Chapter 214
Chapter 214
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 214
Chapter Title: The Tower Master's Evaluation (4)
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***
—He had completed a skill.
That was not a level one could reach in the mere two months since receiving a trait.
A level that even those hailed as geniuses of their time had failed to achieve.
Therefore, my evaluation of Cheon-seong soared to a height incomparable to before. And then, right after my slip of the tongue, I couldn't help but falter.
‘Is this even possible?’
A genius worthy of my acknowledgment. That wasn't something that just fell from the sky.
Even I felt that my standards for judging people were exacting.
So, for someone to be a genius by my standards…
They had to be the product of a historic family, an outstanding master, and their own talent combined. I myself was such a case, and the vast majority of the so-called geniuses I had met were the same.
Furthermore, it was easy to understand why there was such a wide gap in the superiority of traits between nobles and commoners.
It was because no matter how much of a genius one was, they could not overcome and grow ‘entirely on their own.’
This world discriminates against people through the traits it bestows, and the environments they must live in are all different.
Their ‘perspectives’ on the world were different.
One whose view of the world is set low from the start will inevitably reveal their limits, no matter how outstanding they are. In contrast, one who has various forms of help to look toward the heights and show them the way forward will naturally manifest their talent to a greater degree.
And yet... Han Cheon-seong’s words, that he had neither a distinguished family nor even a master, left me speechless.
“……”
And his composed reaction immediately after. The way he instantly collected himself filled my heart with a satisfaction I rarely felt.
‘This wasn't my intention, but his character is quite well-developed.’
Although his body was accustomed to mana, Han Cheon-seong’s innate talent for it was absurdly nonexistent.
My once ambiguous evaluation of Han Cheon-seong changed drastically upon confirming this aspect of his character.
—A raw gem worth bringing to the Magic Tower myself.
That was the moment I became certain.
Even if he lacked the talent for mana that allowed others to accumulate several times more just by breathing, this was more than enough to make him worthy of being my disciple.
And after that.
“Yes. I believe the talent I was given is most suitable for my trait. I am more than happy that you think so highly of me... but I believe my path is the trait called Spearmanship.”
A hollow laugh even escaped my lips at his attitude, as if he had firmly made up his mind.
‘A commoner, not even a noble…’
He rejected my offer.
But it didn't feel all that unpleasant. It was truly strange... and I found my gaze drawn to Han Cheon-seong even more.
His eyes, shining like starlight amidst his black hair. The very way his gaze met mine directly was, in fact, even more to my liking.
“Is that so...? I suppose you might feel that way. As I said, the gods did not grant you great talent for mana.”
Though I spoke nonchalantly, a sense of greed welled up inside me.
'With a heart like this, he'll easily overcome any wall he might face.'
The mages residing in the Magic Tower were those who possessed renowned mana talent within the empire.
Only those with a talent so rare it might appear in one out of a thousand citizens of the empire are granted the qualification to enter the Magic Tower.
And yet, even among them, those who rise to become high-ranking mages are scarce.
Even such individuals face a 'wall' after entering the Magic Tower, to the extent that barely one in thirty manages to become a high-ranking mage.
That is the moment they reach a stage where they must advance to the next level through their own enlightenment. Countless mages are frustrated, their fate as a high-ranking mage or not hanging in the balance.
Some advance to the next stage in less than a year, while others may waste decades and never overcome that wall.
And yet.
Right now, it seemed I could see it clearly.
“……”
The magnitude of the talent I saw in Han Cheon-seong.
It was of a different nature.
It was clear that he lacked the talent for mana, which is most important for a mage. But I could see a ‘different talent’ that would allow him to ascend to the rank of a high-ranking mage with ease.
It was a talent of mindset, one that could reach the heavens.
Even after recognizing my presence as the Tower Master, the look in his eyes as he calmly met my gaze was something an ordinary person could never possess.
Those were the eyes of a person with unshakable faith in themselves, one who had completely decided on their path forward.
It wasn't just external strength, but a conviction in oneself.
That was like a principle of the heart that could not be ordinarily obtained, no matter how much one tried to explain or teach it.
And so... my heart was already looking ahead.
“But, Han Cheon-seong.”
“...Yes, Tower Master Ariya.”
“What should I do? I have no intention of giving up on you. Your answer just now pleased me quite a bit.”
For a very long time.
I had never expressed my feelings so directly to anyone.
The number of people who met my standards was absurdly small, and even if they did, the desire to take them as a disciple was another matter entirely.
Among them, not a single person had dared to refuse my offer. Furthermore, I had never bestowed such favor upon someone with no talent for mana.
And yet, here I was, expressing my feelings without hesitation.
I could feel greed and a desire for possession welling up on their own.
'Possessiveness…'
The thought struck me as utterly ridiculous. But I came to understand it as well.
If a person possessed such great talent, they were someone worth my possessing.
“……”
His eyes widened.
The sight of him hesitating, his lips trembling without forming a reply, seemed all the more amusing.
‘Well, could he have ever imagined such an offer?’
It was like a whim that even I hadn't expected.
The name ‘Han Cheon-seong’ had not occupied even the smallest space in my mind regarding the purpose of my visit to the academy. It was originally nothing more than something to check off as a light pretext.
“……”
As Han Cheon-seong, who had been blinking blankly, turned his head toward Esia, I simply watched.
When Esia and Han Cheon-seong exchanged glances, the emotion on Esia’s face was, ironically, palpable.
It was profound disbelief.
‘Yes, it must be hard to believe.’
As much as I had once given her my affection, Esia’s talent was on a level that was among the best I had ever seen.
That was how much I had cared for and cherished her as a disciple.
But I still vividly remember her choice to go to the academy after receiving her trait upon becoming an adult... The shock I felt back then is still unforgettable.
As they silently exchanged glances, I slowly opened my mouth.
“You don't have to come to the Magic Tower right away.”
Knowing Han Cheon-seong’s firm resolve, I had no intention of forcing him into the Tower.
That will he possessed would shine brighter if it was allowed to continue on its own.
***
Click. Clack…
The figures in my vision slowly grew distant.
Their appearances were all mysterious, and their white robes and the mana signatures that symbolized them as mages were so different that it felt like looking at beings from another world.
Tower Master Ariya and Instructor Esia. And the other high-ranking mages. I watched until their figures disappeared, then slowly lowered my head.
“...What in the world just happened?”
Looking at the token I had been given, I still felt a lack of reality.
—A token of a white flower.
It was like a white gem engraved with the crest symbolizing the Central Magic Tower.
A treasure whose value could not be measured. Because it was the symbol of a highest-ranking mage.
Moreover, it was a token given to me by... Ariya, the Tower Master herself.
I gently closed my hand around the token, feeling the faint aura of mana flowing through my body. My own mana seemed to respond to this token in resonance.
“I really received... something unbelievable.”
Muttering softly, I recounted the events that had just transpired, one by one.
First of all, it wasn't that I had become Ariya's disciple. I had refused her offer and had no intention of accepting.
But I was forced into it ‘unilaterally.’
Instructor Esia and the other high-ranking mages had merely watched Ariya’s actions with surprised expressions. Stuck in the middle, I couldn't even refuse or resist.
Ariya had simply said that she liked me, and that was the entire reason for her actions.
She had told me she would give me lessons as she pleased, and even the duration was left vague.
“...She said she'd come once a week or every two weeks.”
She said she would occasionally visit the academy and take up my time.
Even that wasn't a question seeking my answer.
It was her unique way of expressing her will, simply informing me that she ‘would do it.’ It seemed just like the Ariya I had seen in the story, and I had no choice but to answer.
That she could do as she wished…
And that was the difference between her and me.
She was a being who could do whatever she set her mind to, and I had no decision-making power in the matter.
A mere student.
Not a noble, and a student with a Common-grade trait at that, so even raising an objection was not permitted.
“Ha…”
A small, hollow laugh escaped me at the thought, and I slowly shook my head.
It felt like I had been subjected to something truly unreasonable and absurd, but changing my perspective, it could be seen in a completely different light.
"Should I see this as a stroke of fortune?"
I could be endlessly grateful for the mere fact that she had shown interest in me.
Receiving her token, a great treasure that would gradually increase the amount of mana my body could accumulate, was one thing, and receiving her direct teachings would also be of great help to me.
“……”
My vision gradually blurred as a wave of dizziness washed over me belatedly.
...Had the thread of tension finally snapped?
Or perhaps my body was just now feeling liberated from the incredibly dense mana that Ariya naturally emitted.