Magic Tower
Magic Tower
I slowly raised my gaze.
Then, I saw the silhouette of a person looking down at me from below.
It was Master.
She was sitting in the chair at my bedside, in the exact same posture as when I fell asleep yesterday. With her white, slender fingers resting gently between my hair.
"......Master?"
As my dry voice broke the silence, her shoulders trembled slightly.
Her eyes wavered, unable to find focus for a moment, but soon, I saw them fill with a kind and warm smile, like melting snow.
It was her smile, the kindest in the world, the one that had always put me at ease.
"You're awake, Rion."
"......Did you stay up all night, by any chance?"
At my question, Master's shoulders stiffened visibly for a moment.
Her eyes darted around in confusion for a brief moment, but soon she shook her head gently, wearing her usual kind and gentle smile.
"How could that be? I just came to visit after finishing some work after you fell asleep, as I had some spare time."
Even while saying that, Master quietly avoided my gaze and stood up from her seat.
"Hurry up and wash up, Rion. Hearing the news that you've returned, your old acquaintances from the Magic Tower are waiting for you outside, craning their necks."
"Acquaintances...... you say?"
"Yes. The elders of the school you used to conduct research with, and the mid-level mages who remember you. They haven't dared to barge into this room because of my strict orders."
Master headed toward the door as she said that.
"I've prepared clothes in front of the bathroom, so wash up and change comfortably. I'll be waiting outside the door."
Click.
The door closed, and silence returned to the room.
I got up, washed my body with warm water, and put on the clothes placed in front of the bathroom.
It was a deep blue formal uniform, woven from top-grade mana silk, which only high-ranking mages of the Magic Tower could wear.
I buttoned it up, took one last look in the mirror, and opened the door.
Click.
As soon as the door opened, I saw Master leaning against the hallway wall.
"Master, I'm all ready."
The moment my gaze met Amelia's, a strange silence fell.
"Master?"
When I called her softly, Master flinched visibly and took a step back.
"......Ah, yes. It suits you quite well."
Unable to look me straight in the face, she kept her gaze fixed on my neck or shoulder area.
As I stared at her with a puzzled look, Master seemed even more flustered, cleared her throat, and hurriedly turned her back to start walking.
"Ahem, ahem! We're running late. Let's go. Everyone is waiting."
I asked quietly from behind.
"Where are we going right now? If acquaintances are waiting, is it the school's grand auditorium or the banquet hall?"
At my question, Master slowed her walking pace ever so slightly.
However, she still didn't turn her head to look at me, and answered while walking straight ahead.
"......It's the Magic Tower's central banquet hall. I personally prepared a grand welcome ceremony to commemorate your return."
Passing through the Magic Tower's corridors with Master, a massive brass door soon appeared in front of us.
The Magic Tower's emblem, intricately carved onto the surface of the door, was glowing blue, imbued with faint magical power.
Central Banquet Hall.
It was a space filled with memories of when I had successfully finished a small academic presentation as Master's assistant in the past, and Master had poured me a glass of top-quality wine and praised me.
Master stopped in front of the door.
She took a deep breath, and only then did she slowly turn her head to look at me.
"Rion."
"Yes, Master."
"When we go inside...... just stand quietly by my side. I won't let anyone ask you any rude questions, so you just think about being welcomed."
"......I will keep that in mind."
If it were the old me, I would have been moved by her consideration and uttered more affectionate sentences, but for the current me, this level of response was my limit.
At my dry answer, Master bit her lip lightly, then quickly composed her emotions and stopped in front of the banquet hall's massive doors.
Two guardian golems sensed our approach and pushed the doors open to both sides, emitting a heavy mechanical sound.
Kugugugu—.
As the door opened, the magnificent melody of string instruments flowing from inside and warm, splendid lights filled my vision.
"Oh......!"
"The Tower Master has arrived!"
As the door opened completely, the hundreds of mages filling the banquet hall stopped talking in unison and turned their heads.
The elites of the Magic Tower, dressed neatly in deep blue or their respective school's magic robes, parted to create a path.
And in the center of that path, the eyes of the old mages who discovered me walking in widened in shock and delight all at once.
"Rion......! Is that really you, Rion!"
The first to step forward was Professor Felix, an elder of the Mana Circuit Control School who had previously conducted research with me.
"Hoo... it really is Rion! The Mana Backflow Control Formula you established back then is still being used as an essential textbook in our school!"
Following him, mages who remembered my face approached one after another to greet me.
"Welcome, Rion-gun!"
The next to approach was Viscount Mobius, an elder of the Magic Golem School.
The old mage, who approached with his white beard fluttering, grabbed my shoulder firmly.
"It's been a while, Lord Mobius."
"You look quite haggard. So, have you had enough worldly experience? Since you left, there has been no progress in golem power source efficiency research. Without your incredible intuition, none of the papers at the academic conference are any good."
The old mage's voice was mixed with pure delight and a hint of resentment.
They all mentioned the academic achievements I had made in the past, saying they welcomed my return.
Listening to the conversation, instead of deep comfort, I felt a strange sense of alienation.
Ah, I see.
The countless questions and pure goodwill pouring toward me.
They were not welcoming me as a human being.
They were merely welcoming the talent I possessed, the academic benefits I could provide them, and the background of being the Tower Master's only disciple.
Suddenly, I felt nauseous.
Just then, as if sensing my condition, Master stepped forward and brushed Viscount Mobius's hand off my shoulder.
"My child is in a state of extreme physical and mental exhaustion due to a long journey. Do not bother Rion with absurd questions just because you are old acquaintances. Today's event is merely to welcome Rion back to the Magic Tower safely."
At Master's sharp reprimand, the old mages hurriedly bowed their heads and stepped back.
"I, I was short-sighted. Tower Master. I apologize to you too, Rion. I was short-sighted. You should rest well for the time being. Yes, indeed."
As Professor Mobius retreated, sweating, Master left them behind and led me to the head table of the banquet hall.
I sat down and faced the food, but all that lingered in my mouth was the texture of dry sand.
The banquet continued, and the conversation rolled smoothly with me as the central axis.
I became a thorough observer and watched the scene.
How much time had passed? Just as the mood of the banquet reached its peak, a heavy drum sound rang out three times from the hallway.
Doong—. Doong—. Doong—.
"It's time."
Master muttered quietly.
"Rion, I couldn't tell you because I was afraid it would be a burden, but today is the day of the Magic Tower's annual event, the Apprentice Selection Ceremony. According to the schedule, I should be presiding over it, but since it overlaps with your welcome ceremony, we decided to hold the final selection here in the central banquet hall."
Doong—. Doong—.
As the drum sound rang out once more, the gazes of the mages in the banquet hall naturally turned toward the auxiliary door at the entrance of the banquet hall.
"Sages of the Magic Tower, today is a day to celebrate the return of the great Tower Master's direct disciple, Mage Rion, and at the same time, it is the day of the Apprentice Selection Ceremony, a long-standing tradition of the Magic Tower."
At the Chief Administrator's declaration, a low murmur arose throughout the banquet hall.
Ah, so today was that day.
The Magic Tower's system, which I had buried in the back of my memories, came to mind.
The Magic Tower accepts new apprentices who have passed strict exams at a set time every year.
And on the date those apprentices enter, senior mages traditionally go through a ceremony where they check their aptitude and mana waves, then appoint them as their official disciples.
For senior mages, taking in a capable disciple was the best opportunity to flourish their own school and expand their influence within the Magic Tower.
Therefore, this selection ceremony was also a fierce battle of wits among mages, disguised as a welcome ceremony.
"There are a total of fifty new apprentices this year. Although the sages of each school have already reviewed their qualifications...... according to tradition, the 'Chief Apprentice' of this batch is granted a special privilege."
The Chief Administrator mage cast his gaze toward below the podium.
"The Chief Apprentice can directly designate any mage within the Magic Tower, excluding the Tower Master, as their master and request teaching. It is a strict rule of the Magic Tower that the designated mage cannot refuse this unless there is a justifiable reason."
The murmuring grew louder.
Being the Chief Apprentice meant they were the greatest genius of the generation, and it meant that the right to take such talent under one's wing depended entirely on the apprentice's own choice.
"Chief Apprentice, come forward."
At the Chief Administrator's call, the central aisle of the banquet hall parted.
And through it, a girl walked out.
It was a girl wearing a pure white apprentice robe. Her burning red hair rippled strangely under the banquet hall's magical lights.
Every time she took a step, I could see the air around her trembling slightly like a heat haze.
Innate Fire Mana affinity.
The scale of her talent was different. For a mere apprentice, the uncontrolled mana was being emitted to the point where it was visible to the naked eye.
She was a monster worthy of being called this year's Chief.
A greedy light shone in the eyes of the elder mages all at once.
If they could just take such talent as a disciple and raise her well, it would be no different from having a strong candidate for the next Vice Tower Master as an ally.
The red-haired girl did not show even a single trace of tension, despite receiving the hot gazes of numerous sages and high-ranking mages.
She walked right up to the front of the podium and bowed lightly toward Tower Master Amelia Blanche.
"24th batch new apprentice Chief, Licia Lowell. I greet the Tower Master."
Master, leaning back in her chair, looked down at Licia with dry eyes.
Her interest was focused solely on whether my glass was empty or if my complexion had darkened, so a girl who was called a genius of the era seemed to be of no concern to her.
"A descendant of the Lowell family. Quite excellent."
Master tossed out a soulless compliment.
"Chief Apprentice, Licia Lowell. I wish to exercise my privilege according to tradition."
The girl's clear voice rang throughout the banquet hall.
"Yes, as the Chief, you have the right to choose your master. If you have already decided on a school or sage in your heart, announce it here."
As soon as Master's words fell, the elders of the Combat School or the Summoning School subtly puffed out their chests, showing off their presence.
It was highly likely that mages who coveted Licia's fire talent had already contacted her family in advance.
Her golden eyes slowly scanned the hall. Her burning gaze finally stopped in one place.
The corners of the girl's mouth, which had been staring quietly at my blue uniform, curved up smoothly.
An ominous premonition brushed along my spine.
Licia raised her right hand without hesitation and pointed exactly at me.
"I...... would like to have Rion-nim, the Tower Master's only disciple and the pioneer of Mana Circuit Control Theory, as my master."
In an instant, the entire banquet hall froze as if cold water had been poured over it.
And.
"......What did you say?"
Master's white fingers were gripping the armrest of the chair until it looked like it would break.