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Chapter: 21
“Aha, this time my experiment will succeed for sure!”
Moremo was exclaiming in rapture, as if gazing upon something sublime. He seemed so overjoyed that he hadn’t even noticed I was already capable of moving.
I rolled my eyes and, as the tower master approached to examine my body, shoved him away without hesitation.
When I swung my injured arm, the violent motion sent red droplets scattering into the air, and he flinched in shock, retreating a step.
“Ahahaha! How fascinating. To think you’d detoxify an anesthetic just by awakening your mana. I put quite a bit of effort into that potion, you know. That must mean Miss Ophelia’s mana is exceptionally pure and refined. Oh, don’t make that face—I’m praising you!”
“I don’t want your praise!”
I quickly retreated while pressing my clothes against the wound to stop the bleeding. But the room wasn’t large, and my back soon hit the wall.
“To think you’d swing your arm in a situation like this. Such admirable judgment. Why not become my disciple after all? If you cooperate with my research, I won’t kill you, Miss Ophelia.”
The tower master immediately tried to coax me once I regained my freedom.
Instead of answering, I bit down hard on my lip and scanned my surroundings.
If I try to run, I might stand a chance…
Damn it—this room’s only door was behind the tower master. I’d have to push past him to escape. The odds were slim.
Then…
I twisted my body and dashed toward the dagger that had fallen to the floor. Realizing my intent, he drew a staff from his robes.
The speed at which I brought the blade up to my arm matched the speed at which he leveled his staff at me.
In the tense silence, we froze, glaring at each other.
“Which do you think will be faster—my magic reaching you, or you injuring yourself? I’d say the former.”
Hate to admit it, but he’s right.
I’d be subdued before I could even swing the blade, and even if I somehow made it out of the tower, the self-defense magic tool I’d bought wouldn’t help—he’d stop me before I could use it.
Even if I did manage to activate it, the chances of it working were low.
My only card left was blood…
I was prepared to injure myself if it meant surviving, but nothing was coming easily.
Please, Felion!
I’d wanted to see Felion just moments ago—but now that longing had grown desperate.
And then—
An oppressive pressure descended from above, crushing my body and stealing my breath.
Forcing my trembling body to move, I raised my head—just as a thunderous crash rang out and the ceiling shattered.
“For someone who calls himself a tower master, you’re doing something quite entertaining, Moremo.”
The moment I saw the figure with sky-blue hair, stirred by the wind blowing in through the broken ceiling, an overwhelming wave of emotion surged up inside me.
He really came.
Felion was looking down at Moremo with eyes full of revulsion. He didn’t spare me even a glance, but that didn’t matter.
What mattered was that he had appeared at this absurd crime scene—and proven that I was right.
Turning his gaze away from Moremo, he calmly surveyed the room.
The experiment table where I’d been lying moments ago, the floor littered with potion bottles, the chaos all around; me holding a blade to myself, and Moremo pointing his staff at me.
When our eyes met, he frowned.
In the blink of an eye, he moved from above to my side.
“What kind of state are you in…?”
He looked like he had a lot to say, but when he noticed the blade in my hand, he immediately took it away.
Then he stepped in front of me protectively, turned his back to me, and faced Moremo.
“So the so-called master of the magic tower kidnapped a civilian and intended to use her as an experimental subject?”
His voice was filled with disbelief, overflowing with contempt.
“I think you owe us an explanation.”
“Haha. Of course, an explanation is in order. But before that—”
Moremo clapped his hands as if calling for attention.
“Felion, what do you think a mage is?”
Even in such a dire situation, he asked with a grin, but Felion’s expression didn’t soften.
“Mages are treated like nothing more than slightly special mercenaries outside the magic city of Estella. People say that’s the price we pay for not aligning with the imperial court or the temple—but do you really think that’s right?”
“Cut the nonsense and get to the point.”
Felion showed no interest in Moremo’s rambling.
“I don’t care about your ideology or the purpose of your research. I need an explanation for this situation.”
“Very well. I suppose I can’t hide it forever.”
After a brief sigh, Moremo wiped the smile from his face and spoke without hesitation.
“Felion, I’m researching a way to achieve immortality—for the advancement of humanity.”
At the absurd word immortality, Felion let out a hollow laugh.
“The reason humanity’s progress always has limits is because life has an end. But what if that end didn’t exist? Humans would step into a new world of limitless development. And we mages can be the ones to open that door!”
Placing a hand over his chest, he grandly proclaimed his ambition.
“Mages would no longer have to worry about public opinion or tiptoe around the imperial family and the temple. We’d become special beings who stand above them all!”
“So that’s why you planned to kidnap this girl and use her as a test subject?”
Despite the flamboyant speech, Felion’s voice remained steady.
“I merely sought her consent—for cooperation.”
Perhaps annoyed that his words weren’t landing, Moremo’s voice dropped lower.
“I didn’t realize threats had become synonymous with consent.”
Felion mocked him openly, then coldly declared,
“Moremo, you’ve violated the first rule of the magic tower: the prohibition against human experimentation. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
And he looked furious.
Moremo didn’t look any happier. He protested indignantly.
“Think carefully, Felion. It’s an elixir of eternal life. Do you really believe I’d foolishly throw away a chance to escape death?”
“You certainly have a refined way of saying you’re flailing in terror at the thought of dying.”
“Don’t you look forward to a future where those who scorn magic as vulgar are gone?”
No matter what Moremo said, Felion’s response didn’t change.
“No matter how suspicious your research was, I believed you were doing it for the sake of the tower. But now I see it’s nothing more than a stupid act driven by personal greed—not the tower.”
He flatly rejected Moremo’s pretentious claims.
“I don’t know where you got the idea that it’s acceptable to kill others just because you don’t want to die.”
He raised his hand.
“From this moment on, in accordance with the laws of the magic tower, I hereby pronounce judgment upon the former tower master, Moremo.”
Blue light flowed from his fingertips, transforming into silver chains that wrapped around Moremo, preventing his escape.
As if sensing his fate, Moremo glared at Felion, teeth clenched.
“Normally, the removal of a tower master is decided through a council of department heads. However, having committed the taboo of human experimentation, you are stripped of your status as a formal member of the tower—thus you must naturally relinquish the position of tower master as well.”
“Don’t make me laugh! Do you think I’d give up my position over something this trivial?”
“Following a trial, the standard procedure would be to remove the mana circuits flowing through your body. However, due to the risk of escape, I will carry out an immediate judgment.”
At Felion’s words, the chains began to glow with an even stronger blue light. Seeing them tighten around him, Moremo grimaced.
“Felion, do you really think you—just a deputy tower master—can restrain me?”
Despite the chains binding him, he made no attempt to resist, as if he still had something to rely on.
“I may think I’m better suited for this than someone so obsessed with research that he fears death,” Felion replied calmly.
“I am the tower master, and you are the deputy. Do not underestimate the difference in years and experience.”
Madness flashed in Moremo’s eyes, and a powerful force began to erupt from his body.
