RMA 28

chapter 28

Sunken eyes.
A slightly dazed expression.
To Rachel, Eikel looked somewhat eerie.
Almost as if he wasn’t entirely human.

“L-Lord…?”
“First, move this over there.”
“Ah, understood.”

Rachel led the soldiers at Lawrence’s command.
Meanwhile, Lawrence dragged Eikel deeper into the annex.
To confirm if the brainwashing had truly worked, he asked a few questions.

“Who is your superior now?”
“Sir Lawrence Montemer.”

Mental Counter.
It was an even more extraordinary ability than expected.
Whether it was a spirit or a dragon, this wasn’t ordinary wizardry.

‘Brainwashing a 4th Circle mage for a week… this is incredible.’

Fourth Circle mages are among the upper ranks of wizards.
If Eikel could repel a brainwashing spell at that level, it proved its effectiveness.
Lawrence wasn’t stopping here.
He wanted to test whether it could even counter deep unconsciousness or instinctual control magic.

“Place a new suggestion on him. Make him carry out today’s events without fail. Even if the brainwashing is lifted, it should surface naturally from the depths of his personality.”
“Understood.”

A light flickered in Eikel’s hollow eyes.
He murmured, lips moving as he began the incantation.
His transmutation magic flowed toward Lawrence.

[Self-Suggestion]
[Mental Counter]
[The mind of Eikel Yurgo is being restructured.]
[He will now faithfully execute the orders given today.]

And Lawrence countered it with his artifact.
This is possible?
Once he grows stronger, mental attacks will become a complete non-issue.

He watched Eikel’s mind rapidly reorganize.
The mana Eikel projected returned to him, circling his own head.
So this is how mental and transformation magic operates.

‘Fascinating.’

He’d learned another fact, giving him more insight into the behavior of other mages.
After assessing Eikel’s state, Lawrence spoke.
He was turning Eikel into a loyal servant.

“You serve Lawrence. You are my shield and my spy on the front lines.”
“I… serve Sir Lawrence…”
“Eikel Yurgo must protect me, deliver false information, and reveal Medea’s schemes.”
“Medea’s… ugh…”

For a moment, the brainwashing almost faltered.
Lawrence waited, watching the flickering mana around Eikel stabilize.
Thankfully, the suggestion and brainwashing were taking hold.
Suppressing a sigh, Lawrence continued the process.

“If you follow me faithfully, no harm will come to the Yurgo family.”
“For the family…”
“Act as usual, but when commanded, you must immediately return to my side.”
“Please tell me the command.”

The command was:

“Legacy of the Guardian.”
“Legacy of the Guardian. Command registered.”
“Good. Now, when I clap, you will act normally.”

A crisp clap echoed.
The dullness in Eikel’s eyes returned to sharpness.
Though slightly awkward, the brainwashing remained intact.

“Medea ordered your lady-in-waiting to cast brainwashing magic. Presumably, to monitor your every move.”
“Do you know what she intends to do?”
“I don’t, but she promised me a spellbook to reach the 5th Circle.”
“I see…”

He had hoped to quietly strengthen his power in the annex, but even that was being interrupted.
Lawrence smirked.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t touch him until he entered the Mage Tower.
Once inside, she’d try to bribe the tower officials, no doubt.

“Do you know which towers will participate in the selection?”
“The Seven-Color Tower, the Tower of Transformation, and the Tower of Magical Beasts, to my knowledge.”
“And the Iron Tower?”
“They’ve indicated they will not participate.”

Lawrence nodded silently and gave Eikel one more command.
The Iron Tower.
The one they treasured most was here.
And he instructed Eikel to relay the information discreetly without Medea knowing.

#2

Hoo—!

The massive barbell rose.
Pausing briefly, it descended again.
Hhh—!

Heavy breaths echoed as the barbell moved up and down once more.

Though an elderly man with white hair, his body was filled with muscle.
One might mistake him for a knight, but this was a collective of wizards.
Residing in a modest five-story building, they were researchers of magic.

“Tower Master, are you really not participating in the selection?”
“How many times must I say it? I will not go to a place filled with weaklings.”
“Honestly, isn’t it because you know no one will show up?”
“One more disrespectful word and I’ll double the weight.”

Hoo—!

The elderly, muscular man completed his final repetition and set the barbell down.
Thud!

Its weight made one doubt he was even a mage, let alone a warrior or knight.
After placing the heavy iron down, the tower master slowly loosened his body.

“These youngsters today don’t understand the importance of the body. Training the body clears the mind, and only then can research proceed efficiently…”
“By the way, did you hear? Montemer’s youngest lord is showing interesting developments.”
“Montemer? What interesting things could there be?”

They were all people who reshaped the world as they pleased.
The tower master shook his head, thinking of Edward, weak in appearance yet overwhelmingly mana-rich.
These youngsters, indeed, don’t understand the importance of the body!

He snorted, waiting for the elder’s words.

“That young master was reportedly smashing undead heads with a bone.”
“…What?”

What kind of absurd story was this?
The tower master’s eyebrows twisted.
Yet, a slight spark of interest arose.
This was exactly the nature of Iron Magic.

“They say his spellcasting is incredibly fast, almost at the level of silent casting.”
“Haha… does he think he’s a dragon? Exaggerated rumors, all of it.”
“Tower Master, this could be an opportunity. [Battle Mage]. There’s no young generation left, is there!?”

The tower master glanced around at those training with iron.
Muscles aplenty, but no hair.
Muscles aplenty, but no vitality.
Muscles aplenty, yet… wrinkles too many now.

“Do you think becoming a Battle Mage is easy!? We must strive harder! Like the old Guardians, we can do it too!”
“Uh… please don’t say such things. We may follow your lead, but…”

Nowadays, saying such things earns the label “old-fashioned.”
The elder swallowed his last words, observing those training hard nearby.
Battle Mages.
Those gathered to follow the legend of Aikeller, the original Guardian and pioneer of Iron Magic.

Iron Magic had many shortcomings.
Considered a lower-tier version of the Golden Tower’s magic, it was powerful when it hit, but hitting was extremely difficult.
Aikeller overcame this through relentless physical training.

“The text explains why and how he became a Guardian. We just follow that faithfully. What does it matter about the young master?”
“They say he’s a promising Battle Mage. Excellent physique, incredible casting speed. Exactly the kind of talent we want.”
“Hmm, I see…”

The tower master’s expression shifted, intrigued.
He had failed in talent scouting for a long time.
The magic he desired always ran away.
Yet he did not give up.
He believed a day would come when the Iron Tower would rise as a major school.
For that day, he would train with iron today.

Montemer’s youngest lord, huh…
Yes. Let’s see how well he’s grown.

“When is the selection again?”
“In just a few days.”
“Then we must move quickly.”

At that moment, the crystal ball in the tower chimed.

#3

With the selection just a day away,
Lawrence was once again enduring grueling training with chains of mana applied.
Nights spent creating artifacts, mornings spent on physical conditioning, preparing for the selection.
His body had become unrecognizably strong, and his face had matured immensely.

“Lord! It’s here! A dispatch from Eikel!”
“Let’s see.”

Lawrence examined the message, pleased with the news.
Eikel had been feeding Medea false information with no issues.

[Report: The master of the Iron Tower has expressed intent to participate in the selection.]
[All other tower masters have met with Lady Medea.]
[Received 5th Circle spellbook.]
[Supplies will arrive shortly.]

“Good. Everything is going according to plan.”
“Is that good?”
“Yes. But what about you while I’m in the tower?”
“Me? I… should continue managing this annex, right?”

That was obvious, yet a serious issue.
There was no one to ensure her safety while Lawrence was away.

“I’ll have to ask the head of the Edward family.”
“I’ll bring the request form.”
“No, he’ll handle it on his own.”

Edward would certainly comply, but Lawrence couldn’t rely on him forever.
He might even become an adversary someday.
Lawrence decided to exploit Medea’s psychology.
The answer was, of course, Eikel.

He also hoped Rachel wouldn’t get into trouble anywhere.
Like in the north, if he created and implanted an artifact for her…

‘Then we could strengthen her lacking physical power…’

That needed consideration.
Artifacts allowed even non-mages to wield magic.
If she wished, Rachel could become an excellent mage.
Lawrence stroked his chin, gazing thoughtfully at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Rachel, want to become a mage? Or a knight? I can even make you an assassin.”
“…What?”

Rachel’s expression changed strangely.
Lawrence smirked.

“You think Medea will just leave her enemy’s maid alone? Especially one who served the illegitimate child who gained merit?”
“Oh… now that you mention it, Eikel did look at me with those scary eyes… so that’s why.”
“I protected you until now. So choose. Stay here quietly and be used, or come with me and enhance your body and skills to become stronger.”

Rachel turned pale.
Some dangerous words had been said…
Is it really okay to follow the lord?

“D-Do I have a choice?”
“Yes! The choice is always yours. Honestly, I’d be sad though. Few can grill steak as well as you.”
“St-Steak…”

Yes, I’m good at it…
When it comes to steak, it’s Rachel…
Rachel exhaled deeply.
Since it’s come to this, she would faithfully serve Lord Lawrence until the end.

“Alright! I’ll serve the lord by his side! And cook the best steaks!”
“Good thinking. Now you’ll not only grill steaks well but become my truly powerful maid.”
“…I’m really looking forward to that.”

Lawrence smiled brighter than ever.
With Rachel, who had overcome every hardship, she would surely become stronger.
He now had the obligation to create an artifact not just for himself, but for Rachel as well.