Sir Mage, You Said We Would Only Hold Hands! Chapter 2 - Mana Please, More Please

 

“…Me?”

 

“Yes, me.”

 

She looked at the man with a puzzled look on her face, yet he looked at her blankly as if he was wondering if there was something wrong and even placed both of his hands on the table.

 

The man’s fingers had prominent bony joints. His wrists also had large, thick veins, so he was likely to be considered sexy when he went out.

 

But what is the use of it all? The owner of the hands is crazy.

 

“Isn’t the second floor of the Magic Tower Service Division a place to replenish mana?”

 

“Yes, Sir Customer. Of course, that’s true, but our Service Division is only regarding the items you have purchased…”

 

“I bought it, here.”

 

The man put his hand down the table for a moment, rummaged through his pockets, and slapped something down. Rrrrrr, a pocket watch started rolling on the table. It was something she knew.

 

Selena’s Pocket Watch. What did they say, that it was enchanted with ice magic? It was a watch worth a whopping 80,000 gold.

 

VIP.

 

For a moment, as she looked at the man’s face, the text passed by. Moreover, this pocket watch wasn’t displayed on the first floor and sold casually, but was sold after identification on the upper floors, where even Birkin couldn’t go.

 

“…I apologize, Sir Customer. This item doesn’t require separate mana charging.”

 

“Yes. I came to recharge my mana.”

 

It’s a terrible guy

 

A crazy terrible guy, at that.

 

A personality that would go to a restaurant, order a menu, then bring food from other restaurants and ask them to add some salt.

 

Although the customer was classified in an instant, Birkin was a vice in the Service Division that had been solidified through many years of customer service. She said as she smiled deftly.

 

“Ah, I see. But I’ve never given mana to anyone. It’s difficult to recharge your mana, but instead, next time, I’ll give you a free recharge service…”

 

“We just need to hold hands, though.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“You can give me mana if you hold my hand.”

 

Who doesn’t know that, she wonders.

 

Mana was an invisible but flowing force in one’s body. The reason mana can be charged to an item is because the mana owner can pass it on. Of course, passing it on to people also had similar principles.

 

However, unlike items that become full after a certain amount and don’t need to be recharged, people have no limit depending on the opponent’s mana circle. Simply put, it means to be slightly faster.

 

Therefore, there was no concept of buying or selling mana to people. Of course, Birkin heard stories about people secretly selling mana for money, but it had nothing to do with her, an official Magic Tower member.

 

“You can’t?”

 

Yes, of course not.

 

…She wanted to say so. If she hadn’t been a vice, who had become famous and promoted among the nobles by word of mouth, and if the man in front of her hadn’t been a VIP customer, she might have really said that.

 

Finally, Birkin let out a long sigh. She also hoped that the other person would hear and at least notice. However, he just stared at her blankly.

 

“…Please put your watch in and hold out your hand.”

 

“Mmhm.”

 

The man obediently put his hands on the table like an obedient puppy. In order to transmit mana, there had to be mutual contact. They say giving bodily fluids is efficient, but you can’t kiss a customer.

 

Birkin’s long white fingers stretched out over his hand.

 

In fact, she seemed to hesitate for a moment. She held hands with a customer, something that had never happened before in the eight years she had been there.

 

However, the man snatched Birkin’s hesitant hand and held it tightly with his two large hands. Even though her hands weren’t so small as she was tall, Birkin’s hand wasn’t even visible when held in the man’s hands.

 

Did you snatch my hand now?

 

It was when Birkin couldn’t even open her mouth due to a series of embarrassing events. Birkin felt her mana being sucked into him against her will.

 

“Ex–cuse me.”

 

“…Mmhm.”

 

“Please let go.”

 

She felt dizzy.

 

If we were to compare the moment when we opened each other’s mana circle through contact, it would be like ‘penetrating into someone else’s world.’ This is because you can show the other person the mana circle that was entirely yours, and you can also see theis.

 

So, if she were to describe this man’s mana circle in one word… It was greedy.

 

She tried to pull her hand away, yet he wouldn’t budge. Eventually, Birkin’s voice rose.

 

“Let go!”

 

“…Don’t wanna.”

 

Really don’t want to.

 

She could also hear the man muttering softly. Birkin almost got angry at the childish whining, but she was able to stop it thanks to the man letting go of Birkin’s hand.

 

Birkin hastily took her free hand and examined it. The only thing that changed was that her wrist became red.

 

Creak.

 

While Birkin was examining her hands, she heard the man stand up. When she lifted her head to look up at him, the man smiled.

 

He was pretty.

 

A bright smile bloomed on his face. With that sweet face, he muttered that.

 

“Delicious. You.”

 

***

 

“Crazy terrible guy…”

 

“Miss Birkin, what did you say?”

 

“Yes? Did I say something? I guess you misheard.”

 

A week has already passed since the man visited.

 

However, Birkin still couldn’t get over the shock of that time. Because she never imagined that she would be so helplessly robbed of her mana.

 

She was in the middle of having lunch at the tower restaurant in the basement of the Magic Tower. Today’s menu was goblin sandwich and sour fruit juice, which was one of the most popular menu items.

 

Birkin absentmindedly rummaged through the sandwich, remembering the truth about what happened last week. There was no soul in her eyes as she pulled out the vegetables.

 

“That’s right, Miss Birkin. Did you hear that?”

 

“What?”

 

“Next week is the day when personnel changes are announced. I heard this deputy position is very tight?”

 

“Ah, really?”

 

Deputy, deputy.

 

Birkin smiled secretly, erasing the terrible customer that was dominating her mind at those sweet words. She couldn’t brag to others, so she pretended to be innocent, but she knew. That the person designated as the deputy was her.

 

If she becomes a deputy, her salary will also increase… Should she try increasing her savings?

 

Compared to a mage or magic engineer, the salary for an employee at the Magic Tower was very low. Still, since she was a member of the Magic Tower, she tended to earn more than ordinary commoners.

 

Birkin finished her meal with a relaxed expression, thinking about increasing her savings, which was her only hobby. The thought of giving some allowance to her mother, who was busy raising her younger brother alone, also crossed her mind.

 

As the short lunch break ended, an alarm beeped on Birkin’s wrist. When she looked down, she saw a red confetti floating above the watch.

 

“Huh? Miss Birkin, another designation inquiry?”

 

“Yes, it seems to be so.”

 

“That’s really amazing. It seems like Miss Birkin gets assigned particularly often. I heard that people who find Miss Birkin always come back?”

 

“Then what, working more doesn’t mean the incentive goes down.”

 

“That’s true, but…”

 

This was sincere. Just because you received a lot of designation inquiries didn’t mean that additional incentives were provided.

 

Instead, ‘connections’ just arise.

 

Naturally, most of the customers who called a person were nobles or wealthy people. If she showed these customers well, when selling products in the future, her sales performance increased just by showing her face.

 

And the sales performance is directly related to incentives.

 

Birkin, who was naturally going to the private consultation room on the second floor to make a designated inquiry, paused for a moment. This has happened before. A person who made a specific inquiry due to limited lunch time…

 

Could it be that crazy terrible guy again?

 

The afterimage of the truth that had disappeared for a while due to the promotion topic came flooding back. Even though Birkin reassured herself that it wouldn’t be her, she couldn’t shake the thought that it could be.

 

Beep beep, beep beep. Meanwhile, notifications continued to arrive on her wrist.

 

Birkin, who was quietly looking down at the watch, glanced at her colleague next to her, who was looking at her with envious eyes. Then, she quietly said something.

 

“Actually, there is no incentive, but you can build connections.”

 

“As expected, it’s true, isn’t it? And I heard that once they call someone, they only keep looking for that person. For now, it’s easy to become friends because you talk alone in the private counseling room on the second floor…”

 

“Well, do you remember? Helene from Service Division Team 3. She recently married Baron Leviathan.”

 

“Ah, that person! You know, you know. What, the starting point of that marriage was a designated inquiry?”

 

Birkin didn’t respond to that, but instead smiled meaningfully. Is there any other case where commoners have a connection with nobles?

 

When she didn’t answer, he looked wistfully at Birkin’s watch one more time. So Birkin blurted out the words casually.

 

“Would you like to try it? Designated inquiry.”

 

“M-Me? Is that fine?”

 

“Of course. It’s a good opportunity. Come try and visit.”

 

Birkin lifted her finger and tapped the watch a few times. Then, a red bell-shaped alarm moved to her colleague’s watch with a beeping sound.

 

“Still, it’s designated to Miss Birkin…”

 

“It’s all about refilling mana into items anyway. Will it make a difference who fills it?”

 

[Personnel Appointment Notice]

 

Helene Leviathan

 

Before appointment: Service Division Team 3 Vice

 

After appointment: Service Division Team 1 Deputy 

 

Date of appointment: 1st of the month following the date of notice posting

 

“What is this?”

 

Birkin muttered absently as she looked up at the poster posted on the bulletin board in the tower at the end of the month. In front of the grand poster, Helene, the protagonist of the promotion, was surrounded by people and being congratulated.

 

“Congratulations, Helene! You’ve finally become a deputy!”

 

“Ah, it’s all thanks to the Chief. I still have a long way to go.”

 

“Should we have a company dinner today?”

 

“I guess I should tell my husband, too. Oh my, how good it is.” 

 

The voices of people from Team 3 of the Service Division swarming around rang loudly in the hallway. When her ears started to hurt, Birkin quietly left the place and headed to the lounge.

 

In the common room was Chief Gendal, who had promised her the deputy position.

 

When he found the Birkin, he wiped the sweat from his head as if he was having trouble. Chief Gendal came up to her and patted her on the shoulder.

 

“This is… Miss Birkin, I have nothing to say. I was really going to give you the position of Deputy, but isn’t Helene’s husband Baron Leviathan?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“Well, the higher-ups are talking a lot. You know that, right? This floor is all like that, well.”

 

Birkin, who had been unconscious until then, suddenly raised her head. When Gendal made eye contact with her, he smiled awkwardly.

 

“…Still, the person who was Team 3’s vice is Team 1’s deputy. Even though she was my colleague, you’re asking me to treat her as my boss?”

 

“There’s only one team left for this deputy position… Huh? I’m just making sure you understand.”

 

How do I understand that?

 

Birkin chewed her lower lip. It was only yesterday that she called her mother to tell her that she had been promoted. She also boasted that she was sending money for experimental materials for her younger brother studying at the Academy and money for her mother’s medicine.

 

But, to think that she’s still a vice.

 

“I… I don’t know. Chief Gendal.”

 

“Right, I’m sure it’s hard for you to understand this decision… So, I have a suggestion for you.”

 

Birkin waited silently for his words. Anyway, if she got angry at him now, there would be no return. She tried so hard to calm down.

 

“Well, how about moving to the Deepdale Magic Tower branch? Of course, you will be at the deputy level there, and staying for just three years will be a good opportunity for you.”

 

The port city of Deepdale.

 

It was three days south of the capital, ‘Turf Moore’, where she currently resides. Birkin knew what Chief Gendal meant.

 

It’s difficult to get a deputy position here, so he’ll prepare a position when she comes back after struggling a little bit in the countryside.

 

It was unfair. It wasn’t unhelpful. But what was more unbearable than anything else was the terrible future in which her colleague, Helen, wasn’t only showing off that she had risen in status by marrying a baron, but was also appointed as her superior and laughing at her.

 

In the end, Birkin spoke through gritted teeth.

 

“…Yes, I will go.”

 

— Wise Magic Tower Life TIP! —

In fact, Birkin has already had experience transmitting her mana to others in the past.