Silas's Summons
A few days later, Cassel finally dragged Morris out to the training grounds despite the younger man's protests. The knights had all been dismissed so that Morris's pride could be spared.
"Brother, this really isn't necessary."
"Morris."
Ever since Cassel had returned, Morris's usually docile face was now openly irritated.
"No, how could the vice-commander of the Blue Rose Knights personally train me? It's fine."
"...Do you think I'm going to beat you senseless?"
Morris stared at the blunt practice sword tossed at his feet with a reluctant expression and shook his head.
"You know why I'm doing this. I have no talent for the sword. No matter what teacher you bring in, it's just a waste of time."
"Morris!"
A knight is not made by swordsmanship alone. Honor, patience, horsemanship, insight, and spearmanship all matter. Simply being unskilled with a blade was no excuse to give up.
In Cassel's eyes, Morris had more than enough potential if he could just change his mindset. He would stake the honor of a knight on it.
Morris couldn't bring himself to kick the sword away, though his temper would have allowed it. Instead, he finally voiced the words he had long kept buried.
"It's always the same, isn't it? I'm shorter than you, weaker, and no matter how old we get, I always fall short. Our parents' expectations? Ha, those are probably all on Tiana, the one who went missing."
"Morris!!"
"But it won't matter! Why keep listening to that saintess and her nonsense prophecies that never come true?"
"Morris, calm down."
Even as Cassel tried to reason with him, Morris's gloomy eyes held nothing but resignation and disillusionment beyond mere laziness.
"Anyway, I'm the kind of person who'll eventually be kicked out of here. So until then, can't you just leave me alone?"
"Morris!"
"At the very least, I want to see Tiana's wedding. After that, whether I become a beggar or a drunkard, just leave me be. I won't disgrace the family name by going far away."
Cassel could only watch as Morris waved his hand dismissively and walked away. The words about wanting to see Tiana's wedding didn't sound like a mere excuse. At least that part was genuine.
No matter how negatively Morris spoke of the saintess, when it came to Tiana, he still wanted to believe. Cassel felt a pang of pity for his younger brother.
'Morris... Tiana's disappearance must have wounded you too. I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner.'
Just as Cassel had chosen to forget his sister's painful past, Morris had clearly been carrying it in his heart all this time. With two more matters to investigate alongside the current case, Cassel narrowed his eyes and began moving in secret.
* * *
The season when yellow leaves piled thick upon the ground.
Pay had been feeling her magic growth stagnate lately.
'Hmm...'
Having reached the point of summoning the Undine Queen, many mages would glare at her for saying such a thing. But the only person who understood her sense of limitation was Lucius, who had quietly advanced to 7th Circle Master. This was one matter she couldn't even discuss with Holtdein.
"It's because you only handle water and ice well, just like your name suggests."
"Yeah..."
When Pay accepted it so easily, Lucius's expression filled with irritation.
"Why are you always so spineless? Just because you're good with water doesn't mean you have to act like it too!"
"It's not wrong, though. Besides, you only speak when it's truly necessary, even when you're just sitting there."
Was the Magic Tower's initial proposal the right one after all?
Water Specialist.
Once she walked that path, there would be no returning to the way things were before. Her entire mana would perfectly assimilate into a single attribute.
Would that really be all right...?
'Holtdein and Lucius both said that if I set my mind to it, becoming an Ice Master is guaranteed. The timing depends on my efforts... but I'm still worried. Is there really no other way for me?'
"Are you asleep?"
Lucius's sarcastic remark didn't faze Pay much. She didn't know why, but it had been that way from the beginning.
Just as her pleasant first meeting with Sir Leon had led to a second encounter, her relationship with Lucius seemed destined to unfold this way. He grumbled constantly, and she accepted it with a smile.
That didn't mean Lucius looked down on her. Within the Magic Tower, he was currently Pay's best confidant. Even worries she couldn't share with others, he would sense first and offer subtle answers.
"No."
"Have you thought about what you're going to do?"
Pay shook her head.
"Thinking about it won't solve anything. I didn't start training magic early, and summoning the Undine Queen in just two seasons is already considered an incredible achievement. If I complain about my growth slowing down now, it'll only prove I haven't been putting in enough effort."
"You only ever say the right things. At least your self-awareness is sincere."
She stretched her arms behind the chair and muttered whatever came to mind.
"It's not like I'm going to go find a dragon heart somewhere. As they say, a caterpillar should eat pine needles. Instead of chasing impossible methods, I'll just read one more magic book."
"A... dragon heart?"
Pay spoke as the thought occurred to her.
"Yes. I heard it's the dream of sword saints. But according to Holtdein, there are some mages who have good compatibility with dragon hearts."
"......"
"He said I'm one of them? And so is Tower Master Neia. I wonder if there's a dragon heart just lying around somewhere on the ground."
Lucius suddenly fell silent. Then, after a moment, he made a suggestion.
"Then, are you willing to try a new approach?"
"A new approach?"
The Magic Tower didn't teach everyone the exact same magic system. Research into developing new magic or auxiliary fields was always ongoing—alchemy, herbalism, and healing arts derived from them, for example.
Pay had been reading books on those subjects little by little, though she hadn't found anything that truly clicked or discovered any outstanding talent.
"You have Momo, don't you?"
Momo, who had been soundly sleeping after eating the carefully grilled venison, suddenly began thrashing as if having a nightmare.
"What about Momo?"
"You're not just a mage, Pay. You're a Drakan Rider. So you should make use of that strength."
"How would I..."
"For now, focus on practicing mana amplification, and leave all magic operation to the Undine Queen."
"What?"
"Then ride Momo to safely reach the attack point, cast your magic, and return leisurely. Wouldn't victory be yours?"
The words were simple, but if possible, it was an extraordinary strategy. Mages needed complete concentration to complete their spells, making movement nearly impossible during casting.
Of course, using a mount made it technically feasible, but it wasn't preferred. Concentration meant exactly that—staying still while chanting ensured the magic would succeed.
But what if the magic was cast through the Undine Queen while Pay only supplied the mana?
Her magic would clearly be far more destructive than that of most spirit mages. Even when summoning the same spirit, there was a difference between a spirit mage's contracted spirit and one summoned by a mage.
The logic of mana dominance was fundamentally different from affinity-based spirit magic. Lucius had pointed this out because dominance was inherently superior to affinity without cost.
"Hmm, I don't know. It's not like I'm going to war or anything."
"Whether you go to war or not, having superior skills is always good. If it really feels burdensome, just use Momo. Tell him to fly to the target and crash down like a meteor to turn the ground into a sea of fire. You just protect yourself with magic. His scales and skin are pretty tough, you know."
Momo suddenly convulsed in his sleep and sneezed loudly, as if foreseeing his terrible future. Pay laughed and shook her head at the sight.
"Well, if you take me somewhere quiet, I'll practice riding Momo consistently. But even if I become a real Drakan Rider, I probably won't have any reason to fight using that, right?"
"On what basis?"
"Who would even know me and ask me to step forward? It's just someone riding a single Drakan."
"Every hero starts unknown. If you make a name for yourself from the start, you'd be a knight, not a hero."
"What hero? If I hadn't come to the Magic Tower, I'd probably be baking brioche for the heroes to eat on their journeys."
Pay simply laughed.
The daily life she had grown accustomed to at the Magic Tower was truly precious. She had no desire to go out and achieve something grand or blend into society.
If there ever came a time when she absolutely had to do something, then...
Wouldn't that be when Dot's reach finally extended?
However, the moment she would have to mix with people and society arrived sooner than expected.
A secret and important request had come to the Magic Tower.
The Tower didn't usually accept requests, and only rarely did jobs come in that even the dark guilds, which guaranteed secrecy, couldn't handle.
Of course, most requests were turned down, making this an extremely rare case.
And the person who specifically wanted Pay to handle this request was...
"This feels suspicious."
"I know. Who could know me well enough to specifically request me?"
Pay was on high alert.
Had Dot already won over the Duke and Duchess of Klein and pulled some scheme?
Finding out that Pay had changed her name to Pay in Morgana would be child's play for her.
Though Pay had never told Dot Morgana's other name, Morgan le Fay, the Beril mother and daughter surely knew it.
In Pay's view, Dot was the type who would already be extending her subtle claws at this point.
However, after conversing with the Undine she had sent to the ducal residence, the result was somewhat unexpected.
Dot wasn't staying in the main building but in a secluded house on the outskirts.
Though the distance between the Magic Tower and the ducal residence made it difficult for the Undine to move far from its attached pond, learning this much was still a significant gain.
'It must be interfering with her role as an Eina. She must be quite frustrated. She's not even recognized as a noble lady yet and has been exiled to some remote place. She'll definitely try to find a way out. I can't let my guard down.'
She had intended to refuse, but Ben, a high-ranking mage of the Tower, persuaded her while revealing a secret.
The one who issued this request was the imperial family—and the direct line at that. Tower Master Neia had personally confirmed it and even sent down the approval documents.
"......"
The imperial direct line is looking for me?
Pay searched through her memories from her time as an Eina.