Chapter 54
Chapter 54
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Chapter 54 - 마법사와 성직자 (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
```html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Mage and the Cleric (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rishir.
It had been a few days since he rooted out the black mage hiding in the tower.
A large crowd of mages had gathered in one corner of the tower's courtyard.
It was a meeting convened at Gerhen's request, backed by the full support of the Gray Tower's noble faction.
Gerhen spoke from the podium there.
"Esteemed acolytes."
"A mere outsider—no, a nobody without even a family name to flaunt—cannot meddle in our tower's affairs."
"Especially not while trampling over our tower's rules!"
"Our wise mages of the tower all know that every issue arising within these walls must be resolved through proper procedure."
"A trial, that is."
"Tulan. That man should have faced trial."
"Not for his honor, but for ours!"
"No one—no one—can judge crimes within our tower without due process."
"No one! Can judge others within our tower without due process."
"Esteemed acolytes."
"That outsider's actions are a direct challenge to our tower's authority."
"And yet, to publicly acknowledge and praise his deeds in the tower's name!"
"If we ourselves disregard our rules, who will hold our tower's discipline in strict regard?!"
"It would be as if we spat in each other's faces!"
"Esteemed acolytes."
"We must never take this matter lightly."
"We must defend our authority and discipline."
"I dare to speak for you all."
"Please lend me your strength."
The acolytes applauded Gerhen's speech.
Of course, not all the applause was sincere.
Some acolytes clapped half-heartedly while chatting with the fellows beside them.
Some with bored expressions. Others with smirks.
"Are those clapping really agreeing with that fool?"
"I don't want to believe idiots like that are fellow acolytes of my tower."
"His words sound so pretty... but anyone who thinks about it even a little can see through it."
"He exposed and neutralized black magic on the spot, captured the black mage, and now they want to condemn it as a rules violation? What is this, the Black Tower?"
"Kyaha! Well said."
"Even the ones clapping know how ridiculous Gerhen looks right now."
"But we gotta play along... He's always been a pain, imagine how much worse now that he's burning up inside."
"He still has enough pull to cost someone their head... Ack!"
"Let's go."
Gerhen stared silently at such people from the podium.
'Damn it, how did I end up like...'
He lamented his current predicament, where he could only stare helplessly.
Gerhen had once been a towering figure among masters as the head of the tower's noble faction.
In the old days, there were no more than five people in the entire tower whose opinions he needed to consider.
But now.
He was watching the moods even of lowly noble acolytes he wouldn't have spared a glance before.
It wasn't simply because he'd been toyed with by a black mage.
With most masters having been similarly duped, he had no reason to bear the brunt of blame alone.
In other words, that was merely the trigger.
"I hear Master Gerhen was one of the main backers during the time Tulan masqueraded as a master—"
"It's common knowledge just from looking at the papers he submitted."
"I got access to check out of curiosity? Master Didoa's name—who probably did all the actual research—is nowhere, just full of mentions of Master Gerhen?"
"While the man's sucking his thumb, third parties divvy up his achievements nice and friendly..."
"Gerhen. Suddenly all those papers with his name feel suspicious. Am I overreacting?"
"How can we judge that lightly."
"We should hold a trial for this."
"Kuhahaha!"
The trigger that shone a spotlight on Gerhen's past misdeeds among the people.
Gerhen's authority had visibly plummeted, and this was only the beginning.
'That bastard...'
Gerhen immediately devised countermeasures and reached one conclusion.
Rishir. No matter what, that outsider's achievements must not be recognized.
Furthermore, they had to be thoroughly denied.
The one silver lining, if any.
Gerhen had a long track record of ousting his rivals or prey from the tower and society alike.
Dragging others down.
It was one of Gerhen's signature skills.
"But what the hell is that guy's deal anyway."
"Rishir, was it?"
"Not only did he spot black magic that even masters missed, he dismantled it on the spot."
"Something only a high priest from the church or a white magic master could pull off?"
"Maybe they could..."
"But then again, could even they?"
"Or how about this? What if that guy's in the same boat as Tulan."
"What?"
"Like a fellow black mage, or a comrade who knew Tulan's plan and betrayed him to exploit it—"
"Crazy bitch..."
"Kukuku, just kidding. Kidding."
"Interesting perspective though."
"Anyway, even accounting for 'Ah, so it was a unique color,' that's still some special talent."
How to approach this incident.
Gerhen already had a plan in mind.
The vast underground prison beneath the Gray Tower.
In one iron cell among those holding dangerous substances or creatures kept by the tower for various reasons, the black mage Tulan was imprisoned.
With her blue heart—the source of mana—destroyed, she could no longer hear the voice of her master, the 'parasite.'
Her lightless eyes merely stared vacantly into space.
Then, for a moment, light returned to her eyes.
"Is that what a tower master should be doing?"
An unrecorded visit.
Gerhen spoke to Tulan through the bars.
"I guarantee it. You're going to die. The tower will soon conclude the investigation and interrogation, wrap up the incident, and hand you over to the church. Even I can't interfere in that. But. As I said, I can give you a companion for the road."
"You want me to say that Rishir guy is my traitorous comrade?"
"Yes."
Tulan hung her head and coughed harshly.
A cracked voice. Melting skin.
There was no trace left of the Master Tulan who had captivated the tower's acolytes.
"An intriguing offer, I'll admit. But will our dear tower acolytes believe that? Trusting a black mage's word to execute the hero who crushed a black mage— even ignorant villagers wouldn't fall for that."
"There are fools who are ignorant from knowing too little, and fools who are ignorant from knowing too much."
"What?"
"I'll lay the straw. You just toss in a spark."
Crazy bastard.
Tulan let out a hollow laugh.
That was all.
She didn't ask Gerhen for motives or reasons.
A dead woman anyway.
If her final spite could shame that loathsome man, it would be more than enough.
"Why aren't you eating?"
Freshly prepared steaming drinks (saliva) and food (orbs).
Perin was properly pissed that Rishir wasn't eating the lavish feast she'd prepared right there, instead storing it away.
Rishir barely soothed her, then left the tower with Fienne under Melthas and Perin's escort.
They crossed the courtyard and were nearly at the main gate when.
"You lot...?"
A group of mages was waiting for them.
Gerhen stood at the group's forefront. He spoke.
"Master Melthas. You must hand over that outsider's identity right now."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Rishir's group exchanged bewildered glances.
Rishir said,
"Those guys? The noble faction that hates my guts?"
"...That's right."
"You hate me that much, you can just mob attack like this? You're nobles and all."
"Embarrassing, yes. But best to stay cautious. He's cunning enough that acting without precautions is unwise."
Melthas immediately bristled toward Gerhen.
Melthas knew Gerhen had been actively maneuvering lately to preserve his position.
All to deny Rishir's achievements.
Even Melthas hadn't anticipated Gerhen going this far.
Causing a scene in such a public place with so many eyes.
"Gerhen. What is this nonsense."
"To get straight to it, we've had results from interrogating the black mage Tulan."
"What?"
At Gerhen's signal, one mage stepped forward from the group.
She belonged to Gerhen's faction and had been appointed by the tower to handle Tulan's interrogation.
"The black mage Tulan has confessed new information."
She calmly began reading from the document.
"...Hah!"
When the reading ended, Melthas snorted audibly.
"All matters related to black mage Tulan were merely part of a scheme to infiltrate the tower via this Rishir person? So Rishir's a lackey of the black mage cabal!? Make sense, Gerhen! Have you lost your mind!?"
"I'm aware it's somewhat far-fetched."
"Then end this ridiculous farce right now!"
"No. I can't. With a criminal's confession, we have a duty to verify its truth."
"That's not your authority!"
"True. It's all of ours."
"...!"
Melthas looked at the group behind Gerhen.
The upper noble-born mages following Gerhen were not ones even Melthas could treat lightly.
"We must correct the tower's discipline now. On behalf of the acolytes, I propose opening a trial immediately."
"What in the..."
Growing crowd. Attention. Interest.
Melthas's face paled as he vaguely grasped Gerhen's intent.
About time.
The moment Gerhen reached for the item he'd prepared.
A commotion broke out behind the group, backs to the main gate.
"Master Didoa, what in the world—"
Someone from the group muttered blankly.
Didoa, having finished speaking with church officials, passed through the gate with a cleric.
A middle-aged woman with black eyes contrasting her pure white robes.
A badge on her chest distinguished her from ordinary clerics.
"...!"
Gerhen's eyes widened as he realized the badge's meaning.
It was the mark of a high priestess, granting her sole authority to represent the church.
'Why is a church cleric here!?'
Gerhen barely calmed his shock and blocked her path.
"Church high priestess. Halt and state your business immediately."
No matter the church, they couldn't enter the tower freely.
Except in specific limited cases.
"We received information that a black mage was hiding in the Gray Tower."
"That's not enough for you to intervene in our tower."
"Correct. But we're here for post-processing at the request of witness Master Didoa."
A direct request from a superior.
"...!"
Gerhen's face twisted in horror.
He immediately glared at Didoa.
"Master Didoa! Have you no pride as a mage!? This happened inside our tower! It's our duty to resolve it with our own power!"
Didoa tilted her head with her usual impassive expression.
"Hasn't it already been resolved?"
"...!"
Gerhen, momentarily speechless, struggled to regain composure.
'Calm down.'
The swelling crowd of onlookers.
His plan was still viable.
Gerhen shoved the document at them and explained the incident.
'Even better.'
The church clerics' confidence in their own organization rivaled the tower mages'.
They claimed to have received info of a black mage in the Gray Tower.
For example, they'd left the church on a special mission, traveling far to Bondales.
Yet a mere wandering mage had stolen their role.
Like some tower mages, they naturally doubted the wanderer's abilities.
And now, the black mage's testimony was added?
Gerhen awaited the high priestess's reaction with anticipation.
"..."
Her black eyes turned toward the wandering mage—
Rishir.
"...!"
In that instant, her black pupils seemed to glow white with brilliance.
The high priestess addressed Rishir.
"I ask you. Is the content of that document true?"
"It is not."
Gerhen smirked inwardly.
The church's inquisitions were infamous for their brutality.
One would pour every effort into pleading innocence to avoid suspicion, yet here was a curt denial.
Gerhen's heart pounded harder.
He could see a path opening.
Then.
Having heard Rishir's perfunctory reply, the high priestess looked at Gerhen and said,
"He says it's not true."
"?"
Gerhen stared blankly at her for a long time, unable to grasp the meaning of her actions.
```