Chapter 341: Dropping the Magic Tower
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 341: Dropping the Magic Tower
“Wow… this is truly incredible. I thought we’d never find an answer, no matter how hard we thought… I see now there’s a reason everyone calls you the Great Archmage.”
“It is all thanks to you, Lord Isaac.”
“I never imagined we would make progress this quickly.”
Isaac lifted his chin, full of confidence. In truth, it hadn’t been an easy task for him either. Even with Choi Eunju’s help, the magic they were trying to realize was of an incredibly high difficulty.
Perhaps if it weren’t for the power of love and friendship, he never would have achieved what he wanted.
—It’s all thanks to everyone’s help. I certainly couldn’t have done it alone…
“What did we do? All we did was assist you, Lord Isaac.”
Although he hadn’t spent that much time with them, he had grown quite fond of everyone. He had naturally memorized all their names, and they had even started going out for meals together after their research was done for the day. Of course, Isaac didn’t eat, but he found great joy in simply sharing stories about magic with them.
—M-more importantly, is it true that Blood Dagger is returning today?
“Ah, so the time has come. Yes, we received a message yesterday, so I believe he will be back today.”
—It seems he’s been away for quite some time.
“That’s because he’s returning after conquering every city, large and small. He was terrifying as an enemy, but now that he’s an ally, I couldn’t feel more secure.”
Hearing his beloved being praised was a rather pleasant feeling. In a manner of speaking, Blood Dagger was currently a triumphant general returning from war. As if his incredible achievements in the defensive siege weren’t enough, Isaac would clench his fists every time news of another victory arrived. Waiting alone for so long had been agonizing, but it couldn’t be helped. He endured the long, drawn-out time by telling himself that honey tastes sweeter after a long wait.
—Th-that’s quite… quite something.
A wide grin spread across Isaac’s face before he even realized it.
“By the way, how about we have dinner together again today? Lady Choi Eunju said she’ll be joining us for the first time in a while…”
—Ah… no. I have something else I must do today…
“She said she had something she wanted to talk to you about…”
—N-no, it’s fine. Next time, next time…
“Ah… yes. It’s a shame, but I suppose it can’t be helped. I’ll see you tomorrow, then, Lord Isaac.”
—Y-yes.
Seeing Choi Eunju’s sad face amidst his happy daily life was a heart-wrenching sight for Isaac. She kept trying to get a moment alone with him, as if she had something to say, but there was no way Isaac could endure such a meeting.
‘Thief.’
‘Ahem…’
‘You stole everything from me! So the old saying was about you… ‘the quiet cat gets to the cream first.’’
‘I-it wasn’t my intention…’
‘Sh-shut up! Did you think you could just avoid it like that and everything would be over? I’ll curse you, Isaac… I’ll curse you!’
‘I’m… I’m sorry…’
‘Just you wait… I will never let you take him from me.’
Sometimes, he would hear auditory hallucinations of this nature. Isaac swallowed hard. It was impossible for him to face Choi Eunju right now. The guilt of being the only one who was happy might just tear his heart apart.
‘R-right. It’s not like I’m the bad guy…’
He had heard that love is war. It was heartbreaking that Choi Eunju was growing distant from him, but in the law of the jungle, it was an all-too-common occurrence. It was only natural for a beautiful female to claim a magnificent male. Something about that felt reversed, but anyway, that’s how it was.
And just how long had he waited for this love? Ten thousand years. A full ten thousand years. It wasn’t easy for Isaac to give up on a love that had found him after ten millennia simply because he felt sorry for someone else.
—W-well then, I’ll be heading in.
Fearing Choi Eunju might grab him, Isaac quickly entered his room and, the moment he was inside, jumped onto his bed. Of course, the first thing he did was pull out the letter, breathing in its floral scent. He felt as if he had read it thousands of times already, but the key point was that he still hadn’t grown tired of it. Come to think of it, the kiss they shared when they first met was also incredibly memorable. That incredible forcefulness… what was it they said? That memories are romanticized? Isaac’s eyes began to sparkle.
He had pulled one of his arms and then, powerfully, devoured him in a single bite as if he were prey. Just thinking about it was enough to make his nose bleed; in fact, he remembered his nose actually bleeding at the time. Isaac gulped. His mouth was drying up at an incredible speed.
The rude behavior had transformed into powerful forcefulness, and the ruffian had become a symbol of a strong man. Just as he reached the point where he could no longer control his trembling heart, a loud voice called from outside.
“Lord Isaac! Lord Blood Dagger is returning!”
—Wh-what? Really?
“Yes. He is on his way back now.”
He wasn’t mentally prepared yet. Isaac began to check his condition. His face looked haggard and worn out. He shouldn’t have pushed himself so hard yesterday.
‘Oh… this won’t do.’
He couldn’t meet him like this. In truth, Isaac didn’t need to wash or change into new clothes, but he snapped his fingers and began searching for an outfit that would suit him. A faint light emanated from his staff, causing his clothes to change in succession, but he didn’t like any of them.
—Wh-what do I do? What do I do? Wilson! Wh-what should I do? I can’t remember what a party dress looks like… No, more importantly, isn’t this going too far?
His mind was already in a state of utter chaos. Isaac frantically stomped his feet, but no answer came. Time was ticking away. The path of his return…
“Lord Isaac? Are you sure you don’t want to go out and see?”
—N-no! I’m coming! I’m coming now!
Isaac gave up and rushed out just as he was. He didn’t remember ever changing his clothes specifically to be with him. He was certain that he was loved for who he was; there was no need for other tricks. Faith and love—that was all Isaac needed.
—I… I can do this! Isaac!
As he hurried outside, he began to hear the sound of cheering.
“Waaaaaaah!”
“Wooooooah!”
The roars of the Green Skins and humans were so loud they made his ears ring. A huge crowd had gathered. Blood Dagger had truly returned. Three small cities and one large one. That was the record the Blood Dagger Clan had set on this expedition.
The clan’s executives had assessed that it wasn’t an overwhelming victory since the main forces had remained behind, but even so, a victory like this was helpful in boosting morale. That was likely why the human-Green Skin alliance was propagandizing Blood Dagger’s victory. Isaac quickly began to search for Blood Dagger with his eyes.
Receiving the welcome of a massive crowd as he entered the castle gates, Blood Dagger’s majestic presence was that of a true hero. No, if Isaac were to make a comparison to his own era, he was closer to a champion. The champions of the past had all been nothing but empty husks and greedy fools wearing a champion’s mask.
But look at him now.
Anyone could see he was the very image of a champion returning after defeating a demon king.
—My… my champion.
He muttered the words without realizing it. The massive horns and tail, the spear and greatsword on his back, the two swords and hammer at his waist, and tucked in his clothes would be the throwing dagger he had made for him long ago.
His deep-set eyes and handsome face made the hearts of onlookers flutter. It was then that Blood Dagger casually raised a hand, waving to the crowd that was celebrating him. It was only natural that Isaac, buried in the crowd, would desperately raise his own hand. For some reason, he felt as if Blood Dagger had looked right at him.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Oh my god! Oh my god! Did you see that? Blood Dagger just waved at me!”
“Not you, you bitch! It was me! He was definitely looking at me.”
“Didn’t you say you hated Green Skins? Give me a break…”
“You were the one who said it first.”
“Kyaaaaaah! He waved again!”
Two women in front of him were stomping their feet and making a fuss. Isaac watched them and smirked.
‘Foolish humans…’
Seeing their delusion made him want to laugh. He was certain that Blood Dagger had seen him and waved. He might not have been easy to spot, but Blood Dagger had good eyes, so he must have found him. They weren’t the only ones making a fuss.
“He’s so cool… so handsome. And those horns… if you look closely, isn’t his tail so cute?”
“Cute? Are you kidding? I heard thousands have died by that tail.”
“Are you jealous right now, honey?”
“…”
Voices could be heard from another direction as well. They were all voices of people who either adored or were jealous of Blood Dagger. If this wasn’t a champion, then what was?
—Blood Dagger! Blood Dagger!
He tried shouting with all his might, but his voice was buried by the cheers. It seemed better to speak to him with his mind, but if he appeared too eager, it might push him away.
‘I read it in a book.’
Romance is a skill. For Isaac, who had mastered thousands of romance novels, the simulation for every possible situation was already set. It was a terrible shame, but now was the time to retreat. Blood Dagger was slowly passing through the castle gates and heading toward the center of the metropolis. Isaac smiled as he watched Blood Dagger draw closer and closer.
“Lord Blood Dagger!”
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
All sorts of voices could be heard. The strange thing was that he was getting closer.
“He’s coming this way!”
“Th-this way!”
—What! What’s going on!
Suddenly, Blood Dagger had changed direction and started coming toward him. In that moment, when he didn’t know how to react, Isaac felt Blood Dagger take his hand.
—Huh… huh?
As he stood there in a daze, he heard a voice that was both incredibly dependable and warm.
“What… what are you doing here?”
—N-no, it’s just…
It was like a scene from a romance novel. As all eyes focused on them, Isaac’s face flushed, and he mumbled his reply. The cheers from the crowd continued to roar, and Isaac, trying his best to hide his pounding heart, slowly opened his mouth.
—H-how did you find me?
It was an odd question for anyone to ask, and now that he thought about it, his voice sounded strange, too. The corners of his mouth kept twitching upwards, and it was hard to maintain a normal expression.
“What kind of question is that? Of course I could feel you.”
—Gasp!
An unexpected sneak attack. Isaac clutched at his non-existent chest. All the romance techniques he knew, the art of the push-and-pull, began to fade from his mind.
‘I… I can’t take it.’
There was no way he could. He would probably be conquered in an instant. It was the most romantic thing he had ever heard in his life.
‘Of course I could feel you.’
‘He… he could feel me… Wh-what do I do!’
As he swallowed hard, he felt his body begin to float into the air.
‘He… he lifted me up!’
Everyone here, human and Green Skin alike, was watching him and Blood Dagger. As he was dancing with a happiness so intense he felt he might faint, Blood Dagger’s lips parted once more.
“I have something to say. Let’s go inside and talk.”
—O-okay…
Resistance was impossible. Isaac blushed and nodded his head.