abcnovels
Side Story Chapter 119
Side Story Chapter 119
Side Story Chapter 119
Among the seven sky-high towers, the First Magic Tower was the tallest, and on the highest floor of that tower…
“Tower Master!”
Thetapirion Whitesox flinched, but he had no intention of waking up from his nap, even though it was broad daylight.
“Tower Master! I know you’re in there—this is an emergency!”
“…No Tower Master here. Even if I’m here, pretend like I’m not. There are other Archmages in the tower, so why are you looking for me?”
“This is an urgent matter. The Archmages are here too, so please come out to the conference room.”
“For crying out loud! Why does this organization give more work to people the higher their rank gets?! Business trips, state guest receptions… I did everything you people asked me to up until yesterday, like some kind of mascot for the Magic Tower!”
“War has broken out in Avalon, and we received a request for help from them just now.”
“People start wars all the time to get more land, so that has nothing to do with us any—” Theta stopped speaking. “…Where did you say the war is?”
“The Avalon Empire. The request was sent by Archmage… Ah, let me rephrase: Her Majesty Iceline Sanders, the First Queen Consort of Avalon herself, asked for the Magic Tower’s help.”
Theta bolted out of bed, strode to the door, and flung it wide open.
“…Huh, they really are all here,” Theta mumbled.
The highest floor of the First Magic Tower had two doors. Behind the first door was a vast room with exactly seven chairs standing, and the second door led to the private office of Thetapirion Whitesox, the Master of the Magic Tower.
Outside of Theta’s private room, he could see numerous people, from his secretary mage to every single one of the other Seven Mages.
“I really should redesign this tower someday. Why in the world does the Master’s office have to be right next to the conference room?” Theta shook his head disapprovingly.
“I assume that Wooma already gave you a general explanation, so I would like to suggest that we get to business right away,” an aged man said.
Aside from one person, all of the Seven Mages had recently been changed. Even the elderly mages who had been with the Magic Tower for decades had retired due to their old age. However, this aging man remained one of the Seven Mages even after so long a time because that was Theta’s demand when he had first become the Master of the Magic Tower: Marcus Lindbloom, Earth, should stay by Theta’s side and assist him until the day he retired.
“What is there to think about? An old colleague of ours is asking for our help, so we should help,” Theta casually said.
“It isn’t a matter that we can solve so easily,” the new seat of Ice, Iceline’s successor, said. Her name was Amy, and she was an average-looking woman in her forties. She had admired Iceline for a long time, but she knew how to separate her personal feelings from her work.
“Avalon is at war with Hubalt,” Amy continued. “If we help one of them, the Magic Tower might also become involved in the war.”
“Are you suggesting that we might get caught in the crossfire?”
“Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying. The Magic Tower is just an organization, and this is a dispute between two nations. Once we get involved, it’s obvious what’s going to happen.”
The other Seven Mages nodded in agreement. An organization’s leader should always take their subordinates into consideration since all of them would feel the effects of the leader’s decisions as well.
“Even if that’s true, what needs to be done should be done,” Theta calmly replied.
“Tower Master!”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m going to go alone as Thetapirion Whitesox, not the Master of the Magic Tower.”
“You’re already a symbol of the Magic Tower, so no one in the Hubalt Empire will interpret it as an independent act,” Amy reminded Theta.
Everyone looked at Theta, but he remained resolute.
“Then I’ll quit as the Master of the Magic Tower,” he proclaimed, in a firm voice that rebuffed all attempts at persuasion.
“A-Are you serious?”
“Of course. I didn’t want to become the Tower Master in the first place, so why would I want to continue if I can’t even help my friend in her time of need?” Theta stood up from his seat. “We’re done talking now, yes? I’ll head to Avalon now—don’t even think about following me.”
As Theta slowly walked away, no one so much as thought about standing up. Although they didn’t say it aloud, they understood how Theta felt.
In fact, Iceline had helped the Magic Tower tremendously. With her exceptional talent in artifact development, the Magic Tower had accumulated a significant amount of assets, allowing them to enjoy a new golden age.
“…Phew. I ought to follow him.”
“Sir M-Marcus?”
“I should have done this earlier. I’ve been in this seat for too long, so it’s about time for some young blood to take the seat of Earth.”
Their Master of the Magic Tower and an Archmage left in no time. Even then, the other Seven Mages remained frozen stiff—they finally realized that the Second Continental War had truly begun.
* * *
Following Iceline’s instruction, mana stones were gathered in no time.
“Mages, prepare to cast an anti-magic field. We’ll use it to drive out all the demonic power nearby,” Iceline ordered.
“Pardon? Did you say an anti-magic field?”
“Correct.” Iceline nodded calmly.
An anti-magic field would dispel all spells within a certain area. Iceline was suggesting they drive out the demonic power in the area with it; it might have been different if they were nullifying mana, but even the high-leveled mages were left baffled.
“There’s no time to explain in detail. I’m going to change the property of our anti-magic field into an anti–demonic-power field.”
The mages’ eyes bulged. The same question came to the mind of every single one: was that possible? No, it was too dangerous even if it was possible. There was no precedent for it in all of history, and since no trial runs had been made, the mages would be risking their lives.
“Your Majesty, it’s too dangerous!”
“I’m going to be the core of the field. All you need to do is send me mana using the mana stones,” Iceline explained.
“Then your mana circle might explode—!”
“It’s for our people,” Iceline said firmly. Her tone clearly indicated that she wouldn’t brook any objections.
No one dared to speak a word upon witnessing Iceline’s noble spirit of self-sacrifice. On top of that, the Prince of Avalon was one of those whose lives hung by a thread, his body being corroded away by demonic power. A parent was risking their life to save her child, so what could the mages say?
‘I can’t just wait for the Magic Tower’s help forever. I have to try everything I can.’
Iceline immediately started up her magic circle. “…Here we go.”
The air hummed with incredible power. There was nothing they could do except lay their hopes on this anti–demonic-power field. If miracles really did exist, maybe this gambit would succeed, no matter how slim the chances were.
“Wait, Your Majesty!”
Iceline flinched as she was in the middle of altering the anti-magic field. She turned to look and discovered a familiar illuminated by the magic circle’s brilliant light.
“I think I can take care of the demonic power!”
Iceline gaped blankly at him. Although the remark itself was surprising, the identity of the speaker was equally surprising:
Her other son.
She may not have given birth to him herself, but no one could deny that he was her child.
“…Kireua?”
* * *
“Urgh…!” Lust fell out of the dimensional portal and immediately vomited.
Fortunately for her, she hadn’t been stuck in a dimensional rift nor landed in the middle of nowhere and crushed. In the end, that was a victory for her.
“Hahaha! Stupid, weak-hearted bitch,” Lust sneered as she recalled how Iceline had withdrawn her mana at the last moment. Humans, Lust had always thought, were truly foolish. To let the source of all evil go just because of their affection? Could Iceline fathom what kind of destruction her pathetic sympathy was going to cause?
“…But where am I?” Lust took a look around her surroundings. She found herself in the middle of a snowy mountain. The snow was piled high over the trees and grass, and not a single animal could be seen, as if they were all hibernating. But most intriguing…
“…This power that I’m breathing in is very familiar. Wait…” Lust felt a tingle run down her spine. The foul, wicked power she felt all around her could not be anything but demonic power.
“The air is filled with demonic power… There’s a place like this in the Human Realm?”
If it hadn't been for the faintest trace of mana in the air, Lust would have mistaken this place for the Demon Realm. She trembled in overwhelming excitement.
“I’m definitely lucky. Hahahahahaha!”
In a place that was abundant in demonic power like this, it wouldn’t take long for her to recover. Above all, she would be able to eradicate the damned wretch who was dormant inside her.
“I can feel that someone who’ll be able to explain this abnormal phenomenon is on this mountain peak.”
She wasn’t in good shape, but she was absolutely certain that someone with demonic power was on the mountain’s peak—and their demonic power was on an entirely different level than hers. Although it wasn’t clear if the power belonged to a living being or an ownerless object, she was quite fortunate either way. In her state, her body was going to freeze solid, and the last thing Lust wanted now was to be cold.
“If it’s alive, then without a doubt it must be a demon, so all I have to do is partner up with them. If it’s not, I can just take it. Hahaha—wait just a moment, Iceline. I’m going to return to Arcadia as soon as possible and eat you whole.”
Lust slowly climbed up the mountain, her heart full of hope and anticipation. She was looking forward to seeing what lay at the top of the mountain so much that it felt like her heart was going to explode.