105. Return of the Prodigal Son (1)
The magic tower is a 13-story building rising on the outskirts of the capital. In fact, the area called ‘Magic Tower’ also referred to the entire huge area including the main body of the tower, but to the citizens of the capital, it was just a tall tower. A building that rises unnecessarily high and stands out wherever the king goes. A place where hideous rumors circulate that there are sometimes dead bodies walking around nearby.
But for wizards, the meaning was different. Entering the King’s Mage Tower, like no other place, meant being one step closer to the greatest wizard on this continent, providing unlimited opportunities for all those who seek the ultimate in sorcery or seek power through magic. It was a promised land, a land of dreams where gold formed water and flowed down.
“… Until tomorrow, this book… .”
“… This experiment must be successful… I couldn’t eat, sleep, or wash for a week… .”
Well, it was also a place where such people voluntarily became slaves to wizards superior to them.
“coffee… Where is the coffee?”
“Get your mind right! can’t fall asleep! Our research performance must not fall behind!”
And, there is a woman who looks at them with a tired expression. The woman sighed as she looked at the dying wizards of the Mage Tower, no, the professors. The green hair of a woman resembling a blade of grass rustled in the wind caused by someone rushing somewhere.
“The damn mage tower.”
The woman muttered and looked down at the book in her hand. Dark gray eyes blinked. How the hell did he come to be like this? The woman sighed again and trudged down the hallway. Since ‘that day’, it seems that the woman has lost her will and has become something like an empty gangjeong.
“I want to stop beating this. What’s the point of all this, really?”
The woman muttered with a grim expression. Behind the woman who was moving so weakly, I saw a person who seemed to be rushing after her. The woman turned her head back and faced the slave of the Mage Tower who had followed her. Seeing his face, the slave hurriedly lowered his head and said,
“That, Associate Professor Nella, did you know that a new professor and assistant are coming to the Magic Tower this time?”
“A new professor and assistant?”
Wizard. A genius who was once a powerful offensive resource for the warrior party and is still evaluated as having a bright future. Nella Tarr frowned slightly. New professors and assistants come in all the time. Is there any other reason to run so panicked? Nella tried to ignore the ominous foreboding that suddenly reared her head in the depths of her heart.
“yes. Astrology this time… Oh, now it’s astronomy. Anyway, they said they were new to their faculty. Isn’t the associate professor also dipping his foot into astronomy?”
The slave said in an urgent voice. what is that about Just a joint process… I’m just attending a conference. It’s not that important. Nella looked at the wizard dumbfounded as she repeated that to herself.
“It’s not that, it’s the people who come that matter. Maybe I should tell Associate Professor Nella.”
So, who the hell is coming? Nella, holding back the feeling of wanting to say, let out a short sigh and waited patiently for the assistant professor at the Mage Tower to open her mouth.
“He said Daphne Epiphone, the wizard of the warrior party, and the hero were coming. I don’t know what’s going on, but I heard it directly from Professor Amos of Astronomy this time… . The tower owner gave permission and arranged for it.”
Nella let go of her reason the moment she heard those words. Putting aside the thought of getting ready for the next lesson, I quickly walked toward the elevator. The voice of the teaching assistant calling him from behind, saying, ‘Boo, you’re an associate professor!’, was drowned out by the wind.
No, are they coming to put salt on someone who is already pissed off?
It seems that his hair has turned white from irritation. As soon as Nella entered the elevator, she pressed the button labeled 13 and stamped her foot inside the elevator.
“Warrior… No, Illroy… !”
As soon as the elevator door opened, Nella jumped out and walked across the hallway. The top of the magic tower, the 13th floor, belonged entirely to the tower owner. I’m going to find out what the hell she was thinking when she did this.
In an instant, Nella reached the huge door. Then, I took a breath and collected my thoughts. Before opening this door, I had to organize my words in my head. Deep breath, deep breath. You decided to learn how to keep your temper even when you’re angry.
“Come in.”
However, before Nella could fully organize her thoughts, a thin, short-tongued voice was heard. And, the heavy door opened very softly with a rattling sound. Nella panicked and looked at the open door, and across it faced the pagoda lord lying on the desk like a cat bathed in sunlight.
“Nella Tarr. It’s been a long time. Is your research going well? I can feel that the 6th circle is really close.”
Somewhat playful way of speaking and pronunciation. The head of the tower, Laura Maureen, greeted Nella with a smile. Nella was a bit intimidated by the energy emitted by the archmage, then cleared her throat again and opened her mouth.
“It’s been a while, Tower Lord. You seem to be doing well.”
“I know why you came here.”
Nella frowned, and Laura smiled.
“Is it because of the warrior? These are the new assistants and professors who will be joining this time.”
At Laura’s words, Nella tried to nod, but managed to hold her head. I felt like if I admitted this, my pride would become meaningless. Instead of affirming it, Nella picked the words in her head over and over again and spat them out.
“… Please explain how this happened, tower lord. At this rate, I could end up working in the same society as the warrior who unilaterally kicked me out. Can I calmly accept that?”
“You don’t even have to say anything to know why the hero came here, Nella.”
Laura raised her head, which had been laid down leisurely, and replied. Nella knew too. Observation and exploration of the sixth plague. And the study of when the monster body will approach. It was information that a hero should know, and I thought that he would come to get that information someday… I didn’t even think it would come in a state where I didn’t even get it right yet.
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“Then I will leave the conference. You can’t just stare at the night sky while laughing hahahaha with them. I don’t like that either.”
“Still, he is a swordsman who needs to face him face to face. I’m thinking about putting the hero in the academy course. Perhaps it is the swordsmith who should be in charge of educating the newcomers amicably.”
“No, tower lord!”
Nella opened her mouth in embarrassment, but Laura shrugged casually.
“That is unacceptable. Are you trying to annoy me on purpose? Besides, there is still a month left until the semester begins… . What are you going to do in the meantime?”
“Nella. You can’t avoid it like that forever.”
Laura lowered her voice. Nella sighed and bit her lip. Laura’s yellow, blue eyes pierced Nella.
“This is a test, Nella. You have most of the qualities a mage should have, but the only thing you lack is cold judgment.”
Laura said admonishingly, and Nella frowned. These are the advice and teachings of the kingdom’s greatest wizard. Far from hurting my pride, I had to engrave every word.
“Even if you are humiliated or angry, the hero is someone you have to cooperate with. If you face him again, you might see something different.”
That’s not wrong. While Nella stopped paying attention at all, the hero was on a winning streak. When the news came that the hero had defeated the fourth and fifth plagues, he didn’t feel any jealousy or anything. There was an idea of giving up, saying that place was not where he was supposed to be.
I wanted to become the best wizard. I also wanted to stand in the position of the head of the tower. It was the magic tower that came back for that purpose. I couldn’t get out of here just because I didn’t want to see a single person’s face.
“You know that you’ve been chasing the sixth plague more diligently than anyone else, Nella.”
Nella’s face flushed red at Laura’s words. Nella shook her head vigorously in denial and raised her voice.
“Nu, who did you mean who zealously pursued the sixth plague?”
At Nella’s words, Laura let out a low laugh.
“Grow up, Nella. You have enough potential. The possibility of sitting in this seat after me.”
Saying so, Laura issued a congratulatory order to Nella. Laura’s words kept echoing in Nella’s mind. saying that there is a lot of potential. Possibility of coming to the next position following the current tower owner.
“ah.”
When I came to my senses, Nella was standing in a daze in front of the elevator. Somehow, he felt as if he had fallen for a sweet trick and had forgotten the reason why he had visited the tower owner. With the sound of a bell ringing, the elevator in front of me opened. Nella boarded the empty elevator and silently pondered what had just happened.
“… I feel cheated.”
Nella let out a bitter breath and leaned against the elevator handle. The elevator descended slowly. Outside the elevator, I could see the scenery around the Mage Tower. The Mage Tower, which also served as an educational institution for growing talented people, formed a district. Young students who did not yet know the fear of graduate students were walking around in groups. Once upon a time, she was like that too.
“… Let’s work hard.”
As I looked at the scenery, a sense of composure came to me for some reason. Looking at the warrior’s face, it seemed that his anger had subsided to the point where he could move on without getting angry. After taking one last long breath, Nella closed her eyes and stood at the door of the elevator that reached the first floor.
ding.
The bell rang and the elevator opened. Nella opened her eyes and stepped out of the elevator.
“uh.”
And then, I heard the sound of the mage tower buzzing. There was a crippled man staring at him. Nella involuntarily raised her head to face the man who was about to enter the elevator.
“You seem to be doing just fine.”
and a mischievous smile. Slightly mean-looking eyes and turquoise eyes in them. Nella froze on the spot when she saw the hero who appeared at such an unexpected time. He just stared blankly at the hero getting on the elevator and the wizard taking his place.
“you… .”
“First, talk later. slowly.”
The hero spoke lightly and climbed the elevator. The pink-haired sorceress was staring at her, and Nella’s face contorted as she looked at the sorceress. that bitch Why did you become so strong? You seem to have crossed the borderline of the 6th circle.
“… What is this?”
Nella let out a voice mixed with tears as she looked at the elevator that had gone up.
“Did you say you met Nella?”
Laura put a smile on her face as if she was having fun. Facing the best wizard in the kingdom, Daphne had a nervous expression on her face. A sorceress who wove the seventh ring, called the supreme realm. How much did she want to get there?
“I heard that you are living in the Magic Tower.”
“I am doing several studies at the same time. You can think of it as the actual ace of our mage tower.”
Laura nodded and said.
“The hero didn’t stop her from leaving the party.”
“yes. It’s as if I sent them halfway through.”
I turned to Daphne and said. I didn’t have the confidence to reconcile the two before confronting the giant and to make them act as a party.
“I think it was a cruel choice, if cruel. If you want to criticize me, I will accept it.”
“No, warrior. Even if it were me, I would have done that.”
Laura then turned her head to Daphne.
“Daphne’s qualities are on a level that easily surpasses Nella’s in every way. I don’t know how the hero recognized that quality… .”
Laura wiggled her tail.
“If I had to have one of them in the party for the disaster strategy, I would have Daphne-san too.”
After saying that, Laura clapped her hands as if to end this topic.
“Now then, let us discuss the sixth plague. Since the hero has to keep observing the trend of the comet, haven’t you been notified that you will be affiliated with the Astronomical Society?”
“Yes, it was.”
“There is nothing special for the hero to do there, I think you just have to focus on receiving a report on what Daphne-san and the scholars discussed together.”
“… Uh, can we just stay like that?”
“Of course, there’s just one thing I’d like to ask of you.”
Laura looked at me with her odd-eyed glow. Seeing her change of pace, I held my breath.
“It looks like strange people are hiding in the magic tower.”
At Laura’s words, I hardened my expression as well.
“Please help me find them with Daphne.”
Having time bomb in party that facing serious threat of death is like having jungler going the top in the cybersport finale ^_^
Just?
Ohh so Nella isn’t really that bad, huh. She was just vain and made reckless decisions 😌
I would stop reading here. Better wait till the comet arc done, then i’ll read it again after that