Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: What Kind of Consultation?
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"What kind of consultation do you need?"
Nicholas had one nagging worry lately.
It was about his actual job.
He had enrolled in the academy, made friends, fallen for one of their fiancées only to get rejected, and gone through all sorts of dramatic events—
But those had just happened by chance. They were far removed from what he was supposed to be doing.
His real task was to observe and report on the third son of the Dominica family, a potential heir dubbed the "Little Iron-Blooded."
This was a critically important matter for the Magic Tower.
They needed to decide their stance based on who would succeed the Iron-Blooded Duke.
Should they bolster the imperial family or throw their weight behind the nobles?
The current empire maintained a delicate balance between the imperial family and the nobility, allowing the Magic Tower to stay neutral.
But that wouldn't last forever.
And the Magic Tower believed that "forever" would end when the Iron-Blooded Duke passed on his house to his successor.
From the imperial perspective, a noble faction without the Iron-Blooded Duke would be vulnerable enough to test.
Human greed for absolute power was an inevitable spark for conflict, as predictable as clockwork.
When that moment came, the Magic Tower would have to pick a side to protect its own interests.
The mission assigned to Nicholas was the most crucial step in making that choice.
But that was purely from the Magic Tower's viewpoint.
Nicholas saw things differently.
So there he was, glaring at the blank report before him and muttering under his breath.
"Should I just quit the Magic Tower...?"
The dream of every office worker: resignation!
With a deep sigh, Nicholas voiced this most salaried of aspirations.
***
For the disciple of the Magic Tower Lord—a rising supernova in the world of magic—to leave the Tower would be unimaginable to anyone outside it...
But in truth, it wasn't all that shocking within the Magic Tower.
The Magic Tower wasn't the fearsome cabal of wizards monopolizing powerful magic that outsiders imagined.
It was hardly a proper organization at all.
More like a club.
A study group of talented mages gathering to get even better.
Because the Tower was packed with people dead serious about magic.
Extreme individualists who thought, "Who cares what happens to the Tower—as long as my magic improves!"
Of course, the leadership consisted of those who weren't like that, which was why it passed as an organization.
But their authority wasn't all that strong.
Whenever they tried to get anything done, it went something like this:
Q: Hey, guys, want to do some work to build up our Tower?
A: Work?
Q: Yeah. If we do this, the Tower will grow stronger—
A: Me?
Q: Yes.
A: Why?
Q: Well, to strengthen the Tower—
A: Hmph. Prove it's worth it with magic. Let's duel!
Q: Argh, damn it! I said work!
These maniacal individualist mages were impossible to control by normal means.
Wealth, power, fame.
All meaningless to wizards.
Magic was everything.
Only the most badass spells!
So there were few lures that could hook them.
And force didn't work either.
Scores of them would just set up workshops in some rural backwater if you pushed too hard.
The only bait that worked was promises of advanced magic.
Even then, the clever ones would snatch the bait and bolt like fish stealing the hook.
No one worked for the organization.
That was why the Magic Tower—despite concentrating such mighty power in one place—never became an absolute powerhouse.
To fix this, after much deliberation, the Tower came up with one solution.
"Since the knowledgeable ones keep running off, why not use young kids who don't know any better?"
"Are you a genius???"
The existing mages wouldn't listen, so recruit some who would and turn them into lackeys!
Embracing this isekai small-business mindset, the Magic Tower took in naive young wizards as disciples, taught them zilch, and piled on the grunt work.
'That's just how it is for wizards,' or
'You think you can make it out there on your own?' or
'Stick around long enough, and I'll teach you.' Gaslighting galore.
Even in another world, shitty companies all look the same.
An otherworlder who'd become the third son of a grand ducal house would spit blood at such outrageous exploitation!
But the method was proven effective enough.
Enough to subtly dip a toe into the power struggles between the imperial family and the nobles.
One thing they overlooked, though:
They might be young and inexperienced, but they were still mages.
In other words, gaslighting could squeeze out temporary labor—
But once it wore off on the job, they'd bolt at the first chance.
And upon arriving at the academy, Nicholas quickly woke up to this reality.
"...Do I really need to work for the Magic Tower?"
Seemed like he could do just fine without being Tower-affiliated.
Why bother?
Of course, being part of the Magic Tower wasn't all bad.
In the outside world, it was like a badge of legitimacy.
"Street mage" sounded shady and scammy, but "I'm from the Magic Tower," and suddenly it was "Oh, esteemed mage!"
An undeniable perk.
But, on the flip side, that was it. Nothing more.
Nicholas tallied it up in his head.
"Do I need that credential?"
Who am I?
Friend of the Little Iron-Blooded.
That title alone outshone "Magic Tower alum" by a thousandfold.
His clients were nobles, not mages, after all.
Even without leaning on his friendship with Leonardo, the nobles he'd befriended over chess in the salon already thought highly of him.
A mage who actually listened and conversed!
Nicholas quickly realized how potent that was with the aristocracy.
He'd seen plenty fawning over him openly during salon chess games, trying to win his favor.
In short, he could thrive without the Tower.
And the job? Spying on his now-friend? Even more off-putting.
If not for the promise of learning the Tower Lord's magic someday, he'd have quit ages ago.
Lately, even that felt dubious.
"When do I actually learn magic if I'm always working?"
No way during his academy stay.
The Tower Lord wouldn't come all the way here to teach.
After this mission, maybe?
Who knew? They'd never specified.
Ask, and they'd just dodge with vague answers.
Suspicious enough to wonder if they ever planned to teach at all.
Honestly, that alone was grounds to jump ship, but Nicholas hesitated.
A recent encounter had slammed the brakes on his defection plans.
"Oh! So this is the magic department!"
A man poking around everywhere, curious about the magic faculty.
Not bothering to hide his name or behavior, he was obviously the Crown Prince.
He smoothly got everyone in the classroom to introduce themselves, like he'd done it a few times before.
When Nicholas's turn came:
"Oh! Nicholas! I've heard your name before! They say chess is your specialty—mind testing my skills later?"
"I'm hardly skilled enough to teach anyone..."
"Haha! No need to teach—just give me your honest take! I'm pretty good myself. You can just spectate."
"See if my skill outshines yours... or Dominica's."
"......"
Nicholas might not know noble political rhetoric inside out—
But the implication was crystal clear.
A threat: "Stick with Dominica, and it won't end well."
Or persuasion: "Think carefully about whose side to take."
Unabashed menace, despite knowing exactly who Nicholas was.
This plunged him into dilemma.
Not whether to bow to the Crown Prince's threats.
He was Leonardo's friend, young enough to value loyalty like life itself.
But escaping the Crown Prince's watchful eye posed real danger, demanding precautions.
Should he climb the Tower ranks for protection?
Or jump ship entirely and join Dominica?
Nicholas leaned toward the latter.
As an insider, he knew better than anyone how dysfunctional the Tower was—
And the Crown Prince's words suggested the palace knew it too.
But even the latter wasn't foolproof.
Leonardo's position wasn't ironclad yet.
'If Leonardo succeeds the Iron-Blooded Duke, no brainer—'
But the Iron-Blooded Duke was emotionless in his duties.
He tolerated the "Little Iron-Blooded" label now, but who knew about later.
So he needed a backup if Leonardo didn't take the seat—before committing to defection.
As Nicholas fiddled with objects lost in thought, Leonardo's voice reached him.
"Something troubling you?"
Trouble?
Of course.
And it concerned him directly.
But confessing outright felt like burdening him, so Nicholas deflected.
"I've been wrestling with a problem that defies any solution lately."
"A problem without solutions? Magic-related?"
"No, not that... It's about human relations."
"I see."
Leonardo nodded at Nicholas's words.
Conversation seemed over, but he continued.
"Why not seek someone else's help?"
"Help...? I appreciate the thought, but this isn't something you could—"
"I'm not offering mine."
Not his help?
As Nicholas tilted his head, Leonardo's lips curved faintly.
"I know someone who's an expert in that sort of thing. A real pro."
A human relations expert...?
What kind of person was that?
More curiosity than conviction, Nicholas nodded.
And soon after...
He learned who Leonardo's "human relations expert" was.
"You coming to me first? That's a surprise! So, what kind of consultation do you need?"
Kiara Mondial.
Leonardo's childhood friend and eldest daughter of the Mondial family stood before him.