Chapter 239
The Continental Summit is a gathering of allied nations centered around the empire.
Strictly speaking, the term 'Continental' was a bit of a misnomer since there were a few non-allied nations present, but considering the empire’s standing on the continent, it wasn’t lacking in the slightest.
At present, the empire is undeniably the strongest nation on the continent.
If one were to ask what a mere Magic Tower master had to do with such a Continental Summit…
“It originally had nothing to do with me, that is.”
Wasn’t it a meeting where the leaders of each nation gathered? With the emperor alive and well, there was no reason for Franz, the Magic Tower master, to attend, nor could he.
However, the reason for this meeting was the Labyrinths and Gates appearing all over the continent.
And the issue was serious enough to warrant an emergency meeting rather than a regular one.
Because of these two points, Franz was being called to the Continental Summit. After all, he knew more about the Labyrinths and Gates than anyone else.
It was a situation that naturally drew a sigh. He had met the emperor often enough to get somewhat used to him, but the kings of other nations were a different story.
Just thinking about being the center of their attention made his head throb.
“Magic Tower master, are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay.”
“I’ll cheer you on.”
Arian trotted over and hugged him from the side.
It was a rather strange action for cheering someone on, but her feelings were definitely conveyed, as clearly as her physical closeness.
Afterward, Franz immediately prepared to head out. With VIPs from various nations arriving, the procedures would be tedious and there would be many rules to follow, so he planned to go early and learn the ropes.
“When will you be back?”
Arian, who was handling paperwork in his stead while he packed, asked.
Perhaps because of his frequent business trips lately, she was now quite adept at handling the Magic Tower master’s duties.
“The summit is in two days, so I’ll be back in three days at the latest.”
“Then I won’t be able to see you for two days…”
Arian’s lips pouted. She couldn’t complain since it was for work, but her disappointment showed on her lips.
Franz approached her and patted her head with his palm, tap, tap-.
“I’ll buy you something delicious on my way back.”
“Should I just go with you…?”
“Wouldn’t that be difficult…?”
While he was away in Raham, Seri-ah, Zeni-ah, and Levi had managed the Magic Tower. Although the Mages had been relatively well-behaved lately, the three of them must have suffered a lot.
In fact, they had clung to him complaining about how hard it was, which had put him in a tough spot for a while.
If he took Arian with him this time, those three would inevitably suffer again, so he intended to go alone if possible.
“I know. Even if you said it was okay, I was planning to refuse.”
“Then why did you ask?”
“Hmm, just so you’d know how I feel?”
Arian offered a bright smile.
No matter how dense he was, he obviously knew that much. He’d be a fool not to notice when she was expressing it so blatantly.
“Let’s go together next time when we have some free time. Just bear with the hard work this time.”
“Yes, have a safe trip.”
Having finished his goodbyes, Franz immediately left the Magic Tower master’s office.
'Should I just hand over the Magic Tower master’s position to Arian?'
Arian would handle the work, and he would create the position of Grand Magic Tower Lord above her, just lending his name to it. Just like how Hera, the chieftain, handled the Elves' affairs while she only kept her name as the grand chieftain.
Of course, that was just a passing thought. He didn’t actually want to do that. He couldn’t burden her with even more hardship after all she had suffered as his secretary. It was better for him to just keep doing it.
Anyway.
“Shall I get going then?”
Franz snapped his fingers. With a flash of light, his figure vanished from the Magic Tower.
Not long after, Franz met the emperor.
As usual, the emperor was spending time with princess Elizabeth in the garden of the Imperial Palace.
“This is unexpected. I thought you would arrive on the day of the summit.”
“With VIPs coming, even I need to practice a little, don’t I?”
“It’s good to be polite, but there’s no need to take a submissive stance. After all, you are the one holding the answer to this problem.”
The emperor was right. In fact, in this matter, the empire - or more accurately, Franz - was in a position of absolute power.
To put it bluntly, if Franz didn’t step up, they would suffer from the Gates and Labyrinths, and their national power would gradually weaken.
In truth, this Continental Summit was also meant to make them aware of that fact.
Simply put, it was a message saying, “We hold the key, so grovel accordingly.” Of course, it would be expressed in a suitably friendly and gentle roundabout way.
Well, even so, some preparation was necessary. He had to do at least as much as he would when making a formal address.
'Now let’s see. The order of things…'
Franz was drafting his presentation script in his head.
“Teacher.”
Turning his head at the sudden voice, he saw the princess tugging at his hem.
He still wasn’t used to the title of teacher, but since he had decided to accept it, he had no choice but to get used to it.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I practiced my magic really hard.”
“Shall we take a look, then?”
The princess seemed to be hoping for praise, but unfortunately, he couldn’t just give it to her without reason. He didn’t want to remain a teacher in name only. Since he had taken on the role, it was only right to do his best.
The princess took a few steps back and slowly began to concentrate. A magic circle was drawn in the air, and soon it was dyed with light as a large water droplet formed.
Her claim of practicing hard wasn’t a lie; the princess’s magic skills had improved significantly since he last saw her.
The flow of her mana was quite stable, and her ability to control it was pretty good.
“Could you perhaps change the shape of the water droplet?”
“I’ll try…!”
The princess closed her eyes and began to focus entirely on her magic.
The perfectly spherical water droplet gradually distorted before turning into the shape of a triangular pyramid.
It was a simple shape transformation, but considering her age, it was commendable.
“Well done. You’ve improved a lot.”
“R-really?!”
“Yes, it’s excellent.”
Even with Franz’s praise, the princess’s magic remained steady. It was a stark contrast to last time, when her inability to control her emotions had disrupted the flow of her mana.
“I’ve seen enough, so you may undo the magic now.”
“Yes…!”
The water droplet floating in the air gradually shrank until it completely disappeared.
Afterward, Franz gave the princess various pieces of advice. To be precise, he taught her training methods.
Progressing quickly was good, but what was truly important was progressing in the right direction. No matter how fast you went, if you veered off course, you could end up worse off than someone going slowly.
“Then, let’s make it your goal to perfect this shape by the time we meet next.”
Snap-.
As Franz snapped his fingers, a water droplet appeared in the air. The droplet gradually changed shape until it became a regular hexadecahedron.
“Wow… Teacher, you’re amazing.”
“You will be able to do it soon as well, princess. Once you know the trick, it’s just a matter of repetition.”
“If I succeed at this, could you perhaps let me ride in your carriage, Teacher…?”
His carriage…
In truth, attaching a reward wasn’t always a good thing. Most of those who wielded magic usually found interest in the magic itself.
But considering her age, a little motivation wouldn’t hurt.
“Yes, I will give you a ride.”
“I’ll work super hard…!”
Clenching both her fists in determination, the princess left with her servant.
The emperor, who had been blankly watching her retreating figure, let out a hollow chuckle.
“It must be nice for you, being able to receive my daughter’s affection.”
“…Then how about you try learning magic as well, Your Majesty?”
“My head is already on the verge of exploding just from the empire’s internal affairs; do you think I have the luxury of that? If I did, I’d go bald in no time.”
True, going bald would be a disaster.
Franz nodded slowly in agreement.
Time flowed on, and soon it was the day of the Continental Summit.
Dressed more neatly than usual, Franz mentally reviewed everything he had practiced.
The order of his explanation, anticipated questions, future plans, and so on.
He had prepared quite diligently over the past few days, so it was safe to say he was quite prepared.
It was then.
“Duke Esteban, it is time to go.”
At the servant’s call, Franz stood up. The time had truly come.
Soon, Franz arrived at the massive conference hall in the Imperial Palace. It was a place used for important matters within the empire, and he had been there a few times before.
As the guards opened the large doors, what came into view were the kings of various nations, and the emperor seated at the highest place of honor.
Among them was the King of Ganiphus, whom he had met once before, and this eased his tension just a little.
Taking a step forward, Franz stood in a spot where all could see him clearly.
Snap-.
As he snapped his fingers, translucent holograms made of mana floated up into the air.
“I am the empire’s Magic Tower master, Franz Gilbert Esteban.”
When it came to formal presentations, he was somewhat confident.