Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Magic Tower's First Visitor
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Ed said that even if I went now, there wouldn't be anyone there, but I was curious just how many beastkin would show up at the Magic Tower.
So I went looking for Billy. I knocked on the firmly shut door of his office, but there was no answer from inside.
'Where did he go?'
He usually spent his downtime sprawled out on the office sofa, even when he was just lounging around. It was unusual for him to leave the office empty, so I decided to check somewhere else.
'Ah! The training grounds?'
Come to think of it, this was about the time Ed always had his swordsmanship lessons. Maybe Billy had gone to the training grounds to check on him. With that thought, I hurried down the stairs.
The corridor was filled with servants gathered in small groups, each holding a copy of the extra edition, their faces grave as they talked.
Maybe it was because of the extra, but there seemed to be more wolf beastkin in the halls than usual. My body instinctively shrank back, shoulders hunched tight as I walked quietly.
"Eek!"
Suddenly, something licked my hand. I yelped in surprise and jumped back, then looked to see what it was and let out a deflated sigh.
"Jack... You nearly scared me to death."
Jack wagged his tail furiously as he rubbed his massive body against me. My heart pounded like it was about to burst out of my chest from the shock. I took a deep breath, steadying myself and calming my racing pulse.
As I stroked his back with trembling hands—like I had the shakes— it hit me that I'd momentarily forgotten where I was in all the surprise.
I lifted my head and slowly looked around. Every servant in the corridor, who had been deep in serious conversation, now had their eyes fixed on us.
"Ahem!"
Embarrassed, a cough escaped me. I cleared my throat hastily, my gaze dropping lower and lower. Keeping my eyes naturally downcast, I stared at the floor as I headed toward the training grounds.
'Their expressions are all so serious... it makes it even scarier.'
I tried to look as unafraid as possible, forcing the corners of my mouth up, but my terrified body wouldn't calm down unless I was practically biting the inside of my cheek.
Anyone who saw me would think I looked ridiculous, but before long, I'd arrived at the training grounds.
Worried I might disturb Ed's lesson, I hid behind a pillar and just rolled my eyes around, searching for Billy.
'He's not here.'
Billy wasn't there either. There was only Ed diligently taking his swordsmanship lesson from the vice-knight captain, along with the other knights training.
"If you're a knight of the Rub Family, shouldn't you be able to handle a trip to the Magic Tower?"
"The Tower Lord changed, didn't he? And we know him, so no way we'd end up as test subjects, right?"
"You know what they say—'no way' is what gets people killed."
The maids were chatting about the extra too, and the knights were getting heated over the Magic Tower as well.
They seemed a bit more eager to try since they knew Nick, but the Magic Tower's terrible reputation over the years had them hesitating.
I darted quickly to the next pillar, not wanting to catch Ed's or the knights' eyes. My plan was to cross the corridor beside the training grounds and head out to the garden.
The moment I confirmed no one was looking my way, I leaped to the next pillar.
'What? It got quieter all of a sudden.'
The training grounds felt much quieter than before. I peeked out from behind the pillar to see what was up, but nothing obvious stood out.
The knights were either staring down at their extras or busy drawing their swords for training. Ed and the vice-knight captain continued their lesson uninterrupted.
I tilted my head in confusion and moved to the next pillar. This time, instead of jumping, I tried walking casually.
'No way they didn't see me.'
I moved deliberately slowly on purpose, but still, no one looked my way.
It was like they were consciously avoiding me.
I couldn't tell if they knew I was trying to stay out of sight and were being considerate, or if it was something else. Their intentions were hard to read.
Feeling uneasy, I made my way out to the garden. The air grew colder by the day, and a sharp wind brushed against my cheek.
"Brr, it's cold."
I hugged my arms and hurried along with quick steps. That's when I spotted Billy, leaning back against a tree branch covered in fallen leaves and piled with snow.
Billy sat there alone in the pristine white garden, blanketed in snow, exuding an air of elegant solitude. He favored dark clothes as always, and today was no exception— a deep blue top matching his hair and black pants that contrasted sharply with the snow, making him stand out even more.
The sunlight reflecting off the snow seemed to shine right on his face, illuminating it so brightly it was visible even from afar, like he was under a spotlight.
"Billy!"
I called his name loudly with a bit more confidence than before. The distance gave me courage, and the fact that no servants were around in the garden helped too.
Billy slowly opened his closed eyes at my call and turned to look at me. Resting atop a snow-covered tree branch on such a cold day—what a guy.
"Out for a stroll?"
He leaped down gracefully from the high branch and walked over, asking in a loud voice.
As soon as he reached me, he flashed a playful smile, tilted his head to the side, and said,
"You're getting good at calling my name now."
"The first time's always the hardest. Once I did it once, it got a little easier."
"Hmm... You used to call it so perfectly before."
"Huh?"
I'd called his name perfectly before? It hadn't even been that long since the first time. Was his memory playing tricks on him?
I recalled the first time I'd called Billy by name. I'd definitely stuttered, my ears turning red, and even gotten teased by Ed for it.
'When did I ever call him Billy before that?'
If that wasn't the first time, it meant I'd called him by name even earlier. But no matter how hard I thought, nothing came to mind.
"Oh, actually, I came to ask you a favor."
Frowning as I racked my brain to no avail, I cut straight to the point. I needed to tell him I wanted to visit the Magic Tower once.
'If it weren't for that zebra, I could've just gone by myself.'
I inwardly recalled the Horse Family retainer who'd suddenly attacked me out of nowhere, landing me in the underground dungeon. His face, so eerily like Jeb Horse's, had made it stick in my memory.
"What is it?"
As Billy asked in a gentle voice, I told him I wanted to visit the magic item shop at the Magic Tower. He frowned, pondered for a moment, and made a reluctant face.
He usually went along with whatever I said, so this reaction was unusual. Was there some issue with the magic item shop? Or did he still think it was too dangerous for me to go out?
'Wait, if I ask Billy, I can go to the Magic Tower without even using the magic circle.'
I remembered the day I'd gone with him before. We'd teleported straight from the mansion to the Magic Tower using his warp magic—no magic circle needed.
So why the reluctance? I looked at him puzzled, and after a pause, he gazed off into the distance and spoke.
"Ed wants to go later, so how about we all go together in a few days?"
"Couldn't I go by myself first, before that?"
"Hmm..."
Did he want Ed and me to visit the magic item shop together for the first time? He kept hesitating unlike his usual self, which made him seem suspicious.
I eyed him dubiously, following his gaze as he avoided mine. Then it clicked why he was acting so shady.
"No customers have shown up at all, have they?"
It was the only reason that came to mind for him dragging his feet so much about taking me. Nailed it—his wandering eyes suddenly fixed in place.
"Exactly."
At my mutter, he finally glanced at me sheepishly, lips pressed tight before he managed to speak.
"The extra only just went out. Better to go when it's bustling."
"Aw, it'll take ages for crowds to show up. The Magic Tower's built up too much of a bad image over the years."
Billy let out a relieved breath at my casual attitude.
He'd been acting so out of character just to spare my feelings. For some reason, it made my heart tickle.
"Then today..."
"Family Head!"
Billy started to say something, but Devon came running up panting, interrupting him.
Devon spoke in a voice still breathless.
"The first magic circle user has arrived!"
Our eyes—mine and Billy's—went wide at the same time.
I hadn't imagined anyone would show up this soon.
'In the original story, even after handing out scrolls, the first challenger didn't appear until two days later?'
My bewildered gaze met Billy's stunned one in the air.