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187
Side Story 6 – The Connecting Link (1)
“There’s urgent news that an unspecified disease has risen in some villages in Paulsen.”
Ronan reported direct requests to the Ivory Tower from each land on the 22nd floor of the Tower in Ian Page’s office.
“The cause is undetermined, and thankfully the spread is passive. There needs to be something done before it spreads further.”
While mages of a lower class than Ronan may do such work, Ronan chose to come.
“We should prevent the spread before the scale becomes bigger.”
Ian did not care, as Ronan was a mage who lived to become a more powerful magician. He even recognized Ronan’s effort, as Ian had never even considered that Ronan would enter the sixth class as a magician despite his thirst for power.
‘Even if he had my help, it still is a feat.’
Officially, Ronan was officially the second mage to enter sixth-class and the third to ever do so, as the first one had been Fran Page and the second Ian Page.
“Please send everyone in the Recovery Mages and Royal Alchemist Douglas to the origin of this disease.”
With some exaggeration, the combination would revive the dead as the two had solved previous incurable diseases before.
“I will open the portal to the Paulsen lands, so please assemble the group, Ronan.”
“What about the report to his majesty? He would have received the news by now.”
“I will report the measures directly, as we need to work fast if this is a contagious disease. He will understand.”
Since the Ivory Tower Lord had the authority to act first and report later, it would not be a problem.
“I will do it now.”
“Thank you, Ronan.”
Ronan went out of the room, but Ian had no time to rest since there was too much work. He had been awake for four years now, and Ian had lived as best as he could since then as the Lord, a son, a brother, a neighbor, a friend, and a lover.
‘Since the emperor is busy until this afternoon, I should finish something light until then.”
It was like an obsession, as Ian had spent nine years in other dimensions and had not lived his own life even beforehand.
‘Mage Dispatch System Reform?’
As the Lord, Ian had to evaluate one out of the reforms or papers that mages had sent him, and despite what others may think, it was easy for Ian.
‘So, this is the last paper Deckard had written before retirement.’
Understanding the content was the biggest obstacle in evaluating papers, and Ian found reading papers and making decisions as the Lord based on that understanding easier than anything else.
‘Let’s see.’
Ian poured mana inside Deckard’s reform, and all the letters flew out to the air in blue mana. It was the method Ian had used to learn black magic books to research the power of immortality.
“Hmm…”
Ian had memorized Deckard’s reform in a few minutes and closed his eyes to contemplate, as it was time to organize his thoughts.
“He thought of something interesting.”
Deckard, the old mage, showed more interest in the administrative problems in the Tower rather than magic and had put forth many reforms. This one also deserved to be applauded by the Ivory Tower.
‘It will be perfect with a few minor fixes.’
Ian raised his pen to finish up another project, and from dawn to dusk, Ian would continue to work.
***
Ian finished work after the sun had risen, but the problem was that he had little reason to be happy about it now. There would be no one home.
Not only Douglas but Ledio and Vanessa had gone to Paulsen as the person in charge of the Page Foundation. The entire house will be quiet for at least a few days.
‘It won’t be dangerous…’
Ian did not worry, as the Recovery Mages had developed over the four years, and Douglas had learned all of the knowledge that the artisan had left him. They would be able to solve this problem.
‘The queen is not here.’
The Fairy Queen and others were absent, as they helped dragons see the ever-changing human world every once in a while, and today was that day.
‘I sent Hailey to Paulsen too.’
Ian no longer called Hailey Greenriver by her title but called her by her name. They had grown close over the past four years.
‘I have no one to meet.’
He had met the emperor only a few hours ago, and he seemed busy. They only made a promise to share a meal when there was time.
‘Sir Oliver is having fun raising a student nowadays…’
Oliver had asked Ian for spars before, but now he was largely absent because he was having fun raising his new student Canolan.
‘…Should I work again?’
Ian’s conclusion was desolate, as he would rather work than go back to an empty house.
“Umm?”
Ian preferred walking home rather than using portals or teleporting. Therefore, he would pass the high walls of the magical academy, and he found them to be especially welcoming today.
‘Maybe I will take a look.’
Ian was already walking towards the academy, despite knowing that outsiders could not enter the premises on principle. The academy gates were closed, and he could not sneak in due to the walls’ height.
While Ian could fly over them, he had the authority to enter in a more polite way. He used the pass as the Lord of the Ivory Tower on the front gates, and they resonated with each other in blue light. The gates opened when the light disappeared. A perk like this made Ian happy.
“Nothing has changed.”
Ian murmured as he looked around. He had not gone to the academy in this life, and he had come here in a long time when taking in his memories of his past life. However, nothing had changed from the buildings to the gardens.
“That’s what I like about this place.”
He was right, and the magical academy remained the same even if the world changed like an old tree.
‘Seeing this place makes me want to agree with the academics who argue that traditions have to be adhered to especially in times of change.’
Ian was thinking such thoughts when he entered the familiar walking pass. The road led to a garden filled with supportive spells, and the result was a fresh and bright space in all aspects.
‘It’s not popular among students, though.’
While the garden was perfect for healing, students would not go near there as surveillance spells were also included. At that age, students would want to escape from governing eyes, and Ian had actually welcomed the silence because he found it restive. Ian had been a model student in his past life here.
Ian had entered the center of the garden and deeply breathed in and out to feel the unchanging fresh air.
“Hey, kid.”
Ian looked at a corner and spoke in a quiet voice after a few breaths.
“Come out, don’t be scared. Why are you hiding when you were the first to come here?”
Ian had known that someone else was in the garden the moment he came in but had ignored it because the presence was not harmful.
“I wanted to feign ignorance, but you seem at a crisis.”
Ian could feel some of the emotions from the aura the person was emitting at this point.
“You wouldn’t be crying because someone came into this garden.”
A little child hiding in this garden would be a student.
“Come out, it’s all right.”
Students in this academy are future mages, and Ian had a duty as the Lord of the Ivory Tower. The garden remained silent for a while even at Ian’s words, but the sound of grass scratching against each other could be heard now.
“Oh, all right. Come here.”
The boy was wearing the academy’s uniform, and Ian could see that he was in his second year. His flushed face showed that the boy had been crying as Ian had expected.
‘He has the same hair like me.’
Ian’s bright brown hair was not that rare, but not that easy to see.
“…..What?”
However, the color of the boy’s hair was not the most surprising part. Actually, his hair color was part of a combination that surprised Ian in a specific way.