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Chapter 163
Sky Tower.
According to the plan, after the National Foundation Festival, the Sky Island should have ascended again above the high atmosphere, closer to the stars. Yet for some reason, it was still hovering over Albrecht.
There were a few reasons for this…
“Ugh, Arellin is the best.”
But there was one reason that everyone agreed on most of all.
“How can she be this cute?”
From a tiny video orb no bigger than a palm, soft music flowed like a gentle breeze.
It was music that always calmed the heart. And the small girl performing it so skillfully was incredibly adorable.
Yes. The newly rising idol of the Mage Tower.
The legendary figure who made every impatient mage go wild, Arellin was that protagonist.
“Huh? Where did this video orb come from?! Is it for sale?”
“Nope, I filmed it myself.”
“Is it okay to film this?”
“Hohoho. I begged Mehen to let me keep it for personal collection only. She agreed as long as I didn’t leak it!”
“Aaaah! I should’ve gotten a video orb too! She played such lively, refreshing, pure, and cute music last time—!”
Mages who had previously known nothing of music were now completely absorbed in listening to it.
Originally, the purpose was to purify the accumulated corruption in their bodies, but now, it was like getting tickets for a popular concert—mages competed to see “who gets to attend today’s lunch performance.”
Some even focused their efforts on developing new magical tools.
Ding ding ding—
“Hmm, this isn’t it. I wanted something more refreshing, pure, and beautiful.”
“Ah, this is harder than I thought.”
They wanted to recreate the feeling they had…
Some mages were even building small automatic music boxes shaped like a tiny girl playing the violin, hoping to reproduce the unforgettable melody whenever they ate, slept, or researched.
But music wasn’t a world where beginners could simply replicate a melody by ear without sheet music.
“Ah, I want to hear that music again.”
“The piece changes every time she plays.”
“How does she do that? Isn’t she a genius?”
“Of course she’s a genius! Is it even possible not to be?!”
Even though they weren’t the ones performing, mages proudly shouted about Arellin’s music.
Arellin was extremely cute, a goddess of music, a music prodigy, the emperor of music, a music fairy, the daughter of music—these were undeniable facts. Anyone who disputed it would be considered an enemy of the Mage Tower.
Suddenly, Arellin gained over a hundred devoted personal fans—but she didn’t know it yet.
“Ah, I should’ve had a daughter too.”
“At your age, shouldn’t you be seeing a granddaughter?”
“Just raise an apprentice, they’re cute enough.”
Was it the side effect of being so close to such an adorable and lovable creature?
Recently, mages were suddenly obsessed with getting married late and having daughters.
Not marriage itself—they just wanted a daughter.
A daughter who looked like Arellin.
“Hah, I have to get a video orb too.”
“Maybe it’s the video orb, but my body isn’t purified… yet my heart feels cleansed.”
“Cute, so cute.”
Thanks to Arellin’s cuteness, public opinion among mages toward the humiliating, unfair contract with Duke Halbern shifted toward “not so bad.”
“Ugh, just thinking about that Halbern bastard makes me angry.”
“My pride…”
“What does he think of impatient mages, that guy?!”
The unfair contract between impatient mages and Duke Halbern was roughly as follows:
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Mages must protect Arellin above all else.
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No mage in the Mage Tower may use magic that directly or indirectly harms Arellin.
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Mages may not speak to Arellin first, except in special circumstances (like attacks).
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They must form a coalition to pray for Arellin’s recovery and devote all available resources to her health.
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Any favor received from Arellin must be repaid in any form (labor, magical tools, knowledge, etc.).
Additionally, there was a personal contract to disclose all information about Halbern and Arellin.
The mages gritted their teeth at Halbern’s intention to make full use of these highly skilled individuals who had come “for free.”
“There’s no choice… we’ve even sworn the ‘Oath of the Stars.’”
“Sniff… forgive me, O Star of Knowledge and Wisdom, for swearing an oath over this nonsense.”
This explained why even the most skilled impatient mages had paused their research to work on the El Cionel construction site and automobile development projects.
“Did you enjoy the construction?”
Surprisingly, they had.
“Oh, it was fun! I used triple-compression magic this time! Wow, I’ve developed this magic but never used it before.”
Mages were highly satisfied.
“How’s the car or whatever you’re developing?”
“Oh, that! It’s really fascinating. They were making a big fuss about setting the standard for new era vehicles, and it’s way different from a carriage. The magic engine is interesting too. Want to see the new design? It’s cool!”
“Oh.”
“Pretty good, huh?”
The sleek, streamlined car design shocked mages who were expecting a high-class carriage.
“But why is it so cool? Didn’t they say it’s just for transportation?”
“Don’t you know? When showcasing new tech, it has to look amazing. The Sperom people make big, flashy things first for promotion.”
“Ugh, I want one too. Can we buy it?”
“If we have the money, probably.”
“….”
The lounge fell silent at the mention of money.
Just then, a new mage entered the lounge. Hegé, looking tired, gathered the mages together.
“The investigation results of the recent capital terror incident are out.”
“Finally?!”
Albrecht had been investigating the attacks on major capital institutions, but the Mage Tower, where an impatient mage had been kidnapped, had also been working on it—they were just delayed chasing Arellin.
Hegé announced the results:
“Our suspicions were correct. The perpetrators were traitors.”
Sighs spread across the room.
“And our concerns were realized. The traitors seem to have discovered ways to accelerate corruption—it’s highly likely.”
Muti, a mage who had narrowly survived thanks to Arellin’s intervention, nodded grimly.
Everyone’s expressions darkened.
“They’re insane.”
“They’re mages too, yet…”
This was the fundamental reason impatient mages rushed to chase Arellin and signed Halbern’s unfair contract immediately.
“So, we must…”
“Serve Halbern better.”
“…?”
A moment of silence fell.
“So that’s the conclusion.”
Everyone was baffled, but no mage objected.
“Hah, fools. I’ve already bet my entire fortune on Miss Arellin!”
“Hoho. Can’t you see the video orbs? I’m a devoted fan of Miss Arellin. From today, any attack on her is considered an attack on me.”
“Oh, these idiots.”
As before, when there was no solution, they might be helpless—but with Arellin as a cheat key, they were invincible.
“So, how is Arellin’s condition? Have you figured out what’s really wrong?”
A mage who had quietly listened until now raised their head.
“Well, it’s not a disease, for starters.”
“Not a disease?”
Mages who expected a rare illness raised doubts. Hali, a mage with pronounced dark circles, took a potion in one shot and spoke.
“It’s hard to analyze because the Immortal’s power protects her, and even without that, it’s overall extremely complex, so we can’t be certain…”
“Enough preamble. So, it’s a curse?”
“No, not a curse either.”
“Then what is it?”
All eyes focused on Hila, who carefully chose her words:
“It seems to be… a sort of side effect.”
“?”
“Like, the price for possessing too much power?”
“……?”
“Dad is hurt.”
Did it shock him that his favorability was lower than Pession? He spent all day attacking my face.
Funny, cute, but also troublesome.
Seeing me struggling, Mom stepped in to stop Dad.
“Stop it, it’s pathetic.”
“Darling, do you know what humiliation I went through?”
“If you don’t want more humiliation, shut that mouth.”
As Mehen dragged Dad away, I sighed in relief.
“Finally, I’m alone.”
I had been waiting a long time.
I launched the question I had been preparing and hesitating to ask.
“Tell me about my information so I can figure out how to live long and access currently unknowable info!”
[Multiple information confirmed.]
[Displaying user information.]
I tilted my head as the information filled my vision.
“…?”
What is this?
