Glesia Magic Tower is located at the easternmost coast of the empire.
Although it received territory adjacent to the sea, at the time, the tower’s influence was weak, so it was only big enough to show off.
Back then, the empire’s laws didn’t explicitly include “the sea” as part of its territory, so the tower’s mages mobilized to freeze the sea and expand their land.
There was a lot of talk about it back then, but somehow it worked out, and now it’s one of the six great magic towers, with the empire officially allowing them to freeze the sea to expand their territory.
Anyway, since it’s at the far eastern end of the vast empire, even if you travel normally, it would take over a week by sky carriage.
“Here we are. It’s always an impressive sight.”
“………It’s amazing. Both Glesia Magic Tower and Diogenes-nim’s magic.”
“Y-young Master. M-my head is spinning……….”
Thanks to Diogenes’ Cleaning Magic, we arrived in the blink of an eye.
It’s an application that erases half of a person’s presence, turning them into a soul-like form, allowing them to float in the air and fly at an absurd speed.
I think it was the same method Diogenes used to appear right next to me when I tore the leaf.
It’s a method that could revolutionize the empire’s transportation, but…
“Ugh………Are you okay, Diogenes-nim?”
“I’m fine. But when cleaning others, it’s hard to find the right balance. Clean too much, and you erase their existence entirely; clean too little, and you might just lose limbs or memories.”
“……I think I’ll just take a carriage on the way back.”
As Diogenes said, it might work for him, but it’s too much for the rest of us.
Being in that half-cleaned, soul-like state—neither fully alive nor dead—was incredibly unpleasant.
Flying in the air caused extreme nausea and dizziness, and with nothing to stand on, the feeling just kept getting worse.
It might have been just a moment, but for Sally and me, it felt like an eternity.
Sally, being a magician apprentice, somehow managed to endure, but I ended up vomiting in a nearby bush.
After hearing what could happen if Diogenes made a mistake, I decided that even if it takes over a week, a carriage is the best option.
“Anyway, this is Glesia Magic Tower.”
“W-wait, is all of that ice……?”
“That’s right. You can take your time to look around, but we’re in a hurry, so let’s meet the Master of the Magic Tower right away.”
Glesia Magic Tower, which expanded its territory by freezing the sea.
That was an accurate description. Below the cliff we stood on, there was no sea with waves crashing—instead, endless ice stretched all the way to the horizon.
And it wasn’t even cold weather. Despite the warm climate, the frozen sea felt out of place.
Some parts of the ice rose like spikes, but most of it was flat and blindingly smooth, with all sorts of buildings and people on it, and the ice-made magic tower standing at the center.
It was a beautiful place, enough to make you want to explore it, but Diogenes was right.
We can always explore Glesia Magic Tower after visiting the Dwarf Village.
Naturally, we followed Diogenes as he walked toward the ice tower, with Sally trailing behind.
“You said you knew the previous Master of Glesia Magic Tower. So, do you know the current Master too?”
“No, I don’t.”
“………Huh? So we’re just going in blindly?”
“Don’t worry. This time, I didn’t erase my presence, so they’ll come out to greet us.”
“……Wait a minute.”
I distinctly remember Olfin and Stella getting furious when a great mage like Diogenes entered without permission.
If we’re just walking in openly without erasing our presence like last time——
*Crackle crackle crackle!!!!!*
Suddenly, the sky froze.
The sound of ice forming echoed like thunder, and from the ice tower, dozens of icy paths spread out like a web……
“Oh dear.”
……and headed straight for us.
In the blink of an eye, the icy paths surrounded us like a net, and hundreds of people began descending along them.
The mages arrive in an instant.
With all sorts of artifacts and staffs that look downright threatening, accompanied by beasts and spirits made of ice.
Among the mages surrounding us with tense expressions, a middle-aged man with white hair brushed back walked out with a stern face.
“Nice to meet you. I’ve never seen you before, but judging by your appearance and that mana, you must be the Beggar Archmage, Diogenes, correct?”
“That’s right. You must be the current master of Glesia Magic Tower.”
“I heard you knew the previous master. And don’t get me wrong. I’m just the deputy tower master. Our tower master is, of course, one person.”
“Then where is that tower master?”
“………Just, just for a moment, she ran away. Lady Shisha will surely come as soon as she hears you’ve entered the territory………probably.”
Ah, so this mage is acting as the tower master in place of Shisha, who ran away from the position.
I’d heard from Olfin that at every tower master meeting, this guy was always deflated because he wasn’t an archmage.
Meeting him in person, he seemed like a seasoned veteran, but more than that, he looked like he was about to cry whenever he mentioned Shisha before quickly composing himself.
……First time seeing him, but I could roughly guess how much frustration he was holding inside.
“Anyway, Archmage Diogenes. What brings a great archmage, who can clean an island with a single gesture, to this icy land? If it’s not particularly important business, I’d ask you to turn back. We’ll make it worth your while.”
“Archmage Diogenes, you’re treated like a bomb, just like with Master Olfin and Lady Stella.”
“It’s unavoidable. Even if I don’t intend it, as the host, it’s only natural to feel burdened by a guest holding a sword. Ah, sorry. Normally, I’d have cleaned up my presence and entered without causing such a fuss.”
“Even if you clean up your presence, you shouldn’t enter………No, never mind. By the way, who’s that……?”
The suspicious gaze of the acting Glesia Tower Master turned toward me. Well, he must be surprised that a powerless person is part of Archmage Diogenes’s group.
Of course, it made sense. Did he expect me to bring a mage as powerful as Diogenes as my guard?
I walked forward to face the pitiful acting Glesia Tower Master.
“Greetings, Deputy Tower Master. I’m Kyle Byron.”
“Byron………The Byron family? The one I know?”
“Yes. Though now I’m working on creating board games at Arkhé Magic Tower.”
“……Ah. So, that Abracadabra from Arkhé Magic Tower is your work? Even though you’re not a mage, you were honored as an elder?”
“Correct. This place is the opposite of Arkhé, so no one here would recognize me, and you might think I’m lying, but───”
“No, I believe you.”
“Huh?”
“You casually mentioned Master Olfin Glassburn and Lady Stella Varnicion earlier. Even the most brazen fraudster wouldn’t dare mess with an archmage. Of course, I believe you.”
“I… see.”
So that’s how you interpreted it.
Anyway, if they believe me, no need to say more.
“Then I’ll get straight to the point. I’ve come to make a request to the master of Glesia Magic Tower.”
“……Just to be sure, is this a threat backed by force? You seem powerless, but if Lady Shisha doesn’t come, even if everyone here attacks, we wouldn’t be able to defeat Archmage Diogenes.”
Huh.
Diogenes is that strong? For real?
There are almost hundreds of mages here. Even high mages and elders stronger than Adela are here in droves.
“Archmage Diogenes, is that true?”
“Well, it’s not entirely impossible. If I erase half of my existence, those who aren’t archmages wouldn’t be affected by magic, so in that state, I could clean up everything around me.”
“Whoa……….”
So, it’s basically a threat, right?
Like, “Hey, Diogenes is here. If you don’t want to get ‘cleaned up,’ better behave?” What’s the difference? He didn’t even hide his presence and just waltzed in.
I could almost picture the expression the deputy tower master must’ve had before we arrived.
“It might seem that way! But Diogenes and I have a personal connection, so he’s just here with me. It’s definitely not a threat or anything like that!”
“Alright then… I see. So, what’s your business? You said you had business with the Tower Master, but the Tower Master has run far away now… I’ll hear it in their stead.”
“Uh, I’d prefer to talk privately if possible. It’s a matter that’s difficult to discuss here.”
“…What about Diogenes?”
“It’s just the two of us.”
“Then let’s step aside for a moment. Mages of Glesia, do not strike first, but do not let your guard down either. Remember that someone is standing right beside you. If your side feels empty and you have no memory of it, then both their existence and your memory have been cleaned—attack immediately.”
What can I say? It seems like they know Diogenes’ methods pretty well.
Despite the obvious wariness, Diogenes remained as relaxed as ever. He looked like any ordinary beggar, sitting on the ground and nodding off.
Sally seemed like she wanted to follow me, but after a glance and a nod, she let me go with a somber expression.
And so, I walked out briefly with the Sub-Magic Tower Master.
The Sub-Magic Tower Master, who had set up a thin ice soundproof barrier, looked at me.
“Now, can we talk? What kind of monumental business are you here for, bringing along such a monster?”
“I’m planning to go to the Dwarf Village.”
“…That’s quite the business. Are you perhaps a hidden royal? The Second Prince is in the north, so are you the First Prince or the Third Prince?”
From the Sub-Magic Tower Master’s perspective, it was a natural question, but for me, it was an incredibly awkward one to answer.
However, I already had a perfect excuse.
“Has Diogenes ever been to the Dwarf Village?”
“Well… I’ve heard he hasn’t. Once you become an Archmage, you can go to the Dwarf Village to craft your own staff, but Diogenes refused back then.”
“He’s decided to claim that opportunity now. Due to a personal connection, Diogenes has agreed to take me to the Dwarf Village.”
“Hmm…”
“I’ve heard that one companion is allowed to enter.”
“…If you know that much, it must be true. Did Diogenes himself tell you this, or did he send you?”
“In exchange for letting me accompany him, he’s left all the intermediate steps to me.”
“Well, given his personality, that’s entirely possible.”
Thanks to Diogenes’ usual image, the Sub-Magic Tower Master nodded in understanding surprisingly easily.
Actually, there’s one strange thing here: Sally’s existence.
According to my story, only Diogenes and I are going to the Dwarf Village. Naturally, they should ask about Sally, the maid who was with us.
But there was no need for that.
Even in a situation where I could be threatened, Sally didn’t move separately, and the mages didn’t say a word after arriving.
All of this was possible because Diogenes used Cleaning Magic to make Sally unrecognizable.
‘But he said it can’t last long. If it takes too much time, her existence itself will scatter.’
So, if the Sub-Magic Tower Master just opens the way, Sally will naturally enter with us, and once we’re in the Dwarf Village, Diogenes can clean his own presence.
But the Sub-Magic Tower Master’s expression looked a bit odd.
What can I say? It’s not that he doesn’t believe me.
…It’s more like he’s troubled?
“I understand your words. This is the rightful privilege of Archmage Diogenes, guaranteed by the royal family, so I should open the way immediately.”
“…Should?”
“Right now, only Shisha can create the path to the Dwarf Village. As the temporary Magic Tower Master, I’ve heard about the Dwarf Village and the role of opening the path, but only Shisha can actually do it.”
“But Shisha ran away, didn’t she…?”
“She hasn’t been seen since returning from Arkhé. She’s probably out there somewhere, building an igloo and… taking a break.”
As he said this, the Sub-Magic Tower Master pointed toward the vast, icy sea where no buildings stood.
It was so wide that it was hard to see at a glance, stretching all the way to the horizon.
This vast, frozen land.
You’re telling me I have to find Shisha somewhere out there? Seriously?
“Shisha has already opened the way for His Highness the 1st Prince and His Highness the 2nd Prince before. If we find her, she’ll surely open the way again. If we can just find her, that is.”
“First, let me ask this. When the Master of the Sub-Magic Tower and the elders tried to find Shisha…”
“It took at least a month. Dozens of search teams, all composed of High Magicians, had to search tirelessly through the night to even have a chance.”
Suddenly, I noticed the Master of the Sub-Magic Tower’s white hair.
He had a middle-aged appearance, so it wasn’t natural for his hair to be that white. It wasn’t completely white either, as there were streaks of black hair mixed in.
So, was that stress-induced gray hair?
The Master of the Sub-Magic Tower’s expression was deeply somber, as he had to reveal the dark side of the Magic Tower to Diogenes and me.
“Still, if Diogenes helps, it might be possible within a week… Please, convince him.”
“…Understood.”
The Master of the Sub-Magic Tower seemed to be pinning his hopes on Diogenes, but Diogenes had previously mentioned that he could only use Cleaning Magic and no other spells.
Would Cleaning Magic even help in finding Shisha?
Skeptical, I returned to Diogenes, who was dozing off amidst the magicians’ ironclad security.
“Hmm… It seems we’ll have to resolve this as quickly as possible.”
“We absolutely must.”
We can’t keep hiding Sally for a week or more. If it takes too long, as Diogenes said, Sally’s existence might scatter.
Even if we manage by releasing her occasionally, the moment someone from Glesia Magic Tower discovers Sally, things will get complicated.
That’s why, no matter what, we had to find Shisha quickly.
“Wait a moment.”
“Huh?”
Diogenes stood up and walked not toward the cliff, but onto the frozen sea.
The magicians, now even more tense, aimed their staves and artifacts at him. The Master of the Sub-Magic Tower looked uneasy, Sally held her breath, and I glanced around.
Diogenes placed a hand on the icy surface and muttered.
“Shisha Glesia. The ice is your domain, so I know you’re listening.”
“………….”
“……………….”
“We first met in Gias Territory, but I’ve come to understand your temperament somewhat. You’re in trouble now, aren’t you? I’m certain you’re hesitating to come here because you’re afraid of being caught by those magicians.”
“………….”
“…………….”
“So, I’ll give you a little push to make your decision.”
“Considering the distance, I’ll count to 100. If you don’t come here by then…”
“I’ll clean all the ice of Glesia Magic Tower.”
“Wait, hold on! Diogenes!?”
I mean, isn’t that just straight-up blackmail?
The Master of the Sub-Magic Tower, flustered by the outrageous statement, rushed forward. The magicians, hearing that the tower’s ice would be cleaned, began to move.
“No need to count to 100, you stubborn brat.”
“You came.”
“Are you seriously insane? If you clean the ice, the tower, the buildings, and everyone will sink into the sea!”
“You came right away, didn’t you? It was never going to happen anyway.”
“The problem is that you’re the kind of guy who could actually do it…”
The blue-haired Archmage, Shisha Glesia, appeared before Diogenes with an utterly annoyed expression.
