Chapter 157: How to Deal with a Mage (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 157: How to Deal with a Mage (5)
Felix searched his memories.
Though he had never fully inherited Burning, fragments of his master's teachings drifted back to him.
"Burning is not a technique you can master in a day or two. First and foremost, your affinity for fire must be overwhelmingly high, so I cannot teach it to just anyone. My disciple, if you truly wish to succeed me, keep fire close to you every single day. Find a way to fully embrace it. When a raging blaze wraps around your body and you feel absolutely no pain... only then can you be reborn as the incarnation of fire."
The Phoenix Magic Tower.
Despite possessing such a powerful secret technique, their influence remained weak because there was no clear, systematic method for passing it down. The previous masters of the Phoenix Magic Tower had each embraced fire in completely different ways. Felix's master, for instance, had acquired his overwhelming affinity for the fire attribute after surviving a horrific arson incident in his childhood.
Yet, his master's traumatic experience wasn't a definitive answer.
Some disciples had attempted extreme methods, such as intentionally setting themselves on fire, only to lose their lives or end up permanently crippled. Ultimately, Burning was a matter of innate talent. One could only pray to fully embrace the flames after an indefinite amount of time.
And yet...
Roman Dmitry had casually mentioned that he had no problem being enveloped by the flames of a furnace.
If that were true, it was safe to assume he possessed an 'overwhelming affinity for fire'—the fundamental prerequisite for Burning.
'Even during our spar, Roman Dmitry's reactions defied common sense. Leaving aside his complete lack of fear toward surging flames, he didn't even react to the intense heat. Just as he systematically analyzed magic, could Roman Dmitry actually know a method to embrace fire? The Dmitry family has been familiar with the flames of the forge for generations. Perhaps they possess a secret unknown to the rest of the world.'
It might just be a baseless assumption.
Even so, he could not suppress the hope swelling inside his chest.
Burning.
It meant everything to the Phoenix Magic Tower.
Whenever a successor of Burning existed within the magic tower, the world recognized the true value of Phoenix. But now, with the lineage broken, they were treated as a useless white elephant. That was how crucial the existence of Burning was. A mage who mastered Burning was considered a literal natural disaster on the battlefield. The disappearance of just one such person had shaken the Phoenix Magic Tower to its very core.
For the sake of their future, and for Phoenix to stand strong once more, Felix—who had inherited the position of Tower Master—absolutely had to manifest Burning.
Finishing his conversation with the blacksmith, Felix immediately set off.
He had to meet Roman Dmitry right this instant.
* * *
Felix found Roman.
Even though it was a face he saw every single day, his heart pounded wildly at the thought that this man might hold the clue to Burning.
Felix spoke up.
"...According to the blacksmiths, I heard that you embrace the flames of the furnace with your bare body when working in the forge, Lord Roman. Are you perhaps protecting your body with mana, or do you have a special method of your own to withstand the fire?"
He couldn't reveal his true purpose directly.
Instead, he tried to draw out an answer by presenting two possibilities.
If it was the former, the method was useless to him. But if it was the latter, the entire future of the Phoenix Magic Tower hung on Roman Dmitry.
Roman looked at Felix.
Though the mage hadn't explicitly stated his purpose, Roman easily read the desperate intentions swirling in his eyes.
"It seems the rumors that you are searching for a way to embrace fire are true," Roman said. "If you are asking whether the display I showed in the forge is an innate talent, it absolutely is not. I am no different from an ordinary person. I feel the heat in front of flames just like anyone else, but I solved that problem through my own method."
In that instant, Felix's heart skipped a beat.
Roman had given him the exact answer he had been praying for. His mouth went dry, and his palms grew slick with sweat.
'Roman Dmitry. He knows exactly what I am after.'
In truth, there was nothing to hide.
It was public knowledge that the Phoenix Magic Tower was desperately searching for the ability to embrace fire, yet no one had ever been able to provide them with an answer. It was a natural outcome. Forcing one's affinity for fire to rise was not a problem mere mortals could solve. It belonged to the domain of the gods, which was why they could only hope for a miracle through the simple, primitive method of keeping fire close.
If Roman could truly provide the real answer, Felix was prepared to do absolutely anything for him.
'The reason the Phoenix Magic Tower has been undervalued all this time is because there is no clear system for passing down our secret technique. We had no choice but to passively wait for someone's affinity for fire to awaken. If a successor of Burning suddenly vanished—just like our tower's current situation—it was no different from losing all of our military might. But if there is a way to artificially satisfy the basic conditions of Burning... the destiny of the Phoenix Magic Tower will completely change.'
Establishing a system.
That alone would turn the tables.
If they could stably pass down Burning starting with Felix, the Phoenix Magic Tower's rise to supremacy would only be a matter of time.
"Whew."
Felix took a deep breath.
His hands and feet were trembling.
Unable to hide his nervousness, he spoke cautiously.
"I will get straight to the point. The Phoenix Magic Tower needs that technique of yours, Lord Roman. Please name your conditions. Whatever they are, we will absolutely meet them."
Hope swelled within him.
After enduring the past three years, which had felt like a waking nightmare, he had finally grasped a tangible thread of hope.
But then...
"Teaching you that technique is not a particularly difficult matter for me," Roman replied coolly. "However, I have no reason to extend such benevolence to you."
Having met every day for the past two months, Felix had perhaps mistakenly assumed that Roman Dmitry was a highly benevolent person.
But Felix and Roman Dmitry were essentially strangers.
Felix had thought their relationship was ripening with the passage of time, but they had never once exchanged a conversation that strayed from their 'initial purpose.' That was the cold reality. Roman Dmitry had honestly shared his insights into magic only because the sparring was beneficial to him; he had absolutely no intention of mindlessly giving away his own secrets for free.
Roman operated on clear, transactional relationships.
Now that Felix had revealed his desperate desire, it became a glaring weakness that Roman could exploit.
'Ah.'
Felix's expression stiffened.
The ability to embrace fire.
The Phoenix Magic Tower had just exposed exactly how desperately they needed it.
With Roman Dmitry firmly drawing a line, the magic tower was instantly forced into the position of the absolute underdog.
Fortunately, Roman preferred compromise over needless discord. And if his opponent's desire was strong, he preferred to utilize it to his absolute advantage.
Roman spoke.
"Dmitry has everything. We are financially abundant enough to offer a reward of 10,000 gold simply for a spar, and we do not desire a single thing from the Phoenix Magic Tower in any other aspect. So, think it over carefully and tell me. How far is the Phoenix Magic Tower willing to go to obtain this one thing?"
It was asked so casually, yet the weight of the question was crushing.
Faced with a development so drastically different from his expectations, Felix could no longer control his facial expression.
* * *
Felix postponed his answer.
Needing time to think, he immediately summoned the mages of Phoenix.
Once he fully explained what had transpired with Roman, Nox stepped forward to represent the group once again.
"I will tell you my honest thoughts," Nox began. "We have been in Dmitry for a month. At first, I didn't understand your intentions in bringing us here, Lord Felix. But living here has made me realize that Dmitry is completely different from the rumors. It possesses a perfect system that is unbelievable for a territory on the periphery, and the people here show absolute, blind trust in Roman Dmitry. Honestly? I was truly envious. Ever since the previous Tower Master went missing, we mages of Phoenix haven't found peace for even a single moment. Yet, the people of Dmitry look so genuinely happy."
What Felix had felt, the other mages had felt as well.
By mingling with the locals, they had experienced firsthand just how ideal of an environment Dmitry was.
Perhaps that was why, even though no one had spoken of it aloud until now, their hearts had already begun to lean toward Dmitry.
"We have sparred with Roman Dmitry numerous times over the past month, and we haven't won a single match. At first, we thought it was just the result of our own carelessness. But no matter how much we racked our brains and joined forces, we couldn't think of a single way to defeat him. Roman Dmitry is, without a doubt, the natural enemy of mages. When I think that we might encounter someone like him as an enemy on the battlefield someday... fear takes over. Just imagining it sends goosebumps down my spine."
The defeats of the past month were not Felix's alone.
Nox and the other mages of Phoenix had shared in that crushing reality, and they too had no choice but to acknowledge Roman's superiority in the face of repeated losses.
The term 'natural enemy' was incredibly accurate.
Against mages, Roman Dmitry possessed an overwhelming, suffocating presence.
"Isn't there a saying? 'If you can't beat them, join them.' Now that the Kingdom of Frank is treating Phoenix with contempt—a far cry from how they treated us in the beginning—I think offering Phoenix to Roman Dmitry to preserve the lineage of Burning is not a bad option at all. And honestly... didn't you call us here to seek our agreement on exactly that, Lord Felix?"
"...Did I seem like I was thinking that way?"
"We have eyes, after all. If you weren't already leaning toward that decision, you wouldn't have asked for our opinions in the first place."
The other mages nodded in agreement with Nox's words.
As their opinions converged into a single, unified stance, Felix swallowed heavily.
'The Dmitry family...'
The thirteen magic towers had each aligned themselves with different nations.
Because mages were so incredibly rare, there had never been a case in history where an entire magic tower formed a personal alliance with a mere noble family.
Phoenix was about to break that mold.
They were being strongly drawn not to the Cairo Kingdom, but to a single family called Dmitry.
Felix closed his eyes tightly.
The existence of Burning was so paramount to Phoenix that they were willing to sacrifice everything for it. And if they had to swear loyalty to someone in exchange for that future, Roman Dmitry was not a bad choice at all.
Finally, he opened his eyes.
"Very well. As of this moment, we will entrust the future of the Phoenix Magic Tower to Roman Dmitry."
As the acting Tower Master, Felix made his final decision.
* * *
That very day, Felix brought the mages before Roman and swore loyalty.
Even as dozens of mages pledged their allegiance all at once, Roman accepted their oaths with a calm, unbothered expression, as if this outcome was only natural.
The existence of mages was nothing special to Roman.
Just as he had accepted Chris and Kevin, he had simply brought the Phoenix Magic Tower into his fold.
However...
'This is the most ideal situation I envisioned.'
Roman had intentionally targeted the Phoenix Magic Tower from the very beginning.
There were three reasons for his choice.
First, at a time when he desperately needed capable sparring partners, Felix was the best option he could summon with money, just as he had initially planned. According to the intelligence gathered through the information guild, Felix was pragmatic enough to come to Dmitry for the gold, but he also possessed the martial grit to desperately search for a way to win despite suffering repeated defeats.
Second, Felix specialized in highly destructive offensive magic.
This meant it wasn't a choice made purely out of cost-effectiveness; Roman had judged that he would definitely gain valuable combat experience through repeated clashes with Felix's magic.
Third, there was the wild card.
According to rumors, the Phoenix Magic Tower desperately needed the ability to embrace fire to preserve the lineage of Burning. Roman's Flame Divine Art fit that requirement perfectly. He couldn't be absolutely sure what kind of result dangling this bait would produce. However, if he possessed exactly what Phoenix desired, and if it was truly the only puzzle piece that could solve their existential crisis, Roman knew he could undoubtedly twist the situation to his advantage.
With a single calculated move, he had secured three massive benefits.
Crucially, the fact that the mages of Phoenix had sworn fealty to Roman would soon bring about a massive upheaval within the Cairo Kingdom.
'There is not much time left. Here in Dmitry, far from the capital, I will build our own fortress brick by brick. Then, I will sweep away the existing power structure of the Cairo Kingdom in one fell swoop.'
Roman fell into deep thought, systematically organizing the next steps of his grand design in his mind.
* * *
A few days later, the relocation of the Phoenix Magic Tower proceeded steadily.
For the time being, they kept their allegiance to Dmitry a strict secret from the outside world, quietly settling down in the territory as they smuggled their belongings out of the Kingdom of Frank one by one.
'I pray my choice was not wrong.'
In the near future, once their scheduled spars concluded, Felix was to learn the Flame Divine Art. He didn't know if it was truly the missing clue to mastering Burning, but whatever the outcome, he had resolved not to regret it.
Roman Dmitry.
He had not attached any petty conditions to Phoenix's surrender. For the sole reason that they had sworn loyalty to him, Roman provided overwhelming logistical and financial support starting from the relocation process itself.
It was then.
"Tower Master! Tower Master!"
"What is it?"
It was one of the mages of Phoenix.
His Circle was not very high, but he was quick with numbers and calculations, so he had been tasked with administrative duties.
With a heavily flushed face, he thrust a document toward Felix.
"Look at this! This is the budget proposal Dmitry has allocated for us!"
"...A budget proposal?"
Felix blinked.
He still did not truly know the man named Roman.
He did not yet understand the sheer scale of what it meant to follow Roman Dmitry.