Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Resentment Pursuit - 3
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After wiping out all the trash, Yuna Yurensuto became the Violet Magic Tower Master.
She could have dismantled the Violet Magic Tower, or handed it off to someone else and fled.
But the reason she decided to hold onto this place, filled only with painful memories...
Simply because she had nowhere else to go.
The ringleaders had fled or died. The only survivors in the Violet Magic Tower were those who hadn't joined the conspiracy. To them, Yuna was a monster who had suddenly slaughtered her seniors and master before claiming the master's seat.
So once again, many people left the tower, leaving only a handful behind.
The Violet Magic Tower stood empty, and even when the remaining mages met Yuna's eyes, they kept their silence. No conversations passed between them.
She hadn't intended to live at odds with them. Yuna Yurensuto tried reaching out.
But it never went well. No one noticed she was just a young girl.
From opening her eyes in the morning to closing them at night...
Cooking and eating alone, envying the mages chatting with one another, reliving that day's nightmares, drifting off to sleep solo in her vast room...
So.
She thought that life would drag on until the day she died...
"Master, so you mean twist the mana like this?"
"Th-that, like, l-like th-this... L-like this, d-doing it. Uh, uhn. S-sorry... f-for not explaining well..."
"What... Here, give me your hand. I'll cast a spell on your palm—might help with the stuttering."
Then some weirdo kid showed up at the tower.
"Get lost...! I don't trust men—spineless types who go chasing after anyone shaking their ass...!"
"Then just fall in love with 2D girls?"
"...?"
Roaming the tower like he owned the place.
"Y-you, you're insane talking to the Master like...!"
"Met the Master—she's just cute as hell. And this whole 'no guys allowed' crap? Total isolationism. How can you be so cold? Master! Let's do a group dinner!"
"Eh, uh, wha? Di... dinner?"
Seemed like he'd just get caught up for a moment at first, but then he upended the entire atmosphere of the tower.
He became the bridge between Yuna and the tower mages. Before she knew it, the biting blizzard that had swept through the Violet Tower was gone. It even felt warmer than the other towers.
Though his greed for research funds did earn him a few good whacks on the head...!
One day, Yuna Yurensuto asked him. Wasn't she scary? And why go this far for her?
He said,
"'Cause you're pretty...?"
"Ugh."
"Half-joking. But I get it—I was a loner kid too... Saw that look in the mirror plenty. Figured I'd help out. Plus, shame for someone with your personality to have zero friends."
"......"
"Live with more confidence. You're cute, and a good person to boot, Master."
Maybe that's when it started. When she first became aware of him.
When that strange... feeling took root.
Second Prince stirred up a minor disturbance to lure away the Capital Knights Order. Perfect timing—a similar incident had popped up nearby, so they mobilized without leaving reserves.
The Master and I slipped through Crown Hall in the gap they'd created.
Ever since she'd spotted something suspicious in that black mage's head, the Master's mood had stayed dark. I had no clue what exactly had happened, but it worried me.
What if our Yuna's face shriveled up from stress?
I just wanted to smash whatever it was, quick, and get her smiling again. Simple wish.
We reached the Capital Knights Order headquarters. Three more blocks ahead lay that problematic mansion. Hurrying our steps when the Master tugged my sleeve.
Her face hidden under the deeply pulled brim of her conical hat, she said,
"...Why are you coming along? This isn't... your fight."
"What if you go all mopey and burrow into the ground? Don't say stuff that hurts my feelings... Since when do we split 'your business' from 'mine'?"
I crouched down and lightly pinched Yuna's cheek.
"I want to. You helped me because you wanted to, right? Not some give-and-take... We do it 'cause we like each other. Friends move when they want to help out."
"......"
Couldn't see her face under the hat brim, but I caught her ears turning pink. She fidgeted with her lips for a bit, then told me,
"Anyway, let's just head back."
"...Wasn't it important?"
"It is."
Yuna laid out her reasoning.
"It's my trauma too, but I thought it through. Adding a Sublimation-level powerhouse to the black mages' side is dangerous. With other people's souls, they can wield near-infinite mana..."
An issue of the greater good versus revenge.
"Sorry to Second Prince, but the Violet Tower comes first for me. Sure, keeping good ties with him is nice, but his throne isn't set in stone. Rooting out traitors might matter more. Even if it dumps political baggage on him..."
A question of priorities.
"And Second Prince made it sound like sneaking in would spark some huge disaster. But it's not unfixable. Even if they suspect treason, slap restrictions on it in front of the Emperor. He's got a leash on the Emperor..."
A matter of managing risks.
Yuna patiently listed her reasons for raiding the mansion. Then she hesitated, glancing up at me.
"But... there's one thing that bugs me."
"...What?"
"You might be in danger."
Yuna's wavering eyes sharpened.
"Going together? Dangerous. Me solo... might screw you over too. Messing up with Second Prince—you hate that...?"
"No, I..."
"Fall out with Second Prince... your hobbies take a hit. Yeah. Academy spot? Came from his pull. You loved it there. Even your friend Yuri—you'd drift apart..."
"I'm saying..."
Yuna took my hand. Smaller than mine, grip light as a feather. But it felt infused with some unshakeable force.
"I thought it over."
"......"
"Turns out... you're more important to me than my grudges or hate."
My breath hitched.
I panicked. Heart suddenly hammering, face burning up. Hurriedly cast a lust-suppression spell, but the frantic pumping wasn't lust.
Thump, thump. Guess a racing heart doesn't always mean that.
How... what do I do? What do I even say? No clue. Inside, I was flailing wildly—praying it didn't show on my face.
But Yuna seemed dead certain what she needed to say.
"Let's go back... and go on a date...!!"
"......"
I let the tension drain from my shoulders and nodded.
"...Sure."
She was ditching her shot at revenge. Not for some other reason—for me. A grudge so deep she couldn't hide it even before Second Prince, set aside for me.
Chewing on that made my already-thundering heart scream. Calm down, calm. It's ambiguous. Don't overreact...
Taking it as a confession, only for it not to be—how the hell would I cope?
Took deep breaths, forcing calm. Wasn't working a bit, but faking it was the only way my brain might reboot.
First things first... date itinerary?
Even if she'd given up, it must sting bad. Least I could do: match it with fun times. Gotta scout all the best eats.
I clasped Yuna's hand and turned us around. Screw the red whatevers, black mages, all of it. Actually for the best. Kept feeling off about it anyway. Sour grapes. Total trap.
Hand's sweaty. Super annoying.
Never sweated like this dating my girlfriend back in my old life. Body swap give me hyperhidrosis or something? Nah...
"Heading back?"
I froze mid-step.
"Wha, didn't you come here for business~? Kinda rude bailing first. Been waiting awhile, y'know. Violet Magic Tower Master."
"......"
A crushing force pinned my whole body, locking me in place. Felt like plummeting naked into the deep sea. Couldn't even turn my head.
"Letting you leave without a fuss... Ah~ that'd be a problem."
"...I won't cause any trouble here. Don't care who you are—go."
"Hmm~ Guess that means scrapping the 'raid the crime scene, pick a fight as cover' plan. Next strat it is!"
"...I said go back!"
Whiiiiiing—!
A ferocious engine roar blared.
"Gonna shove you back with this fist, Master. Resist or start swinging here? Bad for both sides? That handsome guy next to you might get dragged in."
"......"
"Let's duke it out nice and cozy, far outside the city."
"...Don't worry over there. Be back quick—head to the inn. Got it?"
Yuna shot those words at me, then surged her mana.
50m Crater
Too fast to track with the naked eye—some fierce clash happened. Where the boom and flash had raged, nothing left but a 50-meter crater.
A streak slashed across the sky, then vanished.
"...Huh."
Eyes wide open, and my date partner got snatched.
The sudden challenger—Capital Knights Captain? Second Prince's repeated warnings made sense now. Didn't expect an aerial snatch-and-grab fight.
"Whew."
Sighed once and prepped to head back to the inn.
Nothing I could do in this mess. Sublimation superhumans duking it out. Not even Transcendent myself—no way to wedge in.
Frustrating, humiliating enough to make me Transcendent on the spot.
I retraced my steps down the empty street. Second Prince had pulled the Capital Knights elsewhere; the Captain had drawn off the Violet Master.
Made sense—the area was dead quiet. Quiet enough no one'd notice if somebody vanished.
Eerily so.
"......"
Trap?
That nagging unease. Felt herded. Path too neatly drawn. Yuna's past clues dropped way too conveniently...
Figured even if they targeted Yuna, I could back her up fine...
But what if it wasn't Yuna they were after from the start.
What if it was me.
"Picked up on the weirdness? Sharp instincts, lowborn."
"......"
Click. Clack. Heel strikes on stone.
A reedy voice. Weasel-faced guy stepped into view. Tailsuit, rapier at his hip. No one else around. Solo act?
"Remember the name, lowborn. Rodellus, second son of House Redburn."
"Didn't peg you for intros. Basically confessing House Redburn set this up."
"Generous with your ignorance. I'll enlighten you. Talking to a corpse... doesn't count as confession."
He drew his rapier and charged.