Chapter 213
Chapter 213
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 213
Chapter Title: The Tower Master's Proposal (3)
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***
"I... I suppose I was too forward with my question."
Seeing Ariya hesitate for the first time, Cheon-seong slowly shook his head.
"I believe it was a perfectly reasonable question. It's alright."
In truth, my heart wasn't particularly stirred as I answered. I knew my own circumstances in this world better than anyone.
It was simply that no one had ever asked before, so I never had the chance to answer.
I wasn't ignoring my reality.
"The fact that I've already completed a skill is surprising enough to warrant such curiosity."
As I added this to ease her discomfort, she gave a slight nod, her gaze clouding over for a moment.
This was a completely different attitude from the bold and inquisitive one she'd shown until now, and I could vaguely understand why.
'Is this what they call a faux pas?'
The kind of sudden chill that falls over a room when someone makes a wrong joke or asks a thoughtless question about family. This situation felt exactly like that.
But perhaps because Adelia had helped heal my heart just yesterday, I felt truly calm.
In this world, to put it simply, I was no different from an orphan.
I had no home to return to, no family, not even the bond of a childhood friend to rely on. I was utterly alone, with no connections, forced to navigate this world by myself.
Even so, that fact wasn't a burden on my heart.
I was already walking the path I needed to take and was aware of what I had to do. I wasn't just wandering aimlessly day by day.
"..."
During the brief silence, I gave her a moment to compose herself before speaking again.
*Rustle.* I was watching Ariya needlessly fidget with her own hands when I felt a sharp gaze and turned my head. Instructor Esia was looking at me with an expression of profound apology.
"Cadet Han Cheon-seong. I'm sorry. My master didn't ask with any ill intent. I hope you weren't too hurt."
"Not at all. I'm truly fine, Instructor Esia."
I even had the composure to offer a faint smile to her as she tried to apologize on Ariya's behalf.
'Still, I never would have guessed that Instructor Esia was Ariya's disciple.'
The original story didn't go into much detail about Ariya.
In a sense, she was an unbalanced character. To put it simply, she was so exceptional that she was deliberately kept from appearing often in the story.
She was always busy with something, preventing her from showing up, but what that 'something' was was never explained in detail.
The Magic Tower was also quite removed from Leonhardt's exploits, and more importantly, Ariya herself was portrayed as a highly selective person.
- The Master of the Central Magic Tower.
- The being who stands at the pinnacle of all mages.
- And even the title, Master of Mana, granted to only one person...
In effect, Ariya was a person of such 'high nobility' that her power could be considered comparable to the current emperor of the empire. Therefore, no one could fault her, no matter how arrogant or self-important her attitude was.
In fact, such an attitude was accepted as a matter of course in this world... so I, too, naturally came to accept it.
'On top of that...'
Even Leonhardt, who would later be hailed as a peerless genius, failed to catch her eye, so there was simply no point of contact for her to appear in the story.
"Ahem, ahem!"
The sound of a cough brought my attention back to the present.
"I truly didn't mean any harm. Uh... Han Cheon-seong? I am sorry. I just never imagined someone with your accomplishments could have achieved it all without any connections. So... you understand what I mean, right?"
"Yes, I understand. In fact, I'm just glad that you've shown such interest in me, Tower Master Ariya."
I responded to her with care, calmly and composedly, almost as if I were speaking to Anastasia.
The Ariya before me was similar to me in a different way. A being who existed in this world but was treated as an anomaly...
And because of that, I saw the potential to further elevate her influence.
I could feel it clearly through this short conversation.
'If I can leave even a slightly good impression on her now.'
I might receive unexpected help. A chance to navigate the constant crises of this world a little more smoothly...
"That I'm showing interest. Is that how you see it, Han Cheon-seong?"
At my words, she let out a soft chuckle and spoke lightly. I paused before asking back.
"If I have spoken out of turn, I apologize."
"No, that's not wrong. For someone like you... I suppose you've achieved enough to say that."
Her violet eyes curved as they met mine, looking endlessly mystical.
As I held her gaze, I could vaguely sense it.
Ariya now held a small measure of goodwill toward me.
Separate from her feeling sorry, from the moment I finished speaking about the incident, she had started to view me quite favorably.
It was my statement that I had completed a skill.
Her eyes had changed completely after hearing those words. That's why I didn't mind her arrogant or self-centered attitude in the slightest.
"...Thank you."
"Don't thank me. I'm just speaking the truth. Still, it's astonishing to think about. You were accompanying Anastasia, a pillar of the Empire, when you encountered an Apostle and managed to escape. And in the process, you completed a skill... Thinking about it all, one could say you were blessed by heaven."
As she summarized the situation, I gave an awkward nod.
"I think so, too."
The reality was that I had anticipated the coming crisis and had arranged for the formidable power of Anastasia to be present, allowing me to overcome it. But thinking about it moment by moment, I couldn't deny that I had been lucky.
"And that's why. To be honest, you've piqued my interest. I'm curious how you've grown so quickly, and your body is already what I would call completely attuned to mana. Your very application of mana has reached a considerably high level."
Her words continued, and I had an inkling as to why.
'It must be because of the spiral nature of my mana.'
Even before completing the skill 'Seven Forms of the Asura Spiral', I already understood the properties of mana imbued with a spiral.
I applied and used it, gradually adapting to it. It was like a power separate from my skills that I had applied to myself.
As a result, I was able to display an efficiency that exceeded the mana I possessed.
As I was thinking this.
*Clink.*
My gaze shifted to Ariya, who had sharply tapped her teacup. She let out a deep sigh and slowly shook her head.
"However, Han Cheon-seong. The total amount of mana you possess is truly... unbelievably pathetic."
Her abrupt, regretful words didn't come as much of a shock.
"Is that so..."
I said cautiously, though I was already aware.
That the amount of mana I possessed was truly 'absurdly' small.
That was why the biggest thing I had hoped for when my trait evolved was an improvement in my mana stat. And while I did achieve significant growth as I'd wished, my mana level was still nothing to boast about compared to other cadets.
"Yes. No matter how many times I check, you have extremely little capacity to accumulate mana. It would be incredibly difficult to try and forcibly improve your constitution."
"...I'm well aware that my mana is lacking."
"Then again, you must have known. From what I can feel, it's as if a god has snatched away your capacity for mana..."
As Ariya ended on a note that seemed to defend me slightly, a laugh escaped my lips.
"You flatter me."
"It's not flattery; it's a shame. You've achieved something so remarkable. And for your body to be attuned to mana, your understanding of it must be incredibly high. But the total amount of mana you can actually wield is extremely small..."
Watching her speak so placidly, I honestly felt good.
Ariya, portrayed in the story as an extremely arrogant and haughty being, was acknowledging my talent and accomplishments. And even if she pointed out my flaws, it was something I already knew... so I could accept it calmly without feeling offended.
"If it weren't for your minuscule mana... I would have brought you to the Magic Tower, one way or another."
Her strange, muttered words made me freeze.
'The Magic Tower...?'
Me?
For a moment, I found myself staring at Ariya.
The 'cadets' who enter the academy and the 'mages' of the Magic Tower are described as two distinctly separate groups.
Of course, the traits granted after the coming-of-age inspection act as an absolute power in this world, but mages don't fixate on traits.
Becoming a mage wasn't something you could just decide to do after becoming an adult.
Only a select few, whose talent for mana was verified from childhood, were given the qualification to enter the Magic Tower.
And they spend over a decade researching magic, accumulating knowledge as mages.
No matter what trait they ended up with, they could already walk the path of a mage.
The most important thing for a mage was 'talent' for mana. For them, innate talent was the biggest factor.
Ironically, the traits they were given were nothing more than a secondary element.
"Han Cheon-seong. My words have swayed you, haven't they?"
As she curled her lips into a smile, I awkwardly shook my head.
"No. I am... satisfied with my current trait."
I was awakening my talent in Spearmanship. I was plenty satisfied with my achievements.
Though the offer was tempting, I hadn't really thought about becoming a mage. I didn't think I'd be able to...
"Really? You looked like you were considering it. You know the social standing of a mage. I'll be honest, Han Cheon-seong. If you truly wish it, it's not impossible for me to recruit you into the Magic Tower. I have that much authority. So, what do you say? Are you interested?"
Her tone, more serious than before, made my words catch in my throat.
"...That is."
I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn't come out properly.
This was an offer from Ariya, the Master of the Central Magic Tower. And I instinctively felt that her offer... was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.
'An opportunity that will never come again.'
Moreover, she had even given me confidence in my talent, saying I wasn't at a level that couldn't be scouted. That meant if I just wished for it, my path to becoming a mage at the Magic Tower was practically guaranteed.
"..."
But. Instead of thinking about becoming a mage, I found myself more concerned with how I should answer so as not to offend her.
'If I refuse outright, I might hurt Ariya's pride.'
Though it was a golden opportunity, I had already made my resolution a few days ago.
'There are things I must do. Crises I must face.'
I had already resolved to take the place of Leonhardt, who had unfortunately lost his trait. No matter what she said, I couldn't accept.
"Your offer is more than I could ask for, but... I want to move forward believing in the trait I possess."
And after much thought, I wasn't confident that my answer would please Ariya.
I could only convey my feelings as they were.
"With the trait you possess...?"
Perhaps she hadn't expected me to refuse. I looked at Ariya, who was blinking blankly, and gave a firm nod.
"Yes. I believe the talent I was given is best suited for my trait. I am incredibly happy that you think so highly of me, but... I believe the path I must walk is that of the Spearmanship trait."
In this moment, I simply conveyed my heart, sincerely and as I felt it.
I truly wanted her to see me in a good light, but I couldn't think of a better answer than this one.
Then I just had to face her with my true feelings.
Ariya's eyes narrowed slightly as she let out a hollow laugh.
"Is that so...? I suppose you might feel that way. As I said, a god certainly didn't bless you with a great talent for mana."
Hearing the deep disappointment in her voice, I, in turn, offered a gentle smile.
Honestly, I had thought my time with Ariya would be difficult, but it wasn't turning out that way.
'To think I'd actually feel good.'
The feeling of being acknowledged by someone. And it was by an incredibly authoritative figure, so there was no way I could feel bad.
Just as I thought the conversation was coming to an end.
Ariya slowly met my eyes.
"But, Han Cheon-seong."
"...Yes, Tower Master Ariya."
"What should I do? I have no intention of giving up on you. In fact, I quite liked your answer just now."
At Ariya's strangely-toned voice and brilliant smile... for a moment, all I could do was blink.
'No intention of giving up on me?'
Then what did she intend to do? I had already given her my answer...
I dazedly turned my head.
I thought that Instructor Esia, who called Ariya her master, might know the answer...
"..."
Instructor Esia, her mouth agape, wore a completely dumbfounded expression.
It was a look of disbelief, as if she couldn't comprehend what was happening—as if something that should never have happened, had...