The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 138: The Night of the Mages (3)

On the day of the Night of the Mages event, the four members of the Special Affairs Department gathered in the central hall on the first floor to greet the arriving mages from the various magic towers.

“Oscar! Fran! Veronica! Kilian!”

Maxim, who had arrived leading the mages of the White Tower, displayed a delighted expression.

Seeing him, Oscar naturally smiled and asked,

“How was your journey?”

“Riding in a carriage after so long made my body a bit stiff. I’m also quite tired.”

“You must have had a hard time. But…”

Oscar glanced behind him and tilted his head.

“Did you come alone as the representative? What about the Deputy Tower Master or the Tower Master?”

“The Tower Master also came, but as soon as we arrived, they went to attend a meeting.”

“Ah, I see.”

That made sense.

Although Maxim was an elder of the White Tower, he was only in his early forties.

It seemed strange that he would be solely responsible for such a grand event.

“You all worked hard cleaning. The place looked spotless on my way in. Nothing unusual happened, right?”

“Unusual… Haha, no, not really.”

The four of them could only laugh awkwardly at the question.

Since they had already sworn an oath on the Scroll, they couldn't reveal what had truly happened here.

Oscar observed the mages standing behind Maxim.

‘Twenty 4th-level mages, ten 5th-level, and five 6th-level—those were the limits, if I recall correctly.’

Judging by their lineup, the White Tower had clearly brought its best.

Among the 4th-level mages, the only one Oscar had personally trained was Damian.

It was a given that, even among mages of the same level, the more senior members were typically far more skilled.

‘Well, Damian might seem lacking by my standards, but he’s still considered a prodigy from a prestigious magical family.’

Their eyes met, and Damian bowed his head in greeting.

Turning his gaze, Oscar then observed the 5th-level mages.

‘I recognize Harrok Dryon and Deckard Rine… but Lena White isn’t here.’

Perhaps sensing his searching gaze, Maxim spoke up.

“If you're looking for Lena, she voluntarily declined to participate. She said that if she joined the event, there would be delays in responding to any urgent matters in the potion business.”

“Ah, that sounds just like her.”

That level of professionalism was precisely why Oscar had entrusted her with managing the potion department.

Among the 6th-level mages, only one was someone he had met in person before.

The rest were known to him only through documents.

The head of the delivery department, Pedro X, stepped forward and gave a casual nod.

“How have you been?”

“I’m well. And you?”

“I’m always busy, but the delivery business is growing rapidly. It’s quite satisfying to manage, and the profits aren’t bad either. Just as you suggested, if I push hard for a few more months, I can hand over the position and retire.”

“Ah, um… yes.”

He probably wouldn’t be able to retire.

There was no way Sasha would allow it.

That girl had a way of smiling sweetly while firmly rejecting things.

“Alright! Everyone, head to the lodging floor and settle in!”

As Maxim sent the mages upstairs, Veronica commented,

“Just looking at the people they brought, you can tell they’re really putting in the effort.”

“Well, it’s been a year of significant change for the White Tower,”

Fran said with a smirk, glancing at Oscar.

“Thanks to someone, our finances have improved, and the overall skill level of our mages has risen significantly. At the very least, we can’t afford to embarrass ourselves.”

“Embarrassment, huh…”

Indeed, with the White Tower on the verge of being expelled from the Four Great Magic Towers, they couldn’t afford such disgrace.

As the four reaffirmed their resolve, another group of mages entered the central hall.

“……”

Their shoulders were draped with yellow capes, and their chests bore an emblem in the shape of a lightning bolt.

‘Yellow Tower.’

Observing their presence, Oscar swallowed hard.

Unlike the mages of the Red Tower, who were known for their strict discipline, the Yellow Tower mages appeared somewhat unrestrained.

However, this lack of rigidity was, in a way, proof of their confidence.

‘They don’t need to maintain a rigid posture because they trust their own speed and ability.’

At the forefront of the group stood not the Yellow Tower Master, but a young man.

Noticing Oscar, he raised an eyebrow in mild surprise before turning to his fellow mages and giving an order.

“Go up and settle into your lodgings.”

“Yes, sir.”

Then, he started walking towards Oscar and his group.

His steps were steady and precise—those of a skilled combatant.

‘His magical presence is barely detectable.’

For someone to conceal their mana so well from Oscar meant they were at least a high-ranking mage.

Seeing the approaching figure, Fran leaned in and whispered,

“That’s Tony Havertz, head of the Yellow Tower’s Magic Engineering Department.”

“…That’s a pretty high position, isn’t it? The Magic Engineering Department is the core of the Yellow Tower.”

It was the alpha and omega of the Yellow Tower, its very heart.

“Yeah. He secured that position as the trusted protégé of the Yellow Tower Master. He’s also known to be incredibly skilled.”

“The Yellow Tower Master’s protégé…”

At that moment, the man with slicked-back white hair stopped before them and gave a small nod.

“You’re mages of the White Tower?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I already heard from your friend here, but I am Tony Havertz, a 7th-level mage from the Yellow Tower.”

Fran had been whispering, but he had still caught everything.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Oscar remained composed and nodded.

“I’m Oscar Crucian, a 4th-level mage of the White Tower. These are my subordinates.”

“As I expected.”

Tony nodded as if confirming a suspicion.

“I had a strong feeling you were the so-called ‘Noble of the White Tower.’”

“…You know of me?”

“Unless you live under a rock, who doesn’t know you these days?”

With a smirk, he continued,

“I’ve actually been wanting to ask you something.”

He then extended his right hand.

As soon as Oscar instinctively shook it, a question was thrown at him.

“Oscar Crucian, have you ever trained using the Argo installed in the White Tower?”

“…Why do you ask?”

“There’s someone I’ve been looking for, and I have a feeling it might be you.”

At the same time, Oscar could feel an intense gaze drilling into the back of his head from behind.

“I have done it before.”

“Then let me ask you directly. Are you AAA?”

At that question, Oscar turned his head to look at Veronica.

It felt like she had asked him a similar question before.

Sure enough, she was watching him with sparkling eyes, as if finding this situation highly amusing.

“Sorry, but I think you’ve got the wrong person. I don’t even know what that is.”

“……”

Tony glanced at his clasped hands before withdrawing them.

Then, he pulled a handkerchief from his coat and wiped the hand that had shaken Oscar’s before speaking.@@novelbin@@

“You’re not lying. In that case, I’ll take my leave. I have a meeting to attend.”

As he swiftly departed, Veronica cautiously asked,

“Hey, are you really not AAA?”

“I told you, I don’t even know what that is.”

“Damn. Then who the hell is it?”

As Veronica scratched her head in frustration, Fran approached and explained,

“I looked into it too. AAA is just an initial.”

“An initial?”

“Yeah. Someone in Argo’s 100-stage training program broke the record for the fastest completion time, but since they didn’t register their information, they were recorded with a default initial.”

The fastest record breaker, huh?

Still, considering that he had only tried it once and never again, it didn’t seem like it was about him.

“What was the record?”

“Somewhere around nine minutes. I didn’t know either, but apparently, breaking the legendary ten-minute barrier caused quite a stir.”

“……”

Wasn’t his record that day around 9 minutes and 57 seconds?

Maintaining a neutral expression, Oscar asked,

“But why is the Yellow Tower looking for that person?”

“Well, they probably want to scout them or get advice about training. At the very least, this proves that person’s talent is among the best on the continent.”

Indeed.

Having unexpectedly obtained useful information, Oscar slowly nodded.

* * *

The atmosphere inside the conference room was tense.

A round table bore the emblem of the imperial family along with eight mage tower insignias.

Seven of those seats were occupied.

Creak.

The door opened, and Tony Havertz entered.

“Apologies for my tardiness.”

“Hmph. The world really is going to hell. These young brats don’t even respect time anymore.”

“……”

Tony silently stared at the one who was sneering at him.

‘Kudel Redmane.’

The master of the Red Tower was well past seventy, yet he looked no older than fifty.

His short hair and the neatly trimmed beard covering his face had turned white, but his eyes, hidden behind large sunglasses, made it impossible to discern his thoughts.

Tony glanced at his attire—a Hawaiian shirt with palm trees and shorts, despite it being winter—and remarked,

“There are still three minutes left before the meeting starts.”

“Well, well. Talking back, are we? You should’ve arrived early and greeted your elders properly.”

Lowering his oversized sunglasses slightly, Kudel looked at him and asked,

“So, does the fact that the old man isn’t here and you are… mean that he really is on his last legs?”

“If you insult my master one more time, even as the Red Tower Master, I won’t let it slide.”

“Heh heh heh.”

Kudel chuckled and tapped his feet against the round table as he spoke.

“Interesting. Go ahead and not let it slide. I’m curious to see what a brat like you thinks he can do to me.”

“……”

The tension between them was thick with rising mana.

“Both of you, stop.”

Sasha Maestro cut through the charged atmosphere, restoring calm.

“The Ninth Prince will be here shortly. What kind of disgraceful behavior is this?”

“Ugh, these damn kids. Why are they all so talkative?”

Kudel frowned and turned his attention to Sasha.

“And you dare cut off my magic? Just because you’re called a Tower Master, does that make you think you’re something special?”

“I’d rather not witness any more disgraceful displays.”

“I must agree with the White Tower Master on this matter.”

“You little brats…”

Just as Kudel lowered his feet and growled—

“The Ninth Prince is entering.”

The conference room doors opened, and a man entered, leaning on a staff and limping slightly.

Taking his seat under the imperial emblem, he acknowledged the respectful bows from the Tower Masters with a nod.

“Everyone is here. Let’s skip the formal greetings. This gathering serves to announce the commencement of the 8th Magic Night.”

Flashing a pleasant smile, he met each of their gazes and continued.

“At the same time, I must inform you that the purpose of this event has changed from what it was before, when it was about harmony and peace.”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]