Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Master and Disciple
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Isabelle, who had grasped the situation immediately upon arrival, scowled and lowered her voice.
“Hey, who the hell do you think you are to be acting up? Huh?”
As Isabelle strode forward, the elf mage recoiled as if he’d just woken up to see a ghost.
“L-Lady Isabelle, what are you doing here…?”
“This motherfucker’s playing dumb. You son of a bitch, are you running your mouth without knowing that scrub behind you is in my crew? Didn’t you mess with my guy knowing full well who he was?”
Isabelle grabbed the elf mage by the hair. Now looking like a pig with its neck caught by a butcher, the elf mage trembled and cried out.
“I-I didn't know! I swear! If I had known he was with you, Lady Isabelle, how could I dare do such a thing…?”
*Smack!*
Isabelle struck the elf mage across the cheek with her palm.
Clutching his reddening cheek, the elf mage trembled, not even daring to think of using a mana shield.
He knew that if he had defended himself with a mana shield, it wouldn't have ended with just a slap.
“Lady Isabelle. Please… I, I was just…”
“Shut your trap. Before I knock your teeth out.”
Slowly, and with a certain rhythm, Isabelle struck the elf mage’s cheek.
One, two, three times.
A hint of madness could be felt on Isabelle’s expressionless face as she beat the elf mage as if wringing a chicken’s neck.
“Listen here. I don’t give a single damn if you usually treat other humans like pigs and dogs. It’s none of my business. But it’s different if that human is part of my crew. Messing with my people is an affront to my prestige and my honor.”
When the elf mage let out a dry cough, blood mixed with his saliva from the cuts inside his mouth.
Isabelle slammed the elf mage’s head into the ground.
She then stomped on the head of the elf mage, who was squirming on the floor like an insect.
“Speak. You bastard. Who told you to guide Lee Si-woo.”
“*Cough*, th-that was… I-I did it of my own accord…”
Isabelle smirked and pressed down harder with her foot.
The elf mage let out a shrill scream from the pain, feeling as if his skull would crack.
Isabelle looked down with eyes glistening with murderous intent and spoke.
“You don't think I can smash your skull, do you? Yeah, you’re probably right. As much of a bitch as I am, how could I carelessly kill a precious resource of the Magic Tower, a high-level mage? But you know what?”
Isabelle kicked the elf mage in the face with the top of her foot, as if kicking a soccer ball.
His nose broken, the elf mage clutched his face and rolled on the ground.
“A wild card like me makes a lot of ‘mistakes,’ you see? But guess who the golden child of this tower is? Oh? It’s me? So what do you think happens? What would be a red card for anyone else ends up as just a warning for me. A verbal warning, at that. Now, here’s a question.”
This time, Isabelle stomped on the elf mage’s neck.
“If I snap your neck right here, will I get a red card, a yellow card, or… will it end with a few gentle words of warning from my father, like, ‘Please be a little more careful, my damn daughter. Even for my brilliant girl, it’s a bit of a headache if you carelessly kill a mage’?”
The elf mage’s jaw trembled, his face filled with terror.
“I, I was…”
As the elf mage trailed off, consumed by fear, Isabelle spoke in a kind tone.
“I’m just starting to get genuinely curious about how much you’re worth, so I’d appreciate it if you thought carefully before you spoke.”
Sensing that she was ready to snap his neck at any moment, the elf mage shouted in a desperate voice.
“Allen! Lord Allen told me there was a human he didn’t like, and to go teach him a lesson.”
Isabelle smiled faintly. Perhaps because she usually wore a frown, her smile was incredibly charming when it appeared.
“Oh, Allen. I knew it. But what to do about this?”
*Crack.*
“I’ve grown curious about your price tag.”
The elf mage’s neck twisted at a grotesque angle.
Until the moment of his death, he seemed unable to imagine that Isabelle would actually kill him, his eyes remaining wide open.
As if feeling sorry for him, Lee Si-woo swiped a hand over his face, closing his eyes.
“Isn’t killing him a bit much? I think this is going to be a huge headache.”
Isabelle snorted at his tone, which sounded more concerned about the impending trouble than saddened by the death.
She thought to herself that this guy, not batting an eye, must also have a screw loose somewhere.
“It would’ve been, before the selection trials. Back then, even I couldn’t have killed him. There were too many people who looked down on me. But it’s different now. My standing is worlds apart from what it was before. Well… in a way, this guy is pretty pitiful. In another, that’s exactly why I had to kill him.”
It was no exaggeration to say that the Isabelle of a few months ago and the Isabelle of today were in completely different positions.
If her past self was a mere noble, her present self was akin to a crown prince seriously contending with Allen for the succession.
This was thanks to her contributions in protecting the tower’s prestige and interests during the selection trials, and the recent smooth expansion of her influence using the Circle Potions.
That was why the elf mage had to die.
The honor of a noble and the honor of a crown prince were on different levels, and to avoid being looked down upon, it was necessary to make an example of someone.
“It seems your efforts to recruit mid-level mages with the Circle Potions are going well.”
“It’s going smoother than I could have ever hoped. My contributions to the selection trials and the news about the Circle Potions have completely turned my reputation around. As a result, the number of people wanting to join my crew has naturally increased.”
“I’m glad to hear it’s going well.”
“More importantly, what about him over there? Is he important enough to you to hear this conversation? If not, I’m about to get annoyed.”
Isabelle asked, pointing at Jin with her chin, and Lee Si-woo nodded.
“Yes. You can trust him as much as you trust me.”
At Lee Si-woo’s assurance, Jin’s eyes sparkled with a look of genuine emotion.
Isabelle looked at Jin with interest before speaking as if it didn't matter anyway.
“Hmph, and how much do you think I trust you?”
After saying that, Isabelle sent a message to someone on her smartphone to take care of the elf mage’s body, then spoke.
“Enough of that, Lee Si-woo. You, follow me. I have something to say. Oh, and you, don’t follow. Can you go hole up somewhere else for a bit? We have something to discuss, just the two of us.”
At Isabelle’s words, Jin nodded with a sullen face.
Anyone could see he was unhappy about being excluded from their private conversation.
Isabelle, displeased with Jin’s reaction, was about to say something but then just shook her head, thinking that everyone around Si-woo was like that.
***
After moving to a nearby café, Isabelle got straight to the point.
“Lee Si-woo. What is the relationship between you and me?”
Before answering, Si-woo first bowed his head in apology.
“Thank you for what you did today. And I am sorry. I didn't want to overstep and call for you, Lady Isabelle, but the elf mage was acting suspiciously, so I took a bold step.”
Isabelle let out a pleased hum at Si-woo’s clean apology, offered before she could even begin her lecture.
*He’s a sharp one.*
That was why she liked him, and why her patience grew in his presence.
Her own shitty temper seemed to cool down, at least a little, before this man.
But that didn't mean she wouldn't hold him accountable.
She would let it slide since Allen was involved, but she couldn't tolerate being dragged in and used like she was today.
“I like that sharp mind of yours. But still, be careful from now on. Hanging up on me and provoking me to get me involved? You crossed a line. So much so that I wanted to beat the shit out of you.”
Perhaps because her threat didn't sound like a joke at all, Si-woo apologized with an even more polite demeanor.
“I apologize. I will correct my behavior.”
“Good, but you still haven’t answered my question. So? Tell me. What is the relationship between you and me?”
“Let’s see. I consider you my sponsor, Lady Isabelle, and you probably think of me as a useful tool, so perhaps we can define it somewhere around there.”
“A sponsor? Oh? So I’m not your master?”
Lee Si-woo smiled faintly and said in a soft tone.
“I will gladly profess to be your slave whenever you wish, but I cannot promise I will serve you with sincerity, even as a platitude.”
“Oh? Look at this one. You son of a bitch. Does the world look beautiful now that the selection trials are over? To the point where you have no regrets if you die?”
“Ah, of course, if you tell me to act like a dog, I’ll act like a dog, and if you tell me to act like a pig, I’ll act like a pig. Life is precious, after all. But if that happens, wouldn’t I have to work passively, like a slave? A pig or a dog can’t dare interfere in their master’s affairs, can they?”
It was a frank statement, but in a way, it was a comment that put pressure back on her.
What Isabelle wanted from Lee Si-woo was the role of an advisor.
Just as she had benefited from him in the selection trials, she wanted him to continue offering useful advice by her side.
But that was only possible if Si-woo acted proactively.
As he himself said, it was a relationship that could never be established if he just watched her every move like a slave.
Isabelle smirked at Lee Si-woo’s honest answer.
“You little bastard, you’ve got quite the mouth on you. Then again, that’s why I like you.”
“I’m glad you find me to your liking.”
“But still, know your limits. As you saw today, I have a nasty temper. When I see red, even I don’t know what I might do.”
“I will be more careful in the future.”
“Good, then we’ll leave it at that. As for the scan results… I’m sorry about that. I don’t know if you’re aware, but your master doesn't exactly have a good reputation.”
At the mention of his master, Lee Si-woo gave a bitter smile.
“It can’t be helped. It’s not your fault that I’m a mage of his school, is it, Lady Isabelle?”
“Still, I’m worried. Even though you’re in my crew, with a master like that… Well, you’ll probably still have something to learn from the old man. Despite how he looks, he was once skilled enough to nearly inherit this Magic Tower.”
Unaware of that fact, Lee Si-woo asked with a small gasp.
“Oh, I didn’t know that. That’s quite something. But that’s strange. He may be past his prime, but he was once the real deal. If he was that successful, he must still have considerable intangible assets. How did his reputation get so bad?”
Isabelle wore a rare, bitter expression.
Autoreu was one of those who had been particularly fond of her when she was a child.
No matter how foul her temper was, it was not a pleasant experience to see someone who had once cherished her fall so disgracefully.
“It couldn't be helped. The old man is a half-breed. And… with a human, at that. As you experienced today, race carries more meaning than you think in mage society. So what could be done? This world isn't so warm-hearted as to maintain friendships with a half-elf mage who lost his Circle and fell from grace.”
Her words seemed to reflect the reality of humans living in the Main Dimension.
To think that someone who was once a key figure in the Magic Tower had fallen like a bird without wings, just for having human blood mixed in.
Perhaps because he couldn't simply dismiss it as someone else's story, the taste in his mouth turned bitter.
***
Isabelle personally stepped in to change Lee Si-woo’s room assignment before she left.
Thanks to her, Si-woo was assigned a clean, fully-furnished room of about 530 square feet. With a much lighter heart, he left his new quarters.
Of course, Jin had whined about wanting to hang out, but Si-woo had lightly ignored him.
Now that most of the troublesome procedures were out of the way, he intended to meet his master, Autoreu.
Just as Si-woo was about to use the contact information Isabelle had given him to reach Autoreu, a voice as rough as the bark of a pine tree stopped him in his tracks.
“Are you Lee Si-woo?”
Recognizing the old elf with long, flowing white hair and a beard, Si-woo immediately knew who he was and answered politely.
“Yes. I am Lee Si-woo. Master.”
He wore a tattered red robe and had glazed eyes, as if thoroughly drunk.
There was even a gourd flask hanging from his shoulder.
To anyone else, he might have looked like a drunken homeless man, but Si-woo’s attitude was deferential, revealing none of his inner thoughts.
Autoreu let out a murky laugh.
“Keke, look at that posture. A lad who knows a thing or two about getting by in the world.”
“I apologize. I should have come to see you first… but it was my first day, so I was a bit overwhelmed.”
“Oho, polite too. Not bad. I like you. Now, let’s see…”
Autoreu’s brown eyes fixed on Lee Si-woo.
They were a common shade, like fallen brown leaves on the street.
However, Si-woo couldn't meet that gaze for even a moment and looked away.
He felt as if he were standing naked under the sun, everything about him laid bare.
*This old man… what is he?*
Isabelle had described the old man as a has-been, but having met him, however briefly, Si-woo couldn't accept that assessment.
He was certain that this old man was not someone who would hole up in a back room, lamenting the passing years, weary of life.
Autoreu chuckled as he watched Si-woo turn his head to avoid his gaze.
“Young man, since I’m your master now, let me give you a problem. Do you know the easiest way for two people to get to know each other?”
At Autoreu’s random question, Si-woo looked at him with a bewildered expression.
Suddenly, Si-woo’s gaze caught the gourd flask dangling from Autoreu’s hand.
“Is it… alcohol?”
“Keke, a bright one, you are. Excellent! It must be fate that we, master and disciple, have met today. Let’s go have a drink until we’re cross-eyed, even if it’s broad daylight.”
As Autoreu turned and walked ahead with his hands clasped behind his back, Si-woo followed as if mesmerized.
It was the first meeting between the has-been elder, Autoreu, and his youngest disciple, Lee Si-woo.