Collector’s Cage - Chapter 44

“That’s right, that’s right. Damn Magical Tower bastards.”
“Ahem, ahem. You’ll promote me too, right? I really had a hard time.”
“Of course! First, let’s find a way for you to get back to normal.”

Thus, the Guild Master and Hermie went to the Magical Tower and, as expected, were blocked at the entrance.

“Visitor’s pass?”
“We don’t have one! But we must see a mage named Dormi today!”
“No pass, no entry. Go away.”
“You’ll regret it if we leave like this, you know?”
“What are you talking about?”
“A mage from the Magical Tower drugged a commoner with an evil potion! And committed fraud!”

The Guild Master deliberately raised his voice to attract the attention of those around. People near the Tower began to prick up their ears at the commotion.

“What nonsense is this? Keep making a scene and I’ll have you thrown out!”
“Look at this!”

The Guild Master pulled Hermie out from inside his coat. The guard who was about to shoo him away froze with a shocked expression.

“What… what is this? A person?”
“A Magical Tower mage turned a perfectly normal person into this! There’s a victim right here whose life was nearly ruined because of your Tower’s new product, and you plan to ignore it?! You’ll keep selling this dangerous potion with such side effects?!”

At the booming commotion caused by the Guild Master, people around started whispering.

“The new product? The one that’s supposed to shrink body size?”
“What happened to that person because of it?”
“Did they die?”

As the crowd murmured, the guards began conversing with troubled expressions.

“Let’s just take them inside and calm them down quietly.”
“We should report this to our superiors.”

After the ruckus, the Guild Master, who had finally managed to step inside the Tower, wiped his cold sweat as if he’d passed a major hurdle. Then, with a belatedly worried expression, he whispered to Hermie.

“Was it okay for us to go this far?”
“I’m the evidence. With the evidence right here, how can they possibly deny it?”
“I’m just worried you might be in danger.”
“…But if it means I can return to normal, I have to try everything. I can’t live like this forever.”
“Right, right. You’re correct. Now that we’ve come this far, we have to do everything we can.”

It wasn’t that they weren’t afraid of the Magical Tower’s unchecked power. But Hermie was in a state of desperation.

She had fallen from a window naked, ventured onto perilous streets, been chased by dogs, and fought rats. She didn’t know how many times she had faced death in such a short span.

She had come this far through such hardship. She had no intention of shrinking back in fear now.

Perhaps it was thanks to today’s newspaper. Or perhaps because expectations were high for this newly developed potion. Whatever the reason, the usually haughty mages of the Tower came to meet the Guild Master and Hermie in less than an hour.

“Are these the people?”
“Yes, yes. They caused such a disturbance out front, we had no choice.”
“You do know what happens to those who tarnish the Magical Tower’s honor, don’t you?”

It was a threat from the very start. The Guild Master hesitated, slightly intimidated. Unable to stand it, Hermie stepped forward.

“Let’s speak plainly!! The Magical Tower’s honor is being tarnished by its own mages! How can you say that after seeing what happened to me?!”
“…?”
“You motherfuckers!!!! Turn me back to normal right now!!!!”

All the pent-up anger, injustice, and suffering exploded, driving her into a frenzy. As Hermie screamed and thrashed about, the Guild Master, the mages, and the guards watched in stunned silence as the tiny human had a fit.

“Call Dormi!! Call that bastard Dormi!!! Call that son of a b***h who sold me to a noble!!!”

She cursed and shouted like a madwoman, but Hermie was so small that it wasn’t particularly threatening or unpleasant. She just looked like a tiny, cute fairy throwing a tantrum.

The mage listened to Hermie’s story for a long while, then rubbed his chin as if troubled.