Chapter 66
Participants with badges on their chests began ascending the stage one by one.
The number of participants was more than I had expected.
There were a total of fourteen.
‘Well, considering the categories, that makes sense.’
In the theory category, there were quite a few subfields besides magical formulas.
Even just the winners from those categories would total around ten.
Adding the four winners from the practical section, divided into 1st Circle to 4th Circle, made it exactly fourteen.
Among them, of course, the one who drew the most attention was me, who had claimed the championship in the magical formulas category.
Soon, at the Duke’s signal, I slightly bowed toward the gathered mages.
“I am Kyle Seltarion, the winner of the magical formulas category this time. I still have a long way to go, so I hope you can give me plenty of advice.”
Among the people here, there were quite a few with positions higher than mine.
Thus, maintaining proper etiquette was the best approach.
At my words, the audience in the banquet hall lit up and began clapping.
Clap clap!
After everyone continued introducing themselves, the banquet finally began.
Eating. Drinking. Chatting.
Even though the banquet was hosted by a noble, its essence wasn’t any different.
The only thing that set this apart from ordinary banquets was the attendees.
Everyone here either had significant potential for the future despite their current status or already held high-ranking positions.
As I was eating and conversing with the retainers of the Hamilton Ducal Estate who initiated conversations with me,
“Um… Kyle Seltarion?”
A voice came from behind me.
When I turned around, I saw a familiar face.
[Simton (22)]
[Favorability: 20]
Good grief.
I thought it was some middle-aged man speaking to me, but no.
It was Simton.
A 4th Circle mage who had suffered the bitter defeat of a second-place finish in the magical formulas category because of me.
I didn’t expect him to approach me.
“Ah, Simton, right? Nice to meet you.”
A 4th Circle mage and a semi-noble.
It was a status that made me wonder whether I should speak casually or not. But given my infamy as a troublemaker, such behavior would hardly seem out of character.
In fact, Simton didn’t seem offended.
Glancing around briefly, he began to speak quietly.
“Yes. Would it be possible to speak in a quieter location?”
A quieter location.
Was he planning to stab me out of resentment or something?
But judging by the favorability level, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Initially, it had been at -15, but for some reason, it had climbed into the positive range.
At this level, it seemed he didn’t dislike me.
‘Then it should be fine.’
And even if the worst happened,
Leonhardt.
With him shadowing me like a loyal guard, my safety was guaranteed.
“If you want.”
With that, Simton and I left the center of the banquet hall and moved toward the terrace.
The wide-open night sky greeted us.
Standing there, Simton fixed his expression and looked at me.
“Kyle Seltarion.”
“What is it?”
“…First of all, I’d like to apologize.”
“For what?”
“When I first saw that you had made it to the finals of this competition, I suspected you might have used some dishonest methods. Moreover, I also underestimated your magic as just being 1st Circle. That’s why.”
“Well, that’s something you could have thought. It doesn’t bother me too much. Apology accepted.”
Although he had traits like ambition and stinginess, it was clear that he was a hardworking individual who had climbed to the 4th Circle through sheer effort.
He had a fair amount of talent too.
Considering his background, it was natural that seeing a noble like me might initially provoke resentment.
Still, why was he acting like this all of a sudden?
Looking at Simton, I asked him casually.
“So, why are you suddenly apologizing? It doesn’t seem like you particularly like me.”
“…That’s not it. During today’s finals, I saw the operational structure of the five spells you cast.”
Simton’s eyes sparkled as he demonstrated one of the spells I had shown earlier—Fire.
In that moment,
Shing!
Leonhardt instantly aimed his sword at Simton’s throat.
The speed was dazzling, almost like a flash of light.
“What are you doing? Using magic without permission in front of the Young Master?”
Startled, Simton quickly stammered in response.
“I absolutely had no intention of threatening Kyle. I just… wanted to express how deeply impressed I was by demonstrating the spell.”
The Fire spell in Simton’s hand disappeared immediately.
“It’s fine. Stand down.”
At my words, Leonhardt sheathed his sword.
I turned to the now visibly intimidated Simton and asked,
“So, Simton, did you bring me here just to apologize?”
“That’s… not all. I had something I wanted to ask the Young Master. It seemed like you participated in this competition aiming for victory. Is that… because of the Magic Tower?”
“Yeah. I’m planning to build one soon.”
Simton’s face lit up at my reply.
“In that case, could I possibly join that Magic Tower?”
“…My Magic Tower?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“I should ask first. Didn’t the Hamilton Ducal Estate make you an offer?”
For a mage of Simton’s caliber, it was certain that the Hamilton Ducal Estate would have tried to recruit him.
He was undoubtedly one of the most promising talents in the magical formulas category—excluding me, of course.
It was unthinkable that they hadn’t made an offer.
‘Could it be…?’
Did he reject the offer?
“…They did suggest working together. But I turned it down.”
As expected, my guess was correct.
“Why? The Hamilton Ducal Estate is a place any mage would aspire to join. Surely, you know the power of the White Magic Tower.”
“…Yes, the Hamilton Ducal Estate is certainly impressive. But it also has clear limitations. It’s already a place filled with mages far more skilled than I am.”
“Limitations?”
“…Yes. Even if I joined, at best, I’d be just another one of their many retainers.”
“You didn’t think of climbing the ranks there?”
At my words, Simton gave a wry smile.
“I know myself well. While I do have some talent, it’s certainly not overwhelming like yours, Kyle. Even with the Hamilton Ducal Estate’s support, I don’t think I could surpass the 6th Circle. I believe… the 5th Circle is my limit.”
Simton.
He was surprisingly realistic.
Reaching the 4th Circle at the age of 22 was commendable.
For most, it would be enough to inflate their pride, yet he had a clear understanding of his boundaries.
‘What he’s saying is somewhat true.’
In the game’s storyline, I never heard of him advancing to the 6th Circle.
Most likely, he was one of the many extras who worked diligently in the Hamilton Ducal Estate only to lose his life during the villains’ invasion.
“Judging by what I see, you rose from being a commoner to a semi-noble, right?”
“…Yes.”
“In my case, I had the full backing of my family. If you reached the 4th Circle entirely on your own, without such support, I’d say you have plenty of talent.”
At my words, Simton let out a bitter smile.
“…Lately, I’ve been feeling something. It’s like there’s a wall I can see, but my talent isn’t enough to break through it.”
“Well, fine. So, you want to join the Magic Tower I’m going to establish?”
“Yes.”
His intentions were obvious.
A new Magic Tower.
Historically, most of the people who struck it big did so by starting small.
From humble beginnings to grand successes—that was the idea.
He might have thought it was better to bet on someone like me, with promising potential and an undefined Magic Tower, rather than join the firmly established Hamilton Ducal Estate.
‘It’s not a bad offer for me either.’
Even as the tower’s owner, there were prerequisites I needed to meet to establish a Magic Tower.
One of those was recruiting ten mages, all at least 2nd Circle or higher.
While it was easy to gather mediocre talents, assembling a team of elites was a far more challenging requirement.
My plan was to recruit a mix—some decent talents and the rest average—to get the tower started.
If someone like Simton joined, it would reduce the ratio of mediocre recruits and brighten the future of my fledgling Magic Tower.
‘A 4th Circle mage.’
For someone like me, about to establish a new Magic Tower, he was an invaluable asset.
Recruiting someone of his caliber to a brand-new Magic Tower was no easy feat.
“I’m okay with it. But do you have any specific conditions in mind?”
“…I’d like better terms than what the Hamilton Ducal Estate offered.”
“What did they offer?”
“They promised two platinum coins a month and various magical supplies.”
Hmm.
Two platinum coins a month.
Not bad for a job offer.
“They didn’t offer you a managerial position?”
“They said my skills weren’t sufficient for that yet… and that it would take some time.”
Well, that made sense.
Even the Hamilton Ducal Estate required at least a 4th Circle mage for lower-tier managerial positions.
Naturally, they’d need time to assess anyone they were considering for such roles.
Offering him a managerial position immediately would have been difficult.
‘Simton, huh.’
[Heart Eye activated.]
[A person of high caliber. Only partial traits can be identified.]
[Simton (22)]
[Talents: ??, ??, Magic Research]
[Traits: Ambitious, Stingy, ??]
[Favorability: 20]
His talents included Magic Research and two unknowns.
His traits included being ambitious, stingy, and one undisclosed trait.
As a relatively minor character in the game, I had no idea what those unknowns might be.
‘I assume one of the hidden talents is related to magic.’
As for the undisclosed trait…
Whether it made him a hidden gem or a liability depended entirely on what it turned out to be.
Good traits existed, but bad ones were equally common.
If the undisclosed trait turned out to be something infamous like “Snake’s Heart,” “Traitor,” or “Lazy,” I’d have a problem.
‘Still.’
I wasn’t in a position to reject his proposal out of fear.
As the owner of a fledgling Magic Tower, opportunities to recruit a 4th Circle mage wouldn’t come often.
“I’ll double the salary, provide as much support as possible, and appoint you as a manager in the research division. That’s my offer. Of course, as a new Magic Tower, I can only guarantee the salary and title for now. What do you think?”
“…Could I…”
Simton hesitated before asking,
“Could I also learn the magic you’ve personally created?”
Oh, so he wanted that too?
That…
“That depends on how you do. Let’s be honest, we just met today. Why would I immediately teach you my magic? And magic isn’t something you can just snap your fingers and create.”
“I’m not asking you to teach me right away. But if I prove my loyalty over time…”
“Then it might be possible. But keep in mind, the five spells I demonstrated today are all I’ve created so far. I might not be able to create more. Are you okay with that?”
At my words, his eyes sparkled as if he had made up his mind.
“…Yes, I’m okay with that.”
“Then let’s work together for about a year and get to know each other better.”
Naturally, I had no intention of teaching him anything right away.
He’d have to prove himself first.
After a moment’s hesitation, Simton seemed to resolve himself and spoke firmly.
“…I pledge my loyalty to Kyle Seltarion.”
At that moment,
[Heart Eye activated.]
[Although a person of high caliber, they have pledged their loyalty to you.]
[All traits have been revealed.]
[Simton (22)]
[Talents: Magic Circuitry, Alchemy, Magic Research]
[Traits: Ambitious, Stingy, Diligent]
[Favorability: 20]
‘…Huh?’
His talents and traits.
The hidden entries began to reveal themselves as text.
‘So, this happens when they formally pledge loyalty to me?’
Subordinates.
Erciel and Leonhardt hadn’t formally sworn loyalty to me.
They were individuals who had naturally ended up by my side and became allies over time.
Simton, however, was different.
He had officially sworn loyalty to me.
I suspected that was why his hidden traits were now revealed.
After my initial surprise passed, I examined the newly revealed text and slowly nodded.
Simton.
He was a much more valuable mage than I had expected.
I no longer had to worry about him being a liability.
—
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