Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Want to Win a Magic Vision Device?

"Grandpa!" Galina, the Repin Spellcaster Academy’s designated Mage specializing in the Fireball Technique, slipped into her grandfather’s study with a gift hidden behind her back.

"Guess what I brought for you?" Galina chirped, skipping over to his desk.

When she was little, everyone else in her family was always very busy. Only her grandparents ever played with her.

Although her father always warned her not to disturb her grandfather’s creative work, Galina had discovered that her grandfather actually quite enjoyed playing with her.

This was especially true when he was stuck on an idea and couldn’t make any headway on his script.

Whenever someone from the Drama Guild came to pester him about the script, she would thoughtfully become her grandfather’s excuse.

"Oh, it’s not that I’m out of ideas. My granddaughter is begging me to play with her, so I haven’t had much time to write. See? Here she is again..."

Things like that.

The grandfather-granddaughter duo was a perfectly coordinated team. Usually, after the person sent to collect the script had left, little Galina would be rewarded with a handful of candy.

Right now, her grandfather was staring blankly at the messy manuscript pages and the fountain pen on his desk.

Obviously, he was stuck again.

Although typewriters had been invented a few years prior, Grandpa Galina still insisted on writing by hand.

He claimed it gave him more inspiration—one of those writer’s quirks.

Then again, the typewriters of today weren’t necessarily more convenient than writing by hand.

Every brand was promoting its own keyboard layout, and the market was a total mess.

Later, a typing competition was held that Grandpa Galina went to watch. The layout used by the champion was hailed as the best and gained a commercial advantage.

He just thought the winner’s speed probably had little to do with the layout; the guy was just naturally fast.

’What was it those researchers always said? They don’t even know how to control for variables. What a ham-fisted experiment.’

"Don’t look so glum, Grandpa. It’s not every day you get to come to Twin Tower City, so you should take a break. Besides, you’ve already handed the script over to the Drama Guild."

"I don’t think the last draft was good enough."

Grandpa Galina took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

He was a long-time resident of the Royal City. He had come to Twin Tower City this time because the Drama Guild was holding an event to prove that theater was a higher art form than the Shadow of Evil.

So, they were preparing to stage an unprecedentedly great play on the same day the Magic Vision Device was set to be released.

And he was one of the head playwrights.

Though he was just "one of them," he had actually written over sixty percent of it himself. The rest was filled in by less-established, younger playwrights whose names couldn’t appear on the promotional posters.

As for the other "highly respected" head playwrights who were also credited, their only contribution to the script was their name.

"Once a script is finished, who cares if it’s ’good enough’ or not? Besides, I don’t think you all can possibly..."

The ever-blunt Galina realized she was about to say the wrong thing and quickly stopped, sticking her tongue out in embarrassment.

"...can’t possibly compete with the Shadow of Evil, right?"

"I didn’t say that, Grandpa."

"Ha! I don’t think we can compete, either. It’s just us old geezers left, and our days are numbered. To think, we only got where we are today because our old friends and neighbors came to our shows."

He grew agitated as he spoke, coughing several times before continuing.

"But then we get a royal summons to perform in the Royal City, and suddenly we’re putting on fine suits and turning our noses up at our old audience. The rules pile up, the plays get more and more esoteric... We’re going to end up rotting away in our own little niche."

"Don’t think about such unpleasant things. C’mon, guess what I brought you!"

Galina abruptly changed the subject. The doctor had warned her not to let the old man get angry, as it was bad for his health.

"As long as it’s not a ’Tea Gift Set for Dad,’ it’s fine."

"Ah!" Galina couldn’t hide her feelings; disappointment was written all over her face.

Her grandfather opened a drawer and began pulling out gift boxes one by one. "This is from your eldest uncle," he said as he took them out. "This is from your second aunt, this is from your third aunt. Oh, and this one. Your dad just gave it to me."

"I’m starting to wonder if you’ve all been duped by a Demon. Why is everyone buying this stuff?"

"Wait!" Galina’s sharp eyes immediately noticed that a crumpled corner on the gift box her father had given him looked very familiar.

’Isn’t that where I accidentally dropped it on the way over?’

"He re-gifted the present I gave him to you! That’s not right! Grandpa, you have to teach him a lesson!"

"But don’t be too hard on him, he is my dad, after all. I think the Wolf Fang Club by the suit of armor in the corner would be appropriate. Our family is a scholarly one, after all. We persuade with reason."

"Alright, alright," her grandfather said, taking the tea from a pouting Galina. "I’ll love anything my precious granddaughter gives me. If I have a lot of tea, I’ll just drink it slowly. Isn’t it supposed to be good for your health?"

"I know! Why don’t I take you out to have some fun? The Zog Group is holding an event down at the beach where you can complete an obstacle course to win a Magic Vision Device."

An idea suddenly struck Galina.

"I’m just a pile of old bones. What business do I have running an obstacle course?"

"You’re only seventy, that’s not old at all! Besides, I’d be the one running the course! Just watch, I’ll win a Magic Vision Device for you."

Galina was eager to try. When it came to Magic, she wasn’t very good at anything besides the Fireball Technique.

But as for her physical fitness... well, they were about to see what the star athlete of Repin Academy was made of.

"We could just buy a Magic Vision Device."

"Buying one isn’t nearly as satisfying as winning one!"

After a successful campaign of cajoling from Galina, her grandfather "very reluctantly" went out with her.

「At the beach.」

Jinsha Beach was a popular tourist destination on any given day, but now, with the Zog event, it was absolutely packed.

From a distance, Galina could see the obstacle courses built out over the water.

There were several of them, and it looked like the contraptions were all wrapped in foam. If you got knocked off, you’d just fall into the sea. There were plenty of safety personnel in the water, so there shouldn’t be much danger.

The Dwarf host was commentating with fiery enthusiasm: "Let’s welcome our next contestant! This challenger is from the Loman Empire, a professional soldier on leave! Let’s hope he puts on a spectacular show!"

"While the Magic Vision Device isn’t available in the Loman Empire just yet, rest assured, the Zog Group will eventually bring Demon Vision to every corner!"

"Look! As expected of a soldier, he’s across the conveyor belt in just a few steps and now he’s at the spinning turntable! He’ll have to watch out for the sweeping arm—oh! It looks like the second obstacle is no match for him either..."

The contestant was clearly a cut above the rest. He breezed through the course as if it were solid ground, reached the finish line, and set a new record time.

The onlookers weren’t too thrilled. They were more interested in seeing people fall into the water in spectacular ways than in seeing someone actually walk away with a Magic Vision Device, and they especially loved watching pretty girls in swimsuits get stuck on the "Bumpy Platform" obstacle.

Galina was brimming with confidence after watching. She knew she could do it.

She went to the registration area.

"Hello, I’d like to sign up!"

"Okay, please fill out this basic information first. A doctor will give you a quick physical exam shortly. Do you consent to having footage of your run broadcast on the Magic Vision Device?"

"Yes, no problem."

"Alright, please choose the course you’d like to challenge. We have Power Type, Agile Type, and Decryption Type. Each course is divided into three difficulties: Ordinary, Basic Professional, and Senior Professional."

"In that case... Agile Type, Basic Professional."

"Okay, there are currently 22 contestants ahead of you. Your turn is estimated to be in two hours. You just need to arrive at the waiting area within 15 minutes after your number is called."

The staff member gave Galina an appraising look.

"Of course, if you want to go sooner, you can take the priority lane... if you wear the outfit we provide."

As he spoke, he pointed to the side, at a swimsuit so revealing it looked like something only a Succubus would wear.

"I..."

"Absolutely not!" her grandfather cut in sharply.

The staff member glanced at the grandfather and pointed to the other side. "We have swimsuits for men as well. The Zog Group is committed to treating audiences of all genders equally."

"I’m not the one competing."

"But Grandpa, you seemed to be enjoying the show just a minute ago," Galina said, eager to win the Magic Vision Device as soon as possible.

"Watching is one thing. You wearing it is another!"

"That’s a double standard—"

"So what if it is! The answer is still no!"

In the end, her grandfather dragged Galina to the spectator area to wait.

Several 55-inch Magic Vision Devices had been set up in the audience area for people to watch if they got bored.

Many people were craning their necks to look at the Magic Vision Devices hanging in mid-air, like students in a cafeteria so engrossed in watching Tom and Jerry that they forgot to eat.

After a storytelling program finished, a commercial break began. At the same time, a program preview appeared at the bottom of the screen.

"Shadow of Evil: *Hunting*..."

"Ah." Seeing the preview, Galina’s face fell.

"What’s wrong?" her grandpa asked.

"Just seeing that title makes me want to cry."

"You’re exaggerating. No way. I’ll have to watch this thing for myself, just to show you what a lifetime of experience looks like."