Episode 95
- Creak...
"M-Master of the Magic Tower! I apologize!"
As the Magic Tower's ancient worn door creaked open and the Tower Lord emerged, the wizard who had been diligently firing magic hurriedly bowed his head in apology.
"Stop everything."
At the Tower Lord's command in a solemn voice, looking disdainfully at such a wizard, the wizards lined up firing magic all at once stopped their chanting and looked at her.
"Hah..."
But the Tower Lord didn't even spare a glance at those wizards, merely clicking her tongue while looking ahead.
"Why has that woman come here, the one who said she'd never see my face again?"
Soon after, as the Tower Lord wore a complicated expression and spoke, a person wrapped in a robe slowly walked toward the Magic Tower and said.
"I have something to discuss with you."
"You rotten woman, saying 'you' to your master. You're still just as insolent."
"Since you're no longer my master, I think calling you 'you' is correct."
As harsh words were exchanged between the robed person and the Tower Lord, the wizards behind them all gasped and froze.
From their position, making such severe remarks to the Tower Lord who was like the heavens themselves was something they hadn't even imagined.
"I tried to have a conversation thinking of old times... but if you're going to be that shameless, I have no interest either."
Meanwhile, the Tower Lord raised her long staff while speaking in an angry voice to the woman before her.
"If you continue this behavior, you'll have to face..."
"I've finally completed the magic you wanted so desperately."
"...What!?"
But when the unidentified woman calmly took out a paper with a magic circle drawn on it and waved it, the Tower Lord's eyes went wide and she lowered her staff.
"That, what do you mean by that?"
"The magic you wanted so much... where are you going?"
Soon after, the Tower Lord who had asked the robed person another question tried to snatch the notebook using magic by surprise, but as if she had predicted it, the unidentified woman simply blocked the magic and the Tower Lord started to look anxious.
"Um... can we talk?"
"You said you had no interest?"
"You fool, that was before you said that. If it's true that you really completed that magic, things change."
The mysterious woman who had been quietly watching such a Tower Lord soon quietly turned toward the Tower Lord and spoke.
"I only want to talk with you. Send everyone else away."
"I was planning to do that anyway."
As the Tower Lord answered like that and waved her hand, the wizards who had been wearing dazed expressions moved aside in droves.
"Follow me."
The Tower Lord who said that with the calmest expression possible entered through the Magic Tower's door, and the mysterious woman also quietly entered inside.
"...What is all this?"
After climbing the stairs for a while, the mysterious woman asked while looking at the piles of items in the Magic Tower's lobby, and the Tower Lord answered in an indifferent voice.
"They are items for my new disciple."
"...New disciple!?"
At those words, the considerably shaken woman stopped walking and asked, and the Tower Lord answered with an absurd expression.
"Why, am I not allowed to take a new disciple?"
"That can't be... you definitely in the previous cycle..."
"Stop talking nonsense and follow me, time is urgent."
When the mysterious woman spoke in a dazed voice, the Tower Lord who had been wearing a frustrated expression grabbed her arm and started to hasten her pace.
"So, what are all those used for?"
"For breaking."
"What?"
The woman who was being dragged along by the Tower Lord asked another question, and upon hearing her answer, she couldn't help but be surprised again.
"Those things over there... they're all mithril, orichalcum, adamantium, diamonds - things that are hard to even scratch, let alone break, right?"
"My disciple shatters them with a snap of a finger."
"...You're joking right?"
At those words, the Tower Lord burst into hearty laughter and answered.
"I would have thought it was a joke too if it were a few months ago. But there hasn't been a single object that child couldn't break so far."
"Is that kid here now?"
When the mysterious woman asked, the Tower Lord spoke with annoyance.
"She went to play at the orphanage, so don't worry about it! Where are you eyeing?"
Having said that, the Tower Lord soon opened an antique-style door and entered inside.
"Now, take off that suffocating robe... and show me that magic, won't you?"
"...Alright."
Then Irina, who threw off the robe she had been wearing until then, slowly took out a notebook with magic formulas written in it from her bosom and handed it over.
"Oh my... this is... did you create an entirely new magic system?"
"...Yes."
"Moreover, there are magic formulas that are still being proven or don't exist yet included? Seeing that, it's almost..."
The Tower Lord who had been looking at the magic formulas with a fascinated expression soon spoke her impressions in a dazed voice.
"...It's like magic that popped out from the future."
Hearing those words, Irina who had a flinching expression soon quickly fixed her expression and started to act nonchalant.
"So, what's the reason you, who hates me terribly, brought this magic circle to me?"
"I want advice on the possibility of it working."
"From me?"
When the Tower Lord asked a question, Irina answered with her brows deeply furrowed.
"I hate to admit it... but at this point in time, you're the only one who can understand that magic formula."
"Puhaha! You kept teasing me as a senile old person... so you did acknowledge me to some extent after all?"
"Be quiet."
"Well, I am quite amazing. Even looking like this, am I not the Great Mage who appeared in the Empire after several hundred years?"
But the Tower Lord, who paid no attention to Irina's reaction, continued bragging with an excited expression.
"And, the person the Empire sent even a death squad to request the Demon King subjugation is also only me. Tsk tsk, you foolishly kicked away the position of disciple of such a great person with your own feet..."
"...Stop it."
"What?"
Irina, who had been watching the Tower Lord shrugging her shoulders at her words, cut off the conversation in a cold voice when the words 'Demon King subjugation' came from the Tower Lord's mouth.
"You'll die doing that."
"Ha! You've become even more insolent while I haven't seen you? To dare say such words to me..."
"Because you can't even beat the second-in-command, let alone the Demon King..."
Irina, who knew the fact that the Tower Lord would die after engaging in battle with Demirkan, the Demon King Army's second-in-command, while investigating the Demon King, sighed and spoke.
"...Just don't do it."
In fact, it was a close battle where even the second-in-command suffered fatal wounds and fled at the end of that battle, but it was still Irina's sincere advice with some old affection remaining.
"Do you know something?"
"...Forget it, just tell me the success rate of the magic circle. I've reviewed it many times, but I still need to have it examined from another person's perspective."
Irina, who ignored the Tower Lord's question asked seriously after feeling sincerity in Irina's words, started urging the Tower Lord to examine the magic circle.
.......Hmm?"
The Tower Lord, who was examining the magic circle while grumbling at Irina's attitude, soon frowned and spoke.
"Tsk, it's completely wrong. This can't be used."
"Why?"
"You fool, the operational element of the magic circle is black magic."
"Since when did you start caring about ethics?"
"That's an old story, now I do care. And even if we ignore ethics, it's impossible."
The Tower Lord who sighed and placed the magic circle on the desk quietly continued speaking.
"Dark magic power can't be gathered in one place like other mana, nor can it be stored. That means this must be activated with only one person's power... but a black mage with that much dark magic power as written here doesn't exist in this world... heok!"
"What about this much?"
When Irina, who had released all the dark magic power in her body into the room, asked, the Tower Lord answered in a trembling voice.
"...With that much, you could barely activate the magic and maintain it for several tens of seconds."
"Is that so? Same as my calculation. Thanks for the answer."
As Irina rose from her seat saying that, the Tower Lord urgently grabbed her and asked.
"Wait. Where did you get that dark magic power, and why did you come all the way to me to confirm..."
"I have no obligation to answer you. Then..."
"Thinking of old times, just tell me this one thing."
When Irina quietly turned her head at the mention of old times, the Tower Lord asked with serious eyes.
"When the dark magic power filling your body disappears, it's obvious your body will be strained... why on earth are you trying to use that meaningless magic?"
"Meaningless?"
When Irina asked, the Tower Lord raised her voice and shouted.
"Even if you use the magic as you designed, it can only swap souls for a few tens of seconds! Not hours or years, but what can you do by swapping people's souls for just a few tens of..."
"It's enough."
"What?"
Looking at the Tower Lord, Irina answered with resolved eyes.
"If that kind of situation comes again... swapping bodies for a few tens of seconds is enough."
"So! What exactly...!"
As the Tower Lord finally couldn't hold back her exploding anger and was about to shout, Irina added in a low voice.
"To screw over the System."
Leaving behind the Tower Lord who started to wear a dazed expression at those words, Irina who put her robe back on quietly exited the Tower Lord's room.
"Hah..."
The Tower Lord who was left alone in the room and stared blankly for a long while soon poured wine from the desk and muttered.
"...Both women have gone crazy together."
.
"Tell me, what was the last part of the Book of Prophecy you know?"
"Hmm..."
Looking at Serena who was asking with twinkling eyes, I answered in a quiet voice.
"When all that ends, the Hero shall perish together with the Demon King."
"Yes, that part was written in the Book of Prophecy I have too."
Serena who chimed in with a slightly dark expression soon brightened her face and spoke.
"But... there was one more sentence written below that in my Book of Prophecy."
"Is that really true?"
When I asked with wide eyes at those words, Serena answered with a smile.
"Yes, but an incomprehensible magic was cast on it so I couldn't confirm the content."
"...I see."
When I made a regretful expression as the excited feeling slightly subsided at those words, Serena took something out from her bosom.
"So, I cut that part out and brought it."
"...That's amazing action."
I let out a hollow laugh at Serena's boldness and took the paper she held out, then started frowning as I examined the paper.
"Hmm... that's strange? I can read it, but only parts of it are visible."
"That's probably because the restoration isn't complete yet. We're making the restoration of that part the top priority, so you should be able to confirm the full text soon."
I nodded at those words and started speaking the readable words in a quiet voice.
"Hmm... 'One coincidence' 'Five realizations' and, 'A boomerang passing between the half-moon and crescent moon.' What could this signify?"
"...Whatever it is, it doesn't look negative."
Serena who smiled brightly at those words received the paper piece back from me and spoke.
"The restoration will be finished soon. So, I'll contact you again when the restoration is complete."
"Yeah, thank you always, Serena."
When I said that with a smile, Serena's face reddened as she spoke.
"So, when will you catch the Secret Master for me?"
"Ah, well..."
"I want to do it quickly, with you."
Hearing those words, I was seriously considering abandoning the birthday party and going out to find the Secret Master, when Serena said with smiling eyes.
"Of course, kissing is possible right now."
"Oh."
I approached her with a red face as she spread her arms, sat on Serena's lap, and pressed my lips to hers.
...Chup."
Then Serena's tongue licked my lips and slowly penetrated inside.
"Puhaha..."
After intertwining tongues for a while, I separated from her for a moment and muttered with an absurd expression.
"You said you didn't drink?"
"...I drank exactly one glass. For realistic acting."
Serena's face as she said that was red, whether from the alcohol or some other reason.
"Where are you touching right now?"
"I'm sorry. I'm drunk so I don't really know."
"You said you only drank one glass?"
Serena, who had been riding the momentum and putting her hand inside my clothes, grinned and added after hearing my question.
"You know I have low alcohol tolerance."
"..........."
I listened to those words quietly, then asked in a low voice.
"...Serena, is touching within the allowed range?"
"You're already touching before asking."
Hearing those words, I smiled and pushed her down.
"Haaah..."
I should give her a massage, since she works hard in many ways.
.
"Lord Frey! How is Lady Serena!?"
As I left the room with a slightly red face, a royal maid asked me.
"She came to. She said she'll rest a bit and come out."
"Phew..."
Then the maid started to breathe a sigh of relief. It seems Serena acted quite realistically.
"Lord Frey, there's something I need to tell you..."
"Hmm?"
I, who was about to move to rest my eyes before the birthday party finally started, stopped in my tracks when the maid urgently called me.
"Lady Clana seems to be looking for you, Lord Frey."
"Clana is?"
At the maid's continued words, I made a puzzled expression and asked back.
"Why is she looking for me?"
"I'm not sure. Earlier she was muttering Lord Frey's name over on that balcony..."
"Hmm..."
Hearing those words, I nodded to the maid and headed toward the front door with a frown.
"............."
"...Clana?"
Then, Clana was really there.
Sitting down on the balcony, with her head deeply bowed.
"What are you doing there?"
When I looked at her with puzzled eyes, I flinched as Clana raised her head.
Because her face when she raised her head was covered in tears.
"Clana? What is this..."
"I lost..."
When I tried to help her up with a bewildered expression, Clana started speaking to me slowly.
"I've been defeated by your schemes..."
"No, wait. What on earth..."
"I'll submit to you. I'll submit, so..."
Clana who looked at me with a sorrowful expression finished speaking while trembling her ruined hand.
"...Please, hold my hand."
"Hah..."
I didn't want to admit it, but... it seems the memories of what happened during the trial are gradually surfacing in Clana.
"...This is driving me crazy."
I can already picture her coughing up blood.