After taking out all of the trash, Yuna Yurensto became the Purple Magic Tower Master.
She could have dissolved the Purple Magic Tower, or fled after leaving someone else in charge. But the reason she chose to lead a place filled with painful memories was simple.
She had nowhere else to go.
The former leaders either escaped or died. Those who remained in the Purple Magic Tower had no connection to the ceremony. To them, Yuna was a monster who suddenly killed all their seniors and teachers and seized the title of Tower Master for herself.
Once again, a large group abandoned the Magic Tower, leaving only a few behind.
The Purple Tower became a ghost town, where the remaining wizards would avert their eyes when meeting Yuna's gaze. Conversations never occurred between them.
It wasn't as if she didn’t try to foster good relations. Yuna Yurensto tried to talk to the others. However, it never worked out. Not a single person acknowledged the fact that she was just a simple young girl.
From the moment she woke, until she fell asleep.
She cooked and ate alone, envying the conversations of the other, haunted by the nightmares of that day, and slept alone in that large room.
That was why.She believed that this would be what the rest of her life would be like….
“Tower Master, are you telling me to twist the Mana like this?”
“S-So, Li-Like th…. is. Do it like th-th-this. Eu-Eung, So-Sorry I can’t explain it that well…..”
“What are you…. Gimme your hand. I’m gonna cast a magic spell on your palm, hopefully it helps with your stuttering.”
A weird kid arrived at the Magic Tower.
“Go away….! I don’t trust men, always chasing after anyone who sways their hips at them, such primitive….!”
“Then it’s alright to fall in love with 2D characters, isn’t it?”
"?"
Roaming around the Magic Tower doing what he wanted.
“I-I’m telling the Tower Master that you’re crazy…..!”
“Now that I’ve met the Tower Master, she’s just cute. This is just bullying. How can someone be so cold? Tower Master! Let’s have a group dinner alright?”
“Eht, ah, huh? Group…. Group Dinner?”
He briefly got involved, and completely changed the atmosphere of the Magic Tower.
He became a bridge between Yuna and the Purple Magic Tower’s wizards. Before she realized it, the cold eyes she constantly received vanished, transforming the tower into a friendlier place, even more welcoming than other Magic Towers.
Even though his greed for research funds often made her want to smack on the head….!
One day, Yuna Yurensto asked him, ‘Aren’t you scared of me? And why did you go this far to help me?’
He responded like this:
“Because you’re pretty…..?”
“Ew.”
“I’m half joking. I do it because I understand how you feel. I was a loner when I was young…. I helped you because I saw that same expression in the mirror once. I also thought it was a shame that someone with such a great personality had no friends.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
"It’s alright to live with a bit more confidence. The Tower Master is a cute and kind person.”
Perhaps it was since then. That she began to notice him.
She began…. Having this weird feeling.
===============================================================
The Second Prince caused a small commotion to lure out the Capital Knight Order. Coincidentally, there was a similar incident nearby, ensuring no backup was available, and they were all deployed.
The Tower Master and I seized this opportunity to dash through Crownhall.
After discovering that suspicious thing in the Black Wizard’s brain, the Tower Master had been constantly depressed. I wasn't sure what exactly had happened, but I was genuinely worried about her.
What if our Yuna gets a facial spasm from all the stress?
I wanted to quickly eliminate whatever threat had emerged and restore her smile. That was my small wish.
We finally arrived near the Capital Knight Order’s headquarters. Just three more blocks to reach the mansion. I tried to quickly take a step forward, but the Tower Master grabbed my sleeve.
She spoke with her witch hat obscuring her entire face.
“......Why did you come along? This isn’t…. Your fight.”
“You don’t have to dig yourself a hole because you’re feeling depressed. Saying something that makes me sad…… Why talk about my fight and your fight when it’s us.”
I lowered myself and lightly pinched Yuna’s cheeks.
“I just want to. Tower Master also wanted to help me, right? It’s not about give and take….. Friends help each other because they care and want to be there for one another.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
The hat concealed her face, but I could see that her ears were turning slightly red. She paused for a second, and then spoke.
“Let’s just go back.”
“.....Wasn’t this important?”
“It is important, yeah.”
Yuna explained the reasons behind her decision.
“This is my trauma as well, but I thought deeply about it before making a decision. It’s dangerous for the black wizards to gain someone of the Sublimation Realm. They can use Mana nearly infinitely as long as they have the souls of other people…
The dilemma of a great cause and revenge.
“I feel bad for the Second Prince, but for me, the Purple Magic Tower comes first. While it would be beneficial to maintain a friendly relationship with the Second Prince, it’s not as if his enthronement is for certain. In a way, tracking down the traitor might be more important. Even if we had to dump some political burden on the Second Prince….”
The dilemma of priority.
“On top of that, the Second Prince spoke as if…. something disastrous would happen if they found out I snuck in. But it’s not irrecoverable. Even if you get suspected of rebellion, you just have to restrain yourself in front of the emperor. Since the Emperor holds the leash….”
The dilemma of risk resolution.
Yuna listed several reasons why she needed to enter the mansion. She paused and looked up at me.
“But there’s just one single thing. That bothers me.”
“.........What is it?”
“I think you will be in danger.”
Yuna’s wavering eyes became clear.
“If we go together, it will be dangerous. But if I go alone… It may backfire on you. You want to stay in the Second Prince's good graces,right….?”
“Well, I…..”
“If you fall out with the Second Prince…. you won’t have as much time for your hobbies. Eung. you were able to go to the Academy thanks to him. I know you’re having a lot of fun at the Academy. And you’d have to be separated from your friend Yuri…..”
“Well, I’m saying that.”
Yuna grabbed my hand. Though her hands were smaller than mine, and her grip was as light as a feather, it felt like there was a strange power preventing me from letting go.
“I’ve thought about it.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
“More than my anger and my resentment, you are…. more important to me.”
My breath hitched.
I panicked. My heart started pounding, and my face flushed. I quickly cast Self Sexual Desire Suppression Magic on myself, but it didn’t calm my heart.
Thump, thump. I guess the reason why my heart felt like it was going to explode wasn't due to sexual desire.
W-What should I do? What should I…. say. I didn’t know. I was panicking like crazy on the inside, and prayed that it didn’t show on my face.
Yuna, however, knew exactly what to say.
“Let’s go back and go on a date….!!”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
The strength left my shoulders as I nodded.
“....Shall we?”
She gave up on her chance for revenge. Just for me. Her deep-seated resentment, which even overpowered her before the Second Prince, was set aside for my sake.
That realization made my already pounding heart nearly burst. Calm down, calm. It’s an ambiguous statement. Don’t…. jump to conclusions.
If I mistook it for a confession and it wasn’t, how could I possibly cope with that?
I took deep breaths in an effort to calm myself. In reality I hadn’t calmed down at all, but I felt as if I had to pretend at the very least to get my head working.
First…. should I plan the date?
Even though she said she had given up, it must have dampened her spirits. At the very least, I should give her time that’s equally as fun. First, I should research all the best restaurants.
I grabbed Yuna’s hand and turned around. Red whatever, Black Wizard’s whatever—I didn’t care. I’m glad we didn’t go. It had been bothering me anyway. It was probably a sour grape. Besides, it was likely going to be a trap.
My hand was sweating. It was really stressing me out.
This had never happened in my past life, even when I went on dates with my girlfriend. Did I develop hyperhidrosis in this new body? I don’t think so……
“Heading back so soon?”
I froze.
“Weren’t you here because you had something to do~? You’re making me sad by leaving already . I’ve been waiting all this time. Purple Tower Master.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
The pressure on my body was immobilizing, as if I were sinking to the ocean floor. I couldn’t even turn my head.
“If you don’t do anything and just head back…. Ah~ That’s no good.”
“.....I’m not going to do anything here. I don’t know who you are, but go away.”
“Hmmm~ In that case, the plan to catch you in the act and use that as an excuse to fight is off the table. Guess I’ll have to use plan B!”
“....I told you to go away!”
Whrrrrrl
The sound of a loud engine entered my ears.
“Well, I’m going to push you away with this fist, Tower Master. If you resist or start a fight here, things will get difficult for both of us yeah? The handsome guy beside you might get dragged into it too.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
“Let’s take our sweet time fighting all the way over there, outside the city.”
“......Hey, don’t worry. I’ll be back soon, so just go back to the inn. Alright?
After saying that to me, Yuna began to prepare her mana.
────!!
Then, there must have been an exchange too fast for my eyes to follow. Where there was an explosion and bright light, only a crater with 50 meters in radius remained.
A line momentarily appeared across the sky before fading away.
“....Ha.”
My date was stolen in broad daylight.
The person who picked a fight out of nowhere was probably the Knight Order Commander. There was a reason the Second Prince warned us repeatedly. I didn't expect her to rush into battle so recklessly.
“Sigh.”
I sighed and prepared to head back to the inn.
There was nothing I could do. It was a clash between two superhumans of the Sublimation Realm. There was no way that I, who hadn't even reached Metamorphosis, could do anything.
I might just end up reaching Metamorphosis out of sheer frustration.
I walked back through the empty streets. The Second Prince had diverted the Capital Knight Order’s attention elsewhere, and their Commander had taken the Purple Magic Tower Master.
Was that why? This area was eerily quiet, as if someone could vanish without a trace.
To an unnerving degree.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Had I fallen into a trap?
I felt uneasy. It seemed like we were being lured. Everything fit too perfectly. The suspicious amount of evidence about Yuna's past.
I thought it would be okay even if they targeted Yuna, as long as I supported her…..
But what if they were targeting me, and not Yuna from the beginning?
“Did you notice something was off? You have keen senses, peasant.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Click. Clack. The sound of heels.
A thin, sneering voice. A weasel-looking man emerged, dressed in a tailcoat with a rapier at his side. I didn't see anyone else. He must be alone.
“Remember my name, peasant. I’m Duke Redburn’s second son, Rodeus.”
“I didn’t think you’d be introducing yourself. You’re admitting that Redburn is behind this.”
“I will generously forgive your stupidity. Allow me to enlighten you. Something you tell a corpse is not a confession…..”
He unsheathed his rapier, and charged forward.
***
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