Chapter 275
Chapter 275
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 275
>Chapter Title: The Magic Tower Embraces a Harmful Talent
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Aster laid out the full story for Evelyn regarding the Magic Tower.
What it signified, and its relationship with the Decullan Family.
He glossed over Parun and Henji with anonymity, and kept certain details about the Heavenly Origin Art under wraps.
Even so, he explained in detail enough for Evelyn to grasp the Magic Tower's predicament. Once the broad strokes were done, silence settled over the space.
"Uh, um, so......"
Evelyn smacked her lips.
"Speak up."
"I'm trying to, but... uh... This is a novel, right? Or maybe it's aftereffects from regression messing with your head halfway."
"You treated me like a terminal case earlier, and now I'm crazy?"
Aster smirked at the expected reaction. But Evelyn was dead serious.
"No, seriously—who could believe this?"
"Why not?"
"For starters... you're saying you've ascended to transcendence as a grand archmage? Does that even make sense?"
"And if it doesn't?"
"If it doesn't... if it doesn't... Good point. What then? You're right—once it's out of your mouth, it sounds like words......"
Evelyn blinked like she wasn't all there. Her eyes were unfocused.
"What the hell are you imagining?"
"Well......"
Evelyn's eyelids fluttered slowly. She was piecing together her fragmented thoughts.
Once the words finally clicked into place, she gave an awkward smile and spoke.
"Just... like, a member of some secret society? You know, those things are everywhere. A joint disciple nurtured by multiple schools......"
"Are they?"
"...In novels, yeah."
"You're something else. Why not write one yourself?"
"Won't make money."
"...Right."
Evelyn thought in strictly capitalist terms.
Anyway, their pointless banter didn't last long.
Aster scratched his eyebrow and steered back to the topic.
"So, you calm now?"
"A bit."
"Recap it."
Evelyn blinked again. But this time, her gaze was sharp.
"So......"
Evelyn calmly summarized what she'd heard.
Her understanding of Aster's current situation went like this.
"There's this group called the Magic Tower."
"Yep."
"And you're the founding Tower Master."
"Tower Master."
"Lortel holds the Platinum Badge as an ally, and the Decullans are blood enemies. You joined the war, killed two Seven Mages, and nearly died to the First on the way back?"
"First?"
"Oh, it's slang merchants use. Like, the number one in a group or whatever......"
Slang for everything under the sun.
Anyway, Evelyn's summary missed a ton, but nailed the essentials.
Except for one thing.
"So, what about you?"
"I'm... the Magic Tower's Chief Financial Officer?"
"That's right."
Aster nodded in satisfaction.
He'd appointed her but never told her— it'd been frustrating. Now she knew she was the CFO.
How perfect.
"Wait, but is this for real?"
Aster tilted his head at Evelyn's outburst.
"What?"
"Who appoints someone without telling them? ...Hold on. Oh my god. Does that mean your initial approach to me was......"
Evelyn stared at Aster, her eyes twitching with contempt.
Last summer break, right before it ended.
Her brother's scheme had gotten her disowned by her father, and she was trembling at admissions over tuition.
What had he said then?
- Anything but the brooch?
Yeah, that's how it started.
And then...
- I'll cover your tuition. But the brooch doesn't sit right with me.
- What I want isn't much.
Something other than the brooch.
She'd brushed it off then, but there was an odd pause between words. Like he was choosing them carefully.
And what came out was this.
- No funny business. We're academy alumni, right? Figured it'd be good to help out in tough times.
- You mean...
- Nothing deep—just friends. What do you say?
Thinking back that far, Evelyn's lips quivered. Not a mini quiver—a full-on one. Utter absurdity.
Sensing it, Aster gave an awkward smile.
"Water under the bridge. Everything has meaning, right?"
"No, hold up."
"Your speech suddenly..."
"Shut it."
"......"
Aster clamped his mouth shut at the sharp tone.
Evelyn calmly retraced her memories with fury in her eyes. Strangely, Chenbi's voice flashed through her mind.
The academy was in midterms now.
Chenbi, prepping for them, had offhandedly said:
- Last year was rough.
- Rough?
- Yeah, Damian can study now, but not then. So I planned 'De.Mo.P.'
- 'De.Mo.P.'?
- Damian Model Student Project.
The goal: get Damian into the top ranks.
Chenbi, and even Dinai collateral Purion, had sweated bullets. Purion got sold to Dalia and worked like a slave......
That's when murder entered Evelyn's eyes.
"You?"
"......Pardon?"
"You, huh?"
Aster shifted into 'Railley Mode' at the ominous vibe.
"What do you mean......"
"Was it you? Hold on."
Evelyn racked her brain again.
Once suspicion took root, coincidences she'd dismissed snapped perfectly into place.
'I set up Divei as the front.'
She couldn't even recall the firm now. But she clearly remembered Divei tangling with Aster right before the Trial Gate.
She'd seen Aster as a regular student then, missing it. But add one assumption.
What if Aster held a grudge against Divei and waited for a chance? And learned of the black market project?
No matter how tight security, it wouldn't stop a transcendent mage.
...Of course, Evelyn had no clue Aster wasn't one then—but amazingly, her reasoning was spot-on.
'De.Mo.P., the Divei grudge, and......'
- Evelyn de Plancher, please come forward.
- Give this student a round of applause.
That malicious performance too.
And?
'...The commendation was pushed by M3 Class's Assistant Professor Yorbi.'
How perfectly it fit.
Too coincidental for chance.
So, murder in Evelyn's eyes wasn't odd at all. Not odd...
"I'm not whatever you're thinking."
"......"
Evelyn trembled at Aster's uncharacteristic groveling.
Then she inhaled and exhaled deeply. Once, twice, three times.
A ritual of sorts.
Cooling her boiling rage while reflecting on her past self.
Objectively self-assessing and repenting wasn't easy. Yet Evelyn could manage it, surprisingly.
And the result.
"...Fine."
"Pardon?"
"Water under the bridge. Everything... has meaning. Yeah. Right."
Evelyn decided not to dig further.
The black market ordeal was hell, but looking back, that day's self was mortifying.
And...
- Duke, thank you.
- Duke, this is... a gift.
Not bad at all.
The well-worn orb she'd cherished as a gift. The kids' crooked, monstrous drawings.
A gentle smile bloomed on Evelyn's lips.
But only briefly.
Her eyes gleamed as she fixed on Aster.
"Anyway, transcendence and all... I can't buy that yet. Understand?"
"Heh, sure..."
"Speech."
"Ahem. Right."
Aster cleared his throat awkwardly, adjusting. Evelyn spoke soon after.
"So, I'm the Magic Tower's CFO?"
"Yep."
"Then the funds authority's mine?"
"Uh... yeah?"
Evelyn extended her hand.
"Hand it over."
"......What?"
"Money."
"......"
Aster shut his mouth.
He'd hooked a bad one.
"Oh, and Arapurugin land's Magic Tower property, right? Acquired to build it. Bring the deed here when it arrives."
Aster stammered a defense.
"But... it's my tower, so the title..."
"Who cares? Keep the title. But to claim proxy rights, you need the deed."
"......"
"Right? Or not?"
Aster mumbled under her fierce glare.
"It's right, but..."
"What, it's wrong? Want a smack? Go on, try. But remember one thing."
"......What?"
"If you ever end up on the streets, your assets will be in my pocket. However much."
"......"
Evelyn openly declared embezzlement, but Aster had no retort.
Battle was flow, and now it flowed her way.
First rule of combat: don't fight. Second: only winning fights.
This was neither.
But then.
Aster tossed a belated question.
"But really okay? With the Decullans and all that mess."
Not deflection—just checking if she grasped the gravity and was in.
Decullan claws had nearly reached them recently.
Evelyn shrugged.
"If it goes south, I bolt."
"......"
"What, can't?"
"No, it's fine."
"No issue then?"
"No... issue."
Aster burst out laughing mid-sentence.
'Weirdo...'
If she'd claimed to shoulder it all, it'd worry him more. This was just right.
Smart enough to find her own way out.
Just...
'...Hope she knows embezzlement's a straight path to death.'
He'd hire another bookkeeper someday for checks and balances.
"Well, pleased to work with you."
Evelyn thought:
'Roll over like a dog.'
Aster clasped her offered handshake, nodding.
"Yeah, me too."
Aster thought:
'Laugh it up now.'
He'd reclaim Tower Master authority someday.
......Thus, the Magic Tower embraced a harmful talent.