Another World Magician
Alt Korean Title: 속임수의 마법사 (The Magician of Deception)
Written by: [Xirus]
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A heavy silence hung in the air of the dimly lit lab. Thick with moisture, tension, and warm feeling. The sour and salty tang filled the air. Damp towels can be seen scattered on the floor. Two figures can be seen close to each other in the poorly lit up section of the labs.
"Hey, put it in…slowly," the young lady whispered, panting as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
"I am trying, okay? This is as gentle as I can get," the guy shot back, his hands trembling as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
The guy start to make his move again but then…
"No… Ahh, that too much you idiot." the young lady start to complain again.
"Yes, yess… that good enough." smile drawn at the guy face.
"Too much… I said it too much. I can't handle it anymore. Please have mercy on me." the lady plead softly as she whispered.
"This is already the third time. I can't do this anymore." As her eye started to get watery.
"Can you shut up a little, you really annoying. I feed it a little more than usual, just a tiny bit."
With painstaking care, he let a few drops of nutrient solution fall into the tank feeding the glowing algae with as steady a hand as he could manage.
"Too much and you'll kill them, you idiot," Helina snapped, watching closely from behind Elric.
"I said I'm trying!" Elric groaned. "This would be a lot easier if this world had something as simple as a dropper…" thinking on his mind about his past life.
He sighed deeply, muttering under his breath while Helina inspected the sample.
"This is the third batch… but it's definitely the most stable so far. It's already survived multiple cycles of changing salinity, temperature, and pH over the last few days."
She was grinning. Now proud, almost motherly. "Our little money…no I mean babies are thriving." Helina looking closely to the tank.
"How did you even come up with the idea to grow these in the lake?" she asked, genuinely curious. Elric puffed out his chest dramatically.
"Well, I am a genius, you see." But the truth was far less impressive and far more accidental. His memory recalls the scene from a few nights ago.
***
Elric had been pacing around the lake, deep in thought. The stars above flickered on the lake's surface, but he barely noticed.
As he gaze at the fisherman village he pass before, "That fisherman village is doing alright... but the income isn't great. Damn it, if only I could drain this whole lake, I could build an apartment complex like the one in that manhwa I read before I died."
Frustrated, he picked up a rock and chucked it at the water, hoping for a satisfying series of skips.
Instead, the surface glowed.
Blue and white trails shimmered like stardust as the water rippled.
Startled, he crouched down at the water's edge, staring in disbelief. "Whoa… that looks straight up like magical fantasy novel."
Eyes wide, as he crouched at the edge and dipped a finger into the lake. The water glowed briefly, then faded. He tasted it.
"Brackish? A little salty. I thought this lake was freshwater…" remembering that the fisherman mainly caught Tilapia at this lake.
His mind spiraled back, memories from his old world. Mosquito Bay, Puerto Rico. Summer nights. The warm waters were still fresh in his mind. As he paddled his kayak the lake glowed a bright blue and white light.
"Dinoflagellates, specifically Noctiluca Scintillans a type of bioluminescence algae that have a growth rate increases in warm water, I even investigated a few type of it to study some of the magic trick."
He stood, awe bubbling into ambition. As he take a deep breath. "Yes, this smell... this is money."
***
"Elric!" a voice suddenly shouted, snapping him out of his reverie.
"I've been calling your name! How dare you ignore me!" Helina stormed up behind him, arms crossed.
"I'm pretty sure I've gone deaf from how much you already shout at me," Elric replied, pulling a tragic expression like a mistreated housewife. "I can't even hear my own thoughts anymore."
She rolled her eyes. "I said the algae is almost ready for release. Give it a few more days. It's glowing brighter than ever, but I recommend you spread it on the opposite side of the lake, away from the fisherma…" Elric put his point finger on Helina plump lips asking to keep quite already.
"I know, I know…" Elric waved her off. "If we want the lake to start printing mone… I mean, supporting the estate's economy. We need a proper tourist zone. Somewhere fishing is forbidden."
He grinned, devilishly.
Helina gave him a matching smirk. "Just imagine it, young couples paddling their canoes across glowing water, whispering sweet nothings under the moonlight…" While her eye full of romantic thought or maybe passion.
"…while their coins drift silently from their pockets into our…I mean the estate's financial." gigling as she imagined that poor couple's reaction.
Their combined laughter echoed across the lake, a cackling duet of schemers.
In their minds, they could already hear it.
Kling kling kling…
The sound of gold and silver, raining gently into the glowing waters of their future.
***
The breeze that night was gentle and cool, drifting across the lake like a whisper. Though the region's early summer warmth still clung to the air, the night wind made everything feel fresh and new, like the world was waiting to be reborn.
"You sure this batch is ready?" Elric asked, gripping the edge of their little canoe.
Helina rolled her eyes, adjusting hair to back of her ear with a smug grin. "Trust me, I have more brain cells than you ever have."
"Okay Big brain, I trust you ." Elric smirked as he leaned over and uncorked the bottle.
The moment the glowing algae touched the water, blue light burst outward in gentle waves. The surface shimmered like liquid moonlight, rippling with every paddle stroke. It wasn't just glowing, it like it was dancing.
Elric bent closer, his face glowing blue in the reflection. His eyes sparkled with wonder, like a kid discovering fireworks for the first time.
Helina watched him, quiet for a moment. Something stirred in her chest, an old warmth she couldn't quite name. His excitement made her feel strangely nostalgic, like watching the stars from a childhood rooftop.
Then he ruined it.
"Oi! Stop daydreaming and keep paddling, or we're gonna end up as fish food!"
The moment shattered.
"Why don't you paddle, genius?" she snapped, digging her oar into the water.
"Because I told you to do it," Elric replied with the infuriating confidence of someone who believed delegation was a leadership skill. "Wait… what's that?"
He pointed toward the far shore.
An old structure stood half covered in ivy and time, weathered wood, worn stone, and a crooked torii gate.
"That?" Helina squinted. "That's the old lake shrine. Been abandoned for decades. Long before your family ever owned this land."
"A shrine?" Elric's eyes lit up. His mental gears were already whirring.
"Some kind of guardian deity of the lake, I think. Not really a deity. My grandma used to say it was more of a spirit. But who knows? Nobody's visited it in years."
"So... is it cursed or not?" Elric asked, only half joking. "Just making sure I'm not gonna get haunted for this idea I'm having."
Helina raised an eyebrow. "Depends. You planning to burn it down or something?"
"No, no, the opposite," he said, flipping a gold coin into the air…"You wanted to make a pharmacy, right? Let's make one. But a little different."
She narrowed her eyes. "Different how?"
…as the gold coin falling he catch it with a grin.
"Let's make money."
***
Back at the basement on Helina's house…
"You want to rebuild the shrine and turn it into a hot spring? Are you insane?" Helina paced back and forth across the lab, arms flailing.
"Where are we even supposed to get hot water from, genius?"
"We'll build it. Of course " Elric replied, pointing at a schematic of piping and filtration.
"Artificial hot spring ,we use a gravity fed siphon system from the lake, filter it through mineral rocks, heat it using an underground charcoal kiln, just imagine an underground kiln like a giant stone oven, and route it to a shallow spring basin. Easy."
Helina stared at him like he'd sprouted a second head.
He pointed at her parents' old alchemy supply shelf. "You still have some of those leftover mineral ingredients, right? I need a list."
Reluctantly, Helina scribbled while reading labels. "Do we really need sulfur? You know that yellow crust from the mines? Smells like rotten eggs."
"Of course! That's what gives hot springs their healing reputation. Sulfur, magnesium, calcium, those are key."
He remembered a conversation from his past life, back in Japan. An hotspring expert once told him that the minerals were what relaxed the muscles, improved circulation, and make the people think of being "cured."
"This is not how most people start their pharmacy," Helina muttered.
"Exactly. Which is why ours is going to succeed."
"Oh, right," Elric said suddenly. "Did you finish the charm sets I asked for?"
Helina perked up. "Yup. I made three types of cloth charms, all color coded."
handed Elric a black sachet, tied with flax string. A soothing, floral scent rose from it almost immediately.
"This one's for calming the mind," she said.
"It's got dried lavender, which helps lower cortisol levels and eases anxiety. Chamomile, which relaxes muscle tension and the nervous system. And lemon balm, known for its mild antidepressant effects. They're often used together to treat restlessness or stress."
Elric gave it a slow sniff. "That smell good, what if we called it the Curse Removal Charm."
Helina blinked. "Why 'curse removal'?" mocking Elric.
"Because sometimes your own mind is the curse. The overthinking, the guilt, the pressure. Feels like you're haunted from the inside. This smells like a way out." Elric explain his physiological thought.
She gave a small, approving nod. "That's… actually pretty good."
Next, she held out a soft blue sachet, wrapped tighter than the first. The scent was more earthy, with a bitter edge.
"This one is good for sleep. It has mugwort, which promotes deep REM cycles and vivid dreaming. Chamomile, again, for general relaxation. And valerian root this is one of the strongest natural sedatives we have. Not everyone likes its smell, but it works."
Elric sniffed it and wrinkled his nose. "Smells like someone boiled wet bark."
"That'd be the valerian."
He chuckled. "Let's call this one the Dream Charm. Or maybe… yes, how about lucky charm?"
"Why bring luck into it?" Curios about those two connection.
Elric grinned. "Because most people don't need more gold, they need a good night's sleep and a better mood in the morning. You dream well, you wake better, you think better. That's when luck starts showing up."
Helina tilted her head, considering it. "Well… it's not actually wrong."
Finally, she passed him a red sachet. Its scent was bright. Citrus and spice with something herbal underneath.
"This one's more invigorating. It has rosemary to increase circulation and sharpen focus, lemon peel for energy and mental clarity, rose petals to support emotional balance, and lemongrass to refresh the senses. It's meant to lift people out of fatigue. Well… emotional or maybe physical too." Helina keep on explaining it.
Elric sniffed it, then gave a little whistle. "Feels like waking up in the woods after a good cry. This is simply the Booster charm." as he keep on sniffing it.
"Simple as that. Why?"
"Because sometimes people aren't sad, or sick, or cursed. They're just... tired. Inside and out. This gives 'em a little push back toward themselves."
Helina smiled. "You're more poetic than I ever thought."
"Don't tell anyone. I've got a brooding image to maintain."
She laughed and started tying small wooden tokens to each sachet. "Curse removal, lucky charm and also booster.
Helina reached into her basket and pulled out two more sachets more like a pouch, each tied with different-colored thread.
"These are for soaking," she said. "You drop the whole pouch in the bath and let it steep while the water's heating up."
She held up the yellow sachet, warm and earthy in scent, with a soft minty undertone.
"This one's for muscle recovery. It's got chamomile to relax muscles and calm inflammation. Rosemary to improve blood flow and ease joint stiffness. Peppermint for cooling and pain relief . Comfrey to support tissue healing and a little lavender for its anti-inflammatory and calming effects." while gave a sample for Elric to look at.
Elric leaned in for a sniff, then gave a slow, appreciative nod.
"Perfect for guests who come back sore from hiking trails, fishing all day, or overworking their body."
"Exactly," Helina said, pleased. "It's like a soakable salve , all herbal so it quite cheap." Her eyes blinking with money already. As for the other one…
She hesitated, then gently placed a smaller white sachet on the table. The scent was floral and delicate, but not sweet.
"This one's a bit more... It's for fertility support, meant to be used before pregnancy."
Elric raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt.
"It's a blend of red clover, which supports hormone balance and nourishes the reproductive system. Chasteberry to help regulate cycles. Nettle leaf for mineral support and overall vitality. Lemon balm to soothe stress in which affects fertility more than people think. And rose petals for their traditional connection to love and reproductive health."
She cleared her throat. "It just strengthens the body to make it more receptive. Especially if the couple's been trying for a while."
Elric blinked, then gave her a slow, sly grin.
"You're planning to make a fortune off hopeful lovebirds, aren't you?"
Helina rolled her eyes. "They'll pay whatever it takes if it gives them even a little peace of mind." she said with a smirk.
Elric with a sly smile teased her. "You really have no shame."
"Well, a sale's still a sale" Both of them keep on laughing like a devil expression while thinking about those poor lovebirds.
"Oh, and before I forget," Helina continued,
"I made dry stick versions of those ingredients too. Cheaper and easier to package. Great for mass production."
Elric smiled wide, practically glowing like the algae they'd released earlier.
"Helina…"
"Yes?" Waiting for the next line of words that Elric about to said.
"You're a genius."
"I know," she replied, arms crossed with smug satisfaction.
"But hey, did you think anyone will buy it?" Helina a little concern about her 'pharmacy' state.
"Don't worry, we can just give them a little 'sample' for themselves. " smirking on his own. Helina knows too well that kind of expression Elric made.
The two shared their laugh, the basement room filled with the scent of herbs, laughter, and ambition. As their plan on giving a little sample for their first batch of specimens and also labors.
***
Erdal Village, a rugged little settlement nestled between forest and mountain, was known mostly for two things, wood and sweat. Its people were either lumberjacks or carpenters, their hands calloused, their backs bent, and their pay too thin for their strength.
Elric stood at the village's main square.As if the dusty clearing near the alehouse could be called that. Wearing a confident grin and holding a rolled parchment in one hand like a town crier.
"Temporary work opportunity at the Waisz's estate!" he called out. "Decent pay, free food, and best of all free access to a medical support!"
The words 'medical support' drew more attention than anything else. As people know medical usually involves healing mage which is expensive to get.
At the same time, Helina, half hiding under a wide straw hat, was handing out simple flyers she had drawn by hand. A few skeptical glances were exchanged among the villagers, but some men with bandaged arms, limping legs, or healing bruises stepped forward and took the flyers with quiet hope in their eyes.
Most of them were injured laborers. Some were men that have been discarded after accidents on the job.
Back at the shrine by the lake, the scent of steam and herbs filled the air. The once forgotten site now had a newly built wooden bath area with a prototype bathtub…or should I say almost built.
A few of them stood awkwardly by the edge, holding towels, unsure of what to do.
"Take off your clothes and wash thoroughly before entering!" Helina's voice echoed as she call out the name on her list. Loud and commanding. "I'll be stepping out, don't worry. I'm not some pervert peeking on men taking a bath."
Despite her assurance, the men still eyed the large copper cauldron like tub with suspicion, as though they'd just been invited into a witch's stew pot.
But after the first soak, their doubts began to melt with the heat.
The mineral rich water, subtly heated using the charcoal kiln system Elric rigged below the structure, worked wonders. Combined with the herbal sachets Helina tossed into the bath. The lavender for soreness, rosemary for circulation, peppermint for cooling relief not to forget the water soothed aching muscles and quieted lingering pain.
Days passed. The shrine began to transform, not just in structure, but in atmosphere. It became a sanctuary, a place of healing.
And as their bodies improved, so did their spirits. The laborers, once hunched and grim, began working with renewed strength. With their help building a proper bathhouse at the shrine is just an easy task. Some even started repairing other parts of the estate without being asked. The Waisz estate, once empty and eerie, now buzzed with the sound of hammers, saws, and laughter.
A few weeks past by, after the renovation had picked up full pace, a burly man from the village hoping to dip in the hotspring once again can be seen walking by the lake.
As he walk by the lake, he eyed the long line that snaked from the shrine entrance down the hill. Men, women, and even traveling merchants had started coming to experience the "magical hot spring" that now had a bit of a reputation beyond the nearby towns.
"Tch. Too crowded," he grunted.
He glared at the line, weighed his options, then turned to the nearby charm vendor table at the shrine where a few charms were sold. Each one came in a hand stitched pouch labeled 'Luck,' 'Curse Removal,' or 'Strength.'.
He picked up a sachet marked Strength, gave the money to the young little girl manning the stall dressed in white, pure and almost luminous, the color of untouched snow. The top layer is wrapped tightly across the chest, folded left over right, and bound with a crimson sash. The sleeves flowed long and wide, swaying like the flutter of paper charms in a breeze, their delicate edges sometimes brushing against the ground like whispers.
The lower half is a pleated skirt. Deep red like sacred flame, moved in measured silence with every step. It wasn't silk, not ornate or flashy like a noblewoman's robes, but something…like there was grace in its simplicity. The young little girl who wearing those clothes bows down as she was thankful for the money she receives.
The man thanks the girl for the charm and walks away, "Better than nothing. Might as well bring my family here too next time."
***
A warm breeze rolled across the Waisz estate as the midday sun cast its golden light over freshly paved paths, gently creaking waterwheels, and blooming flowerbeds. At the southern gate, where a curved archway bore the newly painted crest of the Waisz family, a lone figure emerged.
"Who would've thought this backwater village had scenery like this," the young man declared, arms raised wide like he was announcing his arrival to the heavens.
With blonde hair tousled by the wind and a glint of mischief in his pale green eyes, he strode toward the center of the estate with exaggerated confidence. A large backpack clanged with metallic tools as he walked.
From a nearby balcony, Elric Waisz leaned on the railing beside Helina, both observing the scene with amused eyes.
"That's our new target," Elric muttered, squinting down at the blonde stranger.
Helina's lips curled into a smirk. "Loud and arrogant. A good specimen." She paused, then added with a sly grin, "Well... it's all for the golden egg."
"Arrogance makes noise," Elric said, his eyes narrowing as a smile crept across his lips. "While silence makes moves."
Helina's eyes sparkled. "Then, let the act be cast."
END ~