episode_0126

“Hmm…. I still don’t quite get it.”

I arrived in front of the Eternal Magic Tower.

As expected, it wasn’t much different from when I briefly came yesterday and saw it.

In other words, I didn’t feel anything.

‘Machina, do you feel anything?’

[Um…. I don’t feel anything like a ‘pop!’ either. It just feels like an ordinary magic tower teeming with wizards.]

I asked the Holy Sword Machina, but Machina didn’t seem to feel anything either.

Is it just Baekho’s delusion? Or is there something here that only Baekho can sense?

“Either way, I’ll know if I go in.”

As I approached the entrance of the magic tower, a guard who was guarding the entrance blocked me.

“Wait. This is the Eternal Magic Tower. No one other than those involved is allowed to enter.”

“Is that so?”

Right. It’s a magic tower, so they wouldn’t just let anyone in with a free pass.

“I am the hero, Leon. I have some personal business at this magic tower, is that still not allowed?”

“?!”

Quite coincidentally.

The guard who was facing Leon now was the same person who met Baekho yesterday.

The guard was truly surprised to see the hero appear before him, just as the woman he met yesterday had said, and stared at Leon.

Leon, who didn’t know that, had an expression that seemed to say, ‘Why is he so surprised?’

“A-are you really Hero Leon?”

“Is there a fake Leon too, then?”

“W-well….”

“…Looks like there’s someone impersonating the hero.”

As I shrugged and looked at the guard, the guard, as if understanding my gaze, was startled and trembled.

“I-I’m sorry!”

“Is there any reason for you, who is just a guard, to be sorry? Anyway, I’d like to go inside the magic tower.”

“W-well…. What business do you have at the magic tower….”

“Do you need to know that?”

I asked out of pure curiosity.

But the guard was startled again and quickly bowed his head.

“I’m sorry!!”

“No, you don’t need to apologize….”

It doesn’t seem like this conversation will ever end at this rate….

Just as I was thinking that.

One of the wizards hurried out from inside the Eternal Magic Tower and stood in front of me.

“A-are you perhaps the hero?”

“I am a hero, but…. I can’t prove it.”

“I-it’s okay! With such immense magical power, you must be the hero! Come in! The Magic Tower Lord told us to escort you in politely.”

“Is that so?”

When I glanced at the guard, the guard’s face turned pale.

Maybe it’s because he blocked the hero, but…. It’s not something I need to worry about.

I passed the guard and followed the wizard into the door of the magic tower.

The first thing I felt as soon as I entered the magic tower was a strange unpleasantness. It was difficult to describe in detail, but it felt like a subtly unpleasant air was persistently clinging to my whole body.

Perhaps I frowned without realizing it because of the unpleasantness.

The wizard who was walking ahead glanced at me and said with a laugh.

“Is it a little uncomfortable to move?”

“Rather than uncomfortable to move…. The air is unpleasant. Is it always like this here? I didn’t feel this way at the magic tower in Lium.”

“Each magic tower has its own unique characteristics. We seem to…. After researching the bodies of various races, we created an environment for that, and as a result, the atmosphere changed in this way.”

Since he says so, it must be so.

It’s not like I know much about magic. If something happens, I can just overturn everything.

In addition, I took the elevator, which I’m now used to seeing to the point where I’d be disappointed if I didn’t see it, to the top floor.

“This is the room where the Magic Tower Lord is.”

“Thanks for the guidance.”

I opened the door and went inside.

Inside, a middle-aged man, as if he had been waiting for me, greeted me with a bright smile.

“Welcome, Hero Leon. I am Equidra, the Magic Tower Lord of the Eternal Magic Tower.”

“I am Hero Leon. Did you know I was coming?”

“I heard the story yesterday. That a member of Hero Leon’s party was interested in our magic tower. So I was just waiting in case.”

I shrugged and sat down on the reception sofa.

“So, what brings you to our magic tower?”

“We’re short on wizards in our party. So I came to the magic tower to see if we could get support from a suitable wizard.”

“Is that so?”

Suddenly, the Magic Tower Lord’s face brightened.

Of course, I understand the Magic Tower Lord’s reaction. Being a member of the hero’s party can bring considerable fame.

If a newly established magic tower can gain this fame, it would be a good story in many ways.

Moreover, although I don’t feel it, I seem to be quite noticeable among the heroes these days.

The story of a wizard active as a member of such a hero’s party would have a good promotional effect for the magic tower.

“You’re short on wizards. That’s an important matter.”

“You can say that again. It’s a big deal.”

“Then of course we should support you. What kind of wizards do you want?”

“Before that, I heard that the Eternal Magic Tower is a magic tower where wizards who pursue eternal life gather.”

At my question, the Magic Tower Lord flinched for a moment.

Then he looked at me for a moment.

“As you said, Hero. We created a magic tower in pursuit of eternal life. Haven’t you, Hero, ever had a moment where you felt death?”

“….”

Death, huh.

There was only one moment when I was afraid of death.

The moment right after I possessed Leon’s body and was about to be abandoned by the party members was the moment I felt death.

Other than that….

I received cheats and became too strong to ever feel death.

The closest I came to death was when I fought the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, but at that time, I didn’t feel death, but rather regret.

To give you an analogy, it was like the regret of not being able to one-try clear a new boss because you died due to the final struggle pattern? That kind of feeling.

But if I say that as it is, I’ll be told, ‘Are you a T?’, so I have to pretend to empathize appropriately.

“Why wouldn’t I? I felt the moment of death several times when fighting various monsters, and when facing the fragments of the Demon King.”

“I see. So do we. If we can completely overcome such death…. Perhaps we can even overcome the demon? That’s what I’m thinking.”

“Overcome the demon, huh….”

Well. Even if you can overcome death, I don’t know if that will allow you to overcome the demon.

“There are various races in the world. According to rumors, long-lived races like elves never die of old age unless they are killed. The blood demon race is said to have the closest lifespan to eternal life if they can continue to replenish their blood. Then wouldn’t it be possible for us humans to break free from such lifespan restrictions?”

“…To be honest, I don’t know. But…. I don’t want to say you’re wrong.”

When I shrugged and said that, he seemed moved and his eyes welled up with tears.

I don’t really want to see a man’s tears.

“The wizards of our magic tower are basically skilled in magic of body system manipulation. Therefore, we can further enhance your physical abilities, Hero.”

“Hoo….”

I don’t need it.

My physical stats are already 999, what more can you do?

I should just pretend to be interested.

“Ah, would you like to see the artifacts that our magic tower has created? We also have artifacts that can amplify the body’s natural healing ability several times.”

“That’s amazing.”

It doesn’t matter since I don’t get hurt anyway.

Ah, but then again, artifacts that enhance recovery ability seem quite useful.

Bang!

“?”

“Tower Lord!!”

“Ahem, I’m talking with the hero right now, what’s with the commotion?”

In the middle of our conversation, a wizard suddenly barged in.

The Magic Tower Lord scolded the wizard and glared at him, but the wizard quickly approached and whispered something to the Magic Tower Lord.

He seems to be trying not to let me hear, but unfortunately, I can hear everything.

“It seems like you need to come urgently.”

“What’s the matter?”

“A sample with a suitability score of over 99% has been discovered.”

“What?!”

…Suitability score?

What is he talking about?

The Magic Tower Lord, who was whispering with the wizard, cleared his throat and said, as if he was really sorry.

“I’m sorry. It seems like I have to leave for a moment. There’s a project we’re working on, and something has come up that I need to check on. It won’t take long, so I would appreciate it if you could wait for a moment.”

“Since I visited without any prior notice, it’s okay. I have plenty of time to spend.”

“Thank you for your consideration. Then I’ll be going.”

The Magic Tower Lord and the wizard hurry out.

And so, I was left alone.

“Let’s see…. Then shall I do some investigating?”

I looked through the desk.

Perhaps because of security, it’s encrypted. I don’t know if only wizards can solve it, or if there’s a separate way to solve it, but at least I can’t figure it out with my head.

I don’t see anything special in the drawers either.

This is….

“I can’t see it.”

I’m quite concerned about the suitability score too.

Should I look below instead of here?

“…A full-length mirror.”

Then a full-length mirror suddenly caught my eye.

I don’t know why it caught my eye. But without realizing it, I stood in front of the full-length mirror.

And I reached out and touched the full-length mirror.

Ping….

“!”

Then, like a lake, ripples spread out.

What is it? A hidden room? But for a hidden room, it’s quite noticeable and easy to enter.

I entered the full-length mirror without hesitation.

“Oh my…. I didn’t expect you to come in so readily?….”

“….”

And there, a woman was standing.