Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Judging Caliber
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Loan met the countless gazes directed at him with a general nod.
The applause seemed endless.
Loan asked Uli.
“How many floors does the Tower of Phenomena have in total?”
Though he whispered very quietly, Loan's voice was clearly audible.
Uli stared at Loan, blinking his large eyes several times before belatedly answering.
He had to speak loudly.
“The four towers that serve as pillars are fifteen floors each. The Tower of Manifestation, managed by the Tower Master, is ten floors. Twenty-five floors in total.”
“So, does that mean everyone from all over the fifteen floors came to see me?”
“It's an occasion that warrants it.”
It was an overwhelming welcome.
They were said to be fundamentalists who, inside the tower, were indifferent to worldly affairs, dedicated solely to researching magic.
His expectation of a sharp exchange of words had been completely wrong.
If they were this friendly, perhaps communication would go smoothly.
Still, he asked just in case.
“Um… then, to proceed to the next Tower of Perception, do I have to take a test on every floor of the Tower of Phenomena?”
“A test? I wish we could keep you here longer, even by such means, but after seeing you dismantle the bridge's barrier, I doubt that will be easy.”
Uli knew all too well that any clumsy attempt would only lead to embarrassment.
“That said, it's not like we can decide your treatment as we please. You'll find out in due time. Let's go.”
He followed Uli, who led the way, and crossed the hall.
At the end of the hall, a long dais was set up, and behind it, five mages were seated.
However, what had caught Loan's attention from the beginning was a large structure standing against the right wall.
A large cloth was draped over the bizarrely shaped granite, which resembled a flaming pillar.
It gave the impression of carefully protecting whatever was behind it.
In the meantime, they arrived before the dais.
The five mages wore robes embroidered with gold and silver. The mufflers covering their mouths also matched their robes.
The man sitting in the center.
The owner of the purest and most concentrated mana casually raised an arm.
The applause, which had seemed as if it would never end, stopped all at once.
Loan was certain this man was the Master of the Tower of Phenomena.
“Uli, Head Mage of the Tower of Phenomena, greets the Tower Master. Runner Loan of the Union's Faith Division…”
Uli, who was in the middle of speaking, suddenly looked at Loan.
Judging by the timing of his pause, he was about to ask for a last name.
Loan silently shook his head.
“…Loan wishes to see the Tower Master.”
The Tower Master slowly nodded. He lowered his muffler.
Dark eyebrows. Deep-set eyes. He had a very strong, chiseled impression.
Despite being an old man, he had no wrinkles, giving him a peculiar aura.
“I am Elmar Baschke, Master of the Tower of Phenomena. Was it truly you who dismantled the bridge's magic?”
Without any greeting, he bluntly asked for the truth. Was he planning to hold him responsible?
Still, he felt there was no need to hide or make excuses for what he had done.
“Yes. I did.”
Low groans erupted from within the hall.
With so many people doing it at once, the sound was loud enough to make the windows vibrate.
“…”
The Master of the Tower of Phenomena couldn't bring himself to ask how he did it.
Just as the manifestation of magic is the caster's unique domain, so too is its dismantlement.
He was incredibly curious, but unless the caster personally taught him, he could not ask.
This was true even for the one who had installed the barrier magic on the bridge.
“Your reputation is clearly not an empty one. I have finally met the famous young mage. I had been looking forward to this day.”
He seemed to be looking down on him, yet his words about looking forward to their meeting felt sincere.
Loan bowed his head slightly.
“Thank you for the grand welcome.”
“The welcome ends here. You must have come with a purpose. What is it that you desire?”
“I have no personal desires in Sheville. My thoughts are simply the Union's thoughts.”
“Hah…”
One of the individuals sitting on either side of the Tower Master let out a loud sigh.
It was the mage who had been staring intently at Loan from the start.
She continued.
“I am Elder Rayleigh of the Tower of Phenomena. Your words are quite bold. Are you saying that you, who have only just become a Runner, can represent the opinion of the entire Union?”
“Brien and the rest of the Grave are causing crises all over the world. The Union wishes to protect the lives of the people and maintain peace with the help of Sheville's renowned mages. My will is the same. How could there be any personal thoughts in this?”
“…”
He was only stating common sense, asking what the problem was.
Of course, his words were faultless, but because this was Sheville, they could be taken sensitively.
As expected, the Master of the Tower of Phenomena did not let Loan's words slide.
“Even the most obvious statement can be perceived as very dangerous depending on when, where, and by whom it is said, and to whom it is said. Furthermore, you have brought a horde of outside mages with you. Can you truly say there is no other meaning behind your words?”
“There is no other meaning than what I have stated. The people who came with me are kind individuals who have joined the Union's cause.”
Loan was neither intimidated nor particularly nervous.
Rather, he was simply overjoyed to have set foot in this symbolic place, the headquarters and origin of magic, and that feeling was not fading easily.
He had waited for this day for a long time.
On the other hand.
The mages who had followed Loan and were positioned at a distance could not hide their tension when the conversation turned to them.
This was especially true because they had all experienced the Magic Tower before.
Even they, who were once apprentice mages and at other times teachers, had no choice but to adopt the attitude of challengers in this place where status was determined solely by one's magical prowess.
Naturally, the Master of the Tower of Phenomena did not miss their expressions and atmosphere.
“It seems you are the only one who is confident. So, now that you've stated the obvious, is your business finished?”
“I always think and act as a representative of the Union. Since I've come this far, it would be best if I could convey the Union's will to the Master of the Tower of Manifestation and receive an answer.”
“You are not in a position to do so. The person of that caliber is already up in the Tower of Manifestation.”
Just then.
Quite coincidentally, a faint trace of mana was felt from Loan's pocket.
He knew it was impolite, but he had no choice.
Loan opened his notebook and checked its contents.
[Can you come up?]
The person of caliber who was up in the Tower of Manifestation. A personal message from Commander Magda.
It felt as if she were clearly watching what was happening here right now.
In fact, she was.
While Loan was having a conversation with the Master of the Tower of Phenomena, teetering on the edge of crossing a line.
Commander Magda was sitting face to face with the Master of the Tower of Manifestation on the top floor of the tower.
Eavesdropping on the report of events happening far below, flowing from a conical tube.
“It seems that friend of yours, Loan, whom your Union cherishes so much, has finally arrived. And with a bunch of hangers-on, no less.”
“Hangers-on?”
“Those who have no ability but are all talk. Useless things. Especially in Sheville.”
“The bridge?”
“It seems he dismantled the mana vortex Elmar created. How much does the Union coddle him for him to possess that much mana at his age?”
A question asked in an incredibly weary tone.
It felt as if he had no interest in anything in the world but was making an effort because someone was in front of him.
Magda did not answer.
The situation report Loan had sent a short while ago. The message read:
[After meeting the modernists, I am heading to the Magic Tower to see you, Commander Magda.]
Her heart pounded at his words.
But then, he reported that he had actually entered the Magic Tower.
She was feeling an indescribable thrill that Loan had understood her intentions so well and had crossed the bridge without hesitation.
She tried to imagine how Loan must be feeling right now.
He might be feeling great interest, or perhaps anger at the mages' lazy attitude. That good kid might have even made the reckless request to climb the tower to meet his senior.
Feeling a surge of emotion, Magda took out her notebook and picked up her pen.
The gaze of the Tower Master watching her was tinged with curiosity.
“What's this? Are you sending a message right now?”
“Yes. Because I'm happy to see him.”
What she wrote was the question of whether he could come up. Or rather, a suggestion to come up.
After writing the short sentence, Magda put the notebook back inside her robes.
“He'll be here soon.”
“He's coming?”
“I told him to come up.”
“You told him to come up?”
The reason he could only repeat her words.
Was because she spoke of the impossible so casually.
Magda, perhaps feeling she had been too dismissive, added an explanation.
“Since he's come all the way to Sheville, he should make the most of the opportunity.”
“You talk as if he's here on vacation.”
“That kid. He probably does feel that way.”
“Is he that frivolous?”
To the Tower Master's incredulous question, Magda scoffed without a word.
Loan was a child who learned on his own.
In truth, a mage should be capable of that, but the current Magic Tower, the mages of Sheville, no, the mages of the world until now, had not been.
She herself was no different.
“What's wrong with being frivolous? Being stuffy like you is the real problem. That kid will do just fine on his own.”
This time, the Master of the Tower of Manifestation scoffed.
“Have you changed your attitude and decided to become a good teacher? What, are you getting old and want people to call you a good person? That sounds nice, but isn't it really just indulgence or neglect? An attitude that's overly convenient for yourself. A truly good adult should be one who provides guidance.”
“Guidance? After meeting that kid, I've always been the one learning. Who's teaching whom?”
“…”
“There is only one thing I can do. The things I've lived through, experienced, and achieved first. With that, I can open up a small opportunity for the kid to do a little more as he pleases. That alone is enough.”
“That just sounds irresponsible.”
“It means you've become so entrenched in the old ways that you'd think that.”
“I'll give you a chance to apologize for that remark.”
“If Loan doesn't come, I'd be glad to.”
“You seem to have a lot of faith in him.”
“Is it strange to say I trust him more than I trust myself?”
“Yes. Ridiculously so.”
Magda laughed for a moment.
Even she felt awkward after saying it. She had never once in her life thought she would say such a thing.
She asked.
“Have you ever seen a genius?”
The Master of the Tower of Manifestation thought, *Could there be a more foolish question in the world?*
Ordinary people cannot awaken to magic.
Therefore, everyone in the Magic Tower is special.
And among them, talent is further divided. Dazzling talents are abundant here.
And then there was himself.
A person who had reached the pinnacle in a world of geniuses.
“Are you mocking me, Magda?”
“Me? Don't you remember? I was called a genius quite often here myself. Probably more often than you, wasn't I?”
“…”
“And even when I'm the one saying it, it sounds like a joke to you?”
“You're talking about ancient history.”
Magda shook her head and said.
“You don't know. No, you won't know until you meet him. A true genius, I mean. They're not on a level where you think, 'Could they do something like this?' or 'This is so difficult, but a genius could probably do it easily.' We can't fathom a genius's thoughts no matter how hard we try. Because our very standards of judgment are ordinary.”
She seemed to be belittling her opponent, but then she confessed that even she herself was ordinary.
“Just wait patiently. It won't be long before you meet a real genius.”
At that moment, as Magda leaned back on the sofa with a sly expression, Loan was.
“I understand that in the Magic Tower, one can achieve what they desire through their own abilities. You said I was not of the right caliber? Then would you please judge for yourselves just what my caliber is?”
…formally stating his intentions to the Master of the Tower of Phenomena.