Another World Magician
Alt Korean Title: 속임수의 마법사 (The Magician of Deception)
Written by: [Xirus]
_______________________________
The road was bumpy, the wind dry, and the sun merciless. Yet a young man with tousled blond hair marched on, boots scuffed, tools clinking faintly in his satchel with every step toward Waisz' Estate.
"I swear," he muttered, brushing sweat off his forehead, "one day the world will know the name Eugene Robert... the greatest magic engineer to ever live!"
Before him stretched a serene lake, its still surface reflecting the evening sky. Blue and white lights shimmered gently across the water, and fireflies danced freely above, casting a soft glow on passing canoes. Couples could be seen leaning into one another, whispering and laughing in their own private worlds.
Eugene grimaced.
"Damn couples. Everywhere I go, they're infecting the scenery," he grumbled. "Can't you people give a lonely man a moment of peace?"
He plopped down on a rock near the lake's edge, pulling out a small bronze cog that had been hanging around his neck and fiddling with it, trying to distract himself from the romance soaked air.
"Who would've thought this backwater village had scenery like this," he admitted, glancing up at the shimmering lake. But just as he started to enjoy the view, a couple drifted by, flirting shamelessly in their canoe.
Eugene sighed, casting his gaze downward.
"It'd be perfect... if they weren't ruining it."
He wasn't here for sightseeing. Eugene often passed by this village on his trade routes to Bellmarch. His grandfather, Jean Robert, had been a renowned clockmaker, and once, a magic engineer during his prime. But now...
"Magic engineering..." Eugene whispered. "People don't value it anymore. Not in a world where magic is everywhere. Why bother with machines when you can cast a spell?"
He looked at his hands, scarred, calloused, persistent.
"...Because not all of us are born with great mana aptitude."
Magic engineering had become a field for the mana deficient. For commoners. For people like Eugene. And now, with his grandfather gone just over a week ago, there was no one left to guide or protect him.
The silence in the old workshop still clung to him. Every clink of metal in his satchel reminded him of the tools his grandfather once wielded with steady hands.
Just a few days ago, Eugene had found himself in a much less hopeful state, hunched over a bar counter at a dusty tavern on the outskirts of Verrin.
***
A few days ago on a tavern outskirt of the Verrin and Erdal village. The tavern buzzed with laughter, clinking glasses, and the smell of roasted meat. There, a blonde guy walking to the counter with redness under his eye.
"Boss, the usual," Eugene said as he dropped into his seat at the inn.
"Here's your apple juice, kid," the innkeeper teased, sliding the drink over with a grin.
"Hey! I'm not a kid anymore. Gimme beer," Eugene protested with a scowl.
"You'll get beer when you stop looking like a walking mop. Anyway, sorry about your gramps. It's on the house tonight. Drink all you want."
Eugene stared at the glass, lips twitching.
"Damn old man... How could you just leave me like this? Couldn't even leave me a fortune or something?"
He knew it was a cruel thought, but grief made monsters of all men.
Then, a voice from the corner of the tavern spoke up.
"Hey, kiddo. You heard? Waisz Estate is under development again. Might be worth checking out. Could be job openings."
Eugene looked up. The speaker was a middle aged farmer with a proud mustache.
"My daughter passed by there selling our crops to Bellmarch," the man said, beaming. "She said there's a magical lake and a shrine that grants blessings. Been married two years, no kids, suddenly pregnant after a visit."
The room chuckled and offered congratulations.
Then a burly lumberjack from Erdal joined in. "Yeah, I went myself. Had a shoulder injury from a tree accident years ago. Constant pain, no strength."
He took a long swig of beer.
"I thought Waisz's son was just desperate when he came looking for carpenters and laborers. Most of us refused, the place was poor, hardly any tenants left. But a few of us with injuries took the offer since it a job that injured people like us can take."
He leaned forward.
"First thing we did? Rebuild the shrine. Got stationed near it. There was this unpleasant smell... like a rotten eggs. Then we saw the hot spring behind the shrine."
"And let me guess," Eugene interrupted with a grin. "A black haired woman with a black pointed hat comes out with a pot, mutters some spell, and boils you all like stew?"
The room laughed.
The lumberjack grinned. "Something like that. A girl did come out, brown dark hair, with a clipboard. She called our names, had us soak in the hot spring. Thought it was nuts, but... the moment I dipped in, it was like heaven. My shoulder felt brand new."
He stretched his arm dramatically.
"Three days of soaking, and I felt like I was in my twenties again. I tried to go back before leaving, but it was already packed. Now I'm heading home to drag my family back for a vacation."
Eugene's eyes gleamed. A magical place... a job opportunity... and a chance to make money?
He stood up suddenly.
"Oii, Granny! I'm heading out to Waisz's Estate to see it for myself!"
The innkeeper glared. "I'm not even fifty yet, you brat! And my body's still in top shape!"
She tossed a rolled up notice toward him. "Take this. It was posted a few days ago."
Eugene caught it. A recruitment flyer. His eyes scanned the text quickly.
"Hmm... engineers needed... renovation underway... decent pay..."
He grinned.
"Looks like it's time for Eugene Robert to make his first mark on history."
***
As Eugene walked down the main road into the Waisz estate, something caught his eye. A newly constructed checkpoint building near the entrance gate.
"…This wasn't here before," he muttered.
A guard standing beside the gate overheard and answered casually, "Yeah, it's new. The landowner's son is redeveloping this place. Everyone who passes through now needs an entry pass."
"Entry pass? What kind of nonsense is that?" Eugene groaned, dragging his feet. "This is such a pain…"
The guard simply pointed to a nearby board. Eugene's eyes followed and landed on a large notice posted at the front:
ENTRY PASS TYPES
Issued by the Gatehouse Authority – All entrants must comply
____________________________________
[Visitor Entry Pass]
Duration | Tag
1–7 days | Bronze 1
8–30 days | Bronze 2
Over 30 days | Bronze 3
Requirements:
- Lodging confirmation
- Reason for visit
Special Rules:
- No trade or employment allowed
- Must renew at the Gatehouse after 30 days (Bronze 3 only)
- Pass can be change or renew at the Gatehouse
____________________________________
[Merchant Entry Pass]
Load | Tag
2 Carts max | Silver 1
More than 2 carts | Silver 2
Large caravan | Silver 3
Requirements:
- Inventory ledger
- Carriage manifest
- Trade license from Merchant Guild
Spoilage Clause: All goods assumed perishable, overstay results in disposal or penalty.
____________________________________
Labor/Service Pass
Tag: Iron Plate
Valid For: 7 days to 3 months
Purpose: Temporary work (construction, farming, festival)
Requirements:
- Labor contract filed with Estate Authority
- Recruitment document or poster
- Health inspection (done at Gate Health Department)
Special Rules:
- Bound to assigned sector
- Pass revoked if contract is broken or abandoned
____________________________________
As he gaze on the post while rubbing his smooth chin...
"Whoa…" Eugene's eyes widened. "For a backwater estate, this system's actually impressive. Prevents overcrowding, keeps freeloaders out, and even tracks overstays... The guy running this place isn't just some dumb kid."
Shaking his head in disbelief, he stepped forward and handed the job recruitment poster to the man at the counter.
The clerk took it with a quick glance. "Labor Pass application? One moment." He scribbled down Eugene's information.
Eugene's attention drifted to another counter nearby. A line had formed there. Curious, he leaned toward the man.
"What's that line for?"
"Currency exchange," the clerk replied.
"Currency?" Eugene blinked. "What the hell is that?"
The clerk chuckled. "We don't use raw gold or silver here. Everything inside the estate is traded using paper currency, called W.O.N."
Eugene raised an eyebrow.
"Wait... 'WON'? What's that?"
"It stands for 'Waisz Only Notes.' Usable only within the estate," the clerk replied.
"Wait... isn't that a scam?" Eugene said, eyes narrowing.
"It's actually the opposite," the clerk said calmly. "It prevents robbery and theft. All your valuables, gold, silver, etc., are stored in secure vaults under estate guard. You receive paper notes equal in value, and you can exchange them back when you leave."
He continued, "Makes daily transactions lighter and safer. Less coin pouch snatching too."
Eugene scratched his head. "So I give you real gold... and you give me fake money I can only use here."
"That 'fake money' ensures you don't lose your life savings to a pickpocket," the clerk countered smoothly. "Also, carrying around bags of gold is asking for trouble. This system keeps everything accountable."
Though skeptical, Eugene was intrigued.
"Alright... I'll exchange just a little. Just in case."
He pulled out a few coins and handed them to the currency counter. The woman behind the desk offered him a clipboard.
"That'll be 1 gold for account creation," she said.
"Wait, WHAT?!" Eugene yelped. "Just to create an account?! Are you robbing me?!"
She calmly explained, "It covers your personal vault registration, administrative processing, ledger tracking, and for the first time security setup. After this, future exchanges only cost 1 bronze per transaction."
He grumbled but reluctantly handed it over.
"Nothing's free in this world, huh..."
She handed him a neat stack of paper notes marked with "W.O.N." in stylized letters ₩.
***
Eugene wandered deeper into the estate, watching people bustling about. Tourists, laborers, merchants. It was lively, structured, and far more developed than he'd imagined.
After spending some money, he took a rest at a nearby shop, wondering.
"Alright, let's see what this so called won is actually worth…"
"Bread loaf, 2 won… That's what, two bronze coins? Not bad. Cheaper than the city."
"Hearty tavern meal, 10 won... Only a big bronze. That's practically a feast for pocket change."
"Iron axe... 20 won. Two big bronzes. Not bad for basic tools. Could probably flip that for profit elsewhere if they let me."
"Inn stay, 100 won. One silver for a night under a roof. That not too bad, does it come with food?"
Eugene crossed his arms, brow furrowed but lips twitching into a grin.
"If this place really runs on this system, then... yeah, I could make things work here. Lower cost of living, new development, plenty of openings. I just need to find a way to wedge myself into something profitable."
He glanced at his folded stack of W.O.N.
***
A week had passed since Eugene arrived at the Waisz Estate.
Now, he sat slumped on a wooden bench by the lake, his posture wilted like a forgotten daisy. The evening breeze stirred the water, sending ripples across its glassy surface. In the distance, a couple laughed quietly in a canoe, again.
He sighed.
"I swear... I've only been here a few days, but lately, I've been having it rough."
He tilted his head back and stared at the sky, as if hoping it would open up and drop answers on his face.
"Is this place is not for me?"
***
[Earlier That Week – At the Workshop]
He had marched into the estate's engineering workshop on the second day, head held high, tools strapped to his belt, chest puffed out with pride. Suddenly he bump into some old woman. "Hey, watch where you're going, granny. You look so fragile I'm afraid I'll accidentally break your arm." as he ignore the old woman and went to the workshop.
"I'm Eugene Robert," he had said confidently. "Magic engineer. Got any work for someone brilliant?"
An older man at the counter had sized him up with a smirk.
"Plenty. Start by helping Rorik over there with the iron plates."
Easy, Eugene thought. Finally, a real job. Time to show them what I'm made of.
Rorik, a skinny man with a thick beard and arms like tree twigs, greeted him with a grin.
"Glad to have an extra hand," he said. "We got four buckets of iron plates. Help me carry them to the back."
Eugene had watched as Rorik casually picked up two heavy buckets . One in each hand, like they were filled with feathers instead of iron plate. "Two at once, well the job here might be too easy for me."
Eugene stepped up to the table, grabbed a bucket, and…
Nothing.
He tugged harder.
Still nothing.
"Is it... nailed down?" he mumbled.
He braced his legs, used both hands,
His arms trembled. But the bucket didn't budge.
Rorik tilted his head, watching curiously.
"Having trouble?" giggling as he look Eugene try so hard.
Eugene's pride whimpered in a corner of his soul. "N-No! Just... checking the grip!"
Rorik chuckled and walked over.
"Here. Try wearing these gloves from the storage. Might help with grip. I keep an extra pair."
As both of them back from the storage, then she appears, a little girl, barely seven. She gently wraps her small arms around both bucket... and effortlessly lifts the buckets, her grin wide as if she mocking Eugene.
Eugene stand frozen, mouth half open, astonished by her effortless display.
"That my daughter, she only seven but really helpful." Rorik smiling as if he saying that girl is much more helpful than Eugene.
Eugene burned with humiliation.
***
Since that day, a creeping thought had wormed its way into Eugene's brain.
Or more accurately... a voice.
Late at night, in the silence of his rented room at the inn, as he sleep it keep getting same nightmare.
"An old woman who I bump recently warn me. " Maybe it just a coincidence. "You have been cursed." The granny keep repeating the same things in all of my dream.
It wasn't loud. It was angry and yet felt like a cold whisper.
"You have been cursed. Misfortune will keep coming your way."
It echoed behind his ears every time he felt asleep.
***
This morning, I just receive my payment.
It had started as a good day.
The sun was bright, the air crisp. His assigned task, paid better than expected. He hadn't even needed to touch anything heavier than a clipboard.
Feeling optimistic, he decided to count some of the money he hadn't yet converted into won notes. Just a few coins left in his old pouch for emergencies.
He stood by the central fountain, letting its misty spray cool his cheeks.
"Maybe things are turning around," he thought. If I can save enough, maybe I can rent my own workshop. Something modest.
That's when it happened.
First came the sound, a loud cheer, followed by whistles. Then music burst from the town square, and a parade of dancers and jugglers appeared, weaving through the crowd.
Ribbons flew, confetti fluttered. Children screamed with delight.
"Huh. Festival? Didn't see that on the announcement board." Talking by himself.
"It actually, the opening day for this estate. Just some simple festival to celebrate the new looking estate by the son of the land owner." Said some guy clapping his hand enjoying the festival.
He found himself clapping absently, drawn in by the music.
A stranger bumped into him lightly. "Apologies," the man said smoothly, with a bow.
He was dressed in a neat black suit with white gloves, and wore a smiling white mask that covered his whole face.
"Street performer? Odd fashion choice." pondering by himself.
Before Eugene could respond, the man added with a chuckle, "Seems fortune favors you today. Here a little discount coupon for you good sir."
Then he was gone, swallowed by the crowd.
Eugene blinked. He glanced down and spotted a coin spinning on the cobblestones near his boot. Reflexively, he picked it up.
When he reached for his pouch to store it…
His fingers froze.
The pouch was gone.
It was cut clean.
His belt sagged slightly where it should've been taut.
"No... no no no" Eugene spun, checking his coat, the ground, the crowd, everywhere.
"Dammit, when did it disappear?" His emergency coins. His backup silver. Everything.
He slumped against the fountain, dazed. "I should have change all my money for won." regret on his careless self.
***
As he tried to close his eyes for a quick nap… , He overhear the conversation from the bench next to him.
A guy and his girlfriend talking about something that peek his interest.
"Hey, did you know one of my relative have been curse before" Said the lady. Both
the guy and the lady face can't be seen due to the sunset reflecting on the lake surface.
"Really, then what happen to your relative?" The guy next to him curious on the
story. "She kept getting a nightmare, worry because her daughter just died recently.
She afraid that she will never get a child anymore." The lady told a tragic story on her relative.
"That really sad, how was she now?" the guy feel pity on her girlfriend relative.
"Apparently, I heard that she getting a new baby last week. There a shrine near the lake that selling some good luck charm. It really good for sleep and also the hot spring there help improve her body health." The lady sound excited and continue.
"Hey, how about we try it. Besides, the hot spring nearby is good for more than just body health… " Her tone turned flirtatious.
Eugene groaned and stood up, walking away before both of them get to intense.
"Maybe, I shall check it out. Could use some good luck, maybe I can get rid of this annoying curse." as he walk,
his eye staring on the discount flyer that the street performer gave him this morning.
It was for the hot spring. "…Huh, coincidence? Or maybe I just lucky."
"Alright, Waisz's Estate... let's see what you've got." A slow smile crept back onto his face.
***
[Back on the bench…]
The lake shimmered beneath the dying light, streaks of orange and deep rose bleeding across the sky and reflecting on the water's surface like a fading secret. The air was still, save for the quiet rustle of leaves and the occasional ripple of water on the lake. On a wooden bench near the edge, two figures sat side by side. A lady with one leg draped over the other, and a guy lounging with the lazy ease of someone who had nothing left to worry about. The man let out a soft breath, almost a sigh, then chuckled under it. Not loud, just enough to break the quiet with a ripple of amusement.
The woman turned to him, eyebrow raised. "What?"
The guy and the lady look at Eugene. "That seem like a good reaction" said the guy while smiling and chuckle a bit.
"Indeed that is one of the best specimen we can find." She laughed, low and smooth, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as the last light
caught in her eyes.
It wasn't the laughter of people who had merely succeeded.
It was the laughter of people who had orchestrated every twist, watched every piece fall perfectly into place and enjoyed every second of it.
He leaned forward, wiping a mock tear from the corner of his eye. "Did you see his faces?"
She was still laughing, head tilted back, voice echoing like a siren call. "Utterly priceless."
They didn't bother to hide it now. The amusement, the pride, the absolute thrill of it all. Their laughter rang out over the lake, loud and echoing, cutting through the golden hush of sunset like a slash of red ink across a clean page.
END ~