Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Magic Tower-4
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“The Sage's legacy?”
“Yes! The legacy left behind by the legendary great archmage, the Sage, in the Magic Tower!!”
I'd never seen that person smile like that before.
Was she the type who only smiled at stories like this? Or had she used to smile often in the past, but the grad student's stigma had wiped it away?
I knew the answer, but it was hard to say it out loud.
[...That thing isn't fake, right?]
In times like this, it was quickest to just ask her directly. She wasn't the most reliable, but right now, it was the only option.
[...Wait a sec... It's been a few hundred years, so my memory's fuzzy too.]
Now it wasn't just unreliable—it was suspiciously irresponsible.
“Right? Right!?”
...I'd never seen that grad student smile like that before.
“...Yes, that's correct.”
Leonardo had no choice but to tell a pure white lie.
“I knew it!! Then follow me! Let's combine our clues!”
She excitedly dragged Leonardo along as she ran. It looked like casually executing a criminal in secret wasn't going to work.
The place she led him to was a shabby, cramped room.
It had too many shortcomings to be called a lecture hall, and it wasn't fit for anyone to live in as a dorm room.
“This is...”
“It's our Sage Research Club room!!”
“Sage Research Club...?”
“Yes! By the Sage, for the Sage, of the Sage!!”
Leonardo glanced at the research subject standing right beside her. It felt oddly uncomfortable to see him puffing up just because the club existed.
To be frank, the Sage was indeed the research subject.
[I should have made a kid like her my successor. What a waste.]
[If you'd like, shall I extract her for you now?]
[I'd appreciate that.]
Best to end that conversation there.
Having such a petty argument in front of someone who admired him so much was unseemly.
“But... what exactly do you research about the... Sage?”
What Leo was really curious about was why such a person was called the Sage... but he didn't want to mock her role model like that.
Sometimes, dreaming of illusions was beautiful in its own way.
“Everything! We reconstruct the Sage's history! And study the magic he left behind!”
[Ah, what a shame~ She should have come to the cave~]
For a moment, Leonardo felt an urge to rip out his own heart, but since he wasn't sure he'd survive it, he gave up.
“The only members are me... and Rios, but new recruits are always welcome! Anyone who wants to research the Sage is welcome too!”
...Maybe Leo qualified for that welcome, since he kind of wanted to research the Sage himself.
“...Ah... I see. Thank you.”
“No, thank you! I never imagined I'd meet someone else searching for the Sage's legacy like me!”
That legacy had been nagging at him since earlier. More than where it was, he wondered why there was a legacy even she didn't know about.
“What exactly is the Sage's legacy...?”
“Hmm... Are you asking about its essence? Going back to basics might help with the deduction, for sure.”
That wasn't what he meant, but he was grateful for her positive misunderstanding.
“The Sage's legacy is a treasure that every mage in the Magic Tower, including the Tower Master, dreams of finding.”
[...Is that real?]
Leonardo asked with genuine concern. It would have been somewhat reassuring if even one person had found it, but if not, the realm of speculation widened further.
[Wasn't it just a scam to get out of the Magic Tower?]
Considering the Sage's personality, it was plenty suspicious.
[Ah... that's what you meant? It's fine. It really exists.]
A sigh of relief escaped like a gust of wind. If it didn't, Leo would have had to tell that pitiful grad student a painful lie.
[I gave it to them thinking, 'Keep bothering me, so take this and scram.'] Didn't know they'd interpret it so grandly.]
He pretended not to hear the latter part. There was no latter part, and he shouldn't say it. That was the duty of a person.
“...Rios said everyone else calling it foolish nonsense... but I still believe. I believe the Sage's legacy exists. That's one reason I came to the Magic Tower!!”
Seeing that hopeful expression, even the Sage broke out in a bit of cold sweat, perhaps feeling a twinge of guilt.
[...You didn't just leave some random trash and call it a legacy, right?]
[...No. Probably not...]
He pretended not to hear that latter part too. He had to.
[...So what exactly was it? On a scale of quality, how good was it?]
If it was something like kids' toys or a scribbled note, that would be a huge problem in itself.
[You know that 'black stone' you're using? It was around that level... Hope that's okay...?]
[Hmm... If it's that, it's more than fine.]
Regardless of the uncertain tone, something at that level was overflowing treasure.
In fact, he'd been using the black stone for two years straight without it breaking once, and it freely changed shape, so the blade never dulled.
[But what exactly was there?]
[...Just some simple magic tools and staves, that's all.]
The Sage casually explained the magic tools he'd developed himself.
Leonardo's jaw dropped at the descriptions, barely stifling the scream leaking out.
[...What? It's nothing special.]
[...What's not special about it?! With those alone, most of our current problems would be solved!]
It was an objective fact, not flattery or exaggeration.
It was treasure that would make both him and that pitiful grad student happy. He was awestruck, bordering on reverence, by the brilliant mind that developed such items and then forgot about them.
[...Is it? Now that you mention it, yeah.]
[Anyway, let's find the ring first! That's the most important!]
[But these guys are real idiots. How did they fail to find or solve it for hundreds of years?]
It felt like the Magic Tower's long history and its great archmages were being insulted all at once, but no counterargument came to mind, so he didn't bother.
He had no loyalty to defend anyway.
“...Hmm... Any clues? I'd love to see them...”
“Of course! Fellow seekers of the Sage must help each other!!”
He'd already found it... but not telling her was the only real help he could give a fellow seeker.
“Here!! My compiled notes!”
The wooden box she brought contained ten worn notebooks.
[...This is making me feel really guilty for some reason.]
[Too late for that.]
To atone even a little now, Leo hurriedly began reading the notes.
[If I just tell you, you can find it right away. Why overthink it?]
[Think about it. If I, who just arrived at the Magic Tower today, suddenly found it, what would happen?]
People shooting envious, jealous glares was secondary; considering how that grad student would feel made it obvious.
[...Ah... yeah, true.]
[So this is how we do it here.]
Leonardo slowly read the notes for about 30 minutes, then quietly addressed the Sage again.
[Sage, where's the ring?]
[...I'd have to see it. I only remember the structure, so if they've remodeled, even I can't pinpoint it.]
[That's enough.]
Leonardo recited a classic detective novel line.
“I think I know.”
“...Huh? Really?”
“Not certain... but I have a plausible guess.”
“...Really... for real?! Let's go!!”
“Yes, since it's just a guess, better to check quickly.”
Leonardo closed the notebook, held it in one hand, and stepped out of the club room.
[Left, then to the end of the hall. There's a room. It's there.]
“From the notes, we turn here. They say the Sage secretly played chess with the Red Tower Master in that room. Considering their relationship, it could be there.”
It was a patchwork of rumors and fabrications from the notes, but treasure hunts usually proceeded vaguely like this anyway.
“Yeah... that makes sense... But... that's...”
Ameri pointed at the room at the end of the hall, her face a mix of bewilderment and absurdity.
A sign no one expected was posted there.
“...the bathroom?”
And it was the women's bathroom, to boot.
[...Sage... sigh... I knew you had those tastes, but did you have to vent them like this...?]
[I told you, don't pry. I said they remodeled. I didn't know it'd become a bathroom.]
Hoping his claim was true, Leonardo didn't press further.
“Then... shall we go in?”
“...Is that okay?”
“It's not like we're doing anything bad, no need to worry. Just keep watch for people, and if someone comes, explain the situation.”
Barring something unusual, no one would come to the bathroom in the dead of night like this.
“No one's... around...”
Things were going smoothly as hoped. Leonardo, waiting outside, walked into the bathroom.
“....But... there's nothing here... And I've already checked this place.”
As she said, the women's bathroom looked like just a bathroom, nothing more. Considering the recent reconstruction, nothing suspicious was visible.
[...Hmm... weird?]
[What is?]
[This used to be a big warehouse? But now it's much smaller.]
[...No way... Sage, can you do it again this time?]
[You want me to rummage through a women's bathroom? Do you hate me or something?]
...
.....
.........
[Fine. Just don't say I told you.]
The silent pressure worked; the Sage plunged his body into the bathroom wall.
[...Ugh... moneygrubber... Ah...! Found it! It's there!! The front wall!]
At the Sage's shout, Leonardo drew his jet-black sword toward that direction.
“Leonardo...?! Why all of a sudden...?!”
“Be careful. I'll do it gently and quietly, but it's dangerous if it touches you.”
With that, Leo cut a square into the wall. With a sound of cracking cement, the wall section was sliced out and pushed away.
“...Wha...? Wh-what...?!”
Beyond the bathroom was an empty space. Not huge, but big enough to hide items.
“There it is.”
[Why'd they seal this up? Makes it harder to find.]
Leo agreed, but since the culprit was long dead, he let it go.
“...But where's the legacy...”
As Ameri groped around the dark secret space, Leonardo gripped the wall per the Sage's guidance.
[There. Press that.]
It was clichéd, but pressing the brick produced a click, and a small box popped out.
“Whoa?!”
“Huh?! How'd that come out?”
[Isn't that too much acting?]
What could he do? With the hider right there, his acting was bound to suffer.
“...This is the Sage's legacy...!”
And the sole audience's attention was solely on the legacy box.
“...But how do we open it?”
[Solve the puzzle. The problem should appear now.]
[Puzzle? Is it hard?]
[...Kinda ambiguous.]
With that uneasy reply, the group focused on the box.
A blue light emanated from the box, transmitting a voice identical to the Sage's. Fortunately, it was a solemn tone matching people's expectations.
Just hearing this voice and manner of speech would make many aspiring young mages weep.
“...S-Sage...!!”
Ameri cried out in shock, staring at the box.
“...F-Finally... I'm the first...! I was right to live as a mage...!”
At that confirmation, Ameri shed tears of emotion for a different reason. Endless tears streamed from her dry eyes.
“...Pardon? Then...?”
It was a strangely one-way conversation, yet not quite two-way either.
Best to stay silent in such cases.
That was a relief, at least.
With the problem-maker right there, what puzzle could be scary?
[...But what puzzles did you set?]
[Well...]
At that moment, blue light flared, and text appeared.
[...That's it?]
Did mages wander for hundreds of years unable to solve something this simple?
No, it might be tricky, but the level was pathetically absurd.
[...I'll skip questioning it for now, just tell me the answer.]
[Americano. That's all I drank.]
Mages' standards were in doubt, but solving it was priority.
“Correct answer! Americano!”
“...Huh?”
ZZZAP!!
Electricity surged, lightning coiling around his body.
“Aaaagh!!”
“Leonardo!”
Now he understood why no one solved it. Guessing or luck was impossible.
[...You're kidding!?]
[Wha... why's it wrong? I only drank Americano! For real!!]
A sincere shout, but that only made it more confusing. If the creator didn't know, who would?
“...No way...”
After a moment's thought, Ameri answered again.
“Correct answer... weak Americano with lots of water?”
An uncertain answer; both Leonardo and the Sage eyed it doubtfully.
“Fuck...! Are you serious...!?”
There was no way anyone could solve that.
Not only those who saw him off, but figuring out a person from hundreds of years ago liked Americano—and whether it had shots or was weak—was insane.
[...Ah, right... that's it...?]
Even the person himself barely remembered.
[...Who the hell solves that?!]
[Her.]
The Sage pointed at the half-elf grad student. Did this guy even have a conscience?
“...How... did you get that...?”
Leo cautiously asked, feeling fear at that miracle answer.
“...Well... I once read in a book that the Sage couldn't stomach a potion and diluted it with water. So I thought maybe...”
Getting that right was a miracle. She wasn't just a fan—she was a near-religious devotee.
Regardless, the quiz continued.
This one seemed easier. Allergies were physical, harder to forget.
[Oh, I know this! Apple allergy!!]
“Correct answer!! Apple allergy!!”
ZZZAP!!
He clearly learned the second failure through the lightning.
“Gah... why this time...”
[Hey hey!! This one's real!! I didn't lie!]
“Correct answer...? Crimson Ruby Apple allergy?”
He no longer had the energy to question it. Partly from the shocks... but even mentally, he was exhausted from the outrage.
“Carefully my ass!! Give a puzzle we can actually think through!!”
Ignoring both the Sage beside him and the one in the box, he got to work.
This time, no relying on the Sage. This grad student would somehow answer this bizarre puzzle too.
“...Um... uh... I don't know...”
“...Pardon?”
“Well... I don't even know what this magic tool is, and there are more than one or two mages related to the Sage...”
It was unavoidable for her. Solving the first two was already miraculous.
[...Hey, won't miss this one... just say exactly what I say.]
[One misspelling, and I'll rip out your heart and shove in an artificial one.]
[Got it. Please.]
...Sigh... refusing such a plea would be harder.
“Correct answer.”
“Kelly Davis Robin.”
With those words, the box opened.
Inside was a ring embedded with a small gem.
“...This is... the Ring of Moderation and Serenity.”
The first magic tool the Sage mentioned.
“Wearing it lets you control sleep desire, appetite, and lust, and it even cures bodily toxins. Come to think of it, Kelly Davis Robin was...”
She hurriedly flipped through her notes to find the owner of that name. But Leo didn't need to.
[Kelly... was my friend. Chronic illness forced her to take narcotic drugs nonstop; without them, the pain was unbearable. So I made this...]
“Kelly Davis Robin passed away from drug addiction while the Sage was at the Magic Tower. So... this...”
The Sage fell silent, saying nothing more.
Leonardo merely gave him a brief glance, offering no further comfort or condemnation.
He knew best that scars still ached even after healing, and stroking them wouldn't mend them.
“...Shall we head out now?”
Carefully pocketing the ring, Ameri smiled happily.
“...Yes...! Let's report this discovery to the Tower Masters right away...!”
The moment they exited the women's bathroom to make the report, their eyes met one person's.
“Leo...? That's...”
His lady and knight.
The lady of the Hero's House of Reinhardt.
“Lady Arias...?”
Ariasfil Reinhardt saw Leonardo emerging from the women's bathroom. Right alongside another woman, no less.
It was chilling.
Why was Ariasfil's hand drifting toward her sword?
The purpose was clear in her dead eyes.