Presentation (4)
"I have a question for you. Do you mind?"
"Of course not."
The Magic Tower Master slowly rose from his seat.
"We’re fairly far apart, so let’s do it this way."
Wearing a serious expression, he personally cast Spring Day, then pointed to one circuit and posed a question that only I could answer.
"Does it truly contain only academy-level magic?"
He was asking how magic with so little written about it and such a high degree of difficulty could possibly count as academy-level.
So I answered in a way anyone who had taken Spring Day apart would agree with.
"The problem was difficult, but it unquestionably utilizes the theories taught at the academy. It was simply a matter of time."
"Hmm..."
"In my opinion, if they had been given just two more weeks, students besides Ayla would have arrived at the correct answer."
Perhaps finding no room to argue, the Magic Tower Master folded his arms and closed his mouth.
I leisurely brushed a falling flower petal with my fingertip.
'This much was within expectations.'
The Magic Tower Master's claim wasn't wrong.
After all, the Spatial Magic known to the public was famous for being exceedingly difficult and esoteric.
Only a tiny portion of it was actually used, and it had yet to become widespread.
But I was different.
I had blended it in so that it operated naturally even without knowledge of Spatial Magic.
Thanks to that, the academy students never questioned the problem.
Even the Chancellor, who cared about nothing but the students, had approved it. That made it suitable for academy level.
The mages watching nodded as if to confirm that I was right.
They had probably reached the same conclusion and felt the same way.
Rather, they seemed to regard it as a verification process, double-checking for any shortcomings.
A mage who had been discreetly gauging the atmosphere shot his hand up.
"Now that the Magic Tower Master has raised the point, I have a question as well."
That became the starting point, and requests to speak sprang up one after another.
"I shall ask the next question."
"What is the secret to neatly handling mana substitution and distribution?"
"Ask your question only after you are given the floor!"
The people who lived and breathed magic began to light up with enthusiasm.
One person even ran back to their laboratory to fetch notes from their analysis.
The multipurpose room buzzed with research fervor.
My eyes met the chancellor's, the only person who had not raised his hand.
He turned his head this way and that.
As if unwilling to acknowledge it, he tilted his head from side to side, then at last gave a light clap as though he couldn't help but admit it.
The Magic Tower Master still seemed bothered by the Spatial Magic, but he made active use of the situation.
"I think a Q&A will be more useful than a presentation. I’ll give everyone time to prepare, so let’s take a ten-minute break."
At the Magic Tower Master’s announcement, people streamed out like a receding tide.
While I was enjoying the break, the Magic Tower Master approached me.
"We will discuss the details in my office."
After leaving that brief request and returning to his seat, the Chancellor hurried over.
"That was a splendid presentation. I cannot deny it."
"I didn’t expect that much praise from you. Are you finally starting to think well of me?"
"Who knows. I will watch a little longer before I judge."
The chancellor shook his head, his eyes half-lidded.
The balance would probably depend on my later conversation with the Magic Tower Master and how it affected the academy.
"Anyway, I’m counting on you for the rest as well."
He returned to his seat after that single, unadorned remark.
In the meantime, everyone finished their preparations and came back.
The majority returned empty-handed or with a notebook for simple notes.
Some had brought materials to see if the discussion matched their own research.
It spoke to how sincere they were about their research.
Watching them, an amusing idea occurred to me.
'Since it’s come to this, why not make it bigger?'
It felt like this could turn into a memorable experience.
I decided to hold a serious discussion.
* * *
After the successful presentation and Q&A session ended, the silence continued all the way to the Magic Tower Master's office.
After broadening the scope and getting into a serious discussion about magic,
we had completely overturned what the Magic Tower’s mages thought they knew.
After about an hour, people began having realizations one after another, nodding along.
If I were to briefly revisit their reactions afterward:
Some lamented that they had failed to notice a mage like me.
One elder even tried to recruit me to the Magic Tower.
And praise extending to the chancellor who had hired me.
These reactions were only natural.
They had designated me an Imperial Mastermind and shut me out completely, so how could we ever have met?
Still, if I had shown them a new path for magic, that was enough to satisfy me.
Even if people called me a villain, I took magic seriously, so I had enjoyed myself immensely.
After witnessing all of that, the Magic Tower Master kept rubbing his face.
"One simply cannot deny your skill."
"Well, that’s true, but..."
We had been like this for over ten minutes since entering the office, and it was obvious the conversation would make no progress.
Frustrated, I drummed my fingers on the table and made the first proposal to the Magic Tower Master.
"Let's set aside all personal feelings and talk, here and now."
"W-what did you say?"
"Exactly what I said."
The Magic Tower Master let out a disbelieving laugh.
"After what you pulled back then, the nerve."
The Magic Tower Master still seemed wary because of my earlier “housewarming” visit.
He was saying, how could he trust a man who could break through the barrier whenever he felt like it?
As I had with the Chancellor, I discreetly showed the Magic Tower Master the Artifact and made my point.
"We’re here to use each other anyway. What do we gain by fighting? Let’s settle this quickly."
"You always go straight for the obvious point. Fine."
The Magic Tower Master nodded and placed a document on the table.
"What is this?"
"The reason I called you is written there."
When I lightly picked up the document, the Magic Tower Master continued.
"Apostate, ahem. I will correct myself to Karon. This is what has happened since you resolved the incident in the slums."
"An internal investigation followed, I see."
"Our investigation suggests there’s been suspicious activity in the Northern Region of the Continent lately. Based on the modus operandi and the Demonic Energy, the consensus is Chimera."
If Chimera had truly moved, it was troublesome.
I referenced my memories from my past life.
That bastard would have no intention of coming in the main body anyway.
He preferred to send out his Clones first to cause chaos, then bring in the main body to finish off a weakened target.
Using this opportunity to capture a Clone, locate the main body, and have an in-depth conversation was not a bad idea.
I wasn’t sure whether the Empire would give me any credit for killing a Clone, but if not, I could always bargain with whatever information I extracted.
In any case.
Back on the subject of the Empire, I asked about what the seed had been doing—the thing they were probably most interested in by now.
"What happened to the seed?"
"We are still investigating that."
Indeed, because the sample was scarce, they were approaching it cautiously to avoid damaging it.
I had spoon-fed them everything, so they would manage the rest well on their own.
If someone was tearing their hair out over the Demons right now,
I wondered how the public officials making love to their desks were faring.
"Come to think of it, why has the Imperial Court been so quiet?"
"Do not those who work in front of desks draw out their work unnecessarily?"
The Magic Tower Master clicked his tongue and made a highly sensitive remark.
"Sometimes you need a direct line, but they’re too busy protecting their own turf even when a Special-Class Fugitive is involved."
"Isn't that a dangerous statement?"
"If it is the truth, what is dangerous about it?"
Instead, the Magic Tower Master stepped forward without hesitation.
He proved that, in anyone's eyes, imperial officials only ever chose to do the things that earned them curses.
'Should I break through the imperial interior while I'm at it?'
Having formed a certain rapport and ridden the momentum, I sought a means to exchange information without interference.
"Then is the Intelligence Bureau the only way to receive information directly?"
"Even within the Intelligence Bureau, the Public Security Division has relatively little political influence. If there’s no bad blood between you, try making contact."
The Magic Tower Master’s recommendation reminded me of the investigator from the Intelligence Bureau whom I had met before.
I would have to exchange contact channels with Sian Merkel the next time I met him.
A brief silence passed after that.
Once again, I was the first to speak to the Magic Tower Master.
"Is there nothing more to discuss?"
"That is so."
Sheesh. What a curt man.
We had finished talking about the Demons, so now it was finally my turn.
I cut straight to the point and brought up Ayla's Mana Circuit.
"Are you aware that Ayla's Mana Circuit is different?"
"Of course I am aware."
"If you knew, why have you neglected it?"
His answer was so matter-of-fact that I couldn’t help but wonder why.
"Because if word got out, the Demons wouldn’t sit still. Every mage who possessed that Mana Circuit was killed by the Four Great Demons."
"Is it right, then, that she cannot wield her true power?"
"That is why I knew it was the wrong path, but she needed to grow strong enough to protect herself. I planned to teach her after she graduated from the academy."
There was a reason the Magic Tower Master had knowingly chosen a different path.
He was responsible for both the Magic Tower and his cherished disciple, so taking on the Four Great Demons would have been extremely difficult.
But I found that alone difficult to understand.
What was a Level 8 mage so afraid of?
'If I set strength aside...'
Alcyone had told me before that factional strife existed among the elders.
Perhaps many words had been exchanged regarding the next Magic Tower Master.
"It can’t be only because of the Demons."
"Right. There are internal circumstances in the Magic Tower that made it difficult to handle this ourselves."
"Do those internal circumstances involve the position of the next Magic Tower Master?"
"...I will hold my tongue."
The Magic Tower Master sidestepped the subject.
It seemed my guess was close to the mark.
There was no need to meddle in the Magic Tower's internal affairs, so I was satisfied with having gained the information.
In any case.
The Magic Tower Master let out a deep sigh and continued in a low voice.
"We’ve gone a little off topic. What you did back then still makes my blood boil, but I can’t deny your ability. Your presentation today proved that much."
With those words, the Magic Tower Master firmly shut his mouth.
He looked as though he wanted to tell me something but was still wrestling with it.
Maybe he was about to ask me to look after Ayla.
A long silence stretched on.
"Then can you teach Ayla at the academy?"
"Do you mean that?"
"Would I say it as a joke right now?"
The Magic Tower Master set aside his pride and bowed his head for the disciple he cherished.
I could tell he hadn’t made such a major decision without expecting something in return, so I took it seriously.
"In which direction should I teach her?"
"Simply guide her onto the correct path. If you need help, I shall help as well."
The goal was to draw out the true power inherent in her Mana Circuit.
Ayla was so exceptional that if she trained with help from Madam, she would accomplish it quickly.
That would leave the most important matter, the Four Great Demons.
"What do you intend to do about the Four Great Demons?"
"I must hold them off, but I should also take out insurance."
The Magic Tower Master tapped his wrist and offered the thing I had wanted for so long.
"If you promise to face the Four Great Demons, I’ll teach you how to control the Artifact directly."
Artifact control.
I had been waiting to hear those words ever since the day I got out of prison.
I had no intention of stopping here.
"I will take one more thing besides that."
"Tell me."
Since the Magic Tower Master seemed willing to agree, I confidently made another demand.
"I need the Grimoire on Spatial Magic in the Magic Tower’s collection."
"Wait. How do you know that Grimoire exists?"
"I came to know of it on the day I paid a visit to the Magic Tower."
As though remembering that day, the Magic Tower Master squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead.
"The Grimoire you’re looking for isn’t currently in the Magic Tower."
"If you’re lying because you don’t want to give it to me, you’ll regret it."
"It is the truth."
This was something I had not expected.