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A tall ivory tower stood in the middle of the Great Plains of Aiyash.
The atmosphere inside was downright festive—for the first time in decades, the Tower Master had changed.
“New Tower Master, congratulations on this milestone!”
“Glory to the new age of the Magic Tower!”
“May the light of truth shine on the new Magic Tower Master!”
Endless flattery was directed toward the highest reaches of the Magic Tower, where three men stood. One was dressed in a pristine white robe and gazed around with dead eyes; beside him were two men dressed in red and purple robes, respectively.
The former chief mage of the Imperial family of Avalon, Evergrant con Aswald was the new Magic Tower Master. The seat of Red Flame, Zephyros and the seat of Void, Scorpino, were helping him.
“Long live Evergrant con Ahwald!”
“Long live the first Class 8 Master Mage!”
“Long live the pride of the Magic Tower, the Seven Mages!”
The Tower mages cheered like the former Tower Master meant nothing to them.
Evergrant raised his hands towards his new subjects. The place instantly became dead silent.
“First of all, I would like to say thank you for the hospitality that you’re showing me.” Evergrant bowed to them. “I was driven away from the Tower for whatever reason before, but to receive such a welcome—”
“Not at all!”
“Isn’t it a given for the Tower Master?”
“We were just laying low out of fear! We’re so glad someone finally stood up and revealed the truth!”
A faint smile spread across Everland's lips.
“I have learned to put new wine into new bags, and that stagnant water is bound to go bad.” Evergrant’s eyes drooped. “In a sense, Ian tun Murray is just that: the former Master of the Tower was rotten and fetid. He stole the position meant for his friend, and even murdered that friend out of fear. As a Tower Master, he was too soft. It seemed that the organization’s progress meant nothing for him.
“During the twenty years that I stayed in Avalon, a question kept bugging me.” Evergrant's voice began to gain strength. “How long do we, the Magic Tower, have to suffer in this empty plain?”
His audience’s eyes widened.
“Are we paupers?”
“NO!”
“Are we powerless?”
“NOT AT ALL!”
“Are
 are we lesser than knights?”
The mages unconsciously clenched their fists.
“Magic is the best on the continent!”
“There is nothing above magic!”
“Those knights are nothing!”
Evergrant’s eyes gleamed.
“Avalon is the Empire of the Knights.”
The mages gulped.
“Even Swallow admits that.”
Evergrant’s slow footsteps echoed in the silence.
“Hubalt is the Empire of the holy
 the priests.”
He reached the podium and looked down.
“But why is there no country of mages? I'm not talking about Terra—they care only for the attention of other countries. For the mages of my Magic Tower, I shall establish an empire of mages for you. We will name it, ‘Aswald!’”
Evergrant’s body started floating.
“I will build it on top of this continent.”
An electrifying tingle ran down the mages’ spines.
Magic Empire! The very idea set their hearts aflutter.
“AAAAH!”
Soon, thunderous shouts filled the entire Magic Tower.
The Red Flame approached Evergrant with a satisfied smile, but his expression collapsed almost immediately.
“Tower Master,” he whispered. “They missed them.”
Evergrant’s brows twitched.
“I will go myself
 they must still be very close to the river.”
“I will accompany you,” the Void offered.
Evergrant nodded his head lightly and Red Flame and Void disappeared.
“Long live the new Tower Master!”
Evergrant donned a fake smile and waved in response to the deafening shouts.
In his head, he was formulating long, complex equations.
***
While Iceline and Theta were being chased, Joshua’s group had ridden for two days and two nights.
“We’re almost at the Great Plains of Aiyash,” Icarus tiredly muttured.
“Ugh
 finally,” Cain groaned.
Even though they were well out of the Avalon Empire, they never took a break. Yet despite using the Dark Gate that the Assassin King had arranged for them, they still had a distance to go.
Dark Gates—also known as trap doors—were a kind of warp. They were different from regular warp gates in that they didn't ask for the user’s identification or the purpose. However, they had a much more limited set of connections, and cost tenfold what a warp gate would cost.
“We have to be on alert from now on.”
“Yes?”
Cain eyed Icarus.
“If memory serves right, we must pass through one of the Magic Tower’s facilities before we can enter the Great Plains.”
“Facility?”
Icarus nodded.
“It’s a checkpoint of sorts.”
“Ha?” Cain pulled an ugly face. “By whose authority? Does the Great Plains of Aiyash have the greatest Magic Tower?”
“The problem is that others don’t quite agree to that.”
“Seriously
”
“It’s the safest route. The scout mages are eagle-eyed and everywhere in the Great Plains. Plus, the approach to the Magic Tower is littered with traps. I heard they’re the most dangerous in the entire continent. But
” Icarus turned to Joshua. “I would still prefer to face it head-on.”
“Icarus, are you forgetting the reason why we’re going to the Magic Tower?” Cain chastised
“We’re not sinners.”
Cain shut his mouth.
“We don’t have to be afraid.”
Cain and Icarus looked askance at Joshua.
“Have they already noticed our presence?”
“What?”
“Over there, look.”
Cain followed Joshua’s finger and his eyes popped. Above the tree hung a glowing—albeit faintly—crystal ball.
“A Magic Eye
!” Cain moaned.
These surveillance magic artifacts cost thousands of gold and they were hung everywhere.
“The Magic Tower, huh?” Cain muttered. “Did they already notice us?”
“We are wearing robes.”
“Lucky us.”
“I don’t think that’s luck
”
Before Icarus could finish her words, the mana around her fluctuated lightly.
“I’m scared to say it.”
“Damn.”
A group of people appeared in front of Cain with a bright flash as he cursed.
“Welcome to the Great Plains of Aiyash.”
Joshua's eyes narrowed.
“If we may ask, what is your business here?”
“Ah
 that
”
“Don’t move.”
Icarus stopped Cain from stepping forward.
The mage gave them a suspicious look.
“Excuse me, but could you show me proof of your identity? And,” The mage glanced at the sword on Cain’s back. “If your destination is the Magic Tower, knights cannot enter.”.
“HUH?”
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Even Icarus was caught by surprise.
“This is the first we’ve heard of that.”
“Ah
 please understand, this is a direct order.”
Icarus fumed.
“That’s asking for too much—!”
“I came because I want to be a mage for the Magic Tower.”
When Joshua, the knight, stepped forward, the mage furrowed his brow. Anyone could see the dense muscles on his body.
‘It looks like he’s just spouting nonsense
’
The mage forced a smile and produced a hexagonal object.
“That’s
?”
“This is a special device that reacts to mana circles. It will not react to an impure mana hall.”
The mage seemed to demean the knights’ mana, but Cain didn't react.
Because it wasn't exactly wrong. The mana hall goes through a kind of “refining process” according to the family’s mana practice method.
In comparison, mage used circles to try to draw raw mana, because pure power was the driving force behind magic. That was common sense.
“How can someone say that he wants to be a mage when he has no mana circle in his heart? It’s not that difficult: just show one spell of any attribute through this mana stone. Even novices who’ve just formed their circle can do that.”
Cain's eyes darted anxiously. Everything he knew told him that his master can’t use magic.
Like Cain, Icarus bit her lip. It was impossible for Joshua to know anything about this type of mana—it had already been established that a magic swordsman was an impossibility.
“I will
”
“M-Master?” Cain’s eyes bulged. “What are you trying to do
?”
Joshua chuckled and flourished the mana.
The mage swallowed as the atmosphere trembled with mana. His eyes made his astonishment quite clear. Then a strange noise caught his attention. It wasn't the sound leaking from the mana stone that reacted to mana, it came from

“AHHH!”
“MY GOD!”
The mage marveled at the pillar of fire that suddenly burst through the ground in front of them.
“Ack!”
“Fire!”
“Move away!”
The confused mages hastily retreated and marveled at Joshua’s work from a safe distance.
Joshua gave them a sly smile.
“Fire Ball
 No, Wall.”