“……”
“Ma. Tep. Ju. Nim!”
Seoden repeated the words slowly, emphasising each syllable, but his voice only echoed in the air. There was no change in the wardrobe.
Soon a wrinkle appeared on Seoden’s forehead.
“If you insist, I’ll have no choice but to set fire to this wardrobe.”
As flames swirled in his hand, a rustling sound suddenly came from the wardrobe and the scene before his eyes distorted.
The illusionary magic that had hidden the wardrobe vanished, revealing its true form – and the person sitting on it.
Glossy blonde hair, as if spun from a golden thread, and bright blue eyes. And a face so perfect it could have been carved from stone.
The man sitting in the wardrobe was none other than Aster Magicos, the head of the Mage Tower that Seoden had been desperately searching for.
“This wardrobe is very expensive. If you want to buy it, it’ll cost you a lot.”
Aster said with a casual wave of his hand. At his gesture, the flames on Seoden’s hand instantly disappeared.
“So you found me, Seoden. I’m really proud of how much your tracking magic has improved. You’re getting better every day.”
Aster smiled, genuinely impressed, and patted Seoden on the shoulder.
Seoden gritted his teeth and said through clenched jaws.
“Yes, thanks to you, Mage Tower Head. Because of your… generosity, I’ve been able to improve my tracking magic, even though I’m an attack-based mage.”
“Enough with the thanks. It’s the duty of the head of the Mage Tower to improve the skills of an Archmage.”
Seoden’s face twisted in frustration, unable to contain his irritation. It was understandable – he hadn’t been able to sleep for days, trying to track down the whereabouts of the suddenly missing head of the Mage Tower.
To have caused such chaos in the Mage Tower and still remain so calm… Seoden could barely contain his frustration. If only he could grab that shining blonde hair and pull it hard.
But Seoden knew. Before his hand could touch it, Aster would send him flying.
With a heavy sigh, Seoden followed Aster into the living room, his voice sharp.
“Do you have any idea how much chaos you’ve caused in the Mage Tower? Leaving without a word, and then leaving confusion in your wake with the tracking magic you disrupted!”
“Yes, I did that. But I knew, you see. I knew that my proud apprentice Seoden would find me. Look, here you are, standing right in front of me.”
“It seems your tracking magic has improved as well.”
Aster smiled brightly as he sat down on the sofa. The smile was so radiant that Seoden felt dazed for a moment.
I can’t be enchanted by this appearance.
Seoden snapped out of it.
“What exactly are you doing in the Pentium Empire? This isn’t an official visit and you’re sneaking around like this. You know as well as I do that if anyone finds out, rumours could spread that we can’t control.”
Aster wasn’t just any mage. He was the head of the Mage Tower. His every word and action represented all mages, and the weight of that was extraordinary.
Especially when it came to secret visits like this, it could easily arouse suspicion.
Suspicions that he might be involved in something shady, or that he might be meddling in foreign politics, violating the agreement that mages should remain neutral.
“I know. That’s why I kept my presence hidden and moved cautiously… until the day before yesterday.”
“Until the day before yesterday… does that mean…?”
Seoden’s eyes widened and Aster looked away.
“There was a problem. I only revealed my identity to two people. Now it might be three.”
“Revealed your identity?! To two, no, three people! Who are they?! Please don’t tell me they’re high-ranking nobles or royalty?”
Aster remained calm, but Seoden was taken aback.
If he were to tell the truth about royalty and high-ranking nobles, he might just faint.
Seeing Seoden’s shocked expression, Aster casually changed the subject.
“You needn’t worry. I haven’t caused much trouble. But, Seoden, I’ve found something interesting.”
“Is this really the time to talk about something interesting? What is it?”
Seoden furrowed his brow, feeling the beginnings of a headache, but his eyes stopped when he saw Aster holding a silver pocket watch with the same care he gave to the magical stones of the Mage Tower.
Aster carefully handed the watch to Seoden, then gave him a knowing look, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.
“Take a look. It’s a fascinating item.”
Seoden examined the pocket watch in his hands, turning it over and over.
“Nothing special about it, except for the magic that keeps it running. Not much else stands out.”
Such things were common in the Mage Tower. So there was no chance that the head of the Mage Tower would find it interesting.
Seoden looked up, his expression clearly showing confusion, and Aster snorted and crossed his arms.
“Hmm, I’m disappointed. Is that really the best you can come up with?”
There was something in Aster’s tone that strangely offended Seoden’s pride.
Seoden narrowed his eyes and checked the pocket watch again. Slowly, his eyes widened in shock.
He gasped, unable to hide his excitement, and asked Aster, “What’s in it? Is it real? Am I seeing it right? Is it really an ancient magic circle?”
Finally, Aster smiled in satisfaction.
“Yes, exactly. It’s an ancient magic circle, drawn by the long gone mages of the beginning. I’ve never seen such a powerful protective circle in my life.”
The protective circle engraved on the pocket watch was not just a simple protective spell.
It was a powerful circle that could even bring the dead back to life. While magic had evolved since the creation of the Mage Tower, magic directly related to life had seen little progress.
For it was a power that only the ancient mages, beings closest to the gods, had been able to wield.
And now this immense power resided in this very pocket watch. No wonder it was so fascinating.
With trembling hands, Seoden cradled the watch and asked, “Where did you get something so precious? Please don’t tell me you secretly visited the Empire just to get it?”
“No, that’s not it. I came to the Empire because of rumours that the family of the Bayern Marquis had discovered a huge cave of magic stones. But it turned out to be false. This was something I stumbled upon while investigating the rumour.”
“How did this happen? This is an incredible find! If we study this magic circle, it could lead to a major breakthrough in healing magic.”
As Seoden looked at the pocket watch with rapturous eyes, Aster’s hand quickly reached out and took it back.
“Research is out of the question. This is an item with an owner.”
“What?! It has an owner?! Even if it does, we should buy it! We’ll pay any price, even a fortune!”
“Hmm… there’s no need for that. This magic circle has been trapped for so long that it can’t be removed.”
“If it can’t be removed… does that mean it’s a sealed magic circle?”
“Yes. It’s been left alone for so long that it’s been sealed with great power. The magic circle exists, but no one can use it.”
“Ah…”
Seoden’s face fell in disappointment.
Aster looked regretful as well. This was the first time he had seen such a powerful circle.
But even with his magic he couldn’t break the seal. So he would simply repair it and return it to its rightful owner.
It would also be a way to repay the debt he owed to young Blanté.
He wasn’t sure if she remembered, but a long time ago she had helped his younger sibling out of a difficult situation.
Because of his shy and quiet nature, his younger sibling was often the target of noble ridicule, but Ariel had come to his rescue when she saw him being bullied.
It was a random act of kindness for her, but something special for his sibling
Her name is Ariel. She’s the daughter of the Marquis of Blanté in the Pentium Empire. Brother, the next time we go to the Empire, you must take me with you. I want to meet the Blanté girl again.
If she were… maybe they could be friends.
It was the first time in his life that his sibling had ever said he wanted a friend.
That pure, happy smile was the first and only time he had seen his younger sibling smile like that.
But it would be the last.
His younger sibling never saw Ariel again, and he was cruelly heartbroken, only to die in an accident.
The terrible memory of that accident resurfaced and Aster’s face stiffened.
But soon, Aster’s expression returned to his usual languid demeanour.
“…Mage Tower Head, this still seems like such a waste. Why not at least try to see if it can be used…?”
“I said no. I’ll return it to its owner. Who knows? Maybe the seal, after being bound for so long, will break when it is returned to its rightful owner.”
A powerful protection spell, created with the ancient magic circle.
Young Blanté, abandoned in a vast, empty place, would probably need such a powerful protection spell.
Even if it was sealed and seemingly useless, it still had meaning.
And who was to say it couldn’t?
The moment she needed protection, the seal could be broken and the magic unleashed like a miracle.
Aster spoke firmly, his voice filled with regret as he looked at the disappointed Seoden.
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Nous_Defions
Oooh, at this point, regardless of his intentions or reasons, I truly despise Kylance, and I wish that he be forever tormented by the things he did to Ariel and her family… Scum like him don’t deserve her… I hope it’s Aster she’ll end up with…