Ch.49The Sleeping Dragon in the Forest (2)

Tower of Pisa.

Once known as one of the Three Great Towers, it was now a shabby place without a single disciple.

Inside, an old man was gathering various magic books and artifacts, placing them into his infinite pouch.

Suddenly, the space distorted.

Tower Master Hugo trembled in fear and bowed his head.

A figure emerged with black smoke.

Clank- clank.

The eerie sound of grinding steel.

Hugo didn’t dare raise his head and knelt on one knee.

“L-Lord Kairon. You’ve arrived.”

[Is everything progressing well, Hugo?]

“…We’re in the final stages. We just need to activate the magic circle now.”

[The Master has high expectations for you.]

Kairon wore a helmet. Though only ominous black smoke swirled around him, Hugo felt as if he was being glared at.

Gulp-

Swallowing hard, Hugo lowered his posture even further.

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

[Good, remember it well.]

Kairon’s body crumbled. Just as when he appeared, black smoke scattered into the air.

[And be sure to recover the holy relic, the Chalice of Mana.]

Only a faint voice remained.

Even long after Kairon disappeared, Hugo couldn’t raise his head.

Only after a very long time did Hugo finally stand up.

“At last, I can reach the pinnacle.”

His freckled face twisted strangely. It was a smile of joy.

“The last child had quite a lot of mana. Tsk tsk.”

“Yip.”

“?”

Suddenly, the cry of a fox was heard.

Creeeeak-

The tower door opened.

An Arctic fox with white fur raised one paw.

“Hello.”

“…?”

Hugo fell backward in shock.

“A-a fox that talks?”

“That’s what surprises you?”

Miho rose to her feet.

She began to glow white, and when the light faded, a lovely blue-haired girl stood there smiling.

“Listen, little one.”

Miho bent down, placing her hands on her knees.

“I don’t care what you guys are doing.”

She still wore a lovely smile.

But her expression suddenly changed to that of a demon.

“Just don’t wake Ruide from his sleep.”

**

Ruide came to the Academy after a long time.

Well, saying “long time” wasn’t quite accurate.

It hadn’t even been a month since he left the Academy.

“Hersy.”

“Y-yes!”

Hersy, who had been studying, frantically hid something behind her back.

Ruide tilted his head.

“Hmm? Where’s the fox?”

“Ah… she said she was going out for a bit…”

Hersy scratched the side of her head with a nervous laugh.

“B-but it’s really been a while since you came. Is it because of the recent incident?”

“Yeah.”

Ruide found Hersy somewhat suspicious, but decided not to pry.

He sat on the desk and looked around. The classroom was quiet.

“Is this the Extra Class classroom? First time seeing it.”

“Well, that’s because you don’t attend classes… Even during the magic demonstration, we were in the main hall.”

Schools have their unique charm.

Experiences you can only have at this age.

Ruide wasn’t unaware of this.

‘Maybe I should have attended more?’

It might have been fun to experience it. Ruide briefly thought this, but it was still too bothersome. Break time might be fun, but classes would be boring.

“I’m a gentleman of leisure after all.”

“…What’s a ‘gentleman of leisure’?”

“Someone who lives comfortably without an official position.”

Ruide got off the desk.

It was probably the first time she’d heard the term. The concept of “gentleman of leisure” existed during the Joseon Dynasty.

He thought no other word described him more accurately.

A high-status unemployed person.

But even a gentleman of leisure has his duties.

Being completely idle and doing nothing is for plants, not gentlemen of leisure.

A true gentleman of leisure…

Makes those around him think, “It’s okay for him to be like that.”

Ruide stared at Hersy.

“Tell the Chancellor.”

So, occasionally showing his capabilities was a plus.

“I’ll help just this once-“

Ruide put his hands in his pockets and left the classroom.

**

On the way to the Tower of Pisa.

He encountered Damon sitting on a large rock, looking up at the sky.

“You needn’t be so embarrassed.”

“What are you doing?”

“I was conversing with a commoner paying respects to me.”

What Damon was looking at was the sun.

Ruide ignored him and walked past.

There was nothing good about getting involved with someone mentally unstable.

“Wait-“

Damon looked Ruide over with arrogant eyes.

“Let’s go together.”

“You know where I’m going?”

“Aren’t you going to catch some villains?”

With a smirk, Damon raised the corner of his mouth.

“I was bored anyway.”

“I’m not your entertainment.”

Black magic was solely focused on destruction.

It fundamentally differed from white magic, which aimed for human advancement.

If a black mage and a regular mage of the same rank fought, the black mage would overwhelmingly win.

In other words, it was dangerous.

Ruide wasn’t confident in fighting while protecting someone else.

“What an insolent response, Ruide Christopher.”

“Seems the Emperor didn’t scold you enough.”

Ruide looked at Damon with cold eyes.

“It’s not like that. I’m just going to take a nap, so don’t follow me.”

Ruide tried to make an excuse and move on.

But-

“Heading to the Tower of Pisa? Ruide Christopher.”

“…!”

Ruide looked at Damon with wide eyes.

Damon shrugged and got off the rock.

“Don’t underestimate the imperial intelligence. I was just graciously forgiving the villain who dared to encroach on my territory, since it’s Windsor’s responsibility.”

Damon put his hands in his pockets.

“Windsor deserves that much respect.”

“Why not continue showing that respect?”

“That’s difficult, rival. Shouldn’t I get some value for waiting for you?”

Damon strode toward Ruide.

“I was tolerating a disgusting crawling insect – I at least have the right to watch that insect being crushed.”

Ruide realized Damon wasn’t the type to understand verbal hints.

‘…Well, follow or not, whatever.’

There was no particular reason to stop him.

Though it was dangerous…

“If you get hurt, it’s not my fault.”

“Hmph, if I get bitten by an insect, of course it’s my fault. Why would it be yours?”

“Then fine. Just follow quietly.”

“By the way, Ruide Christopher.”

Ruide looked at him with an expression that said “what now?”

Damon spoke with a triumphant face.

“You didn’t know? Nia Ryan isn’t imprisoned in the Tower of Pisa, but…”

Damon pointed his finger to a place high in the sky.

So high that its end wasn’t visible.

The Skyscraper, which was difficult to look at properly because of the sunlight.

It was also where he had gone once before to steal the Phoenix Feather.

“At the top of the Skyscraper.”

“…Huh?”

“To hide a tree, you place it in a forest. Isn’t that the standard?”

‘That can’t be.’

As far as Ruide knew, the mastermind was Hugo, the Tower Master of the Tower of Pisa.

Due to his limited talent as a Tower Master, the Tower of Pisa was on the verge of extinction.

That was why he became a black mage.

So he kidnapped Nia Ryan and conducted research.

His goal was to use the lost 5th Magic <Resurrection of the Dead> from the Tower of Pisa.

It was magic that summoned the souls of past dead heroes through a medium.

Nia Ryan was the optimal test subject for this.

So naturally, he would have conducted experiments at the Tower of Pisa.

“…Is this reliable information?”

“I know the thoughts of insects best. Observation is my hobby, you see.”

“So it’s a guess.”

“Would you call it a certainty?”

Damon spoke with serious eyes.

“I have never been wrong.”

‘Damon isn’t the type to speak without basis.’

Though he seemed mentally unstable, he was a chosen prince.

Not just anyone could become the head of the Kairos family, even with imperial blood.

‘I’ll trust him.’

The Tower of Pisa was quite far away.

It wouldn’t be bad to check before going.

Ruide headed toward the Skyscraper.

**

Above the Skyscraper.

A phoenix should have been at the very edge, but for some reason, there was no sign of it.

Instead, the disgusting smell of black magic filled the Skyscraper.

Following the revolting smell, he saw iron bars.

“It’s really here.”

Ruide crouched in front of the bars.

“They’ve gathered quite a few.”

Damon surveyed the inside of the cage with a cold gaze.

Young children were gathered inside.

Their faces were gaunt, as if they hadn’t been fed.

Nia Ryan was there too, collapsed in a corner wearing her Academy robe.

Ruide reached out his hand.

Crunch-!

The iron bars instantly crumpled, creating a generous space.

“Damon. Can I ask you to handle the aftermath? I’ll chase the culprit. He was probably here until just now.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll follow after taking care of everything.”

“No, don’t come.”

“……”

There was a world of difference between just hearing about something and seeing it with your own eyes.

No child had died yet. But it was easy to imagine they had suffered pain that might have made death preferable.

Traces of foam at the corners of their mouths, scratch-like wounds.

Above all, the precariously maintained life mana.

The mage named Hugo had planned to exploit the children’s mana for as long as possible.

‘No matter how much mana he gained from such vile acts.’

Ruide’s eyes blazed blue as he looked at the emaciated children.

“I might have trouble controlling my power.”

Ruide was a little angry.