Chapter 12
An Uninvited Guest Appears at the Banquet
Gray hair. Brown eyes.
An ordinary face.
The man who had stood in front of the Bayern young lady while she performed a cheap play that belonged more in a marketplace than a noble gathering.
And…
The man who had helped Ariel.
As he left the banquet hall, Kylance had ordered Deril to tail him. The reason was simple: he knew exactly who the man was.
Despite his appearance, the man was anything but ordinary.
Far removed from the very concept of normalcy, he was the most famous 9-circle archmage on the continent—
Aster Magicos.
He was also the youngest Tower Master in history.
And the reason Kylance had recognized him was because Aster Magicos had deliberately revealed his mana.
Mana detection.
A skill available only to mages.
Kylance was not a mage.
However, the imperial family of the Pentium Empire had inherited traces of magical power thanks to a blessing bestowed by a great mage during the empire’s founding era.
In the past, many members of the imperial bloodline had become mages.
Now, that blessing had faded, and true mages among the imperial family had become exceedingly rare.
Still, Kylance possessed a small amount of mana because of that ancient blessing.
Not enough to become a mage, but enough to sense the mana of mages up to the fifth circle.
Naturally, he shouldn’t have been able to detect the mana of a ninth-circle mage first.
Yet Aster had openly released it.
Enough for Kylance to notice.
In truth, even if Aster hadn’t revealed his mana, Kylance would have eventually realized who he was.
As the Grand Duke of the largest empire on the continent, Kylance had encountered Aster numerous times before.
Moreover, as someone approaching the level of a Sword Master—the natural opposite of a mage—he was especially sensitive to powerful auras.
And Aster undoubtedly knew that.
So why had he intentionally exposed his mana in front of him?
Was he worried Kylance might fail to recognize him?
Why go that far?
If he wanted acknowledgment or special treatment, he could have simply announced his identity and visited the empire officially.
After all, a Tower Master ranked among the highest of great mages, possessing authority comparable to a king.
Whenever a Tower Master visited a nation, they received the highest level of diplomatic honors.
The Pentium Empire was no exception.
Yet Aster had not arrived officially.
He had only released mana while keeping his appearance concealed beneath a polymorph spell.
Which meant this was an unofficial visit.
Then what was so urgent that he had practically issued a warning through his mana?
Surely…
It wasn’t because of Ariel.
At that moment, Kylance remembered Aster standing beside Ariel.
Ignoring the uncomfortable pounding in his chest, Kylance forced his thoughts elsewhere.
More importantly, why had the Tower Master infiltrated House Bayern in disguise?
No matter how much the Magic Tower avoided involvement in national politics, it was impossible to ignore the implications of the Tower Master moving secretly.
Was there something hidden within House Bayern?
As political concerns began intertwining with Aster’s mysterious behavior, Kylance furrowed his brow.
His contemplation, however, did not last long.
“Shortly after you departed, he boarded a carriage belonging to House Blante and got off in Teiran Street. After that, he used magic to disappear immediately. I couldn’t continue tracking him.”
Hearing Deril’s report, Kylance paused before slowly asking,
“He… boarded a Blante carriage? Together with the Blante young lady?”
The uneasy heartbeat he had been suppressing returned instantly.
Lowering his gaze, Deril nodded.
“Yes. He escorted the young lady from the moment they left the banquet hall. They spoke briefly, and when Duchess Biastes exited the venue, the young lady invited him into her carriage.”
Ariel had been escorted by the Tower Master.
The possibility that had been troubling him suddenly became certainty.
“Ha.”
A strange smile twisted Kylance’s face.
The Tower Master had really stepped forward because of Ariel.
But why?
Aster’s motives made no sense.
Yet even more irritating than that was the simple fact that the Tower Master was interested in Ariel.
Kylance recalled the sight of the two together at the banquet.
More specifically, he remembered the warm gaze Aster had directed toward her.
And then the two of them had left together in the same carriage.
What had they talked about inside?
What expression had Ariel worn as she looked at him?
The moment those thoughts surfaced, a hot emotion surged within him.
Jealousy.
Kylance froze.
Jealousy?
What was he thinking?
A bitter sigh escaped him.
Wasn’t he the one who had cruelly abandoned Ariel?
Wasn’t he the one who had sworn to forget her existence?
And yet he was jealous.
Even a passing dog would laugh at him.
Get a grip.
He reprimanded himself sharply, but the emotion refused to settle.
Just as he could not forget the green eyes that had stared directly into his at the banquet.
She’s the daughter of House Blante.
The daughter of my enemy.
Closing his eyes briefly, Kylance forced himself to calm down.
“Do you think they’ll meet again?”
“I couldn’t hear what they discussed inside the carriage. I have no way of knowing. My apologies.”
Deril lowered his head.
Ariel didn’t know the man’s true identity.
But Aster knew exactly who Ariel was.
Kylance had no idea why the Tower Master was interested in her, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this meeting wouldn’t be their last.
After all, Aster Magicos was just as indifferent to other people as Kylance himself.
For a man like that to reveal his mana solely for Ariel’s sake…
There had to be something between them.
And if the Tower Master intended to help House Blante because of Ariel…
“That won’t do.”
Kylance’s eyes flashed coldly.
“Find out where the Tower Master is staying in the capital. Watch him closely. And if he ever visits the Blante young lady… report it to me immediately.”
“By your command.”
Deril bowed and left the office.
Running a hand through his hair, Kylance glanced down at the documents on his desk.
They detailed the debts of House Blante.
The largest amount had been borrowed from the Kuno Merchant Guild.
And the guild was pressuring the family relentlessly.
Staring at the papers, Kylance rang a bell.
Soon, Lowell entered.
“You summoned me, Your Highness?”
“Lowell. Prepare one million krang in cash by tomorrow. It needs to be sent somewhere.”
“Yes. To whom?”
“House Blante.”
“What?”
Lowell’s eyes widened in shock.
Yet Kylance’s expression remained unchanged.
After quickly regaining his composure, Lowell bowed.
“As you command.”
When he left, Kylance stared at the documents once more before flipping them face down.
So he wouldn’t have to look at them any longer.
“…This is the last act of pity.”
Yes.
Not for the daughter of House Blante.
But for Ariel as an individual.
One final act of mercy.
And perhaps a way to extinguish the immediate danger before Ariel became entangled with the Tower Master.
If Ariel became connected to Aster, House Blante might gain a new opportunity.
And House Blante must never be allowed to rise again.
It had to be utterly destroyed.
So this wasn’t lingering affection.
Absolutely not.
Repeating those words to himself, Kylance let out a heavy sigh.
Then closed his eyes, trying desperately to banish thoughts of her.
* * *
Teiran Street.
The most luxurious shopping district in the capital of the Pentium Empire.
And within the largest hotel on the street, the Mondra Hotel’s presidential suite, a small disturbance was unfolding early that morning.
A red-haired man had appeared silently in the sitting room where no one had been moments before.
He was none other than the archmage Seoden.
And at the moment, he was desperately searching for his superior, who had vanished from the Magic Tower without a word.
Seoden’s crimson eyes swept sharply across the suite.
No one was there.
Frowning, he stopped in the middle of the room.
“…This should be the place.”
A magical map materialized before him.
A single golden light continued blinking upon it.
And that light indicated the exact location where he was standing.
Perhaps he had made a mistake?
No.
The map confirmed he was in the right place.
With a casual wave, he dismissed it and closed his eyes.
Moments later, he activated a tracking spell.
Red light spread throughout the room.
One by one, the lights disappeared until only a single crimson trail remained.
Seoden opened his eyes.
Then followed it.
The trail led him back to the bedroom.
Specifically, to a luxurious wooden wardrobe standing wide open.
He had already checked it once.
Earlier, it had appeared completely ordinary.
But now it was different.
The supposedly empty wardrobe was overflowing with magical energy.
Sighing, Seoden finally spoke.
“…I know you’re in there. You can come out now, Tower Master.”
The wardrobe remained silent.
But the mana pouring from it told a very different story.
