Chapter 63
“I’ll handle all the necessary preparations for establishing your Magic Tower.
Additionally, the White Magic Tower will provide full support for your newly established Magic Tower.”
‘Support from the White Magic Tower?’
The White Magic Tower.
It was the name of the Magic Tower established by the Ducal Estate.
As one of the highest-ranking Magic Towers, its support was undoubtedly enticing.
It would certainly be a great help to the new Magic Tower I was planning to establish.
However, what I wanted was something else entirely.
I looked at the duke and smiled faintly.
“Your Grace, isn’t there significant friction between you and the Eastern Magic Tower Association?”
There were a total of four major Magic Tower Associations in the Empire.
East, West, South, and North.
These were the four associations.
Among them, the Eastern and Northern Magic Tower Associations were known to be of particularly poor reputation.
‘Those two are where the villains are most active.’
The eastern and northern regions of the Alton Empire.
Adding to that, even the central region where the capital was located.
Compared to the relatively calmer western and southern regions, these areas had far more villain activity.
The Eastern Magic Tower Association.
This was one of the main hubs of their operations.
‘It was Marquis Houdini, wasn’t it?’
Houdini Kailon.
The head of the Kailon Marquisate, the chairman of the Eastern Magic Tower Association,
and one of the five Archmages on the continent—he was also a pawn consumed by the power of darkness.
With one of the five Archmages of the continent having fallen to the forces of darkness,
it wasn’t surprising that the future seemed so bleak.
Thinking about him made me frown instinctively.
An Archmage steeped in dark power.
He was not an opponent to be taken lightly.
‘I’d rather not confront him if I could help it.’
Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.
If left unchecked, he would only accelerate the collapse of the continent.
The Millennium Barrier.
It was the name of the powerful barrier currently protecting the central continent.
It was activated by the Ancient Empire just before its downfall,
intended to shield the central continent from the other continents.
The four continents surrounding the central one—East, West, South, and North—
were home to beings highly antagonistic toward humans.
As a precaution against the worst-case scenario,
the Ancient Empire had prepared the Millennium Barrier as a final safeguard.
Without this barrier, the moment the Ancient Empire vanished, invasions would have begun in earnest.
‘This place would’ve been in complete chaos.’
The relative peace the central continent had enjoyed until now could largely be attributed to this barrier.
The unfortunate part was,
despite being far from its thousand-year mark, the barrier was already starting to weaken.
And that’s why things had gotten so chaotic.
One by one, beings were starting to cross the barrier.
‘There’s about two years left.’
That was the estimated time before the barrier was completely located.
If it were tampered with further in its weakened state,
there would be no way to stop it.
For the sake of my peaceful fantasy life,
that Archmage had to be dealt with.
To do so,
‘Going to the East is the right choice.’
The eastern region of the Empire was not only my home base but also a region famous for its abundant resources.
It was rich in mana stone mines, dungeons, and other lucrative sites.
Strengthening myself there and cleaning up the eastern region would mark the true beginning of my plans.
To achieve that, I would naturally need to establish my Magic Tower in the East.
Other regions were simply too far from the East.
Once the Magic Tower was established, I planned to keep the Marquis in check.
This would buy more time before the barrier was discovered.
So.
“How about sending me to the East? I’ll keep the Eastern Magic Tower Association in check—provided Your Grace promises me full support.”
With the full support of the Ducal Estate, opposing Marquis Houdini would be far more advantageous than building a Magic Tower in the West.
While the West might be a good choice for now,
the geographical distance would become a major hindrance over time.
A journey that would take a month by mana-powered carriage.
That was simply not feasible.
Even a teleportation gate wasn’t a solution.
The high-grade mana stones required for such a gate were considered priceless even by the Ducal Estate.
Obtaining them would take an inordinate amount of time.
At my words, the duke chuckled softly.
“It’s true that relations with the Eastern Magic Tower Association are strained.
And it’s also true that I’d like to keep them in check.
But that won’t be an easy task.”
“The tension with the Eastern Magic Tower Association is largely because of Marquis Houdini, isn’t it?”
“…That’s correct.”
Marquis Houdini and Duke Meleos.
The two were infamous for their mutual animosity.
They were of similar age and magical prowess,
leading to constant clashes between them.
This extended to public competitions like magical tournaments.
‘And even in matters of love.’
Elina, now the duchess,
had been at the center of a romantic feud between the two.
The same was true in their respective research fields.
According to the game’s storyline, whenever the two clashed,
the Duke always came out on top.
Rivals.
These words could summarize everything.
Marquis Houdini.
In some ways, he could be seen as a pitiable man.
Despite holding the grand title of Archmage, his life was riddled with failure.
All thanks to Duke Meleos, who stood above him.
Perhaps that was why.
The hatred he had accumulated for the duke was far greater than anyone might imagine.
It was likely that this hatred was what led him to succumb so easily to the temptation of power.
A few years ago, after fully embracing the power of darkness, the marquis began leading the Eastern Magic Tower Association in active opposition to the Western Magic Tower Association.
“If Your Grace provides full support, I’ll not only keep the Eastern Magic Tower Association in check but also target Marquis Houdini himself.”
At my confident remark, the duke gave me a skeptical look.
“Even if you have potential, you’re still just a 1-circle mage, aren’t you?”
“Of course, it’s impossible for me now. At most, I’d only serve as a scout providing intelligence on the situation in the East. However, given a little time, it’s more than feasible.”
“Feasible, you say?”
“Yes. Removing the chairman of the Eastern Magic Tower Association and taking his place, then allying with the Western Magic Tower Association—all of it is achievable.”
With the full support of the ducal estate, the time required to bring him down could be significantly reduced.
The power of the White Magic Tower was that immense.
It’s much like taking a bus instead of walking—it’s simply faster.
Hearing my words, Meleos let out a chuckle, as if amused.
“And what timeframe are you envisioning? From my perspective, you’d need at least twenty years. Do you think it makes sense to request full support for such an uncertain venture over such a long period?”
Twenty years.
That was far from what I had in mind.
Requesting support for twenty years would most likely lead to rejection.
Besides,
the continent would start crumbling within ten years. There was no way I’d spend two decades just dealing with Marquis Houdini.
“It won’t take twenty years.”
“Then what? Ten years?”
“No. Three years, perhaps even less.”
“…Three years?”
“Yes.”
“That’s absurd.”
The duke’s gaze turned cold as he spoke.
“You’re indeed a talented mage, and your growth rate must be remarkable. I understand why you’re feeling confident. But throwing around such baseless claims is another matter entirely. Once spoken, words cannot easily be taken back. Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.”
It seemed he was finding it hard to believe.
And that was natural.
From what I’d shown so far, he likely thought I couldn’t even contend with Marquis Houdini’s subordinates, let alone the marquis himself.
Indeed, the marquis was no pushover.
Though he had always been overshadowed by the duke,
‘He held the firm position of second-best among the mages of his era.’
That’s why even the duke hadn’t been able to take him down easily.
To persuade the duke, I needed to show my talent.
Actions speak louder than words.
‘A 2-circle spell.’
If I demonstrated that, it would be enough to change the duke’s perspective.
He’d realize my growth rate was unlike any other mage.
Revealing my current circle to secure the White Magic Tower’s full support wouldn’t be a loss.
The thought lasted only a moment.
Without hesitation, I cast the spell.
“….”
The duke tilted his head slightly before his eyes widened in surprise.
The emotion filling his gaze was astonishment.
“Could it be… have you reached the 2nd circle?”
“That’s correct.”
“How long has it been since you overcame Hermemu…”
“My speed at learning magic is rather quick. I suppose I have some talent as well. Doesn’t this make my claims a little less far-fetched?”
The duke fell silent for a moment.
After pondering for a while, he finally spoke.
“…I see. So it wasn’t entirely thoughtless. Even considering your rapid growth, though, three years is an incredibly short time.
At best, you might reach the 4th circle.”
No.
I was determined to reach the 5th circle within three years.
With the vast knowledge I possessed,
achieving such a goal was not impossible.
The 6th circle!
The boundary requiring pure enlightenment.
‘Until then, I can rise faster than anyone else.’
Over time, the resources and items available to me would only grow.
Using my knowledge and talent,
I planned to ascend the circles at a pace no one had ever achieved.
The greatest magical prodigy in the history of the central continent!
That goal was no longer far away.
I met Meleos’s gaze.
“Yes, Your Grace is right.
It may indeed be difficult to remove the marquis within that timeframe.
In some ways, my earlier remark was partly made out of youthful ambition.
However… isn’t three years sufficient to become a rising figure within the Eastern Magic Tower Association?”
“A rising figure, you say…”
“If I achieve that, I’ll be able to effectively keep the marquis in check. And if we consider a ten-year timeframe instead of three, removing him would no longer be impossible.”
I presented my case with enthusiasm, aiming to convince the duke to invest in me.
Mentioning a ten-year timeframe was part of that strategy.
While I was confident I could deal with the marquis within three years, the duke didn’t know that.
Extending the timeframe would make it easier for him to accept.
“….”
The duke closed his eyes at my words.
He was likely reflecting on my abnormal growth rate and the magical formulas I had demonstrated today.
The silence didn’t last long.
“Very well. I’ll take a chance on you. But within three years, you must establish a foundation. Even if you can’t bring down Houdini, at the very least, you must be able to hold him back.”
“Of course.”
“On the day you establish your Magic Tower, the White Magic Tower will stand behind you.”
The duke finished speaking and pulled out a sheet of paper.
It was a top-tier magical contract.
Clearly, it was meant to prevent any betrayal.
Looking at me, the duke handed over the contract with a smile.
“Now, let’s draft the contract.”
“Let’s do that.”
And so, the duke and I turned our attention to the magical contract.
—
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