Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 45

***

The Gray Tower also known as the Tower of Knowledge and Arrogance, was more famous among ordinary people by the name of the Monteo Lighthouse.

It was called the Monteo Lighthouse because the tower’s lights, visible from midnight to dawn, never went out.

Cheshire, who returned to the tower early in the morning after staying out, greeted his wandering colleagues who looked like zombies due to overnight research fatigue. After that, he headed to the top of the tower.

Rather than using magic to instantly reach the top floor, he deliberately used the stairs, as he needed time to organize his thoughts.

Since waking up this morning in Belinda’s mansion instead of the tower, he sensed that something was amiss.

His whole body ached, and the back of his neck felt stiff, much like the morning he woke up after a beating from the woman called Butler from the annex.

The glass in the hallway window was shattered in several places, like a child missing a tooth, Cheshire was sure.

The man of the night had wreaked havoc in the mansion.

‘I need to confirm how much she knows.’

It was a secret more critical than the fact that he was a dark wizard.

Cheshire imagined several possible reactions from Belinda. If she knew too much…….

“You fainted while fixing my servant’s magic, so I put you to bed for the night in my manor.”

“What? The strange behavior in the night? Ah……. You mean that.”

He had to force her to keep her mouth shut.

Cheshire, with a smiling face, recalled a mental glyph for a speech enchantment so that he could cast spells at any time. 

Then…

” I heard from Vivian. You’re a sleepwalker, right?”

“Ah…”

“Terry had a hard time preventing you from randomly casting spells in the middle of the night. Rest assured; I won’t be charging you for the hallway window.”

The worst-case scenario evaporated from his mind in an instant.

Though he was tense, on the other hand, he felt relieved as he returned to the tower.

Finally reaching the top floor, Cheshire tidied up his appearance and lightly knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

As soon as he heard the gruff voice that sounded like steel rubbing against steel, Cheshire smiled broadly and stepped into the tower lord’s chamber.

The tower lord’s room, which occupied an entire floor, was filled with various peculiar experiment tools, old books, and taxidermied magical creatures.

In the center of it all was a lean, stern-faced old man.

Mocked by some for wielding a sword more often than a magic wand, he was a pioneer in magical creature and chimera research.

The tower lord, who did not hesitate to get creature blood on his hands since the morning, did not spare a glance at the apprentice’s visit and spoke sharply.

“I thought I told you not to leave the Magic Tower empty at midnight. You don’t want me to think that my apprentice has run off like your brother.”

Despite the sharp criticism, Cheshire maintained his smile, gently tilting his head.

“Do you know who my current patron is? If I play my cards right, they might invest heavily in the tower. So, I’m trying to appease them a bit.”

Only then did the mage lord turn to Cheshire. A faint smile appeared on his gaunt face.

“Well, your knack for ingratiating yourself is quite astounding. If there’s anything useful, might as well put that body of yours to work.”

“I haven’t forgotten the grace of taking in a humble slave like me as your disciple, Master.”

“Yeah, yeah, you better not forget. Unlike your twin brother, who ran away without realizing the grace I gave, Cheshire, you’re a disciple who appreciates the favor.”

The mage lord’s gaze towards Cheshire carried an air of superiority. However, rather than the eyes of a proud mentor looking at an admirable disciple, it felt more like the gaze of someone admiring a piece of art they had created with great care.

“Take care of your health. Every time I see you, your complexion seems darker.”

“Thank you for your concern. Well then, since I’ve seen you master, I will return to my quarters.”

Cheshirer’s face, which had been smiling until the end, turned cold as soon as he left the tower lord’s room.

“Bastard.”

Daring to bring up his brother’s story.

Cheshirer’s gray eyes, muttering a low curse, glowed an ominous purple color instead of gold.

It was hard to resist the urge to tear his master to pieces.

His body bore the seal of a slave, unable to harm his master, but black magic would allow even that, and he would gladly have the tower lord’s blood on his hands.

But Cheshire persevered.

Not yet, not yet.

Now, he had finally found traces of soul-related magic.

The endgame was in sight. He couldn’t afford to lose his way for mere revenge.

Then, a fit of coughing erupted abruptly.

Leaning against the wall, Cheshire suppressed his coughs, and when he saw the sleeves stained with mixed blood, he let out a bitter laugh.

“Ha.”

Even the mage lord would recognize how much his body was weakening.

Two souls entwined within him were gradually consuming his physical form. If left unchecked, the frail soul would likely perish first.

“I can’t die like this.”

He laughed bitterly while clenching the fabric near his heart as if enduring the pain.

“I can’t die like this.”

Desperation filled his whispered words.

“Not yet. Not yet.”

He barely managed to soothe his restless mind.

“Everything is going according to my plan.”

***

“Cheshire, your client is here!”

It was well past midnight, and someone urgently knocked on Cheshire’s door, delivering the news.

The man looked down at the young apprentice mage who had come on an errand with a stern look.

“It’s past midnight, and the mage tower let an outsider in?”

“How would I know? It’s your client. He insisted on meeting you at this hour, claiming to wait in the reception room. Anyway, I’ve delivered the message. Whether you go or not, that’s your… Ack.”

As he turned, Cheshire grabbed the young wizard by the cloak and lifted him into the air.

“Hey, Cheshire here might be feeling quite cranky due to lack of sleep. He could be rougher than usual. So, speak properly. What does Cheshire’s client want?”

“Ack! Let go, Cheshire! Don’t you know you get crazy every night? You being like this made me want to run away!”

The man, after extracting all the information by shaking the boy like a threshing machine, finally let go. With his hands in his pockets, he casually strolled towards the ground-floor reception room.

The mage tower was typically more lively at night than during the day, so that wasn’t strange. However, admitting an outsider was an entirely different matter. Furthermore, the fact that the mage lord personally guided the guest to the reception room was noteworthy.

‘How influential is this client for this elderly man, who resides at the top of the tower like a carnivorous plant, have to be for all this to happen?’

Although it seemed suspicious, Cheshire had made an appointment with them, and now he couldn’t feign ignorance.

Being adept at playing ‘Cheshire,’ he had to deceive the client as usual.

He stood in front of the reception room, molding a semblance of a smile on his face.

 It was a crooked smile, but the man observing his reflection in the window seemed satisfied. He nodded approvingly and kicked open the reception room door.

“Oh my, who is this? Our esteemed customer? How could such a humble person end up in this precious place….?”

His steps were somewhat thug-like, he froze when he got a good look at the visitor’s face.

“Even if it’s not the first meeting, isn’t it appropriate to say hello?”

Even amidst the mess on the corridor wall, the woman had captivated his gaze so violently.

Today, she was wearing glasses, but there was no way he couldn’t recognize her face.

“That mansion…….”

The man blurted out, his face as dazed as it had been that day.

“Angel?”

While laughter, reminiscent of a deflating balloon, erupted from somewhere, the man remained fixated on Belinda.

“Terry, get out.”

With a single command, a long broom-like thing made of dog hair left the reception room with a rustling sound.

Now that he looked at it, it wasn’t a broom but a person, but it didn’t matter.

Now facing the man alone, Belinda nodded politely and spoke with an air of arrogance.

“I’ll allow you to call me Belinda.”

“Then I’ll call you sister.” 

The man subtly took his seat and glanced at Belinda. As their eyes met, his heartbeat accelerated, and warmth flushed his face.

‘What? Why is this happening?’

He wondered if his mind had gone mad.

If not, then…….

‘Did she cast a brainwashing spell or something?’

He scanned her body with his magical senses, but there was no sign of magic.

The man forced himself to look away from her and casually brought up a topic.

“I usually don’t take requests at night.”

“That’s right, and you never promised to meet me at night with me Cheshire.”

He nodded, barely able to keep himself together.

“What?”

“Of course, you don’t know. Because you’re not Cheshire.”

“…….”

“Isn’t that right, Keith?”

When the name of the one who died over a decade ago in the magical republic came out of the woman’s mouth, the man let out a bewildered laugh.

‘I’ve been caught.’

Like an idiot, he’d fallen for the other party’s trick.

If he thought about it a bit more, Cheshire wouldn’t have made an appointment to meet someone after midnight.

Jumping to conclusions about Cheshire and even thinking that the Mage Tower Master had come out was too hasty.

“Cheshire…”

He had expected a day like this would come someday.

With this body, there was no longer the strength to bear two souls.

Belinda neither affirmed nor denied it.

She gracefully stood up and, as if offering a choice, opened her mouth.

“If you want to know the truth, come find me.”

I will gladly open the window at night for you.