I Became the Magic Tower Master's Experimental Mouse - Chapter 33

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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On the surface, just an ordinary apprentice attendant.
Ash-grey short hair, an impression of composure a touch beyond her years.
Eyes bright and alert—a girl somewhere around Cassian’s age.
What struck me as strange was that her accent differed slightly from the merchant’s.
Her speech patterns carried the distinctive roughness of the Northeast Region, yet they sounded awkward, as if unfamiliar.
Her intonation, by contrast, had an oddly gentle quality—almost like someone from the southern provinces.
‘As if she’d only memorized the words.’
I decided to keep a closer eye on her, and in the meantime, reported the situation through the communication channel.
“Liz, we have a visitor from the Blue Poppy Merchant Guild.”
―Really? I’ve run into something I can’t leave unattended, so this is awkward……
Liz’s voice crackled through the channel.
I glanced sideways at the merchant and Emily.
Liz rarely expressed reluctance like this; it seemed something urgent had come up that required her hands.
‘This is exactly why you shouldn’t dump all the work on one person.’
I grumbled inwardly.
In the meantime, the merchant answered smoothly, as befitted his trade.
“Ah, but as it happens, I was hoping to show my apprentice here a tour of some trading contacts. Would it be possible for Pipi to show us around, if you don’t mind?”
His consideration for Liz’s inconvenience was impressive.
Remarkably, he’d been addressing even someone as young as me in polite form throughout—quite an impression. Merchants truly are different.
‘That’s another social skill I need to study.’
I filed it away mentally and updated Liz on the situation.
―Pipi, thank you so much! Just thirty minutes showing them around the authorized areas of the Magic Tower.
I shot to my feet and hurried down the stairs.
The moment I reached the ground floor, the merchant made a proposal.
“So the mage can check the goods right away when she arrives, I should verify the quantities of medicinal materials myself.”
“Won’t you need help with that?”
“No, no—you go explore the Magic Tower with Pipi here. And miss, treat this one casually; no need for formality.”
“Yes, we’ll be back shortly.”
I waited for them to exchange greetings, then quickly led her up the stairs.
Halfway up, Emily spoke to me.
“Say, are you a dormouse beastkin?”
I froze.
Rat beastkin are common, but dormouse beastkin are exceedingly rare. Almost no one had ever identified me on sight.
‘What gives? Had there been a dormouse around nearby, or does this not make sense?’
My suspicion of her deepened further.
Yet at the same time, I felt oddly… relieved. It had been a long while since anyone recognized my kind.
“Impressive. How did you figure it out?”
“With such thick tail fur and no stripes, it can’t be a squirrel—it’s definitely a dormouse! ……definitely is!”
“Wow, you know your stuff~”
“Of course. This much is basic knowledge!”
The attendant puffed out her chest with confidence.
Unfortunately for her, I’d caught two suspicious details.
First: when she said “definitely,” she’d panicked and hastily corrected her ending.
Second: in proper Northeast Region dialect, it should be “definitely is,” not “definitely is!”
‘Because I know Northeast dialect too.’
I’d grown somewhat friendly with the merchant partly because I understood all his uncommon Northeast speech.
From the start, my first assignments in the Assassin’s Guild had involved Disguise and Infiltration.
Beyond training to build the perfect body for assassination, I’d had to study the characteristics and dialects of each region, the traits of different professions—everything.
‘Beggar, attendant, young apprentice maid… I’ve played them all.’
When my body was still too young even for adolescence, what I could contribute to the guild was my ability to lure targets or catch them off guard.
My evolution into the greatest assassin had indeed been built on this foundation. I was genuinely excellent at approaching targets.
I’d immediately recognized that disguised killer from before precisely because I knew that field so well.
‘I’m certain of it. This girl isn’t from that region. The merchant wouldn’t think much of it as long as the work gets done, but why would someone like her show up at a time like this?’
Moreover, her eyes wouldn’t stay still.
If she’d had genuine interest in medicinal herb trading, she’d have stayed behind rather than eagerly tagging along for a tour.
And those sweeping glances around the space were far too deliberate.
“By the way, you don’t seem very familiar with the dialect?”
“Ah…… did it show…… To be honest, I used to live near Hwangdo, but after losing my parents, I moved to the Northeast Region.”
“I see—that explains why the southern accent comes more naturally!”
I linked my arm through hers with a hint of affection, keeping her from lingering uncertainly on her own.
“Since I’ve moved somewhere new, I’m trying to pick up the local dialect quickly so I can settle in better…….”
“It’s not my place to say, but you work incredibly fast……. Are you living with relatives?”
I was burning to know more about this girl, but I held back, careful not to seem too fixated, and let the question slip out casually.
“No, I live alone. I moved because I wanted a fresh start somewhere new.”
“I see.”
I nodded as if accepting this explanation.
But at the same time, something felt off.
‘The distance from Hwangdo to the provincial branch headquarters of the Northeast Region is enormous. How could an ordinary commoner girl move there alone?’
This is what happens when you don’t flesh out your backstory carefully—contradictions like this crop up.
‘This girl is definitely suspicious.’
Even now, her eyes were gleaming as she methodically scanned her surroundings. Left to her own devices, she’d absorb everything from the number of steps in the Magic Tower to the material of the flooring like a sponge.
This was nothing like a simple client visit to inspect the premises.
‘Which guild is she from?’
She didn’t have the characteristic feel of the Assassin’s Guild.
With such underdeveloped infiltration skills, someone at her level could never conceal the killing intent that came with training.
At that stage, the Assassin’s Guild would never assign a mission. If it failed, the target’s vigilance would spike far too high.
‘She should have either mastered the role completely, or else she should have given off that distinctive aura of someone who’s been trained. One or the other.’
Of course, to the average person it would pass without incident, but since she’d been caught by me, her luck had run out.
My mind churned with the puzzle, yet no awkward silence emerged. While I deliberated, Emily herself was earnestly observing everything around her.
“There’s a pretty flower garden over there.”
“Wow!”
“And you can’t go over here.”
“Why not?”
“There are Poisonous Plant Pots placed as decoration. You won’t be poisoned just from approaching, but apparently a guest got curious and touched one, then collapsed. So tours near that spot are forbidden.”
I guided her through the Magic Tower, explaining as we went.
My body was pressed close, but my mind remained cool—and yet, curiously, this dual-natured guide felt like a pleasant walk.
‘It’s almost like watching myself back when I took my first mission as a child…….’
Though of course, I’d been far more flawless.
Suddenly I felt a familiar presence from far away.
It was Cassian.
He seemed to have come down from the upper floor and frozen when he spotted a guest.
Just as Emily’s head was turning in that direction, I quickly caught her attention.
“Hey! Look at the ceiling over there! That’s our tower crest—isn’t it cool?”
I pulled Emily’s arm tighter and pointed upward at the ceiling.
While she looked up reflexively, Cassian slipped silently back up the stairs and vanished.
‘Phew, lucky he didn’t get spotted.’
But then, as my hand was being pulled up, the sleeve slipped back, and I caught a glimpse near the inside of Emily’s elbow.
A small mark appeared there. It was a faint, flesh-colored raised tattoo that normally wouldn’t be visible—but the light had caught it just right, revealing its shape.
‘Scales and eyes……?’
I tilted my head in confusion, and Emily hurriedly pulled her sleeve down.
When our eyes met, she smiled as if nothing was wrong, but I caught a flicker of alarm in that brief moment.
‘It must be an Identity Mark.’
After that, the atmosphere turned awkward somehow, so I led Emily back to the lobby and let the tour peter out.
* * *
That night, someone knocked sharply on my door, and when I opened it, Cassian was standing there.
“You.”
He glared at me with a deeply furrowed brow.
“Why were you the first to link arms with that suspicious girl?”
“Huh? So you noticed she was suspicious too?! How did you figure that out?”
I asked, genuinely startled.
Cassian tilted his head, looking confused, as if he didn’t understand what I meant.
“……Someone you’ve never seen before is automatically suspicious.”
His voice carried a distinct note of displeasure.
I had no idea why he’d suddenly turned petulant like this…….
“But what specifically makes you think she’s suspicious?”
“……Um.”
Should I tell Cassian?
I hesitated for a moment, but since it likely concerned him directly and didn’t seem to cause any real problem, I decided to share.
“She has a strange tattoo on the inside of her elbow. It looked like scales and eyes or something like that…….”
At my words, Cassian’s brow furrowed.
“I know that emblem. I heard about it during Succession Training.”
“……What is it?”
In response to my question, Cassian crossed his arms and spoke.
“The Information Guild.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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