How to Set the Magic Tower Right (2)
The location chosen as the new headquarters was the Magic Tower of the Republic of Korea.
By pure coincidence, Lee Tae-hyun's country.
"The Tower's headquarters is moving? And to East Asia, of all places!"
"This is a scoop!"
Gasps of disbelief rippled through the crowd. The Magic Tower's headquarters changing at all was momentous enough — but to the Republic of Korea, the very nation currently commanding the world's attention with 'Horizon'?
The United Kingdom's epithet as the 'birthplace of magic' was about to cross the ocean and settle in Korea.
"After comprehensive review of every relevant factor, we have determined that Korea is the most suitable location for the Tower's headquarters at this time—"
"I—I object!"
Someone cut Diana off mid-sentence.
None other than Reina, Master of the American Magic Tower.
Diana's expression hardened into ice as she turned to face her.
"Reina… did anyone grant you the floor?"
"Ugh…."
Reina faltered for a moment under Diana's withering aura — but then she pressed her lips together and pushed back.
"I cannot accept Korea's appointment as the Tower's headquarters! A matter of this magnitude demands a more rigorous review of reasons and qualifications before any decision is made!"
"…I agree."
The brown-skinned woman seated nearby — Shetty, Master of the Indian Magic Tower.
"I'll concede that Korea has achieved remarkable things in magic lately, and that it helped you resolve this crisis, Lady Diana. But appointing it as headquarters seems… a step too far."
"It's absurd, utterly absurd! If the Tower's headquarters ends up in some country like that, the Tower's standing will plummet!"
"I, too, agree."
One after another they joined in — Zhang Fei of the Chinese Magic Tower, and even Mikhail of the Russian Magic Tower.
"Hnggh……."
The only one who didn't object was Mahuyu of the Japanese Magic Tower, who owed Tae-hyun a debt from earlier.
Diana exhaled slowly as she surveyed the assembled tower masters.
"And you believe you have the right to do this? Without the Council of Elders or the central leadership, decisions like this rest solely with me — the incumbent Supreme Tower Master."
"Certainly, none of us has the authority to retract your decision, Lady Diana. However… we do have the right to question the legitimacy of the act itself."
"…You can't be serious."
"I am!"
Reina declared on behalf of them all:
"We hereby formally request the convening of a Tower Masters' Council!"
The Tower Masters' Council — exactly what it sounded like: a council attended by the tower masters themselves. Traditionally convened to decide the Tower's most critical affairs, it could be officially summoned whenever three or more masters deemed it necessary.
"For the sake of the Tower's future, please do not refuse."
"Hah…!"
Diana's brow drew into a razor-sharp line.
Anyone could see it — pure, unfiltered fury. Rage was boiling up at these tower masters who dared defy her will.
Gulp…!
Reina swallowed dryly, every nerve wound tight.
But after a long moment—
"…Very well."
Diana, breathing hard, accepted the Tower Masters' Council.
"It worked!"
The press conference was over. Wiz came bounding to my side with a bright grin.
"Just as you predicted, they've actually called for the Tower Masters' Council!"
"Well, it was the obvious outcome."
Appoint Korea as the Tower's headquarters, and of course the other towers would push back.
It didn't even have to be Korea.
Whichever nation got named headquarters, the other tower masters would have demanded a council. The weight that the Tower's headquarters carries is the kind of thing you could talk about until your mouth ran dry — if only to check one another, that council was an obligatory step.
"But… why bother holding it at all?"
Wiz tilted her head slightly.
"If everyone knew the 'Ark' was inside you, no one would have dared object."
She had a point. The Ark was the source of the Magic Tower — its everything. Reveal that it resided within me, and those people would have no choice but to swallow their protests and accept Korea as headquarters.
But no.
"The Ark's existence inside me must never come to light."
"What? Why…?"
"Because the Ark is a symbol. The sum of all human magic, a treasury of knowledge. What do you think happens if the world learns a single individual absorbed the whole of it?"
"Ah…!"
She got it. I'd be buried under an avalanche of blame and scrutiny. It was to save Diana, yes — but even that couldn't be laid entirely bare.
If I went down that road, I'd have to explain that the Diana standing there right now is actually Wiz.
I could keep it buried if I tried, but it would complicate everything. My own movements would come with strings attached — no wandering into dangerous territory lugging a treasure like the Ark around in my body.
"Besides, going through the process makes acceptance far easier."
"Acceptance…?"
"Right now, no matter how I explain it, everyone will read it as 'Diana built Korea a headquarters as a favor to Lee Tae-hyun.'"
I save Diana's life; Diana sets the Tower's headquarters in my country. Honestly, even I could see it reeked of personal interest.
"Better to put it through the ceremonial council and let it be seen that Korea became headquarters because Korea genuinely deserved it — not because of me."
We were getting the headquarters anyway. Suffering the sidelong glances and swallowing humble pie was far worse than a little extra hassle to earn proper recognition.
"And one more thing…."
Truthfully, this was the biggest reason of all.
"I need to press the tower masters' egos flat."
Force those pride-swollen masters to 'understand' — and they'd learn to sit down, shut up, and obey. Leave the headquarters in Korea as-is, and they'd invent one excuse after another to snub us.
Every time they got bored, they'd convene another protest council just like today's and grind the Tower's operations to a halt.
I could replace them if it came to that — but only one or two at a time. Purge every single tower master the moment the headquarters moved to Korea, and the fallout would be immediate.
For the Tower to run smoothly, I have to discipline the other masters first.
Pinch their noses shut so hard they can never climb back up.
"Whoa…!"
When I finished, Wiz looked up at me with eyes practically sparkling.
"You truly are the Master, Lee Tae-hyun!"
"Come on… anyone could've thought of that."
"No, they couldn't. It's no wonder you're the successor of the Pinnacle of Magic."
An empty room in a deserted building. Wiz glanced around slyly, then wrapped her arms around mine and smiled up at me sweetly.
"Hehe."
"W-Wiz…."
"D-do you… dislike it?"
It wasn't that.
She's wearing Diana's face! Of course I can't get used to it!
And knowing her true personality underneath made it that much maddening.
But—
"Mmm…."
One look at Wiz, drooping like she was about to cry, and my resolve crumbled.
"…No, I don't."
"Really?"
"O-of course not…."
"Hehe, you really are kind, Master. I've known that since the Trial of the Hall, but still…."
Wiz pressed in even closer. The scent of lily of the valley brushed against the tip of my nose.
"Haah, hah…!"
Her breathing was growing rougher.
Hold on a second.
"Master…."
For some reason her face was flushing red as she pushed it toward mine.
What is wrong with her?
Bewilderment crawled up the back of my skull.
"I'm sorry… this is my first time in a body, and the sensations are so unfamiliar. So new…."
"R-right. I see."
"Especially smell and touch. I could never experience those as a soul."
So that's why she's been panting and squeezing my arm this whole time.
"Oh, and one more thing…."
Wiz mischievously licked her lips with the tip of her tongue.
"Taste."
Well — fair enough. As a soul she couldn't eat, didn't need to. Considering how large a share good food occupies in any human's life, existence as a spirit must have been thoroughly dull.
"Then shall we go find something to eat? The UK of all places, but I'm sure we can dig something up."
"……"
"…Wiz?"
Do not look at me with those languid, dangerous eyes.
Whether my prayers reached the heavens or not, footsteps sounded beyond the door.
"…Hmph."
I peeled the somehow-disappointed Wiz off of me.
The door swung open, and Wiz snapped straight into 'Diana Mode.' I let out a breath of relief and turned to the newcomer.
"Tae-hyun, you…!"
"Oh, Ji Yeon-ha."
"Why on earth did you pull something like this without consulting me! I've been sweating buckets keeping the other tower masters off my back!"
"Because if I had consulted you, you'd have objected."
"Obviously!"
Ji Yeon-ha huffed.
"This is not something to take lightly…. Think it over one more time, won't you?"
"Don't worry. Nothing you're afraid of is going to happen."
Wiz, still in Diana Mode, spoke up.
"First — the new Korea Magic Tower headquarters will operate on a system of three tower masters."
"Three?"
"More precisely, one Tower Master and two Vice Tower Masters. The British Tower's systems have accumulated for ages, so it could shoulder headquarters-level duties — but no other tower is remotely prepared to handle that load."
The same was true for every tower on earth. Even setting the Ark aside, the British Tower was vast enough that the word 'headquarters' fit it perfectly.
"So we'll select two people to support the Tower Master and share the workload. One of them will be me."
"Y-you're coming to the Korean Tower, Lady Diana?!"
"Don't misunderstand. It's less about Korea and more about the headquarters itself."
"Then why Vice Tower Master instead of Tower Master…?"
"If I came in as Tower Master over an existing one, the whole picture would look wrong. And if it's the Korean Tower, a Korean mage should be the one in charge."
"…Wait a moment. Then—"
Ji Yeon-ha, who had been chewing something over in silence, went pale.
"I—I'm becoming the Supreme Tower Master…?"
"Congratulations on your promotion, Ms. Ji."
"Ugh… uhh…?"
Ji Yeon-ha creaked like a machine whose thoughts had seized up entirely.
"Don't worry, though. Your workload will actually shrink compared to now."
In truth, Diana-Mode Wiz alone could handle the bulk of the Tower's affairs. She was far more capable than she looked.
"W-well, that…."
At the mention of less work, Ji Yeon-ha's expression softened just a touch.
"By the way, the other Vice Tower Master is me."
"…You, Tae-hyun?"
"There are a few circumstances."
The Ark was in my body, for one. And with the Korean Tower becoming headquarters, it was better to have influence where it counted.
Vice Master of the Cheongnyong Sword Sect, Vice Tower Master of the Magic Tower, Guild Leader of Shinseong Guild, Representative of Horizon….
My business card was getting dangerously long.
"You can't run a guild and a tower at the same time, can you?"
"That's what exception clauses are for. We'll write up a special provision for Vice Tower Masters and slot it in. Easy."
"Hmm… you, coming to the Tower…."
Ji Yeon-ha narrowed her eyes oddly, then smiled a faint, unreadable smile.
"Not bad at all."
"…Why?"
"Fufu. That's a secret."
For what it's worth, I could use magic — flamboyantly, in fact, more so than most S-rank mages. Nobody would be questioning my qualifications for the post.
"Well then. That's more or less settled."
All that remained was bending the other tower masters to my will.
Conveniently, I'd just undergone a massive growth spurt — and I'd picked up a rather useful ability for exactly this occasion.
Reverse Calculation
"Tower Masters' Council. Let's get it ready."
I could hardly wait.
To see the looks on their faces tomorrow.