Chapter 43
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Magic Tower (3)
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Upon hearing my words that there was a way,
the Magic Tower Lord Bella
asked in a voice tinged with subtle anticipation.
"So, what exactly is this method? You just said it always ended in self-destruction."
"Simple. If the great demon inside you is the problem, just kill it."
When I responded matter-of-factly to her question, suggesting we simply kill the great demon,
Bella showed clear disappointment and spoke again.
"That's impossible. If you're a regressor, you should know that. To be blunt, even if the Chairman, the Sword Saint, and I attacked it together at the same time, we'd still fail."
Indeed, at this point in time, to take down the great demon,
even gathering the Chairman, the Magic Tower Lord, and the Sword Saint—
all the strongest beings in existence—would naturally fall short.
That was why, at the branching point of the Magic Tower,
the player could never stop that catastrophe...
'Teacher...?'
"Haa..."
Ever since entering the Magic Tower,
Isabel's lines echoing relentlessly in my mind, along with unpleasant memories,
were making it hard to converse with the Magic Tower Lord.
But I hadn't finished speaking yet...
Suppressing it all with a sigh,
I looked back at Bella and continued.
"You're right. It's impossible to grow strong enough to subjugate it before it resurrects. That's why self-destruction was always the only option."
"Exactly. And you're saying killing it is the method, even knowing that?"
At those words,
Bella responded with a slightly sharpened tone.
Anyone would react sharply if the proposed solution to prevent the great demon's resurrection
was the absurd, impossible idea of subjugating the great demon itself.
"But there is a way to subjugate the great demon."
"What...?"
That was only true if subjugating the great demon was impossible...
It was true that I couldn't grow strong enough to take it down before the Magic Tower's branching point...
But for my character, who had soloed even the Evil that Swallowed God,
monopolizing and growing through everything in the world alone, it was a different story.
"The me from the previous regression, having already completed my growth, could definitely do it."
"Ah...!"
At those words,
Eris let out an exclamation as if she understood what I meant.
"Are you talking about the power you showed in the spar with Isabel...? That won't be enough."
But Bella, hearing that, spoke in a doubtful voice, as if she still didn't understand.
Eris continued in a tone full of realization.
"Not that power. Aden can fully summon the strength from his previous regression."
"A power stronger than that...?"
"Yes, exactly. I can only summon it for about three minutes right now, but even five minutes would be plenty to take down the great demon."
After hearing that,
I responded to Bella, whose doubts had only deepened, with a deeply serious voice filled with conviction.
Five minutes.
It was an ambiguous time—not quite leisurely, not quite rushed...
But if I could extend the duration of Life and Death Resolve to around five minutes,
it would be more than enough to handle a mere great demon, not even an evil god.
'More than enough...'
And raising my stats enough to extend Life and Death Resolve to five minutes before the Magic Tower's branching point was entirely feasible.
"Alright, I'll believe you. The Chairman vouches for you, and there are no other options anyway."
Hearing my words brimming with conviction, Bella had no other alternatives, and with the Academy Chairman Eris as the most reliable guarantor, she agreed to trust me.
I thanked her simply and turned to leave the isolated space,
but...
"Thank you— Wait—"
The Magic Tower Lord cut off my gratitude and continued.
"Why tell me specifically that you're a regressor? And why go out of your way to take down the great demon for me?"
She was asking why I revealed I was a regressor to her specifically,
and why I was helping her.
'The reason for helping Bella...'
Obviously, to ask for her help in return.
To ask her to join me in preventing the world's destruction,
helping stop Ixion, the evil gods, and even Giant Evil...
'I'm fine, it's Teacher's request...'
'Is that all...?'
For Eris, Elina, Libia, and even the five main heroines...
That was the sole reason I had revealed—or planned to reveal—that I was a regressor.
That misunderstanding
served as the most convenient excuse,
the perfect justification.
But even for the Magic Tower Lord...
Was helping her really only for that reason?
Thinking it over...
No, it wasn't just that.
'No, it's not hard. Don't worry about it.'
The Magic Tower's branching point—the Magic Tower Lord's death.
After that, if Isabel was still around...
Following Bella's dying wish, Isabel would take over as Magic Tower Lord to control the Sage's mana...
But Isabel at that time wouldn't yet have the strength to become the Magic Tower Lord...
In the end, to control the Sage's mana in that state,
Isabel would suffer immense pain her entire life.
'Not at all. I'm not hurting.'
The Magic Tower would become the only region where collapse didn't progress much after the branching point...
But it wouldn't be the Magic Tower's collapse—
it would be Isabel's mental breakdown...
If not addressed in time, the Magic Tower would still collapse,
another form of rising collapse.
'The truth is, it was hard... It hurt... I can't do it anymore.'
'That's why... I didn't like that part about the Magic Tower Lord.'
That's why I didn't like that part about the Magic Tower Lord...
Even if it meant burdening a young girl in the end,
the Magic Tower Lord only sought to prevent the Magic Tower's collapse...
Thus, she became a hero who thought of the world first and last,
but she failed to be a good guardian.
"Because... Isabel treasures you."
Instead of her mother, who envied her talent as a mage,
or her father, who was always indifferent to his children,
you approached her and showed her kindness...
So Isabel treasured you more than anyone.
"Because of you... she tried to make even the impossible succeed."
Solely because it was your request,
she accepted the Sage's mana with her unawakened talent,
to become the Magic Tower Lord—an impossible ask.
"So... I'm helping you for Isabel's sake, not yours."
So...
In truth, my desire to help the Magic Tower Lord
was to help Isabel, who would face that fate in the future.
"You're an amazing person. You revolutionized the world of magic, made huge contributions to its development... and even chose self-destruction thinking of the world until the end."
From the world's perspective,
the Magic Tower Lord was no villain.
She developed countless spells,
showed new directions to the magical world,
and chose self-destruction alongside the great demon, thinking of the world until the very end...
She was an incredible person.
"But... you weren't a good teacher."
Yet she wasn't a good teacher.
To a child who had only known envy and jealousy since childhood, unloved,
knowing it was unreasonable, she still made that request...
She failed to be a good protector.
"I don't like people who use others..."
With those words,
no response came.
We both just stood there, staring at me blankly.
'Haa...'
The lines from Isabel that had been swirling in my mind from the start
made me feel like I'd gotten unnecessarily emotional in the end.
As I sighed inwardly...
'Tch, in the end, she devoured her own mother too... She should never have been born...'
'Tch...'
Once the emotions poured out,
they dragged up even the memories I didn't want to think about...
No good would come from talking more.
'Mood's ruined...'
Leaving my sharply worsened mood behind,
I exited the space Eris had isolated.
Isabel Helm.
She was waiting outside the isolated space
for her teacher, the Chairman, and Aden.
'What on earth are they talking about...?'
It had already been a few minutes since she'd started waiting outside,
and just as curiosity about their conversation began to build...
From within the isolated space,
Aden began to walk out.
At the sight,
she tried to call his name joyfully, but...
"A... den...?"
Seeing Aden's expression as he emerged, she trailed off.
"Ah, Isabel."
Aden approached and spoke to her normally.
The emotion and tone in his words were utterly ordinary...
'His expression...'
But his expression was anything but.
It was twisted in displeasure, in pain,
yet he seemed to be trying hard to hide it.
Aden, wearing that subtle expression, approached her and spoke.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting long?"
Pok—
"Uh...?"
As he drew near, Aden gently placed his hand on her head.
'Wh-what is this...!'
A motion like petting a child.
Overwhelmed by the sudden embarrassment, she looked up to protest,
but...
"Ah..."
Seeing Aden's face as he naturally stroked her hair,
she lowered her head again.
'Right now...'
Right now, somehow...
it felt like she shouldn't look at his expression...