Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Talk of the Tower
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Right after the Gerhen incident.
The Gray Mage Tower was thrown into unprecedented chaos.
Considering what the tower's own master had done right in front of the apprentices, it was an entirely predictable turn of events.
"Wise and enlightened apprentices. I firmly believe you will show sound judgment regarding what transpired here today. Please."
The masters present pleaded earnestly (desperately) with the apprentices, but deep down, they knew.
The chances of these apprentices, who had witnessed the fiasco firsthand, suddenly embracing the virtue of silence were practically zero.
They were at the peak of their youthful vigor, cooped up in the mage tower, enduring grueling studies of murderous intensity.
Gossip starting with "Hey, did you hear? About that guy from our tower-"?
Even apprentices buried in their studies across the building would crawl over on all fours just to chime in.
'Of course, Master. Just leave it to us!' The apprentices dispersed from the scene with faces that said as much, then immediately spread the joyous news throughout the entire tower.
"Guys! Guys! You won't believe what I just saw! No way you could even imagine it!"
Thus, over the next few days, the apprentices' eager sharing continued.
The mage tower's apprentices achieved a miraculous '100% information dissemination rate' more magical than any spell.
"Did you hear about it?"
"The Gerhen incident, right?"
Whenever apprentices' eyes met, that was the conversation starter.
"What are you young ones talking about?"
"Ah! Master Lardros, Master Mortier...!"
"Nothing at all! We have business to attend to, so we'll be going now."
"Goodness."
"How did our brilliant apprentices end up chattering like market gossips?"
The masters sighed at the sight but took no measures like punishment or reprimand.
"By the way, Master Lardros. Have you heard the story?"
"If it's the Gerhen incident, then yes, I have."
"The follow-up investigation revealed he's been stealing multiple apprentices' achievements up until now."
The masters weren't much different.
The downfall of Gerhen, a noble faction leader who wielded considerable influence in the tower.
And a black mage involved to boot?
If they could stomach that, they'd have become ascetics and risen to historical prominence instead of mages.
Of course.
If it had just been Gerhen's personal scandal, the tower wouldn't have stayed this heated for so long.
A master representing the mage tower had committed an act shameful anywhere he went.
For the apprentices, who took absolute pride in their affiliation, it wasn't merely entertaining gossip.
Normally, they'd have burned with interest briefly before moving on.
For their own pride, if nothing else.
Yet the reason Gerhen's tale lingered this long...
"By the way, Master Lardros. Is it true? You witnessed that man's duel before the Gerhen incident?"
"Ahem. Opportunity struck, as it were."
"I heard his opponent was a lady named Hainya. Is that true?"
"I can't say. Only that it was an extraordinary duel in every sense."
"Come on. Give us a bit more detail. How exactly was it extraordinary?"
"...No helping it. Whether you believe me or not, when I saw him, he was still at the 4th circle. And yet... ha. At the 4th circle, he's handling materialization?"
"Maybe you misjudged? Perhaps he was already at the 5th by then."
"Sigh. Let's leave it at that. Conversation ends here, Master Mortier."
"Ah, no! Master Lardros!"
It was thanks to the other protagonist of the tale.
Rishir.
Stories about him had already been quietly circulating in the tower before the Gerhen incident.
As the outsider mage who dismantled black magic even the masters hadn't noticed.
At that time, the tower's view of Rishir was mixed.
-Master Mortier. What do you think of him?
-Absurd.
-Pardon?
-He couldn't even name a school or family. For such a person to resolve our mage tower's issue? Tsk. Our tower's reputation-
Not openly hostile like Gerhen, but plenty harbored resentment over his origins.
However.
After the Gerhen incident, their numbers dwindled rapidly until they vanished entirely.
-Master Mortier. What do you think of him?
-Are you asking what I think of that Rishir fellow? The young man who treats our mage tower like his own home despite being an outsider?
-Ah. Sorry-
-Proficient in grand black magic, achieved 5th circle at such a young age, handles mana so masterfully he wields warrior techniques freely?
-Pardon?
-My take? He'll become one of our tower's own. Why else would he come and go like it's his house? They say he reveres Master Meltas like a teacher and entrusts spirits to Master Didoa as close friends.
He'd shown too much to dismiss outright over origins.
Plus Gerhen's disgrace, who'd led the discrimination—creating an unprecedented atmosphere in the Gray Mage Tower.
All mage towers are extremely insular and conservative groups.
Discriminating by origin is par for the course among them.
The Gray Mage Tower showed signs of deviating from that norm.
-Objectively, does origin matter for a mage that exceptional in his own right?
The moment a mutant tower was born where discriminators faced discrimination.
Master meetings usually saw Didoa formally decline invitations.
That was their routine: a perfunctory, combative play.
Now, Didoa felt dazed that the tacit agreement had fizzled.
Not just Didoa.
Numerous masters previously excluded by the noble faction's rigid hierarchy now filled the meeting room seats.
With the noble faction's vacancies perfectly filled—
The masters' meeting entered a new phase.
"Rishir."
Master Lardros, leading the meeting, opened with that name as if it were obvious.
"As you're all aware, the Church is showing great interest in him due to this incident. Recall High Priest Barodros."
Lardros's words stirred the room.
Then, Master Mortier, seated to Didoa's left, spoke with evident pride.
"Can't be helped."
"...Master Mortier. Why are you so proud?"
Didoa couldn't hold back her question.
"?"
Mortier turned to her as if it were novel.
"Of course I'm proud. That Rishir is one of our tower's-"
His eyes widened.
Ah!
Come to think of it, Rishir isn't officially part of our tower!
"Good lord. His name echoes everywhere lately; I forgot for a moment."
"Pull yourself together, Mortier. It could be rude to Rishir."
Then, Master Meltas, to Didoa's right, chimed in.
"What kind of talk is that, Master Meltas?"
Another master beside Meltas spoke up.
"Isn't he already one of our tower?"
"What nonsense is that?"
"You recommended him as our tower's supporter, Master Meltas. If that passes, he's effectively one of us."
"...Strictly speaking, supporters are closer to outsiders, no? The contract can be voided by mutual consent anytime."
"!"
She made the same face as Mortier.
"True, the supporter could initiate termination. No precedents, so it slipped my mind. Other supporters might not, but Rishir? Plenty possible. He has no regrets like them."
Meltas lamented.
Ah! Is that how Rishir sees me?
He's turning all our tower's masters into fools!
Similar talk buzzed elsewhere in the room.
This meeting was convened to discuss Rishir's future status.
Lardros listened, then tapped the table.
All masters fell silent, attentive.
"Gathering opinions, I propose this: Appoint Rishir as a formal mage of our tower. Thoughts?"
"Well said!"
Meltas and Didoa flinched.
Master Mortier beside them clapped loudly.
Cheers erupted here and there in agreement.
"Formal mage? Quite the promotion."
"Fitting for him."
"That's exactly what I was going to say."
"Agreed! Let's proceed immediately!"
"When for the appointment ceremony?"
"The sooner, the better! Before other places reach out crudely!"
"Then, the moment Rishir regains consciousness!"
"Agreed!"
Didoa watched impassively with her usual emotionless eyes.
"Master Meltas. See that?"
"Yes. Hard to believe. Those lunatics are our brilliant masters?"
"No, they all like Rishir. If I tell him, he'll be thrilled. I hope he wakes soon. Oh, I visited his quarters and made a huge pot of porridge. High Priest said he'd recover soon, so I thought he'd be hungry-"
"I get it, calm down, Didoa. If you join in now, this tower's beyond saving."
Tap tap.
Meltas tapped the table, drawing attention.
"Enough. A word. You're all talking like he's already a formal mage."
"What do you mean, Master Meltas? You're not opposing his formal appointment!?"
Led by Master Mortier, masters vented at Meltas.
"Master Meltas! Weren't you friends with Rishir!?"
"Master Meltas! I misjudged you!"
Meltas sighed again at her colleagues.
"You're ignoring Rishir's own wishes entirely."
"What?"
"From prior talks, he doesn't want to be a tower mage. Specifically, he balked at the duties and responsibilities."
"...!"
Ah!
Right, Master Meltas knows Rishir personally!
Look, his acquaintance is speaking!
Masters instantly composed themselves, listening intently—as if they'd never grumbled.
Meltas sighed once more, continuing.
"Thus, my proposal: Offer him honorary mage status instead of formal."
"Refuse formal, but accept honorary. Got it!"
"Then that's settled!"
"Date for the ceremony-"
"..."
No.
I said consider Rishir's wishes first, not rush to decide?
Meltas rubbed her temples wearily, addressing Didoa—the only sane one left.
"Didoa. Your thoughts?"
"Thrilled to share this meaningful moment with Rishir."
"Ah... I see..."
Meltas looked to the ceiling.
Rishir. Thanks to him, is our tower's future brighter or darker? Hard to tell.
"Thus, I've disturbed your rest. The masters were so insistent... Embarrassing, really."
Rishir gave a wry smile at Meltas, who started with explanation (excuse) and ended in lament.
"Not at all, Lady Meltas. Thank you for your concern. But who were those just now?"
Rishir glanced beyond the closed door.
A woman in blue robes and an elf in green.
They'd entered with Meltas but stepped out at his request: 'We have urgent matters to discuss with him; mind giving us the room?'
"Investigators from other towers."
"Investigators?"
"When black magic incidents occur, towers must report to at least two others for verification. They're here for that with you. Once verified, the black mage case closes."
"I see why black mages terrify people. This tedious?"
"A rule born from one tower's negligence birthing a necromancer. Necessary, despite appearances."
"Necromancer—you mean that one from before?"
"...You're the only one in the world who could reminisce about facing a necromancer so casually."
Meltas chuckled, glancing outside.
"Anyway, if you're amenable-"
"Now? Seriously?"
Fienne shot Meltas a sharp glare.
Meltas, interpreting it as a wife's scolding concern for her husband, fidgeted.
"You seem recovered, and they're waiting on this final step..."
"And that step is talking to me?"
"Purely formal. You say 'I'm the one in the report,' they say 'Ah, you are.' Done."
"Then let's wrap it quick."
Crack.
Crack.
Rishir rose from bed, stretching.
"Perfect timing. Wanted to walk anyway. Chat outside?"
"Certainly."
"Alright, I'll head out too. If you're worse off next time, watch out."
As Rishir moved to leave with Fienne—
"Oh, right, Rishir. Forgot to mention."
"Yes?"
"Don't charm those two."
"?"
"Phrasing's off. I mean, have mercy on our Gray Tower masters. You'll get it talking to them."
As he exited, the investigators' gazes fixed on Rishir.
He gestured to the grounds beyond the quarters.
"Shall we walk and talk?"
About 10 minutes walking with the investigators.
Rishir truly felt Meltas's 'purely formal' description.
The blue-robed woman—Master Enna of the Blue Tower—closed her notebook after exchanging stiff, procedural Q&A with Rishir, jotting notes in a businesslike tone.
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"Investigation results?"
Meltas approached from a distance, asking.
"A few sticking points."
"Tell me."
"Report says 4th circle. But his mana damage prevents close check."
"That's-"
"We judge."
"...Fair enough."
Enna eyed Rishir coldly.
Her inherently icy gaze turned another chill upon learning his humble origins.
No family or school to boast, yet 4th circle at his age?
Moreover, wielding such grand black magic prowess?
Enna disapproved but raised no further doubts.
The Church's High Priest had vouched for the Gray Tower's innocence, after all.
Once the Church intervened, investigators' roles were mere formality.
"Investigation concluded. Objections, Ratiel?"
"None."
Master Ratiel of the Green Tower, an elf who'd kept distance from the group for other reasons, answered firmly.
Rishir thought at their demeanor:
Proper scrutiny from them would've suffocated me.
"You've both worked hard. Heading back soon? I'll prepare an escort."
"No. Still business."
"Same here."
"Hm?"
Meltas panicked at their ready responses, having signaled please leave.
"What business?"
Perhaps imagination.
Enna's icy demeanor seemed slightly thawed.
"Overheard something here. A genius mage, not yet twenty, reached 5th circle, staying at Gray Tower."
"...!"
"Want to meet him. Exchange insights."
As Enna finished, Ratiel followed suit.
"Found a mysterious spirit in the tower. Want to bond, but it refuses. Heard it recognizes a human master—want to talk to him."
"..."
Other masters would've raged like excited monkeys, hurling stones.
Meltas strained not to glance at Rishir.