113 – Magic Tower – 2
“Serena, is this your first visit to the Mage Tower?”
“Yes, lord. I had no reason to go.”
“Have you ever heard of what the Magic Tower is?”
“I know it’s a place where people who use magic are confined.”
It’s a place where people who use magic are confined. Serena’s use of this expression must have been due to the fact that her relationship with the magician, Charlotte, was a mess.
Well, that wasn’t entirely wrong.
People’s general perception of the Mage Tower was that it was a place where wizards would stay inside and study new spells all day long, while using magic to play all sorts of mischief.
It was only natural that the majority of people would not even feel it even if they were enthusiastic about developing a new magic.
Moreover, no matter what kind of research mages conduct in the Mage Tower, Charlotte produces better results much faster and more conveniently.
Even among those authors, the custom of asking Charlotte for advice after a long waiting time when they get stuck while researching magic is taken for granted.
Looking at this, I wonder why the mage tower and wizards exist, but those humans weren’t completely useless.
Like the production of low-level mana stones for the operation of the transfer door, it was so insignificant that Charlotte did not feel the need to touch it.
And once entering the Mage’s Tower, it was the same as the meaning of success to the wizards.
No matter how differentiated payments are made depending on the position, research funds come out all the time, and at least it is a workplace where accommodations are provided. It was natural to want to enter.
It’s much better than setting up a private workshop and waiting for a request that might come in at any time, or jumping into a risky adventure job and making a living from day to day.
What’s more, when it comes to the owner of a mage tower, his status is equal to that of quite a few low-ranking nobles.
Although the highest position that wizards can climb is the Royal Wizards, the wizards belonging to the Mage Tower were also a very attractive option.
If only it could be.
“Then you don’t even know how many Mage Towers there are in the kingdom’s capital?”
“……I heard in passing that the royal mage corps said there were 8 of them.”
At my question, Serena seemed to be worried for a moment, then answered with hesitation. He didn’t seem very confident.
It was just a question to continue the conversation, but it seemed like he was thinking that if I couldn’t answer, I would be disappointed.
Serena’s expression noticeably brightened when he stroked her hair a couple of times to stop worrying about unnecessary things.
I guess I really thought so.
“Eight of them. One for each direction north, south, east, and west. And one for each direction in between. I’m familiar with it.”
“Is that so.”
Her voice didn’t change much from usual, but when I praised her, her expression showed a sense of pride. If it had a tail, it would swing vigorously from side to side.
“I don’t know why there are 8 of them? I just asked, so don’t be disappointed and don’t apologize.”
“Yes. I don’t know that far.”
“This is the center of the kingdom. Not in a metaphorical sense, but the real center. Wouldn’t it be easier to understand without misunderstanding if we changed the word to express it in the middle?”
People often use the word that the capital is the center of the kingdom, but it had two meanings.
First of all, it means that it is the most developed area in the kingdom because all the people who say they have some money or some skills gather and sell all kinds of goods and skills.
Second, it means that physically this capital is in the middle of the land occupied by the kingdom.
“Why is this place in the middle of the kingdom… I don’t think you’ll like Serena very much, so let’s just move on.”
The reason the capital was located right in the middle of the kingdom was, of course, because of Charlotte.
The royal palace where you will live must be at the center of everything.
Once she made her decision, there was nothing that could stop Charlotte, and as soon as she made her decision, she set about renovating the entire site to become the capital.
It was a grand project to create a new magic that permanently changed the nearby climate, fix the seasons, and even create a new water source by shaving away the mountain.
After a week of renovation work, the kingdom’s capital was in the best condition, with a year-round warmth, perfectly flat terrain, and even incredibly clean rivers and lakes.
In fact, it’s even more astonishing that the crazy thing that changed the terrain and climate took only a week.
When Serena heard this, there was no way she would like it.
“There are a total of 8 transfer doors in the capital. Serena and you must have used them too.
It has eight directions: east, west, north, south, southeast, northeast, southwest, and northwest. According to Charlotte’s words, setting up a portal in the right direction consumes fewer mana stones.
It probably doesn’t matter much to Charlotte, who can open a transition door that extends from end to end of the continent very easily, but it doesn’t matter to other wizards.
“That’s why there are 8 magic towers. There are 8 transfer doors in total, one for each direction.”
“If so, are we going to be stopped by the northern mage tower or the northwest mage tower?”
Serena, as if already getting the gist of what I was saying, noticed the direction we were moving and was asking if we were heading north.
“No. What am I supposed to do when I stop by a place like that? I can’t even use magic, and you’re also far from magic.”
“Didn’t your lord say you were going to the Mage Tower?”
“That’s right. I’m going to the Magic Tower now.”
“And the direction we’re going is north.”
“That’s right too.”
“…?”
Serena tilted her head with a look of incomprehensibility.
“Didn’t I just say there were 8 mage towers?”
“Yes, lord.”
“Actually, the royal wizards got it wrong. There are not 8 mage towers.”
“…”
For a moment, Serena’s eyes lit up with life. As a sign of calming down, I put a chestnut on my forehead, and my life immediately dissipated.
I think it’s embarrassing that you gave me false information, but I’m not in a position to say anything about it at the point Serena just passed by and overheard the conversation between them in the first place.
“There are a total of 9 magic towers. As I said earlier, one for each direction. And now, including the place I am going to, there are 9 of them.”
Serena looked like she couldn’t understand. It was worth it. I just finished explaining that there were 8, but now I have 9.
Even if you’re like me, you’d want to know what bullshit that is.
“You don’t understand?”
“I don’t… I understand, lord.”
“You don’t have to hide it. Since I never told you, it’s only natural that you don’t know.”
I was going to say yes, but I changed my words in a hurry, and I smiled lightly at Serena who made a clumsy gap between words.
“Probably most of this kingdom doesn’t even know that the Mage Tower exists. At best, it’s just me, you, and Charlotte.”
When I stopped talking, Serena naturally stopped behind me. In front of Serena and me was a mansion with a large garden.
The main entrance was firmly locked with a thick metal gate, and a sharp metal fence blocked the side of the main gate. The height of the fence was well over twice my height.
Serena still didn’t understand my behavior. Why did you come to this place even though you said you were going to the Magic Tower?
“Here.”
“Are you saying that this is the 9th Mage Tower your lord said?”
“And it’s also my magic tower.”
Leaving behind Serena, who blinked at my words, I approached the front door of the mansion and grabbed the doorknob. Then, with strength in his hand, he turned it sideways and pulled it.
At that moment, all sorts of thorns came out of the front door and pierced me all over. With the sound of flesh being torn, the whole body was pierced by thorns and hacked to pieces.
Blood leaked out of the pierced hole and ran down his leg. The hand holding the doorknob was also pierced by dozens of tiny thorns.
“Lord!”
Serena, who had stiffened for a moment at the unexpected situation, spat out a panic and tried to run towards me, but I calmed her down with a hand gesture. Seeing my gestures, Serena hesitated.
As he stimulated regeneration, the thorns that had pierced his body were pushed back. The thorns that escaped from my body disappeared as if they were scattered into the air.
I didn’t care and held onto the doorknob and was about to pull with force, when Serena hurriedly ran to my side.
“Master, are you all right?”
“I’m always fine. Are you surprised?”
“…If the lord hadn’t stopped it, this door would have been completely torn to pieces.”
“It’s fortunate that it dried up. If it did, this whole area would have been blown away.”
What pierced my body just now was a kind of defensive magic that Charlotte cast. It was for the purpose of confirming that the being approaching this place was really me.
Charlotte could easily dismantle that defensive magic, so it didn’t matter, and I just had to deal with it like before and recover.
It can be said that recognizing the existence of this magic and avoiding it is virtually impossible. Serena-class should barely react.
No normal person would even try to open the front door of an empty mansion in a corner like this, so it doesn’t matter if you just kill everyone who tries to open the door.
“Oh, Serena, hold on.”
“Yes, lord. Please speak.”
“Because there are still four more defense spells left? So—”
Back away, before I could finish my words, the front door twisted once more.
The doorknob sucked my hand inward and secured it firmly. It was as if his hand was buried inside the door. I heard the sound of my hand being sucked into it.
The feet glowed blue. Then, the thorns came out again and tried to pierce me, but at one point Serena pulled out the World Eater and cut them all off.
Serena stood next to me, her World Eater half drawn from its scabbard. The severed thorns turned into blue particles and disappeared.
Serena said calmly.
“Three now, lord?”
