Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I Installed a Dating App and Girls from Another World Became Obsessed with Me.

Episode 15: Withdrawal.

To put it bluntly, the mage registration and Magic Tower enrollment went smoothly.

-Congratulations, Mage Kang Hyeon-u. First, please receive your registration certificate here, and we have sent you information about related benefits and precautions to the contact information you provided, so please check it later.

The mage registration certificate I received from the female employee was light and heavy at the same time.

This palm-sized registration certificate would bring me significant benefits in the future.

The tremendous benefits that mages receive were due to the competition among countries to keep irreplaceable manpower like mages in their own country, and among them, the benefit that I was most interested in was none other than.

Military. Exemption.

-Wow! Is that really true?

-Yes, of course. Our Ministry of National Defense will not forcibly conscript you, the first-class citizens, without your consent!

-But in other countries, military exemption is something that other citizens receive, right?

-…

Anyway, with this, men were exempt from military service. Of course, they could enlist if they wanted to. It was similar to ordinary soldiers, except that they could enlist as officers, had a sweet time, and got promoted or discharged on the fast track.

…Was it really similar? Anyway.

Of course, due to the extremely skewed gender ratio of mages, it was difficult to see this as a very attractive benefit for other mages.

According to an international research institute, the male-to-female ratio among mages was roughly 1:24, right? This was also why the Magic Tower was predominantly female.

As for the military exemption benefit, since there were some men among mages, it seemed they included it thinking there would be someone who would like it.

“Tax exemption, all kinds of subsidies… automatic first-class upgrade when using domestic airlines? What is this?”

As I skimmed through the text message sent by the Magic Tower, I wondered if the government had ever taken care of me like this.

I lost my parents in the war when I was 5 and grew up in an orphanage.

Due to the problem of national finance, I didn’t receive proper support even when I was in the orphanage or after I left.

“As expected, people only get treated well when they increase their own value.”

Of course, I didn’t blame the government.

In those days, even people who were more struggling than me were dying without proper support.

Anyway, let’s put aside the depressing old stories here, and the most important Magic Tower enrollment was settled by submitting the enrollment application form.

I wanted to take lectures at the Magic Tower right away, but

-Yes? Vacation?

-Yes, the second semester starts in about a month, so please come then.

My goodness, the Magic Tower, a group of mages who seemed to have no blood or tears, had a vacation!

It would be more believable to say that the military had a vacation.

Of course, there was no reason for the window employee to lie to me, so I just said, “Okay,” and left.

With that month of free time, I was a little worried.

What should I do?

The worry was short. When I thought about it, I had a lot to do in the future.

First of all, I had to withdraw from university and spend the whole month on magic training.

According to Iris’s explanation, I would reach the 2nd circle soon, so concentration on training was important now.

Moreover, she added that if I reached the 2nd circle quickly, I could easily reach the 3rd circle, so it was only natural that I couldn’t stop smiling.

A 3rd circle mage! In small countries, they were treated as quasi-nobles, the upper class of the upper class.

‘Me, who was a war orphan until recently, a quasi-noble?!’

Ppa-bam.

Even the title of a novel would be criticized if it was like this.

Anyway, although it didn’t take long, I received the mage registration certificate, which was a symbol of the upper class, and my Magic Tower enrollment was confirmed, so I could say it was the most fulfilling morning of my life.

-Hehe, then, our grandson-in-law? Let’s meet when the semester starts.

-…

It was a problem-free morning, except for the blind date that was set up because I was tempted by the picture of the red-haired woman, which I had never had in my life.

‘She said it was just a face-to-face meeting… it’ll be okay, right?’

I felt a little guilty thinking about Iris, but in the first place, there were very few S-class hunters or high-ranking mages who had only one wife.

Ordinary people lived in a monogamous system because they couldn’t handle the wealth or physical strength.

Did I, a prospective 8th circle archmage, need to be bound by the common sense of ordinary people?

‘No.’

It was dismissed, so further worries were excessive.

“But what do I do now?”

I thought I would spend the whole day just registering as a mage and enrolling in the Magic Tower, but it was not even 1 p.m. yet.

I had some free time.

“Should I go withdraw from school?”

I’d be going to the Magic Tower for lectures next semester, so there was no need to continue attending university.

I was going to go tomorrow, but I could go now.

I caught a taxi and headed to Korea University, which I was attending and would no longer attend.

Come to think of it, in the old days, I would have taken the bus instead of the subway to save on transportation costs, let alone a taxi.

I had changed a lot.

If you asked where the best university in Korea was, ten out of ten people would say Korea University.

Historically, its reputation was high, but it was also because the departments related to gates, magical beasts, and magic stones were considered the best in Korea.

The differentiated curriculum and the level of professors compared to other universities are the goals of many test-takers every year.

I was one of them too.

“I can’t believe I’m here to withdraw.”

I studied like crazy for three years in high school to succeed somehow and got into Korea University. I bled from my nose a lot, and I stayed up for three nights.

The place I got into was the Gate Support Department of Korea University.

Although I had to give up the department I originally wanted because my grades were a bit lacking, I was so happy that I laughed like crazy for a week just because I got into Korea University.

Without knowing that this was a cuckoo’s egg.

On the day of the entrance ceremony, when the cold had not yet subsided.

-…Why are there only women?

I thought something was strange from the group chat, and as expected.

At the entrance ceremony, I realized the reality.

Women here, women there.

The Gate Support Department I entered was an extremely female-dominated department.

In a good way? No, in a very bad way.

In a department where there were extremely many of a specific gender, the jobs that graduates got after graduating from that department were mostly jobs that only men or only women did in social norms.

I started a somewhat late department analysis in the unusual department atmosphere.

The main employers of the graduates of the Gate Support Department were the Hunter Association, which was considered a quasi-public official in society and was famous for its stable job and pension.

Here, what were stable jobs and pensions? It meant low salaries.

Wow! That’s amazing! A low salary for men! Then when did I date, and who would marry me?

That was right. Relatively low salaries were a small risk for women, but for men, who had to bear more economic burden in dating and marriage, it was an undeniable fatal risk.

That was why men avoid this department.

So I thought about transferring, but it was only possible after the first semester of the first year, and due to various other circumstances, I ended up not transferring and staying.

Recently, I had been living with the mindset of getting a job at the association and living alone.

Besides, even if it was the Gate Support Department, if you had a Korea University diploma, you could get a job elsewhere, and in fact, there was no need to see it that negatively.

Knock knock-

“Hello, I’m Kang Hyeon-u, who contacted you earlier.”

“Ah, student Kang Hyeon-u? You said it’s for the withdrawal application? Please come this way.”

The department office, which I arrived at with a somewhat nervous heart, still had the teaching assistant with dark circles and some student assistants.

“First, please fill out the withdrawal application form, and then you’ll have an interview with the professor in a bit.”

“…Don’t you usually try to stop people when they say they’re withdrawing?”

“Then why don’t you enjoy your campus life again without withdrawing?”

“That’s a bit…”

“Right? Withdrawal is not something you can do with a normal heart. You must have your own reasons, and it’s not right for me, an outsider, to interfere.”

That was right. I didn’t really want them to stop me.

I just said it because I wanted to play a last prank on the teaching assistant I saw often when I came and went.

The teaching assistant, despite her dark circles, was famous for being thoughtful and having good judgment of people in the department.

But why was she a teaching assistant?

It seemed that having a good eye for people and having a good eye for one’s own future were separate things.

“I’m done writing.”

In fact, there wasn’t much to write except for my personal details.

It took me a while to decide what to write in the reason column, but I ended up writing “Magic Tower enrollment” roughly.

‘Oh, right. They told me to wear the mage registration certificate around my neck, right?’

I remembered something I had skimmed through in the text message I had read earlier.

It was not mandatory, but the government recommended that mages wear their registration certificates around their necks at all times.

I didn’t know the reason, but I guessed it was to prevent crazy situations where passing thugs picked a fight with mages.

Of course, it was not because they were worried about thugs who would be taken to the hospital with broken limbs. If that was the case, even high-ranking hunters were full of people who were stronger than mages in one-on-one fights.

They were probably just begging us to wear the registration certificate because they were worried that someone might upset our precious mage.

‘Should I wear it too?’

Honestly, wasn’t that a bit too much? It was okay to wear a robe, but wearing a registration certificate…

What’s the difference between wearing a large company employee ID outside the company?

“Excuse me… student Kang Hyeon-u?”

“Yes?”

“The, the reason column might seem like a formality, but other employees see it too…? Of course, the professor will have an interview based on this, so too absurd lies are a bit…”

I realized my mistake at the teaching assistant’s look of “What kind of crazy person is this?” which I had never seen before.

Logically, writing only four letters, “Magic Tower enrollment,” in the reason column had too many missing details.

Anyone who didn’t know the background would only think, “He’s crazy.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Sometimes people don’t want to reveal their reason for withdrawal. I’ll give you a new paper, so please rewrite…”

“Here you go.”

I took out the mage registration certificate from my pocket and handed it to the teaching assistant.

It was a brand new one with the Magic Tower and government logos stamped on it.

“…Huh?”

The teaching assistant’s eyes widened when she received the registration certificate.

I thought her eyes were small because of her dark circles and the fact that she often frowned, but they’re quite big.

“Um… student Hyeon-u? Impersonating a mage is a serious crime punishable by 10 to 15 years in prison…”

Whirr- Not only the teaching assistant but also the student assistants’ eyes widened at the small fireball that rose from my palm.

Who was I?

A 1st circle mage and a future 8th circle archmage.

Revere me, praise me.

“I went to the Magic Tower this morning and registered.”

The moment they witnessed Kang Hyeon-u’s mini magic demonstration, everyone in the room, except Kang Hyeon-u, had one thought that flashed through their minds.

The Gate Support Department was an extremely female-dominated department, and of course, from the teaching assistant Kim Hye-rin to the student assistants, they were all women.

Since ancient times, marriage had been an opportunity for social advancement, and high-ranking hunters were socially recognized upper class.

Although it was a dangerous job with a high risk of death due to its high risk as well as huge profits, hunters who were often threatened with their lives tended to have high sexual desires.

Especially when they came out of the gate and visited the association for settlement, which was perhaps the peak time, the female employees working at the association windows were eager to seduce such hunters.

Rather than the merit of being a quasi-public official, one of the main reasons why women apply to the Gate Department is to seduce a high-ranking hunter and aim for social advancement.

What appeared in front of their eyes was a young person who had just become a mage and was relatively weak in competition, a senior, junior, or classmate from the same department.

Of course, the student assistants, except for Kim Hye-rin, didn’t know Kang Hyeon-u’s face well. Even if classmates knew his name, seniors and juniors barely knew his face or name.

Kang Hyeon-u tended to be absent from department events and always sat in the corner during lectures, so it couldn’t be helped.

Still, the fact that they were in the same department was quite encouraging.

Name? Who cared if they didn’t know it? They could start thinking about their children’s names now.

‘They say mages rake in a lot of money…’

‘On NewTube, they said a mage husband was complaining about working late and not coming home often, right?’

‘1st circle… isn’t it worth trying? He probably hasn’t even properly entered the Magic Tower yet, so there are few competitors.’

‘Damn, I just put on some light makeup today.’

‘It’s a set, but if I try to seduce him too blatantly from the first day, I’ll look cheap…?’

While each of them had their own ulterior motives and countless worries, Kang Hyeon-u felt a strange sense of unease.

It was as if he had become the only male lion left in a pride of estrous lionesses.

He felt like he had to get out of here quickly.

“That teaching assistant, is it all done now-”

“Hyeon-u.”

A man’s instinct was to spread his seeds to more women, and a woman’s instinct was to give birth and raise children in a more stable and better environment.

There was no reason to criticize a woman for aiming for a good marriage. Succeeding in a good marriage meant that she was a woman who fit the man’s instincts.

Her lips, which were usually dry and dark, were bright red, having somehow put on makeup.

When she let down her hair, which was always tied up roughly, her surprisingly long and good hair and a good scent stimulated his nose.

Her voluptuous figure, which was visible even through her clothes, was also a pleasure to the eyes, which he had known all along.

“Do you have time tonight?”

“Uh…”

Kim Hye-rin, the teaching assistant of the Gate Support Department, who was about to turn 30, was more serious about marriage than anyone else here.

A woman’s value plummeted the moment she turned 30.

The weight of 29 and 30 was on a different level.

At 27, she was at an age where she could no longer delay. She was a living witness who had experienced 3 years that passed in the blink of an eye.

‘A 6-year age difference… people around me might call me a thief, but it’s not that there are no cases where the wife is older.’

What if she captivated him with the charm of being older?

It wasn’t a bad idea.

Of course, if you asked if she was interested in him usually, she wasn’t. She only knew his face and name and had never had a private conversation with him.

You could criticize her for being materialistic.

Everyone living in a capitalist world was materialistic anyway.

‘It’s a dangerous day.’

Kang Hyeon-u sweated at Kim Hye-rin’s passionate eyes.

‘…I think I’m screwed.’

He was usually clueless, but he wasn’t stupid enough not to know what was going on.

Of course, it would be a lie to say it wasn’t good. Objectively, the teaching assistant was a voluptuous beauty.

But if it was a relationship with marriage as a premise, the story would change 180 degrees.

‘Iris is okay, but marriage is a bit…’

Pleasure without responsibility was always welcome, but a heavy responsibility was a no-go.

At least if it was the grandmother mage’s granddaughter.

“That, that’s…”

“I know a good restaurant, how about it?”

The way she subtly pressed her chest against my arm was terrifying.

He was trembling, wondering if he was going to get married.

“Hye-rin, can’t you see he’s having a hard time?”

“P, professor?”

Light came down to save me.

“Student Kang Hyeon-u? It’s been a while.”

It was Shin Ye-hwa, the professor of the Gate Support Department.