Chapter 47
Chapter 47
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Magic Tower - 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"...Ugh..."
Leonardo woke from sleep and stretched, just like he did every morning.
In front of him was the Sage, so it seemed he'd returned to reality properly.
He definitely remembered entering the dream. But he couldn't recall what happened after that.
It was foggy like mist, all blurry.
The harder he tried to remember, the thicker the fog of memory grew, and the more he dredged up his thoughts, the sharper the pain in his head became.
He was right. Besides, Ariasfil's dream probably had a lot of private matters mixed in, so it was better not to remember.
"...More than that, what about Ariasfil?"
The important thing was her safety. If the main objective, Ariasfil, wasn't unharmed, the whole operation was pointless.
"Miss Ariasfil already woke up. Over there..."
Ariasfil was already on her feet, organizing the books that had served as coffins.
"Ah, you're awake? Leo."
She didn't look like someone tormented by nightmares. Instead, Ariasfil gave Leonardo a bright smile and a wink.
It was a clumsy guess, but with his hazy memories, it was the best he could come up with.
"...Leo."
Ariasfil brushed her hair behind her ear and wiped his lips with her finger.
"You got something on your mouth."
With those words and a seductive smile, she returned to sorting the books.
...
....
.........
It was just an unavoidable physiological reaction from waking up. It had to be nothing more.
For now, they decided to halt the search for the Sage's legacies here.
They had gathered all the necessary ones, and given the risks like this time, they postponed finding more.
In the meantime, Leo would handle his tasks, and Ariasfil hers.
The Sage frowned as he looked over the collected evidence and asked. The crimes so far were so grave that even the Sage refrained from jokes or curses.
If Leonardo reported it himself, they'd be lucky if he didn't end up silenced.
The cryptic words left the Sage baffled, prompting a double-take.
Leonardo smiled as he lifted the evidence in his hand.
To be precise, photocopies made with a printing magic tool—replicas with no evidential value.
Deep down, he wanted to "jokingly" assassinate every newspaper reporter.
Leonardo nodded at the Sage's words and headed to the Sage Research sub-room.
"Ameri!"
"Ah, Leonardo!"
Ameri Esph sat in the sub-room that day, looking neat and vibrant.
Her dark circles were gone, her skin smooth and dewy, her hair neatly tied and combed.
It was an unfamiliar neat appearance, but in this rundown club room, Ameri was the only one who fit.
"Is it really okay to meet here? The Tower Lords..."
"We found the legacies, and the Magic Tower provided this shabby space for Sage research. We've got nothing to feel guilty about."
To a grad student like her, every detail felt like a credit deduction. But staying so deferential would make graduation—or a career—impossible.
"...True, but..."
At that moment, the rickety door creaked open again, and heavyweights of the magic world filed in one after another.
"Quite shabby."
Black Tower Lord Bernard Verdein first.
"Do we really have to meet here?"
White Tower Grand Mage Aspi Ilinan,
"You really obtained the Sage's legacies?"
Blue Tower top administrator Bluea Blanc,
"You'll know when you hear!"
Red Tower Lord and battle mage Jane Narsha too.
The four pillars of the modern magic world had arrived in the Sage Club room. The air grew heavy in an instant, the mana density thickening.
"...U-um... at least some tea..."
"No need. Given the urgency, let's get straight to business."
Ameri shrank under the remark that allowed no reprieve.
"Business... you mean this?"
Leonardo calmly lifted the Necklace of Truth and Facts from around his neck.
The Tower Lords' gazes naturally converged on the Sage's necklace.
"It's real...?"
"...It is."
"Even so..."
"Just verify it!"
The Red Tower Lord stepped forward first.
"I'm a man!"
It sounded ridiculous, but for discerning truth from lies, absurd questions were most effective.
A red flash gleamed from the necklace's eye.
"Oho~ So that's a lie. I'm a woman!"
The red light faded at the follow-up.
"Ooh, looks genuine. A technique modern magic can't replicate!"
With the Red Tower Lord's test, the other Tower Lords eased their suspicions about the legacies. The necklace's lie-detection feature had played a big role.
"...So, we'd like to hear the circumstances of acquisition."
"Th-the circumstances are in the report we submitted."
"This one?"
The Black Tower Lord held out the submitted report.
"In summary... Ameri gathered the data, and you instantly deduced two Sage legacies shrouded in mystery for centuries... We should trust this?"
They still harbored doubts. The acquisition story and test-passing method were too ordinary to believe.
"If you can't trust it even after seeing this, there's nothing more we can do."
As he presented the necklace, Leo spoke—not just affirming possession, but reminding them of its power.
"...Fine. If the necklace confirms it, we have no choice but to believe."
"Then, moving on: disposition of the legacies!"
At those words, the Tower Lords' eyes gleamed with naked ambition. No wizard could ignore their value.
"No need to deliberate. Ameri's a Black Tower student, and the legacies fall under Black Tower's specialty, magic tools. Considering that..."
The White Tower Lord cut off the Black Tower Lord.
"Isn't the premise flawed? Black Tower handling magic tools is separate from Sage legacies."
The Blue Tower Lord chimed in to counter the advantageous Black Tower Lord.
"Claiming ownership because she's a Black Tower student—doesn't that insult the Sage and the student? Or am I wrong?"
"I'd prefer neutrality, but I can't agree with the Black Tower Lord!"
As they voiced opinions, they subtly eyed the necklace. No light yet.
Their statements centered on speculation and opinion. Truth and fact blurred there, making lies undetectable.
"Calm down first. We have the right to state our position too."
The scheming Tower Lords pressed Leonardo with aura and intimidation.
But it was meaningless against Leo, forged in every terror.
"Very well, speak."
"Straight to the point."
Now, the offense-defense had reversed.
"We have no intention of handing over the Sage's legacies."
The pressure intensified; the grad student beside him was overwhelmed, dark circles peeking through her makeup.
"Why not?"
Still, they couldn't yield here.
"The legacies were hidden in the Magic Tower on the condition that only the qualified could claim them. Correct?"
No one could refute easily. The Sage had tarnished his own image, but his stature was undeniable.
"Thus, our possession is entirely justified."
Ameri couldn't remove the ring due to its side effects anyway, lending even more logical weight.
"But we fully understand the Tower Lords' concerns."
Leonardo removed the necklace and set it on the table.
"So, here's a proposal."
The initiative in negotiations was already his.
The Sage stared at his bare neck, incredulous.
They'd decided to entrust the necklace to the Magic Tower.
Of course, Leonardo remained the explicit owner; it was a renewable temporary loan.
What Leo held was the Special Magic Permit.
More useful than mid- or even high-level permits—no real loss.
The Sage pointed at the room straight ahead. The loaned necklace was inside.
Humming a tune, Leonardo scanned the names on the reservation sheet.
"That pedo bastard's here too... embezzler... and the rest are all accounted for."
The Sage peered over his shoulder at the reservation list.
Leonardo flipped through the list to show him. With each page, life sparked in the Sage's previously dull eyes.
The recipients of the copies were those on hostile terms with the names on the list—including the names themselves.
They'd suspect it, of course. It wasn't usable evidence right away, and they'd fear a trap.
Didn't matter. He had the perfect weapon for that.
Leonardo smiled and pointed to a small door.
That room was now the Chamber of Truth.
Let the slaughter begin.