Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: A Modest Proposal
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Invited by Lee Si-woo, Isabelle began to complain the moment she stepped into his apartment.
“Ugh, you’re such a pain. You could’ve just handled this over the phone. Why make me come all the way here? You think I have nothing better to do?”
“My apologies. This isn’t a conversation for the phone.”
Isabelle stared at Lee Si-woo with narrowed eyes.
“You’ve already hit the 3rd Circle?”
“Yes. That advancement pill was quite effective.”
“Damn~ Well, with an Elemental Stone and an advancement pill, getting to the 3rd Circle is a piece of cake. How the hell are you stuffing yourself with more elixirs than me, the Tower Master’s daughter? Tsk, that really pisses me off.”
Isabelle clicked her tongue, crossed her legs, and sat down at the table.
“So? What did you want to say?”
“How about a cup of coffee first? It’s a rare Camoan blend I had a hard time getting. The aroma should be quite nice.”
Lee Si-woo pushed a coffee cup, in which a ‘Trust and Persuasion’ potion was dissolved, toward Isabelle.
“Camoan? Well, look at you. You know a thing or two about coffee.”
Isabelle took a sip without any suspicion.
She frowned and spoke.
“Ugh, bitter. Did you brew an espresso or something? Are you getting revenge because I didn’t get you that spot in the budget department last time?”
It was a consequence of having to brew it strong to hide the potion’s taste, but Si-woo didn’t let it show, carefully observing Isabelle instead.
If this potion was used when a sufficient relationship of trust had not been formed, the target, far from being persuaded, would come to despise the user.
However, Si-woo wasn’t overly concerned.
Although he hadn’t known Isabelle for long and their bond wasn’t deep, their shared interests were as firm as any relationship built meticulously over time.
‘Thanks to me, Isabelle has obtained elixir ingredients and expanded her influence within the Magic Tower. She’s gained numerous benefits since meeting me. Not only that, but we also share the secret of the Faceless Lord… At the very least, she won’t distrust me. There’s nothing more foolish than not trusting the goose that lays golden eggs.’
Lee Si-woo’s judgment was correct.
There was no sign of anything amiss on Isabelle’s calm face.
The potion’s full effect was still unknown, but having confirmed that the situation wasn’t risky enough to trigger a backlash, Si-woo cut to the chase.
“Allen. Are you going to just leave him be?”
As Si-woo poked at a sensitive spot, Isabelle’s sharp eyes twitched like a feisty cat’s.
“…What? Why are you suddenly bringing up Allen?”
“You must know that as things stand, your chances of winning the succession are slim.”
“Bullshit. Me, lose? Hey, do you know who I am? I’m Isabelle. The darling of the Senior Magic Tower!”
“I may not have been in the Senior Magic Tower for long, but it was enough time to grasp the general mood. I know that those with voting rights in the tower are almost fanatical about Circles.”
Realizing that Si-woo was pointing out her own Circle, which was currently lower than Allen’s, Isabelle gnawed on her lower lip and said.
“Once I make an elixir with the ingredients I just got, I can reach the 5th Circle too.”
“Even if you do, people will already think of you as second best. And mages aren’t generous enough to bet on the slower horse over the faster one.”
“…If you have something to say, spit it out. Your goal isn’t to piss me off until I get an ulcer, is it?”
At Isabelle’s angry urging, Si-woo replied in a relaxed voice.
“There are only three ways for you to gain the upper hand in the succession. Either reach the 6th Circle before Elder Allen, defeat him in a public duel, or…”
A faint smile played on Si-woo’s lips, his eyes barely visible slits as he continued.
“Allen dies in an unfortunate accident.”
Sensing the ominous nuance in Si-woo’s voice, Isabelle swallowed hard.
“Are you suggesting… we assassinate Allen? You crazy bastard. Get real. Killing a 5th-Circle mage who’s constantly protected by the tower’s security is…”
“Yes. I know. It’s impossible with our power. So, we need to change the game. A game where the more competent you are, the higher your chances of dying. A game where the greater your prestige, the heavier the duty you must bear, leaving no room to back down.”
“Where would we find a game like… wait, don’t tell me…”
“Yes, war. If a war breaks out, Allen will have no choice but to stand on the front lines, for the sake of his reputation and prestige, which he built from the ground up. And… there’s no place where unexpected accidents happen more frequently than in a war, is there?”
Isabelle was so dumbfounded that a hollow laugh escaped her lips.
This Lee Si-woo guy was truly insane.
Yes, not the casual curse she threw around, but a genuine, certified madman.
“Hey, wars don’t just happen that easily. So stop with this unrealistic talk…”
Lee Si-woo cut her off.
“I have another Elemental Stone.”
At Si-woo’s bombshell, Isabelle’s pupils trembled in confusion.
“Elemental… Stone? What kind of nonsense is that… You already consumed it, didn’t you?”
“Where I got the Elemental Stone is irrelevant. What’s important is that the Wilderness Magic Tower suffered excessive losses in the Niam Mountains, and because of that, they’re grinding their teeth at our Senior Magic Tower, the only ones who profited.”
“I think I get what you’re scheming, but what can you do? No matter how pissed the Wilderness Magic Tower is, they can’t challenge our tower alone. Huh? Why would they rush to their own ruin and attack us?”
“Not alone, no. But wouldn’t things get interesting if the Old Tree Magic Tower joined them?”
“…Why would the Old Tree Magic Tower get involved in a losing deal? I heard they didn’t even suffer much of a loss in the Niam Mountains.”
“But they do look upon our soaring tower with disfavor. And why wouldn’t they? At this rate, the three great magic towers of Granada will soon become just one.”
Isabelle lightly slammed her fist on the table and shot back.
“Enough! Let’s drop this. I’ll say it again, it’s not realistic. Wars don’t just break out that easily.”
“No. They don’t break out easily. However, with a proper justification, a war can start as easily as a children’s squabble. Very well. I won’t beat around the bush; I’ll be direct. I would like you to take the lead, Lady Isabelle.”
“Take the lead…?”
“Yes. As you saw from our deal during the tea time, I’ve established a connection with the higher-ups of the Wilderness Magic Tower. I’d like you to meet with them and tell them something.”
The corners of Si-woo’s mouth curled up as he continued.
“That the Senior Magic Tower is preparing for war, targeting the Wilderness Magic Tower. If you, the Tower Master’s daughter, say it yourself, the Wilderness Magic Tower will have no choice but to believe it.”
Isabelle shot up from her seat, glaring at Si-woo with wide eyes.
“You crazy son of a bitch, I’ve had enough of you! Hey! Do you have any idea that if a rumor like that gets out, I’ll be branded an arch-traitor?! Then it won’t matter if Allen dies or not, I’ll never become the successor to the Senior Magic Tower!”
“Of course, you can’t make the deal as it is. Instead, you make the deal under a ‘Pledge.’ We’ll provide Allen’s real-time location during the war, and in return, they will not speak of your betrayal.”
Only then did Isabelle understand the picture Lee Si-woo was painting.
The Wilderness and Old Tree Magic Towers wanted to check the Senior Magic Tower’s rapid growth, and the death of Allen, considered the Senior Magic Tower’s greatest talent, would perfectly satisfy their needs.
For the Senior Magic Tower, losing Allen was like having their engine break down mid-race.
At this point, Isabelle was at a loss for words.
What kind of life must one have led to come up with such a vicious scheme as easily as breathing?
‘And what’s even more maddening is that I have no clue what Si-woo stands to gain from all this. Ugh… this is driving me crazy. This bastard is great in many ways, but the problem is that I can’t read him at all. Hmmm… well, I do gain a lot by being with him, so I try to trust him, but… I just hope I don’t get stabbed in the back one day.’
After taking a moment to compose herself, Isabelle spoke.
“Fine, I’ll admit it. If your plan proceeds without a hitch, that bastard Allen might actually die. But, Si-woo. I want to become the master of an intact Senior Magic Tower, not the master of a crumbling ruin.”
“A ruin… Of course, if the war drags on and our tower is defeated, that could happen. But, how about this scenario? In the middle of the war, you, Lady Isabelle, use the Elemental Stone to propose a truce with one of the towers?”
At Si-woo’s calm words, Isabelle’s expression froze as if time had stopped.
Si-woo took a sip of his coffee. The bitter taste of the cooled liquid swirled in his mouth, clearing his head.
He crossed his legs and continued.
“The hero who stopped a war that could have ruined the Magic Tower. A repentant scoundrel who has matured enough to mourn the death of her rival, Allen. With all that… I think you’d have all the elements to make ordinary mages go wild for you.”
“After Allen is dead, I… lead the truce…”
Watching Isabelle’s expression grow increasingly dazed, lost in his words, Si-woo was certain the potion was working perfectly.
In truth, the plan had overly idealistic aspects.
If things didn’t go according to the script, Isabelle could face the full force of the backlash.
She should have been considering the penalties, but she was already painting a rosy future, a faint heat rising to her skin.
She had been completely won over by Si-woo’s persuasion, backed by the power of the potion.
‘A war… Yes, there’s no better event for a promising successor to Allen to emerge from.’
Si-woo planned to use this war to firmly establish himself as a future pillar of the Magic Tower, a key asset.
Yes, so firmly that even the great Kenyon couldn’t touch him.
* * *
As soon as Isabelle left, Jin returned home as if he had been waiting for Si-woo to finish his business.
Holding bags of hamburgers in both hands, Jin said in an excited voice.
“Hyung, you haven’t eaten, right? I brought burgers.”
“Good job. I was getting hungry.”
At Si-woo’s praise, Jin grinned widely and spread the food out on the table.
However, there were twice as many fries as there were burgers, making it seem like the burgers were the side dish and the fries were the main course.
“Why’d you buy so many fries?”
“Because fries are the best.”
Jin mixed ketchup and mayonnaise, then sprinkled sugar on top to sweeten it. He offered the sauce and shrugged.
“Try it. Dipping fries in this is… ahh, this is the life.”
A sauce befitting Jin’s childish palate. Si-woo shook his head with a faint smile.
As they enjoyed their meal with idle chatter, Jin spoke in a casual tone.
“Hyung. Did you know gods exist in this world?”
“Yeah, so I’ve heard. Haven’t met one yet, though.”
At Si-woo’s lighthearted remark, a faint shadow crossed Jin’s face.
As if he knew those words were a lie.
Si-woo, in turn, noticed that Jin had seen through his lie and twitched an eyebrow, but he didn’t show any other reaction.
The corners of Jin’s eyes drooped sadly as he looked at Si-woo.
‘Hyung still doesn’t trust me.’
He knew.
This was Si-woo’s way of drawing a line.
But he didn’t want to admit it.
That Si-woo still felt awkward around him, that he was trying to push him away.
Was that why?
Sometimes, he thought about it, imagined it.
What if Si-woo were to remember all the things he had lost and forgotten?
But it remained just a fantasy, never put into action.
Because he didn’t want his brother to know what he had done to him.
Because what might be a memory to him would surely remain as hatred for his brother.
Jin poked at the last bits of sauce with a french fry, speaking meaninglessly.
“What do you think about a god’s favor?”
As Jin mentioned a god’s favor, Si-woo’s hand, reaching for a fry, froze mid-air.
Si-woo’s indifferent eyes gazed at Jin.
“You always have to be careful with favors. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.”
“No. Hyung. The gods are different. For things they truly like, they don’t ask for anything in return. In fact, they’re desperate to give even more.”
Si-woo tilted his head. This was completely different from what his master had told him.
Autoreu had definitely warned him to be wary of the gods’ interest and favor.
He had said their interest and favor were synonymous with possessiveness, that while they bestowed favor, they would also grow obsessed with the target and try to devour it.
Jin scraped at the crumbs on the table with his index finger and continued.
“So… I don’t know if you’ve met a god or not, but if you happen to, or if you already have, use them. Take everything you can get.”
Si-woo had a feeling that Jin knew about the yellow eye, but he didn’t ask.
He knew it would be pointless.
Jin had too many secrets.
What was even more unbearable was his own heart, which tried to trust this suspicious being unconditionally.
Perhaps that was why.
Why he tried even harder to keep Jin at a distance.
“Alright. I’ll try.”
A half-hearted answer.
But Jin didn’t mind.
It was fine if Si-woo tried to push him away, fine if he didn’t trust him.
As long as he didn’t hate him, that was enough.
Yes, for that, he was willing to pay the price to the yellow eye in his brother’s stead.
Jin smiled as brightly as a spring sky and said.
“Oh, by the way, Hyung. Do you know Schizo?”
“Schizo? I know him. The guy who got his ass kicked by me in the evaluation match.”
“He’s been talking a lot of smack about you lately. Just so you know.”
“Is that so? I’ll have to pay him a visit soon.”
“You should. Hyung, also, this is a new classical piece that just came out. Want to listen together?”
“…Get lost. I’m not listening to classical music with another guy.”
“Ah! Don’t be like that! Please…? Huh? It’s boring to listen alone!”
“I’m going to sleep. See ya.”
“Wow, you’re so cheap!”
“Use earphones. It’s noisy when I’m trying to sleep.”
“……”
Jin rested his chin on his hand and pouted.
But his eyes, which feigned annoyance, were smiling.