Chapter 174

#174 Lenart Knight and Tower of Prophecy

“A young man decided to leave his hometown and embark on an adventure.”

“The young man sought out the wisest old man nearby and asked him.”

“Old man, please lend me your wisdom.”

“The old man replied.”

“Young one, there are more nights ahead than you’ve seen so far; what do you wish to ask this old man?”

“The young man said.”

“My hometown feels too cramped for me, so I’ve decided to venture to new lands. Can you advise me on where to go?”

“The old man replied.”

“If noble and ancient blood courses through your veins, you should head south. There, honor is valued, and people will pay their respects to your lineage.”

“The young man, not wanting to admit his blood was ordinary, made another excuse.”

“I wish to earn my name through my own abilities, not by the glory of my ancestors. The south doesn’t seem appropriate.”

“The old man answered.”

“If your storeroom is filled with gold and treasures, you should head west. There, wealth is valued, and people will marvel at your riches.”

“The young man, again not wanting to recognize his family’s poverty, offered another excuse.”

“Wealth is fleeting, appearing and disappearing like a mirage; how could one rely on such an unstable thing? The west doesn’t seem suitable.”

“The old man replied.”

“If you are confident in your own courage, you should head east. There, bravery is valued, and people will celebrate your prowess.”

“The young man, unwilling to admit his martial arts were lacking, made yet another excuse.”

“One must prioritize respect and law; how barbaric is it to rank one another through violence? The east doesn’t seem appropriate.”

“The old man replied.”

“If you harbor a passion for exploring the truths of the world, you should go north. There, wisdom is valued, and people will respect your insight.”

“After saying this, the old man added.”

“If even the north does not appeal to you, the only place I can recommend is your hometown.”

“The young man, not wanting to return home, nodded desperately.”

“The north seems to be the fitting destination for my journey. Thank you for the advice, wise old man.”

“With the old man’s counsel, the young man continued walking north, and then north again.”

-Excerpt from a certain fable circulating among gossipmongers-

***

In the Magical Kingdom of Aeolia.

The party stepped into the first city, and their impressions were as follows.

[“The Tin Knight” thinks it’s not as impressive as expected!]

“Hahaha… Well, it’s definitely more ordinary than the rumors I heard.”

The rumors about the ‘Magical Kingdom’ from other regions included tales of wizards accompanied by spirits or magical automatons strolling the streets, convenient magical devices aiding people’s lives, and streets glowing with colorful magic.

However, the streets they actually witnessed were not that extravagant, and there was not a spirit in sight.

The Tin Knight and Adelheid, who had seen all sorts of things but never a spirit, seemed somewhat disappointed.

Dorothea, who had rested up until just before landing, appeared to be in better shape now.

“This isn’t near the magical towers. The Magical Kingdom revolves around its four magic towers. The Tower of Guardian does provide some aid in its territory, but beyond that, not much.”

At the mention of “territory,” Adelheid tilted her head.

“Are magic towers institutions fulfilling the role of lords?”

“Well, closer to the king, I’d say.”

“Really?”

[“The Tin Knight asks if the magic tower is where wizards gather to research!”]

“In basic terms, yes. However, it’s more secular than purely academic.”

Munching on a red fruit known to alleviate anemia like a snack, Dorothea continued her explanation.

“I mentioned the imperial court mages and the Alchemist Association of the Federation, right? They gather and train wizards while acting in the interests of their respective groups, which is pretty similar to the magic towers. However, unlike the towers, which are subordinate to a nation, the magic tower is the very leadership of Aeolia.”

Adelheid asked, “So there’s no royal or imperial family?”

“More accurately, there used to be one, but it seems they’ve been absorbed into the towers. I don’t know all the specifics, but, um, Sophia?”

“Yes.”

Sophia stepped forward as if waiting to be called.

Though her smiling face remained the same, her white skin seemed to glow a bit more, suggesting she enjoyed teaching others.

As they moved through the port city, Sophia laid a large paper on a makeshift table and began to draw.

“Aeolia, the Magical Kingdom, is governed by four towers.”

“Tower of Prophecy. Tower of Annihilation. Tower of Guardian. Tower of Control.”

“First, the ‘Tower of Prophecy’. It’s the founding tower, the most scholarly place. It explores the fundamental principles of magic, truths of the world, or collects and classifies the magic scattered across the continent—it’s the most fitting definition of a magic tower. While traditional, you could say it’s also a bit stuffy.”

Shhk, shhk.

“Next is the ‘Tower of Annihilation’. Established by those who rebelled against the stifling nature of the Tower of Prophecy, this tower focuses on personal power and combat prowess. Its specialty lies in combat spells, making it a significant contributor to the kingdom’s military strength. It’s a central power body that could be compared to the Lenart Family in the Empire.”

Shhk, shhk.

“The ‘Tower of Guardian’ also broke free from the previous two towers, this time focusing on daily life magic. The Kingdom is known for its production of magical devices thanks to their influence, making it a wealthy tower that’s very concerned about the people’s livelihoods.”

Shhk, shhk.

“The last one, the ‘Tower of Control,’ has a somewhat complicated origin. To put it simply, when the influence and authority of the three towers grew to the point it threatened the existence of the royal family, they established their own tower, pooling all resources and inviting wizards to join. They likely wanted to dominate the other towers but ended up with the royal family itself losing its relevance instead.”

Sophia, finishing her explanation, slightly bowed her head, and the Tin Knight, Adelheid, and Rapunzel all applauded in unison.

Dorothea cleared her throat and took back the baton.

“Got it? In this country, knowledge, might, skills, and legitimacy all lie within the towers. So, people strive to learn at least a bit of magic, trying to become part of the towers, which makes wizards’ egos soar.”

“Um, excuse me, does that mean it’ll be hard for me to get into a tower?”

Rapunzel cautiously raised her hand and asked.

Dorothea shook her head.

“The towers compete even among themselves, so accepting outstanding talents benefits them too. With your skills, you’might not face any rejection.”

“Ah, that’s a relief. That guy—well, my brother taught me to handle magical power, but he never said a word about actual magic. I haven’t learned anything at all.”

Rapunzel said with a slightly dejected tone.

Dorothea understood her brother’s intentions. Being a necromancer herself, she knew all too well how necromancers were treated in society.

As if to change the subject, Dorothea said, “And Adel, I’ll prepare a potion to change your hair and eye colors, so make sure to take it regularly. Usually, it lasts for days, but since you have high resistance to drugs, you’ll need to take it more often.”

“Wait, change colors?”

“So you can show off your Lion Duke bloodline around here?”

“Oh, right.”

Throughout their journey, Adelheid hadn’t hidden her heritage as a member of the Lion Duke bloodline.

Given the influence and fame of that lineage, revealing it yielded more benefits than hiding it.

However, the situation was reversed in the Magical Kingdom.

The Magical Kingdom and the Empire were in a competitive relationship, and though they had cooled off, they had fought before face-to-face in the past.

Though times had improved during the reign of the Ironblood Emperor, with some exchange like the establishment of the Lenart Dojo, being identified as part of the Lion Duke bloodline in the Magical Kingdom would likely bring more disadvantages than advantages.

[“The Tin Knight suggests just claiming to be the mysterious Lenart Mask instead!”]

“I don’t want to be embarrassed to be seen with you.”

“……”

Adelheid felt hurt.

While leaving her to sulk in the corner, Dorothea cast a glance toward the front of the wagon.

There, a mystical horse gleaming in silver light guided the way, leading the way for the golem horse pulling the cart.

“Anyway, if we keep going in the current direction, we’ll reach the Tower of Prophecy among the four towers. Whether you want to take the entrance exam right away or look around a bit first is up to you, but we won’t be staying in the Magical Kingdom forever—”

Just as Dorothea was about to say more, a flutter of wings cut through the air, and a bird came swooping down into the gap between the driver and the cargo section.

The party instinctively got into alert mode, but Dorothea stopped them.

“It’s alright. It’s a reply from my master.”

The bird, far too unfocused for a living creature, landed on the table and instantly disintegrated into a cloud of black powder.

Dorothea switched her gaze between the unknown skull the size of a fist within the powder and the rolled parchment, reaching out for the parchment.

She tilted her head.

“But the reply came back rather quickly for a master. I thought worst-case scenario I’d just be ignored; what’s with the change of heart?”

Dorothea unfolded the parchment and her face contorted in dismay.

“This wicked witch really…!”

[“The Tin Knight asks what it says!”]

Dorothea remained silent.

She just ground her teeth, looking as though some bothersome issue had sprung up.

The Tin Knight snatched the parchment from Dorothea’s hands and handed it to Sophia.

He wanted her to read it instead.

Sophia read aloud what was written so that everyone in the wagon could hear.

“‘Seeing you’re concerned about trifles, the graduation exam must be quite peaceful, then. Since that’s the case, I have a little errand for you. Hand over the skull I sent to the North Witch, that bright-headed one. It’s likely holed up in one of your four towers.’”

“‘P.S. If you don’t complete this errand within a month, I’ll place a curse on your clothes to turn them all into rags, so keep that in mind.’”

A deep silence fell.

Dorothea was now holding her head, letting out a desperate “Ugh!” while the others blinked, unsure of what was going on.

In that moment, the Tin Knight placed a hand on Dorothea’s shoulder.

Then he gave her a thumbs up and said,

[“The Tin Knight reassures her that it doesn’t matter whether she’s cursed; it won’t make much of a difference in her exposure, so she should relax!”]