Chapter 174

Chapter 174 – Return to the Magic Tower (1)

The Northern continent was somewhat different from the Central and Southern continents which were tangles of countries and civilizations.

As for the sword empire, Andras, and the magic kingdom, Meltor… These two powers could take pride in being the strongest in the Northern continent due to their conflict which had lasted for hundreds of years.

‘The history of mankind is war.’ According to one prominent historian, the war which had lasted for centuries had continuously developed the two powers.

There were the seven sword masters which represented the empire, the Seven Swords, and the four tower masters who guarded the Meltor Kingdom. In the other continents, it was enough for them to have one or two masters. However, the North had a total of 11 masters.

On average, there would be an all-out war at least once a century. Having experienced full-scale wars, the Northern continent was vastly different from the Central region which had lived through centuries of peace. As such, the military power and patriotism of the two Northern countries had been trained over many generations.

This meant that Mana-vil, Capital of Meltor, had a thorough defense system.

“…Indeed, there is no way to hide secretly.” Theodore, the young man wearing a dark hood, was amazed as he watched the walls in front of him.

He knew that the walls of Mana-vil were covered with magic to prevent teleporting, but the completeness of the magic couldn’t be ignored. This was magic which had been personally set up by White Tower Master Orta. No one could pass through the wall set up by someone who was considered as the best in the continent at space magic.

Theodore took his eyes off the wall and looked up at the sky. It looked like nothing was happening, but upon reaching the 7th Circle, the landscape before Theodore’s eyes was different now. There was a gossamer thin web of magic power. This was detection magic which enveloped Mana-vil in the shape of a hemisphere.

‘I can’t enter unnoticed if I fly, so the remaining method is…’

…To go through the ground.

The only way was to enter through a tunnel below the wall. Moreover, Theodore had an excellent helper when it came to the earth environment. While avoiding the eyes of others, he scooped up some dirt and whispered to the soil on the palm of his hand, “Mitra.”

At the very moment that he whispered, the dirt on his palm molded into the shape of a girl. The girl, Mitra, with a large bud on her head, looked up at him with a sleepy expression.

[…Heeeng?]

“Oh, you were sleeping. I’m sorry.”

Mitra had a confused expression, but she soon giggled as Theodore patted her head. She looked at him with shining eyes and asked, [Deo, you caw?]

“Can you pass underneath that wall there? Please find out if it is possible.”

[Hoing!] It probably meant that she understood. Mitra gave her distinctive cry and jumped off his palm.

The girl moved through the earth, and Theo’s mind was soon filled with images of soil, gravel, and roots. The scenery which Mitra looked through passed by in a fleeting manner, causing Theodore to feel slightly dizzy.

Putting aside her innocence appearance, Mitra’s cognitive abilities were lacking in many ways when compared to intermediate elementals. However, her cognitive abilities were enough to achieve Theo’s purpose.

[Hoeeng… Deo, sowwy!}

‘What? What’s going on?’

[Here, strange block. Can’t go.]

There was a wall which Mitra couldn’t go through? This meant there was no path to sneak into Mana-vil.  Theodore suppressed his thoughts and told her, ‘No, thank you for the help. Go and get more sleep.’

[Yes, I noe…]

Theodore felt no further connection as Mitra returned to the elemental world. He looked at the wall again and sighed. ‘No space movement, no flying in the sky, and no moving through a tunnel.’

If he entered through the front door, he would have to prove his identity. So, he had been looking for a back door, but there was no way for a 7th Circle magician to break through Meltor’s defense system.

‘Hu, should I try the checkpoint…?’

Then at the moment when he was about to join the line of people…

“-W-White Tower Master!”

“What? What about the tower master?”

“A white robe and white mask! It really is White Tower Master Orta!”

“No way! Why is he…!?”

Suddenly, the crowd of people started to mutter amongst themselves about the White Tower Master, who was at the peak of space magic. The mysterious Orta had revealed himself.

The marquis and dukes might have the power in other kingdoms, but the real authority in the Meltor Kingdom belonged to the tower masters. So, naturally, they were people who were difficult for the public to see.

The Yellow Tower Master was known not to engage in any external activities, while the White Tower Master was a mysterious figure.

‘White Tower Master? Why is he suddenly at the front gate…’ Theodore had a surprised expression on his face.

The White Tower Master was considered as a hidden sword of the Meltor Kingdom. From assassination to intelligence, he was in charge of all the shadowy tasks. He wasn’t someone who would appear at the main entrance without a purpose.

However, Theodore soon realized Orta’s purpose. Orta’s eyes which gazed through the two holes in the mask were paying attention to Theodore.

“Guard Captain, I want to ask something of you,” Orta called out.

“Yes, Tower Master! Whatever you say!” The guard captain promptly responded to Orta’s call.

He was a citizen of the Meltor Kingdom, so he was well aware of the status of the tower masters in the kingdom. Orta’s position wasn’t low enough to ‘ask’ something of a mere security guard.

“I will guarantee the identity of the man standing there. Can he skip the checkpoint?” Orta asked.

“Huh?”The guard captain looked at Theodore and stuttered, “I-It isn’t a big deal.”

“Thank you.” After receiving the permission, Orta glanced at Theodore, who understood the meaning of Orta’s gaze.

This was a person whom a tower master had pointed out, so the people paid close attention. However, they didn’t dare stop someone involved with White Tower Master Orta. Thus, Theodore was able to pass Mana-vil’s rigid checkpoint and enter the capital.

“Ah…!” He exclaimed as he saw the high-rise buildings which pierced the clouds.

They were rare sights in other countries. Particularly, this was an unforgettable panorama which couldn’t be seen in the Central continent. As Theodore walked before him, Orta greeted, “It has been a while. A year has passed?”

“Yes, it has already been that long.”

“I can tell. You have gained a lot of experience in the meantime. Becoming a master when you’re not even 30 years old… His Majesty will be amazed.”

Indeed, the fact was now revealed.

Theodore looked at Orta’s back with admiration. The number of circles was the same, but the other person had experienced all sorts of things as Meltor’s pillar. So, Theo’s seven circles were exposed to Orta just by looking at his body.

“Well, it is hard to explain during a short amount of time,” Theodore responded.

“I want to hear about it.” Orta’s white mask looked at Theodore and said, “The suspicion that the Orcus Company uses black magic, did you raise it?”

“Ugh.”

“Don’t panic. It is different in the South, but the White Tower has many information sources spread in the Central area. Most of the places you passed through have been identified.”

Theodore nodded at the explanation, before suddenly looking to his left and right with a surprised expression. ‘Is it okay to talk about classified information in the streets?’  However, that concern faded when he saw the distorted space around them. ‘W-What type of magic is this…?’

This wasn’t simply blocking off sound. It was like everyone passing by was unaware of the two of them. No, some people even passed through Orta’s and Theodore’s bodies. It was a type of space magic, but the principles behind it were incomprehensible. Theodore realized this was why Orta had revealed confidential information without hesitation.

Orta was a 7th Circle magician who had a shield with unknown principles!

‘Is it a refraction or distortion of space?’ While Theodore was interested in the mysterious shield, the two of them arrived at the crossroad separating the royal palace and the magic tower. Theodore expected to go to the royal palace first.

However, Orta had a different idea and said, “His Majesty is currently in a meeting. Maybe it will end in the evening… Tell me now if there is any urgent business. Then I’ll try to get you a seat.”

“Ah, it can wait a bit. If possible, I would like to go to one place first…”

“Where is that?”

Theodore told the White Tower Master the location and received a positive reply. Unless he was someone with a house in Mana-vil, there was only one place for a magician to stay. This was a place which magicians of the continent named as a sacred place.

It was the magic tower.

*     *     *

“There is no need to hide from now onwards.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

The magic shield had been maintained when they entered the Magic Society, but the two men only wanted to conceal that Theodore Miller had left this place. There was no longer the need to hide once they were in the lobby of the Magic Society, so the spell was removed.

Huk.

Theodore lowered his hood as the shield was lifted.

“Eh-?”

“W-White Tower Master!”

“Did he teleport?”

“Next to him… No way!”

The magicians in the lobby had varied reactions. Someone lost their place in the book they were reading, while another person tilted his head when he noticed the White Tower Master. Some of them also recognized Theodore, who hadn’t been seen for over a year.

He was Meltor’s young hero, the idol of magicians his age, the one behind the alliance with Elvenheim, and the one who had defeated a representative of the Andras Empire. His sudden appearance caused the atmosphere of the lobby to get heated.

“T-Theodore Miller!”

“What? The rumored person? Really?”

“He is the real hero…”

“He looks younger than I thought. How old was he again?”

It was fortunate that Theodore wasn’t surrounded by them. With the White Tower Master standing next to him, no one dared to approach Theodore. The magicians were blinded by curiosity, but they were too afraid of the tower master. After all, Orta was the one who had built his own space magic.

Orta ignored their chattering and asked Theodore, “Did you want to stop by your room? Or see someone else?”

“I’d like to see my master.”

“Vince Haidel, understood.”

Orta remembered Vince well. Excluding the existence of Vince’s disciple, Theodore, the number of 6th Circle magicians in the Meltor Kingdom amounted to less than 100 people. However, Theodore was soon forced to stop moving.

“…Theo?” A female voice called out.

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She had flowing silver hair and clear blue lake-like eyes. There was a pile of books which seemed to have been dumped on the ground. However, she didn’t look down at them. She just kept staring at Theo with a blank expression.

It was an unexpected reunion with Sylvia Adruncus, who had matured a lot more than a year ago.

“It has been a while, Sylvia.” Theodore didn’t know what to say, so he could only smile bitterly at the eyes facing him.

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