Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Rose-Tinted Glasses (3)
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"Sparring?"
"Lady Mastien challenged someone to a duel!"
"Who's the opponent!?"
"Someone I've never seen before... looks about the same age as the lady..."
"Is there anyone Lady Mastien's age who can match her?"
It was fun enough just watching the fight, but the star of the show was the lady from one of the great noble houses that all the aristocrats in the banquet hall admired.
The crowd went wild at this unexpected show of entertainment from the great noble lady. They were practically losing their minds with excitement.
This must be the makings of a superstar. The kind that drives people crazy, whether they like it or not—
And right now, I felt like I was going insane too.
Sparring...
Lady Mastien from the great noble house—Heina—declared triumphantly that she too had reached the 5th Circle.
In other words, Heina thought I was still at the 5th Circle.
It was a perfectly reasonable assumption.
Last time I'd seen Heina, I was at the 5th Circle, and it had only been about a month since then.
"What, you don't believe me? Heh. Did you think you were the only special one?"
Misinterpreting my flustered look, Lady Heina's shoulders puffed up higher by the second.
Damn it.
What was this inexplicable guilt gnawing at me?
For now, I needed to find a way out of this situation.
If I really were at the 5th Circle like she thought, we could've put on a close match that would thrill the crowd and earn thunderous applause. But the gap between us now was too vast.
Thinking back to my spar with Sir Meltas, it was like the difference between a child and an adult.
A duel under those conditions?
The whole point would boil down to how much I held back and played nice.
It'd be awkward for everyone involved.
"No answer? Don't tell me you're thinking, 'What if I humiliate Lady Mastien in front of all these people—how do I clean up the mess afterward?'"
"..."
"Nailed it, huh? Cocky as ever. Fine, I'll give you that—you've earned it."
"That's..."
"But! Let me make this clear: it's not going to go the way you think. I don't assume it'll be easy to beat you, but I sure as hell don't plan on losing easily either. No. I'm not losing. I'm going to win. No doubt about it. I've changed, and you're going to feel it."
The gleam in Heina's green eyes grew sharper by the moment.
It was the confidence of a genius.
But it was different from the confidence I'd seen in her when we first met.
Stronger, more positive—like it carried real power now.
Even watching it made me feel a little giddy.
"How about we get started? I can't hold back much longer."
Heina's emotions were building perfectly, priming her for the duel.
How the hell was I supposed to make her lose interest now?
"..."
After some agonizing thought, I gave Heina a subtle nod.
Then, angling my hand so only she could see, I raised it.
"?"
Heina's gaze flicked to my hand.
I held up two open palms.
Then I started folding my fingers one by one.
One, two, three, four, five.
And then six.
"?"
Heina's expression went flat.
What're you doing? her eyes seemed to say.
"...!?"
But soon, it twisted dramatically.
What're you doing!?
-Don't mess with me! No way that's true!?
Heina's eyes started interrogating me fiercely.
-...
With mixed feelings, I raised my hand again.
I flexed my index finger—the seventh—open and closed repeatedly.
"Hey!"
Heina finally burst out, unable to hold it in.
With the most wronged look on her face.
"N-No way! That's impossible!!!"
"..."
Wiggle, wiggle.
I could only repeat the motion with a heavy heart.
"I don't believe it! I can't believe it! There's no way that's possible!"
Her mouth said one thing, but her body was honest.
I could feel her eagerness for the duel draining away fast, as she'd clearly read my signal.
"Y-You... sneaky... unfair..."
Separately, I could see resentment toward me building just as quickly.
A whiny voice.
The bold challenger had instantly turned into a sulky little kid.
"Alright, that's enough."
That was when Heina's brother, Young Master Mastien, stepped in between us.
The weight of status.
Young Master Mastien—Dray's—attitude was friendly, but Rishir sensed a subtle pressure in it.
"Heina, that's enough. You're making the other guy uncomfortable. Sorry about that. You were surprised, right?"
"Oh? N-No, not at all."
"Impressive, though."
"Pardon?"
"It's rare for our Heina to show this much rivalry toward someone else. So, what's your relationship with her?"
Dray scanned Rishir up and down.
"Ah, we're colleagues from the Magic Tower."
"Really? Wow, that's a surprise. I never thought our prickly Heina would make friends at the tower."
"W-We are not friends!!"
Heina, who'd been listening, suddenly shouted in shock.
Rishir shouted back in equal surprise.
"What!? I thought we were friends!!"
"Uh...?"
Heina fidgeted awkwardly, her eyes darting around from embarrassment.
"W-Well...? If you really want... I guess we could be friends...?"
Dray burst out laughing beside them, looking like he found his little sister unbearably cute.
"What a joyous occasion. Our Heina finally has a friend. As far as I know, this is a first."
"Dray! Don't say weird stuff!!!"
"All I'm saying is you rarely acknowledge people. Right?"
"..."
"Whoops."
Dray dodged Heina's glare and turned back to Rishir.
"You're Heina's friend, so feel free to speak casually."
"Pardon? Oh, sure."
"I'm Drei of Mastien. And you?"
"Rishir."
"Rishir, just Rishir..."
Dray's expression shifted.
From the face of a big brother eyeing his sister's friend—
To the face of Mastien's second son assessing an outsider.
Unlike Heina, Dray was active on the front lines for his family.
Approaching groups or individuals who could benefit the house and building good relations with them.
Some called Dray's approach "talent collecting."
Dray quite liked the term.
His attitude toward people wasn't much different from that of a collector approaching prized specimens.
And right now, Dray was intrigued by Rishir.
Why did Heina take an interest in him...?
It was because his sister—who rarely opened her heart to anyone—had.
Heina's tastes were even pickier than Dray's, given how selective she was.
Dray was curious, from a collector's perspective, what had captured her attention.
Rishir. What's your value?
After appraising him briefly, Dray spoke up.
"You know our Heina just reached the 5th Circle, right?"
"Ah, yes. I just heard."
"Isn't it amazing? She's been studying magic for about a year. 4th Circle would've been shocking enough, but 5th? You're a mage too, so tell me: does that insane progress even make sense?"
Dray's words brimmed with endless affection and pride.
Indeed, if someone else had Heina's talent, Dray would've done anything to "collect" them.
"Dray... please stop..."
Then Heina spoke up from the side, her voice trembling.
Dray took it as her being embarrassed by his gushing.
Modesty was a virtue for those with middling talent.
Someone like Heina had no need for it, and as far as Dray knew, she was well aware of that.
Shy in front of her friend?
Dray concluded that was it.
"5th Circle? After how long studying magic...?"
"5th Circle in a year... Lady Heina might just rewrite history...!"
"The Gray Tower's prestige—"
Satisfied by the reactions around them, he continued.
"I heard from Heina. You're at the 5th Circle too, right?"
"Uh, well—"
The crowd stirred again.
"What, that guy's at 5th Circle too!? At his age!?"
"Still, unlike Lady Heina, he's probably been training since he was a kid..."
"Even accounting for that, it's impressive! Plenty of people don't hit 5th Circle even in their thirties!"
"True..."
It was a more subdued ripple than for Heina.
And that mirrored Dray's own feelings.
5th Circle...
As a great noble.
And as a seasoned talent collector who'd met countless prodigies.
Rishir's achievement didn't impress him much.
He acknowledged it, but saw no need to invest effort in "collecting" him.
Thus, Dray's curiosity reared up again.
What about this guy had hooked his picky sister?
Similar circumstances, maybe...
Dray soon reached a conclusion.
Heina, placed in the new environment of the Magic Tower, must've felt a spark of interest in Rishir during her adjustment—a minor commotion from that.
Until recently, Heina had been at 4th Circle.
So, natural she'd be intrigued by a peer at a higher realm.
But now Heina was 5th Circle.
She wouldn't look at Rishir the same way.
And vice versa.
The feelings a genius inspires in an ordinary person border on disaster.
Given Heina's personality, their friendship won't last long.
The talent collector's curiosity was sated; interest in the target waned.
Back to being Heina's big brother, Dray smiled at Rishir.
"5th Circle at your age. Impressive. You must not have rested on your natural talent but worked tirelessly. It was a relief seeing Heina after so long—she seems to be doing great. I'm sure you had a hand in that. Thanks for that."
He patted Rishir's shoulder amiably.
Dray's demeanor suggested they could chat all day.
"Keep being friends with our Heina, yeah?"
"I'd love to, but considering Lady Heina's personality—that'll be up to her."
"Hahaha! Fair enough! Well, then I'll—"
But he ended the conversation casually.
His reason for attending this banquet at the Golden Barley Merchant Guild was solely "talent collecting."
He had no more time to spare on Rishir.
"Lord Dray."
"Hm?"
"He's arrived."
"Ah, got it?"
Right on cue, a servant delivered the news he'd been waiting for.
The former Blue Magic Tower Lord, "Frozen Breath," had arrived.
He'd soon head to the guild master's VIP room.
"Lord Eron...!"
At the same time, the guild master's daughter, Karia, rushed up to Eron with the same message.
The guild master's daughter acting so chummy... Ah, right. He's that saint.
Dray shifted back into talent collector mode.
His gaze turned to where Rishir and the saint stood together.
But it fixed solely on the saint.
"If you're okay with it, come with?"
The saint exchanged a glance with Rishir and nodded.
They headed off together to the guild master's VIP room.
"Oh? You all—"
Dray arrived at the reception room, mid-conversation with Eron.
His eyes lit up the moment he entered.
Balrod of the Red Tower.
Maldad the demon hunter.
Shakan of the Sky Step Clan.
Three figures who perfectly whetted his talent-collecting appetite were already there.
"Lord Dray."
They rose immediately and bowed to him.
Dray returned the nod and was about to continue when—
"Rishir!"
They lit up and rushed to Rishir instead.
"What brings you here?"
"Ah, just a lucky opportunity. What about you all—"
"Don't make us say it. Same as you—a chance encounter."
"We're in the same boat, waiting for our business to wrap up."
"I popped in just to handle Lan's request quick and leave, but somehow it turned into this."
"Sorry about that. Feels partly my fault."
Smack! Smack!
Shakan clapped Rishir's back heartily.
"No worries! We're good! Don't apologize—thanks to you, we made some valuable connections! Right?"
Shakan glanced at Balrod and Maldad, who nodded without hesitation.
"..."
Dray was more than a little taken aback by their behavior.
He knew these three well, and knew how prickly they were.
Yet the warmth they showed Rishir now?
Hard to believe they were the same people.
Rishir...
The embers reignited.
Just as the talent collector's interest in Rishir flared anew—
The door opened, letting in a chill draft.
An old man whose head hair had all migrated to his face stood there with a young woman.
The former Blue Tower Lord.
Frozen Breath, Palrag.
The room tensed instantly at the arrival of a titan who dwarfed everyone present.
They straightened up to greet him.
"No need. Sit. I'm not here for formalities."
Palrag brushed it off with a wave and took the head seat.
The young woman followed and stood by his side.
"Ahem."
Seated, Palrag cleared his throat to start.
The former Blue Tower Lord was thirsty.
Thirsty for praise.
The perceptive Dray picked up the cue.
"Duke Palrag, I don't believe I've met your companion. Is she that promising new disciple you've taken on—?"
Creak.
The old man's bushy brows and beard twitched with his grin.
He spoke.
"Sounds like you've heard something."
His gaze prodded like it expected the question.
Dray smiled wryly but smoothly continued.
"I've heard she has magical talent exceptional enough to catch your eye."
"..."
The three heavyweights perked up at Dray's words too.
The former Blue Tower Lord, Frozen Breath—known for his eccentricity bordering on cantankerousness.
Famous for his harshness even to disciples, now taking one after retiring?
How exceptional must she be?
Savoring their expectant looks, the balding elder opened his mouth smugly.
"Gather 'round, and let this old man tell you an amusing tale. It starts with something you all know: a decrepit, ailing mage steps back from the front lines and begins wandering the continent. Checking on what he'd missed in his single-minded rush forward. Then, in some village, he meets a girl. A 3rd Circle swordsman who'd already mastered Blue Breathing."
An opener more shocking than any discussion of magical talent.
Palrag scanned the room confidently, utterly convinced.
Gauging their stunned reactions.
Like a doting grandpa bragging about his granddaughter.
"?"
His expression suddenly twisted.
"Duke Palrag, you don't mean...!"
Only Dray showed the reaction Palrag expected.
The rest glanced at a young man with odd expressions.