Chapter 249

The Gray Magic Tower

Wow. So only the outside looked respectable.

That was my first thought after stepping inside the tower.

Cobwebs stretched across the corners of the walls, and the entire first-floor corridor looked desolate. There were obvious traces showing that decorations or equipment had once been mounted here, but now only empty grooves remained, surrounded by dusty walls whose uneven coloration betrayed everything that had been removed.

“Y-you said you came from House Ludwig?”

The old man who had let us inside asked in a trembling voice.

“Yes. We came to introduce Sir Karath.”

The steward handed him what appeared to be my letter of introduction, then stepped back as though his responsibility had ended there.

“A pleasure to meet you. My name is Karath.”

“I-I am Hurf, a mage of the Gray Magic Tower. But what brings someone as young as yourself to our tower...?”

“The truth is, I happened to discover a dungeon in the Grimwood Mountains. According to the writings left inside, the mage who owned it had once belonged to the Gray Magic Tower.”

“W-what was his name?”

Hurf suddenly shouted with enough force to make me wonder where an old man like him had found the energy. His hands and feet were trembling so violently that I briefly worried he might collapse.

“His name was Renstein.”

“O-oh... heavens.”

Hurf stared at me with a strange mixture of emotions. Regret, joy, anxiety, excitement, and several others I could not easily identify all churned together in his eyes.

“Y-you truly discovered Lord Renstein’s dungeon?”

“Ahem.”

The steward standing behind me spoke in a flat voice.

“Are you suggesting that the guarantee of House Ludwig cannot be trusted?”

“N-no! Of course not! I would never dare suggest such a thing!”

Hurf nearly jumped out of his skin.

The authority of House Ludwig really was impressive.

“I was simply shocked that someone so young succeeded where even the Gray Wolf failed.”

The Gray Wolf?

That was an unexpected name.

“By the Gray Wolf, do you mean Roberto, the Mercenary King?”

“Of course. Is there another man on the continent who bears that title?”

“Did Roberto once search for Renstein’s dungeon?”

“Yes.”

Hurf’s expression darkened.

“Our tower entrusted the Mercenary Guild with the request using everything we had left. In the end, the expedition failed. Of everyone who accepted the mission, only the Gray Wolf returned alive.”

So that was why Roberto had once collapsed in such a miserable state near the Bloodclaw Tribe.

I had learned all sorts of things from him, yet he had never mentioned searching for a dungeon.

The world really is strange.

Roberto had nearly died trying to find that place.

Meanwhile, I had discovered it by accident while being chased by a Drake.

“Oh! What am I doing standing here? I should take you to the Tower Master!”

Hurf finally recovered from his shock.

As soon as he prepared to guide us deeper inside, the steward turned toward me.

“Then I will return to the ducal estate.”

Before leaving, he added one final message.

“His Grace asked me to tell you that he sincerely hopes you find what you came here seeking.”

His encouragement sounded as businesslike as everything else he did. Then he turned, opened the old rusted door with a long creak, and left the tower.

Once the steward was gone, Wiggins and I followed Hurf through the shabby corridor until we reached a stone staircase and began climbing.

“Huff... huff...”

With every step, Hurf breathed harder.

His legs were trembling even more violently than before, though this time it had nothing to do with excitement.

“...Are you all right?”

“Huff... perfectly... huff... fine.”

He did not look remotely fine.

“We used to... huff... have magical stairs... huff... like the other towers...”

Hurf stopped halfway up, stretched his back, and took a deep breath.

“But ten years ago, we handed over the last few artifacts we possessed as payment to the Mercenary Guild. So now we have nothing.”

“...”

Why was this so depressing?

He was starting to remind me of the Bloodclaw Tribe in its poorest days.

At the same time, another concern grew inside me.

Does a place in this condition really have anything that can help me reach the Sixth or Seventh Circle?

After several more minutes climbing beside the pitiful old mage, we finally reached another floor.

“Haa... this... huff... is the Tower Master’s room.”

Hurf knocked.

“Tower Master. Guests have arrived from House Ludwig.”

“...”

No response.

Hurf stood there awkwardly for a moment, then released a deep sigh.

“Tower Master! Guests from House Ludwig have arrived! One of them discovered Lord Renstein’s dungeon!”

BANG!

“What?!”

The door flew open the instant the words Renstein’s dungeon left Hurf’s mouth.

A thin, severe-looking old man burst from the room before Hurf had even finished speaking.

The man, presumably the Tower Master, snapped his gaze between Wiggins and me so violently that I wondered whether something was wrong with his neck.

“This gentleman here.”

Hurf pointed toward me.

The frantic movement stopped instantly.

The Tower Master stared at me for several seconds, then suddenly straightened his posture and extended his hand.

“A pleasure. I am Bongtreol, Tower Master of the Gray Magic Tower.”

“Karath. Likewise.”

“It would be discourteous to keep a guest standing. Please, come inside.”

The moment our handshake ended, he ushered Wiggins and me into the room.

“You may return downstairs.”

As soon as we entered, Bongtreol began closing the door on Hurf.

Thud.

“...Could I rest here for just a moment?”

Hurf desperately grabbed the door before it shut.

His thin legs were still trembling.

“If you do not return downstairs, who will guard the tower entrance?”

“It’s not as though anyone else is going to come.”

Hurf muttered quietly, apparently hoping not to embarrass the tower in front of outsiders.

Unfortunately for him, my hearing was excellent.

“Ahem! How do you know some promising young soul is not walking through our door at this very moment?”

“What child would willingly join this tower?”

“Ahem!”

Bongtreol hurriedly raised his voice while repeatedly glancing toward Wiggins and me, clearly worried that we might have heard.

I had heard everything.

“Endure it a little longer. I will not forget your efforts. I shall teach you another Fourth Circle spell.”

“That will be incredibly useful, I’m sure.”

“Think carefully. Did we not receive a guest today who discovered Lord Renstein’s dungeon?”

“Ah!”

Hurf suddenly looked as though he had attained enlightenment.

“Leave the tower entrance to me, Tower Master!”

Then he hurried away.

What a mess.

No other phrase described this place better.

“Ahem. Let us sit.”

Bongtreol pretended nothing had happened and gestured toward the table in the middle of the room.

The instant we took our seats, he leaned toward me with the expression of a starving man who had just discovered an oasis.

“So... you truly found Lord Renstein’s dungeon?”

“Yes. I discovered it by chance in the Grimwood Mountains.”

Gulp.

Bongtreol swallowed audibly.

“And what, exactly, remained inside?”

“It felt more like a laboratory than a dungeon. Most of what remained consisted of magical books and research texts.”

There was no reason to mention the mana stones I had consumed or the illusion bracelet I was currently wearing.

“Ooooooh!”

Bongtreol nearly shook with emotion.

“The heavens have not abandoned us after all! Then... do you remember the route to the dungeon?”

“I do, but why?”

“Why else? We must return there and recover the books!”

“That place?”

That would be troublesome.

The surrounding region already belonged to the Greenskin Alliance. Anyone travelling there would eventually encounter artificial roads, settlements, or perhaps even one of our cities.

More importantly, every useful book from Renstein’s dungeon had already been moved to the Grand Chief’s residence.

“I’m afraid there would be nothing to gain from returning. The dungeon collapsed.”

“W-what?!”

Bongtreol looked like a man who had just received news of a terminal illness.

“Surely some books survived beneath the ruins?”

He clung to the possibility with desperate hope.

I shook my head and delivered the final blow.

“I originally entered the dungeon while fleeing from a Drake. On the day I left, I fought that Drake. Its breath burned everything remaining inside, and the dungeon itself collapsed during the battle.”

The life seemed to leave Bongtreol’s face.

He was already thin and old enough to look half-dead.

Now he looked ready to die properly.

“Do not worry. The dungeon may be gone, but the knowledge Renstein left behind still exists.”

His eyes immediately regained focus.

“Did you discover clues leading to another dungeon?”

“No.”

“Then where is the knowledge?”

“Here.”

I pointed toward my head.

Bongtreol stared blankly for a moment.

Then his expression gradually transformed into disbelief.

“Are you saying you read and memorized every book in the dungeon?”

“Not memorized.”

I shook my head.

“Understood.”

I was no genius capable of remembering nearly a hundred books word for word.

Understanding their principles was a different matter.

“Understood...?”

Bongtreol stared at my arms, then my shoulders, then my arms again.

“Are you telling me you are actually a mage?”

Chapter 250

The Gray Magic Tower

“Sir Karath is a Fifth Circle mage whose ability is guaranteed by House Ludwig,” Wiggins immediately declared. “And as a Third Circle mage of the Azure Flame Tower, I can personally confirm his magical skill.”

Apparently, the lessons I had given Wiggins during our journey had turned him into my enthusiastic advocate.

“You mean that with that...”

Bongtreol’s gaze drifted toward my build.

“With that age, you have already reached the Fifth Circle?”

He had clearly been about to say something else.

“Yes!” Wiggins answered before I could. “And Sir Karath reached the Fifth Circle entirely through self-study, without receiving guidance from any Magic Tower. I have never heard of another mage accomplishing the same thing at his age.”

Listening to Wiggins praise me so passionately reminded me of the people of the alliance.

“Hahahaha! Then this must truly be Lord Renstein’s blessing.”

This time, Bongtreol launched into praise of Renstein instead.

“What sort of magnificent works must he have left behind for a young man to teach himself all the way to the Fifth Circle?”

“Was Renstein truly that important to this tower?”

“Of course.”

Bongtreol’s face softened with reverence.

“More than a century ago, Lord Renstein entered the Grimwood Mountains to reorganize and refine the magical theories of the Gray Magic Tower.”

He sighed nostalgically.

“Our methods have always been somewhat difficult and complicated, especially for beginners. Lord Renstein wished to correct that weakness.”

“I see.”

“And judging by the result standing before me, his research must have been extraordinarily successful.”

Bongtreol looked at me with the satisfied expression of someone thinking, A Fifth Circle mage at your age after studying alone is proof enough.

Then his smile broadened.

“So you have come to return Lord Renstein’s lost knowledge to the Gray Magic Tower.”

Apparently, the old man had gotten far ahead of himself.

“No.”

“...What?”

“I did not come here to hand everything over.”

“W-what do you mean? The knowledge you learned belongs to the Gray Magic Tower!”

“It belongs to Renstein, does it not? I never received any help from this tower while learning magic.”

“How can you say that? Even if you never met Lord Renstein personally, you inherited his knowledge. That makes you his disciple in all but name. And if you are his disciple, then surely you are also a disciple of the Gray Magic Tower.”

I considered that.

“That logic does make sense.”

Bongtreol brightened.

“Then since my master was active around a hundred years ago, would that not make my seniority within the tower higher than yours?”

“!!!”

Bongtreol’s eyes widened so far I feared they might fall out.

Bringing Wiggins was definitely the right decision.

I had learned how Magic Towers handled master-disciple seniority during our journey.

Still, I had pushed the old man enough.

It was time to loosen the rope.

“I am not saying I will never share Renstein’s knowledge with you. If that were my intention, I would not have come here.”

Bongtreol swallowed and waited.

“As I already mentioned, I have reached the Fifth Circle. I have no intention of stopping there.”

I leaned forward slightly.

“If you allow me to study the Gray Magic Tower’s texts concerning Sixth Circle magic and above, then I will share the knowledge Renstein left behind.”

“I-impossible!”

Bongtreol immediately recoiled.

“How could I show treasures of our tower to someone who has only just arrived?”

A smile crept onto my face.

So the advanced magical texts still exist.

That was the entire reason I had come.

The tower might be nearly bankrupt, but fortunately, its most important books had survived.

“A visitor?”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Didn’t you just say I am effectively Renstein’s disciple and therefore a disciple of the Gray Magic Tower?”

“Th-that is...”

“Why make this difficult?”

I continued before he could recover.

“If you show me those books, I will return Renstein’s knowledge to the tower. With what I provide, you could reorganize everything from the First through Fifth Circles.”

I let the next part sink in.

“And if the books you show me allow me to reach the Sixth Circle, would that not be an enormous blessing for the Gray Magic Tower?”

Sixth Circle mages were rare even across the entire continent.

If this half-dead tower produced one, its name would inevitably spread.

Apparently Bongtreol finally reached the same conclusion.

His eyes began trembling.

I could practically see the argument unfolding inside them.

Show him? Don’t show him? Show him? Don’t show him?

Then, just as he seemed ready to make a decision...

BANG!

The door exploded open.

“Damn it. What kind of Magic Tower doesn’t even have enchanted stairs?”

A swaggering middle-aged man entered, accompanied by two younger men.

Chapter 251

The Gray Magic Tower

“Huff... Tower Master... huff... guests from the Foxy Merchant Company... huff... have arrived.”

Behind the three men stood Hurf, his face pale.

Apparently, after climbing down five floors of stone stairs, he had been forced to turn around and climb all the way back up because new visitors had arrived.

At this rate, he was going to ascend a staircase to the afterlife before he ever made it back to the entrance.

“What is the meaning of this rudeness?!”

Perhaps embarrassed to have his room stormed in front of us, Bongtreol’s face turned crimson.

“Tower Master of the Gray Magic Tower, the one being rude here is you.”

The middle-aged man answered with a lazy smile.

“How long do you intend to continue breaking your agreement?”

Hmm?

I decided to watch.

Jumping into someone else’s dispute without understanding the circumstances was one of the fastest ways to create unnecessary trouble.

“My disciples will return in a month! I told you I will be able to honor the agreement then!”

“Hah. Do you think the Foxy Merchant Company is a joke?”

The man snorted.

“We already gave you an entire year. Even if your disciples return next month, what they bring back probably won’t even cover the interest accumulated during that year.”

“Y-you...!”

Bongtreol’s face reddened further, yet he could not refute him.

Apparently, the merchant was stating facts.

“If I have nothing to give you, how exactly do you expect me to repay you?!”

Cornered, Bongtreol finally resorted to the ancient strategy of admitting he had nothing and daring them to do something about it.

The merchant simply smiled and pointed toward the ceiling.

“Nothing? There’s plenty upstairs.”

“Th-that...”

“Those magic books your tower is too incompetent to use.”

The two younger men behind him snickered.

“You cannot even understand them anymore. We offered to accept them instead of the debt, so I truly do not understand why you keep delaying.”

I had heard enough.

I slowly rose from my chair.

“If anyone is being rude here, it seems to be you.”

All three turned toward me.

“There were already guests here. What exactly do you think you’re doing, barging in like this?”

In my previous life, I had generally spoken politely to strangers even if they were younger than me.

But men like these understood hierarchy better than courtesy.

So I deliberately lowered my voice and stared them down.

Their confidence faltered slightly when they took in my size, but people accustomed to collecting debts were apparently used to intimidation. They quickly straightened again.

“I don’t know where some bastard like you came from, but interfering in the affairs of the Foxy Merchant Company won’t end well.”

“Foxy Merchant Company?”

I frowned deliberately.

“Never heard of it.”

Then I picked up the letter of introduction resting on the table and held it where they could see the crest of House Ludwig.

“But I suspect interfering in the affairs of House Ludwig would end considerably worse.”

“W-what kind of cheap trick is that?”

“There’s no way House Ludwig would come to a pathetic place like this!”

The two younger men hurriedly shouted.

I smiled.

“Do you truly believe there is anyone insane enough to impersonate House Ludwig inside the Kingdom of Winston?”

Both mouths snapped shut.

“If you still doubt it, feel free to continue.”

The middle-aged man stared at the crest while clearly calculating the risks.

Eventually, he cleared his throat.

“Ahem. Tower Master. I will return tomorrow.”

He stepped backward.

“Have the money ready by then.”

After delivering the classic threat of someone who had just decided retreat was the safer option, the three of them fled.

“Ahem.”

Bongtreol looked toward me.

“Thank you.”

“As a disciple of the Gray Magic Tower, how could I stand by?”

“Ooooooh!”

Bongtreol looked genuinely moved by my shameless flattery.

Unfortunately for him, I was not finished.

“So how about showing this disciple those magic books?”

I pointed toward the ceiling exactly as the merchant had.

“Judging from what I just heard, they are going to be taken away soon anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to let me study them first?”

Bongtreol’s face stiffened.

“If you agree, I’ll also solve the problem with the Foxy Merchant Company.”

“Th-that...”

“Or perhaps we could simply let them take the books.”

I smiled.

“Afterward, I could ask House Ludwig to buy them for me.”

There was absolutely no chance I was going to voluntarily owe Duke Ludwig another favor, but as a bluff it was magnificent.

It had already worked on the merchants.

“Ahem. That may not be possible.”

Unexpectedly, Bongtreol shook his head.

“The Foxy Merchant Company almost certainly already has a buyer prepared for those books.”

That smelled like conspiracy.

“There is another Magic Tower here in Whitestone City.”

He hesitated.

“The Brown Magic Tower.”

I knew the name from Wiggins.

It was the most famous Magic Tower in Winston. Its previous Tower Master had apparently gone on to become the chief court mage.

“A tower as prestigious as the Brown Magic Tower is trying to steal the books of the Gray Magic Tower?”

“...The Brown Magic Tower denies it, but their roots lie here.”

Bongtreol sighed.

“A mage who became dissatisfied with the methods of the Gray Magic Tower left, founded the Brown Magic Tower, and eventually became its Tower Master.”

A familiar story.

Had I not worked myself to death in my previous life, perhaps I might have left my old company and built a game studio larger than the one I had worked for.

Still, something did not fit.

“The Brown Magic Tower is far more famous than this place now. Why would they still want your books?”

“Ahem.”

Bongtreol looked uncomfortable.

“The Brown Magic Tower has produced Sixth Circle mages consistently for generations. That is how they built their reputation.”

He paused.

“But they have never produced a Seventh Circle mage.”

I stared at him.

“Are you saying the Gray Magic Tower has?”

“According to the records preserved here, yes.”

Looking at the current state of the tower, that was difficult to believe.

But given everything else I had heard, it was plausible.

“So the Brown Magic Tower wants your books because they believe those texts contain clues to reaching the Seventh Circle?”

“That is correct.”

“And the Foxy Merchant Company is connected to them?”

“No.”

Bongtreol shook his head quickly.

“We may be struggling, but we are not fools. We would never borrow money from a merchant company directly affiliated with the Brown Magic Tower.”

“Then what is the problem?”

“We simply borrowed money from the Foxy Merchant Company.”

He looked increasingly embarrassed.

“The Brown Magic Tower later learned of our debt and informed the merchants about the books stored upstairs.”

“...”

You sound like fools to me.

Still, that was not the important part.

A clue to reaching the Seventh Circle...

The books above us might be far more useful than I had initially hoped.

“I understand the situation.”

I leaned back.

“So the conclusion is that our tower owes money, and if we fail to pay, those books will be taken away.”

Bongtreol’s expression brightened slightly at the word our.

“That is correct.”

“Then the solution is simple. I will help you repay the debt.”

His eyes widened.

“In exchange, you let me study those books.”

I smiled.

“We are members of the same tower, are we not? Let’s help each other.”

“You will help us repay the debt?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

Bongtreol hesitated.

“I am ashamed to admit this, but our debt to the Foxy Merchant Company is not small.”

His eyes suddenly brightened.

“Ah! Do you intend to ask House Ludwig for help?”

“No.”

Absolutely not.

I would have to be insane to place myself further in debt to that duke.

Every time the man looked at me, my neck practically started itching from the possibility that he might discover what I really was.

“Then how...?”

“Tower Master.”

I smiled confidently.

“Do you know who the most notorious young lady in Whitestone City is?”

After Bongtreol told me about Whitestone City’s most famous troublemaker, Wiggins and I headed into the largest commercial district in the city.

The streets were packed with people.

“What do you think of this one?”

I held up a necklace I had selected from an accessory shop.

Wiggins gave me a deeply complicated look.

“The design is certainly beautiful...”

“Good. Then we’ll keep it as a candidate.”

I returned the necklace to the shopkeeper and told her we would look around a little more.

The moment we stepped outside, Wiggins spoke again.

“Why did you suddenly ask about a troublesome young lady, and why are we shopping for jewelry?”

His confusion was obvious.

“Surely... your plan for repaying the debt isn’t to seduce her?”

He studied me carefully.

“You are certainly imposing and... very masculine, Sir Karath, but young ladies around that age usually prefer men with somewhat prettier faces.”

He had wrapped the words in compliments, but the real question was obvious.

You?

“Hahaha. Seduction?”

I laughed.

“That would certainly be an entertaining method.”

“Then you have another plan?”

“You’ll understand soon enough.”

The curiosity on Wiggins’s face made me reluctant to spoil the surprise.

After spending about an hour wandering between shops, I finally purchased the necklace with the best design and returned to the Gray Magic Tower.

“It would be rude to visit at this hour, so I’ll meet the young lady tomorrow.”

Both Wiggins and Bongtreol stared at me with equal confusion.

I ignored them.

“For now, I would appreciate a room for the night. Preparing for tomorrow seems to have left me a little short on money for an inn. Hahaha.”

“Ahem. We have plenty of empty rooms.”

Of course you do.

Bongtreol guided us to our rooms while looking at me with a mixture of distrust and desperate hope.

Chapter 252

The Gray Magic Tower

The following morning, Wiggins and I stood before one of the largest mansions in Whitestone City, a city often called Winston’s second capital.

“This really is enormous.”

Several guards waited outside the gates, as befitted an estate of that size.

“What business do you have here?”

I stepped forward.

“A pleasure. My name is Karath, a mage visiting on behalf of House Ludwig. I have come because there is something I wish to discuss with Baron Delmont.”

Once again, I presented Duke Ludwig’s letter of introduction.

I had checked the contents carefully the previous evening.

It merely stated that House Ludwig guaranteed the identity and standing of a mage named Karath.

Nowhere did it specify that the letter was exclusively intended for introducing me to the Gray Magic Tower.

Apparently even Duke Ludwig had not expected me to reuse it this way.

“House Ludwig?”

The guard’s posture immediately changed.

“Yes. Is the baron currently inside?”

“I will inform him of your arrival.”

One of the guards hurried into the mansion.

A short while later, a man who looked like a household steward came out personally to escort us.

The influence of House Ludwig truly was magnificent.

Wiggins and I followed him through the mansion’s corridors.

Wiggins, however, was beginning to look increasingly nervous.

He still had no idea what I intended to do.

“Wiggins.”

I leaned slightly toward him.

“Relax your face. If you keep looking like that, they’re going to assume we’re here to scam them.”

“Ahem. Y-yes.”

His expression changed from nervous to painfully tense.

There was very little improvement.

“Surely you trust me?”

“Of course! How could I possibly not?”

The confidence in my voice finally helped him loosen up slightly.

Apparently spending several years as Grand Chief had made me rather skilled at handling devoted followers.

“This way, please.”

While we whispered, the steward led us to a large door.

Beyond it was a lavish audience room.

A middle-aged man waiting inside rose and offered his hand.

“A pleasure. Gio Delmont.”

Gio Delmont.

His title was merely baron, but according to Bongtreol, he controlled one of the most prominent merchant companies in all of Whitestone City.

More importantly, he had a notoriously unruly daughter.

A daughter he absolutely adored.

In other words, he fit my requirements almost perfectly.

“A pleasure, Baron Delmont. My name is Karath.”

We shook hands and sat on the luxurious sofas.

“So, I’m told you came from House Ludwig?”

Gio Delmont had the polished expression of an experienced merchant and wasted little time before getting to the point.

“Yes.”

I smiled.

“I am a mage with ties to House Ludwig, and I came because I possess something that I believe you, Baron Delmont, will find extremely valuable.”

“Oh?”

The baron sounded interested.

Yet to my eyes, most of that interest was merely courtesy prompted by the words House Ludwig.

That did not bother me.

When I had first founded a tiny game studio in my previous life, I had spent countless hours giving presentations while desperately searching for investors.

Compared with the executives I had faced back then, Gio Delmont was nothing frightening.

In those days, the relationship had been completely one-sided.

I needed their money.

They needed nothing from me.

Now I had the name of House Ludwig behind me.

The difference in negotiating power was almost laughable.

“This is what I came to show you.”

With complete confidence, I placed the item I had prepared on the table.

It was time to use the presentation skills that had once allowed me to turn a tiny independent game studio into a company capable of developing a major project in only two years.