Chapter 512: Misunderstanding
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 512: Misunderstanding
How much time had passed since I began my meditation, resisting the astral plane that sought to swallow me whole?
Thud.
“Gasp, haah, haah…!!”
Finally wrenched from the sensation of being sucked away somewhere, I returned to reality, collapsing to the floor and gasping for breath.
Cold sweat poured down like rain, my heart pounded as if it would burst, and every muscle in my body trembled as if it had been pushed to its absolute limit.
It was an effort to even lift a single finger.
“This is unexpected…”
Just as I was forcing my magic power and internal energy to circulate and drive out the fatigue, the Tower Lord’s voice reached my ears.
It was a low, sweet tone, as if lost in thought.
The moment I managed to lift my head, an indescribable spectacle unfolded before my eyes.
Following the line of her smooth, snow-white thighs, I could see a pair of black, lace-trimmed panties. It was because the Tower Lord, in her side-slit dress, was crouching in front of me.
…Fucking hot.
In an instant, I forgot all my fatigue, completely captivated by the sight.
The price for that, however, was brutal.
“I thought you were on the verge of death, but it seems you still have the strength to roll your eyes around.”
“…”
A chill shot down my spine at her voice, as cold as winter frost.
Gulp.
I swallowed dryly and slowly raised my head.
At that moment, my eyes met the Tower Lord’s as she looked down on me with a murderous glare.
Is this what a rabbit feels when it comes face to face with a giant wolf on a snow-covered mountain during a midnight blizzard?
“How long do you plan on sprawling on the floor?”
“…Ah.”
I scrambled to my feet.
Every muscle in my body screamed in agony, but having been saved by the Tower Lord’s mercy, I had no other choice.
My legs trembled just from the simple act of standing.
“Your body and soul were semi-forcibly separated, so the aftereffects are bound to be severe. Refrain from strenuous exercise for the time being, and increase the frequency of your meditation.”
“I’ll carve your golden advice into my heart.”
“Stop with the unfitting flattery.”
Flop.
“So.”
The Tower Lord looked up at me and continued.
“What happened?”
“Well… it’s a bit of a long story.”
I glanced toward the window.
The sun was setting beyond the horizon.
She had said she’d watch me for an hour, but it looked like at least half a day had passed.
“Are you alright on time?”
“I’ve canceled all my appointments for today, so it doesn’t matter. Well, the Kremlin did invite me to a dinner banquet, but it would just be some senile old man spouting nonsense throughout the meal. I decided it would be far more productive to hear what you experienced than to waste my time there.”
“…”
Although Russia was constitutionally a democracy, in reality, it was closer to a monarchy.
And the current master of the Kremlin Palace was a dictator who had seized control of the military and purged countless political rivals.
For her to just unilaterally break an appointment with him…
For a moment, I wondered if she would really be okay, but seeing the Tower Lord’s indifferent expression, it seemed I had no reason to worry.
Then again… if the Tower Lord wanted to become the dictator of Russia, no one could stop her. It’s not like Russia has any monsters as strong as the Duke of Rutland among its S-rank hunters.
It was like a welfare recipient worrying about a corporate chairman.
Sitting down across from the Tower Lord, I began to calmly recount what had happened inside the astral plane.
By the time I had explained a good portion of it, the sun had completely set, and evening had arrived.
But more importantly, the expression on the Tower Lord’s face as she looked at me was far from ordinary.
“…So you’re saying that while the astral plane’s erosion was in progress, you actually diverted your brain’s resources outward to expand the scope of your cognitive space?”
“Well, something like that. If I’d had just a little more time, I could have completely covered the solar system…”
I trailed off, feigning disappointment, but in truth, I had reached my limit long before.
If I had woken up even a little later, I would have been consumed by the darkness of the astral plane and become a wreck, unable to even recognize myself.
In that sense, the Tower Lord’s help had been flawlessly perfect.
“…Your hand.”
“Pardon?”
The Tower Lord’s brow furrowed.
It was her way of saying she shouldn’t have to repeat herself.
“Tower Lord, if you keep frowning like that, your beautiful face will get wrink—I’ll shut up.”
Sensing a cold killing intent, I immediately held out my hand.
The Tower Lord’s cool, soft touch, which had become quite familiar by now, began to gently caress my hand.
It’s not… poor circulation, is it?
I had noticed it earlier, but the Tower Lord’s hands were unusually cold.
It was probably because she was an archmage who wielded the element of ice.
“This is…”
The Tower Lord, who had been holding my hand with her eyes quietly closed, murmured lowly. She then slowly opened her eyes and looked at me with a peculiar gaze.
“…I didn’t look at anything this time.”
For a split second, the valley of her white breasts had entered my vision, but I had immediately averted my gaze.
That should count as innocent.
But for some reason, the Tower Lord continued to stare at me, clearly displeased.
Thanks to that, a heavy silence fell over the workshop, and my clasped palm grew slick with sweat.
“…That’s all for today’s lesson. Be here by seven in the morning tomorrow.”
With those words, the Tower Lord rose from her seat.
I let out an inward sigh of relief.
“Ah, Tower Lord.”
“What is it?”
“Could I possibly have the medicine you gave me earlier?”
“…What?”
The Tower Lord’s eyes narrowed.
“I thought it might be good to try again after I’ve rested a bit.”
I knew it was dangerous.
But I had a feeling I could find something even more valuable than the risk involved.
High risk, high return.
If you don’t raise the stakes yourself, you’ll end up walking away satisfied with a few measly coins.
That’s not what I want.
Even if it means betting everything, including my life, I’m going to aim for a jackpot others can’t even dare to imagine.
“If you’re that eager to die, you might as well hang yourself.”
But contrary to my resolve, the Tower Lord’s firm voice forced me to swallow my disappointment.
If I insisted here, I felt like she would freeze my lips shut this time.
Just as the Tower Lord turned to leave…
“Um, Tower Lord.”
I called out to her, a hint of urgency in my voice.
The Tower Lord stared at me with a look that clearly said, What is it now? Her annoyance was plain for anyone to see.
After a moment of just moving my lips, I gave an awkward smile.
“It’s… nothing.”
The Tower Lord shot me a look as if I were some kind of weirdo, then opened a door on the far side of the workshop and disappeared inside.
Left alone, I scratched the back of my neck before sinking into the sofa.
“…Tsk, this is harder than I thought.”
*
6:00 AM.
Moscow was still dark.
The sun rose later here than in Seoul.
“Haaah…”
A puff of white breath escaped my lips, likely because of the early morning chill.
I bundled myself up in the coat Delia had gifted me.
It wasn’t that I was particularly cold, but since Delia had picked it out herself, I wanted to at least pretend to be warm.
I walked through the streets, bustling with people heading to work, while sipping on Sbiten, a traditional Russian drink.
Slurp.
Hmm, it’s not particularly tasty. A bit like ginger tea.
The only difference was the lingering scent of cinnamon in my mouth.
Still, it wasn’t bad for a cold day.
After arriving at the White Magic Tower, I showed the ID card I received yesterday to the staff at the front desk and boarded the elevator reserved for the Tower Lord.
It was, for the record, the only way to get to her workshop.
As such, only those with proven identities could use it, and only with the Tower Lord’s permission.
Whooosh.
The elevator ascended rapidly.
In an instant, I arrived at the Tower Lord’s workshop on the 199th floor.
The elevator doors opened, but there was no one there to greet me.
Knock, knock.
I tapped lightly on the workshop door.
“Come in.”
The Tower Lord’s cold, monotone voice came from within.
I slowly opened the door.
“Good morning, Tower Lord.”
I offered a friendly smile and a greeting, but was met with only silence.
Feeling a bit awkward, I approached the Tower Lord, who was sitting at her desk writing something, and placed the drink I’d brought on her desk.
“Have some of this while you work.”
“…Sbiten?”
“Yes, I bought it from a café near my hotel. It’s quite good.”
That was a lie.
In terms of taste alone, a café latte from Starbox was far superior.
But just as Koreans feel good when a foreigner says they like kimchi, it was a compliment meant to get on her good side.
However, contrary to my expectations, the Tower Lord’s reaction was frigid.
“I don’t need it.”
She glanced at the Sbiten before her gaze returned to her research journal.
I guess she doesn’t like it.
Feeling awkward again, I quietly sat on the sofa. I kept my mouth shut so as not to disturb her, knowing she scheduled her days down to the minute.
There were still about thirty minutes until the lesson.
I pulled out my phone, planning to catch up on some webtoons I’d fallen behind on, when a thought struck me.
…Wait a minute. Isn’t this an opportunity?
I snuck a sideways glance at the Tower Lord, who was engrossed in writing in her journal.
As if something wasn’t going as planned, she frowned slightly and tucked a strand of her white hair behind her ear.
That simple series of movements was as beautiful as a painting—enough to capture any man’s heart in an instant.
She was the very picture of a woman who could cause lovesickness.
And the thought that such a woman’s erogenous zone might be her anus gave me a lot to think about.
Just like Arin’s weak spot was her ass, what if it’s the same for the White Tower Lord…?
Of course, the chances of bedding this woman, who was colder than glacial ice, were practically zero, but as a mage, I couldn’t suppress my curiosity.
Besides, you never know.
I carefully used the ‘Discreet Insight’ skill on the Tower Lord.
The moment a fairly distinct pink light emanated from her, I clenched my fist and cheered inwardly.
To think that the great archmage of Russia, known as the Witch of the Snowfield, is a pervert with a weakness for anal…
For a moment, a vulgar image of the Tower Lord pleasuring herself alone at night flashed through my mind.
As my lower body began to throb unconsciously…
“What are you smiling so disgustingly about?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Swoosh.
The Tower Lord had risen from her desk at some point and was now sitting across from me.
A cold sweat started to trickle down my back.
I had been so distracted that I hadn’t even noticed her approach.
…No, just act normal. There’s no way she found out—
“What on earth were you thinking to have such a…”
But had God abandoned me?
Or was my judgment flawed in thinking I could hide a python in my pants?
The Tower Lord’s expression hardened as she noticed the unnatural bulge in my crotch. Her gaze, now filled with disgust, bore into me.
“…Scum.”
