You Must Respect Me
You must respect me. The woman I loved was a romance fantasy addict. For her, I gladly played the crown prince, even acted as the northern duke. Because I fell for her at first sight. There'd never be another woman like her in my life.
"Oppa, this is so fun!"
"I could do it all day."
No matter how unrealistic the fantasy she wanted, if it made her smile, anything was possible. I'd already thought up names for our grandkids. But then I saw her coming out of a motel with some blond tanned thug. That ended my six months as a total pushover.
How could you do this to me?
Heartbroken, I didn't even see the truck barreling toward me in reverse.
"What the f—"
The horrified faces of the people around me were my last memory.
"Gasp!"
I woke up lying on the top floor of some tower.
"I definitely got hit by that truck...."
A clear voice came from my parched mouth. Looking around, thick books filled every gap on wooden shelves that reeked of aged timber. On the desk sat parchment, a quill, and a gleaming nameplate.
—Baek-eun Magic Tower Master Aldebaran
"What the hell? Did I possess this body?"
The memories of this body naturally started surfacing one by one.
The youngest-ever genius mage to claim the seat of Baek-eun Magic Tower Master, the intellect of the age, observer of the source....
"A mage?"
But I had no idea how to use magic. It wouldn't make sense for the Magic Tower Master not to know magic.
"No way?"
Tragically, the thing symbolizing manhood was perfectly intact.
"But how do I get out of here?"
The top floor of the tower had no stairs going down. Peering out the window, the ground looked to be over 200 meters below. I didn't have a hobby of jumping to my death.
"Fuck, I'm screwed."
As I spat out the empty curse, a thought hit me.
"Use flight magic!"
Of course, nothing happened. Hiding my disappointment, my gaze drifted to the bookshelves.
They were packed with ancient tomes. I grabbed one at random and flipped it open.
Understanding Magic Circles
The title and contents were all in some archaic language I'd never seen. But I understood it perfectly on instinct. This body must have already mastered it.
"Etched into a mage's heart.... The hierarchy goes up to the 9th Circle...."
Hold up. If I read all these books and train, could I really become a mage?
I had no regrets about my past life anyway. The dopamine here blew my old one away. The only downside was no Status Window appearing.
"Master all these books, and I'll become a mage.... The fucking strongest Baek-something Magic Tower Master...."
And so, I began my romance with the ancient tomes.
A lot of time passed. I couldn't say exactly how much. What I realized while memorizing the tomes and testing spells was that this body didn't need food or water. And it didn't age either. Roughly a year must have gone by. Mages truly were beings that transcended humanity to challenge the gods.
I'd long mastered flight magic, but I didn't leave the tower. The dopamine from awakening each spell was beyond imagination. Every time I unlocked a higher magic circle, a thrill coursed through my veins that my past life could never match. I'd never done drugs, but this had to be better.
I devoured every ancient tome on the shelves like a starving beast. All for the hope of becoming the strongest mage.
From the moment I first bloomed an elemental flower in my hand to transcending humanity at the 9th Circle, I never stopped. Later I learned I'd spent two years there.
"We greet Baek-eun's Magic Tower Master Aldebaran!"
The knights waiting for me as I finally descended to the ground welcomed me like it was planned. Perfect. This was a classic fantasy world.
The knights took me straight to the Solaris Empire's emperor's audience chamber. A space of gold and marble so opulent "lavish" didn't cut it. At the end of the long red carpet sat a stern-looking blond man who screamed emperor.
The Solaris Emperor. Handsome guy. I wasn't scared or bowing my head. I knew I could beat anything.
"Lord Aldebaran! You haven't changed a bit after two years."
The emperor smiled as he spoke. That's when I felt the dignity of a Magic Tower Master—even the emperor used honorifics.
"I hesitate to burden one fresh from secluded training, but the current situation is dire."
A fantasy world from a novel, alive with mages and knights, spirits and fairies, elves and dragons, kingdoms under the empire. If I'd written a memoir and spread it in my old world, I'd have fans worldwide begging for autographs. But that's impossible now.
"Rebels against the sun-never-setting Solaris Empire...."
Boring, pretentious drivel. TL;DR: Handle the northern monsters and disobedient kingdoms. I thought it'd be a hero party gig, but it's side quests first.
Then a memory from this body surfaced.
Violation destroys the heart.
A brutal condition. What the hell had pre-possession Aldebaran done?
"Fine, whatever."
I answered nonchalantly, but I was thrilled. Screw the oath—I was itching to test my arsenal in real combat. The results were insane. Magic was insta-kill cheat level; cleaning up took a week.
"As expected of Lord Aldebaran. We believed in you."
"Baek-eun's Magic Tower Master has subjugated the northern monsters!"
"Lord Aldebaran has swept away the traitors and restored the empire's glory!"
Filling my ego with praise I'd never known, wielding magic. I was hooked on this new life.
Eventually, I realized this wasn't a world brimming with dreams and adventure.
The delicate balance between absolute imperial house and independent kingdoms, flashy social circles, academies for noble kids, the capital's modern vibes mixed with provincial medieval culture. It was a fantasy world thick with proper romance descended from Pride and Prejudice, Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre.
Yeah, this was romance fantasy. The rofan I hated.
That woman obsessed with rofan came to mind. Along with my pathetic behavior.
This place was no different. Empire-kingdom tensions, external invasions—all just seasoning for epic love stories. Awakening a slum kid's holy power as a saint, unclogging the first princess's mana circuits to reveal her talent, slaying the disaster-summoning dragon—it all led to romance fodder.
No wonder the emperor was too handsome, knights too sparkly. This world was ruled by floral scents, not swords and magic.
Took me six months to figure it out. A world where beloved ladies giggled with cold-to-others-but-warm-to-his-woman northern dukes? Where was my fantasy adventure epic? Hero party? Demon lord army?
I writhed in inexpressible loss. Plus, the pampered empire grew lax, indulging in luxury, arts, recreational magic.
"Lord Aldebaran, could you infuse mana into this gem?"
"Tower Master, we need research on petal-scattering magic."
"Is there a spell to keep wine glasses at perfect temperature?"
Acts closer to parlor tricks than magic. I still had honor and respect as a mage, but this wasn't what I wanted.
I love war. Betting life on bloody fights, claiming everything after brushing death—that's true happiness.
"Lord Aldebaran, today is the Third Princess's birthday."
"Got it."
The imperial mana communicator buzzed with the palace notice. Tradition dictated the Magic Tower Master make an appearance at such events. But I was at my limit.
What was my motivation starting magic training two and a half years ago? Crushing foes spectacularly, earning acclaim, chasing endless knowledge and truth's dopamine—not this.
Party planner?
—Whoosh.
I teleported to the palace banquet hall coordinates. Massive chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, gleaming. Smooth marble pillars were adorned with roses.
"Lord Aldebaran! We've been waiting."
"It's been a while."
"Perfect timing—I have a favor. Will you hear it?"
"......"
The emperor led me in, pointing to hundreds of candles fixed around the hall.
"They set the perfect mood, but they go out too easily. Can you anchor the flames?"
Again, fucking again. I swallowed the curse, silently enchanting the candles.
"Done."
"Thank you! And...."
"What's next?"
"Actually, I prepared a surprise for my daughter. I'll let you know when the banquet starts."
The hall filled with nobles celebrating the empire's star. The emperor's declaration kicked off the event. As classical music ripened the mood, he sidled up.
"Lord Aldebaran, fireworks are hidden in every corner. About 200 total—can you detonate them all at once?"
"What?"
"Please. Actually, around 300, I think."
A nauseating revulsion hit me. My gut burned. Against this goddamn worldview, one thought dominated.
I need to fix this shithole empire.
I organized my words for the emperor in my head. You must respect me. I've handled countless imperial requests, won glorious victories against allied forces, honorary royal mage. At 25, I soloed the disaster dragon, proving I'm the world's strongest mage. The ungrateful nobles now check my power, but that fact remains. They're taking me for granted, obsessing over parlor tricks worse than 1st Circle—I can't take it anymore.
But my mouth spat emotion-fueled curses instead.
"No, fuck that."