Chapter 167: Tower Master (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 167: Tower Master (2)
“You call that magic?”
To the aghast High Elf, I revealed the tragic truth.
“Actually, there is a sad legend regarding the Leon Magic Tower.”
“…I don’t believe in legends.”
“Why not?”
“Most ‘legends’ humans talk about are things I’ve either experienced myself or met someone who has.”
“Then should I not tell you?”
“…Even I, who has seen almost everything, have never seen a Magic Tower Lord wreathe his fists in flames and swing them around!”
There was a truly pitiful story behind the sight that even shocked a High Elf who had witnessed most legends firsthand.
From a long time ago.
No, from its very inception, the Leon Kingdom had rejected magic and worshipped the sword.
However, as time passed, they could not ignore the convenience of advancing magic.
Thus, about a hundred years ago, the Leon Kingdom felt the need for a Magic Tower—at least one operated by the royal family—and invested a massive budget to establish it.
But because of their past karma, any decent mage was reluctant to enter Leon’s Magic Tower.
Several years passed like that.
During that time, Leon continued its efforts to build the tower despite being rejected by countless mages.
Perhaps the Goddess was moved by Leon’s persistence?
They discovered the whereabouts of Alteon, the final disciple of Belarus—a legendary Archmage in the magic world and the very reason Leon had felt the need for a Magic Tower in the first place.
Admittedly, Alteon had never left any notable achievements in the magic community.
Since he had vanished after his master Belarus’s death, he was a figure shrouded in rumors.
However, he was the cherished final disciple of the great Belarus.
While the first disciple was an Archmage who served as the Magic Tower Lord of Dale, the Leon Royal Family believed Alteon would possess similar potential.
Thus, the King at the time personally sought out Alteon’s secluded home and persuaded him with the utmost sincerity.
The reason he went to such lengths was well-documented in Leon’s records.
—The moment I saw him, I knew. The powerful mana raging within his body. Seeing him control that immense power so naturally, I had to wipe the sweat from my palms several times.
Although he had not reached the level of a Sword Master like the current King, he possessed a deep understanding of the sword as befit a King of Leon. According to the records, he was at a level just below a Sword Master.
Therefore, his judgment was accurate.
Alteon, the disciple of Archmage Belarus, was a powerhouse.
—The problem was that he was just strong.
As the records stated, the fact that he was simply a "strongman" was the issue.
And there was a heart-wrenching story behind this as well.
Archmage Belarus.
He was the former Magic Tower Lord of a small, now-defunct nation, but even today, he remains a figure respected by all people, not just mages.
To put it in perspective, it’s like how the legendary "Lord Carrier, the Great Sage of Summer" from my previous life was a hero for all seasons.
He was a monumental figure who went beyond simple magic research to popularize the field we now call Magical Engineering—integrating magic into daily life.
He was the man who made immense contributions to the creation of what are commonly called magic tools or artifacts.
Thanks to his research, magic tools that were once considered the exclusive property of nobles became accessible even to wealthy commoners.
In some affluent territories, he was a great man who allowed even the lower classes to experience the convenience of magic through the installation of magic lamps and water-purification tools.
Because of these achievements, no mage disputed his title as an Archmage.
However, it was that very title of Archmage that led to his humiliation.
—So, exactly how strong is Belarus?
It was the classic "VS debate."
Archmage Belarus. How strong was he in a fight?
It was a nonsensical debate to begin with. He was a scholar who advanced magic, not a mage specialized in combat.
However, the magic he developed for the sake of the world became a laughingstock due to the choice of a foolish ruler.
—Then let him fight.
It was a moronic decision. There was a reason the kingdom collapsed so quickly despite having a historical figure like Belarus.
—Ho ho. To think an Archmage is only at that level.
Due to the King’s stupid judgment, Belarus became known as a "weak Archmage" who couldn't even defeat an ordinary knight.
Traumatized by the shock, Belarus stepped down from his position as Magic Tower Lord. Naturally, his disciples also left the tower after seeing their master become an object of ridicule.
The kingdom tried to bring the mages back far too late, but they never returned.
While Belarus’s disciples made names for themselves across the continent, the kingdom perished within a single generation.
Despite his disciples' pleas, Belarus, who had dedicated his life to the world, never stepped into the public eye again.
Only Alteon, who stayed by his side until the end, shared his master’s miserable final years.
And so, Alteon thought:
—The world follows the logic of power.
Behind the brilliant facade of the Empire lay a history of subjugating numerous kingdoms and peoples through force.
The same was true for Leon and Dale, the strongest nations.
Even his master, who had brightened the world, was mocked because he lacked power.
The world was power.
Therefore, Alteon abandoned his master’s path of scholarship and cultivated strength.
He changed the direction of his magic, not as a scholar, but as a warrior.
It was an arduous path.
While Battle Mages had existed since ancient times, the path Alteon sought was beyond that.
—An overwhelming magic that can defeat even a knight in close quarters.
It wasn't the path his master wanted, but it didn't matter.
His many senior disciples were already walking that path.
Even without him, his master’s will was being carried out by the others at this very moment.
In that case, as the youngest, his role was to soothe his master’s resentment.
Just as he reached the end of his training and lacked only a final spark of enlightenment, the King of Leon personally came to find him.
—If you come to our Magic Tower, I will support everything.
He even offered the condition of supporting everything without any strings attached.
—I understand.
For Alteon, who had gained all magical enlightenment but lacked physical enlightenment as a mage, Leon—the Kingdom of Knights—was the perfect choice.
—Then, first of all...
—What do you need? A laboratory? Magic stones? If you wish, I will even import magic goods from Dale.
—I would be grateful if you could teach me the training methods of the Royal Knights.
—???
Wait, why would a mage need that?
…The King couldn't bring himself to say those words.
At that time, Alteon held all the cards.
The King simply thought he was a peculiar mage who happened to enjoy exercise, as he performed physical training every single day.
And in reality, Alteon proved himself.
—Volcano.
When thousands of monsters came swarming in, he suppressed them single-handedly.
The overwhelming flames that overturned the earth possessed a majesty that left even knights who had seen multiple Sword Masters in awe.
Thus, Leon believed their choice was correct and gave Alteon even more full-throated support.
And so… mages inspired by Alteon’s will began to enter the Leon Magic Tower one by one.
—Magic tools? I don't know how to make those.
—???
—Instead, I have just perfected a Fire Storm spell that can wipe out an entire village at once.
—???
By the time they realized what was happening, it was already too late.
Again, let me reiterate: the Leon Kingdom was then, and is now, a powerhouse capable of keeping even the Empire in check.
Therefore, the role they wanted the Magic Tower to play was to allow Leon to enjoy the conveniences of magic.
—What are you doing?
—What does it look like? I'm hitting the weights.
—But you're a mage...
Seeing mages training in the private facilities built for knights, the King went to find Alteon.
—...Wasn't there no such agreement?
It was the Leon Kingdom that had promised unconditional support without any strings attached.
The King had no rebuttal to Alteon’s argument.
—However, since there may be dissatisfaction...
Alteon generously accepted their request.
On one condition.
—If you can defeat me.
—……?
If they wanted to bend his will, they had to defeat him.
Alteon set that condition, and the Kingdom did its best…
And the result was right before our eyes.
“And so, the Leon Magic Tower became a gathering of Battle Mages dedicated solely to combat. High-ranking mages there have reached a point where they can duel knights with swords, provided the knights don't use Sword Energy.”
“…Does that even make sense?”
“You’re seeing it right now.”
“I mean, I am, but still!”
Of course, it was only the first strike that was a "Fire Punch."
After that, the duel proceeded like a standard fight between a swordsman and a mage.
The mage used spells from a distance, and the swordsman tried to close the gap—a classic battle.
Our Magic Tower Lord used all sorts of flashy magic to prevent the Sword Emperor from approaching.
However, the Sword Emperor eventually broke through the Magic Tower Lord’s domain.
Usually, this is the moment most mages lose.
Only those known as Battle Mages, who are accustomed to combat, tend to hide a trump card for such situations.
But one thing was certain.
“Burn.”
Mages crazy enough to wreathe their hands in magic and engage in melee combat against a swordsman exist only in the Leon Magic Tower.
“Hah!”
The Magic Tower Lord swung the White Flame gathered in both hands, directly clashing with the Sword Emperor’s Aura.
“Hahahaha!”
The Sword Emperor laughed as he saw his sword blocked by a mage’s fist.
I felt like I would have laughed out of sheer absurdity too.
“Aura can cut through anything!”
As if finding it even more entertaining, the Sword Emperor tried to cleave through the White Flame with his brilliantly shining Aura.
“Aura is also mana. If mana can cut through anything, it means mana can also block anything!”
Whoosh!
The Magic Tower Lord countered with flames that burned even more intensely.
They say that surviving means you are strong.
That was the case for Leon’s Magic Tower.
The reason its foundation never changed, no matter what nonsense the Royal Family pulled, was because the Sword Masters of the Leon Kingdom—the land of swordsmen—had all had their heads cracked by the first Magic Tower Lord, Alteon.
Of course, the subsequent Magic Tower Lords weren't monsters like Alteon.
However, the Royal Family felt it would be shameful to win and change the tower only after Alteon had died, so they were keeping their promise to him.
And the Magic Tower was honoring Alteon’s legacy very well.
…Perhaps a bit too well, considering the current situation.
“Hyaaaaaah!”
Perhaps judging that he was at a disadvantage as time passed, the Magic Tower Lord, having barely managed to widen the distance, began to condense the flames in both hands into one.
Between his palms, a small sun was created, radiating immense heat.
The Sword Emperor, unable to ignore it, took a stance and began to release his Aura.
“Wait, uh…?”
“Is this going to be okay?”
As the invited external mages grew frantic, several nobles panicked.
But as if they had been waiting for this, the mages of the Leon Magic Tower in the front row stood up and deployed their respective spells.
“……I really don't know anymore.”
It wasn't a defensive spell or a barrier.
They were creating massive walls of ice to block the heat or forming barriers of wind…
Seeing them use offensive magic as defense, the High Elf looked like she was suffering from cultural shock.
The other nobles, however, acted as if this were perfectly normal.
“Hey, you brat! Make the ice transparent!”
“I can't see because you're blocking the view!”
They simply scolded the mages while preparing to protect themselves.
“This place is weird…”
Our dear High Elf seemed to be experiencing a total breakdown of her common sense, but there was nothing to be done. She had been cooped up in her room for a thousand years, after all.
“Take my fist, Sword Emperor!”
“Come at me, Magic Tower Lord!”
“Why is a mage swinging that instead of firing it?! This is seriously weird!”
Probably.