Chapter 29 – What Do You Want to Become?
#1
Dinner was, of course, steak.
Naturally, it was steak made from incredibly fresh meat, thoroughly purified of all malice by Lawrence.
Rachel was truly a goddess of steak, serving meat that was juicy on the inside yet crispy on the outside and tender within.
As one bit into the crispy outer layer, juices filled the mouth, and the distinct aroma of the meat lingered in the nose.
Then came the texture of the tender inner meat.
It was truly perfect.
If there were a book titled [How Meat Should Be Grilled], Rachel would undoubtedly be its author.
“Wow—this is really delicious.”
“Right? Somehow, when I grill meat, I just know exactly when to stop and how long to let it rest!”
“Mmm, because of this taste, I absolutely have to take you with me.”
While continuing his delightful meal, Lawrence posed a question.
What kind of life had Rachel once dreamed of?
“Rachel, what was your dream when you were young?”
“Huh? Oh, me… I guess… just living a simple life, eating well and living well. Haha.”
“You know, if your eyes shake like that, I won’t believe you even if I want to. Come on, confess.”
“Ugh… Well, you can’t laugh at me, okay? Promise?”
What kind of grand dream did she have to be so hesitant to say it?
Lawrence urged her to just tell him—it was fine.
Blushing slightly, Rachel lowered her head a little and spoke.
“A-an… assassin.”
“What?”
“An assassin! Someone who darts around in the shadows! Landing stylishly! Protecting my mistress in the coolest way!”
“Pfft—!”
Lawrence couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Even with a generous assessment, Rachel was someone completely unrelated to physical activities.
If one had to choose a modern occupation for her, let’s see…
She’d definitely fit better as a model or an actress.
Whether it was due to his mother’s keen eye or how Rachel had grown up, objectively, her face was outstanding in every way.
And yet, an assassin with that face?
Assassins typically benefitted from having no distinguishing features—being plain made it easier to go unnoticed and harder to identify.
“Don’t laugh! I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Then why did you have that dream?”
“When I was little, I read a book with a super cool assassin protagonist. I got completely hooked.”
Of course, later she realized it was an impossible dream…
It was a story born of whimsy, but that was fine.
Childhood dreams often came about that way.
What mattered was whether she still entertained such dreams now.
“So, do you still want to try, if you get the chance?”
“Well… If I were stronger… maybe you wouldn’t have had to leave the main house, and you wouldn’t have to worry about me either.”
“Hmm…”
It seemed the fact that she could only manage simple housework weighed heavily on Rachel’s mind.
She let out one sigh after another, perhaps recalling unpleasant memories or feeling dejected.
And then, for the first time, she opened up to Lawrence about her true feelings.
“It’s not really something an adult should admit to a young master, but… I think I’m pretty pathetic. In the great Montemer family, all I can do is grill steak… nothing else.”
“Counselling is my specialty.”
“I’m sorry for making you suffer twice as much because of me.”
Lawrence shook his head, smiling.
There was nothing to apologize for.
She had raised him and cared for him, even before his regression, with utmost devotion.
Even on the day he was sent off to work as a researcher, she had handed him a warm lunchbox with her own hands.
When thinking about all that, she was undoubtedly someone Lawrence felt deeply grateful for.
Lawrence asked her.
“So, do you still want to be an assassin?”
“Ah, come on, how would that even be possible now?”
“What if it was possible?”
“….”
Rachel remained silent, looking at Lawrence’s confident expression.
If it were possible, she would always want to protect him from the shadows.
However, seeing Lawrence’s meaningful smile, she couldn’t shake the feeling that some bizarre and unimaginable process would be involved.
Her instincts as a longtime maid were ringing alarms.
“Answer quickly—are you in or not?”
“I-I’ll do it! Even though I don’t really understand what’s going on!”
“Good. Just wait.”
Having polished off the steak, Lawrence stood up from his seat.
Her determination was an essential first step for Lawrence, who needed to build his forces.
The system left behind by the Guardian presented a perfect method to him.
[Activating the Guardian System.]
[Guidance on the second arrangement for the successor of the Dragon Lord and the one-of-a-kind Artifactor.]
[Create a Guardian who will serve only you and you alone.]
[Just as the Dragon’s treasure and the sleeping Dragon are guarded by powerful Guardians, this Sentinel will protect everything about you.]
[A Guardian can be created by implanting an artifact. Proceed only after building sufficient trust to control the mental state of the candidate.]
[If the Guardian betrays you, the implanted artifact will explode, exacting the price of betrayal.]
A Sentinel to protect the Dragon.
A Guardian to defend the treasures of the lair and the sleeping Dragon with all their might.
The arrangements to form Lawrence’s true allies and build his power had been unveiled.
#2
Late at night.
Lawrence was still immersed in engraving magic circles.
Ever since obtaining the Dragon Body, his body didn’t feel even a hint of fatigue from ordinary tasks.
The chronic shoulder stiffness he used to suffer from during his crafting sessions on Earth was now gone.
Scratch, scratch, scratch—
Smoothly, he drew lines and filled in the empty spaces.
Filling in the geometric patterns was truly an enjoyable task.
How rewarding it was to see a piece of work being born from his fingertips.
Even now, he felt the same sense of fulfilment.
[Artifact: Clean Hand Mirror]
[Grade: 3rd Circle]
[Manifestation: Fireball]
[Uses Remaining: 15/15] [Multi-Manifestation: 2]
[Artifact: Empty Perfume Bottle]
[Grade: 3rd Circle]
[Manifestation: Chain Lightning]
[Uses Remaining: 20/20] [Multi-Manifestation: 1]
First, Lawrence created a flurry of artifacts to use for tomorrow’s selection test.
At the same time, he pondered.
How should the artifact for Rachel be configured?
‘She’ll need training, won’t she?’
On top of that, it would be ideal to create an artifact that could be activated as needed.
Unlike himself, she possessed a Mana Core, so it would be best to prioritize engravings while only creating necessary manifestation artifacts.
There was nothing more liberating than learning independently.
The remaining issue was whether the family head, who had received the carrier pigeon, would approve of all his plans.
Once his training at the Magic Tower was complete, Medeia would undoubtedly try every method to kill him.
Or to exclude him.
But even that was something he had accounted for.
‘I need to keep the Montemer name but escape from Medeia’s grasp.’
To achieve that, he would have to claim the undeveloped territories of Montemer as his own.
Accepting commissions, earning rewards, and steadily building merit—this was the way forward.
To onlookers, it might seem like sheer madness, but it was undoubtedly the most certain way to take over Montemer.
“And I’ll meet good people there…”
He already had a few individuals in mind.
If he could gradually bring them into his fold, he could build his own independent faction.
As he meticulously envisioned the future, Lawrence’s hands worked busily.
One by one, brilliant artifacts began to emerge from his fingertips.
[Hatchling: 44%]
[When it reaches 50%, another power will be unlocked.]
Even without a Mana Core, it didn’t matter.
He was already blessed with something far greater.
Thus, morning arrived on the day of the selection test.
#3
The selection test.
It was essentially a form of evaluation for choosing young mages.
The categories were diverse.
There were written exams, tests to clear virtual dungeons, duels between mages, and even duels against knights.
Various families conducted their selection tests in various ways, but none were as rigorous and harsh as Montemer’s.
It was so notorious that some people developed trauma from the selection tests and gave up on becoming mages altogether.
That said it all.
“Y-Young Master, are you sure it’s alright for me to be here?”
“Of course. You’re a proud member of Montemer too.”
“Ugh…”
With Rachel shrinking nervously, Lawrence entered the front gate of Montemer.
Now, there was no one who didn’t recognize him, so the gates opened naturally.
“Welcome, Young Master Lawrence.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“The selection test will begin on the first floor of the Tower of Wisdom. You may proceed there.”
“Thanks. Oh, there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
The gatekeeper spoke to Lawrence politely and with utmost respect.
In the past, he might have shown a hint of disregard, but now Lawrence’s status had risen dramatically.
A single misstep could lead to severe consequences.
‘They say he caused all sorts of trouble in the North. I’d better tread carefully!’
“Y-Yes! Please feel free to ask anything!”
“Has the Master of the Iron Tower visited this place?”
“Yes! It was an unexpected visit, so he wasn’t on the list, but he did present his nameplate.”
“I see. Thank you!”
Ikel, you’ve done well.
Medeia must have enthusiastically welcomed the news of activities at the Magic Tower.
Bringing along a maid to report information to her—there was no way she would oppose it.
The thought of outmanoeuvring Medeia gave Lawrence a sense of satisfaction.
Crossing the garden, Lawrence arrived at one of the two towers.
As he walked, he encountered many people, who looked at him with varying gazes.
Some stared in amazement.
Others cast jealous looks.
And some greeted him with friendly eyes.
‘Things really have changed.’
What would it have been like in his previous life?
There was no need to guess.
On the way here, he would have been met with nothing but ridicule, contempt, and mockery.
But this time, it would be different.
His mother’s death, the downfall of his family—
He was determined to uncover it all and rise to the top.
As he made that resolution while gazing at the towering structure, a voice came from behind him.
The slightly husky voice indicated the speaker was an older individual.
“Oh, are you the youngest son of Montemer?”
“Who are you?”
“I am the Master of the Iron Tower, [Iron Hanma].”
The name conjured the image of a burly man.
Sure enough, a white-haired man who looked over two meters tall was approaching Lawrence.
This was… a mage?
Lawrence greeted him respectfully.
No matter how prestigious Montemer was, a Tower Master was treated as an equal to the head of a noble family.
Bowing his head, Lawrence introduced himself.
“I am Lawrence Montemer.”
“Haha. You seem like someone who can handle steel well.”
“Do you enjoy meat?”
The Master of the Iron Tower smiled warmly.
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