“Mind your manners…”
“Manners? Forget it! I don’t care about that! Where is Seraphina?”
Arkhangelo, who seemed utterly indifferent to rank or position, began to throw a tantrum, causing Elisabetta to display a look of annoyance.
Taking advantage of the moment, Raffaelo pressed on.
“Listen, Tower Master. Do you really think Seraphina chose to stay in the tower by her own will? Or do you think you might have done something to make her stay? Do we look that foolish to you? Or perhaps with your intelligence, you might actually believe that.”
Raffaelo’s words were harsh, almost like those of a street thug, but he didn’t care.
Now, tension was thick in the air between them.
Simone briefly glanced at Ghieuspe.
Ghieuspe was usually a quiet man, but when faced with injustice, he was known to speak up. However, at this moment, Ghieuspe remained silent, keeping his lips tightly sealed.
Sensing that Ghieuspe wouldn’t be of much help, he clicked his tongue inwardly and glared at Elisabetta.
“Tower Master, listen carefully. I am going to return to the mainland and formally protest this situation.”
“Hmph.”
“You mentioned that your relationship with the royal family is strained, right? Unfortunately, it seems you’ll be dealing with another inspection from the royal family soon.”
Elisabetta lightly bit her lip, then smiled slightly.
“How frightening. As expected from a former minister, your power is impressive.”
She then nodded towards Ghieuspe.
“But, former minister, this problem can be resolved quite easily. If the young Duke Ascary would just hear me out, that is. Ghieuspe, care for a private chat?”
Simone’s gaze swiftly followed her.
Ghieuspe-
He could only nod in response, without saying a word.
Like a prey standing before a predator.
***
“Ghieuspe, you’ve grown a lot since we last met.”
“………”
“I never thought you’d find yourself a friend.”
“………”
The woman standing before him was Elisabetta Scilla.
The most powerful Magic Tower Master in history and the person Ghieuspe feared the most.
She was once the person he respected the most and believed to be the strongest in the world.
Of course, now that he had relentlessly trained in magic, who knows how wide the gap in their abilities was. But he still feared her.
For the fear imprinted in his bones during childhood is not easily shaken off.
“I’ve locked Lady Viviana in the tower.”
At that moment, Elisabetta said something unexpected.
Ghieuspe was startled. He never expected her to admit it so openly.
“Don’t worry, she’s being well-treated in a nice room.”
“Why…”
“A spatial mage, how interesting, isn’t it? With both you and Lady Viviana in our tower, we might become the best. Perhaps even strong enough that the royal family would not dare to oppose us.”
“………..”
“So, I plan to have Lady Viviana trained at the tower from now on.”
“…That won’t be possible.”
Ghieuspe mustered his courage to say those words, but as soon as he saw Elisabetta’s sharp yellow eyes, he found himself unable to continue.
He detested the feeling of being overwhelmed like this.
“Well, I suppose the tower’s training program might be too difficult for a noble lady who has been raised with such care.”
“………..”
“There’s only one way. You, Ghieuspe, must rescue Lady Viviana.”
“What do you mean…?”
“It’s not difficult. All you need to do is promise that you’ll stay at the tower and work for us.”
Elisabetta murmured her words as if singing.
“Even though you’re technically affiliated with the tower, I know you don’t have any real sense of belonging here. But now, all you have to do is promise to truly dedicate yourself to the tower. Of course, we’ll need to sign a little contract, but that’s all.”
“…What do you want me to do?”
“Well, you’ll oversee the tower’s trainees, serve as a role model, take on requests that come in from outside, and if we ever go to war with the royal family…”
Ghieuspe’s dark eyes met Elisabetta’s yellow ones in midair.
“…Lead the charge for us?”
“………”
To Ghieuspe, that didn’t seem like such a significant task.
Fighting against the royal family would be treason, but if it came to that, he would rather die than live as a traitor. That was just how he felt.
Still, he couldn’t easily decide to return to the tower. His lips felt as if they were nailed shut.
There was a reason he had left the tower of his own accord.
“Of course, I can’t keep Lady Viviana locked up forever. Your friends are all quite remarkable people. But do you think she can hold out until I release her under your pressure?”
Ghieuspe bit his lip.
As Elisabetta had said, Seraphina would not be able to endure the tower. The tower was truly a place that gnawed at a person’s soul—a cruel and terrible place.
“Ghieuspe, think carefully about what you need to do to save Lady Viviana.”
With those words, Elisabetta walked away, as if she already knew what decision he would make.
Ghieuspe, left alone in the center of the tower, felt despair.
Ah, the tower was such a wretched place. He had never imagined he would return here.
The reason he feared the Magic Tower Master was simple.
Whenever he experienced something terrible at the tower, the Magic Tower Master was always the one overseeing it.
***
“So, you’re the young Duke Ascary?”
“Yes, I came here to study at the tower. I look forward to your guidance.”
“There’s one thing you should know.”
When Ghieuspe first met the Magic Tower Master, he admired her.
Seeing her, the strongest Magic Tower Master in history, he nurtured his dreams of becoming a powerful mage.
“In this place, your status means nothing. The only thing that matters here is power.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
The idea that status was irrelevant sounded wonderful to him. He, too, disliked the fact that some mages, who couldn’t even use magic properly, flaunted their status.
‘She’s truly someone worthy of respect.’
And so, Ghieuspe gradually developed a favorable opinion of the Magic Tower Master.
“Here, these are the tower’s experimental tools. I’ll show you how to use them myself.”
“Thank you.”
For the first week, the Magic Tower Master treated Ghieuspe very well.
After a week had passed, the Magic Tower Master asked him,
“So, Ghieuspe, are you enjoying life at the tower?”
“Yes, it’s very enjoyable. I’ve been able to learn a lot.”
“What exactly?”
“In the past, people couldn’t criticize me freely because of my status. That only made me a more foolish person. But here, I feel like I’m experiencing real learning.”
“Ah, so you like that you’re given the opportunity to learn regardless of your status.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Hearing this, the Magic Tower Master smiled with satisfaction.
“Ghieuspe, I completely agree with that sentiment. I believe that by shedding our status, we can dream of a brighter future.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The important thing is ‘ability.’ Who our parents are doesn’t matter. We should be judged by our abilities, not by such foolish standards as lineage.”
“That’s true. Those with ability should be given more recognition. People should work harder to develop their skills.”
“Yes, and that way, society will become more efficient and constructive. Everyone will work harder for a better life.”
At first, the Magic Tower Master’s philosophy seemed natural. Ghieuspe quickly accepted it.
