Ch.21Tower War (6)

“What… what are you doing right now?”

Though I asked with a shocked expression, Eterna just chuckled while looking at me as if she’d discovered something amusing.

“Well, forums are fun, aren’t they? Hiding your true self while saying all sorts of strange things… adopting weird personas without getting caught.”

“…”

I couldn’t say anything.

In the MagicPad that Eterna was projecting into the air, people were confused about the sudden change of ownership of the Aether Tower to me.

This is insane—that thought genuinely crossed my mind.

“But this username… looking at it carefully, it’s not wrong at all.”

She seemed about to say that this username was too much, but after quickly reading my username and looking at me, that’s what she said instead.

Well, I…

I had a lot to say about this.

But…

“Ah…”

This is a disaster.

I honestly didn’t choose that username because I liked it.

When I was asked to create a username, I remembered how people in my original modern world often used obnoxious usernames on community forums, so I temporarily created one that reflected my current situation.

I never intended to keep that username and was planning to change it right away.

“If I had known it would cost points to change it, I wouldn’t have done this…!”

That’s right.

Sadly, on this forum, changing your username required points earned through activity.

Usually forums offer a free username change opportunity for first-time users, but I don’t understand why this one had everything else but not that.

In the end, I didn’t want to be active with such a username, so I created a new account and was just lurking with it.

But of all things, Eterna had appointed me as the top administrator, and it seemed that the account with that username—which I had created first and which had become my main ID—had become the top administrator…

That was the only explanation I could come up with.

“This is crazy…”

How could things get so twisted?

I looked at Eterna with trembling eyes.

I couldn’t say anything to Eterna, as if she had caught my weakness.

Of course, that was natural.

Until now, my act had only worked because I was dealing with people who knew nothing about me and because I had powerful abilities.

My opponent was a magical Transcendent with power equal to or greater than mine, and my first impression had already been shattered by this embarrassing username. No matter how dignified and charismatic I tried to act now, Eterna would only see me as a joke.

Naturally, there was no way I could maintain a poker face.

I, who had been acting noble just moments ago, now looked at Eterna nervously.

Then I carefully opened my mouth.

“Um… well… about the username… I mean… um…”

Oh damn.

This is so embarrassing.

Ah!!

“Pfft, bwahahahaha!!”

Eterna couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

This isn’t right.

This really isn’t right.

I had essentially admitted that I had chosen my username on a whim out of curiosity and couldn’t change it.

“Should I have just proudly owned up to having SuperGeniusTruePrettyBloodMage as my username…?”

This is driving me crazy.

I briefly considered that thought but quickly dismissed it as nonsense.

I didn’t want to become an extremely narcissistic True Ancestor vampire.

At least for me, that would have been more embarrassing.

“Haa… I think this is the first time I’ve laughed this heartily since becoming a Transcendent…”

“Well, good for you…”

“Why are you so cute?”

“…”

I turned my head away to avoid Eterna’s gaze as she asked that with a subtle smile.

“Do you know how much I want to hug you tight and squish you? How much I want to pinch those steamed bun-like cheeks of yours?”

“Haah…”

“It’s my lifelong wish—can I hug you just once?”

It’s hard to believe these words are coming from someone who’s lived for at least a thousand years.

It seemed that in Eterna’s mind, I had already been categorized as a cute girl who was fun to tease.

“Do I deserve to be treated like this?”

Objectively speaking, I did.

To be honest, a thousand years ago, I went through all sorts of trouble to defeat the Demon King, and now I just didn’t want to live a difficult life anymore.

If possible, I wanted to live a relaxed life making money without doing much work, and the only person who could make that possible was this woman in front of me.

It wouldn’t be impossible to make a lot of money through other means, but the process would be annoying, and using my powers to make money would likely create enemies.

The best way to make good money without complications would probably be as an adventurer… but that profession existed a thousand years ago, and I’m not sure if adventurers are still around now.

Considering that the Magical Kingdom was created and developed during these thousand years.

Besides Magic Towers, there are academies and various schools of thought for different disciplines.

In this world, there would be many ways to make money, but…

“This is the easiest method…”

The position of Magic Tower Master, which comes with the interesting MagicPad, little work, and financial comfort.

Of course, they say the Magic Tower doesn’t have money right now, so even I’m not living as luxuriously as they would normally expect.

But this place where I am now deals with the field I’m most confident in.

Bringing such a place to the top would be easier than defeating the Demon King.

However…

“With Eterna’s help…”

It might seem like favoritism, but what can I do?

In this world, I’m the only one besides Eterna who holds the position of a Transcendent.

For the Blood Tower, which created Blood Magic following me but was persecuted despite their hard work, this was like hitting the jackpot.

So now…

“It’s time for me to bend the knee…!”

Ugh.

I never expected our relationship to turn out like this.

“So… about my request…”

“Ah, right, you had a request. Hmm… that’s right…”

At my question, Eterna briefly wore a contemplative expression.

“Let’s hear what your request is first.”

I nodded at Eterna’s words and opened my mouth.

“You said the relationships between Magic Towers aren’t good these days.”

“Yes.”

“Let me establish a hierarchy among the Magic Towers. Specifically… I want to hold a major competition where the Magic Towers can compete against each other.”

“Hmm~?”

What I’ve learned while staying here is that Magic Towers deeply share knowledge with each other, to the point where high-ranking mages from different towers cooperate to teach average and lower-ranking mages.

In other words, the Magic Towers are closely connected and even collaborate to solve difficult theories.

However, they’ve never had any events to build friendship beyond just cooperation.

Mages from different towers only meet through forum posts on their MagicPads or through group assignments given by their schools.

This naturally leads to dissatisfaction.

Their bad relationships were only getting worse as they vented their frustrations from group projects and cooperative requests through their MagicPads.

But what if there was a way to resolve these negative feelings?

That was my request and proposal.

“Of course, I’m asking for competition among the lower-ranking mages. The hierarchy among Tower Masters would be… just for show.”

Eterna’s eyes narrowed as if she had caught onto my plan.

“It seems you have some method in mind?”

“…”

I answered with silence.

I knew very well how to help Blood Mages handle Blood Magic better.

In a way that only our Magic Tower could achieve… a way impossible for other towers.

“Well, if you’re thinking of raising your status, you need to show not just the Tower Master’s strength but also how powerful the tower itself is…”

“Is it possible?”

“Of course it is.”

When Eterna affirmed that it wouldn’t be a problem, I let out a sigh of relief.

I was worried about being rejected.

“But there’s a condition.”

“A condition…?”

I’m feeling uneasy.

“As I mentioned earlier, will you handle all the forum management? I’ve given you all the permissions. On the MagicPad, you’re practically a god. I’m entrusting this to you since we’re both Transcendents.”

“… Alright, I understand.”

Eterna chuckled and suggested that I might as well be active with that username, but I immediately refused.

“Then may I make one more request?”

“Hmm~? What is it?”

“Please provide some support for the Blood Tower. My people are starving.”

“Oh! I can’t let my precious little sister’s people starve to death! Okay~”

… Is she accepting it so readily this time?

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Eterna.

But Eterna’s smile deepened.

“Only if you grant me one request~”

“A request?”

“I’m not forcing you. You know that, right?”

“…”

It’s halfway to coercion.

But the lack of funds was quite an urgent matter, so I was willing to hear her out.

“Go ahead.”

“From now on, call me ‘unnie’ and think of me as your big sister! Then I’ll bestow my grace upon my little sister.”

Crack

Looking at Eterna, who was grinning as she spoke, I could feel a vein popping on my forehead.

“That’s…”

“As a bonus, I’ll also give you an allowance for managing the forum. All together, how about… this much?”

Having used the MagicPad for a month, I had long since figured out the market rates.

I won’t let her cheat me by exploiting my unfamiliarity with this world.

As Eterna manipulated her MagicPad and showed it to me, I counted the number of zeros with hawk-like eyes.

After reading the full amount, I silently looked up at Eterna.

“…”

“What do you think? Feel like doing it?”

“When do I start working, unnie?”

“Yes, yes, I’m your unnie~! Drop the formality and add some cuteness, will you?”

“No… no matter what, that’s going too far…”

How dare she try to buy me with money.

No matter how much money she offers, my pride won’t allow me to go that far…

“I’ll double it.”

Even if she gives a lot of money…

“T-that’s…”

“Hmm, then triple it?”

Money…

“…”

“You’re too greedy… Okay, how about 10 times the amount?”

“I love you, unnie~!”

From now on, I’m your little sister, hehe.