Chapter 117
Chapter 117
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Tower of Wisdom: Lua Polaris (6)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The second-in-command of the secret society feared across the entire continent, Alandorf Petreus.
In his view, the position of vice president of the Extremist Magic Research Society was an incredibly headache-inducing role.
First off, every single member of the Magic Research Society was out of their mind.
They were the type who went insane over research topics like forbidden knowledge, using not just their own lifespans but even other people's lives as materials.
It was a gathering of people who dove headfirst into anything for the sake of magic research, without regard for danger.
You couldn't expect even a shred of cohesion from such folks.
Moreover, the president who had gathered these mages wasn't any different from the society's eccentric members.
Even the president of the Magic Research Society had been absent for a long time, off pursuing his own research.
In the end, controlling these quirky mages fell entirely on the shoulders of Vice President Alandorf.
If not for his connection to Pilgrim Bartov, he would have quit long ago, but somehow the relatively moderate Alandorf had ended up shouldering the burden.
“…….”
Even for Alandorf, though, there were members who were awkward and burdensome to deal with.
In the Magic Research Society, full of lunatics, there was a preeminent researcher known by the moniker 'Madman.'
A true madman who forced even strangers he'd just met to call him 'Doctor.'
Doctor—Begerton Antares was the man in question.
Begerton Antares's notoriety was the stuff of legends; it would take forever to describe it all.
He periodically bankrupted the society's finances, drew the attention of the Empire and the Church with every scheme he cooked up, and constantly embezzled the president's belongings.
If such a person didn't earn the title 'Madman,' who would?
“No… why on earth are you here?”
Yet now, Alandorf found the face of the once-so-awkward Doctor incredibly welcoming.
The reason was obvious: the location where he had encountered the Doctor.
A massive library ruled by an unknown transcendent being.
The researcher with the monocle had spotted Alandorf, who had been waiting for judgment in one corner of this library, and approached him first.
Step, step—.
The Doctor's clear footsteps echoed between the library shelves.
Having found Alandorf, the Doctor approached with his signature eerie smile and spoke familiarly.
“Well, well, Alandorf… I never expected to find you here.”
“Doctor Begerton……!”
Heh heh heh—.
Alandorf couldn't suppress his joy at the sight of the Doctor, who had appeared with his characteristic laugh.
It felt like running into a friend from home in a foreign land; delight welled up in his chest.
“Meeting like this makes me so glad. Anyway, Doctor Begerton… what brings you here……?”
Alandorf cleared his throat deeply and posed the question to him, gazing at the Doctor.
The reason for the Doctor's presence here.
He probed deeply into it.
“Could it be that you were dragged here like me?”
Alandorf himself had been pulled in unintentionally, but he had no guess as to why the Doctor before him was here.
Perhaps the Doctor had been drawn to the library as well—.
With such doubts in mind, Alandorf looked at the Doctor, who replied with a confident expression.
“Me? Come on. Even if I look like this, I visit here every day.”
As he spoke, the Doctor offered Alandorf one of the drinks he was holding.
Swish—.
Alandorf accepted the drink and looked at the Doctor's face with puzzled eyes.
“What does that… mean……?”
The Doctor visited here frequently—.
Stunned by this news he'd never heard before, Alandorf began sipping the drink.
Gulp, gulp—.
It was a refreshing beverage that slid down his throat impressively.
With Alandorf drinking the beverage before him, the Doctor continued his story.
“For a while now, I've been helping the library's master. In return, I get quite a decent compensation.”
“You mean… you've been working under another organization, Doctor Begerton?”
“Something like that. Heh heh heh—.”
Shock colored Alandorf's face at the Doctor's words.
It was because the drink's flavor was so shocking.
‘The Doctor betrayed the Magic Research Society—!’
No matter how you sliced it, it sounded like he'd latched onto another secret society.
It was behavior utterly befitting that madman.
He'd never been right in the head to begin with, pilfering the president's things and all.
‘Not a big deal.’
It was so typically Doctor-like that Alandorf didn't even feel like questioning it.
At this moment, the Doctor's betrayal even felt welcome.
If the Doctor was working under the library's master, he must know a lot about this place.
He might even lend a hand in resolving this situation.
“I'd heard rumors about you lately, Doctor. Seems there were good reasons for the fuss.”
“Well, I was running a simple experiment, and a few of the Seven disappeared, so that must be it.”
“By the way, the president's items kept vanishing. Do you know anything about that?”
“Hmm, they said offering valuables gives contribution points. So I brought in a few things here and there.”
Ho ho ho—.
Alandorf let out a hollow smile as he chatted with the Doctor.
“Amusing. Just like you, Doctor.”
“Aw, you're embarrassing me. I never thought my close friend Alandorf would praise me so highly.”
Heh heh heh—.
The Doctor, facing such an Alandorf, also met his gaze with his signature eerie smile.
“Ho ho ho—.”
“Heh heh heh—.”
“Ho ho ho ho—.”
“Heh heh heh heh—.”
“Ho ho ho ho ho—.”
“Heh heh heh heh heh—.”
“Ha—. Spare me, Doctor. I desperately need your help.”
Alandorf, who had been laughing with the Doctor, suddenly changed his expression, embraced him, and whispered in his ear.
Alandorf's face, whispering in his ear, was pale.
Whisper, whisper—.
The secretive words echoed in the Doctor's ear.
“The library's master is debating my fate. Any way I can get out of here?”
“Well, well, it seems my close friend Alandorf is in a tough spot.”
“By the way, the guy named Fermian who came with me has already had his spirit torn to shreds and vanished.”
A voice filled with terror rang in the Doctor's ear.
Alandorf had witnessed Fermian being devoured quite some time ago.
The only reason Alandorf was still alive was the whim of the unidentified archmage.
“Fermian, huh… Hmm, that dark mage who envied the vice president.”
The Doctor seemed to know Fermian too, nodding in agreement.
“I might end up the same way. Doctor, isn't there some clever solution?”
“No need to worry, Alandorf. Who am I? The famous Begerton Antares!”
Ooh—.
Admiration burst from Alandorf's mouth at the Doctor's confident demeanor.
“In fact, I've stockpiled quite a lot of contribution points for a time like this. Enough to earn some favor.”
“Doctor Begerton……!”
Alandorf's eyes lit up with clear anticipation upon hearing the Doctor's words.
Even a madman could be useful if left alone; the Doctor's betrayal wasn't entirely worthless after all.
Had the Doctor ever felt this reassuring in his life?
Heh heh heh—.
Even the Doctor's bizarre laughter sounded like sweet music to Alandorf now.
“This capable Begerton Antares will personally plead for my close friend's life.”
“Huh……!”
“Follow me, Alandorf! I'll show you just how capable I am.”
With that, the Doctor's confident footsteps headed toward somewhere in the library.
Alandorf's footsteps followed behind.
Step, step—.
The two mages' footsteps echoed side by side through the library.
* * * * * *
Life throws some utterly ridiculous requests your way at times.
And the plea from the researcher standing before me right now was no different.
Phantasmal Archive Celestia.
While I was reading inside the massive library, the Doctor had shown up with an uninvited guest, wearing a smug expression.
“Great One, might I use my contribution points to make a plea?”
Technical advisor to the Extremist Magic Research Society, Begerton Antares.
Behind the Doctor, who had approached me so confidently, stood a familiar-looking mage, pale as a ghost.
Vice President Alandorf Petreus—
The shady mage who had come with that Fermian fellow just moments ago.
He must have brought him here for help, since I'd spared him after recalling the gift he'd offered before.
Extremist Magic Research Society—that was the secret society the Doctor belonged to, right? A mage from there.
It wasn't strange for the Doctor to look after him so diligently.
“To dare speak to the Great One, this friend here is quite capable, you see.”
The bowing Doctor began spinning his prepared tale.
It was about the longtime uninvited guest by his side.
“He's indispensable to the Magic Research Society. He handles budget shortfalls from 'accidents,' turns a blind eye when the president's items 'disappear'—that sort of friend.”
“…….”
“And he's awfully capable, too. I've relied on his help several times with descent rituals.”
The Doctor confidently touted the uninvited guest's capabilities.
Listening quietly, it all sounded like stories of cleaning up after the Doctor.
However, one detail among them piqued my interest.
The matter of the descent ritual.
“I see. So that was the man who advised on the descent ritual.”
“Yes, exactly. When it comes to soul-related research, he's unmatched.”
“…….”
“And this friend wants to work like a dog under the Great One. Won't you give him a chance to prove his worth?”
With that, the Doctor smiled and lifted his head.
Of course, Alandorf, hearing this for the first time, wore a bewildered expression.
Hmm—.
I watched Alandorf with a contemplative gaze.
Judging by the pleading Doctor, he seemed important to him in his own way.
I couldn't just ignore a request from the Doctor, who'd contributed to the secret society for so long.
“A chance to prove his worth, you say.”
An opportunity to demonstrate capability—
As I pondered that, an intriguing idea suddenly popped into my head.
The society's mages were all highly capable but overwhelmed with tasks.
So, testing this mage with a request they might struggle with didn't seem like a bad idea.
“Fine. Send him back outside.”
“Really……!”
My single sentence granting Alandorf's release.
Alandorf beamed at me.
But my words weren't over yet.
Snap—.
I snapped my fingers while looking at Alandorf.
Immediately after, one of the library's books flew toward him.
“Investigate that item until we meet again.”
—Tutorial Guidebook.
Faced with the library's oldest book, Alandorf stared at me blankly.
I'd tasked the Magic Research Society's vice president with researching the book's origins.
Naturally, I wasn't expecting much.
The books in Celestia rarely had connections to the outside world.
“I'll summon you back soon.”
In a way, it was akin to an experiment.
Which made it all the more suitable for this man.
I couldn't waste the society's members' time on something potentially fruitless, after all.
Of course, the recipient didn't seem to share that view.
“You'll summon me… back here……?”
“Yes. Didn't he say you wanted to work like a dog?”
“T-That, that, that was…….”
“Or are you saying the Doctor lied to me?”
Naturally, Alandorf didn't deny my words.
He merely bowed his head, face drained of color.
“Well, it won't be bad for you either. Complete it excellently, and I'll let you peruse the library's magic.”
After assigning Alandorf the task of investigating connections between Celestia and the outside.
I turned my gaze back to the grimoire.
Rustle, rustle—.
The sound of turning pages echoed through the library.
“Then, off you go.”
“…….”
That concluded my conversation with Alandorf.
Right after issuing the dismissal, Alandorf's body vanished like mist.
Alandorf Petreus.
The library's uninvited guest had returned to the surface world.
* * * * * *
When Alandorf Petreus opened his eyes again, he found himself in an old mansion with a familiar landscape.
Was it because he'd abandoned the doll and escaped during Lua Polaris's public demonstration?
Instead of waking in the doll of the invited noble, Alandorf had awakened in a combat-ready doll.
Of course, there must have been quite the uproar at the Blue Tower.
Two nobles had fallen into comas during today's demonstration alone.
“Haa, ha…….”
But to Alandorf now, that hardly mattered.
He had far more pressing concerns.
The vivid memory of the book etched in his mind.
Thoughts of the book he'd received in the nameless library filled his head.
“…….”
Even without ever opening it, the book's contents floated clearly in Alandorf's mind.
It seemed like a spell that overwrote memories via mental magic.
Grit—.
Clenching his teeth, Alandorf slowly recalled the book's contents flooding his mind.
“This is… a book on the basics of magic.”
The content of the book the library mage had given Alandorf covered the fundamental elements of magic.
Mostly things any seasoned mage would know by heart.
However, one part of the pages oddly stimulated Alandorf's memories.
A familiar yet foreign memory lodged in his mind long ago.
As he recalled it, Alandorf soon opened his mouth, face paling.
“Wait, this book is…….”
On the surface, it was nothing special.
But if an ancient legend was tied to its background, that changed everything.
“Primal knowledge…….”
He'd heard of it once.
The first miracle granted to foolish humanity.
He even remembered encountering an actual torn page during his investigation of ancient ruins long ago.
The jumbled memories resurfaced vividly, as if from yesterday.
“Ah—.”
Foolish advisor, Ornea.
The oldest mystery said to have been given to the first mage.
It was just one page, but its contents remained crystal clear in Alandorf's mind.
Alandorf's pale gaze dropped to his palm.
“…….”
Staring at his trembling hand, Alandorf thought.
What on earth was that mage's true identity—?
To uncover the answer, he would likely need to revisit the ruins etched in his memory.
Vice President Alandorf.
The soul-manipulating mage had been given an absurd assignment.