Chapter 172
Phoebe looked down at Reed with reddened eyes, sniffling.
Seeing her unable to hold back her anger, Reed opened his mouth.
"You actually didn't meet the requirements to enter this tower. You're young, lack abilities, don't have a good academic background, and even have a record of killing many people. Bringing you here was entirely my decision. So the moment you cause an accident, you'll be kicked out of here. That's why I have to take responsibility for everything."
So, Reed tried his best to handle the incidents and accidents.
Phoebe wished that Reed was a selfish person.
"You could just kick me out. That would be easier for you."
"Would it?"
Reed smiled and looked at her.
Phoebe avoided his eyes.
"The moment I give up on you is when I admit that I was wrong. If I admit that I was wrong, the hyenas who have been waiting for a chance will try to tear me apart."
Reed started drawing a magic circle again.
"So, I wanted to prove that I was right, that I could handle this."
Looking at Phoebe once more,
"Bringing you here was never something to regret in this tower."
It felt like a strong slap on the back of her head.
Phoebe experienced that feeling for the first time in her life.
It must be a lie.
Phoebe must have thought he was lying to use her while pretending to sympathize.
But after hearing about Reed's past, she couldn't think that way anymore.
-The Adeleheights family used to have a pretty high reputation, but after Reed's parents passed away and the records were lost, the family fell into ruin.
-Without money and without being a traitor, it's difficult for a noble family to fall, because there's secret knowledge passed down through generations in a magician's family. Since Reed lost that knowledge before he could inherit it, it was bound to collapse at once.
-All the nobles probably turned their backs on the Adeleheights family. They clung to them when they were needed, but closed their mouths when they lost their value.
Phoebe felt like she could understand a little why Reed treated her well.
He had already fallen.
He must have hated the world.
But he didn't take revenge right away.
He wanted to prove that those who abandoned their family like a sacrificial pawn were wrong.
He intended to calmly build up his reputation in this tower.
In the meantime, Reed brought Phoebe.
He couldn't bear to watch a girl who would destroy herself if left alone, so he brought her to his side.
"I also..."
Phoebe's lips trembled, and her throat tightened.
Forcing herself to exhale, she asked.
"...Can I take revenge too?"
"You can."
He answered without hesitation.
"I'll make it happen for you."
At Reed's words, tears fell from Phoebe's face.
Reed's face stiffened in confusion for a moment.
"Don't cry. I don't like seeing women cry."
"I won't cry... *sniff*..."
Phoebe, realizing the sensation of tears flowing down her cheeks, turned her head away.
Reed, who had been watching her, also looked away, perhaps out of discomfort.
The emotions that poured out were already too late to be contained.
"It's because you said I was crying... That more tears are coming. It's all because of you. All because of you..."
Phoebe didn't want to say those words, but they came out of her mouth on their own.
It was the childish tantrum of spitting out whatever came to mind.
Reed handed Phoebe a handkerchief.
"Wipe your tears."
Phoebe took the handkerchief.
A single handkerchief was not enough to catch all her tears.
Reed waited for her to calm down.
With his kindness, Phoebe's tear glands did not dry up.
***
Three days later, the day before the overloaded mana tower exploded.
Reed had settled everything.
It was a miracle.
Reed, who was relegated to the sidelines, solved what everyone in the tower thought was impossible.
After that, no one mentioned that he had secured a position through nepotism.
Through this incident, Reed proved himself.
Reed relieved his fatigue from concentrating for a week by taking a day off to rest.
Phoebe continued to study while Reed was gone.
Unconsciously, Phoebe looked up as she felt a familiar sensation in her senses.
Reed entered the library with an armful of books to return.
Then, their eyes met.
Reed didn't just pass by but approached her.
"You're working hard."
"..."
Phoebe didn't say anything.
She didn't glare at him with rebellious eyes as usual.
"Is there something you don't understand?"
"..."
Phoebe looked up at him quietly.
Seeing her not saying anything for a while, Reed turned to leave.
"Guess not. I'll go then."
"This... this part."
As Reed turned his head, Phoebe pointed to a part of the book with her finger.
Her tightly closed lips opened once more, and a tiny voice crawled out.
"I don't... understand."
It was her first time asking Reed a question.
To be honest, she didn't know what kind of reaction he would have.
She was most worried about him looking down on her for not knowing something so simple.
"I see."
Reed calmly reacted and sat down next to her.
He began to explain the parts she didn't understand.
She thought he might mock her for being a little slow, but he focused solely on the explanation.
His kindness aside, his explanation was incredibly easy to understand.
It was strange that she hadn't understood it until now, as it entered her head so clearly.
"Is there anything else?"
"This, this too..."
Phoebe began to ask one by one.
She asked more actively than when she was with Ritz.
"We've spent too much time."
At Reed's words, Phoebe checked the clock, and more than two hours had passed.
It didn't feel like much time had passed, but two hours had gone by in an instant.
"Based on what I've taught you, you should be able to figure out the rest with a little more thought. So think a bit more, and if you still don't understand, come to my room and ask."
"Got it."
"If you're planning to choke me like last time, I'd rather not."
"Ah! That was...!"
As Phoebe glared at him resentfully, Reed chuckled and got up from his seat.
'I'll cut you down to size.'
Grinding the knife in her heart, Phoebe buried herself in the book again.
***
It was the first time.
For the first time in her life, Phoebe was confident that she could pass the test.
'I've memorized most of it, so I'll pass this time.'
Still, the anxiety didn't go away.
If she was so confident and still failed, it would only lead to greater disappointment.
"Phoebe Astheria Roton."
Reed, who had finished grading, looked up at her sitting across from him.
"You scored 70 on this test. Barely passing."
"…So I don't have to take a retest?"
"There are still tests from the second to the eighth, but there's no need for a retest for the first one."
She passed.
In fact, there were many times she had passed tests while training at Astheria.
However, due to the lowered cut-off line by the head of the family, she barely reached the standard but was still relatively below it.
It was her first time passing without any compromises on the cut-off line.
"Do you still think your head is just bad?"
At Reed's question, Phoebe frowned.
"Are you saying you were right? How annoying."
"No, I'm saying you have potential too."
Phoebe looked up at Reed's face.
It looked emotionless but somehow seemed to be smiling.
"Don't let yourself be limited by thinking you're just unintelligent. You can do it if you try."
He gently added the last word, as if stroking a child's head.
"You worked hard."
Phoebe didn't show any reaction. She just stared at Reed.
"…Phoebe?"
"…Huh?"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Phoebe got up from her seat.
"I'll be back in a bit."
"Alright, go get some fresh air."
As Phoebe took her first step, she faltered.
She tried to walk as if nothing was wrong, but her steps moved unnaturally, as if being rushed.
'She's a child who can grow.'
Although the road ahead is still long and treacherous, if she continues to study like this, Phoebe will become an indispensable member of this tower.
As he thought about that and was about to get up to organize the rest of the books.
The tower began to shake.
-Roarrrrr!!
Everyone covered their ears and panicked at the unidentified roar.
The Silence Tower, which had been lit in blue, was suddenly dyed red.
"Emergency! Unidentified roar!"
"A dragon?! All of a sudden?!"
"Emergency! Emergency! Track its location!"
Although the roar came from nearby, no one could pinpoint the dragon's location.
The magicians were in chaos, unaware that the culprit who caused the commotion had returned to the tower with a refreshed expression.
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***
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Once upon a time, dragons were disasters that humans feared.
However, humans adapted and devised ways to escape the clutches of dragons, eventually succeeding in breaking free from their rule.
Now, such malicious dragons only appear in heroic tales or legends.
Those who brought disaster began to live in hiding, and they were only occasionally seen flying.
"I apologize, master."
In a dark space.
A kneeling boy pressed his head to the floor, apologizing.
He was the youngest half-dragon created in Astheria, Isis, and at the same time, the last head of Astheria, Roderick Astheria.
Despite his young appearance, his eyes held an age-old venom that he couldn't hide.
It would be strange for even the most insensitive person not to feel suspicious when looking directly into the boy's eyes.
The subject of Roderick's apology was a man whose very existence was incomplete.
"I thought Phoebe would submit to my power... but due to the unexpected mingling of the Black Dragon's blood, she did not obey."
-Due to that, you let go of two half-dragons that you had successfully brainwashed and made a painful mistake.
"I apologize. I should have listened when you said we should be more cautious, but I failed to do so."
-.....
The man was silent.
As his silence grew longer, Roderick's body gradually became heavier.
The incomplete being did not reproach Roderick for his mistake.
That was because he initially thought that Phoebe would not end up like she is now.
-This is not your fault. You perfectly tamed Phoebe and taught her what she had to do; your role was to stay out of it.
"......"
-The one who changed is that man.
Reed Adeleheights Roton.
A man who had planned to overthrow the continent.
Through “Project: Flower Garden”, the emotion that Phoebe should have felt towards Rosaria was different.
She should have regarded her as a storage, not life, and managed her.
Everything was for Reed, who had to be treated that way.
But Reed changed Rosaria's treatment, and even Phoebe changed.
She became a life, not a mana storage, and felt the purity she couldn't feel in her unfortunate days on behalf of him.
‘That's why it changed.’
The reason things went wrong was because of Reed, who changed all emotions at some point.
He changed too much.
Demons secretly entered various countries, causing damage and disappearing all at once, and due to the half-dead lives in the hands of a hero who had even lost his identity, they were all living well.
He realized it clearly.
‘If things continue like this, I will cease to exist.’
He lost half of his power because of the hero who committed suicide in an untraceable space.
He couldn't afford to be complacent anymore.
He looked down at Roderick and spoke.
-Roderick.
"Yes, master."
-I will give you the gift you wanted.
"…!"
Roderick raised his head.
"By giving me a gift... do you mean you'll give me the origin of the dragon I desire... and grant me that power?"
-Yes. I will give you the power to become a perfect dragon, as you've always wanted.
A trace of greed passed over Roderick's face.
He could gain tremendous power just by being under him, and now he was offering to give him all that power. How could he resist?
He was tempted.
He wanted it somehow.
‘I thought he would give it to me, but this is too fast...’
It was much earlier than expected.
Even if this matter went well, it wouldn't be enough to make up for everything, but he was offering him power.
His lips quivered at the long-awaited gift, but Roderick pressed his head to the floor without blinking and said.
"I cannot accept it! I have already failed once. That gift is something I can only receive after I have completed all my missions."
-There is no other way right now. You must bring a glimmer of hope.
"If I fail like that guy who couldn't collect the magic seed..."
-It would be the end. But I can't play around anymore either. Everything has changed, in a direction I didn't want.
In one way or another, it ends the same.
A cornered rat will show that it can bite a cat.
-If you succeed, you can become the master of this world until you die. I will entrust everything to you.
He offered even more than what had been promised.
It was a pleasant matter, but on the other hand, he could also notice how bad the situation was.
This is the last chance.
If they fail, they will die, and if they succeed, they will live.
They must brace themselves.
-Take it.
A thick smoke gathered in his blurred hand.
Roderick carefully picked it up as if holding a sacred vessel.
He placed the light wrapped in both hands into his chest.
The reaction occurred immediately.
"Ugh…"
The white-haired red-eyed White Dragon, Isis.
Scales began to sprout all over his body, regardless of his will.
A long tail and wings.
He barely maintained a human form, but he no longer looked like a single boy.
Roderick looked down at his body.
He laughed at the excitement rising from his chest.
"Haha…"
The dragon's origin he had been searching for so desperately was now in his hands.
"Hahahaha!!"
Roderick's laughter echoed in the darkness.
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