Chapter 163
Chapter 163
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: 14. Farther Than Love, Closer Than Friendship (11)
"I don't know if you'll believe me, but after backtracking some of the magical traces that appeared around the Magic Tower, we've confirmed that the demon messing with this place uses mind magic."
"As expected."
"Hm? Was that predictable?"
"Nothing major. It was just a hint from what happened before."
I laid out the events at the Dwarf Mountains during my meeting with the Tower Master. The demon had done two main things on its own. One was modifying a dragon and turning it into a subordinate. The other was awakening a group of latent lesser demons.
Brainwashing a broken dragon or forcibly elevating the minds of demons would be impossible without the potent magic unique to demons.
"I see. With circumstantial evidence backed by hard proof now, we can declare it confirmed without issue."
"Yes. On the flip side, there's a chance a spy could be under mental control and lying low."
"Any suspicious signs?"
"None. Everyone said their attitudes were the same as always."
"I see..."
Of course, mind magic was often used precisely to plant agents without raising alarms, so nothing was certain. Among the professors and grad students I'd met before settling on this conclusion today, one might unknowingly be compromised.
The thought of rechecking everyone made my head throb.
"Think backwards instead. If they knew all our information perfectly, what's the best way to stop you?"
"By targeting the people around me."
"Exactly. So Ermina and Selene are the issues. No, Ermina has the goddess's blessing, so..."
"Professor Selene is the most likely core problem."
"Good that she communicates well."
The Tower Master stretched her petite frame with a big yawn, then rose from her seat at the head of the table and approached me.
She naturally picked up one of the coffees I'd prepared in advance, took a sip, and smiled as she spoke.
"Magically replicated stuff always feels like it's missing something. It's different from the coffee you brew."
"It probably lacks that personal touch."
"I don't buy into that mental attitude nonsense, but I can't deny that food tastes better when someone else makes it than when I do."
"I agree with that."
Enjoying cooking and loving it were worlds apart from being too exhausted to move and having to force yourself to make a meal anyway.
Everyone, regardless of age or gender, has probably thought at least once, Wish someone would just make me food.
Anyway, after chatting a bit about coffee, she brought up future matters.
"Truth be told, even if you don't fully return to your family, the Magic Tower has its own interest in staying connected to you."
"I don't have much to offer."
"You're the only one who can check the empire's expansionism. The Magic Tower must remain a neutral research institution."
"Ahaha."
Feels like my back-and-forth with the emperor was already taken as fact.
At least it wasn't malicious gossip. Back at the academy or in high society, who knows what they said behind my back.
For nobles, expecting me to be a healthy check on the emperor was pretty wholesome.
"Even after resolving this, does the Tower Master have no intention of getting involved in the fight against the demons?"
"I'm tied down here, so I'm thinking of sending a few capable mages depending on the situation."
"I see."
"Is the war situation bad enough to need reinforcements?"
"It's not bad. But we don't have enough manpower to keep tabs on demons scattered across the country."
"So you want human defenses preemptively placed at key points or spots where demon involvement seems likely. Seems feasible by upgrading transfer gates as a base."
Oh. This one's surprisingly practical. If we could hop between strategic points from my bases, it'd solve a ton of problems.
It'd cost an eye-watering amount if I funded it myself, but with Magic Tower and imperial backing, no reason to hesitate.
I jotted it down for now.
"Anything else you need?"
"One more coffee?"
"Sure."
"Ugh... *cough cough*."
In Yulius's absence, Leimi, Ermina—who still felt a bit awkward—and Sophia were gathered, enjoying tea together.
This gathering was meant for Ermina, who hadn't fully adjusted yet, but even this was burdensome for her.
In the end, hot tea went down the wrong pipe, and Ermina let out an ugly cough, her face flushing beet red as she dabbed her nose and mouth with a handkerchief.
"The Magic Tower's suspiciously intact."
"Yeah."
"If there really were spies, they'd have to move to gather info. But there's zero suspicious activity."
"So who could the culprit be?"
"Honestly. Really honestly, spill your innermost suspicions. It's her."
Leimi's chin pointed toward Selene.
She handled it quietly and maturely.
"Right. There's magic that turns you into a spy without you knowing."
"Yeah. Exactly."
"But even if it's me, is there some special way to handle it?"
"There's no magic like parasitism you can't peel off. But there are effective ways to use it."
Selene nodded. There was no proof she was a spy yet, but if she really was the issue, reliable methods definitely existed.
Ermina cut into the confident yet uneasy expressions of the two.
"I hate mind magic."
"Ah. It has a pretty bad image."
"They say it revives bad memories and stuff. If I saw Mr. Yulius leaving again..."
"Oof. That'd be rough."
Leimi vaguely knew Ermina's feelings and could tell recalling that past incident would be incredibly painful for her.
Conversely, Leimi dreaded visions of her horrific conflict with Professor Elvin and leaving the Magic Tower.
It had taken time even to get comfortable with her Magic Tower classmates.
Their gazes turned to Selene, but she said nothing.
"...Oh, my turn?"
"If you want to share."
"Wouldn't childhood memories resurface? Kids do really childish... no, downright foolish things."
"That's an empty can of a statement. No fun."
Still, childhood stuff—and not domestic violence—probably wasn't a big deal. Leimi glossed over it that way.
The topic ended there. Sensing the slightly awkward air, Ermina shifted the subject.
"What kind of person is the Tower Master?"
"A good one. She's staked her life on magic and won't hesitate to sacrifice for the Magic Tower—hers or others'."
"Consistent, huh."
Hearing their assessments, Ermina pictured Yulius talking with the Tower Master.
Yulius liked responsible people. He respected women with firm convictions who owned their actions.
That's why he respected Professor Selene.
Combining their words, the Tower Master fit Yulius's ideal woman perfectly—and they were currently sharing coffee alone.
"The Tower Master and Mr. Yulius... that won't happen, right?"
"Doubt it, personality-wise. She's married to the Magic Tower."
"She might like him as a person, but that's as far as it'd go."
Leimi burst out laughing at Ermina's worry.
From someone who knew both sides, it apparently wasn't worth fretting over. Selene even covered her mouth, chuckling at Ermina's fidgeting.
"Uh, um, did you find anything demon-related?"
"Not me. I'm a magic tool specialist, so I've checked almost everything in the tower that fits my field. No strange devices or spells tampering with them."
"I've mostly met with contacts, and nothing stood out."
"Got it."
"What about you?"
"Well, walking around feels kinda uncomfortable and awkward."
"Hmm. I get the sentiment, but you should still do your part."
"Yeah, I guess..."
"Tch. You still think Yulius left because of you."
Ermina nodded with tears welling in her eyes at Leimi's direct jab.
The nod made a tear from her right eye drop.
"Build some self-esteem. You're capable, not trash like some others. Act confident—no one's gonna bash you for it."
"...Okay."
"If you'd started dating Yulius, this wouldn't have happened. You'd have his approval. But does getting rejected by him change your worth? No."
Ermina went blank.
Since he left, all her thoughts had revolved around Yulius.
But that didn't have to be the case.
Better to do something productive than mope. And hadn't they just said responsibility was what Yulius liked?
"Thank you. I'll try to buck up starting tomorrow."
"Quick on the uptake—that's a talent. Flexible thinking's valuable too."
The teatimes concluded in two different places, each leaving unexpected results neither side had anticipated at the start.