope and Sheria thought they would attack the president first.

Is it because Isaac secretly planted the magic of the Mage Tower by the president's side? I shook my head and entered the academy stadium.

In the spacious playground, a class of children was already crowded. I took a deep breath and walked into the center of the playground. About twenty children surrounded me, the president, and my advisor in the center.

I'm nervous when it comes out, but let's calm down for now.

Presenting something for the first time was always a nervous thing.

Because I experimented hard with Henry last night.

I believed that he would definitely be interested and play for a week.

I clutched the clutch I had brought and continued quietly. "Hello. My name is Meldenik Kinnoa, who runs Mel's stationery store in front of the school…"

"Wow, hello!"

All the children gathered together and greeted each other with their bellies as they had learned at school.

It reminds me of our regulars.

The moment I thought that, I felt a strangely pointed yet round gaze. I looked at the back of the children's black hair as they bowed their heads in greeting, and then turned their heads back.

Is it Carat?

When I thought about it, I could see Carat's head in the distance. He is an outstanding little wizard who flashes in the east, so he might be here. Of course, there was a higher probability that I had felt the wrong gaze. But imagining that cute Carat was watching me made me feel more at ease.

"I brought a small gift today." The children's innocent eyes sparkled.

I said lowly, and took out twenty large boxes from the clutch to the floor one by one.

"How can there be so many things coming out of that little bag?" Little Young-ae, who had her hair tied in two buns, asked me as if she were talking to herself. It was a way of speaking unique to young children.

I smiled and replied as if I were talking to myself. "Because it's an enchanted bag?"

"Wow." The children were very surprised and looked at each other in admiration.

But there was still more to admire. I grinned, opened a box, and took the item up. What I took out was an item with an elongated leather strap that could be worn around my neck and a body the size of my palm. In the middle of the square body, a gray screen appeared like a communication port.

"Is it a necklace?"

"The pendant looks weird!"

"Isn't it a video? It looks like a video magic tool!"

I heard the children chirping. I shook my head and replied gently. "It's not a magic tool."

"Then what?" In response to the children's questions, I remembered an incident with Henry.

"I'm the one who gave birth to me, and I'm the most joke, so I'm going to stop with Gomianmi!" (This phrase is still quite unclear and seems like a direct, perhaps informal, translation of a Korean idiom or child's speech. I will try to interpret it as Henry saying he's the one who comes up with the most playful ideas, so he'll stop joking around now.) -> "I'm the one who comes up with the most playful ideas, so I'll stop joking around now!"

"Cat and dog?"

"Yes! Stupid children are very stupid. There are many people who live on the road of the Mage Tower, but they are all good. Muggles and Om Chong, Mani Joseo Record." (This also seems like a child's fragmented speech. "Muggles" likely refers to non-magical people. "Om Chong, Mani Joseo Record" is very unclear. I will interpret it as a child's way of saying "lots of things to record" or "lots of fun things.") -> "Yes! Even silly children are very silly. There are many people on the path of the Mage Tower, but they're all good. Non-magical people and everyone else, there are lots of fun things to record."

"Yes, animals are cute and adorable. They all like it." It was true that children like cute things like cats and dogs. But can't you keep a cat and a dog next to you every day? Because it's life.

As I pondered, Henry began to pour out new ideas. "Whoa… Also, silly children don't even know how to use video devices? Video clips are good too. It's like a singing moon, but time flies by just looking at it."

"Video?"

"Woong, did Rasmus put a blind eye around my neck when I worked? Please carry it every day." (This seems like a misunderstanding of "blind eye" or a very literal translation of an idiom. It likely refers to something like a hidden camera or a surveillance device.) -> "Woong, did Rasmus put a hidden camera around my neck when I worked? Please carry it every day."

Documentary video clips and even pets… As soon as I heard Henry's words, I thought of an item that children would be interested in and carry with them consistently.

"First of all, it is something that children can continue to carry around at will, and it is an object that is not a living being that can cast a protective spell, and it can also record video in case of a crisis."

The product I am presenting now meets all three requirements listed above. I opened my mouth seriously to the children in a heated atmosphere.

"It's a product that allows you to raise cute birds and animals."

I showed the children a square-shaped screen.

"Raising animals?"

"Yes, that's right." The children took a step forward or stuck their heads forward.

"But there are no birds or animals here?"

"That's right. I just see something like a necklace and a pendant!"

Everyone's faces showed signs of confusion.

"I can't see well!" Since there were only about twenty children, I couldn't get close to me, so I saw some children raising their claws. Some children may not be able to see properly because the screen body is small.

Should I bring a big video clip?

It was then. At some point, the president of the academy, who had disappeared, appeared with a large video in his hand, coughing.

"I thought I would need it, so I brought it."

Soon, the screen of the machine I was holding was connected to the video port. Thanks to the president's support fire, the small screen began to appear magnified to the children.

The children opened their eyes wide and looked at the video restraint screen.

"Let's get started." I pressed the main unit twice to turn on the screen. A small line was drawn on the screen, and soon a round egg appeared in the grass in the background.

"Egg."

"Oh, it's an egg."

"Huh… It's an egg! It's amazing! There's an egg in there!"

The children began to exchange curious glances with each other.

I think I've developed some curiosity. I want to plan so that I can continue to carry it with me…

"Now I need a little assistant to hatch the eggs…"

Soon, sparkling eyes and curious eyes came into contact. I gulped my saliva with the expectant eyes of the children. However, my gaze turned to the small child who was far away from the group. He was a child with red hair, black skin, and a distorted face with burn marks.

"I want that child."

I squatted down, walked over to the boy with his eyes down, and said a short greeting. "Hello?"

"…Oh!" The child opened his eyes wide and curled his lips inward, as if he didn't know they were coming to him.

I know that expression very well. I want to smile because I am happy, but I can't smile openly because of my timid personality.

I held out my leash and magic tool to the boy and asked him. "Would you like to raise them first?"

As soon as I finished speaking, there was a sad sigh from all around me. That's why children want to experience strange and different things first.

Hearing the other children's voices, the child's shrunken shoulders began to straighten little by little. A gentle smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, as if he thought he had been chosen.

"Then, I'll raise it." The child muttered in a slightly slurred accent.

"What's your name?"

"Silen, it's Silen."

I patted Silen on the shoulder and lifted him up. "My name is Meldenik."

"Yes!"

"Can you hatch the eggs now?"

"Is this it?" The child's eyes widened in wonder.

I nodded. "You can stroke the screen here with a warm hand, and a small bird will be born from this egg."

Silen raised his calloused hand and tapped the screen. When the tense touch touched, the egg on the screen began to flinch.

"Uh…"

"Wow, that's amazing!" The children sighed while watching the video.

I whispered in Silen's ear. "Pet me a few times with love. You have to put a lot of love into it."

"Yes!" At this moment, Silen was not a timid and always shrunken boy with small shoulders. Silen raised one hand with sparkling eyes and rubbed the screen warmly.

The moment everyone's eyes were focused on the video and the children started to sweat their hands, the egg broke with a small sound effect.