/
There were dark circles under the eyes of the man with long silver hair tied tightly together. This man who seemed to be obsessed with research day and night was Shane, the Tower’s owner.
‘The royal gene isn’t going anywhere.’
He was amazingly handsome, though it was a pity he looked tired. He was one of the top ten powerful figures in this empire.
That was the rough specification of Shane, the youngest son of Emperor Descarde X.
He was the youngest lord to rule over Millen at 19 years old as the Tower’s owner.
“I needed something, and suddenly wanted to see my uncle’s face. So I came here along the way.”
He was the uncle of Crown Prince Lark.
“There’s no need to add that nonsense. What do you need?”
“I need a list of people buying stone projectors for the past year.”
Shane frowned.
“Why do you come to me for that? If you go to the transaction management department, they will give it to you in a minute.”
“What’s wrong with it? I’m here to see you.”
Lark shrugged.
Shane, watching him quietly, bent over the low table and turned to me.
“It must be this girl who has business with me. Who was it again? Princess Rubetria?”
“Yes, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Rubetria Diollus.”
“Lark isn’t the kind of person who can move according to other people’s frivolous affairs, so what’s the relationship between you?”
“Oh, you’re mistaken. It’s nothing like that. The crown prince said he had a meeting with the Tower’s owner, so I asked him if I could come with, and he gladly agreed.”
“All right, so your purpose is…?”
“Well, it’s nothing but-”
“… the sales manager has already told me, so you don’t have to say it twice.”
Shane grinned and pointed to the door in the distance.
“It’s not feasible, so please go back the way you came in.”
“Pfft.”
Lark, who was listening, burst out laughing.
I glared sideways. What was so funny? He even held back the laughter by biting his lip.
‘What’s this? You’re supposed to help me!’
He was absorbed in playing with the thing in his hand resembling a metronome.
Lark didn’t seem interested in my business at all.
‘Oh, you’re saying that since you’ve taken me to the owner, now I have to deal with it myself?’
You thought I couldn’t do it?
I said again, “Sir, can’t you just listen to me without rejecting me first?”
“All right. Try me.”
“I am well aware of the fact that Magic Tower allows the production of Grade II magic tools only for the public interest. But since it’s not specifically designated by law, can’t you give permission to produce it at your discretion?”
“Why should I?”
“It is reasonable to limit the production of Grade II tools because of the higher risk. But the video board I’m requesting is a little different from other tools.”
“You’re saying I should allow it for your personal use because it is not dangerous?”
“Yes. I think that if video boards are widely commercialized, they can bring great progress to the empire. The video can be displayed by one-to-many, which is efficient and visual, so the risk of distortion of information can be minimized. ”
“Why do we need to commercialize it?”
“Pardon?”
“Is there any benefit to me from commercializing the video?”
“The benefit? It’s…”
I was speechless for a moment and hesitated.
“Umm… It will be a financial benefit if you sell it at a high price, right?”
“I don’t need money. I have so much already.”
“…”
“Pfft-huk!”
At the sound of unbearable laughter, I glared at Lark who was next to me again.
‘Oh, it’s really not that easy.’
Shane’s uncooperative attitude slowly heated up, but I had to endure it.
‘Without this person’s abilities, it’s impossible to make video magic tools.’
Shane van Rashmagh Descarde. He was a light summoner who made a contract with the spirit ‘Lumiere’, just like all the previous tower’s owners.
In this world, where scientific progress was insignificant, but the lack of it was replaced by the magic of the spirits, the spirits of light had considerable existential value.
For example, in the case of a video magic tool that could record and save a moving scene as it was. If science had advanced, a camera made using the principle of light would have taken its place.
‘Unfortunately, here, only the light spirits who freely manipulate the light can use it.’
Simply put, Shane monopolized the right to create products of scientific advances, such as cameras and TV screens.
‘What a cheap person. Will it go somewhere else if you share a bit?’
I forcefully smiled. “If you were born as a summoner in this empire and had great power, I think you should have the benevolence to use it for the development of this empire. Here-”
I pointed politely at Lark next to me with both hands.
“-is His Highness the Crown Prince, who is also working day and night for the development of the empire and the welfare of the people of the empire. He has no hesitation in using the powers of the spirits to make the lives of the people of the Empire more comfortable and pleasant.”
“Aha. In a nutshell, is it to practice noblesse oblige?
“That’s it. If Tower’s owner allows the video magic tools to be commercialized easily, many imperial people will be able to lead a more convenient and high-quality life.”
“Sigh.”
Shane sighed and stood up after being silent for a moment.
“You see. I don’t like that.”
“What?”
“Because I was born as a powerful summoner and the ruling imperial family, I have to do my duty? If it helps the welfare of the people of the Empire, I have to use my power willingly for the public good?”
Shane, muttering as he got up from his seat and walked back and forth, abruptly stopped in front of me. Then, smiling softly, he lightly touched the tip of my nose and added, “You bold girl, who will take care of my welfare then?”
“…”
“Who will guarantee the ‘high-quality life’ of this poor man locked up in the Magic Tower, summoning spirits 24 hours a day and constantly making magic tools?”
I was speechless.
‘Well, that does sound a little pathetic.’
Shane sat back down, tilted his head as if tired, and spoke, “I’ve never, in my 19 years of life, chosen anything of my own volition. I didn’t want to be born into the imperial family, and it wasn’t that I wanted to make a contract with Lumiere. And of course, I didn’t want to take on this dog-like Tower, but I did.”
I sympathized with his tired voice only belatedly.
‘There is nothing more sacrificial than a light spirit summoner.’
They must summon the spirit Lumiere 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They had to keep managing the magical tools made using the power of light.
In other words, when the light spirit summoner died, Lumiere wasn’t even allowed to return to the fountain of spirits.
Therefore, exceptions have been applied only to Lumiere since the Empire’s founding.
‘The moment Lumiere senses that the contractor’s life has come to an end, it has to immediately makes a contract with the next contractor that is promised.’
The promised contractor was the youngest member of the next generation of the imperial family.
Shane was the youngest son of the Emperor and became a light summoner without a choice.
“Of course, right now, I can only take care of your convenience. But then, it is only a matter of time before others like you come.”
“… I understand.”
I nodded meekly.
“Grade II or higher magic tools should only be produced for the public interest. That’s the rule I set up to let me breathe.”
Shane raised his head and added, looking straight at me.
“I don’t want to add anything more to my already heavy workload. I have no intention of sacrificing myself for noblesse oblige and the welfare of people.”
I agreed in my heart.
Donating is beautiful, but whether or not to donate is at the donator’s discretion.
Of course, I was a person who could give as much as I earned, but I could understand Shane’s mind.
‘The truth of taking goodwill for granted was something I’ve experienced when I was Juliet Karenina.’
I had been generous with donations, so there had been a lot of people who’d asked for donations first.
Hundreds of requests were unconditionally accepted in one day because it was difficult to check them one by one.
Once, I checked the donation history with the manager…
“What? Goldspoon College? Isn’t this a school that only selects and enrolls the rich? Who doesn’t know that they’d cut admission from poor students even though they have good grades? Why would anyone look for a scholarship from me when there’s no scholarship program?”
“It’s a scholarship only in name. In the end, they won’t use it for scholarship…”
“And what else is this? Want me to sponsor my clothes and bags for the Palace company greeting party? Why don’t people earning billions of dollars pay their own money to live?”
“Well, since you only OK without even checking the donation…”
After thinking it was absurd, I started managing the donation by myself so money didn’t go out blindly.
‘Well. There are a lot of shameless people who think it’s a right if goodwill continues.’
Perhaps, from Shane’s point of view, I might look like such a customer now.
“Hmm… Well…”
A little awkward, I smiled apologetically.
“… I’m sorry. Now that you mention it, I think you’re all right. I think I made a bit of an unreasonable request. I didn’t think much.”
At my simple apology, Shane stared intently at me, then folded his arms and turned his head away.
Tick, tick.
In the calm atmosphere, only the sound of Lark playing with his hands lingered.
As I was about to get up, I suddenly felt sorry for Shane.
“I- This…”
I took a candy from my handbag and carefully placed it on the table.
I ate one whenever my blood sugar was low while exercising.
“…?”
Shane raised his eyebrows, bewildered, looking down at the cute little candy in a pink wrapper.
“You seem to be struggling. If you run out of sugar while working, eat it.”
“Ha?”
“Hmm. If you don’t like it…”
Embarrassed, I tried to pick up the candy again, but Shane was faster.
He snatched the candy from the table, peeled off the wrapper, put it in his mouth, and chewed it.
“Pfft!”
“…”
“…”
Again, Lark burst out laughing.
This time, Shane and I glared at him at the same time.
Lark tilted his head slightly, pointed at me and said to Shane.
“Cute, right?”
“What?”