Chapter 87: The Treasures’ Declaration

“So, cough, what is this?”

The professor spoke while coughing.

The butler handed her a handkerchief and carefully wiped away the tea she had spilled.

The magic imbued in the cloth restored the desk to its previous spotless state.

“This is a joint declaration. Ten treasures have come together, united in purpose, to establish new fundamental rights for treasures. Would you like to read it?”

At my words, she slowly nodded.

Then, she picked up the paper and began reading.

The ten sheets of paper contained words that were impossible to decipher.

Of course, that was to be expected—they were unfamiliar with human writing.

Instead, they had imbued the pages with magic and intent, inscribing their declaration in a vivid, blood-red hue.

Simply looking at the papers made their message settle naturally in my mind.

I glanced at one of the sheets, and the meaning flowed into my vision as if by instinct.

***

Declaration

We hope that this place will become a true sanctuary where the freedom of all treasures is guaranteed, and we demand recognition of universal rights for treasures.

We wish for our voices—our desperate pleas asking you to acknowledge the reality of our constrained existence in this suffocating enclosure—to resonate throughout all storerooms.

We…

I closed my eyes before reading further.

The magic didn’t just pierce my vision; it seeped into my very mind, consuming my thoughts.

Sorrow, despair, and hope for the future—the treasures’ emotions were naturally woven into the words.

The professor read on with a grim expression.

Once she had finished the relatively short declaration, she clicked her tongue and set the papers down on her desk.

There was nothing grandiose written within them.

The declaration made only two demands.

The first was that the professor acknowledge her responsibility as their owner.

She had gathered treasures, only to throw them into the storage room and forget about them.

She had never truly concerned herself with their conditions.

As a result, some treasures had starved from lack of sustenance, while others collapsed under the pressure of their confined space.

Those who had witnessed their suffering firsthand had poured their sorrow into this document.

They wanted her, as their owner, to improve their living conditions and provide them with a better environment.

That was their first request.

The second was the freedom of treasures.

The freedom they sought was the right to grow.

Treasures had dreams, too.

They possessed will and aspirations.

They longed to rise above their current state.

But in the storage room, such growth was impossible.

I could deeply sympathize with their frustration at being stifled.

They simply wanted a foundation—something that would allow them even a little room to grow.

This was the essence of their declaration.

Of course, there were other scattered demands written within, but at its core, the document boiled down to these two points.

The treasures had been dragged into the professor’s possession without question.

Trapped in the storage room, their fear had kept them from even considering communication with her.

But now, they had a voice—me.

Through me, they connected and stood together.

Sure, I had guided them a little, but the words on those pages were their genuine feelings.

“Well? Do you hear their earnest voices?”

A thought crossed my mind—perhaps the term treasure was a misnomer.

Look at them.

Each one was an individual, distinct and unique.

They had all come from different places, grown in different ways.

And yet, wizards lumped them all together, referring to them simply as treasures.

Wizards never saw them as beings to interact with.

Like the professor, they only sought to collect them and use them as tools.

But treasures had desires.

They had intelligence.

‘So what exactly made them different from us, the wizards?’

It made me realize how outdated the study of treasure hunting truly was.

It treated treasures purely as objects.

I had never questioned that before.

I thought of Mira.

She had desires stronger than mine, a will to live more resolute than mine.

Perhaps, like her, treasures were even greater beings than wizards.

Yes, wizards could not be trusted.

I had thought so for a long time.

“They ask for something very simple. They have will, they have desires, and therefore, they dream of rising higher. All they want is an environment where that is possible.”

“…Does this kid think he’s a treasure too?”

The professor muttered under her breath.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

Yes, perhaps I did want to be a treasure.

Speaking with them had made me realize it—they were far more reliable than wizards.

Of course, some of them had histories of consuming flesh, souls, or even minds.

But aside from such minor details, they were easy to understand.

Their desires were clear.

Not as something to exploit, but as something to trust.

The professor looked down at the declaration once more.

After skimming through it again, she let out a dry chuckle.

“So why should I bother listening to this?”

“Because it would ultimately be more valuable for you as well, Professor.”

I answered without hesitation.

I had been expecting this question.

She looked at me with faint curiosity.

In the end, granting rights to treasures was nothing more than an empty dream.

Without the professor’s agreement, it was an impossible fantasy.

‘If she refused, what could they do?’

They would simply have to accept their powerlessness.

But I was not here to simply advocate for treasure rights.

The treasures, after all, were still her property.

I had no intention of overstepping and challenging that ownership.

Instead, I sought a solution where everyone benefited.

‘Why should anyone have to lose?’

If it brought gain to all, no one would object.

“The freedom they speak of does not mean leaving the storage room. They only wish for a way to cultivate themselves within it—under your care, Professor. If they grow, you will have even more valuable treasures in your possession.”

That was right.

They did not seek to escape.

They knew full well that the professor would never let them go.

That was why we had created this lecture.

The professor’s eyes gleamed slightly at my words.

“In this lecture, I will prove it to you. Please take a look at the course syllabus.”

The professor, almost as if entranced, picked up the syllabus.

Her magic gently turned the pages.

“I believe a treasure is worth more when it is used, rather than when it is locked away. Something bound is no different from something dead. So I designed this lecture to allow treasures to be utilized in the best way possible.”

The treasures would share their power with the students.

The students, in turn, would use that power to strengthen themselves.

That was the core of our lecture.

The professor frowned slightly as she read through it.

“If they keep giving away their power like this, won’t they just suffer losses?”

I silently shook my head.

Treasures, like the professor, were keenly aware of the importance of maintaining their strength.

That was their very essence.

‘Would they ever offer their power for free?’

“Five-year term contracts.”

The professor blinked.

Heisen’s lectures had operated similarly.

That was the only reference I had, so I had borrowed heavily from it.

Well, from what I found out, quite a few other lectures followed a similar pattern—offering something and then taking it back once the course ended.

We could do the same.

“We will reclaim all the power from those who fail to pass. During the lecture, the students will strive to strengthen the power given to them, doing whatever it takes to pass. And when that power is returned to the treasures, they will become even stronger than before.”

“…That’s not bad.”

The professor gave a slight nod.

She was already halfway convinced.

Reaching out, she grasped at the air, her voice growing a bit louder.

“A competition for the treasures. A battle for the treasures. A cycle for the treasures—unfolding right here in the tower. What a beautiful sight that would be.”

She stared at me blankly for a moment, then suddenly blinked as if startled.

Shaking her head, she scoffed and smirked.

“You’ve got a way with words. Fine, do as you please. I appointed you as the keeper of the storeroom, after all. You can take care of whatever is written in that declaration or whatever it is.”

“Understood.”

I bowed deeply to the professor.

She tapped the back of my head lightly with her finger.

When I lifted my head, she was looking at me with a deep, amused smile.

“I don’t care what you do. Just follow one rule—treasures do not leave the storeroom. That is your job.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

That was something I was already paying close attention to.

No matter how close I got to the treasures, letting my guard down could mean being devoured in an instant.

I had to constantly remind myself that they were different from me.

I continued explaining the lecture plans to her—how each treasure would share its power, how we would select participants, and so on.

She listened, nodding lightly.

Eventually, she signed off on the lecture plan and returned it to me.

I left her office with it in hand.

***

Back in the workshop, I carefully smoothed out the lecture plan.

Somehow, I had succeeded.

It was a little surprising.

I hadn’t expected the professor to approve so easily.

Thinking back, she had seemed a bit more lenient lately.

Probably ever since she woke from her long sleep.

She no longer threatened me with magic or struck me.

‘Why? I had no idea.’

More importantly, I had gotten too excited while explaining things earlier.

Saying things like wanting to be a treasure or that treasures were superior—it was strange that I had such thoughts at all.

It must have been the magic embedded in their declaration.

Just reading it for a moment had been enough to taint my thoughts.

Its power was beyond what I had imagined.

The students might face a similar issue.

But then again, having more wizards advocating for treasure rights wouldn’t be a bad thing, would it? Not my problem.

Now, all that was left was to submit this.

And then, the new lecture would begin.

I wondered what kind of people would attend this time.

I didn’t know yet.

***

The next morning, as the sun rose, I left the tower.

My turtle carried me forward without hesitation.

The city of Stalactites was bustling with people.

Likely students coming to register for courses.

Moving with practiced ease, I let the flow of the crowd carry me.

[Unified Registration Office]

People were gathering toward the massive building at the center of the city.

A long line stretched out in front of it—students waiting to sign up for lectures.

I glanced at the queue and turned away.

My destination was the Arcana General Trading Company.

There was no need for me to waste time standing in line.

I could just hand everything over to Hwaryoung.

Upon entering the building, I pulled out her medal.

Feeling its magic ripple, I made my way to her office.

Once again, I found myself face to face with her.

After exchanging brief pleasantries, I took out the lecture plan I had prepared.

Hwaryoung examined it carefully.

By the time she reached the last page, a satisfied smile spread across her lips.

“This is an interesting lecture. It’s even more polished than last time. If that’s the case, people might take interest despite the poor reviews from before.”

She rested her chin on her hand, gazing at me.

There was a slight gleam in her eyes.

“So, how many spots are you selling this time?”

I closed my eyes for a moment.

There was no need to worry about the professor anymore.

This lecture was fully under my control now.

The real question was—how many seats should I sell?

Selling a spot meant I had to accept the student who bought it, no matter what.

Last time, Hwaryoung had gotten in that way.

If I sold too many, a single faction could buy them all and take control of the lecture.

The people in front of me were the most likely candidates for that.

I opened my eyes slightly and looked at Hwaryoung.

She was smiling as she calculated the points.

Still, there was no reason not to sell them.

This was an opportunity to earn points, after all.

Last time, I had sold two spots.

This time, I needed to sell more.

I had already negotiated this with the treasures.

“Ten spots,” I told her.

The students who bought them would essentially be elites.

Regardless of their intentions, having skilled individuals attend my lecture was a good thing.

There was no need to block them entirely.

Hwaryoung transferred the points.

Four thousand points per seat, totaling forty thousand points.

The hefty sum brought a natural smile to my face.

Then, I remembered—there was something else I needed to give her.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a card and handed it to her.

The word On was inscribed on it, radiating pure magic.

“Could you check if Professor On’s lecture is available? If so, I’d like to register right away. If not, please pass this along to them.”

Mauro had mentioned that the lecture would take place this year or next.

‘If it wasn’t happening this year, I’d just have to try again next time.’

***

Nearly two months passed.

The start of the lecture was just around the corner.

By then, we had gathered a total of twenty treasures on the bulletin board.