Chapter – 39
[‘The Architect of the Trial Tower’ explains that it is a 300-year-old building, and given the technology of the time, calling it a tower was justified.]
“I see. If it’s a structure, I understand.”
[‘The Architect of the Trial Tower’ adds that, being a historically significant building located on prime land, its value in cash would be roughly equivalent to a genre-change ticket.]
He seemed interested in real estate too, probably because of his background in architecture.
“Let’s hold hands so we don’t get lost, Ai. Hand.”
“Here!”
“Linz, your hand too?”
“I’m fine.”
Prinzt was acting mature, probably because he had grown taller. It was rewarding to see the effects of the tonic we had given him.
The city of Feron had many waterways. While waiting for a two-story pleasure boat to pass under a bridge, a group of people in luxurious green robes stood nearby for the same reason.
‘They’re alchemists from the Golden Ivory Tower.’
I instinctively looked up at Dad. He had pulled his hood over his head, hiding his sharp, intellectual face.
They were chatting loudly.
“I heard Professor Hikim received a flood of research funding this month?”
“No surprise there. Roughly half of the research funding coming into the Ivory Tower has always gone to Professor Hikim.”
“Though performance has been a bit lacking lately, he’s still the authority on regenerative potions.”
“The next Tower Master will probably be Professor Hikim Saramatan as well.”
Dad’s hand, which I had been holding tightly, trembled in small waves and gradually became damp.
Thanks to this, I solved a long-standing curiosity.
‘Hikim Saramatan.’
He was the parasitic mentor who leached off my father’s research.
[‘The World-Constructing Language Entity’ confirms he is the same tower master from the original work who ruined the Ivory Tower’s finances through corruption and embezzlement.]
I had studied alchemy under my father and had fully learned all of his recipes.
Among them was the regenerative potion.
That Hikim character, even after kicking Dad out, had been publishing Dad’s research as his own.
He leisurely enjoyed life while pocketing research funding from the results he had stolen. Truly a villain living the good life.
I clenched both fists and made a vow.
‘My father’s enemy… one day, I will take his head.’
[‘The World-Constructing Language Entity’ is deeply impressed by your filial piety.]
Once the pleasure boat passed and the bridge returned to its original position, Dad finally recovered his composure and forced a weak smile.
“Ai, Linz, everyone hungry? Shall we eat first?”
“Yes!”
We deliberately responded more enthusiastically than usual.
Following Dad’s lead, our tour of the capital began.
After a hearty breakfast of pancakes and bacon at a brunch spot famed for its food, we explored artisan streets and art districts, buying souvenirs along the way.
“Ah, Ai! Ri, Linz! Are your legs okay? Huff… huff…”
The two kids, boosted by the aura package, had near-superhuman endurance.
Prinzt and I were a bit worn out, but we decided to rest a little to avoid exhausting Dad.
Despite staggering as if he might collapse at any moment, Dad insisted on entering a quaint dessert café tucked away in a corner of the café street.
The reason he insisted on this location soon became clear.
After sipping a cup of black tea, Dad began to speak.
“This was one of the places I went on dates with your mother.”
Eating a molten chocolate dessert and making a mess, Prinzt and I listened solemnly.
“It was a popular spot for dates, but I needed to scrape together the weekly pay from the Ivory Tower just to come here. Still, I guess it wasn’t enough for your mother. She asked me to eat it all myself, saying she couldn’t understand why dessert was supposed to be tasty…”
Too harsh. After squeezing out the money for a date, to have her dismiss the gesture so coldly! My respect for Mom briefly plummeted.
“But I fed it to her myself, bite by bite.”
“……”
“By the time she’d eaten it all, she suddenly wanted to try a bit herself… ahem! I’ll tell you the rest when Ai and Linz turn fifteen.”
“……”
The 15+ content was omitted.
“Your mother couldn’t handle outside food, so on dates she only ate a little like a bird. When we got home, she’d complain she was starving.”
Perhaps she was someone who could only eat home-cooked meals.
“One night, she was so hungry that she caught a wild turkey at night and roasted it whole. She gave me the drumsticks, saying I had worked hard… and then suddenly ate the rest herself.”
What? She gave up the drumsticks? Could it be… Mom really loved Dad?!
“Later we found out she was pregnant with Linz at the time. That’s how your parents became a family!”
“……”
Facing a daughter unable to keep up with the fast pace, Dad looked shy but happy.
My reaction as a daughter, after hearing a full story of premarital cohabitation, was:
‘You didn’t study what you were supposed to!’
I downed my now-cold black tea in one shot.
Prinzt, in contrast, seemed deeply moved, chocolate smeared around his mouth, shouting:
“I want to see the house our family used to live in!”
“Yes, we’ve seen enough of the capital. Let’s go.”
We decided to rent a carriage for the trip.
“Please take us there, sir.”
Handing a map to the driver who claimed to be a local, we boarded the carriage.
The carriage exited the capital gates and wound along the hilly roads.
During the long ride, I imagined the life of students who had to take the early morning shared carriage to get to the Golden Ivory Tower.
We arrived at a small, shabby village tucked against the mountains.
It barely qualified as a village. Only a few houses remained, and even they seemed largely abandoned.
“Linz! Ai! We’re here!”
Dad pointed at a small two-story cabin with a triangular roof, located at the deepest part of the village, almost touching the mountains.
Unfortunately, reality did not preserve the memory as beautifully.
After six years of neglect, the house was little more than a haunted ruin.
The furniture had all been looted, and animal tracks covered the floors.
“……”
Dad stopped briefly. We worried he might be hurt by seeing his old memories in ruins.
Prinzt and I immediately began cleaning without waiting for instructions.
“It’s small, so cleaning will be quick! I’ll start by ventilating it!”
“I found a towel. I’ll wipe the floor with this!”
“Oh? Okay. Dad, you can take care of the weeds in the garden!”
Even Dad joined in, albeit awkwardly. Somehow, we ended up restoring the abandoned house. After seeing the results, it was clean enough that we decided to spend the night.
We had sleeping bags with us, so thinking of it as a roofed campsite made me a little excited.
“Dad, look! We found treasure in the attic!”
“My goodness. That’s the ball you used to play with, Linz. That’s still here?”
“There’s a lot of stuff like this! Come upstairs quickly!”
“I’m coming now!”
It seemed that the items hadn’t been stolen after all.
I shouted toward the attic:
“Dad, brother! I’ll check the outside a bit!”
“Don’t go too far, Ai!”
“Yes!”
I circled the cabin and let out a groan of frustration.
I was facing a serious problem.
I had checked every corner of the house while cleaning, yet…
[<Quest> “Hometown Exploration (Difficulty: D)”
Explore the house where the family once lived happily together.
Success Reward: 30 vials of Divine Ginseng Extract
Failure Penalty: None]
The quest was still incomplete.
I immediately inquired.
“Language Entity, are you there? Why isn’t the quest complete?”
[‘The World-Constructing Language Entity’ is being evasive.]
Huh?
“If it’s the Inspector, shake the carrot.”
[‘The World-Constructing Language Entity’ shakes a carrot vigorously.]
[‘Celestial Inspector’ angrily shouts.]
This must mean the Language Entity intended this for me.
I decided to explore a larger area using the system map.
What is this?
There was a suspicious empty space leading into the forest behind the mountain.
It was a perfect circle, looking more like a crater than a clearing.
As I carefully gazed at the forest entrance, my necklace rang.
<Do you want to go in?>
“No way. If I suddenly disappear, Dad and brother will worry.”
<You’re a good child.>
“Of course.”
✠
That night, the soft sounds of breathing came in a gentle staggered rhythm.
I quietly slipped out of my sleeping bag so as not to wake the family.
I managed to take my satchel and necklace and escaped outside.
“Phew! Now, let’s go, Agnes.”
<…….>
I had to sneak off so Dad and brother wouldn’t worry.
