Pentagon
A full week had already passed since I became a formal mage. I had never much cared for lingering in one place too long, yet life at the Magic Towers was far from unpleasant.
No—if anything, I found myself wanting to stay even longer. There was simply so much here worth learning.
With countless mages living and working together, the towers thrummed with an immense, restless tide of mana. My sensitive body grew more accustomed to it with every passing day.
I never sought anyone out for formal lessons. I simply watched and absorbed what I needed. When answer sheets lay scattered all around you, why bother hunting down a teacher?
Today, as usual, I was wandering freely through the many towers. Lost in the swirling mana that filled the air, I was idly waving my hands through it when a wave of searing heat suddenly washed over me.
"You're Ceris, aren't you?"
The voice came from behind, riding that same heat. I turned my head slightly and found a young man in a red robe looking down at me.
"And you are?"
At my question his brow furrowed. He was silent a moment before speaking again.
"Vermilion of the Red Tower."
He announced himself as though the name alone should impress me. The arrogant confidence in his posture—the way he seemed to look down on everything around him—told me exactly what sort of man he was.
"Why are you looking for me?"
My voice dropped, cooler than before. He had interrupted a perfectly pleasant moment, so there was no reason for me to sound sweet. Of course, coming from a small girl it probably just sounded like a cute little sulk.
"Hmm. It seems you don't know who I am."
Vermilion didn't appear particularly offended by my tone. He nodded to himself, murmuring that it was only natural, then continued.
"I came to invite you to join the Pentagon."
"The Pentagon…?"
I tilted my head. Vermilion looked at me as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"You don't know the Pentagon? Truly?"
When I nodded, he launched into an explanation. According to him, the Pentagon was a social circle of promising young mages whose futures were already secured—disciples of tower masters and deputy masters, the cream of the next generation.
I could only keep tilting my head as I listened. The fact that he had come to recruit me meant he himself must be one of those talented mages. Yet to my eyes, Vermilion looked no different from any ordinary mage wandering these halls.
His swagger suggested he wasn't lying, and the reactions of the mages nearby confirmed it. They clearly knew of the Pentagon.
"I'm not really interested in joining."
"Ah… it seems you still don't quite—"
Vermilion had clearly never expected a refusal. He looked visibly flustered as he began listing the benefits of membership. None of them mattered to me in the slightest.
"I appreciate the offer, but I still don't feel like it."
"Well, this is…"
He wore a troubled expression. After a brief hesitation he sighed, turned on his heel, and walked away. I had expected him to cling stubbornly, but he gave up with surprising ease.
I went back to waving my hands through the air. Faint blue mana coiled pleasantly around my fingers. As it did, Rain's face drifted into my mind.
Could she be a member of the Pentagon too?
I had been roaming the towers without a care when hunger finally caught up with me and I began thinking of heading back. That was when a group of mages started walking toward me.
Their robes came in every color. Robe color usually indicated affiliation and rank, but I still hadn't fully grasped tower culture, so I couldn't tell who they were just by looking.
One of them, however, I recognized immediately—the man in the red robe who had invited me to the Pentagon. Vermilion.
Five young mages, Vermilion among them, stopped in front of me. My gaze naturally settled on the man standing at their center.
The way the others waited for him to speak made it clear he was their leader.
"Hmm…"
He looked down at me with a low hum, then glanced sideways at Vermilion. Vermilion gave a small, silent nod.
"Lobstein of the Blue Tower."
Was it customary for mages to introduce themselves by tower first? I took the cue and answered with a polite nod.
"Ceris of the Tower of Dawn. What can I do for you?"
"I heard you refused membership in the Pentagon. That's why we're here."
"I thought that conversation was already finished…"
"…It seems you still don't understand the culture of these towers."
"Do I really need to?"
"How can you even ask that? Once you've become a mage—"
I let Lobstein's words wash over me, frowning. Hunger was already gnawing at me, and these uninvited guests were steadily stoking my irritation.
Why were they so determined to drag me into their little social club? I cut him off.
"Have you eaten yet?"
"Uh…? Not yet, but—"
"Perfect. Let's talk over a meal."
Part of me wanted to refuse them coldly, but now that I belonged to the towers I figured it wouldn't hurt to stay on decent terms with the other mages.
I led the five of them to one of the dining halls inside the towers. Mages were free to use any tower's cafeteria, regardless of affiliation.
Small smiles appeared on Lobstein's face and those of the other four. Apparently the invitation to eat together had gone over well. My answer was already decided, of course, but I saw no need to voice it just yet.
Once we sat down, Lobstein launched into a long, unsolicited lecture on the history of the Pentagon. I paid no attention whatsoever.
"I think I need some time to consider it."
I stood as I spoke. Lobstein looked startled.
"T-time to consider…? Weren't you going to join?"
"I need to think it over a little more. Thank you for the offer, though."
Faced with that, Lobstein stopped pressing. He only asked when he might expect an answer.
"Who knows."
I let the words trail off and left the dining hall.
About three days had passed since I parted ways with the Pentagon people. I was having a meal with Rain when the memory suddenly surfaced.
"Hey, Rain."
"Hm?"
"Do you know about the Pentagon?"
"The Pentagon…? Don't tell me they came looking for you."
"Ah—yes."
I nodded. So she knew of the social circle as well.
"Are you a member too?"
"As if. Those guys are a massive pain. Better not get involved. I don't have time to waste hanging around with idiots like—"
Rain was waving her fork as she spoke when a large group of mages suddenly poured into the quiet dining hall.
The man at their center looked familiar—Lobstein of the Blue Tower. He scanned the room, spotted me, and strode straight over. The mages with him numbered more than twice as many as before.
"Oh, for…"
Rain let out a long sigh at the approaching Pentagon members.
"Good to see you, Ceris… and Rain."
Lobstein sat down across from us as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The rest of the Pentagon mages settled in around us just as casually.
More than ten pairs of eyes fixed on me. I frowned and set down the fork I had been holding.
Rain scowled.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Doing? We simply came for an answer."
"An answer? What are you—"
"Rain, this has nothing to do with you. Ceris. You've had enough time to think, haven't you?"
The air between Rain and Lobstein was anything but friendly. He ignored her completely and looked straight at me.
Still frowning, I quietly assessed the mages around us. The mana leaking from them was no different from that of any ordinary mage.
Lobstein, their leader, seemed a little stronger—but only relative to the ten or so people with him.
There was no sign of the brilliant talents Vermilion had first described, the ones supposedly destined to lead the future.
There was nothing more to discuss. If this had truly been a gathering of exceptional mages, I might have been interested.
I rose from my seat, fork and knife still in hand.
"Rain. Let's head back."
"Ah—okay."
As we turned to leave, Lobstein and the rest of the Pentagon stood as well, clearly intending to block our path.
"I still haven't heard your answer."
The moment Lobstein finished speaking, I lightly tapped the knife and fork together.
Ting—!
The soft metallic note carried my mana with it, forming a low-frequency vibration. As the wave spread and met the ambient mana, the sound began to amplify.
Before long the amplified noise had transformed into something that resembled the roar of a colossal monster.
The ten mages surrounding us clutched their chests and sank to their knees one after another. Their faces had gone deathly pale as they stared up at me; the sight was almost comical.
"Hhk…"
"Haaah…"
"K-kh…"
The way they looked at me had completely changed. It was the same look adventurers wore when they faced a monster far beyond their ability to handle.
One of them had even collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
All I had done was imitate the dragon's roar that lingered in the faint memories of Calvein's and Kashipa's mana, yet this was the result.
"W-what…? What did you just do? What in the world…"
"Everyone seems a little under the weather."
I guided Rain out of the dining hall. Behind us, faint groans faded into the background like distant noise.