Ch.7Crimson Magic Tower (6)

After Tepes left, silence hung over the Council of Elders.

“W-what just happened, Count Vlad…?”

“L-Lord Dmitri…”

The one who broke the silence was the High Elder, Dmitri.

Vlad also turned to look at Dmitri with a bewildered expression when he called his name.

“C-Count Vlad… your face…?!”

“Th-that’s not the issue! Your hair! Your hair!”

The other elders also pointed at Count Vlad’s head with trembling fingers.

Originally, his scalp had been as barren as a desolate desert with nothing growing on it.

Throughout his life, he had repeatedly extracted and reinjected blood, never exercised, devoted himself solely to magical research, often skipped meals, and when he did eat, it was always greasy, unhealthy food.

There’s a saying that the worse food is for your body, the better it tastes.

As a Blood Mage suffering from countless stresses, Vlad had no choice but to relieve his stress through eating.

A poorly maintained body, suffering from overwhelming stress and overwork, and repeatedly extracting and reinjecting blood for Blood Magic research.

Naturally, his health couldn’t have been good.

Therefore, losing all his hair to baldness was an inevitable progression.

But now…!

“Hair… hair has grown back!!”

Hair had clearly grown back.

The hair they thought they’d never see again had proudly sprouted, revealing itself to the world once more.

“Ah, aah… aaaah…!!”

Vlad repeatedly made dazed sounds like a broken machine.

“I… what have I done…”

Not only had she restored his dying body to health, but she had also given practical advice to speak respectfully to others from now on.

Above all…

“Lady Tepes… she’s a god…!”

She had revived hair he thought was dead.

It was as miraculous as bringing life to a barren desert where no life could bloom.

“Lady Tepes is a god, and I am invincible. The god within me is now Lady Tepes. She will soon save our Magic Tower…!!”

Vlad, forgetting his position, knelt in place and offered a prayer.

“Aah… Lady Tepes…”

Does he truly know?

That the being called Tepes, to whom he’s praying so fervently, is an existence that has completely transcended death, directly defying the laws of nature.

“Ahem… harrumph…”

“Sh-should I also speak rudely to her…?”

The elders, while pretending not to, cast envious glances toward Vlad.

* * *

“Hmm.”

I did it out of anger and frustration.

But thinking about it now, after doing such a thing, my path to becoming the Magic Tower Master has become a gamble.

‘Ugh…’

It wasn’t an action without thought.

They were clearly showing disrespect toward me, and if I had become the Magic Tower Master, they might have seen me as merely a mascot, a figurehead Master to be used.

So I established dominance from the start.

Additionally, I deliberately used flashy and impressive Blood Claw Art to make myself appear as a talent they couldn’t afford to lose.

In any case… I think anyone would be suspicious in such a situation.

I only demonstrated my abilities to those two Blood Mages, so how could they so confidently offer me the position of Magic Tower Master as if they knew all about my capabilities?

‘It doesn’t make sense.’

Elders of a Magic Tower would surely be cunning enough to harbor hundreds of schemes, so how could I trust something that reeked so obviously of suspicion?

Of course, if I found myself at a disadvantage, I could just cause a scene and leave, but no matter how powerful I am, I didn’t want to walk straight into an obvious trap.

Would you walk through a puddle of sewage on the street just because you could wash it off later, not caring if it got on your legs?

No.

You avoid filth because it’s dirty, not because you’re afraid of it.

There’s no need to deliberately step in it.

‘They’ll probably make the offer again… it’s better to wait for now.’

Though not certain, judging by the fact that the elders with their pride came to ask me directly, this Blood Magic Tower seemed desperate for a Master.

Come to think of it, those Blood Mages who woke me said that the reputation of Blood Mages had already fallen to rock bottom.

I’ve already cast the bait.

While I simply manipulate blood like controlling limbs and call it Blood Claw Art, to Blood Mages who strive to handle blood through the grand discipline of magic, my existence must seem godlike.

Needless to say, I must appear as someone they desperately want to recruit.

“Ah… you’ve arrived, Magic Tower Master!”

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, the man who had been guiding me addressed me that way.

I briefly considered correcting him since I hadn’t actually become the Magic Tower Master yet, but then decided it wasn’t necessary.

“I’ll show you to your room.”

I was planning to stay at the Crimson Blood Magic Tower to gather information anyway… it’s nice that they’ve prepared a place for me to stay before I even asked.

“Let’s go.”

I should rest and organize my thoughts.

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“Then… I hope you rest well.”

The guide said that and closed the door.

Razak, was it?

If I’m going to stay here from now on, I’ll probably be active as the Magic Tower Master, so it would be good to remember all the staff.

As I mentally repeated Razak’s name, I looked around the room.

‘Oh…’

The room was extremely luxurious.

‘How interesting…’

However, the luxury wasn’t about being covered in dazzling jewels, but rather had a futuristic and sophisticated elegance.

I heard this was the best room in the Magic Tower…

‘It seems they took my warning seriously.’

I was a bit worried they might kick me out immediately, but if they did, I could just go to the Green Tower.

The Magic Tower mages would try to interfere, but if I couldn’t break through that much, I shouldn’t be called a Transcendent.

‘I’m suddenly curious about the other Magic Towers.’

If this room is what the poorest Magic Tower can prepare, I wonder what the best room in a wealthy Magic Tower would be like.

I thought I wouldn’t be surprised by ordinary standards since I had already lived in the mansion gifted to me by the Empire, but this exceeded my expectations.

“A TV…? Is it…?”

A device that looked like a TV, a bed that appeared extremely comfortable at a glance, and unidentifiable devices placed on the desk.

And…

“Hooo…”

A window with a clear view outside the Magic Tower.

As I was looking around with curiosity, I discovered a passage leading to another area.

This seems to be the shower room.

‘A shower…’

Since I wasn’t dirty and couldn’t get dirty with this body, there was no real need to go in to wash.

But…

‘Should I check it out…’

With technology this advanced, it might be possible.

The technology where hot water comes out as soon as you turn the knob.

Just recently—well, a thousand years ago—if you wanted to shower with warm water, you had to heat it with fire.

It’s a bit ridiculous to call a thousand years ago “recently,” but still.

I hummed a tune as I excitedly made my way into the shower room.

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.

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“Wow…”

I never thought I’d be able to experience such a pleasant shower again.

I believe it now—the Empire really is a backward country.

Although there was the minor issue that my body had become that of a young girl, I’m not a foolish human who lusts after my own changed body.

‘I don’t know why I’m wearing Gothic Lolita clothes though…’

I’m pretty sure I was wearing a suit and cape back then.

During the thousand years I was asleep, did something happen that not only changed my appearance but also my clothes? Geez…

Anyway, it’s an undeniable fact that my appearance is beautiful and cute beyond what even my past self could approach.

Although my face still has some baby fat, the impact is beyond imagination.

“This is ridiculous…”

Setting aside why I became a young girl’s body rather than a fully grown woman’s, I’m fortunate that I intentionally concealed my face by keeping my parasol open for the sake of maintaining my concept—my appearance was that striking.

Lying on the bed and letting out a deep sigh, I suddenly muttered:

“So what do I do now…”

This is bad.

There’s nothing to do.

The greatest crisis in a True Ancestor’s life.

As I was looking around for something to do, that’s when it happened.

“Huh?”

My eyes widened at the device placed on the table.

For good reason,

“… a tablet?”

Despite being from long ago, there was something all too familiar.