◈ Episode 222. Does This Need an Explanation?
Lick—he licked the tuft of fluff with his tongue.
The Tower Master looked down at the Crystal Hall and thought.
To think he would change the Round Table Conference like this.
Was he able to come up with such an idea precisely because he was a rolling stone that had tumbled in?
“Miyaoong—”
It was a cry filled with satisfaction.
Why, even if one set everything else aside.
At long last, it was living up to its name.
A conference taking place in the circular Crystal Hall.
It truly suited the name Round Table Conference.
“A cat?”
“Did someone bring it here, by any chance?”
“No! It was sitting there from the moment we entered.”
“Oh, how cute. What’s your name?”
“Cle, is this really the time to be distracted by a cat?”
They called him cute?
These apprentice and skilled mages could not even see through a transformation spell inferior to polymorph. If anything, cute was what he ought to be calling those fledglings.
“Miyaoong.”
Still, the hand scratching under his chin wasn’t half bad.
In the end, the Tower Master settled on the lap of an apprentice mage player and watched the Round Table Conference.
It was astonishing enough that mages of every rank had gathered in one place, but adventurers were mixed in as well.
It was something that would have been unimaginable in the past.
‘That sight is the same.’
The seniors conversed closely with one another.
The Tower Master purred as he thought.
Chief Lee Hoyeol, no matter how I look at it, you are better than I am.
Then, suddenly, he twitched his nose and sniffed.
‘It seems you are busy.’
There was no scent of his disciple, Jesse.
Of course, even if Jesse had attended the Round Table Conference.
He had no intention of approaching her first.
After all, how could he face her?
‘This pathetic master did nothing but cause trouble.’
Jesse, if it were you.
You must have blamed yourself, thinking that situation had happened because of you.
When it was all due to my own inadequacy.
However, the Tower Master was not worried about Jesse.
‘I am glad you found a master better than I.’
Yes, Chief Lee Hoyeol.
He would surely be a far better master than himself.
Thinking of Jesse reminded him of the times he had spent with her.
What entered the Tower Master’s eyes then was none other than a smartphone.
Tap, tap—the Tower Master nudged the player’s hand with his forepaw.
“What is it?”
“Miyaoong.”
“You want me to play with you? Not now.”
As if you were concentrating on the meeting, when you were already distracted anyway.
‘I have already memorized your face, apprentice mage.’
If you do not show me the smartphone screen, I shall punish you severely with the authority of the Tower Master. Perhaps the Tower Master’s petty threat got through to her. The player held the smartphone out to him.
“Here, do you want to watch this at least?”
What appeared on the screen was a NetTube video.
Its title was [Videos Cats Like]
and.
It was a video of fish in an aquarium moving without pause.
The Tower Master thought.
‘Indeed, this is intriguing.’
……
No, not this.
‘Now then, shall I check on the state of the world?’
The Tower Master had shared Jesse’s senses inside the cone hat.
Since he had even acquired knowledge about the [System]
which could be called the exclusive possession of players, operating a smartphone was nothing. Even if he had only seen it over her shoulder, he had committed it to memory.
Press—the Tower Master operated the smartphone with the pad of his paw.
The screen moved according to his fluffy paw.
Then, at some point, the Tower Master’s forepaw stopped.
A swarm of shooting stars embroidered the sky.
‘Meteor Strike.’
There had been no distortion in the memories engraved upon his body.
‘I truly had manifested it.’
An ultra-high-level spell.
At the current point in time, the only one capable of manifesting Meteor Strike.
Would have been his own body.
Press—the Tower Master planted his paw pad on that video.
And soon.
“Mya.”
He sighed.
He understood why his body had ended up in this state.
To think it had manifested such an ultra-high-level spell ten times in succession.
Not only mana exhaustion.
His body had gone berserk to such a degree that even if it had died, it would not have been strange.
‘What was it that you found so unfair, body of mine?’
He meowed pathetically for only a moment before a question arose.
‘So how did Chief Lee Hoyeol block that?’
The Tower Master went over all of his magical knowledge.
Even so, no suitable solution came to mind.
Even if one manifested magic powerful enough to make Meteor Strike crash.
‘Its debris would rain down from the sky.’
That was precisely why Meteor Strike was called an ultra-high-level spell and a spell that brought about the end.
Was the answer contained in this video? The Tower Master stared at the screen with extreme focus.
“What? The video changed? I’ll put it back……”
“Hiss!”
“You startled me! All right. I won’t touch it.”
With even his fur standing on end, he watched the full story of that day.
And he learned.
“……!”
The fact that Meteor Strike had gone against the sky and returned.
The Tower Master could not hide his shock.
What kind of super-super-super-high-level magic was this, Chief Lee Hoyeol……?
*
The Magic Tower.
Marcelo’s office.
“Still, would it not have been better if I had gone to him?”
“There is no need for concern.”
“If you say so, then I am relieved.”
Clack—I looked at the teacup Marcelo had set down.
A teabag steeped in the cup.
Needless to say, it was green tea.
‘This gives me a lot to think about.’
Should I be grateful that he considered my tastes without me having to say anything?
Or should I be embarrassed by the fact that I was being served teabag green tea even in the Magic Tower.
Because just how obsessed had I been with green tea?
‘……For now, let’s wet my throat.’
At this moment, what I needed was peace of mind.
“The fragrance is good.”
I set the teacup down and looked at Marcelo’s desk.
There was a cat there, the Tower Master.
The Tower Master spoke nonchalantly.
“I was planning to visit our next Tower Master in person.”
What is he even saying, seriously!
I came running here because my heart sank at that blasted “next Tower Master” talk.
Besides, visit me where?
Do you think I borrowed Marcelo’s office for no reason?
“Regrettably, I must decline such kindness.”
There was no major reason why I, Lee Hoyeol, did not like cats. However, there was a specific reason why Granfell did not like cats.
That’s right.
The state of his attire.
Granfell was someone who was extremely particular even about the angle of his brooch.
So would he be able to tolerate cat hair?
Whether he knew my troubled feelings or not.
Marcelo opened his mouth with a thoroughly excited expression.
“By the way, Sir Hoyeol as the next Tower Master. I am, of course, in favor, but…… what is the sudden reason for this? From now on, I must be sure to hear the reason behind the Tower Master’s decisions.”
……
It’s fine to ask for the reason.
But please don’t start by agreeing with the Tower Master’s arbitrary decision.
When he hasn’t even asked for the opinion of the person involved, Marcelo.
‘More importantly, let’s hear the reason first.’
It went without saying.
I had absolutely no intention of taking on the position of Tower Master.
The weight of Chief.
Even just the weight of Chief, shared between Marcelo and me, felt so heavy that I thought I might sink. On top of that, was Granfell’s meddling anything ordinary?
‘If I shoulder the weight of Tower Master, I’m seriously going to die.’
Aside from that.
Even out of sheer spite for that cat, I had no intention of taking on the position of Tower Master. After going absent without leave, he returns only to hand in his resignation? What exactly does he think working life is?
Of course, my inner thoughts did not show on the outside.
Thanks to that, the Tower Master leisurely began.
“I realized it during the Round Table Conference. Chief Lee Hoyeol, I realized how you blocked the Meteor Strike manifested by my body.”
He realized that during the Round Table Conference?
How?
When I focused out of curiosity.
“A smartphone. Through the adventurers’ magic tool.”
So that was it.
No wonder.
He had no intention of getting off that player’s lap.
Marcelo added.
“Ah, if it is that, I know of it as well. Sir Hoyeol certainly said that with just one of those, you could summon the item you desire to your door merely by lifting a finger.”
I did?
When?
Seriously, this damned loose mouth of mine!
Startled, I searched my memories……
‘Ah, Rocket Delivery.’
It must have been when I requested Rocket Delivery to the Magic Tower.
I had rationalized that this, too, was a marvel.
And obtained permission for delivery drivers to enter the Magic Tower.
“That is correct.”
Thanks to that, I replied as shamelessly as usual.
Then, for the time being, I kept silent.
Because from this point on.
If I wagged my tongue carelessly.
I might truly end up taking on the position of Tower Master.
‘Even if you’re called in by your superior, you can survive as long as you keep your wits about you.’
I listened to the Tower Master’s following words even more intently.
“Chief Lee Hoyeol, I shall ask you directly.”
The fortunate thing was.
No matter how imposing he tried to be in a cat’s body, he did not feel intimidating. Even so, his tail raised high seemed to indicate that the Tower Master was utterly serious.
“What on earth was it? That magic.”
“Forgive me for interrupting, but by that magic, you mean?”
At Marcelo’s cautious words, the Tower Master replied.
“How were you able to send the Meteor Strike manifested by my body back into the sky? As if no magic had been manifested at all. Exactly as it had been in its original state. Even if it was a marvel, there should have been magic serving as its foundation.”
He continued in an even more serious voice.
“Shamefully, even I, the Tower Master, could not discern what your magic was. Yes, that is also the reason why I intend to step down from the position of Tower Master. Chief Lee Hoyeol, your magical ability has clearly surpassed mine by an immeasurable distance.”
……
Wait, that was the reason?
As expected, no matter how I looked at it, he was definitely trying to dump it on me.
I looked at Marcelo, wondering if he might say even one word on my behalf.
But why is your expression like that, Chief Marcelo?
“It was reversal magic.”
“Oh? Reversal magic. You knew of it, Marcelo?”
“Yes. I had questions about it as well.”
Please do not have a serious conversation with the Tower Master, Marcelo.
I was someone who acknowledged what needed to be acknowledged.
But misunderstandings had to be corrected properly.
‘If it were a marvel, that would be one thing.’
Because reversal magic was not such an impressive spell.
Search → Interference → Manifestation.
Simply reverse-manifesting the structure of magic.
That was reversal magic.
“……Pardon?”
Marcelo asked back with a blank expression.
‘Is it because the terminal curse has disappeared?’
Lately, I feel like I’ve been seeing all kinds of expressions from Marcelo……
Thinking that it might be hard to understand, I spoke again.
This time, I even kindly added an analogy.
“You search the manifested magic. As though untying a tied knot one step at a time. If you perform the interference process in reverse and manifest it, that is reversal magic.”
I explained it myself, but how clear it was.
Yes, the series of steps for untying a tied knot.
That was the effort involved in reversal magic.
Of course, interfering with someone else’s magic was by no means easy even for me. Especially interfering with Meteor Strike—if I had not formed a circle, I would not even have been able to attempt it.
However, as if to render my kind explanation meaningless.
The Tower Master snorted.
“Is that truly all there is to it, Chief Lee Hoyeol?”
“That is correct.”
I said that’s all there is to it.
What, did you think there was something amazing?
So please stop using reversal magic as an excuse.
And give up on trying to casually dump the Tower Master position on me.
“Hahaha. Sir, you truly are.”
If only the Tower Master had snorted, I could have ignored it lightly.
But even Marcelo was laughing.
Suddenly, I felt uneasy.
‘……Did I say something wrong?’
No, there was no way.
I had only said things as they were!
As I proudly held my head high as always, the Tower Master spoke.
“I see. Only now do I understand. To you, the interference process of Meteor Strike looked like a simple knot. That was why you were able to manifest it in reverse.”
“That is correct.”
I thought we were finally starting to communicate……
But somehow, that was not the atmosphere.
I did have some tact, so by then, I realized it.
……
Could it be that untying that knot was actually something extremely grand and impressive?
The Tower Master and Marcelo.
The two of them were counted among the greatest magical talents even in the Magic Tower.
So I naturally thought they could do it.
Why, you ask.
Because even I could just do it!
But apparently, I had been gravely mistaken.
“Do you know, sir? Ordinary men like myself struggle quite a bit even with the standard interference process. That series of steps you described as a knot feels to us like solving an exceedingly complicated problem.”
This time, the Tower Master supported Marcelo’s words.
“And yet you not only grasped that interference process by tracing it backward, but even reached manifestation? It truly cannot be anything but a brilliant talent, Chief Lee Hoyeol.”
Apparently, reversal magic was.
Far beyond an effortless shortcut of a spell.
It seemed to be something far more incredible!
By the way.
“You have my thanks.”
Don’t get smug in this atmosphere, Granfell.
What are you going to do if they really dump the Tower Master position on me like this?
Of course, you would do well.
Because you would inevitably turn the flood of overestimation into reality.
But I’m the one who suffers because of it.
“As a mage before being the Tower Master, this is not something I can overlook.”
The Tower Master continued meaningfully.
“I feel the same, sir.”
Marcelo added weight to his words.
“Therefore, as Tower Master, I formally recommend this to you.”
……
No, wait.
It was clearly praise, but I couldn’t simply be happy about it.
Because at the same time the Tower Master’s tail swayed.
My vision flickered.
Hey now, who said you could shove a quest at me?!