Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Shoot Towards the Dawn (3)
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Ronan already had La Mancha drawn in his hand, gleaming brightly. The mana emanating from the 7th Circle mage's body was so dense it made his head spin. Aown Phira, looking down at the two of them, opened his mouth to speak.
"I want to talk with you both. Do you have a moment?"
"W-With us?"
Erzsebet's eyes widened into circles. Aown Phira nodded.
"Yes. You both look like freshmen, but your skills are impressive. I couldn't suppress my curiosity about such promising juniors."
"Juniors?"
"I'm an alumnus of Phileon too. Class of 767."
Ronan's eyes widened. More surprising than the fact that he was an academy senior was that he looked barely into his early thirties. Stroking his mustache, Aown Phira looked at Ronan and said,
"Your abilities in particular were very intriguing. How exactly did you dispel that fireball with a sword strike?"
"I just... sliced it up finely, and it disappeared."
"That's astonishing. I understand—everyone has their secrets."
"It's true, though."
He clearly didn't believe it. For Ronan, who meant it literally, there was nothing more to explain. Aown Phira continued.
"It seems our conversation might drag on. I'd like to invite you to my office. Is that alright with everyone?"
"O-Of course!"
Erzsebet nodded quickly. It was the natural response. The Tower of Dawn was one of the five supreme mage towers. Being invited by its tower mage and acting tower lord proxy was no everyday occurrence.
"Sure, I'm in."
Ronan agreed readily as well. He had a few questions of his own. A faint smile spread across Aown Phira's face.
"I'm glad you accept. Follow me, then."
Aown Phira led the way. Contrary to expectations of riding the pillar of fire, the three walked normally. It was because only those who could elementalize their bodies avoided burns otherwise.
"The only magic that can transport others without restrictions is spatial attribute magic. Is Kratir still the principal of Phileon, by any chance?"
"Yeah."
"As expected of Lord Rorhon's disciple. He'll surely be the next to reach 9th Circle."
Aown Phira explained that Kratir had been principal even when his father attended Phileon. What an incredible old man. It was hard to believe he hadn't appeared during the final battle.
Soon, they entered the main gate of the Tower of Dawn. The ivory stone interior exuded an antique grandeur proportional to its long history, much like the exterior.
The first floor served as a lobby, like any tall building. A massive statue symbolizing a blazing sun shone in the center.
Mages in red robes bustled about. Each bowed with hands clasped in greeting whenever they passed Aown Phira. Ronan, looking around, raised an eyebrow.
"More ordinary than I thought."
It was quite different from the bizarre atmosphere of Phileon's main building. There were no upside-down staircases or portraits that suddenly picked fights.
The Phileon weirdos were the odd ones out, after all. As he thought that, his eyes caught a six-legged lizard sprawled asleep in a corner of the lobby, belly up. Ronan's face stiffened.
'Shit. A salamander.'
He nearly drew his sword. If someone from his past life handed him paper and pen to list ten monsters that were a pain to fight, this beast would rank high.
The flame lizard that incinerated humans with a single exhale. Its sleek, at least 3-meter body was enveloped in non-burning flames. Phileon students, including Erzsebet, listened to a guiding mage who seemed to be their escort.
"What you're seeing is Nancy, the salamander we've raised here in the Tower of Dawn for 120 years. Cute, right?"
"Wow, my first salamander! Can I touch it?"
'Crazy bastards.'
Ronan shook his head at the sight of them giggling. Mages were never right in the head. They boarded a magic elevator and headed straight to the tower's top.
Aown Phira's office was on the top floor of the Tower of Dawn. Through the vast arched window spanning the wall, they could see the awakening sun and the rippling Dawn Sea at a glance.
Aown Phira explained that on clear days, one could even spot Rodolan Fortress near the horizon. The three sat on reception sofas and chatted. Topics included thanks for the recent incident and updates on Phileon.
"Oh, I thought you were no ordinary ones, but you're the lady of House Acalusia. You handle three attributes?"
"Yes. Fire, wind, and telekinesis. Fire's my strongest."
"Born with both fire and wind—truly a heaven-sent talent. Any plans to join the Tower of Dawn after graduation? Grancia's third daughter is here too, so you'd lack for nothing."
"Hee hee, I'll think about it."
Erzsebet covered her mouth laughing. She sure loved praise. Grancia? Did he say that? As Ronan tilted his head, wondering if he'd misheard, Aown Phira continued.
"The same goes for you, Ronan. You'll undoubtedly become a great swordsman."
"Thanks."
"No empty words. Your skill doesn't pale next to the Empire's Rising Star. I hope you hone it to cleave the world's darkness."
Aown Phira said. It didn't take long to realize he was a good man—one of those rare types fueled by pure goodwill.
'For now, at least.'
Still, there were a few things that kept him from fully relaxing. With the mood lightened, it was time for the main point. Ronan spoke up.
"By the way, Aown Phira, I've got a question."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Why didn't you help sooner earlier? We almost got shot down."
The smile vanished from Aown Phira's face. Ronan stared into his eyes without changing expression.
Erzsebet started hiccuping at the sudden interrogation.
"That was..."
"You had plenty of time to block the fireballs."
The more he thought, the less it made sense. He didn't know exactly how many mages were in the tower, but at least hundreds.
Even if Aown Phira himself missed the fireballs, one of them should have spotted and countered them. Aown Phira stroked his mustache silently instead of answering immediately. Finally, he sighed deeply and spoke.
"...We spotted the fireballs right after you jumped from the ship."
"What?"
"Exactly as I said. No one in the tower saw the fireballs being launched or flying. Precisely when you swung your sword in midair, the fireballs appeared. By then, they were already too close to intercept."
In other words, seven fireballs had suddenly materialized out of thin air. Ronan furrowed his brow.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I swear on my honor as tower mage. We were closely monitoring your airship."
He continued explaining. Aown Phira said they'd greatly heightened security after the Nebula Klazier suicide incident. In fact, they'd deployed familiars far before the ship arrived to track it in real time. Yet that had happened.
"We planned to reveal the truth once the investigation concluded. I considered telling you at first, but it would've just amplified our guests' anxiety. Everyone in the tower, myself included, experienced the same phenomenon."
Absurd. Just as Ronan was about to ask if they'd all taken drugs, the silent Erzsebet spoke up.
"Could it be perception interference magic?"
"That's our current hypothesis. Nothing else explains it."
Aown Phira nodded gravely. Erzsebet's face hardened.
"No way. Casting perception interference over such a wide area... If true, even you, a tower mage, fell for it?"
"Yes."
"Who could wield such powerful magic..."
Erzsebet muttered in disbelief. Perception interference, which made targets hard to notice, typically worked only on those with lower magic resistance than the caster.
To affect the Tower of Dawn, teeming with skilled mages—and even Aown Phira at 7th Circle simultaneously—was practically impossible.
"Maybe Lord Rorhon played a prank...?"
"Unlikely. He's immersed in research and skipped the last tower lord meeting. In any case, if someone used perception interference on us, they're an extraordinarily powerful mage..."
Aown Phira trailed off. It clearly wasn't a mere misfire. Ronan was about to ask about the missing people when Aown Phira stood, straightening his collar.
"...Shall we get going? I have a meeting this afternoon. Before that, let me show you the Cradle of Dawn."
"Really?!"
The suspicious atmosphere vanished instantly. Erzsebet practically jumped for joy.
The Cradle of Dawn was a laboratory where mages developed new spells—normally accessible only after five years as a tower member. Ronan shook his head.
"I'll pass."
"Hm? Something wrong?"
"Can't afford more delays. Need to hit the library."
It wasn't a bad offer. He might learn magic someday, and such experience could prove useful later.
But his purpose here was solely clues about Haju. Aown Phira said regretfully,
"Can't be helped, then. If you need help anytime, come find me. As tower lord proxy or Phileon senior, I'll do my utmost."
"Appreciate it."
"Oh, I have something for you."
Rummaging in his inner pocket, Aown Phira pulled out a flat metal case. Inside were five scrolls the size of an index finger. Ronan tilted his head.
"What's this?"
"Scrolls I made. Phileon has plenty of dangerous field trips—use them in emergencies."
Aown Phira explained they held spells like Prominence Bird, ones he favored. Ronan's face stiffened. Unless his ears deceived him, these weren't defensive charms.
'...Mages really aren't right in the head.'
Prominence Bird was the spell used against Ahayute. No sane person handed it out like garden vegetables.
"Thanks."
He didn't refuse, of course. Chuckling wryly, Ronan pocketed the case. Honestly, he liked it—a lot. Erzsebet said,
"You worked hard, Lord Ronan. How long will you stay in the tower?"
"Dunno. At least four days?"
"Hee hee, same here. See you around sometime."
"Yeah. Eat with your friends sometime, not always alone."
"Th-That's none of your business!"
The three rode the elevator down together. Since the Cradle of Dawn was above the library, Ronan saw them off first. As the elevator descended again, Aown Phira turned back.
"Oh, be careful not to read the forbidden tomes."
"Forbidden tomes?"
The doors closed before more could be said. Ronan tilted his head.
'What the hell was that?'
It sounded more like grandmotherly advice than a warning. Soon, the elevator stopped. As the doors opened, the library sprawled before him. Struck by its grandeur, he chuckled.
"...Impressive."
The massive library, boasting one of the continent's largest collections, occupied six floors of the 24-story tower.
The ceiling, merging all six levels, soared immeasurably high.
Books lined the circular walls densely. Dozens of cylindrical shelves rose to the ceiling.
Sunlight filtering through scattered windows provided perfect reading light. People selected books from floating platforms in the air.
Ronan's lips curved up. Surely even one or two clues to his curse lurked here. Brushing back his bangs as he gazed at the city of books, he muttered,
"Let's do this."
Ronan got straight to work. Step one: find the librarian Sarante mentioned. Blind searching would take not three days, but a year.
The problem was the library's vastness made spotting the librarian hard. Plenty of bespectacled types roamed, indistinguishable by looks.
Did he have to ask one by one? As he thought that, a woman's voice came from behind.
"Excuse me, looking for a book?"
"Hm?"
Ronan turned. A petite girl stood there. Her orange bob and height matching Asel's were striking.
"From Phileon Academy, right? Tell me if you need anything."
"You wouldn't be... the librarian?"
She nodded. Seeing her youthful face, Ronan tutted inwardly.
'...Doesn't look old enough to know Sarante.'
She seemed no older than him, maybe a bit younger—hardly connected to someone who secluded centuries ago. Her voice was innocent too. Skeptical, Ronan asked,
"Any other librarians?"
"Pardon? No. Helpers aplenty, but I'm the only librarian."
"Hm... Guess that fits. Hold on."
Silently rummaging in his pocket, Ronan pulled out a ring. A gem gleamed in the silver band—Sarante's heirloom, to show the Dawn Tower librarian. Her eyes widened at the sight.
"That...!"
"My friend said to show you this. Know her?"
"H-How... This can't be..."
She'd look less shocked meeting a dragon on a stroll. Alternately staring at the ring and Ronan, she suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"I know her better than anyone. Follow me."