Chapter 213
Chapter 213
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Humble and Modest?
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Ah, he seems like a good person.
"The Golden Star, Carzen.
His ostentatious attire and self-centered personality were more famous than his achievements and accomplishments as the lord of the Yellow Mage Tower.
When he took in his first disciple.
Everyone who knew the Golden Star was stunned beyond belief.
-You took in a disciple?
And then.
When they actually saw that disciple, they were stunned all over again.
-Did you pick your disciple based on personality?
Carzen flatly denied it.
He had taken in a disciple who felt like an ornament to glorify his own name.
If there was any criterion for selecting that disciple, it had to be flashy talent—both first and foremost.
The reason Carzen took Locard as his disciple!
It was entirely because Locard was born with an innate aptitude for his unique magic.
However.
They say magic is a mirror reflecting the mage's inner world.
The disciple he regarded as little more than an ornament to glorify his name.
The day he first took a real interest in him and learned his personality.
Carzen couldn't help but be greatly shocked.
That young mage's personality bore an uncanny resemblance to his own.
Especially that extreme ostentatiousness.
-Could it be... that my aptitude for unique magic stems from that kind of personality?
To the point where such a thought crossed his mind.
So, what was the conclusion?
-Lord Carzen... so regarding Locard's issue, what...
-Leave it be.
-...Pardon?
-It's not something that can be fixed just because you try. I know it well.
Locard's personality takes after mine.
Therefore, I'll cheerfully give up on any guidance or correction.
That was the great mage's conclusion regarding his disciple's character.
...Which explained why he was now confused by the young mage before him.
He had described his impressions of meeting his disciple like this:
He seemed like a humble and modest person.
'Humble? Modest?'
The Locard that Carzen knew was the type who would overload if he suppressed his urge to show off even for a moment.
And even that urge to show off was far from ordinary.
That peculiar sleaziness of his.
That twisted, perverse exhibitionism was enough to make even Carzen, bearer of the title Golden Star, recoil in disgust.
Carzen could confidently assert.
The two virtues the young man had just mentioned were at complete odds with his disciple.
And so.
Just as he was reaffirming his conviction about his disciple's perverse personality and thoroughly rejecting the notion of humility, a fleeting doubt crept in.
The Golden Star suddenly felt a question arise.
'Who the hell did this guy meet?'
He only turned into a mediocrity in front of the mage tower lord and his disciple.
In truth, the mages of the Yellow Mage Tower all possessed personalities ostentatious enough to hold their own anywhere.
In this matter, they had thoroughly crushed the momentum of their rivals, the Gray Mage Tower—
They were never the type to display humility.
By this point, Carzen couldn't help but think.
'Is he... being sarcastic?'
Contextually, there was no other interpretation possible.
Yet the reason Carzen couldn't quite pin it down was that the man speaking appeared utterly sincere.
Unless he was a genius at deception like Locard—
That reaction would only come from someone who had truly met a humble person.
"Hmmm..."
And so.
Lemier and Dmear suddenly witnessed an astonishing sight.
The Golden Star, who maintained his arrogance even before other mage tower lords—
Was at a loss for words before this young mage.
Of course, it didn't last long.
"Well, whatever."
True to his personality, Carzen quickly grew bored with agonizing in front of others.
"Your statement is quite intriguing. It makes me want to hear the details."
"Ah, it's nothing much. You see—"
"No. Stop there."
"Pardon?"
"I cannot bestow any more of my attention upon you. For a mage of the Gray Mage Tower, that would be an honor far too excessive."
"Oh..."
What was this enigmatic figure now?
Rishir found himself overwhelmed by the great mage before him in an entirely different way.
"If you wish to earn my interest, show devotion worthy of it. For instance—persuade your stubborn mage tower lord to make the right judgment."
"The right judgment..."
Rishir glanced at the gray girl and lady upon hearing those words.
He soon spoke.
"I believe whatever judgment the two of you make will be the right and proper one."
"Oh ho."
The Pigeon eyed Rishir intently.
"You look plain enough, yet you speak with such spirit? Not the reaction I expected, but I rather like it. Does the Wandering Star keep a young mage like you around because of that personality? Or—"
The Pigeon tried to focus his gaze on Rishir.
Limited as his senses were by that appearance, he was doing his utmost to gauge the young mage before him.
"...Well, whatever."
But like before, he quickly lost interest.
The Golden Star.
He preferred things that were flashy and apparent.
Forcing himself to discern intangible value was not to his taste.
"If Lemier's judgment isn't mistaken, you'll naturally catch my eye someday."
With that!
The Pigeon spread his wings as he spoke.
"It was a pleasure talking, Wandering Star!!! I'd love to meet properly next time! Hahaha!"
"..."
The gray girl averted her gaze from the window, as if she had seen something she shouldn't have.
Rishir showed a hint of displeasure at the mage tower lord's demeanor.
"Still, even for the Yellow Mage Tower lord... is it really okay to act so arrogant in our mage tower, especially in front of Lady Lemier?"
Lemier's expression, tinged with boredom, brightened in an instant.
"Are you getting angry on my behalf? How commendable. But don't expend too much emotion on it. In gatherings where group interests are at stake, it's right to squeeze the other side like a rat without crossing the line."
"Does Lady Lemier do the same elsewhere?"
"Not to that extent. That guy's born with it."
A talent for throwing his weight around.
Rishir shuddered in fear.
"In that regard, Rishir."
"Yes."
"You did very well. You really landed a solid hit, didn't you?"
"Pardon?"
"Calling that guy's disciple 'humble and modest.' Especially that expression, like you truly meant it—that was the best part. Did you see? How he didn't know what to do."
Lemier was recalling the Pigeon's flustered reaction to Rishir's words.
"In that moment just now, few besides you could have landed a hit on that vicious guy. To exaggerate a bit, I even felt a sense of respect."
Dmear chimed in next.
"Rishir! Thank you! Scolding that rude Pigeon who disrespected our lady! It felt so refreshing!"
Then Didoa.
"As expected of my friend Rishir. You've restored our mage tower's dignity. I'm proud."
"..."
Rishir couldn't comprehend their reactions.
'Landed a hit? Scolded him? Restored dignity? What are they talking about?'
Rishir racked his memory, trying to understand the situation.
But.
No matter how he thought about it, all he had done to the Pigeon was sincerely praise his disciple as 'humble and modest.'
"What's wrong, Rishir? Why the face? Don't tell me you're still hung up on that? No need. He started it. Right?"
"Exactly, my lady!"
"Quite right, Mage Tower Lord."
"..."
In the end.
Rishir failed to follow their train of thought to the very end.
"By the way, Lady Lemier. What exactly is going on here? The Yellow Mage Tower lord, and even his disciple..."
Having realized through the sequence of events that the incident entangling the Gray Mage Tower and Yellow Mage Tower was far more complex than he had imagined, Rishir voiced his doubts plainly.
"Right, I should explain. But first—Master Didoa? How's that matter?"
"The person in question has put discussions with the Yellow Mage Tower on hold."
"For what reason?"
"They hope to include the Gray Mage Tower in the discussions."
"So, the talks will involve the Gray Mage Tower, the Yellow Mage Tower, and the person in question—the three parties together?"
"Yes."
"Good news. But it's sudden. No clue what's behind it. What wind blew this way?"
"Strong recommendations from Goose, owner of the Golden Barley Merchant Guild, and Fienne, proxy for the city councilor."
"Oh!"
The sudden mention of those names filled Rishir with both surprise and joy.
He suddenly recalled his conversation with Rona from his previous visit.
'When Gadum was city councilor, he left a huge pile of shit behind, and they're still cleaning it up. Fienne's filling that empty seat as proxy... poor girl, lots of hardship.'
The silver lining was.
Fienne was enjoying the process itself.
'Savoring the satisfaction of being revered by people without the power of domination...'
A natural smile spread across Rishir's face as he thought of her.
He decided.
He should visit soon with a gift she liked, to cheer her on.
'...What did Fienne like again?'
And so.
As Rishir felt a surge of affection thinking of his friend.
"...Strong recommendations from the Golden Barley Guildmaster and the city councilor proxy?"
The mage tower lord was flustered by those names for a different reason.
For the city's power holders, mage towers were objects of restraint, not collaboration.
Lemier felt unease rather than gratitude toward their helping hand.
For superhumans who had reached the pinnacle of magic, the most troublesome matter was undoubtedly these internal and external political issues of the mage tower.
"What on earth are they scheming?"
As Lemier pondered deeply.
Her mage tower lord proxy said to her.
"My lady! There's no scheming like you're worrying about!"
"What do you mean, Dmear? Do you have some inkling?"
"Those two are Rishir's close friends! Probably, in seeking advice from dungeon discoverers, they happened to meet them, and in that process, the guildmaster and proxy intervened to help Rishir out! They know he cherishes the Gray Mage Tower!"
"...?"
Lemier was baffled.
City power holders fully supporting a mage tower for the sake of an honorary mage who was neither lord nor master?
Even she, who had wandered the continent encountering numerous cities and mage towers, had never heard of such a thing.
Lemier chanted a magic spell to somehow accept this anomalous situation.
'Rishir... Rishir...'
Surprisingly, it helped greatly.
"Right. Thanks to Rishir, then. In that case, I can rest... assured. If city power holders are helping the mage tower, it must be with the purest... intentions, no reason to worry at all."
The gray girl's expression twitched faintly as she spoke.
Rishir grew a bit concerned about her condition.
Afterward.
Lemier explained the full story of the incident surrounding the Gray Mage Tower, Yellow Mage Tower, and Bondalles.
"So—the White Iron Adventurers' Guild found a map containing dungeon coordinates. And that dungeon is located in the Bondalles region."
White Iron Adventurers' Guild.
Rishir reacted first to that name.
One of the three great adventurers' guilds.
Even Rishir, who had no interest in the adventurer industry, knew their renowned fame from their activities in the continent's heartland.
"Precisely. They entrusted the map's interpretation to the Yellow Mage Tower, and in that process, it was revealed to be near Bondalles, leading to this mess."
"Yes. When a new structure is discovered requiring exploration, it's customary to grant priority investigation rights to the nearest mage tower."
"Customary means... we only have justification on our side. No coercive power to demand concessions from the Yellow Mage Tower."
"Exactly. Especially for a weaker tower like ours."
Rishir nodded as he sorted out the situation in his mind.
'An undiscovered dungeon...'
Rishir could guess the reason for that formidable lineup: the Yellow Mage Tower lord and his disciple.
It was common for specific groups or individuals exploring undiscovered dungeons to gain fame in history.
"So now... our mage tower and the Yellow Mage Tower are competing for participation rights in that investigation team? Did I understand correctly?"
"Yes, spot on. They originally planned to get city approval and proceed unilaterally—but as I said, city power holders pulled strings. It gave us an opening, you could say."
"Oh... then it's quite an optimistic situation, isn't it?"
"In the sense that luck rolled in while we sat idle, yes. But the outlook isn't that great."
As Lemier looked to Didoa, she nodded and continued.
"The Yellow Mage Tower has moved faster than we anticipated."
"In what way?"
"Simply put, they've nearly completed preparations to start the dungeon investigation."
"To the point where they could whisper a magic spell to the White Iron Guild saying 'just come and we're off.' Then, conversely, how long would it take us to prepare from now?"
"Depends on the dungeon type and scale, but roughly... a few months?"
"A few months!?"
Rishir's eyes widened.
"Does it normally take that long?"
"This is a special case. The anticipated dungeon's size and features demand much trickier personnel selection. Above all—they've already secured most of the talent in the city."
Rishir newly realized the power of information.
When a group like the Yellow Mage Tower got the info first and took the lead, the responders had no moves left.
"Then—we'd have to persuade the White Iron Guild with 'give us a few months'."
"Probably."
"Would they wait that long?"
"..."
An uncomfortable silence filled the room.
Right now.
The White Iron Guild had mobilized vast manpower for the dungeon investigation.
The longer the wait, the longer the waste of that manpower.
For instance, they had no reason to accommodate the Gray Mage Tower—
And to convince them, the Gray Mage Tower needed an ace up its sleeve.
"Any sharp ideas?"
At that moment.
Someone knocked on the office door.
Dmear—it was the mage tower masters tasked with dungeon investigation team formation.
"Shall we hear their report first?"
Rishir listened to their reports from the side, growing increasingly confused.
"Ugh... ugh... ugh...!!! Argh!!! If not for that bastard— Ah, sorry. I got too worked up and showed an embarrassing side..."
First report.
"Locard!!! That damned guy badmouthed our mage tower in front of everyone—"
Second report.
"Sorry, Mage Tower Lord Proxy. That nightmare of a guy made me lose my composure and—"
Third report.
And every subsequent report without fail mentioned Locard's name.
They recounted how they got entangled with Locard while recruiting personnel—
And how they suffered under his sleazy, arrogant personality.
'Sir Locard?'
Rishir wondered if they had met the same person.
Suppressing his urge to defend Locard, he said.
"So, what do we do?"
With the Yellow Mage Tower's head start blocking all options.
In that desperate situation, Rishir asked their opinions.
Lemier sighed as she summarized.
"For now... we talk to them and explore options. Without high expectations."
The next day.
Rishir and the Gray Mage Tower members headed to the meeting place where the Yellow Mage Tower and White Iron Adventurers' Guild awaited.
"...Locard. What's going on? There's still 30 minutes until the appointed time."
When they arrived.
The meeting was already in full swing under the Yellow Mage Tower's lead.
At the center of that situation.
The Golden Divinity Locard flashed his signature sleazy smile toward them.
"Ah! You arrived just in time! We were just needing the Gray Mage Tower's esteemed opinion!"
The masters felt unease overriding their displeasure.
For his feigned friendliness was a sign of impending trickery.
"Just now, regarding dungeon characteristics, we concluded we need an expert in great black magic knowledge. Our tower estimates it would take a full week to find a suitable candidate. A whole week!!! So, we humbly request the Gray Mage Tower's assistance. Would you kindly resolve this for us?"
As expected!
The masters ground their teeth inwardly.
Great black magic knowledge—a tricky skill—and someone credible enough to entrust with dungeon investigation.
Finding such a person would take at least a fortnight of searching.
Inside and outside the city!
Yet calling the Yellow Mage Tower incompetent for taking a week?
Simple.
They had finished preparations and were now shaming the unprepared Gray Mage Tower.
"..."
The Gray Masters trembled with powerlessness.
As Locard inwardly savored their sight.
"Oh, shall we? Then let's do that!"
Rishir cheerfully accepted Locard's 'proposal.'
Tsk, no matter how I look at him, he seems like a good person?
Honey dripped from Rishir's eyes as he gazed at Locard.
People stared at Rishir in wonder.
"..."
Even Locard himself.