episode_0037

‘What is this guy?’

Tulan stared at the man in front of him.

A man who caused discord in the atmosphere that he was leading as he pleased.

‘He’s not a member of the Magic Tower. He seems to be a noble, but he doesn’t seem to be of high rank, and judging by his attire, he’s not from a wealthy family. His level is just entering the 4th level.’

Tulan quickly assessed the man and concluded that he was no ordinary man.

Right now, even among the trainees that Tulan carefully selected and brought along, they were wizards of a similar or higher level than the men. On top of that, they were also children of prestigious families that he could proudly show off.

Tulan could be infinitely cruel to such people. In fact, Tulan would have her followers ostracize those who were out of favor with the Tower, thereby undermining their standing. This was how she solidified her position in the Tower.

‘Are you embarrassing me in front of people?’

If only I had my heart set on doing the same thing to the man right away.

But Tulan decided to endure it for now.

It was because Master Meltas was standing behind the man.

Master Meltas was a respected wizard even within the Magic Tower. It was Tulan’s way to somehow make such a person his own and use him.

At first, Tulan thought that all of this was due to a minor misunderstanding or mistake.

What kind of idiot would fight with his master to defend a half-demon apprentice?

The other person was a half-sexy woman who couldn’t even speak properly in front of people.

Tulan was confident that he could clear up the misunderstanding between the man and Meltas and win them over to his side.

“Sorry, I was thinking about something else for a moment. Could you say that again?”

“I asked Didoa to help me take the elixir.”

“You are kind. You are caring about Didoa’s dignity. However, you are my precious guests. Even though I did not formally invite you?”

Smirk. Tulan’s expression formed a playful yet friendly smile.

“You are the ones who need my help and have come to this lab. As the owner and master of this lab, I want to help you the best I can. So please- don’t refuse.”

They say you can’t spit in the face of a smiling person. The expression Tulan had just made was a perfect example of that. The followers’ eyes sparkled as they looked at Tulan.

Tulan had no doubt that the same reaction would come from Lisir and Meltas.

“What you mean by the best help is – based on your vast knowledge of alchemy, you will analyze the elixir perfectly and give the best opinion -”

“That’s right.”

“Then, can I ask you again?”

Risir showed the elixir to Tulan.

“What do you think about this elixir?”

“Excuse me.”

I can’t stand it anymore!

Sophia, a follower of Tulan, raised her voice.

Sophia, who was looking forward to becoming a full-fledged wizard at a young age, was from a high-ranking noble family and had a position in both wizarding and noble society.

Neither the official wizards of the Magic Tower nor the city nobles of Bondales could treat her lightly.

The man’s actions at that moment were irritating Sophia.

No matter how I looked at it, he didn’t seem like the type of person who would act recklessly in this place.

Sophia spoke with subtle authority in her tone.

“You’ve been going too far since earlier. Isn’t it too rude to Master Tulan, who has been so kind to you when you came without an appointment? Above all, wouldn’t it be better to tell him your name and where you came from before we talk?”

“…”

Risir observed Sophia like that with eyes of interest.

***

‘Here it comes again.’

It was the moment when Sophia mentioned Tulan.

Risir felt a sudden aura of dark magic emerging from her.

‘Meltas was originally fine, but after he started mentioning Tulan, he suddenly started to feel the aura of dark magic.’

Also, the energy resonated with the surrounding energies.

The aura of black magic can be felt throughout the lab.

The aura of black magic felt from Tulan.

And, the aura of black magic felt from everyone except himself.

It was Risir who had already destroyed mental interference with the power of normalization several times.

He had the confidence to call himself a master of mental interference.

That is what Lishir concluded at this very moment.

‘Tulan is using his lab to use mental interference on others.’

He immediately tried to use the power of normalization, but-

‘…no.’

Through Sophia’s reaction just now, Risir had figured out the strange structure of Tulan’s mental magic.

It only manifests when the subject is conscious of Tulan.

And only at the moment of reaction does it take on the nature of black magic.

Risir focused on the dark magic aura he felt in the laboratory.

‘It’s gotten stronger than before… but it’s still not enough. If we destroy it now, the black magic might not be completely destroyed.’

Risir arrived at one hypothesis.

In order to completely destroy the dark magic of Tulan, one must fully bring out the properties of the dark magic.

And the way to bring out that quality is-

‘We need to make more people aware of Tulane.’

It was to activate the power of black magic to the fullest.

***

“Excuse me! Are you ignoring me right now?”

“…Ah. Excuse me. I was just thinking about something else for a moment. ”

Risir, who had been lost in thought for a moment, came back to his senses at the sound of Sophia’s nervous voice.

“I’m sorry for the late introduction. My name is Risir. I have no affiliation and I am not permitted to reveal my family name.”

An illegitimate child with no family or affiliation to boast about.

The gazes of the followers looking at Risir became more unreserved.

“I am Sophia of the Gray Tower, of the House of Lerrotin. Lisir. Please apologize to Master Tulan immediately for your rudeness. And please be a little more polite.”

“Okay. I apologize.”

Then Meltas stepped forward and joined the conversation.

“…Master Meltas?”

“I brought him here. I was the one who tried to introduce him to Master Tulan. So, the discontent you feel now is entirely my fault. How. How can I apologize to you so that you will feel at ease?”

The followers who had been pushing Risir forward with great vigour were taken aback.

Tulan, who looked embarrassed on the outside but inwardly looked satisfied, was the same.

Master Meltas was a man who was stingy with recognition.

Many wizards of the Magic Tower wanted to become Meltas’ disciples, but not a single one satisfied his standards.

He was risking his reputation to defend the man.

An illegitimate child with no affiliation or family, who is nothing.

“Oh, no… How dare I…”

This man named Risir.

He’s not just an illegitimate child.

It wasn’t for nothing that he was a follower of Tulan.

After quickly calculating, they took a step back and lowered their eyes.

At this point, even Tulan had no choice but to put aside his good looks.

Because Meltas’s attempt to save Risir’s face also meant denying Tulan’s face.

‘Hey, old lady, why are you acting like this all of a sudden?’

Tulan was quite taken aback by the atmosphere that was flowing more seriously than he had expected.

It wasn’t a mistake or a misunderstanding.

To Tulan, it seemed clear that Lisir and Meltas were against him.

‘Could it be the barrier… No, the barrier is fine. Then what the heck… Could it be-‘

Tulan glared at Didoa.

Tulan saw Didoa, who was unable to keep up with the situation and was just looking at Risir in a daze, in a completely different light.

‘Dido…!’

It’s clear, Didoa. That woman is clearly up to something.

“…”

When Risir read such a nursery rhyme of Tulan’s, he drove her even further.

“Master Toolan. You haven’t answered my question yet.”

Tulan was forced to make a decision.

“Sophia? Can you go and get Master Parozan now?”

“Ma, Master Parozan?”

“Yeah. We were planning to meet up and talk later, but I see it’s going to be a bit late. I’ll explain the situation myself.”

Tulan was momentarily taken aback, but quickly regained his composure.

Right now, in this place, Meltas might be able to suppress him as authority.

But what if other people are watching?

Could he, the Master, be hostile to himself for the sake of a half-demon trainee who is nothing in front of other Masters?

Can you convince other masters of this reason?

Tulan was confident that he could control the situation as he had always done.

Tulan smiled inwardly as he watched Sophia’s back as she went to call the other masters.

Risir also nodded inwardly while looking at Tulan like that.

Each with different thoughts and goals.

The two people shut their mouths at the same time as if they had made a promise.

There was tension in the lab.

And after a while-

“Master Toolan! What’s going on!?”

After hearing something from Sophia, Master Parozan appeared as if he were a hero trying to save a woman in danger.

A middle-aged man with a somewhat plump frame, he was panting and wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

Behind him, several students followed like a tail.

Tulane’s lab was quickly packed with onlookers.

“What’s going on?”

“Well?”

“Didn’t the half-ma woman cause the trouble?”

“Ah…”

“Tsk. I wonder why Master Toolan doesn’t throw it out.”

“What I’m saying is.”

“I told you that people are too kind, it’s a problem.”

It could be said that this was the ideal situation that Tulane had been dreaming of.

She opened her mouth as if she had been waiting.

He explained what happened in the lab point by point as if everyone was listening.

Soon, many eyes were focused on Risir and his group.

Parozan spoke on their behalf.

“Master Meltas. What is this? Isn’t this Master Tulan’s laboratory? Even if you are Master Meltas, this is not right.”

There weren’t many who stood higher than Meltas on the rooftop.

Parozan was definitely not one of them –

Nevertheless, he expressed his opinion clearly.

No matter how high Meltas’ position within the Tower, he could not be higher than all the wizards in this place combined.

“Ahem.”

As expected, Meltas also expressed considerable bewilderment at the situation that had grown out of control.

He whispered carefully in Risir’s ear.

-Rishir. You’re saying that Tulan is using black magic to charm others? Are you sure about that?

-Do you trust me?

-Of course! I saw with my own eyes how you defeated those evil warlocks, necromancers, and assassins!

-I’ve never defeated an assassin. Anyway, that part is certain. Thank you for trusting me. I will definitely repay your trust.

-If this causes me to step down from the Tower, you will be the one taking responsibility for me!

-I think you’re telling me to become a disciple, but is it really necessary to say something so creepy?

Afterwards, Risir explained his plan to Meltas.

-We need to make people as aware of Tulan as possible. So, Lord Meltas-

Meltas nodded and stepped forward into the crowd.

“Tulan. First, I apologize for coming to your lab and acting like a jerk. ”

Master Meltas’s apology.

Tulan felt a creepy pleasure.

But that was only for a moment.

“But. I want to make this point clear. This guy here – Rishir is the owner of a special ability that I completely trust. So, I want you to answer his questions sincerely.”

“Master Meltas!”

Parozan stepped in to replace Tulan.

“Do you still intend to defend him at this point?”

“Dudun? That’s strange. Master Parozan. ”

“…!”

As Meltas stared at him intently, the proud Parozan trembled.

“Tell me. Was Risir’s behavior that wrong?”

“Oh, how could I not say so! He denied Master Tulan’s abilities and praised her assistant! This is an insult to Master Tulan!”

“Parozan. Where do you think this is?”

“Master Meltas, where do you think you are? This is Master Tulan’s laboratory. And others are watching. Wouldn’t you like to show her a little more respect?”

“That was the dumbest answer you could have ever given.”

“What-…!”

“This is the Magic Tower. It is a place to practice mysticism, not a place to shout about the absoluteness of authority and imitate those in power.”

“…!”

“Here, authority is a byproduct of knowledge, and should never be the opposite. I don’t get it at all. Is this really going to get this complicated?”

Parozhan couldn’t answer and just moved his lips.

The other students were looking at Meltas with sparkling eyes.

Because it is a speech that is truly like a wizard’s paragon.

Meltas, who had given such a brilliant speech, thought to himself-

I felt quite embarrassed.

‘Actually, it was our fault…!’

The word is the pursuit of knowledge.

Isn’t this basically like coming to someone else’s lab and causing a ruckus?

If Tulan had not been a warlock, Meltas would never have cooperated with Lisir.

At that time, Risir stepped forward and took over Meltas’ baton.

He faced Tulan and said:

“Master Tulan. I apologize if my actions offended you. However, from my perspective, it was an inevitable choice. This elixir is very precious to me. I ask for your understanding as I seek a slightly better choice in relation to it.”

“…I understand. I will respect your wish to receive help from Didoa instead of me. ”

Tulan ground his teeth inwardly. What a disgrace.

She vowed that she would definitely repay them for this humiliation.

“No, Master Tulan. I have no intention of insisting on Didoa’s help.”

“What on earth are you trying to say?

“I told you, I’m just trying to find the best option. The reason I asked for help from Didoa-san is because Master Tulan didn’t mind giving me advice on this elixir. Unlike Didoa-san.”

“…”

“Since it has come to this. I must definitely seek advice from Master Toolan.”

‘That bastard…!’

Tulan belatedly noticed Risir’s intentions.

He intended to compare himself with Didoa in front of others.

Nothing else but to belittle himself and elevate Didoa.

“…”

It was none other than Tulan herself who planned to steal the identity of Didoa, the master of alchemy.

She never neglected her efforts to increase her knowledge of alchemy in preparation for such situations.

Because it borrowed the power of black magic, the results were also excellent.

The achievements are not far from being worthy of the title of Master.

The problem was that he was no match for Didoa, who had overcome his origins as a half-demon and established his position.

Most of what Tulan accomplished after stealing Didoa’s life was done by having Didoa steal her achievements.

-If you don’t cooperate with me, you will never get your original life back.

This was possible because Didoa had mentally driven and controlled him to the point where he complied with her unjust and absurd threats.

But what about now?

Tulan looked at Didoa, who was observing the situation from afar.

“…”

She continued to look at Risir with an emotionless expression.

But those eyes.

Those eyes were shining like never before.

Just as she had pride in herself as a Master, before she was robbed and ruined.

Maybe even more than that.

At this very moment.

Tulane was convinced.

That his plans, which had been built on Didoa’s unstable mental state, were starting to crack.

But that’s okay.

It can be sufficiently learned.

“Master Toolan, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Why aren’t you saying anything! Because it’s unpleasant! Isn’t that obvious?”

“I was compared to that half-breed girl, how could I be okay?”

“If Master Toolan were to express his opinion here, it would be the half-demon woman who would be embarrassed…”

Authority precedes knowledge.

‘Master Tulan’ was the best alchemist in the Magic Tower.

Who would deny the knowledge of Tulan?

The moment Tulan speaks about the elixir, that statement will immediately become the answer that completely defines the elixir.

“Master Toolan…”

“Master Toolan…”

Tulan felt the crowd’s attention focused on him, and felt the power of dark magic pulsing in response.

It was the source of Tulane’s confidence.

“If you really want my opinion.”

Filled with confidence, Tulan confidently reached out to Risir.

The elixir. Give it to me.

Risir did not let go of the elixir.

“Didn’t you ask for my advice?”

“Is there a problem? Miss Didoa is proceeding in this state.”

“… That’s Didoa- No, that’s okay.”

Tulan observed the elixir carefully.

“…”

Her brow furrowed. It was for reasons other than concentration.

‘What the…’

It’s unfamiliar. And it’s difficult.

Despite having gained a lot of knowledge from my position as a master, I couldn’t figure out anything.

Except that it’s just a potion filled with great power.

The confusion was brief. Soon, Tulan thought that this was actually better.

If you can’t recognize yourself at all, then other people won’t be that different.

It would have been much easier to impose knowledge on authority.

“This is the elixir of the Derdal alchemists.”

“Is that Derdal?”

“Yes. Extreme pragmatism without any special features. That’s the characteristic of Derdahl’s elixir.”

“You said there were no special features just now?”

A smile of satisfaction appeared on Risir’s lips.

Tulan felt his hair stand on end and spoke hurriedly.

“Are you nitpicking now? If this is how it is, I can’t stand it anymore!”

“Rishir. Will you hand the elixir over to Master Parozan?”

An emotionless voice cut through the place.

Risir gave the elixir to Parozan as instructed by Didoa.

“…”

suddenly?

Parozhan was confused, but he followed her instructions anyway.

“Master Parozan, rub the spout of the elixir. ”

“…What is this?”

“You will feel the subtle relief. In addition-”

Didoa then went on to point out the countless details hidden in the bottle, one by one.

It was an act that directly denied Tulan’s opinion that there were no features whatsoever.

“…-For that reason, it is more correct to see that the magic is an elixir for the Gothraltha sorcerers rather than Derdal.”

A roaring crowd.

Tulan tried to shout, confident that the crowd would lend strength to his voice.

“Gothralta… Gothralta… Sure, I think I’ve heard about their elixir somewhere.”

However, Parozan’s muttering stopped Tulan.

It is none other than Parozan who is head over heels in love with Tulan.

Tulan said to Parozhan in confusion.

“Pa, Parozan…? It’s not my opinion now, but Didoa’s opinion is correct-”

“…”

For a moment, Parozhan’s face became blank, as if he had just woken up from sleep.

He said within.

“Of course, isn’t that obvious? You’re just a trainee and Didoa… Huh? What the-”

The feeling of discomfort spread like an epidemic.

“What? Why is Tulan wearing the Master’s robe? And Master Didoa?”

“Of course it’s Tulan… Huh?”

Tulan realized it too late.

The power of black magic that had been pulsating until just before disappeared without a trace.

‘Why!?’

The answer to that question.

Risir was looking at Tulan with a meaningful expression.

“This, this, this- this bastard…!”

Tulan lost his mind.

It was the moment when her mask was completely removed.