Chapter 23: The Mages of the Mage Tower (2)

The reception room of the Mage Tower Master was enveloped in silence. Isrion, who had been observing Chloe for a while, was the first to break it.

“Isn’t the result the same anyway? You couldn’t even answer the question of whether you’d marry him.”

“It’s different. I’m not meeting him with a light heart, as you suggested, Master.”

“What are you planning to do, Chloe? Are you going to leave the Mage Tower? Will you go to the Grand Duke’s side?”

You won’t, though.

Faced with Isrion’s candid gaze, Chloe couldn’t easily respond. But she didn’t back down either, meeting his green eyes steadfastly.

“…I won’t leave the Mage Tower. But I can’t give up on Tehis either. I’ll have to find a way to hold onto both.”

“Greedy, aren’t you? And still young as well.”

Chloe bit her lip. Isrion was right. Right now, she was close to being unreasonable.

She couldn’t simply conform to the rules given to her. Instead, she struggled to seize everything she desired.

‘So what?’

What’s wrong with being a bit greedy? I’ve always been greedy.

If she hadn’t been, she wouldn’t have worked so hard to become a Senior Mage, started dating Tehis officially, or even come to see Isrion now.

“Master.”

Having finished her thoughts, Chloe opened her mouth. Her eyes, shining like the radiant sun, fixed on the Grand Mage.

The greatest figure of the current era. The strongest, the wisest, the master of the Mage Tower who was revered as a sage.

There was something only he could do.

If that were the case, there was only one course of action for her to take.

“Please help me.”

“Oh?”

Isrion let out a sound of admiration, its meaning unclear. He stared at Chloe before smiling faintly and taking a sip of his tea.

“Your cup is empty.”

He was referring to Chloe’s. It was also a subtle way of saying he would listen to her story if she wanted more tea.

While she swallowed a sigh of relief, the Grand Mage cast a spell. From an invisible space beyond, a fresh pot of tea was brewed and poured into Chloe’s cup. It appeared as if the tea was being refilled by itself.

High-level sight magic, time magic, and space magic were used just for a single cup of tea. It was done as naturally as breathing.

‘The scariest part is that he’s not even showing off.’

That was the kind of person Isrion was. Even without consciously trying, his greatness as an absolute figure radiated effortlessly. Adding to his ability to foresee the future, it was no wonder many mages treated him as a sage.

Chloe hesitated as she raised her cup to drink the tea. The faint scent of Herbia flowers, a gift from Tehis, wafted gently.

‘Did he intentionally brew this?’

The tea she had just drunk earlier was of a different kind. There could only be one reason why he deliberately brought out Herbia now. It was to reveal that he knew the origin of the tea leaves she hadn’t mentioned.

In the end, it was as though she had been dancing in the palm of his hand from the very beginning. By serving Tehis’s tea.

How much had she been deceived? Chloe lost her appetite but consciously drank the tea.

As the familiar tea passed down her throat a couple of times, Isrion asked.

“So, what kind of help do you need?”

Before answering, Chloe took a deep breath. No matter how much he favored her, what she was about to request now was treading a dangerous line.

‘I might get scolded.’

But there was no turning back now. She had no intention of retreating without trying anything.

Though her body was tense with nervousness, her clear eyes turned toward Isrion.

“How much can you change the rules of the Mage Tower?”

Clink.

The Mage Tower Master set his cup down with a sound. His gaze, sharp enough to be intimidating, bore into Chloe, but she didn’t falter and spoke clearly.

“I’ll be honest. I’m not thinking about marriage right now. But I also don’t want to leave Tehis behind just because I’m worried about the end of our relationship. I’ll do my best in this relationship.”

Even if it was a relationship that would eventually end, she wanted to delay that end as much as possible. If she were to be truly greedy, she’d want to continue an endless romance without ever marrying, as if playing a game of pretend.

However, maintaining a relationship with him while staying as a neutral member of the Mage Tower was difficult. Thus, there was only one action she could take.

To escape the rules of the Mage Tower.

Or to adjust the laws of the Mage Tower to suit her.

Either way, it was a near-impossible feat. Even though she was a Senior Mage, the Mage Tower rarely allowed exceptions to its rules.

‘But if it’s Master?’

The current Mage Tower Master, Isrion, was an exception to the rules. While he didn’t act entirely on his whims, he could summon the Elders at any time to tweak the rules a bit if he wished.

The problem was how to gain his assistance.

“You’re not asking me to change the Mage Tower’s rules just so you can date the Grand Duke, are you?”

As expected, his skeptical tone made Chloe swallow hard. When it came to the Mage Tower, Isrion was particularly defensive, and Chloe had no other excuse.

Because he was absolutely right.

She knew from the start that persuading him wouldn’t be easy. So she decided to be shameless.

“Yes, Master. If that’s too difficult, I’d like you to make an exception for me.”

“You speak as if that’s an easy thing, Chloe.”

“I wouldn’t be able to do it myself. But you can, can’t you? What would it cost me?”

At her bold words, Isrion let out a dry laugh. He refilled his own cup with fresh tea and drank it in one gulp.

“…First of all, altering the Mage Tower’s rules isn’t something I can do alone. At the very least, it would require an Elder Council meeting.”

“Then, could you gather the Elders…?”

“And more importantly.”

His unusually dry voice cut her off. Still smiling, but without a hint of humor, Isrion tilted his head slightly.

“I don’t see why I should. The Grand Duke is already stunting your growth, and now you want me to give him wings?”

Chloe pressed her lips together tightly. She had been waiting for this comment to come up, and it appeared at the worst possible moment.

What should she say? That she would focus on the things she had neglected due to the relationship? That she would prioritize research and study as she used to?

Isrion wasn’t a fool. He would see through her uncertainty, and if he foresaw a different future, it might even backfire.

After a moment of hesitation, Chloe chose a safer path. If she couldn’t bring herself to speak first, it might be wiser to leave the decision to him.

“What should I do to earn your help?”

“Hm.”

Isrion tapped his finger against the table—tap, tap. It was his habit when he was deep in thought.

It also meant he was considering an alternative to the pre-determined future he had glimpsed.

Tap, tap, tap.

His finger stopped on the tenth tap. Only then did he slowly voice his conclusion.

“Let’s leave it to Riel.”

“Riel?”

Why is Riel suddenly being mentioned here?

Seeing Chloe’s bewildered expression, Isrion smiled faintly. His expression was oddly playful.

“Yes, Riel. Since you’ll need her approval during the Elder Council meeting anyway, why don’t you try convincing her first?”

“Riel is an Elder?!”

“You didn’t know?”

“Well, she told me she was a High Mage…!”

No wonder things didn’t add up. Right, there’s no way someone like Riel would just be a High Mage.

Feeling betrayed, Chloe pouted. The vague sense of discrepancy she had felt before finally made sense.

Why hadn’t I been told until now? 

She felt disheartened, thinking she hadn’t truly known her closest friend.

But that aside…

“Are you saying that if I get Riel’s approval, you’ll help me?”

“Something like that. If I had to give a reason, I’d say it’s because Riel is the next Mage Tower Master… or so it seems.”

His tone was ambiguous. It sounded as though he was justifying his decision after hastily passing the responsibility to Riel.

In any case, Chloe, who found it easier to deal with a friend than with her master, nodded. Although Riel’s dislike for Tehis was concerning, she couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.

‘I should’ve reconciled the two earlier.’

Swallowing her regret, she glanced at her pendant. She quickly dismissed the idea of involving Tehis in her conversation with Riel. Judging by their last encounter, it would likely end in chaos.

‘Come to think of it, I need to contact him soon.’

She had been putting off warning him about the curse related to the bracelet from the Kingdom of Jeren. Though it wasn’t urgent since it was still morning, she felt anxious, worried he might be waiting.

Still, she wanted to finish what she could before reaching out to him. She wanted to apologize for the last time and explain the reasons behind her actions, letting him know the issue had been resolved.

‘Let’s finish this quickly.’

Get Riel’s approval, report back to Master, and contact Tehis. 

After neatly organizing her schedule in her mind, Chloe stood up.

“I’ll be back, then.”

“Good luck, Chloe.”

***

“Master, you’re like an orc’s nostril.”

“Cough, Riel?”

“Master, you’re like the dirt under a troll’s toenail.”

“Riel, wait.”

“You’re worse than the wrinkles in a goblin’s brain…”

“Riel!”

Chloe was startled and covered her friend’s mouth. She hadn’t expected Riel to suddenly start insulting Isrion after hearing the situation explained.

Ignoring Riel’s sullen gaze, Chloe quickly looked around. She checked to see if Isrion might have overheard before slowly removing her hand.

“What if Master hears you?”

“Let him.”

Riel’s defiant tone left Chloe speechless.

‘Is she going through puberty?’

No, that couldn’t be it.

Feeling dizzy, Chloe shook her head. Though they acted like friends, Riel was much older than she was. Her youthful appearance often made Chloe forget this fact, but she quickly dismissed the thought and asked calmly.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m annoyed.”

Wow. Chloe was genuinely impressed by her bluntness. Riel was probably the only one who could speak so rudely about the Mage Tower Master, whom everyone revered.