Chapter 152
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Hisenna's Resolve
I relayed to the gallery what the Tower Master had told me.
The relationship between the Archmage Duke Family and the Tower Master. And the existence of their 'master'.
Archmage Duke Family and Tower Master's relationship. Their 'master' figure.
They were bad guys after all! (Angry Magic Girl pose)
If it's true, those Archmage Duke bastards are total lunatics. Teaming up to kill their master?
That's why they're stuck playing house with their family games.
But is that even possible? How low was the master's realm to get killed by his own disciples?
Wasn't that so-called master's realm just low too?
But the Tower Master said the master's realm was far beyond 9th Circle.
Then he was at least Fluid Realm, right? Is that even possible?
Could that master who vanished be that guy?
Gasp! That could be it!
If the timing matches, it's possible!
Not sure about the timing, but it was around the era when the Archmage Dukes dominated, so pretty old.
Don't you have anything? Dragon head!
Remember something, dragon head!
(Dragon head pose)
Seems possible. Timing lines up roughly.
Above all, to build a tower like that, he'd have to be at least High Nick level.
The Archmage Duke, or whatever, killed that guy!!!!
We have to kill those bastards!!
(Villain defeated! Magic Girl pose)
I'm cummiiiiiing!!!!
The Archmage Dukes are definitely bad guys lol
But that guy got killed by mere 9th Circle scrubs? Doesn't make sense.
We'd need to know what method the Archmage Dukes used.
And since the Archmage Dukes are looking for 'candidates', it might be related.
Dragon head, go do something about the Archmage Dukes. One shot 'em.
Hmm...
Interfering in human affairs isn't my domain.
It'd shatter the causality.
You smashed those taboo mages though.
That was because they poked me... And fixing taboos aligns with causality, doesn't it?
Taboos should be crushed, but this isn't one, so you won't touch it?
What even is this dragon's causality...
Causality (Do whatever you want)
Dragon head's just lazy lmao
Wishing the dragon head would move is a waste of time.
Hmm
Stop humming and just say it.
True enough, tch. Not a taboo, and it's all in the past anyway.
I don't buy that guy losing to 9th Circle scrubs. There must be something else.
Tonight, I miss that guy so much...
Everyone, meditate.
My gut says following the Archmage Dukes' conspiracy will solve everything.
Probably connected lol
Go, Kim Muggle! Grow fast and protect that dimension.
Frustrating since it's not my dimension. Of all places, only a dragon head in that gallery.
At Kim Muggle's growth rate, he'll smash the Archmage Dukes soon lmao
But how does he reach 6th Circle in half a year?
What the hell is this bastard laughing at..?
But then, what was that Duchess talking about back then?
Didn't the Duchess say the Archmage Dukes were looking for the 'reincarnation of the great mage' to use as a sacrifice?
So, possibility that the Tower Master's 'master' and the 'great mage' are the same person?
Oh yeah, that was a thing. Fml;
So then the Archmage Dukes killed their master, and now they're hunting his reincarnation as a sacrifice to reach 10th Circle? Fml
What the... lmao
Sacrificing for realm advancement is nonsense.
If the sacrifice is actually their killed master's reincarnation, it might work.
But that means the Duchess lied.
Nooo, Duchess don't lie!
Duchess has to be the heroine!!
Mosol radar was bullshit after all
Might not be a total lie.
Everything else true, but she hid that she killed her master and twisted just that part lol
I think this is it.
Probability Tower Master lied? Or is bad guy?
That dude's just a hot chick lmao
Doesn't seem like it... Tower Master might have wrong info, but not lying?
Mosol virgins stay out of these talks
'Reincarnation' doesn't even make sense to begin with.
Raising the dead is possible, but...
Reincarnation and necromancy are different lol
Head hurts. Power solves everything!
Meditate first.
Anyway, get strong enough to smash Archmage Dukes, Kim Muggle. That doesn't change.
"Hmm..."
The loose ends seemed mostly tied up.
The connection between the 'that guy' the gallery folks mentioned and the Archmage Dukes' and Tower Master's 'master'.
And if Lee Soo-ah deliberately hid that she killed her master...
Are the candidates the Archmage Dukes are hunting really their master's reincarnation?
But the gallery said reincarnation like in novels doesn't happen.
To be precise, life cycles, but preserving past life's dignity for reincarnation doesn't occur.
Upon death, dignity scatters. A new soul assembles and is reborn.
So what are the Archmage Dukes chasing?
Is Lee Soo-ah trying to stop the other Archmage Dukes out of guilt for killing her master?
I don't know. Why is it so complicated?
"Screw it."
I decided to stop thinking.
Everyone says something different, so pondering is pointless.
Power Mage's comments always helped in times like these.
Get strong, and most headaches resolve.
If your head hurts, maybe you're just not strong enough.
I closed the gallery and stood up.
The noisy first-floor lounge had gone quiet at some point.
It was late; cadets had returned to their rooms.
Despite the incident, the remaining tour schedule continued.
I headed back to my room too.
"Loser! What took you so long? Sit down already!"
"Welcome back, Ian!"
Returning to the room, Elrim and Chayuri were at it again with their board game.
"Oh? It's Ian."
"Were you rooming with Ian and Hisenna?"
"Mind if I squeeze in~?"
But today, it wasn't just Elrim and Chayuri.
Other girls from the class were over, hanging out in our room.
Earlier in the maze, Hisenna mentioned the girls doing a girls' night or something.
She said I'd get a quiet night in the room.
Turns out the girls' night was happening in my room.
"Ian... sorry."
"What happened?"
"The room where we planned to gather got raided since some girls were arrested, so it ended up here."
"Ah."
The original girls' night room belonged to Hera's gang.
A few got arrested over the maze incident, so they shifted to ours.
I could guess why ours was picked.
Elrim and Chayuri probably steered it that way to hang with me.
"It's fine... I'll head out."
"Where you going, loser? Sit!"
"Sit down!"
"You're the owner, so we'll let you join!"
I tried to slip out alone, but they wouldn't let me.
Not just Elrim and Chayuri—even the other girls grabbed me.
I really wanted a quiet rest today.
Trapped among the girls, looked like I'd be up all night.
Ooooh?! Group orgy sex party incoming?!?!
I posted to the gallery, but that was the response.
After entertaining them till dawn, I finally snuck out.
The remaining group's third-day tour ended.
Cadets exited the tower and boarded carriages.
The Sub-Tower Master and Tower Master watched them leave from above.
"Did you see? The first-year I mentioned."
"Yes."
"Tempting, right? His realm rose even more in the meantime. He contributed to the maze incident too."
The Sub-Tower Master had attended the subjugation festival as a VIP, observing the cadets.
The one who caught his eye most was first-year Ian Isaac.
A promising talent. He'd reported to the Tower Master right away about the good first-year.
"Yes. He's reached early 6th Circle."
"...6th Circle?"
Ian reaching 6th Circle in the interim was unexpected.
But that made him even more desirable.
"Then we should recruit him to the tower..."
"No. Drop interest in that kid."
"Pardon? But he's a once-in-history talent."
"That's why I'm telling you to ignore him."
"What do you mean?"
The Sub-Tower Master couldn't comprehend.
Found such an amazing talent, but don't recruit?
And ignore him instead?
"Do it quietly. No matter how outstanding he is, act like he doesn't exist."
"Ah~ Keep him under wraps till graduation so others don't notice."
"...Think what you want."
"Understood. Heh."
The Sub-Tower Master saluted playfully and vanished.
He'd misunderstood, but the Tower Master let it slide.
"Before graduation... that should be enough."
As long as Ian's identity stayed hidden till graduation, it'd be fine.
By then, Ian would be beyond anyone's grasp.
Tower Master Mitsuya Raskalet gazed fondly out the window at the face she missed.
"Heh heh... To think such a brilliant magic stone exists in this world..."
On the bus back to the academy from the tower.
Ian clutched the magic stone he'd received, grinning sleazily.
Originally the first-place maze escape prize,
but he got it for helping catch Hera's gang.
"You like it that much, Ian?"
Hisenna, seated beside him, asked.
Elrim and Chayuri peeked from behind.
"An engine, was it? Perfect for Ian's broomstick."
"Why does only the loser get such an awesome stone? Hng."
"This stone's for me, heh heh..."
It was called an 'engine' magic stone.
Stores vast mana, and with minor processing, releases small amounts at intervals.
Ideal for flight or drive magic that consumes mana per second.
Usable indefinitely without draining, lasts ages with good care.
Expensive, mainly for carriages.
"With this, infinite flight... heh heh. Time to add a saddle too, heh heh..."
"Perverted, Ian."
"Why do you love that broom so much, you loser."
Ian was thrilled at upgrading his broomstick with the engine.
Engine lets him fly without mana cost proportional to stored mana.
Still needs spellcasting tech,
but no mana drain for flight is huge.
Plus, he'd finally add the saddle he'd delayed.
No more crotch pain from broom riding.
Ian had been beaming since.
"Yawwn~ But I'm tired."
"You played so much last night."
Elrim yawned, slumping into her seat.
Chayuri closed her eyes beside her.
Last night, the girls partied till dawn; no proper sleep.
Ian snuck out midway for training.
Hisenna wanted to follow, but the girls wouldn't let her.
Her plan fizzled.
'Last night was the perfect chance... Ugh...'
She'd hoped for alone time with Ian in the room.
And to ask what happened with Chayuri that subjugation festival night.
"Hmph..."
Hisenna glared at Elrim and Chayuri behind her.
Too much. Blocking every chance for alone time with Ian.
She started resenting them.
"Eek?!"
Snapping out of it, Hisenna turned away hastily.
Hating friends? No way.
But the hurt feelings lingered.
'Chayuri used Nayu-senpai too...'
That subjugation night, Nayu plied her and Elrim with drinks on purpose.
So Chayuri could whisk Ian away.
Unfair. Then she blocks last night?
Should at least let her ask what happened.
'I can't stay like this.'
In the fatigue-filled carriage, all asleep.
Hisenna steeled herself.
Can't go on like this. Uneasy, though she didn't know why.
Felt like Ian might slip away. Chayuri seemed more seductive and venomous lately.
Elrim still a loser, though.
Anyway, time to firm up her resolve.
Before break ends. She'd make alone time with Ian, no matter what.