Ch.260Chapter 260 – Mages Have Strong Pride

“Here are the documents that Lady Regina requested.”

While I was waiting on the first floor of the Magic Tower, an official came down and handed me a thick envelope.

This must contain the documents that Regina had mentioned.

“What caused that massive tremor earlier?”

I asked the mage who brought the documents about the huge vibration I had felt earlier.

“Ah… there was a small accident during a magic experiment recently. The tremor you felt was due to some cracks that formed in the tower. Of course, we’re continuously applying repair magic to fix it, so please feel free to use the tower without concern.”

The mage who brought the documents gave the exact same answer as the staff member at the counter.

I also asked another passing mage about the tremor I had just felt, and that person gave the identical response.

When not just one, but three people say the same thing, it seemed certain that there really had been an accident during a magic experiment that caused some kind of problem with the tower, big or small.

‘I hope it’s not going to collapse.’

Just to be safe, I secured the envelope with the documents and quickly made my way out of the Magic Tower.

“Hyeryeong.”

“Why do you call upon me?”

“As the leader of the Cheonma Divine Sect, did those three people who just answered my question seem like they were telling the truth?”

I sought the opinion of the Cheonma Divine Sect’s leader.

In martial arts novels, Cheonma practitioners are usually uncannily good at detecting whether someone is lying or telling the truth…

“Hmm… This one does not believe they were lying.”

After hearing Cheon Hyeryeong’s answer, I pondered for a moment.

If they truly weren’t lying as she said, then the tower should be safe.

There had been an accident during a magic experiment, but they were continuously working on repairs to prevent any problems.

“Are you worried?”

“How could I not be? If a building that large collapses, it would cause tremendous damage to the surrounding area.”

I remembered reading articles about the 9/11 terrorist attacks, one of the 21st century’s greatest disasters, where the collapse of the World Trade Center caused massive damage to the surrounding area.

While the Magic Tower might not boast the same enormity as the World Trade Center, most buildings in this world were only 1-2 stories tall.

Some larger inns might have 3 floors, but most were around 2 stories.

So in this Archenium where only 1-2 story buildings existed, a 20-story Magic Tower was an exceptionally large structure.

“If you’re truly concerned, leave it to this one. This one could easily erase such a building with a single strike of the Cheonma Divine Fist.”

“That’s a bit…”

I shook my head at Cheon Hyeryeong’s suggestion to demolish the building without hesitation.

Having great power is good, but I needed to restrain her tendency to act impulsively because of that power.

Anyway, after leaving the Magic Tower, I spent time with Cheon Hyeryeong eating street food before returning to the Academy.

“Here are the documents you asked for.”

“Ah, thanks for your hard work.”

When I handed over the documents from the Magic Tower, my sister opened the envelope, checked the contents, and then immersed herself in paperwork again.

She said something about needing to process documents in advance to avoid interruptions during the time we’d spend together at the end of the year.

So I couldn’t disturb Regina’s paperwork.

But I did have something I was curious about, so I decided to ask.

“Sis, has there been an accident recently at Archenium’s Magic Tower during a magic experiment?”

“Huh? How do you know about that?”

Regina seemed very surprised that I knew about the accident at the Magic Tower.

Seeing her reaction, I wondered if perhaps the accident was classified information.

“When I visited the Magic Tower, I suddenly felt a tremor. When I asked someone nearby, they only told me there had been an accident and repairs were underway.”

I had no way to dig deeper than that.

But Regina might know something, right?

“Haah… so they ended up causing an accident after all.”

Regina seemed to know something.

Judging by how she sighed while covering her face, the situation appeared quite serious.

“Is there a problem?”

“Yes, there is. The magic being developed at the tower was probably related to ‘mine excavation.'”

“Mine… excavation?”

At the mention of mine excavation, I immediately thought of dynamite.

I had watched a documentary before where explosives were used to dig deeper into mines.

Under strict management, a designated amount of explosives would be placed into pre-drilled holes, and when an electrical signal was sent, the explosives would detonate, shattering the rock.

“Are they using explosions to create new tunnels in mines?”

“Huh? Did I tell you about that already?”

“No.”

I explained to her that something similar existed in the world I used to live in.

As the conversation turned to my past life, even Cheon Hyeryeong, who had no interest in magic, approached with gleaming eyes to listen to my story.

“How fascinating… powder that explodes when ignited. And powerful enough to excavate tunnels.”

“I don’t know how to make it myself. I heard the manufacturing process is quite complex.”

Unless you’re a specialist in making explosives, who in this world would know how to manufacture them?

“I see. The magic being developed at the tower was an improved version of an existing spell called ‘Explosion.'”

“An improved version of Explosion…”

Did they have an abnormal explosion while testing the explosion magic?

Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense that the entire tower was damaged.

“The improvement aimed to enhance the explosive power while also directing it so that the force would be concentrated in a specified direction. But it seems the mages made some miscalculation while experimenting, and an explosion powerful enough to break through the protective barrier occurred.”

“So that’s why the entire tower was damaged.”

“Yes. The power of the Explosion spell is already strong enough to destroy a large castle, and they were trying to make it even more powerful…”

I could guess the rest without her saying it.

An explosion strong enough to break the tower’s protective barrier occurred, and the mages researching the spell were all caught in the blast and died.

What’s surprising is that such a major accident didn’t spread to the outside.

“The Magic Tower is fundamentally a very closed group to non-mages. And accidents during magical research happen from time to time.”

“Do people die frequently too?”

“Mages are people who willingly accept all risks that may arise while researching new magic. They know well that dangers always occur in developing magic… and deaths can happen in the process.”

“They’re brave people.”

“More fearless than brave. But thanks to them, many spells have been developed, and several useful magics are still being used today.”

Hmm. It seems there are many people here who value discovering and inventing new things more than their own lives.

Well, progress happens because someone is willing to risk even their life to discover something new.

The world I lived in also developed thanks to people who sacrificed even their lives.

“So, how is the repair of the Magic Tower progressing?”

“Well… Even though I was once a member of the Magic Tower, I’ve never heard specifically about how tower repairs are conducted.”

It seemed Regina didn’t know much about the tower’s repairs either.

How closed off must they be if they don’t even inform former members about how they repair the tower?

“I think I could fix it with my abilities.”

“Well… the Magic Tower is so prideful that they wouldn’t be too happy even if you stepped forward.”

“Why is that? With my husband’s abilities, such a tower would surely be made new in an instant.”

“Mages are extremely proud, to the point where everyone acknowledges it. They consider it humiliating to receive help from outsiders.”

Ah.

After hearing Regina’s explanation, I understand why the tower’s restoration is progressing so slowly.

“When did the Magic Tower’s experiment fail?”

“Six months ago.”

…? Wait a minute. So it hasn’t been repaired for six months?

At this point, it’s amazing the tower hasn’t collapsed yet.

“Just in case, let’s send them a message offering help.”

“It probably won’t have much effect… but I’ll ask for their opinion.”

Through Regina, I sent a message to the Magic Tower offering help with the repairs, and…

[We appreciate your offer, but the Magic Tower does not require outside assistance. It is our principle that the tower must be repaired solely through magic.]

I was very politely rejected.

Ah… well, if they insist on handling it themselves… I guess I don’t need to worry about it.