IBTVGFTWML | Chapter 22

“At the Mage Tower?”

I was in the middle of enjoying a meat feast in the dining hall, courtesy of the head chef, who had decided to throw a party after receiving a freshly caught wild boar from the mountains. As I elegantly cut a piece of meat and took a bite, Billy unexpectedly brought up the topic.

He mentioned that the Mage Tower had sent word, requesting my presence. They apparently had some questions about life in territories like the sheep domain, where mages were scarce. But to call an ordinary beastfolk—who wasn’t even a mage—to the intimidating Mage Tower for such reasons?

Knowing the reputation the Mage Tower held on this continent, the mere thought of going there left me terrified.

Sending a letter was one thing, a task I somehow mustered the courage to complete. But going there in person? That was a completely different matter. Trembling slightly, I thought back to the Mage Tower depicted in the original story.

‘It feels like I’ve been dodging death more times than I can count since I ended up here.’

Billy, observing my reaction, glanced at Ed, who was eating diligently for once, slicing his meat and savoring the barbecue dipped in sweet sauce.

“Ed, you’re coming too.”

Switching back to his usual brusque tone, Billy spoke to Ed, who was just about to take a bite of barbecue.

“Yes,” Ed replied in a flat tone, his attention never leaving the barbecue.

“Seriously…”

The more I observed them, the more certain I became—they were undoubtedly family.

They say similar personalities don’t attract, and Billy and Ed were a prime example of that.

There wasn’t even a tearful reunion to witness when they first met. Since arriving at the Louvre mansion, there hadn’t been a single instance of what one might call warm familial interaction between them.

Still, they didn’t seem awkward with each other either. They just appeared to interact naturally, according to their personalities, which was a relief in itself.

While they might find this dynamic comfortable, being caught between them made me feel awkward for no reason at all.

‘I wonder what the Mage Tower will be like…’

All I could think about was answering their questions quickly and returning without any trouble.

I had earned the title of the first bold beastfolk to send a letter to the Mage Tower, but I never imagined they would summon me in person.

Hearing that the current Tower Master was a friend of Billy’s gave me some reassurance.

The Tower Master described in the original story wasn’t particularly frightening or cruel, so meeting him would surely be easier than facing the infamous former Tower Master.

That said, with Ed accompanying us, I decided to tread carefully and speak as little as possible. If I slipped up and let something critical slip…

‘No, that mustn’t happen.’

I didn’t even want to imagine it.

 

***

 

As a rule, teleportation magic couldn’t be used to travel to the Mage Tower. This principle applied not just to the Tower but to all domains on the continent.

While inter-domain teleportation magic would undoubtedly make daily life more convenient, history had proven it to be the source of countless wars across the continent, leading to its outright prohibition.

The most recent conflict was a territorial dispute between the wolf domain and the snow leopard domain. I’d heard that Billy, who was about Ed’s age at the time, had been caught up in that war.

That was why we had to travel by carriage when moving from the sheep domain to the wolf domain. Fortunately, the continent was relatively small, making travel manageable. Otherwise, it could have been an arduous journey.

Naturally, I assumed we’d be taking a carriage to the Mage Tower as well.

So why…

“Is this allowed?”

Before I could even blink, the scenery around me had completely changed, leaving me to mutter dazedly.

I’d walked out into the garden, expecting to board a carriage, but the garden’s lush and beautiful greenery had been replaced by eerie plants, a towering structure, and barren, desolate land.

And what was up with the purple-tinted sky, as though this place existed in an entirely different world?

Was this even the Mage Tower, or was it some kind of demon’s castle?

I swallowed my endless questions about the exterior.

‘Once we go inside, it’ll probably be full of carnivorous beastfolk…’

Most of the mages in the Mage Tower were carnivorous beastfolk. I hadn’t even fully adjusted to the servants at the Louvre mansion yet, and now I was being thrown into a place like this?

Unaware of my despair, Billy and Ed stepped into the Mage Tower without hesitation.

Reluctantly, I followed them inside, only to be left speechless by the stark contrast between the exterior and the interior.

I instinctively covered my open mouth with both hands.

I’d never seen anything more extravagant than the Louvre mansion’s interiors, but the Mage Tower surpassed even that.

The walls and floors shimmered with marble and gold, and the ceiling was adorned with a magnificent painting that exuded grandeur. A spiral staircase hugged the wall, leading to the upper floors.

In the center hung an opulent chandelier. As I took in the dazzling sight, I began to question if this was truly the Mage Tower I’d imagined.

Just then, a beastfolk who seemed more zombie than alive shuffled toward us weakly.

“Apologies for being late. You must be the Tower Master’s guests?”

Introducing herself as the mage assigned to guide us for the day, she led Ed and me further inside, while Billy disappeared, saying he had business to discuss with the Tower Master.

Our guide was a hyena beastfolk with streaks of gray in her black hair, almost like natural highlights.

She led us into a laboratory bustling with mages conducting various experiments.

“Please wait here for a moment,” she said before disappearing somewhere.

Left alone, Ed and I sat in a corner, but I couldn’t shake off the intense stares directed our way.

There were five mages in the lab. None of them were herbivorous beastfolk. Not a single one.

Pressing myself against the corner of the wall, I noticed Ed following my lead and sitting beside me.

Rumble.

“Lady Remi, the chair is shaking,” Ed said.

“It’s just your imagination,” I replied, trying to dismiss it.

I wanted to become one with the wall and disappear.

It was then that I noticed the mages whispering about us. Though I couldn’t hear them, I could see their lips moving as they cast sidelong glances in our direction.

“What are they talking about?”

Judging by their expressions, it didn’t seem like anything good. I strained my ears to catch what they were saying, but the occasional words that reached me only irritated me further.

“…young… riding on family name… Mage Tower…”

Honestly, just hearing “riding on family name” was enough to give me a rough idea of the topic.

It was common for beastfolk to feel envy or jealousy when they saw someone from a prestigious family. They were probably talking about Ed.

They were whispering too quietly for me to catch more, but I started talking to Ed to make sure he didn’t overhear.

“Ed, did you come here during your last Mage Tower visit?”

“No, I only went to the top of the tower and the middle floors.”

We continued chatting about trivial things as we waited for the hyena mage to return. After a while, she came rushing into the lab, looking even paler than before.

“U-Um, it seems you’ll need to wait a little longer. The Tower Master is still dealing with some urgent matters…”

“…The Tower Master?”

I had assumed I’d just chat with a mage or two and then leave.

“W-Wait, are you saying the person who has questions is…”

“Yes, it’s the Tower Master.”

My jaw practically hit the floor.

A flood of ominous rumors about the Tower Master surfaced in my mind. The image of the Tower Master as practically a demon was still firmly etched into my brain.

The only thing I could rely on was the fact that his personality was supposedly better than that of the previous Tower Master.

“Th-Then why is Ed coming along…?”

“Oh, I heard the Tower Master invited him because he enjoyed his last visit to the Mage Tower.”

Ah.

When I turned to look at Ed after hearing that, I noticed the faint blush blooming on his cheeks. That was the telltale sign—he was excited.

“Does he think the Mage Tower is a playground?”

The lab fell silent for a moment. The mage who had made the comment seemed to realize their voice had been too loud and hurriedly covered their mouth.

But by then, everyone in the room had heard it.

Even Ed, who was now sitting gloomily beside me.

“They’ve gone too far…”

Frowning at the situation, I made up my mind and stood up. While I didn’t dare approach the mages, I planned to address them from where I was.

‘Ed is a certified candidate vetted by the Mage Tower itself. Surely they know he’s not here just to fool around?’

Alright, I’ll say it like this.

I opened my mouth to deliver the words I had prepared in my head.

 

[1. What does it matter to you whether this kid came here to play or not? If you’re so upset, why don’t you take it up with the Tower Master?

2. For someone who’s supposed to be a Mage Tower mage, it’s pathetic to see you wallowing in your inferiority complex. Makes me wonder what kind of education the Tower Master is providing.
3. The fact that you’re so bothered by a kid just shows the Mage Tower’s level, doesn’t it?.]

 

“…”

My trembling eyes stared at the shocking choices that seemed determined to lead me into disaster.

It was probably because the topic involved Ed, but every single option was laced with a confrontational tone that promised trouble.

While any of them might increase Ed’s favorability toward me, I wasn’t sure I’d even have the chance to stay near him to build up that favorability in the future.

I shifted my nervous gaze from the choices to the mage who had made the comment. They were the one standing furthest away, with a muscular build that seemed completely out of place among the frail-looking mages. Clearly, this wasn’t an opponent I could physically deal with, like the chimpanzee last time.

“Lady Remi?”

As what felt like an eternity of silence passed, a system message appeared in front of me, as though ready to push me into the flames.

 

[Selection time has expired. If no choice is made within 5 seconds, a random option will be selected automatically.]

 

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