Chapter 124
『Translator: RainTL』
༺ Mages of the Tower (2) ༻
“Where is Manroji…?”
Elder Morushtan, the leader of the Black Cult, which was one of the 9 factions of the Tower of Mages, asked once again about the whereabouts of his disciple who hadn’t returned for the last 2 days.
“Apologies, Elder Morushtan… We have yet to find… Brother Manroji.”
“...”
“I, I believe… he must be wandering around several gambling dens. It’s common for him to get drunk in gambling dens and spend several days and nights there.”
Manroji was one of the disciples of Morushtan. He was from the 4th floor out of 8 floors, which implied that he was a relatively skilled disciple.
It was hard to believe that something would have happened to him in one of the backstreet gambling dens so… logically, it was safe to assume that he was simply indulging in the pleasure of entertainment.
However, there was another possibility in mind.
It could be that… Manroji was in fact Adelene the Golden Mage.
Since Adelene had the ability to change their face as they wanted, it was possible that he or she had switched into one of the original members of the Tower to join the group.
The rumored lord of the Tower of Mages, Lord Adelene.
Adelene was someone who received orders directly from the Divinity of Light and Ard Ri[mfn]TLN: Ard Ri - High King of Ireland[/mfn] of Usurpation, Tates Valtazar.
Even this plan to acquire the vampire was based on the command given to Adelene by Ard Ri, and even though Elder Morushtan and Elder Admelech had roughly heard about the ‘Vampire Lord’ plan, they hadn’t heard anything about the specific details of the strategy.
If his disciple Manroji was in fact the disguised version of Adelene, it could be that Adelene was on the move already.
“Send Rellin. Find out where Manroji is.”
“Understood, Elder Morushtan.”
He still deemed it necessary to look into it, so Morushtan gave orders to his disciples before focusing back on the materials of the Great Library.
It wasn’t the time to move just yet. The plan this time around was an enormous one.
The acquisition of the vampire, Marie Dunareff… and the assassination of Chairman Eriu Casarr.
A plan this big was taxing even for the Tower of Mages, so they had to aim for the best opportunity possible.
“Wow. Ren. This place is hugee.”
“Stop creating a fuss. I told you you have to be quiet in the library.”
“Hing… You’re always so mean to me.”
That was when Morushtan the black mage caught sight of freshmen siblings who had entered the library to prepare for their assessment.
“...Beastmen.”
They were the ones that the princess being sponsored by the Tower detested the most. And besides… they were incredibly tenacious so they were the best demi-humans for experiments.
“You.”
“Yes, Elder Morushtan.”
“Look into those brats over there.”
Morushtan gazed deeply at the siblings with a spooky pair of eyes. His greedy eyes stayed on the siblings for a very long time.
****
In the training room, I was training with Alicia.
“Senior. I’m a new student, called Rose.”
“Yo. Miss Rose. What’s up?”
“Actually, there was a problem while I was creating the blueprint of my weapon…”
During the previous prac lesson at the Hunting Grounds, I gave out magic stones to the 400 new students with each of them being medium-high-grade magic stones above Grade 3. I told them to use those to create their weapons and had also told them to come looking for me whenever a problem popped up during the process.
“Mr. Korin? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. One of our juniors came looking for me. Rest up for now.”
“Okayy~”
Alicia, who was drenched in sweat, used the towel next to her to wipe her face and started chugging her bottle of water.
“Did I… interrupt you guys?”
“Huh? Nah. Don’t worry about it. What’s the problem?”
“So the thing is, the magic circuit connecting this blade to this place here…”
I was a veteran gamer who had crafted thousands if not tens of thousands of weapons in ❰Heroic Legends of Arhan❱. I knew by heart which materials had to be used and how they had to be combined to create the best and most efficient result.
Using what I knew, I wholeheartedly gave advice to my junior, and although she didn’t understand everything I said, she diligently took note and absorbed everything I told her.
“That should be enough. Instead of Ferghus… go to old man Hollgrehenn. That bloke’s better at making greatswords.”
“Aht. Thank you so much!”
“Show it to me when it’s done. I want to have a look at it too.”
“Okay! Thank you very much, senior!”
Rose walked away after that. With her eyes on her, Alicia asked while tidying up her loosened hair.
“That was the third person today. Does it not bother you?”
“If a few pieces of advice increase those young and innocent juniors’ chance of survival, I can do it all day.”
“Hmm…”
“What’s up?”
“Nothing. It just feels like I’m suffering a loss.”
“Is it because we have to stop our training every time? I’m sorry. I already told them I’m usually at the training rooms during this time of the day.”
“...Yes. That. Well, let’s just say that.”
What did she mean by that?
“Oh right, Mr. Korin. You know the culture course, 『Love and War』. Are you done with the assignment next week?”
“Haah~ that one huh.”
Love and War was one of the courses I applied for for my cultural studies course for the 1st Semester. It was a 2-hour course worth 2 Units of Work that was related to theatrical plays, so I thought it would be an easy course that was just about watching plays and writing reports but…
“Seriously, there are too many things they want us to do. We have to watch the play, write reports, discuss… and for the last assessment, we even have to act out the play in a group right?”
“I, isn’t it good? There are a lot of new things I’m experiencing and a lot of things to think about…”
“Since you mentioned it, how about we stop training here for today and work on the assignment at a cafe?”
“S, shall we? I can buy the coffee!”
We headed straight to one of the cafes nearby.
The campus cafes had desserts and pastries that were baked every day for the students, and were always bustling with people that wanted to study there.
Back when I was going to a university in Korea, I couldn’t understand why people would ever want to study at cafes because I only went to the gym, but after reaching my 6th year at the Academy, I finally realized why.
There were just too many distractions at home. Doing this and that, watching TV and going on the computer… There was also the so-called waste-of-life, SNS, which proved how true the statement was when you lie on the bed scrolling down the feed.
On the other hand, cafes and study rooms had less interruptions. The chairs weren’t comfortable, but that was all the more the reason why it was easier to focus on studying.
Of course, it depended on the person but at least it worked for me.
“In the end, this is just cheating propaganda in the disguise of a fateful romance theme.”
“But the female lead was from an unlucky family, and her husband was also very cruel to her.”
“It’s unfortunate, I agree. And even though the husband was by no means a good person, that doesn’t justify cheating.”
“Ugh… that’s true but…”
“The story itself was quite romantic, and the plot made sense but in the end, it’s just a nice way to package something that’s morally wrong.”
I talked about the fundamental issues but Alicia showed an emotional response. It seemed that that play about cheating had left a big impression on her.
“W, what if it’s you!? Do you think you wouldn’t have done the same, Mr. Korin?!”
“Huh? Wait, why are you bringing me up?”
“Y, you need to put yourself in the shoes of the main characters. R, right. Let’s say you and my sister are married couples.”
“Why are you bringing Miss Lunia into the discussion now?”
“You almost got engaged to her!”
“I told you beforehand that it was a fake one.”
“Anyway, it’s just a what-if!”
With a serious look in her eyes, Alicia put a piece of bread and coffee on either side, and labeled them each as me and Lunia.
“Let’s say Sister and brother-in-law are in, you know? A, umm… in a state of ennui[mfn]a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement[/mfn]? Something like that.”
“B, brother-in-law?”
“What if I seduce you in a situation like that?”
“...Are you going to?”
“Yes! ………A, ah, I mean, let’s just say I do.”
She was so confident with that shout, that it took me aback. This was just a what-if, right? …Right?
“Let’s say there is a young, beautiful, and inexperienced sister-in-law who loves you…”
Alicia sat herself down next to me, before slowly gazing up and looking straight into my eyes.
“Brother-in-law… I, love you.”
Her clear blue eyes looked deeply into my eyes. It was rather sensuous and… enchanting. Her slightly flushed cheeks appeared like red flower petals that stimulated the heart.
“W, what will you do if I do that?”
“I think I will just… turn you down like any other person.”
“D, do I have no charm?!”
“Like, that’s not what I mean…”
I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Agreeing to cheat was a moral problem whereas saying no was the same as telling a young girl that she was not attractive.
Did I have to lie here to maintain a better social relationship…?
“Wait.”
“Mr. Korin?”
“Let’s swap the people around. Let’s say you and I are married, and Miss Lunia is seducing me. O, of course, I don’t think Miss Lunia would seduce her brother-in-law but…”
“I, I think she would.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing! A, anyway, you mean Mr. Korin and I are… married, right?”
Alicia twirled her fingers around in embarrassment. Was she an elementary school kid or what…?
“I guess… so?”
“H, how many kids do we have?’
“Kids? Umm… I’d say one or two like a normal family?”
“That’s not enough! Of course it needs to be more than 12!”
“...Is that even possible?”
Even having four triplets in a row is not going to be enough for that though?
“I, it’s just a figure of speech. It’s better to have as many kids as possible.”
In response, my eyes subconsciously went down to her belly. Honestly, she was so thin that it seemed risky to even give birth to a twin but…
“Anyway. Let’s say you’re my wife, and say Miss Lunia seduces me in that situation. Are you okay with that?”
“Hmm………”
“Why are you even thinking about this?!”
“Umm… B, but, Sister loves you right?”
“Huh? If she is willing to cheat… I guess so?”
“It’s sad… to not end up with the person you love, right…”
Is that how it is? Wasn’t she way too good at putting herself in the shoes of someone else? Shouldn’t she be more selfish, or rather, have common sense…?
“Mhmm…! If she really loves Mr. Korin! I think I’ll be okay with that!”
“I’m actually starting to be scared of your view on marriage…”
“But if I call that bad, then… that’s the same as denying my own birth.”
“Umm…”
I… didn’t realize that was what she was thinking about. It felt like I had stepped on a mine, and I felt bad for her.
“Alicia, how you were born… is not your fault.”
“...I know. So Mr. Korin.”
She shyly scratched the back of my hand with her fingers in a circle, as if signaling that she would leave it to me.
“Please love your illegitimate children just as you would for your other kids.”
Why… was she saying that as if it was a given that I would cheat? She looked so serious, however, that I could not raise any counterarguments.
“Of course it would be great if everyone can live in harmony! We can create a big family with a big house!”
Wait, what? Did that mean I could have more wives if I marry Alicia?
It felt wrong, but I couldn’t tell her it was wrong. If I did, it would be me talking smack about her family…
“Hehe. That’s actually not bad. Just thirteen each and it would be at least twenty-six!”
In the end, I could not point out what was wrong with her rather-twisted view of family.
****
Rellin was a disciple from the 3rd floor of the Tower among the black magic cult.
“Hah, shit… Manroji this baldy, where did he go off to?”
Since she was alone, Rellin began bad-mouthing Manroji, who was much older than herself. Being near the bottom of the group that was visiting the Academy, she could not escape from having to do these chores.
“That baldy? Who knows? He did win a lot of money though.”
“There were a few who thought he was cheating.”
As usual, Manroji seemed to have gone through various gambling dens in the alleyway to gamble.
“Haah…”
And yet he suddenly disappeared. There were all sorts of contrasting information about how he was when last seen.
Some said he left the den dead drunk, while some said that he went out with several prostitutes next to him.
The mages of the Tower were skilled with magic, but were terrible at gathering information. Actually, that was natural because they spent most of their time sitting on desks.
“Damn that baldhead. Damn that Morushtan. I didn’t enter the Tower to do things like this…”
The probationary period at the Tower of Mages was very long and complex.
It took a very long time for anyone to be able to get taught anything by the old elders of the Tower, because of all the chores that went by the name of ‘probationary period’. Unlike the Academy where it was a master-to-student relationship, it was closer to apprenticeship and they didn’t teach magic very often.
“Just you wait. As soon as this is over, I’m moving straight to the Red Cult. There, I just have to please that one old guy…”
Even though Rellin was at the bottom of the rank, she had a decent appearance. Even the old mages, who talked about pride and lofty mindsets of mages, lost themselves when she took off her robe and showed them her thighs.
Frustrated from all the vague pieces of information, Rellin grumbled before going to a decent bar nearby.
It was a lot more polished and refined than the bar Manroji went to for gambling. Her opinion was that the intelligent mages had to use places like this and inwardly trash-talked the filthy baldy one more time.
“Are you here by yourself?”
“Huh?”
That was when someone sat down next to her, and Rellin immediately recognized who he was.
“You’re…”
He was the guide assigned by the Academy. She did not know the name of lowly knights, but still recognized his face.
“I’m Korin Lork. Miss Rellin.”
“...Why is an underage student here in the bar?”
“It’s a place run by an acquaintance of mine.”
Instead of rashly taking his seat next to her, he leaned on the table and gazed at her.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
“I’m okay.”
“Uncle Paul. Two martinis here, thanks.”
Despite her saying no, Korin bought drinks before taking his seat next to her. Naturally, Rellin also turned towards him.
“Aren’t you too young to throw out pickup lines?”
“Come on~. You are a mage. Think logically.”
“...Logically about what?”
“It’s normal for bees to come looking for a flower.”
“Bees? A flower? Huhaha…!”
“Now that’s a pickup line. We haven’t even started yet.”
Rellin wasn’t displeased by the things this youngster was doing to her. Back at the Tower of Mages, she had to spend all of her time trying to please the old men.
She was at the bare bottom, and had to write dozens of papers and submit a report even when she needed just a single orphan girl to use for her experiments. Therefore, she was obviously rather pleased by this young boy who was trying to seduce her with a deep gaze and a sweet voice.
‘Well. At least he’s a lot better than that old Zollin.’
Rellin thought about the old mage she had been seducing in order to become a secretary of a professor-level mage straight after moving to the Red Cult, and decided to enjoy this one-off occasion.
“Ah. The drinks are here.”
Korin received the glasses from the bartender and gave one to Rellin.
“That’s a surprise, actually. Do mages from the Tower also drink?”
“That’s a stereotype. We in fact tend to be very heavy drinkers.”
“There’s also the stereotype that you are all intelligent elites. Is that also wrong?”
“That one’s not wrong.”
“Haha. What about experiments? The Tower is famous for experiments and research, right? Don’t you make like horned rabbits and stuff?”
“Well~. Rabbits are quite good for experiments. And that’s where the misinformation comes from.”
“Can you tell me a recent experiment or something that you did? Please? My friend wants to enter the Tower very soon, and I have a lot of questions.”
………
……
…
“What a player. Mr. Korin.”
“...What do you mean?”
Using the bathroom as an excuse, I was taking a short break when Alicia looked at me with a disapproving light in her eyes.
“Where in the world did you learn all that from?”
“Learn what?”
“Hitting on girls!”
Ah~. That was a misunderstanding.
Well, it was true that I approached her to hit on her, but it was incorrect to say that I was a player because of that.
“Listen. There’s no one who hates free drinks, is there?”
“...I guess so?”
No one hated free stuff, and even those who initially say no were no exceptions.
“And besides, people like themselves being the topic of the conversation.”
“...Is that why you didn’t say anything about yourself, Mr. Korin?”
“Yeah. All you have to do is be a good listener to what the other person is saying.”
Wow. You’re great~! You’re such an interesting person~. Making the other person the topic of the conversation was an easy way to put them in a good mood.
“I think you’re using that way too well to hit on girls…”
“What was that?”
“Nothing. Just go finish what you have to do.”
“Alright. Wait here. I will be back shortly.”
For some reason, I could feel a sharp glare on my back, but I had to finish hitting on Rellin. It was my first time seducing someone, but I had a feeling that it was turning out quite well.
“Rellin. Sorry for the wai…”
“Wow~. Look at you. Look at the color of your lips. You are so pretty. Which lipstick do you use?”
When I came back to Rellin’s table, I found out that there was a beautiful lady next to her.
She had twinkling pinkish hair, emerald-colored eyes, and a bright smile that enlivened up the dark bar with her radiant presence.
“I’m Estella. What’s your name?”
“R, Rellin…”
Estelle Hadassa El Rath. The 1st Princess of this kingdom and the Saintess of the New Faith.
“Do you mind me buying you a drink?”
Why the heck are you here, noona??