RMA 33

chapter 33

After a good round of rampaging, my body felt completely refreshed.

I must have swung the club more than usual to conserve the artifact’s capacity.

Tch… still not as satisfying as wielding a tomahawk.

“The feel’s just off—”

I had killed every single kobold, all over thirty in age.

Occasionally, I felt a sting—probably some poison had seeped into my forearms or calves.

But even that was negligible, easily ignored.

[Negative Energy]
[Absorbs negative energy.]

The artifact functioned normally here as well.

Perhaps because it was of the same artifact type, it was highly compatible.

And the benefits didn’t stop there.

[Negative energy helps your body grow.]
[Dragon Body is growing.]
[Hatchling: 48%]

“Ohho?”

So I can grind experience here too, huh?

I practically couldn’t die, so this was like a bonus dungeon.

Lawrence chuckled lowly.

I’m not sure about the others, but I could still benefit here.

I couldn’t resist.

Every nook and cranny of the dungeon, even the smallest monsters, I planned to find and kill without mercy.

Lawrence’s body moved busily.

“Cough—!?”

“Oh, there you are!”

To someone encountering this dungeon and its monsters for the first time, it would be sheer terror, a manifestation of fear.

But to Lawrence, they were nothing but chunks of experience points.

The process of diligently moving his body and steadily accumulating negative energy was just pure fun.

For Lawrence, who had spent so long shut up in a small room, it was an immensely enjoyable game.

Boom—!

Everywhere he went, explosions rang out, and the undead shrieked.

“Hahaha! Where do you think you’re going!”

“Cough—! Kyaaaah!”

The screams of the undead kobolds and Lawrence’s laughter echoed through the dungeon.

Meanwhile, the mage tower masters observing this through crystal orbs were all wide-eyed, continuously exclaiming in awe.

“So now I understand why the Duke of the North favored Prince Lawrence.”

“Indeed. Honestly, he doesn’t quite fit with the Blue Mage Tower.”

“Is that so?”

The Blue Mage Tower master clicked his tongue in regret but shook his head soon after.

The Blue Mage Tower specialized in lightning magic.

Their aesthetics valued purity, order, and cleanliness.

Someone laughing like a madman, like Lawrence, simply didn’t fit their sensibilities.

“If it’s a matter of personality, it can be corrected. But…”

“Why the hesitation? If none of you are satisfied, I could just take him.”

While everyone hesitated due to the deal with Medea, the Iron Mage Tower master stepped forward.

Perfect.

Lawrence was already showing the traits of a perfect Battle Mage.

He must be brought into the Iron Mage Tower!

At that moment, the test hall doors opened, and Medea entered.

She had come because the preliminary exam had been delayed.

“Is the preliminary exam going smoothly?”

“Welcome, Lady Medea. Although slightly delayed, it is proceeding smoothly.”

“I see. May I observe for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Medea’s gaze fell upon Lawrence in the crystal orb.

He was walking leisurely, as if on a stroll, without a single light spell.

Her expression immediately tightened.

A child without a mana rod striding about like that…

Something felt very wrong.

Glancing at the other mage tower masters, they nodded at her, silently confirming the prior agreement.

You still will not see the light.

Bound to this family or sent off to the wilderness forever…

As long as she remained the matriarch, Lawrence’s fate was already set.

Medea watched him struggle and thrash, thinking he was fighting against destiny.

But for some reason, she felt a flicker of unease.

A brief, inexplicable chill.

She quickly shook her head to dispel it.

“Does the Iron Mage Tower master have someone in mind?”

“Prince Lawrence is gifted in mind, virtue, and body. I would take him, but the competition will be fierce.”

“I see. Thank you for looking favorably on Monte Mer’s child.”

“Haha, it is nothing. He grew well on his own.”

Iron Hanma smiled and said.

Medea also smiled, though the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.

The Iron Mage Tower master was speaking indirectly:

The child you considered defective, the one you did not nurture, look how well he has grown on his own.

From Medea’s perspective, it was a blow to her pride, but raising her voice here would only make her look foolish.

Instead, she said something else.

“Would it be acceptable if one more household member were added?”

“If a maid is joining, we have no objections.”

“Excellent. That works well. I was even considering scrapping that annex…”

Medea intended to send Rachel, who had been brainwashed, along.

The Iron Mage Tower master nodded gladly, and Medea smiled.

But did she know?

Rachel was perfectly fine, and it was Eikel giving false reports.

Brainwashing doesn’t show on the surface; it’s only called brainwashing.

Unless exposed to specific commands or the caster’s mana, it is difficult to detect.

Good. Everything worked out. I’ll erase his traces and hasten preparations.

The Iron Mage Tower was remote, even among remote regions.

Moreover, their magic was extremely inefficient.

Even if someone grew there, they wouldn’t survive Monte Mer’s next test.

Medea comforted herself and turned away.

“I apologize for taking your time. Please continue with the remaining tests. I shall… go to the training grounds.”

“Very well.”

Medea headed outside the area where the relics were kept.

The next test was a magical duel with one of the tower’s mages.

Even if one didn’t die, healing magic could restore injuries—but accidents could happen anywhere, anytime.

“Worth trying, at least.”

As the queen of connections and matriarch of a prestigious house, a few words and some money were enough to have people bow before her.

But someone tried to intervene in her resolve.

“Mother.”

“Didn’t I tell you to stay at the training grounds, Lorace?”

“I want to fight Lawrence.”

“What?”

Lorace Monte Mer.

The youngest of Medea’s children, just entering adolescence.

He wanted to fight Lawrence and win?

Medea shook her head.

“Arthur, it’s not the right time. Train at the Mage Tower first. Then you can defeat him. By then… killing someone won’t be difficult.”

“Mother, are you aware that recently all your attention has been on that child?”

“What did you say?”

She erased her sternness and looked into her son’s eyes.

Born in a strict magic family, but still her child, whom she could not help but cherish.

He sometimes did foolish things, but she let it slide because he was her son.

To Medea, her son looked like any other boy his age, wanting to sulk.

Her heart softened.

As Lorace said, her attention had indeed been fully on Lawrence recently.

“Stop worrying about that defective child and focus on us, your children, a little more, Mother.”

“….”

Medea fell silent at the words piercing her like a dagger.

Yes. I also want to spend peaceful time with you.

Eat delicious food, read you good books.

She thought so, but her words said something else entirely.

She spoke out of concern for the danger of their current positions.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Focus on you? Lawrence grew so much alone in that garbage heap. Do you want to end up humiliated like Arthur Goldivain?”

“Mother…”

“Train properly, face reality. Do you think I’m enduring this suffering for my own pleasure?!”

Lorace could not respond to Medea’s fierce glare.

One more word and he would freeze entirely.

Watching Medea walk past, the cold wind brushing against him, Lorace felt a new emotion stir in his eyes.

#2

“Is he really a mage?”

“Looks more like a berserker.”

Boom—!

Near the end of the exam.

The mage tower masters watching Lawrence in the crystal orb were incredulous.

Some children had already been eliminated and sent to the training grounds.

Only three remained: Lawrence, Arthur Goldivain, and Piaget Brixir.

The Brixir family had long been adept at controlling two elements simultaneously.

Their unique abilities were highly regarded even among mages.

Those two are impressive, but they still show signs of being novices. Though by the book, yes…

Humans are naturally adaptive, threshold-exceeding creatures.

After witnessing Lawrence’s overwhelmingly stimulating performance, could they even notice others luring monsters and casting spells slowly by the book?

Still, the masters tried to evaluate objectively.

After all, the goal was to recruit competent talent.

Other families’ children were also observing from afar.

Arthur Goldivain’s powerful, wide-area magic.

Piaget’s gem-like odd eyes manipulating fire and water elements freely.

“Wow…”

“Indeed, amazing.”

Except for Monte Mer, these were considered children of great houses.

They displayed talent befitting skilled mages.

Piaget had combat experience.

Her magic was neat, orderly, and flashy.

Yet the children couldn’t take their eyes off the next contender.

“Is that… a mage?”

“What’s with that overwhelming speed?”

[Fireball]

Especially, conjuring a massive fireball with just an incantation was dizzying.

If not performing any spell chant, it was his innate ability…?

The children shivered.

He was a monster.

Not just of this era, but a monster who would leave a mark on history.

Many will aim for him.

The Iron Mage Tower master thought.

Some would try to polish this beautiful gem, others to crush and destroy it.

People feared different things.

The answer was simple.

I must raise him safely, so no one dares touch him. Heh heh heh—.

Meat and steel.

Intense training and magical theory.

Stack all of it safely, and no trivial foe would dare approach.

While still a seedling, it’s easy to suppress, but once the monster is fully grown, coexistence becomes inevitable.

Or you could rear him.

As long as he’s raised well by then…

“Interesting.”

His smile grew wider.

Boom—!

Meanwhile, the simulated dungeon test was approaching its conclusion.

Lawrence was about to reach the dungeon’s end, the boss room.