Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: The Result of Peace
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"Zero points for you."
My words twisted the mage's face.
"What?! Why? My incantation was perfect, and the mana array didn't have a single flaw!"
"Hey, you lunatic!"
I couldn't hold back and bellowed.
"Two minutes and thirty seconds just for the incantation? Are you kidding me? While you're babbling on about that 'blacker than black darkness' nonsense, demon bastards would've chopped your head off fifty times over!"
"But for high-level magic, an incantation is essential to preserve its dignity..."
"Dignity my ass! How the hell did you even memorize that long-winded crap? With that brain of yours, you've been memorizing theater scripts like this all this time?"
I clicked my tongue. And even after all that lengthy chanting, the magic's power was barely equivalent to three Fireballs combined. The cost-performance wasn't just bad—it was in the negatives.
"You're out. Go crouch in the corner and sulk. If you wanna die chasing traditions, keep yapping."
I tapped the hilt of my demon sword, and the mage made a pitiful face as he crawled to the corner and hunkered down.
"Next. Anyone over twenty seconds on the incantation is out. Let's make this quick, yeah?"
"Yes! Let me show you!"
The second one stepped forward confidently. He was a young man in a blue robe with a fairly intellectual look.
"I'll use ice magic. Since Great Mage Erendel is the authority on ice, I'm sure you'll be pleased with my spell."
"Oh?"
Erendel's eyes narrowed. A junior talking like that. Her gaze was half expectant, half suspicious.
"Alright, show me. You know ice magic lives or dies by precision, right?"
"Of course!"
He elegantly swung his staff.
Pajajajak.
The moisture in the air froze, scattering white powder. Moments later, an ice sculpture appeared before him.
A swan with wings spread wide in flight.
Every feather was detailed to perfection, refracting the light in iridescent hues. Even the tip of its beak held a rose carved from ice.
"..."
"What the hell is that?"
"How is it? This clarity and refraction! I even got scouted for ice sculptures at the imperial ball!"
The young man wiped his sweat and smiled proudly.
"This really sets the mood at parties. The noble ladies just..."
Crash!
Before he could finish, Erendel's ice spear severed the swan's neck.
"...Huh?"
The young man stared blankly at the headless swan.
"Are you serious?"
Erendel's voice dropped low.
"You're not freezing to shatter—you're carving ice for doll play? Are you a mage or a sculptor?"
"No, it's just... these days, artistic magic is..."
"Artistic? You gonna use that crap when the enemy comes to cut your throat? Get out! Out of my sight right now! Or I'll turn you into an ice sculpture and mount you!"
The young man bolted and joined the corner crew.
"Next."
The parade of hell continued in line.
One baked bread with fire magic, another recreated physical therapy from my old world with lightning magic, and one grew plants with earth magic.
All of them had absurd talents. Their creativity in turning magic into everyday wisdom was praiseworthy, but this was the empire's top tower of minds—not a vocational school.
"Haa..."
Finally, Erendel let out a deep sigh and slumped onto the sofa. She pressed her temples as if suffering a massive headache.
"Kasian."
"What."
"My blood pressure's spiking. I'm gonna collapse. My neck's stiff."
She murmured while staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Now I get why Lucia always clutched her neck and wailed about sending you to the Lord's side whenever she saw you. Guess I'm paying for her karma."
"Who you gonna blame? It's your tower. Your fault for not managing it."
At this point, I had no clue where to even start fixing things. Hell, maybe just raze it all.
"Um..."
Someone timidly raised a hand from the huddled mages in the corner.
"Excuse me, but your words are going too far."
"..."
I could almost hear blood pressures exploding. Before Erendel could erupt into a Meteor chant, I stood first.
"What do you mean? Speak."
"Honestly, Great Mage and Kasian's standards are just... too outdated!"
"Outdated?"
"Yes! Five hundred years ago, sure, there was the Demon King, and it was kill-or-be-killed every day, so lethal magic ruled! That was the barbaric era!"
He raised his voice indignantly.
"But now it's different! The Demon King is dead, the world's at peace! Magic has evolved accordingly!"
"Evolved?"
"Not magic to kill people, but to entertain them, enrich lives, pursue beauty—a cultural advancement! So why force us into killing tech? We're not murderers!"
His eloquence had the other cowed mages nodding in agreement. I watched silently, then burst out laughing.
"Hey, Erendel. Hear that? The times have changed. It's an era of peace."
"I heard. Jealous. Their brains must be flower fields."
I strode over and stood right in front of the middle-aged mage.
"Peace? You said it's peace now?"
"Yes, but..."
"Yeah, through your eyes, the world's a flower garden. Cozied up warm in the tower, boozing with nobles."
I patted his shoulder.
"Listen up, you dumb artist. Know what I saw first when I returned? Not the Demon King's army—rebels storming the imperial palace basement to take the princess's head."
A crimson-black aura seeped from my body.
"This peace? What flower field in that thick skull makes this dogshit look like beautiful peace? Explain."
"The army and knights will handle..."
Pajijijik!
"Gaaah!!"
I silenced him with a lightning spell. Couldn't listen anymore.
And the situation's worse now.
Five hundred years ago, at least the Demon King and demons were absolute evil, a common enemy uniting all humanity and other races for survival. But now? Scattered, fighting over turf, rotting from within.
Plus, that cosmic horror 'Eternal Winter' rivaling or surpassing the Demon King looms from the north, and these idiots are planning fireworks festivals.
"Ha... truly hopeless bastards."
I raked back my hair in irritation.
"Erendel."
"Yeah. Assemble 'em all. Got a full day's worth of talking."
"You heard. Assemble. Full day of training today."
"All day...?"
"Nah, correction. Indefinite until you act human."
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Three hours later. The tower's front yard was hell incarnate.
"Ughhh! P-Please, mercy!"
"M-Mana... it's backflowing!"
Dozens of mages rolled on the ground, foaming at the mouth. Their fancy robes were sweat-and-dirt rags now, noble dignity long fed to the dogs.
"Up. Who said lie down? This is basics of basics."
Bam!
She slammed her staff down, shockwaves forcing the fallen mages upright.
"Collapsed after three mana circuit laps? You mages? Street slimes have bigger mana pools!"
"But... this method's too brute! Forcing circuits like this could burst blood vessels...!"
"You won't die. Think I haven't tried it? I'm controlling it, so quit whining."
Erendel barked.
"And if it bursts? I'll fix it. Worry not, keep circulating. Mana circuits are like muscles—tear and mend, they toughen up. That's how we learned five hundred years ago."
"Kiyaaak!!"
I lounged on the sofa amid the pandemonium, flipping through the ledger Gilliad brought as background noise.
"Wow..."
Sighs escaped me with each page. Not admiration, but awe at human greed's creativity.
"Impressive. Truly. I raided Demon King supply depots back then, saw their ledgers—even those looters weren't this bad."
I clicked my tongue.
"How do you embezzle so creatively? If you'd researched magic like this, you'd be grand mages by now."
"My shame..."
Gilliad knelt beside me, trembling like a leaf, counting floor patterns.
"Sub-tower lord."
"Y-Yes! Speak!"
I pointed to a ledger entry.
"Mana sensitivity wine purchase? Booze helps sense mana?"
"W-Well... alcohol aids blood flow, smoothing mana..."
"You just wanted to drink. Company booze-up?"
"..."
Gilliad shut up. I flipped the page.
"This is worse. Ballroom rental and interior for 'mental stability'?"
"That was... essential socializing to attract noble ladies' patronage..."
"And thirty research dresses?"
"Well..."
"Explain convincingly. I'll cover from my pocket if you do."
"......"
Gilliad just flapped his lips silently. He knew it was nonsense; no oversight, so they feasted freely.
I chuckled dryly and chucked the ledger at his face.
Thwack!
"Ack!"
The sub-tower lord yelped and toppled back. Papers fluttered like snow.
"No wonder magic degenerated. Stagnant water turned swamp."
I sank deeper into the sofa, clicking my tongue.
Not degeneration—malformed evolution.
No need for complex combat spells, so they faded; only party tricks advanced.
'Result of peace... supposed to like this?'
Should've left a threatening neighbor nation back then. Proper tension breeds progress, but we crushed foes and other races alike. This is the karma.
"Alright, decided. Erendel!"
I shouted; she turned.
"What to do? Kill 'em all? Honestly, wanna lop heads now."
Erendel tossed a brutal suggestion.
"Nah, no workers left then. Can't rehire and reteach basics."
Purge it all.
"Promising sprouts exiled today. Rest? Grind till human."