Chapter 138: You Little Thief!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 138: You Little Thief!
“Thomas More, have you been keeping up with the research I assigned before I left?”
“Pfft! Cough, cough!”
Melissa asked the question as she set her tray down next to someone. The mage, who had been in the middle of eating, began to cough incessantly as if his food had gone down the wrong pipe.
Melissa, however, merely stared at him with chilling eyes. The man named Thomas, having finally managed to settle his breathing, barely managed to speak.
“Ye-yes! Lady Melissa.”
“Hmm.”
Melissa narrowed her eyes, scanning him from head to toe. Thomas trembled nervously.
“I’ll check it after lunch.”
“U-understood.”
Thomas nodded, stealing glances at Melissa as she sat beside him. However, Melissa simply began her meal in silence. Nathaniel and I had no choice but to sit nearby and eat as well.
“E-excuse me.”
“Me too…”
Thomas, his face deathly pale, was the first to stand up. At that, the others scrambled to their feet as well. As if terrified of being caught in her crosshairs, they all hurried out of the dining hall, leaving their meals unfinished.
Just how hard has she been driving these mages?
Melissa looked perfectly composed. It seemed this sort of thing happened all the time. I shook my head in amazement as I ate.
While I was flustered by this unexpected side of Melissa, Nathaniel showed no sign of agitation. He was truly impressive, calmly focused on his food.
[Still, these mage fellows are quite capable.]
[You’re right. Being on the top floor, they’re no pushovers.]
Really?
I was surprised by the demons’ words. To me, it was impossible to tell how great a mage was just by looking. I had fallen into my slumber before I could properly learn magic, after all.
If I had studied consistently since I was five, would I have grown enough to stand among the mages on the top floor by now?
The top floor of the Magic Tower was close to the Master of the Magic Tower, meaning only mages who had earned significant recognition could set foot there. That was why Melissa was here.
Looking at her now, she seemed to be acting like the "Demon Instructor" of the top floor. Regardless, it was a bit difficult eating in such a stiflingly quiet atmosphere.
“Ahem, were you perhaps taken aback?”
“Oh.”
After finishing our meal, Melissa led us to a place that looked like a laboratory. It seemed to be where she researched and experimented with magical tools.
“Well, a little,” I answered honestly after a moment’s thought. Since Melissa was always kind to me, it was bound to be a shock.
At my answer, Melissa gave an awkward smile. Seeing her demeanor change again in front of me only added to my confusion.
“In the Magic Tower, you can’t afford to be looked down upon. So I started acting that way, and before I knew it, I ended up with a strange nickname.”
“Ah, haha.”
I already knew what that strange nickname was. However, I didn't let on and simply let out an awkward laugh.
“The Master of the Magic Tower originally intended to come, but he’s surprisingly busy. It looks like I’ll be handling most of your lessons. Would that be alright with you?”
“Yes, of course!”
If anything, I felt more comfortable with Melissa than the Master of the Magic Tower. And since Melissa was also a formidable mage within the tower, it wasn't an issue at all.
Right, it didn't matter if she was cold to others as long as she wasn't like that with me. I calmed my startled heart and gave Melissa a bright smile.
“Actually, I’ve been focusing more on magical tool research lately, but since I don’t know which field you’re interested in yet, Dia, I’ll teach you basic magic for the time being.”
“I’d like that, Teacher.”
It felt as if time had wound back to the past—back to when I was learning basic magic from Melissa in the Imperial Palace.
The reason I came to the Magic Tower was that I wanted to bridge the ten-year gap in my life, even if only by a little. I wanted to learn magic and grow stronger as quickly as possible to achieve my goals.
My eyes sparkled as I listened to Melissa’s explanation.
*
Quite some time had passed since I arrived at the Magic Tower.
I hadn't spent all my time there, though. Using the warp portals, I occasionally returned to the Imperial Palace to handle my duties as a princess. Thanks to that, I was exhausted.
When I was at the tower, Melissa and the Master of the Magic Tower took turns teaching me magic.
The two of them specialized in different types of magic. Unlike Melissa, who had a talent for water magic and also used wind magic, the Master of the Magic Tower primarily used earth and fire magic.
Because of this, I was able to learn most forms of elemental magic from the two of them. As expected, I had a high affinity for water magic, and I wasn't bad with earth magic either. In essence, I was learning the signature magic of the two people at the very top of the tower.
“Whew.”
In the midst of such a busy schedule, I finally found a moment to rest. I let out a short breath as I looked up at a tree planted on the top floor of the tower.
Though the area was enclosed, plants grew well here, perhaps due to some magical treatment. That was why such a massive tree could exist inside the Magic Tower.
I often came here when I wanted to rest. At times like this, Nathaniel would purposely stand at a distance so as not to disturb me. I glanced at him before turning my head back.
“It looks like the fruit is about to fall.”
I murmured softly while looking at the tree. This tree was called a Mokok, and it was said to grow in lands far away from the Empire.
The Master of the Magic Tower, who had brought it here and planted it, seemed to have applied some special magical treatment to it, though I had no way of knowing what it was.
I had only been told not to be surprised if something came out of the largest fruit on the tree. I was too scared to ask what that "something" was.
“Still, I am a bit curious…”
Is it because humans are creatures of curiosity? Despite being wary of the Master’s words, I often came to the Mokok tree to check on the fruit. This time, the largest fruit was immediately visible.
The brown-colored fruit had been growing larger and larger, and now it seemed too heavy to hang on the branch any longer. It looked like it would drop from the tree at any moment.
“Even if something comes out, it’ll probably just be the pulp, right?”
I thought idly, tilting my head. Or perhaps the fruit tasted incredibly good? Maybe eating it would grant some kind of ability, like in the cartoons I saw in my past life.
I chuckled to myself at the thought, but then, for some reason, I got an ominous feeling.
“Huh?”
Even though there was no wind, the fruit shook. And right now, that fruit was directly above my head.
“…!”
“Dia!”
I didn't even have the chance to think about dodging. It all happened in an instant.
Instead, Nathaniel rushed over with the speed of the wind and shielded me. With a dull thud, the fruit struck Nathaniel’s body and rolled onto the floor.
“Niel, are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not hurt?”
“This is nothing.”
The fruit looked so large and hard that I didn't believe him. However, Nathaniel simply shook his head calmly.
“Why did that fruit suddenly…”
I turned my head, frowning. I had thought it would fall soon, but for it to fall right when I was there… and in the end, Nathaniel almost got hurt instead of me.
“Wait?”
My eyes widened as I looked at the fallen fruit. Somewhere along the way, the fruit had split in half. It shouldn't have taken that much of an impact to break.
But that wasn't the problem. There was something inside the split fruit. And it had wings…
“A bird?”
“Kyuuu!”
A bird coming out of a fruit? How on earth did this happen?
The bird, which had green feathers the exact same color as the fruit’s pulp, shook its body. It was impossible for it to be a stray bird, as I had never seen a single bird in this place. Moreover, since it was sitting right in the middle of the split fruit, the situation was clear.
A bird had been born from the fruit that just fell from the tree. I was so dumbfounded and shocked that I couldn't find the words to speak.
“It’s you, you little thief!”
“Wh-what?”
The bird even spoke. It opened its beak and spat out irritable words at me. They were far too crude to be coming from a bird.
“You wicked thief! You servant of a demon! Because of you! Just because of someone like you!”
“Wh-what is this?”
Flapping its wings, the bird flew toward me and tried to peck at me. However, Nathaniel blocked it, preventing it from getting close. The bird let out a long, frustrated shriek.
“Kyuuuuu!”
“…”
Just what was going on? I stared at the bird, unable to hide my astonishment.