Chapter 634: Better the Head of a Snake Than the Tail of a Dragon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 634: Better the Head of a Snake Than the Tail of a Dragon
The Mage Federation has no capital. While the Floating Castle serves a similar role, designating a fortress hovering thirty thousand meters in the sky as a capital presents many difficulties.
The biggest problem is, of course, accessibility.
Only the ‘Chosen,’ who can use anti-gravity magic, can ascend to the castle, and only by observing its trajectory and casting the spell with precision. There are at least three gates to pass, and a single mistake will leave you lost to the world.
Above the clouds and below. A vast difference that feels like nothing but severance.
A celestial castle that doesn't rule with responsibility, but merely reigns from its lofty perch in the sky, looking down on all.
And yet, the Mage Federation cannot abandon the Floating Castle. No, they must strive not to be abandoned by it.
For they must enjoy the knowledge and magic that flows from the Mage King's tower, Babylon, and its five subordinate towers.
[The Descent is complete! All Chosen of the Floating Castle may visit the landing site after a very simple procedure! This year's landing site is the Celsius Territory, where the rules are above freezing and boiling points! Please refer to the rulebook for details, and check the temperature before drinking water!]
The ‘Descent’ was over.
Nothing much happened. The Floating Castle had changed its orbit and drawn near the surface, but the ‘Chosen’ living inside only realized it when the announcement was made. They showed a moment of obligatory interest before returning to their own affairs.
Even for a once-a-year event like the Descent, the Chosen of the Floating Castle had no reason to leave. The shell-covered castle was impervious to cold winds and blinding light. There were no threats from disease or wild animals, and they didn't even have to worry about falling. Compared to the Celsius Territory, which at best had one prestigious magic family, the Floating Castle, home to the five towers and the Mage King, was a far superior environment.
And the same was true for those outside the Floating Castle.
“Waaaaaahhh!!”
A roar so loud it was deafening.
The moment I stepped outside the Floating Castle, I heard cheers. Down below, the ordinary citizens of the Mage Federation were cheering for the descended castle.
Gazes filled with envy. Cheers to leave even a fleeting impression. Vows to one day ascend to that place.
A fervent cry, a mixture of all these things, erupted purely of their own free will.
Even an emperor or a king would receive a less enthusiastic welcome. Cheers compelled by authority are never filled with genuine joy.
But the Floating Castle of the Mage Federation inspired awe. The people gazed up in admiration at the celestial castle, a vessel of magic not of this earth, that descended after drifting through the distant sky.
In Babylon, the great tower at the center of the Floating Castle, the Descent Festival was underway. The Mage King and the five Tower Masters revealed themselves, and the five towers extended legs toward the ground. The gradually extending towers stopped just short of touching the earth.
They weren't fixed to the ground, but flew at the same speed as the surface, maintaining a constant altitude. It was a movement akin to an acrobatic feat.
The sublime Floating Castle had laid down a bridge to the humble world below, and the people flocked to it.
The mages from prestigious families, who had come for an audience with the Mage King, had prepared a grand ceremony to welcome the castle. Light and fog created by magic rose up in the castle's shadow, and self-playing instruments sounded a fanfare.
The Descent Festival. A celebration of joy held by the territory chosen by the Floating Castle this year.
And a short distance away from all that, I, who had been exiled from the Floating Castle, received some unexpected news while preparing to descend.
“What? Shei, what did you say?”
“I’m staying here.”
You were gone for a while, and now this? Staying here? What does that even mean?
When I asked again, Shei pointed to the pentagram insignia on her chest and replied.
“I’ve become one of the Chosen.”
“What?”
“To repay your faith in me, I decided to do my best, too. I sold information I gained before my regression to acquire the status of a Chosen, and I’ve made contact with the Shrine of the Divine. There’s a lot of information I need to get, so I’ll be interacting with them for a while.”
“What?”
“You can make it through the Gateway, right? I’ll be waiting!”
It seemed that while I was busy studying for the Gateway, Shei had been working on something else. It was decided that I would be the only one descending to the world below.
Tch. Just you wait. I’ll make a grand return to the Floating Castle during the Gateway trials.
Avant-garde had intended to come down to the surface to meet me, but as a member of the Crystal Tower, she had too many duties for the Descent Festival. With only a crystal orb for communication, I descended to the surface alone.
Empty-handed I came, and empty-handed I go, as they say. I was treated like a king inside, but when it was time to leave, no one saw me off.
Will I be okay? Can a mere outsider like me survive in this harsh world? What if I die of loneliness?
I was descending in the tower’s elevator, filled with all sorts of worries, and had just bleakly opened the door to step out.
“It’s one of the Chosen from the Floating Castle!”
“A Chosen has come down from the Floating Castle!”
“Excuse me! Over here, just a moment…! Please grant us your teachings!”
A huge crowd was facing me.
No one saw me off, but so many people came out to greet me. I feel my shoulders straightening a bit.
*
Avant-garde and the Blue Tower Master had worried about whether I could pass the Gateway, but they hadn't seemed particularly concerned about how I would manage among the commoners in the world below.
To be honest, I was a little hurt. Their student was being dropped into the Lower World, yet instead of giving me some travel money, they just loaded me up with grimoires I couldn't eat. I’d wondered what they expected me to do if I starved to death in an unfamiliar environment.
“Teacher! Is there anything you find uncomfortable?”
It seemed my worries were unfounded.
The Floating Castle was an object of envy, and a mage who descended from it was like a celestial maiden—or rather, a Chosen—come down from the heavens. I was treated with the utmost hospitality for the sole reason that I came from the Floating Castle.
What? That I’m also a commoner, just another candidate preparing for the Gateway? Who cares? It’s not like they know that.
“The floors are warm, and the room is spacious. I’m quite satisfied. Is this building empty? The facilities seem nice.”
“The facilities are decent, aren’t they? This is the academy where we teach the territory’s children. The people of the school district all pitched in to build it, since we need to hold magic classes. It’s not the best, but it’s more than enough for teaching children.”
“An academy? What about the person who originally taught here?”
“Oh, we sent him on a short vacation. With a Chosen from the Floating Castle visiting, what does a local headmaster matter?”
A neatly dressed middle-aged woman answered sweetly. Of course, I thought. Now that I’m here, a mere local headmaster is nothing… Huh?
“What? No. Why would you kick out a headmaster who was doing a perfectly good job?”
Don’t tell me they expect me to take his place. I’m busy enough trying to sort out my own future.
At my question, the woman waved her hands frantically.
“Oh, please don’t misunderstand! We’re not hosting you to ask you to teach a class. We simply hoped the children could absorb some good energy by being near you, Teacher. They say that just being in the presence of a Chosen from the Floating Castle allows one to receive mana!”
“It’s true that research shows people who are frequently exposed to mana develop a keener sense for it. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be a mage, does it? I see you have plenty of magical tools here; this much mana should be sufficient, no?”
“The more the merrier, and if we have a choice, we’ll take the best! How could magical tools ever compare to a Chosen from the Floating Castle!”
‘First, get him to stay nearby! This is our chance to make a connection! That one seems to know nothing of the world, despite living in the Floating Castle. If we treat him with the utmost respect and cater to his every whim, he might get into a good mood and give us a grimoire or something!’
So that was her game.
The Mage Federation is a society where class is determined by magic. Receiving better instruction is the shortcut to raising one’s status. Having ascended to the Floating Castle is an incredible credential in itself, so the woman running the academy must have thought she had to secure me first.
Trying to coax some teachings out of me. What does she take me for…
“You must be hungry. Oh, where is my mind? I should have offered a meal to someone who’s come from so far away first.”
The woman clapped her hands, and the door opened to reveal a feast so lavish it looked like the table legs would break. The delicious aroma wafting from it made my mouth water unconsciously.
“Ahem. I wasn’t expecting this. Perhaps I should pay you.”
“Oh, what are you saying! We have no intention of accepting anything, so please don’t worry and eat up!”
“Well then, I won’t refuse.”
I hadn’t eaten a proper meal in the Floating Castle, busy as I was with my studies. My eyes went wide at the sight of a real meal for the first time in a long while, and I quickly picked up my spoon.
I roughly cut a large piece of meat with my spoon and put it in my mouth. As I went to chew the steaming meat, a slightly crispy texture gave way to an explosion of savory flavor that filled my mouth. I swallowed the meat without thinking and exclaimed in pure admiration.
“This is delicious…!”
“It is, isn’t it? The Celsius Territory is famous for its cuisine. We’ve prepared plenty, so please eat as much as you like.”
“How did you make this? The texture is different from any meat I’ve had before.”
How can you cook meat this tenderly in such a short time? Was it fried? But it doesn’t feel greasy enough to be fried. When I asked out of pure curiosity, the woman answered with a broad smile.
“It’s nothing special. We just season it, coat it in oil, and boil it thoroughly. Here in the Celsius Territory, meat cooks quickly and deliciously.”
“You must have a secret recipe.”
“Not a recipe, it’s because of the ‘rule’ of the Celsius Territory. Here, the boiling and freezing points are higher.”
“A rule…?”
Come to think of it, didn’t the announcement say to familiarize myself with the territory’s rule? Something about boiling and freezing points being higher. I just skimmed over it like any other notice. Could it be?
“Are you saying that on this land, water freezes more easily and boils with more difficulty?”
“That’s right. Things cook even better than if you pan-fry them in oil. Not just meat, but stews and broths also develop flavor quickly. And sculptures made of ice don’t melt easily!”
How strange. It’s not as extreme as the abnormal gravity of the Floating Castle, but it means that even on this ordinary-looking land, the laws of nature are skewed. Is the whole Mage Federation like this?
“What are the rules in other territories?”
“Let’s see. In the neighboring Pascal Territory, the wind only blows in one direction, and in the Decibel Territory, sound travels farther… It’s all difficult magic, so I don’t know the details. Wouldn’t you know more about it, Teacher?”
Did I ask too many questions? The woman was looking at me with suspicion. I pretended not to notice, popping some food into my mouth as I replied.
“Is there any reason I would need to know? I’ll be returning to the Floating Castle anyway.”
Acting humbly here would only arouse more suspicion. I held my head high and put more food in my mouth as if I had no interest, and only then did the woman, getting the message, quickly relax her expression.
“Of course, you must return! But still, there’s no place with a rule as good as the Celsius Territory! The land is warm, there’s plenty to see, and the food is delicious, so it’s a wonderful place to rest! Please, rest well before you go!”
“Well, it does seem like a good place to rest. I’ll give you that.”
I nodded and enjoyed my meal in silence. Seeing my attitude, which suggested I had nothing more to say, the woman gave an awkward smile and left the room.
Drrrk. The door slid shut, and I could hear the woman’s whispers from beyond the threshold.
‘Honey, how did it go? Did he say he’ll stay?’
‘He seemed to be enjoying the food, so I think he will.’
‘Did you get a definite answer?’
‘No. But if he has any decency, he won’t just eat all that and then wipe his mouth clean, will he?’
‘You don’t get it! Mages are shameless creatures. If you don’t hear him say ‘yes’ with his own mouth, it means nothing!’
‘Then what should we do?’
‘We have to make him say it! Bribe him with money, set him up with a woman, whatever it takes! For now, call the people from the school district!’
In the Floating Castle, I was just a commoner, but here, I was a revered Chosen.
I never agreed with the saying ‘better the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon,’ but now that I was experiencing firsthand how relative power could be… maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.