Episode 20. The Wizard Behind the Veil
“Excuse me.”
Binaeril knocked on the Tower Master’s door and stepped inside.
“Welcome.”
The Tower Master’s room was spacious. Rather than a room, it looked as though the walls of a mansion had all been torn down and rearranged into one open space.
On one side was a study, on the other a garden; there was also an area with a fireplace and a large dining table, and even a dressing room with birdcages installed.
The overall impression was a space as chaotic as the tower itself.
“Welcome.”
The Tower Master sat askew on the cushioned wooden floor to receive Binaeril.
Binaeril was slightly surprised by her youthful, beautiful voice.
*Well, I suppose that makes sense.*
The Tower Master, Ryojeu Elfenbain, had been active since the very founding of the Magic Tower.
Naturally, she was far older than Headmaster Yulio and the others. She was a figure who had lived in the same era as Dekiplio of legend.
Nevertheless, her voice sounded like that of a woman in her twenties or thirties at most.
That was because she was a demi-human.
It was thanks to this that someone who had lived for over a century could maintain her youth.
“Hello, Tower Master.”
Just as when he had seen her from afar during the tournament, she wore a thin pink veil over her face.
Over the veil, her ears jutted out sharply, like tied-up hair.
On this continent, demi-humans were targets of oppression and discrimination.
Binaeril thought that the veil the Tower Master wore served as a protective barrier against discriminatory gazes.
…Though there probably weren’t many people capable of threatening the greatest magician.
“Come closer.”
Even though a fair distance remained between them, strangely, her voice alone rang out clearly.
Binaeril approached where she sat and clasped his hands together.
He wondered what etiquette demanded—should he kneel, or bow his head to show respect?
The Tower Master let out a light laugh as she watched him.
“You don’t need to think so hard. Student Binaeril Dalhaim. Sit comfortably here.”
The Tower Master tossed a cushion from beside her feet to him.
It was strangely refreshing, in a way—the greatest magician tossing something without using magic.
“Your performance in the tournament was impressive. You possessed skill hardly befitting a student.”
Binaeril bowed his head slightly to show he thought it was excessive praise.
“Your situational judgment, your adaptability with magic. And… the way you use magic unrestricted by rules.”
Binaeril had cast the Shadowless Spear spell in the finals.
The Tower Master seemed to be alluding to that.
“You resemble someone I remember. It seems Headmaster Yulio has taught you well.”
“The Headmaster is a good teacher.”
Binaeril decided to square his shoulders. It wasn’t as if he had committed any crime.
“Or… did you learn it from that book you’re holding?”
Binaeril’s newly straightened shoulders rapidly shrank.
The book tucked under Binaeril’s arm was Veritas.
And it was Veritas that had taught Binaeril magic.
Could the Tower Master have known everything and been probing him?
“Keeping books close is a good habit for a magician. You mustn’t disregard experience and follow only books. But Binaeril, that doesn’t seem to be the case with you.”
Fortunately, that didn’t appear to be the case.
“A thirst for knowledge is one of the powerful driving forces that help a magician grow. May I see the book for a moment?”
Strangely, Veritas remained silent, saying nothing.
Binaeril hesitated, then handed over Veritas, which he had been holding to his chest. Of course, the book currently did not bear the appearance of the Book of Truth.
The Tower Master slowly scanned the book, turning pages with long, white fingers.
*What kind of book is that right now?*
He slightly lowered his head and peeked at the spine; the title *Demi-Humans: People or Monsters?* caught his eye.
*Damn it.*
Binaeril pressed his palm to his forehead.
The mischievous Veritas was clearly playing a prank to embarrass him.
Fortunately, the Tower Master returned the book to him without a word.
As he approached to receive the book, a sweet fragrance of ripe figs wafted toward him, like sugared preserves.
“You have the face of someone with questions.”
“Yes. Actually, I was wondering why this year’s Scala selection was conducted so unusually.”
The Tower Master pondered briefly before answering.
“Elfenbain is changing greatly. For better or for worse. Some things are being abused contrary to their original purpose. Regarding selections, the tower’s professors hold absolute authority… or so it goes.”
Binaeril thought that she must already know about the corrupt professors as well.
Yet the reason she sought only passive change—was it due to the weight of her position?
“I don’t intend to completely ignore the professors’ opinions. But starting this year, I wanted to gradually change the process to one that truly selects verified students. Also, there were a few standout students.”
Binaeril was about to ask if he was one of them, but stopped, thinking it was too presumptuous a question.
“Was that an adequate answer?”
He didn’t fully understand, but Binaeril nodded anyway.
“Anyway, I didn’t call you here to talk about this, Binaeril Dalhaim. I said I would give the winner a reward. Is there anything you desire?”
Just then, Veritas suddenly spoke to Binaeril.
—That’s it! That ring! Binaeril, ask her to give you the ring she’s wearing.
The Tower Master was wearing a dress close to purple, with no other notable accessories on her body.
Save for one: the jade-colored ring on her left hand.
*What are you talking about? I won the tournament to reclaim your lost pages. Shouldn’t I ask for pages as a reward?*
—That ring is my page, you fool.
*Pages aren’t in the form of paper?*
Recalling how Veritas constantly transformed into all sorts of things besides a book, it seemed plausible.
Binaeril stared at where the Tower Master’s eyes would be beyond the veil and answered.
“Lady Elfenbain. If I may be so bold, could I receive the ring you are wearing as my reward?”
“This ring? Hmm.”
She touched the ring on her left hand. Long, white demi-human fingers elegantly brushed the ring.
“Do you know what this ring means?”
“Its meaning?”
Binaeril, turning the question back, realized something belatedly.
The hand she wore the ring on was the ring finger of her left hand. A ring on that finger commonly symbolized a vow of eternal love.
“This is a gift left to me by an old friend.”
“Ah, I apologize.”
—What are you apologizing for! You absolutely must get that ring. It’s a part of me that I lost.
Binaeril’s face flushed red with embarrassment.
If speaking of the Tower Master’s old lover, there could only be one person.
The magician who loved her so much that he built a tower named after her.
The old woman who bore the name of the old tower didn’t seem like she would hand it over.
But the Tower Master gave an unexpected reply.
“This ring is a symbol of contract. The subjects of the contract are pure lifeforms resembling nature itself. Spirits, that is. Binaeril, do you desire a spirit’s ring as your reward?”
He hadn’t known the ring held such value. Binaeril failed to answer promptly as he tried to gauge the ring’s worth and what it might mean to her.
The Tower Master readily removed the ring and placed it on her palm.
“Take it. I am someone who keeps her promises.”
“Yes. But that ring already has a contracted being. If Binaeril desires it, you must find her and seek permission.”
The Tower Master told him the name of the contracted spirit.
Binaeril received the jade ring from her.
“If you’ve obtained what you wanted, you may leave. The book was amusing.”
A pink veil hung between Binaeril and the Tower Master.
Binaeril couldn’t see her expression, but sensing the subtle nuance in her tone, he thought she was smiling.
Binaeril stood, offered his parting respects, and exited the Tower Master’s room.
Rike had been summoned after a long time and found her way to Headmaster Yulio’s study.
The study was warm as always.
But the master’s mood today did not seem to be so.
“Did you call for me, Master?”
“You’ve come, my disciple. Please, have a seat.”
Rike thought that something bad must have happened to Headmaster Yulio.
She could feel a different atmosphere, difficult to describe compared to usual.
Headmaster Yulio chose his words carefully before getting to the main point.
“How is your training coming along?”
“It’s going well. I’ve learned a lot from watching Binaeril. Sylvia seems to have been inspired by him too. You saw it too, right? The two in the finals. Watching Binaeril’s magic gives me an indescribable feeling. Should I call it beautiful? Ah, that’s not to say your teachings haven’t helped, Master.”
Rike chirped on about Binaeril like a chattering chick.
Rike tended to talk a lot whenever the subject of him came up.
Headmaster Yulio listened to her chattering for a moment, then cut her off like someone about to say something difficult.
“Princess, there is something I must tell you.”
The Headmaster seemed somewhat haggard overnight.
Something must have gone terribly wrong. Rike gulped loudly and straightened her skirt.
“What is it? I’m ready to hear it.”
“Lady Rike. I believe you already possess sufficient ability to become a full-fledged magician.”
“Oh, yes. Thank you. I’m doing my best.”
“Therefore, I intend to recommend both you and Sylvia for this semester’s Scala examination.”
“Eh? This semester? But aside from healing magic, I still…”
Headmaster Yulio removed his monocle and wiped it. It was his habit when contemplating something.
“You must pass the Scala examination this semester. A message has come from your sister.”
“From Charlotte?”
Rike’s older sister, Charlotte, currently served as the empire’s regent.
It had all been her sister’s plan to contact Headmaster Yulio and send Rike and Sylvia to Elfenbain.
She had said to train and grow stronger, to buy time while stabilizing the empire. What message could her sister have sent?
“The situation in the empire is grave. Regent Charlotte may be in danger.”
Rike’s small hands clutched her skirt.
The list of selected candidates for this semester’s Scala examination was posted at Elfenbain.
This year’s list was especially the subject of controversy.
Unlike previous years, this year a tournament had been specially held by the Tower Master for the selection.
Students flocked to the bulletin board where the list was posted to check the names of the selected.
“Avici Muller made it onto this year’s selection? I thought he was done for after fighting with his assigned professor. The tournament was lucky for him.”
“Dennis made it on too?”
“Sylvia! Isn’t she the girl who made it to the finals? She was amazing. Honestly, I don’t know if she’s a magician or a warrior. She’s pretty unusual.”
“If that’s the case, isn’t Binaeril Dalhaim the most amazing? Did you see the finals? He flew like he was skating—whoosh! I got chills, I tell you.”
Among the selection list, which mostly comprised well-known top disciples, there were sporadic names the students didn’t recognize.
“Rike? Who is she? Was there anyone with this name among the tournament participants?”
“I don’t know? The name looks like a girl’s, but there was no one with this name among the tournament participants.”
“Who’s this?”
“Didn’t they say this year’s selection would be decided by tournament results?”
“What, is this a fraudulent selection?”
Questions about the Scala selection criteria had been raised occasionally before as well.
But no student had been brave enough to confront the professors directly about it, so the controversy had never blown up significantly.
But this year was different.
The Tower Master herself had declared that the Scala selection criteria would follow the tournament results.
Naturally, talk was inevitable about a student who hadn’t participated making the list.
Amid the murmuring students, someone shouted.
“It’s the princess! The empire’s princess!”
“The empire’s princess? You mean the Albrecht Empire?”
“She’s the princess of Albrecht?”
The murmurs grew from one person’s shout, and the students gradually heated up, beginning to condemn the situation.
“If she’s an imperial princess, it’s a rigged selection! Shouldn’t we look into this?”
“Right. They said this year’s selection would be fair. Was that all a lie?”
“The Albrecht Empire is the only nation that persecutes magicians, and you’re telling me a princess from there is at Elfenbain?”