Chapter 45
Chapter 45
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Tower Master and Archmage
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Tower Master and Archmage.
They refer to the leader of the Mage Tower and the greatest mage of the era.
Unlike the Empire's Greatest Swordsman, which lacks clear selection criteria, the Tower Master and Archmage are chosen by the Mage Tower Council and the Imperial Magic Council, respectively.
Depending on the circumstances, different people might hold the two titles, but in most cases, one person receives both.
Ever since the Mage Tower was established, the continent's greatest mage has always come from its ranks.
But in Rubia de Clarent's generation, that tradition was broken. She received only the title of Archmage.
There was strong opposition from those wary of the imperial family's influence over the Mage Tower, and crucially, Rubia herself refused.
The one selected as Tower Master afterward was Dillon Falko.
"Wow. Even I, as a guy, can see you're like a pretty boy."
"What?"
"Oh, no. I heard somewhere that this is how you compliment someone's looks...."
Inside the Great Library's café.
As a free rest area, it drew even more attention than before, but the mages soon returned to their own topics.
"But Ezekiel knows my name... This is truly an honor."
He brushed off questions about Dillon by saying he'd heard from Ezekiel. Name-dropping his master made fooling a mage like this a breeze.
Given Ezekiel's personality, he wouldn't care much about anyone else, so it'd slide right over.
'But this guy's the one?'
He'd been skinny even before the regression, but back then, he had the dignity of a starving wolf.
-The Mage Tower remains neutral. That's the only answer I can give, Sir Michael.
At the negotiation site with the reformists.
Even with the Empire's Greatest Swordsman and the Archmage right in front of him, the Tower Master wouldn't bend.
-If you want something, take it yourselves. Of course, you won't breach our barriers.
The reformists' forces, including Michael and Rubia, launched a full assault on the Mage Tower's barriers but ultimately failed to breach them.
"Uh, anyway, thanks for the drink. Hot, hot, hot! S-Sorry...."
But the Dillon before him now was little more than a sickly deer.
Far from the pride typical of Mage Tower mages, he was too busy watching those around him.
It was more shocking than learning Paruzan was a woman. He couldn't even guess what had caused such a change.
'What to do....'
Now that he was in the Mage Tower, he couldn't avoid getting involved in big and small incidents.
If that altered the future and Dillon didn't undergo the same transformation as before the regression, there'd be no point in securing him.
"This?"
In the midst of it, his eyes caught the paper Dillon had placed on the table.
"Oh, it's a paper I'm studying on my own."
It was Ezekiel's paper. Specifically, the one on combining pentagonal and hexagonal mana barriers that he'd shown Damian.
"Did you write these annotations?"
"Y-Yes. This ignorant fool of mine couldn't grasp Ezekiel's intent at a glance."
"Got a pen?"
"P-Pardon? H-Here."
Dillon handed over a quill with trembling hands. Damian took it and lightly edited the annotations Dillon had made.
"Oh.... Oh! Oooh!! Ah, you're Damian, Ezekiel's disciple. To think such fortune would come to me! Truth itself must be blessing me."
Dillon beamed at Damian's corrections.
He'd completely forgotten why he was sitting with Damian and buried his nose in the paper.
It wasn't all that strange. People obsessed with one thing often ignored the world around them.
Meanwhile, Damian watched Dillon with a faint smile.
'The talent was always there.'
No matter how charitably you put it, Ezekiel's papers weren't written for others to read.
They were packed with leaps and omissions that would have given even Rubia a headache.
Damian hadn't truly understood or corrected the paper either.
He'd already grasped the barrier's structure through his black magic—Observation. Knowing the answer, he'd just provided the right explanation.
But Dillon had filled in the gaps on his own, without any of that.
There were errors, sure, but his overall approach was correct.
"So, what research are you planning based on this?"
"Ah, actually, my current research is on the Mage Tower's barriers."
Dillon pointed upward. It looked like an ordinary sky, but the empire's strongest barrier enveloped it.
"Did you know? The Mage Tower's barriers haven't undergone a single repair since they were first created. It's a monumental achievement, but nothing in this world lasts forever."
That's why Dillon sought ways to reinforce them—and he'd found answers in Ezekiel's research.
"Thanks to you, Damian, my research will progress much faster."
In truth, Dillon's research succeeded even without Damian's help.
It even reached greater heights than Ezekiel's achievements.
Ezekiel's barriers were breached by Rubia, but the Mage Tower's withstood even stronger assaults.
Analysis and interpretation of magic.
That was Dillon's talent. And it was shining brightly even now.
"Have you seen these papers too?"
"Those are Rubia de Clarent's. Of course. Plenty of Mage Tower mages eagerly await her new papers."
At the mention of Rubia, light sparked in Dillon's eyes.
A genius who revolutionized magic society at a young age. Talent matched by stunning beauty. The daughter of a prestigious family, and fiancée to the 1st Prince to boot.
The Mage Tower had as many who envied and distrusted Rubia as those who adored her.
They only saw the surface she showed. They never encountered the twisted madness hidden behind the beautiful wrapping.
"So, this part here is...."
Before long, Dillon had slid into the seat next to Damian, chattering excitedly about Rubia's research.
"You really love magic, huh."
"Of course. Any mage worth their salt must love magic."
Not every mage did. To some, it was shackles. To others, just a means to prove themselves.
"That's why I'm so glad to be born in this era."
"What do you mean?"
"It's an era of peace. The perfect time for magic to advance."
Those words stirred faint memories of the past. A brief exchange with Dillon after negotiations broke down.
-Sir Damian, why do you side with the reformists?
-For peace. To end this damned civil war as soon as possible.
-Peace.... I want peace too. But what meaning does calling for peace hold now that it's all broken out? It never should have started in the first place.
Ding ding ding ding. Lost in thought, a vibration buzzed from Dillon's pocket.
"Eeek!!"
Startled beyond jumping, Dillon's body shook violently. If Damian hadn't grabbed him, he'd have toppled backward.
What emerged from his pocket was a small communicator.
Dillon set it on the table and knelt on his chair, handling it like a holy relic.
He pressed a button on the communicator.
-Dillon Falko, you worthless bum!! It's been hours since I assigned you a task—why no report yet?!
"S-S-Sorry! Forgive me, Professor. I'll go right now."
-You damned slacker! Can't do a single thing right except waste food and time!
Not a formal master, but those who taught at the Mage Tower were called professors. Often, they were also a student's recommender.
"Haaaah...."
As the roar from the communicator faded, Dillon let out a massive sigh. His body trembled like a leaf.
"Sorry, Damian. It was a great meeting, but I have to go first."
"No, my apologies. I stole your valuable time."
"Oh, no! Not at all. I forgot about it myself. I enjoyed my time with you too, Damian."
"Your professor seems pretty harsh on you. You okay?"
"Harsh? He's the one who got a guy like me into the Mage Tower. I could never repay that grace in a lifetime."
"What's the professor's name...?"
"Ah, it's Cadrel. He's a council member too."
Damian's expression soured for a moment. He knew the name.
Mage Cadrel.
A prime figure backing the orthodox faction, later exiled from the Mage Tower.
And then as now, a man consumed by madness.
He was obsessed with the delusion that anything could be sacrificed for his own advancement. That's why he'd conducted countless illegal experiments.
It probably hadn't come to light yet, but that hadn't changed.
Even now, countless people must be suffering—knowingly or not—for his vile research.
It was likely Cadrel's influence keeping Dillon's talent dimmed.
Cadrel despised any subordinate outshining him.
'And he was deeply tied to the Mage Tower's darkness too.'
Digging into him might uncover answers about the Death Knights. There was ample reason to oppose him.
'Even as an undead familiar, he'd be useful.'
But he couldn't act rashly.
As a council member, Cadrel held significant power and status in the Mage Tower. Taking him on required thorough preparation.
"Let's meet again sometime, Dillon."
"Ah, yes! Thank you, Damian."
When Damian offered a handshake first, Dillon brightened and clasped it with both hands.
Now he was certain. What Dillon lacked was recognition from others.
From his talk with Cadrel, he'd probably never heard just how exceptional his talent was.
That's why he warmed up so quickly to Damian's small show of approval.
'Alright, then I'll make him bloom.'
He didn't need to become a starving wolf like before the regression. A deer with grand, beautiful antlers could fell predators too.
But above all, his inclinations mattered.
Then and now, he yearned for peace. Because it benefited the magic he loved.
He could easily fight on Damian's side.
'The to-do list keeps growing.'
Based on Dillon's explanations, he thoroughly read Rubia's papers and borrowed other necessary books.
'Time passed this quickly already?'
As the sun dipped westward, Damian left the Great Library.
"Agnes? You were waiting the whole time?"
"No. I've only just arrived."
Damian was already an unavoidable celebrity in the Mage Tower. Anyone could track his movements.
"Did you look around well?"
"Yes. Even a layman like me was impressed. The Mage Tower is truly magnificent. The chimeras were especially striking."
She added that she wanted to try fighting one.
"But.... Is it possible to turn humans into chimeras too?"
It was about Alex. She tried to sound detached, but Damian caught the subtle tremor in her expression.
"Theoretically, yes. But experimenting on humans like that is a crime. If caught, it wouldn't end with mere exile from mage society."
"I suppose so...."
Her expression wasn't bright. She hadn't gotten the answer she wanted.
The possibility of shady human experiments in the shadows was high, but no one exposed them.
Eventually, Agnes would have to seek Damian's help.
"Oh, and...."
Resetting her expression, Agnes continued. This time, Damian's face hardened.
"I met Rubia de Clarent."