Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Magic Tower
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Magic Tower.
A city of mages located in the eastern part of the continent.
Only those with exceptional talent among the continent's countless mages could claim a place there.
For some, entering the Tower was a dream as eternal as immortality.
Damian had been the same as a child. He had longed to escape the imperial palace and live as a mage of the Magic Tower.
As such a symbolic place, gaining entry was no simple matter.
It required the endorsement of an existing Tower mage. If the endorsed individual caused trouble or underperformed, the endorser could be expelled.
"Come with me to the Magic Tower."
There was no lie in his words. Ezekiel's eyes spoke only the truth.
That made it all the more incomprehensible.
Ezekiel was called an eccentric, but that was due to his appearance. When it came to magic, no one was more serious than him.
"No, I haven't learned anything from you. Why talk of master and disciple?"
"You haven't learned 'magic,' but you've learned the 'eye' to see magic."
That much was true. The method of observing an opponent's magic, understanding it, and finding ways to counter it stemmed from the foundational theories Ezekiel had taught him.
Other magic instructors never bothered with such things.
Mastering their own spells came first; they had no time to spare on others'.
Ezekiel was different. The moment he realized Damian lacked talent in 'using' magic, he taught him how to 'see' it first.
"Besides, I'm still your magic teacher. You're my only student, so you're the only one qualified to be my disciple."
That was true as well. The other teachers had all given up on Damian and left, but Ezekiel stayed until Damian himself declared he couldn't continue.
-Five books here. Didn't I tell you to memorize them all? Don't you take my words seriously?
-Alright, I'll show you again, so focus. No, wait. Given your concentration, I'll demonstrate it a hundred times first.
-Get up, no sleeping. You're just sitting there staring—what's so hard about it?
His teaching methods had been utterly bizarre. In his previous life, Damian had assumed Ezekiel was goading him into quitting first.
But the knowledge gained from him proved invaluable against other mages. Today, he had even applied those principles to black magic.
After experiencing Derek's lessons, Damian now realized Ezekiel had put considerable thought into teaching him.
Though his methods were still infuriating.
"And seeing your magic today confirmed it for me. You won't inherit my magic."
"Then what's the point of a master-disciple relationship?"
"Exactly—a superficial one. That's all I want. But that's not what matters to you."
Ezekiel raised a finger. A strange light seemed to flicker in his eyes.
"Anyway, it's the Magic Tower. You wanted to go there, didn't you?"
Correct.
The Magic Tower was alluring enough to make one forget all precedents.
Ezekiel undoubtedly had some scheme. It would likely drag him into all sorts of complications.
But the gains for Damian would be immense.
The Tower housed a vast collection—perhaps the largest single trove on the continent—of Books of Hell.
Mages were beings of boundless curiosity about the world. The moment something mysterious caught their eye, they collected it.
Moreover, the eastern region where the Tower stood was a stronghold for devil worshippers, including Lidocaine's children, on a significant scale.
It was time to harvest the Books of Hell they had gathered.
And somewhere in the Tower slumbered a Death Knight.
An undead said to have been created by a legendary necromancer whose name had been erased from history.
Necromantic Bodies—to maximize Xenon's abilities, they were essential.
Plus, the subspace pouch from Michella that Anya had given him as thanks for the debutante ball incident, and the mana from another dimension slumbering within it.
Black Magic—high-efficiency potion production via Absorption.
Solutions to both problems could be found there.
Rubia hadn't officially announced her research yet, but the Magic Tower would have what he needed to adapt it.
'Rubia...'
Her name brought a natural grimace.
She was in the Magic Tower. The moment Damian set foot there, she would react in some way.
'Considering her relationship with Ezekiel, this whole affair is probably entangled with them both.'
It was too early to antagonize her outright. But avoiding her forever wasn't an option.
He just needed to act boldly. For now, she couldn't make any reckless moves.
"Your lifelong dream coming true—how's it feel? Thrilling just thinking about it, right?"
Ezekiel grinned and poked Damian's side.
But what Ezekiel imagined differed from Damian's thoughts.
Ezekiel didn't know Damian was a black mage contracted with a lord of hell.
"What's the specific goal?"
"I'll explain in detail at the Tower. Just follow my lead. No major issues."
"Understood."
Damian extended his hand for a shake.
"Master."
"Right you are, disciple."
Snap. Ezekiel flicked his fingers, and the barrier shattered. As the fragmented boundaries vanished, people from the other side rushed in.
"Lord Damian!"
"Young master!!"
Among them were the original group, but also imperial knights and mages.
When Ezekiel emerged from the barrier, their faces paled.
"Out, all outsiders. My actions are authorized by the Imperial Council."
He waved official documents stamped with seals. The knights and mages sighed in relief only after verifying them.
"Alright then, shall we head out?"
Damian explained the situation. Back after a month, and now off on another indefinite journey.
Worry and resignation mixed on the faces of the annex residents.
"At least change your clothes before you go."
Anna gave a wry smile. He had changed into fresh attire before meeting Lucas, but the battle with Ezekiel had reduced them to rags.
"Wait, one more thing. I need a girl your age..."
"For what reason?"
"You have to attend some ball. They insist on partners. Annoying bunch. These modern mages are all about appearances..."
Ezekiel clicked his tongue and waved his hand.
He looked only a few years older than Damian, but his actual age was considerably higher.
"Hold on. Wait here. I'll go fetch one..."
"In that case, shouldn't I go with you?"
Agnes Schubert poked her head between Damian and Ezekiel.
"And who are you?"
"I'm Lord Damian's, uh, be... fiancée."
"Disciple, when did you get engaged?"
Ezekiel glanced around, genuinely surprised.
"Greetings formally, Mage Ezekiel. I'm Agnes Schubert."
"You're... a knight, right? Famous? Sorry, I don't know much about that world."
That was Ezekiel for you. He showed no interest unless it involved him or magic.
He ignored imperial politics entirely, so of course he wouldn't know of the still-pure Agnes.
"I don't know the details, but you need a partner for Lord Damian's ball, correct?"
"So you're volunteering? Because you're his fiancée?"
"Yes."
It wasn't just as a fiancée. Damian knew the true intent hidden there.
Agnes was no stranger to the Magic Tower.
Her half-brother, Alex. He had undergone chimera procedures there and caused that day's tragedy.
Punishing him was paramount, and through him, exposing Uncle Ballac's crimes.
Alex's whereabouts were unknown now. But the mages who turned him into a chimera might know something.
In his previous life, Agnes had tried visiting the Tower for this but failed repeatedly.
Mages didn't open their doors to knights.
But seizing this opportunity could change that.
With Ezekiel's help, she could investigate, even briefly.
"Master. With a fiancée right here, seeking another partner would be improper."
"Fine, fine, take her along."
In his previous life, he never found Alex and exposed Ballac through other means.
But finding Alex would hasten his revenge.
Punishing him directly would make it more complete.
"Thank you, Lord Damian."
Her assistance would be easier to obtain then. Bringing her to the Tower wasn't much trouble.
"No preparations needed?"
"You know, Lord Damian. I'm free from family constraints."
Damian had nothing particular to pack. The Book of Hell from the study could be used at the Tower.
After changing clothes, they stood to bid farewell again to the annex residents.
"Lady Agnes, please take care of our young master. We're relieved you're going with him."
"We'll be in your hands."
"Oh, no. I'm the one always troubling Lord Damian..."
Anna and Felix bowed, and Agnes waved them off.
He had suspected since their first meeting, but Damian's bond with them wasn't a typical lord-vassal relationship.
It was closer, almost familial—though he wondered if that thought was appropriate.
She envied it, in a way.
Her relationships with her uncle and cousins were worse than strangers'.
"Prepare a carriage, Master?"
"No need."
Ezekiel extended his hand, palm up.
"Climb on."
Damian and Agnes complied. As their three hands stacked together.
"Huh?"
A gentle breeze tickled his nose. A foreign wind unlike any before.
His gaze naturally dropped. The three of them floated in the air.
Below their feet.
"This is..."
The heart of magic unfolded before them.
* * *
"Haaah..."
Empress Abigail von Edbalt let out a deep sigh. As she pressed her temples, Ciel refilled her teacup beside her.
"This is just..."
The image in the crystal orb. The source of all her worries was right there.
The recording of Ezekiel and Damian's battle. Naturally, the flow had favored Ezekiel.
It wouldn't have happened at all if he hadn't held back.
Yet she couldn't accept it.
Damian, that damned illegitimate, had matched Ezekiel despite the restraint and ultimately shattered his mana barrier.
Damian's rapid growth had occurred in less than a year. He was still only eighteen. No one could guess his peak.
Ezekiel had declared Damian his disciple.
But that proved his growth had nothing to do with Ezekiel.
If it had, he would have taken him as disciple sooner.
Then what was the reason? Had his innate talent simply bloomed late?
Grind. No, impossible. He was the son of the whore who enchanted the Emperor. The one who dimmed the once-radiantly shining Lucas.
"If I may say something presumptuous."
Ciel spoke as she cleared the crystal orb.
"Shouldn't we consider the possibility of His Majesty the Emperor's involvement?"
"Unlikely, Ciel."
Lucas didn't favor Damian. Today's whim was merely chasing traces of a dead woman.
Regardless, she could no longer leave him unchecked.
An imperial bastard with that level of power was bound to entangle in political events.
"I'll send a letter to the Magic Tower, Ciel."
"You mean..."
"Boris and Erwin will handle it."
The 3rd Prince Boris and Princess Erwin, twins currently studying at the Tower.
"Ciel, you go to the Tower and assist them as well."
"What do you plan to do with the bastard Damian?"
Light gathered in Abigail's hand, forming a sharp blade.
"Win him over as our hunting dog..."
Crunch. The magic dagger embedded into the table.
"Or kill him."
Hatred flickered in Abigail's eyes.
* * *
"Is this how you're playing it, Ezekiel?"
In a mansion within the Magic Tower, Rubia de Clarent gazed at the blue sky from the rooftop.
More precisely, at someone beyond the barrier encircling the Tower.
"Whatever. Doesn't matter."
Rubia smiled, swirling her wine glass. The moment she awaited had come a bit early, but the unripe had its own flavor.
"Finally, we meet, Damian."
Her red lips parted.
Calling out to her most beloved being.