“Enough, I don’t wish to continue this conversation any further.”
Ghieuspe was surprised that the subject recognized him, and he was once again certain that he was a noble. However, because the subject refused to talk, Ghieuspe could no longer continue the conversation.
And not talking was indeed the wise choice.
“Ugh….”
He had to witness the subject writhing in pain afterward.
Building a connection with him was truly a foolish thing to do.
One day, as Ghieuspe sat in front of the laboratory, deliberately ignoring the subject’s pain, the subject spoke first.
“It would be better if you made a choice.”
“…….…?”
“Either become a villain entirely or a good person. Staying in between like you is only going to cause you suffering.”
“…….….”
“If both are difficult, then just keep your mouth shut as you have been. It’s better to remain silent than to offer excuses.”
Ah, upon hearing those words, Ghieuspe thought he might remain silent forever.
He wasn’t shameless enough to make excuses for what he had done.
Nor was he brave enough to confront the Magic Tower Master.
Thus, he continued to endure the nightmare in the tower for a long time afterward….
‘Yes, that’s how I’ve lived.’
Even though he hated the Tower, he continued to work as a mage under it.
He had nowhere else to go.
People couldn’t imagine Ghieuspe being afraid of anything, but he was terrified of the Tower.
He was terrified of the Magic Tower Master.
That’s why, even when the Magic Tower Master took Seraphina hostage and threatened him, he couldn’t bring himself to speak out against her.
‘I………’
Due to the situation between him and the Magic Tower Master, others were getting dragged into it and suffering as well.
Ghieuspe found that unbearably difficult.
He felt guilty towards Seraphina, and everything seemed to be his fault due to his indecisiveness.
But he couldn’t even bring himself to say that he would return to the Tower….
So Ghieuspe simply bowed his head in front of the Magic Tower Master and remained silent.
***
“So, what did you discuss with the Tower Master!”
As soon as Ghieuspe returned, Arkhangelo shouted at him.
However, Ghieuspe couldn’t give an answer.
It was clear that whatever the case, the negotiations had failed and Seraphina hadn’t been returned, causing Arkhangelo’s handsome face to twist in anger.
“What are you hesitating about! What’s the problem!”
“The Tower Master wants me.”
Eventually, Ghieuspe explained the situation in a slow, deliberate voice.
“She wants to keep me tied to the Tower, so she’s taken Seraphina hostage.”
“Hmm….”
Even the irritable Arkhangelo couldn’t say, ‘Then you stay here and bring Seraphina back.’ After all, Arkhangelo did consider Ghieuspe a friend.
“Tell the Tower Master that we can’t agree to that! We will take both you and Seraphina out of this tower!”
“…….….”
“If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to face the Tower Master head-on, won’t we?”
“…Do you think you can win?”
“Hmph, you’re the ones who will fight, not me. You all know that I’m of no help in a fight. But if you’d like, I can sing a song for you on the sidelines.”
It was an audacious statement, but it was just the kind of thing Arkhangelo would say, so no one objected.
Raffaelo, who had been listening to their conversation, chimed in as if agreeing with Arkhangelo.
“Yes, Ghieuspe. We might not be able to win outright, but if we combine our efforts, we can rescue Seraphina. How about infiltrating the tower and saving her rather than facing them directly?”
“…….….”
“Ghieuspe, you seem unusually frightened.”
Finally, Simone, who had been listening to the conversation, spoke up.
“I understand what you’re afraid of.”
His voice was deep and brooding, as if he were recalling a dark past, but his eyes were sharp as they focused on Ghieuspe.
“Yes, the Tower is a truly terrifying place. You’ve spent years here, so it’s understandable that you fear the Tower and the Tower Master. I fully understand. But even so….”
His blue eyes flashed with resolve.
“I’m going to save Seraphina.”
There was a clear determination in his voice, causing Raffaelo to pause, momentarily taken aback. It was rare for Simone to be this passionate.
Come to think of it, Simone had always seemed to dislike the Tower, and his sensitivity to Seraphina’s capture was likely because of that.
“I………”
“I’m not asking you to come along. I hate the Tower, and now is the perfect opportunity to settle that grudge.”
Simone’s voice was as cold as his expression, which was unusual for him. Arkhangelo also suddenly stood up.
“I’ll go too!”
“…To sing a song, perhaps?”
“Hmph, even so, I’m smart. I might be able to help you find your way in the tower.”
Simone let Arkhangelo follow him but stopped to look back at Raffaelo, who was also rising from his seat.
“Raffaelo, you should stay with Ghieuspe.”
“…Okay, got it.”
Raffaelo nodded, looking troubled but understanding Simone’s intentions.
He didn’t know why his friends were so extreme, but there was no one else who could keep an eye on Ghieuspe.
As Simone and Arkhangelo left the room, Ghieuspe barely managed to say one word.
“…Be careful.”
***
“What is this, I’m like a princess kidnapped by the Demon King.”
I grumbled as I furiously poked the door lock with a hairpin that had been in my hair.
Isn’t my situation just like a princess in a fairytale?
My attempt to open the door with the hairpin ended in failure. After all, it’s no surprise—I’ve never tried to pick a lock before.
“How am I supposed to get out of here?”
Of course, I trusted the other guys. Surely, they wouldn’t abandon me.
Simone promised to help me, Arkhangelo, despite his grumbling, is secretly kind, Raffaelo is loyal, and Ghieuspe is a responsible person….
So, they would come to rescue me, but whether they could defeat the Magic Tower Master was another matter.
After all, the Magic Tower Master might be the strongest person in the kingdom!
Of course, I diligently looked for a way to escape on my own, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find one.
This room didn’t even have a single window!
“Ah! Elisabetta, you crazy woman!”
I started to wonder if there were any sane women in this world. Is this the author’s preference? Does the author like crazy women? Hmm, it’s possible.
“Damn, is magic the only option after all?”
But with the magic I had, I couldn’t escape from the room.
At least, not with ‘ordinary’ magic.
At times like this…
“Should I use the ‘random space magic’ after all?”
I had been avoiding it because there’s a penalty if I can’t prove it, but it seemed like I had no choice but to use that magic now.
I tightly closed my eyes and released the magic, then spoke the keyword.
“Focus!”
As blue light enveloped me, a semi-transparent question appeared in the air.
[Prove the ‘Heron’s formula.’]
“Ah, I know this!”
I quickly began reviewing the formula.
Heron’s formula is used to find the area of a triangle using the lengths of its three sides.
According to Heron’s formula, if a triangle has side lengths a, b, and c, then the area S is….
The proof was quickly completed.
‘Please, let the readers be generous and not find this boring.’
The magic succeeded, and a bright light burst forth.
