She was someone who stood out, and she actually did stand out. Even mages who had little interest in others stopped walking and murmured upon discovering the Blue Tower Lord.
Someone even came straight up to her.
"I respect you! I've read all 7 volumes of the Crystalline Structure Theory you authored! The content was so impressive!"
Even as an unfamiliar mage approached brimming with excitement, the Blue Tower Lord didn't lose her smile.
"Is that so? You worked hard. I just wrote according to my mood, so it became a rather convoluted thesis."
"Y-yes, it is difficult... So I'm still carrying it around and reading it! Ah, if it wouldn't be too presumptuous, could you give me an autograph here?"
"Of course."
Taking the proffered thesis, the Blue Tower Lord pulled out a short fountain pen. It was her wand, but it seemed she had chosen it more for its design than its magical power. Her signature was inscribed on the offered paper in elegant cursive.
"I'm rooting for you. Keep working harder. -Elysia"
"Gasp...! Thank you! I'll treasure it!"
"Hehe. Thank you."
'It's not easy enough to understand just by reading, but it's admirable that they're trying with that head of theirs.'
...Should I say her inside and outside are the same, or different?
Her inner thoughts are worse than Lankart's. Unlike Lankart who ignores and doesn't even treat people as humans, the Blue Tower Lord is savoring her sense of superiority while watching their efforts. The kindness she offers stems from arrogance.
But her outward appearance is kinder than anyone else's.
After giving the autograph, mages with similar purposes flocked in. The Blue Tower Lord smiled with a troubled expression and said.
"My. I've drawn too much attention."
"It's because of you."
"It can't be helped, can it? It's not just moths that are drawn to shining beings. Humans also flock to brilliant intellect."
The Blue Tower Lord, who had been waving at the gathered mages, soon covered her mouth and muttered.
"But keeping prior appointments comes first, doesn't it. Sorry, rookies. I'll be going first. I have business to attend to."
The mages seemed to think the word 'rookies' was a playful term of endearment for fans. She was serious, though.
"Now, shall we go?"
The Blue Tower Lord scribbled her fountain pen in the air. Then the empty atmosphere froze, drawing a glittering magic circle in the air.
Unique Magic Path, Crystallization Theory.
The Blue Tower Lord's unique magic path was forced crystallization. As naturally as breathing, she turned atmospheric moisture into crystals and drew a magic circle.
It's not freezing. That's merely the result; the essence of Crystallization Theory is to cause a phase transition to 'crystal' and fix it. Permafrost ice that doesn't melt and flow drew the magic circle.
Magical power dwells within crystalline structures. Collapsing that structure and liberating magical power is the essence of white magic. That's why white magic uses gemstones as catalysts, and that's also why black magic's power is low.
The bodily structures that black magic uses as catalysts instead of gemstones are infinitely inferior compared to crystals.
Ice is the same. The structure is fine, but because it melts easily, it's not suitable as a catalyst. If the structure collapses at an unintended timing, all the magical power scatters. That's why ice catalysts are barely used even in polar regions.
But the Blue Tower Lord is different.
Ice that doesn't melt held magical power and glowed. A grand magic was completed with surprising ease. The magic circle surrounding me, Lankart, and the Blue Tower Lord melted away in an instant, adjusting gravity.
"Ta-da."
As the Blue Tower Lord closed the fountain pen's cap, the ice crystals melted all at once, completing the magic. And our bodies rose up at once without any impact.
The Floating City is a place where artificial gravity is applied. Precisely manipulated gravity guided us to the Blue Tower.
A magic tower is not a simple structure. The reason it takes the form of a tower is because it's a structure that materializes knowledge.
Knowledge also has factions. At first, it was just drawing a line on empty ground, but as bricks of knowledge are stacked one by one on top of it, intellectual wanderers come visiting. Some of them, who had been looking for a place to lean their reason, settle here and add bricks.
Enduring wind and rain day by day, welcoming countless wanderers. A golden tower built up with bricks of intellect. That is precisely what a magic tower is.
A tower of blue crystal built by mages who explored the solidly hardened world. Crystal Tower. The Blue Tower Lord, who guided us to the top floor of the tower commonly called the Blue Tower for short, drew a square on the wall with her fountain pen.
Having created a door on the tower's outer wall, the Blue Tower Lord guided us inside. Closing the door, the Blue Tower Lord solidified the scattered crystals and said.
"Now. Even if a vicious black mage with a bounty on their head is hiding here, they wouldn't be found. You can relax. You can even say thanks."
'Even wanted black mages, I embrace. How can I be so superior? I must be the only mage in this Floating City who understands the circumstances of black mages.'
This is really driving me crazy. I am grateful, but every time I read her mind with telepathy, I feel my emotions diluting. Still, since this arrogance helps me, let's just go along with it for now.
"Thank you. Not because I was told to say it, but sincerely. I'm glad there's someone who recognizes that I'm a harmless black mage from the Military Nation."
"I do hold the title of Intelligence Bureau Director, after all."
"Intelligence Bureau?"
"The Federal Intelligence Bureau. It's the department that collects and manages information from outside the Magic Federation. Thanks to that, I'm better informed than other mages. And faster with trends, too."
A glimpse of pride could even be seen in the way she subtly showed off her outfit and accessories. Even for me, who doesn't know much about fashion because I'm from the Military Nation, it seemed like something worth being proud of when I saw her attire.
"For your information, your closest friend Lankart is in the same organization. My subordinate. There's nothing better as an informant than a chosen person from the lower realm."
When I glanced at Lankart, he hastily made excuses.
"Don't misunderstand, me going under her is just nominal, my commander is still you, Huey."
"That's not what's important."
Closest friend? What's that about. Come to think of it, you're closer to business partners.
"I'm grateful for your help. But wouldn't it be more efficient to lift my bounty?"
"That's impossible."
The Blue Tower Lord answered immediately.
"It's a principle for mages not to meddle in others' domains. Whether that's magic or power. You shouldn't expect the same common sense as the lower realm here?"
'I wonder if that blank face of his will understand what I mean. Lankart said he's "superior to himself," but he doesn't look that way? Especially if he was born in a country where intellect is shattered like the Military Nation, he might not be able to overcome his foolishness.'
She must have her own line she won't cross. Is it because her kindness is for self-satisfaction rather than self-sacrifice? Then it's better to stay quietly within her bounds.
"I understand..."
When I muttered with a shrunken attitude, the Blue Tower Lord smiled refreshingly again.
"That said, I won't sell you out, so don't worry. Actually, I'm also a bit curious. Even if you're a black mage, if the fact that you're from the Military Nation became known, they'd know how weak and insignificant your power is. I wonder if they really had to put a bounty on you."
"Puhahaha!"
This mocking laughter wasn't from me. When Lankart grabbed his stomach and laughed, the Blue Tower Lord slightly tilted her sunglasses. Lankart waved his hand and said.
"Hehehe. You're nothing special either. The Security Bureau is actually evaluating Huey more properly."
"What do you mean? Is there some information I don't know?"
"Information? I've said it over and over. You're the one who couldn't understand it."
Perhaps because Lankart was a chosen person acknowledged by the Blue Tower Lord, she focused and responded to his words.
"Your friend doesn't seem that dangerous. Rather, they seem good-natured and harmless."
"What a right-hander can judge with their common sense is only the world of right-handers. Right-hander, you still don't know. What kind of power Huey has obtained...!"
"Hey, Lankart. Quiet down a bit. What power do I have."
With that, Lankart's words were cut off. It's fine that he thinks highly of me, but don't do that when other people are around. I need to be perceived as ordinary.
'It's one of two things. Either Lankart is being deceived, or I am. Since there's no way I'm being deceived, Lankart must be the one being deceived. Even with outstanding talent, if the surrounding environment falls behind, perception gets distorted.'
...In a way, she's amazing, really.
Anyway, having concluded the conversation, the Blue Tower Lord interlaced her fingers and said.
"Since we're adults, let's start with what needs to be done first. Lankart. Start with the report on the mysterious explosion that occurred at the Tree of Origin."
"Huey was there. Nebida probably offended Huey's sensibilities."
"How could that be."
Having quickly corrected that, I spoke honestly.
That is to say, we, who were kidnapped by Nebida, blew up the Tree of Origin to escape. Well, Sei did it.
Naturally, I didn't say that I was the King of Humans and Nebida's number one target. It's not exactly a secret, but there's no need to flip over my card first.
The Blue Tower Lord also pointed out the gaps in the story.
"That's strange. Nebida has no reason to kidnap you?"
"Are you an idiot? There's plenty of reason to kidnap Huey. To make that power her own..."
"I told you to be quiet."
He must have thought the reason was insufficient. Let me sell Shei.
"There's someone named Shei among my comrades. We came together this time, but we got separated because they were locked up in the Security Bureau. But actually, that person has a relic of the Demon God. I'm guessing they were probably after that."
I was going to emphasize how powerful and dangerous a being Shei was, but there was no need. The Blue Tower Lord said.
"You're talking about the relic of the Earth Mother Goddess."
"Huh? You know about it?"
"Of course? Demon Gods are beings that have a huge impact on the magical world. We also carefully track the movements of Demon Gods."
If magic towers are towers of intellect built up step by step with knowledge and magic, then Demon Gods are giant towers that have existed there since the very beginning.
'But... a Demon God's relic at this particular timing. Things are flowing quite difficultly, aren't they? If it weren't for me, the situation might have gotten complicatedly tangled?'
"I've already grasped your comrade's movements."
"Oh, as expected of the Intelligence Bureau."
'They came looking from that side first, but that too must be the result of my brilliant intellect and the kindness I extended to the ignorant bearing fruit.'
Would Shei know the Blue Tower Lord's thoughts? Maybe she helped because Shei was that stupid and pitiful.
The Blue Tower Lord took out a small crystal orb. Resonance Crystal Orb, a magic tool that links two crystals with completely identical structures and transmits vibrations from one to the other. The crystal orb, which could transmit not only voice but even light, was the Crystal Tower's symbolic invention.
The Blue Tower Lord brought her mouth close to the clear crystal orb and said.
"Cyquel. Are you at your station?"
[Yes, Lady Elysia! This is Cyquel. Is there something you need!]
"That one who came to the Blue Tower last time? I want to meet them. Call them."
[Understood! I'll check right away!]
A voice full of reverence came from beyond the crystal orb. Having finished her command, the Blue Tower Lord set down the crystal orb and said.
"Now. We have some time left, so let's have a private chat."
"A private chat? I don't know much to talk about..."
"I won't ask difficult questions. I'm just curious about how the ignorant of the lower realm live. So, what should we drink while talking? Green tea? Coffee?"
The Blue Tower Lord picked up her fountain pen without giving a chance to refuse. Drawing a cup shape in the air and activating her unique magic path, a cup appeared exactly as drawn. The Blue Tower Lord dropped a water crystal onto it and slightly pushed it toward me. The cup slowly slid across the table and stopped in front of me. Fine ice, barely visible, had formed on the table.
She had frozen ice along the cup's path. It was a natural application of her unique magic path, like breathing. It's not as absolute as the Green Tower Lord's One-Way Street, but it seems much more versatile. I honestly admired it.
"What a delicate unique magic path."
"Hehehe. That's blatant flattery, but it feels good."
"It's also useful. It's called crystallization, but it's closer to material creation... Setting aside the limitation of material properties, it's superior even to alchemy."
"I like your analysis too. This is the first time I've felt this good having someone evaluate my unique magic path. So, what about your unique magic path?"
"What?"
The Blue Tower Lord tilted her glass slightly and asked.
"You're Lankart's 'friend'? If even Lankart, who has a stronger chosen-people consciousness than those born and raised in the Floating City, calls you 'friend' to that extent, I thought you would have awakened a unique magic path too... No?"
"I don't have anything like a unique magic path."
"Unable to awaken a unique magic path, and hasn't learned white magic either. A truly pure commoner? My my."
There's a slight look of disappointment. It makes me sad that I have to be treated like this, whoever I am.
Having nothing more to say, I was just sipping water. Suddenly, the resonance crystal flashed and transmitted an urgent voice.
[Lady Elysia!]
"What's the matter?"
[A battle has broken out in the Floating City! The person you told me to call is in battle with the Black Tower Lord!]
What kind of accident are you causing again, Shei.