Chapter 240
Chapter 240
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 240
Chapter Title: Night of the Mages (2)
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깝치다가 허리 접힌 노친네.
That phrase signified a certain incident, one that every Mage Tower Lord knew was utterly humiliating for the Blue Mage Tower Lord. It had happened on the day all six Mage Tower Lords gathered in one place.
Ashen Next Mage Tower Lord, Raniel van Trias.
The Blue Mage Tower Lord, who had picked a fight with that young mage by flaunting his authority and age, had been knocked out in a single exchange without even putting up a proper fight.
"Why?"
The girl who had put it so comically tilted her head and added,
"It's the truth."
The two Mage Tower Lords present reacted differently upon hearing the girl.
Celli widened her eyes and parted her lips slightly.
'...Mentioning that in front of Brick?'
Celli felt astonishment.
She had long known the girl lived freely, without even flinching before a Mage Tower Lord. But she hadn't expected it to be to this extent.
To mockingly bring up the incident the Blue Mage Tower Lord most wanted to forget, right in front of him.
It was tantamount to challenging the authority of the Blue Mage Tower. It meant making an enemy of an entire tower, something no mere academy professor should do. There was no gain in it.
Yet the girl had done it.
For what?
It wasn't hard to guess.
'No way...'
Celli covered her slightly parted lips with her sleeve and widened her eyes further.
'Because she felt I was insulted?'
The circumstances suggested as much.
This was the White Mage Tower's domain, and Celli had been insulted here by the Blue Mage Tower Lord. And right on cue, the girl had stepped forward.
'Rejecting all my proposals, acting cold... grumbling outwardly every time.'
Maybe she actually thought well of her?
Quite a bit, even?
'So dishonest...!'
A smile spread across Celli's lips.
Suppressing the urge to hug the tilting Lania right then, Celli turned her gaze to the Blue Mage Tower Lord.
"Wh-what...!"
Brick Geovan's eyes bulged.
Celli had to struggle to hold back her bursting laughter as she looked at him.
'Well, he has reason to be like that.'
What was the name of the girl who had just insulted Brick? And which family did she belong to? Brick couldn't possibly be unaware.
Lania van Trias.
A member of the same 'van Trias' family as the Ashen Mage, with rumors swirling that she would inherit his lineage.
A single word from that girl's mouth was more effective than any insult.
"Just now, what did you say, you...!"
One look at the Blue Mage Tower Lord's flushed, crimson face—as if he might clutch his neck and collapse—told of its devastating effect.
"Pfft."
Unable to hold it in any longer, Celli burst into laughter.
"Exactly. Brick, who folded at the waist from showing off. Want to fold before me too?"
"White, have you lost your mind? How dare you insult me like that to my face...!"
"And what you did to me is fair game?"
Celli shrugged and turned to Lania.
Grabbing her wrist and draping an arm around her shoulders, Celli declared boldly.
"Would you please leave now? This is White Mage Tower territory... and I'm busy showing this girl around the exhibition."
You aren't even worth dealing with.
That was the nuance.
Brick felt his blood pressure spike, his vision darkening.
2.
Brick Geovan felt humiliated.
He had known from the start that the girl before him was that Lania van Trias. He had heard about her distinctive appearance.
'Even more striking than the rumors...'
But he couldn't be fooled by her harmless looks.
That's why he had provoked her. To insult the White Mage Tower Lord first, then the girl... to cut down both nuisances at once.
And observe her reaction.
If she brushed it off with an awkward laugh, he could call her a spineless fledgling. If she retorted in kind... he planned to raise his voice, demanding if she dared challenge a Mage Tower Lord's authority.
His opponent was a naive young girl.
With little social experience, just an academy professor confined to Aphria's closed walls.
Such a girl couldn't possibly understand society's bitterness or the strife among mages. He had aimed for that vulnerability with his provocation... but
'This insolent...'
He never imagined she'd respond like this.
Brick scowled deeply.
"What are you waiting for? Scram already."
The White Mage Tower Lord, arm around the girl's shoulders, shooing him away only fueled Brick's anger more.
"Playing clique games, huh."
Brick ground his teeth.
"You there."
His wrinkled finger pointed at Lania.
"I heard you're taking the duel."
The duel at the Magic Studies Convention.
The duel the girl would fight in place of Ashen Mage Raniel van Trias.
Mentioning it, Brick continued.
"Those who walk the path of magic prove themselves with skill and speak through achievements."
Brick narrowed his eyes.
"Your outrageous insult to the Blue Mage Tower will go unpunished for now. I'll hold you accountable after the duel."
Revenge grows sweeter with waiting.
He had waited years already; a few more days meant nothing. Brick warned Lania in a chilling voice.
"You'll pay for your words."
"Ah, sure..."
Lania nodded indifferently.
Just as Brick turned to leave.
"By the way, you said you're entering the duel too. All prepared?"
"Finished it recently. And remove your arm. It's stuffy. How long are you going to cling?"
"Oh my, teaching students must keep you busy—when did you prepare? Such a good girl... Ah, aaah! Fine, fine, I'll let go...!"
Overhearing as he walked away, Brick scoffed.
Finished recently? Clearly an untested magic tool.
'Magic tools need time to observe.'
The 'real challenge' of magitech comes after completion.
Endless errors.
Problems in unforeseen areas.
Depth and skill in magitech show in fixing them repeatedly. Rushing completion yields half-baked results.
'Immature as expected.'
Experience tells here.
Dreaming of sweet revenge in a few days, the Blue Mage Tower Lord departed.
3.
On the day of the Magic Studies Convention.
I poked at the food in the hall, waiting for my turn. The convention was in the grand plaza, this hall a waiting area for participating mages... and there were quite a few.
"I'll come get you when it's your turn."
My master had said that, left me in the hall, and headed somewhere.
"Isn't that the Ashen Mage's..."
"Lania van Trias."
"Duelling the Blue Mage Tower Lord at this convention."
As many people, so many stares—not exactly comfortable. As I poked at my food, two approached.
"Sit over here. Here!"
The Black and White Mage Tower Lords.
They led me to a separate room inside the hall.
No stares here, so I could relax until the convention... or so I thought.
"Here, try this. It's a bit unique..."
The White Mage Tower Lord kept talking to me.
'What's with this person?'
Since that day, the White Mage Tower Lord had changed.
Her gaze on me felt off.
Badly mistaken about something, and it burdened me greatly.
'Probably from the exhibition incident.'
But clearing the misunderstanding was impossible.
"...I mean, that was just a thoughtless comment back then."
"Oh, sure, sure. I get it. No need to be shy."
"No, that's not..."
That was always her response.
No use. Words wouldn't get through.
The White Mage Tower Lord just smiled and nodded at whatever I said. I sighed and turned away.
"...Why is she like that?"
"Even I've never seen her like this. What magic did you work for White to end up like that...?"
Black Mage Tower Lord, Yetual.
Even he, who knew her best, just shook his head.
"So, with the convention upon us, any thoughts? Not nervous, I bet."
Yetual gave a wry smile.
"Blue Mage Tower Lord. Brick was grinding his teeth, vowing to crush you. Give the insulter the same humiliation."
Yet he didn't seem worried for me. Blinking, I got the obvious response.
"No need to worry anyway."
Yetual whispered near my ear, too quiet for White to hear.
"You once shattered every Mage Tower Lord's pride. What now? Do I look like I need to worry about anyone?"
"...Your words have bite."
"Black wasn't exempt either."
Subtle sting there.
As we talked, someone knocked. Yetual set down his teacup and nodded at the door.
"Keeping the convention's star this long is rude. Time to go. It's starting."
Master must be waiting. I opened the door... but it wasn't her.
"Ma-Mage Tower Lord!"
A man, seemingly a Black Mage Tower mage, panted toward Yetual.
"Chloe attempted escape! Seems Belnoa helped..."
"...She finally caused trouble."
Yetual pinched his brow.
As he moved to issue orders, a telepathic message echoed through the hall's mana circuits.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The Mage of the Ancient Dragon, please come to the grand plaza. If you hear this telepathic message... The message repeated several times.
Its gist was simple.
The event needed to proceed, but the Ancient Dragon Mage, a judge, was nowhere to be seen.
"......"
"......"
I and the Black Mage Tower Lord stared silently.
He was probably thinking the same.
'Don't let Chloe meet that senile lizard. Nothing good will come of it.'
Cardi's voice echoed in my ear.
"...This is maddening."
The Black Mage Tower Lord rubbed his eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "You know this? When you try to hide something, you do it in such an obvious way. That works on your slaves in vertical relationships... but"
The mage who had lived tens of thousands of years smiled.
"Not on me. You often forget I've been with you since your lowest point."
The Star fell silent at the mage's words.
"Don't try hiding from me. I'm getting tired of granting your requests."
Frowning, he walked on.
Without hesitation, then closed and opened his eyes. Three glowing rings appeared in his pupils.
Platinum rings intersected.
The three rings pierced all essences, read flows, and foresaw the near future. At the 'possibility' at foresight's end, the mage laughed.
"Indeed."
Near future.
A possibility mere steps away.
Reading it, the mage swept his face. A faint smile lingered at his lips.
"——Ah."
Ancient Dragon Mage.
Yormun van Draconic.
"How ironic."
He glared at the Star and said.
"Playing tricks again, aren't you."
His voice held anger.