Chapter 187

Episode 187

“Master Muon was once considered a candidate for the next Tower Master. He was a truly gifted mage. He was also Master Eldritch’s apprentice.”

Eldritch was the current Tower Master. I already knew he was his apprentice.

What I needed wasn’t Muon’s objective actions, but the man himself.

As a human, he would unconsciously reveal his habits and tendencies. Those could be crucial clues to solving the case.

With his whereabouts unknown, I needed to gather every clue I could.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt about his abilities. He turned an ordinary person into a mage and even succeeded in cruel experiments.”

“I’m not trying to make excuses, but not all mages are like that. I hope you won’t be prejudiced.”

“Not at all. In fact, thanks to this incident, my perception of mages has improved. Seeing Chief Mage Fabian and my comrade Ophelia, I can’t help but be positive.”

“Suddenly praising me…? Oh!”

Ophelia blushed slightly and averted her gaze.

So typical.

“Ahem. Anyway, I remember him as a kind-hearted person at first. But after he became the court mage, he completely changed. The Tower Master always regretted it. Recommending him as the court mage, I mean.”

“Everyone makes mistakes.”

It was common for mages to become corrupted after tasting power. Even the knights of this Empire were like that, so why would mages be any different?

The only fortunate thing was that the Tower Master himself had recommended the person who had turned the Imperial Family upside down, so he would cooperate with us as much as possible.

It felt like the missing pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.

“Then the Tower Master and Muon didn’t interact with each other?”

“Barely, I guess? Master Muon rarely came to the Magic Tower. He mostly lived in the Imperial Palace.”

“Where did he conduct his secret research?”

“The Magic Tower might look like just a single tower from the outside, but it’s actually quite spacious inside. The basement is also developed. An archmage could easily create a secret laboratory in the basement without anyone knowing.”

“Is it possible to enter the secret laboratory without going through the Magic Tower?”

“That’s impossible, but if he conducted such experiments, there might be a separate passage that only Master Muon knew. The Tower Master is currently searching for it.”

It seemed like the chaos at the Magic Tower wouldn’t subside anytime soon.

It was a good thing for me. The busier the Magic Tower’s leadership was, the easier it would be for my new magic community to take root.

“I heard the Magic Tower closed itself off when we left the capital. It’s open now, but what was the atmosphere like back then?”

“It was a mess. Some people even said that Master Muon was being framed by the Imperial Family.”

“They could say that in that situation? There are many brave people.”

“The Magic Tower is a sacred place, but many mages believe it’s nothing more than a slave to the Empire and the Imperial Family. So there’s always underlying resentment.”

“You say that because you think differently, Ophelia?”

She turned her gaze back to me and nodded slightly.

“At least I know how dangerous magic can be. I agree that regulations on magic are a necessary safety measure.”

My opinion of Ophelia changed slightly. In a positive direction.

A truly wise person wasn’t someone with a lot of knowledge. It was someone who clearly understood their limitations and had the courage to acknowledge them.

Even though she looked young, I didn’t think this mage named Ophelia would abuse the power of nature.

Responsibility.

Yes, that was the perfect word to describe the current situation.

“He was undeniably skilled, but his personality and ideology were dangerous. After he became the court mage, he started conducting cruel experiments.”

“What kind of experiments?”

“At first, he brought in animals and imbued them with magic power. He didn’t tell us what the experiment was, but I could tell. It was an experiment to see how animals would change after prolonged exposure to magic power.”

A question mark popped up in my mind.

It was a well-known fact that animals exposed to demonic energy turned into monsters. But exposure to mana?

It seemed like a completely different thing on the surface, but the core mechanism of mutating an animal’s appearance and nature through prolonged exposure to a specific energy was the same.

I suddenly remembered Sommelier, who had said that all forces of nature ultimately converged.

‘Maybe Muon was also influenced by the demon realm. If he was corrupted, it wouldn’t be strange if he was a subordinate of Diablo.’

I got goosebumps.

‘What if his experiments were conducted under the influence of the demon realm?’

It wouldn’t end as an internal matter within the Empire.

It could affect not only this continent, but also the new continent beyond the Veil Sea.

Gates would open everywhere, and demons would pour out.

“I remember one time when he was grilling a slaughtered animal in his laboratory. It’s common to use animals for magic experiments. But most mages paid their respects to the sacrifices. By building graves, for example. But he was different. He had no empathy. He seemed especially indifferent to others’ sadness.”

It was like he was a combination of the worst aspects of psychopaths and sociopaths.

“They say If he hadn’t been so skilled, he would have become a hermit. It was only a matter of time. It’s not surprising that he conducted such vicious experiments.”

“Do you think the same?”

“Probably?”

‘Mind’s Eye’ said it was true. At least there was no doubt about Muon.

All her previous statements, including the current one, were true.

“I apologize for interrogating you like this. I have a habit of getting serious when talking about work.”

“It’s okay. It was… bearable.”

“What do you mean by ‘bearable’?”

“Why don’t you learn by observing? Don’t ask questions.”

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Selendis entered, glanced at Ophelia, and saluted.

“Reporting, sir. The scribe of House Whitefield is here. He says he has a message from the Margrave.”

“Where is he now?”

“He’s looking around the heating facility.”

I immediately stood up.

“Would you like to come with us, Ophelia?”

“No, I hate magic devices. I’m tired, so I’m going to bed.”

“Rest well.”

Ophelia, who was about to leave, stopped and looked back at me cautiously.

“I enjoyed our conversation today. It’s not bad having comrades. You can call me by my name from now on. It’s awkward to be called ‘Lady’ all the time.”

“Alright.”

“And… You can speak informally too…”

She disappeared as if running away, and a brief silence fell.

Was it my imagination that a strange chill was emanating from the Frost Sword Selendis was wearing…?

Changing the subject was the best solution in times like this.

“Our guest must be waiting. Let’s go.”

“Let’s go! Hmm? Aren’t you coming, Captain?”

“I’m coming.”

Selendis, Jericho, and I headed to the heating facility. On the way, I brought up something she would be happy to hear.

“Ophelia has agreed to help us reclaim Savion. Now all that’s left is to cross the Veil Sea.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

“My hands are already itching! With Lady Freya, Sir Heinkel, and now Lady Ophelia, it feels like we have a solid team!”

I agreed with Jericho. In game terms, it was like we had acquired a melee physical damage dealer, a ranged physical damage dealer, and a magic damage dealer all at once.

And Selendis was a reliable tank. Jericho was more of a healer, and I was a wildcard who could be utilized in any situation.

We had secured a force that could adapt to any situation.

When we entered the facility, the scribe was looking around, listening to the village head’s explanation.

“This is a truly amazing device. Sir O’Brien, I heard from the village head that the villagers’ lives have improved significantly.”

“I just kept my promise. We’re the ones who are grateful. Thanks to your generous provision of materials, we were able to speed up the construction.”

“We just kept our promise as well. Do you know when the dwarves from Plantier will arrive?”

“They’ll be here soon. No news is good news.”

“It will be quite a sight to see this incredible device installed throughout the north.”

The scribe turned around, his hands clasped behind his back, and looked at me. It seemed like he was about to get to the point.

“His Excellency sent me to hear your thoughts. We had a vassal meeting recently, and we concluded that we need to give the Nordics an answer.”

“If we send them a message rashly, there might be a backlash.”

“We agree.”

At that moment, the door opened, and Freya and Heinkel entered. They were breathing heavily, so it seemed like they had come in a hurry.

The scribe smiled reassuringly at Freya and continued.

“From what I’ve seen, this heating device doesn’t seem to be affected by the weather. That means it can be installed anywhere on the continent, as long as there’s enough snow.”

I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say.

Was he planning to negotiate with the Nordics using the district heating system?

“We also need mages. They have to recharge the mana regularly. It’s not as easy as it seems.”

“I’m not an expert. So I was hoping you could negotiate with the Nordics directly.”

“Negotiate? You mean introduce the district heating system to the Nordics?”

“It would be a good deal if we could end this long-standing war with it. Some warriors are unhappy, but it’s His Excellency’s decision. Everyone will follow it.”

I agreed. In the north, it was hard enough to fight against nature. They needed to cooperate.

I gestured to Freya.

“What do you think about installing the district heating system in Nordic territory?”

“That’s for you to decide, my lord.”

“You’re a great warrior of the north before you’re a vassal of House Walker. I want your honest answer.”

At that moment, the children outside started a snowball fight. They seemed full of energy, perhaps because they had a warm shelter.

Freya watched the children for a moment and made up her mind.

“If it can stop the conflict… I think it could give those children a better future.”

“I agree.”

I patted Freya on the shoulder and said to the scribe, “If House Whitefield can arrange a meeting, I’ll personally persuade the Nordics.”

“Alright. I’ll tell His Excellency.”

“It would be best to invite the Nordic representatives to Aslan Village. Seeing is believing, as they say.”

“I’ll try my best.”

At that moment, the warriors rushed in.

“A suspicious object has appeared in the sky! It’s approaching rapidly!”

“Are they monsters?”

Probably not?

I calmed Selendis and the warriors, who were about to draw their weapons, and went outside.

“They’re finally here.”

What was approaching, cutting through the sky, wasn’t a monster. It was a giant airship equipped with Plantier’s advanced technology.