Chapter 25
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Estellion Experiment
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* * *
Once upon a time, there was a man.
He had no parents or siblings, but he possessed a vast power that appeared only once every thousand years.
People called his special magic, which could summon raging tidal waves with a mere gesture, alter the weather, and slay dragons, Estellion.
Estellion elevated the man to the pinnacle as a mage...
But as payment for such immense power, he lacked most of the emotions that ordinary people naturally possessed.
He felt fleeting moments of interest or displeasure, but the only sustained feelings were his curiosity and desire to explore Estellion.
After all, even its owner, the man himself, didn't understand many of its mysterious aspects.
One day, immersed in his research, the man felt fear. The fear that if he died, a lifetime of study would come to nothing.
He hoped someone else with Estellion would appear and continue his research. A man who had never needed family his whole life suddenly wanted a child.
So, he began experiments.
The method involved combining Estellion with bodily tissues to create a seed, then injecting it into a woman's womb using a body-penetration spell. It was an extremely complex procedure, and there were precautions during the seed's cultivation...
Ah, skip the details? Got it. I must have gotten carried away.
Anyway, applicants from all over gathered, each with diverse backgrounds and physical traits.
Though it was human experimentation, the promise of a fortune beyond a commoner's wildest dreams drew countless volunteers.
Enough to live lavishly forever if they didn't splurge? My mother is still traveling the world with the money she got back then.
She received extra payments while safely giving birth to and raising me, making her wealthier than a low noble now.
But not everyone was like my mother. Many experiments failed.
Whether it violated the laws of the gods by artificially creating life, Estellion's dangerous nature, or flaws in the experimental design—the reason remains unknown.
Most didn't even conceive, half of the rest miscarried, and even those born rarely survived infancy. Partly due to repeated failures, they recruited many more subjects.
Currently, there are three surviving children, including me.
No, with you, it's four now.
We three grew up in the facility, so we're close—sickeningly so.
Ah, the facility is what Rguin established inside the Magic Tower. To efficiently manage the volunteers' health and such by keeping them together.
Records show your mother refused to enter. A few others didn't want to leave their homes either.
They were probably instructed to report results via letters, but I wonder why your mother didn't. We had no idea you existed without contact. Back to the experiment—ultimately, it failed.
All three of us siblings are mages, and if I may say so myself, exceptionally talented.
But we inherited only a tiny fraction of Estellion's power. You don't seem to have much either.
Afterward, Rguin gave up on having children inherit Estellion. Instead, he shifted to halting his aging to live longer himself.
He looks young, but he's far older than he appears. He'll likely outlive everyone around him by centuries.
It seems lonely to me... but whatever. He doesn't even feel loneliness.
* * *
After hearing Lexion's long tale, Philomel asked,
"So? You're saying it's inevitable he's an heartless father or something?"
"I wasn't trying to make excuses. I just meant that since you're his first child like you, he couldn't help being even less considerate."
"Like me...?"
"Truth be told, the three of us siblings are pretty emotionally detached—though not as much as Rguin. Especially when it comes to affection."
Lexion adjusted his glasses.
"Rguin never treated us like children, and we never expected fatherly duties from him. He provided food, shelter, and taught us magic, but he's more like a mentor or boss."
"I think I'm pretty normal when it comes to emotions."
"I agree. That's why it's surprising. Rguin probably never imagined you'd be so disappointed."
"......"
Hard enough sorting out her inner turmoil, now flooded with too much information.
Estellion, experiments—it all felt like stories from another country, hard to relate to.
One thing was clear: no affection anywhere in Philomel's birth.
Unlike Lexion and his siblings, she had virtually no magic power. A perfect failure.
They walked quietly back to the entrance.
"...I'll be going now. Thanks for the guidance."
"Phil."
As Philomel turned to leave with mechanical politeness, Lexion called her by a nickname.
"What?"
"If you need help, come find me anytime. Ask any Magic Tower member to fetch Lexion, and you'll meet me."
"Why are you so concerned about me? Because I'm your sister?"
"If I said that was the only reason, you probably wouldn’t believe me. I did mention that we’re not exactly the emotional type."
"Right. In my current mood, I wouldn't believe the sun rises in the west."
She'd never been very trusting, but now her distrust of people deepened further.
"Personally, I'm academically intrigued by you. Why do we have half-formed emotions from the same experiment, while you're normal? I want to research that."
"Maybe because I have so little Estellion?"
"Rguin would think that... but I have a hunch it's something else. Just a feeling."
Lexion was persistent.
"If you hate research, how about working as my assistant? I'll pay generously."
"I don't even know the first letter of 'magic.' I wouldn't be any help..."
"You can learn. You'd pick it up quickly."
Lexion seemed to rate her higher than she rated herself.
"The Magic Tower is perfect for hiding your identity. Even if exposed, not even the Emperor can touch it lightly."
"...Got it. Give me time to think."
"Take all the time you need. Come to the Magic Tower anytime you change your mind."
Lexion stood there until Philomel vanished from sight, watching her straight-backed figure stride away without a hint of sadness or disappointment.
"Now, what to do with that stubbornly human man."
Lexion returned to Rguin's room. He found the man crouched behind his desk, just as before.
On the cleared floor lay a magic circle drawn in red paint.
Rguin gripped a brush in one hand, glaring at the array of symbols and hieroglyphs.
"Tower Master Rguin. I'm back."
Lexion announced himself aloud, though Rguin knew he was there but ignored him.
"Why'd you come back?"
"You told me to stay because you had something to say."
"Looked like she wanted to kill me earlier. Why not leave with her? Chanting 'little sister' while ignoring your master."
"The little sister talk came from Cadin, not me."
"Same difference."
"Are you worried about Phil?"
Rguin snapped curtly.
"Nope."
"Come on, you seem worried. The magic circle hasn't changed at all since before."
"......"
It had taken over twenty minutes to escort Philomel to the exit and return. Rguin could've finished three more circles in that time.
"What do you know? If she ran off hating me, that's the end."
So childish.
Separate from his genius as a mage, he was worse than a child in relationships. Maybe from never having chances for deep emotional bonds.
"Understood. If you say so, Tower Master, I won't worry anymore. Still, it's a shame. She seemed to have nowhere to go. An underage girl in this harsh world..."
Lexion tossed a small pebble at Rguin on purpose, to fan the ripples already stirring.
"I happened to see earlier—she nearly lost all her money to pickpockets if Jeremiah hadn't helped. Oh, and you didn't tell Jeremiah she's his sister."
"...I said I'm not interested."
From his deflated reply, Lexion gauged when Rguin would come clean.
About a week? No, his subtly anxious reaction suggested two or three days.
Over a dozen hours later.
Lexion, early to bed for a mage, woke to his door slamming open. A grumpy Rguin stood by his bedside.
"What is it at this hour?"
Groping for his glasses on the nightstand, Lexion asked.
"You know where she's staying, right?"
"She?"
A head of warm-colored hair flashed in his sleepy mind.
"Ah, Phil? Probably at the Angelium, obviously."
"Contact her now. Tell her to come to the Magic Tower. I need to see her again."
"Do you know what time it is? She's probably asleep. I'll reach out at dawn, so go sleep."
After brushing him off, Lexion drifted back to sleep, feeling oddly pleased.
Thinking of welcoming a new family member.
But the next morning, going to the Angelium to find Philomel, Lexion couldn't help regretting his choice last night.
He should've gone right away, as Rguin said. Because Philomel had already left the city.
In the worst possible way.