Chapter 178

#178 Chapter Tin Knight and the Tower of Prophecy (5)

The higher-ups are always burdened, and that’s just a fact.

There are various reasons for this, but one major aspect is that the higher their position, the more people tend to follow them around.

First off, if something happens to a high-ranking individual, they need security detail. And if they have to travel far, they’ll also need a driver, a.k.a. a coachman.

They also require personal attendants for various tasks, and someone to coordinate these folks, a secretary perhaps.

You can’t just scoff at this and say it’s all about being pretentious.

For instance, if a king says, “I can’t be a burden to my ministers” and then wanders off by himself only to get into trouble, now that would be a real headache for everyone.

“But standing in my own yard shouldn’t cause any trouble.”

Thinking that way, Master of the Tower of Prophecy, Medir Geldnir, stepped into the shop.

Of course, he didn’t come here without a thought in mind.

He had already completed his basic research beforehand.

“This used to be a bookstore. The shop is rented, and all the books inside have been purchased? According to the shop owner, there was no coercion involved; they bought everything at fair price, so it doesn’t seem like a financial gain is the goal here.”

Medir’s red eyes scanned the interior of the shop.

“A barrier. Is it witchcraft? The method is rather old-fashioned, but the execution is exceptional. They must have learned from a good master or have exceptional talents themselves.”

A strange feeling danced across his face.

It was similar to how an elder might react while watching a fresh-faced young man passionately sing a trot song.

“Not bad.”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing. When you get old, you naturally talk to yourself more.”

To anyone’s reading, it sounded odd coming from a man who looked middle-aged, but Adelheid didn’t think much of it.

After all, he was one of the masters among the four towers ruling the Magical Kingdom.

It wasn’t that strange for appearances and age to not match up.

Moments later, Dorothea faced off with Medir.

Medir was the first to speak.

“Indeed, it’s no wonder young folks are so dazed these days. For those full of vigor, that’s quite toxic. Did you come here using some charm or something?”

It was hard to tell if he was joking or serious.

Even while staring at Dorothea from head to toe, there was not a hint of lust in his red eyes.

It felt more like indifference, like seeing a rock on the roadside… close, but more akin to casually appraising a statue made of plaster.

“That’s rubbish. You didn’t come all this way just to ask that, did you?”

Dorothea’s attitude was notably arrogant for welcoming a master of the tower.

“Well, of course not, but do you not know who I am?”

“If you’re asking for superficial etiquette, I can comply, but it will come at a price.”

“Then let’s consider it like bowing and receiving,” she replied, suggesting they could work that out later.

There was a hint of unease in her words.

Sure enough, right after that, a faint aura began to radiate from Medir.

It wasn’t at the level of embarking on a fight, but he was clearly ready for anything.

“I don’t mind a bit of intellectual back-and-forth, but please avoid dodging the question. Answer me. What is your purpose? Why are you stirring this up?”

With that straightforward question, Dorothea quickly responded.

“I want to enter the tower.”

“And the reason?”

“Because there are things I need to find. Two of them, to be precise.”

“And what are those?”

“The Shoes of Boralis and the North Witch.”

Exactly.

Dorothea’s group had intentions beyond merely following the trail of the North Witch to the Tower of Prophecy.

Originally, they had a mission tied to the

silver horse that pointed to the kingdom’s fifth treasure, which also headed towards the Tower of Prophecy.

“Hmm.”

Medir stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought, muttering to himself.

“I see. Is it because of the treasure hunt suggested by the Holy Kingdom? I can guess your identity loosely.”

“You don’t like dodging questions, do you? I’d appreciate an answer on whether it’s possible or not.”

“Generally, only wizards belonging to the tower can set foot inside. If entering is your only goal, you could just join right now.”

“No thanks. Once you’re in, you’re stuck there, right? Since you’re the master of the tower, can’t you just let me in?”

“That’s an age-old tradition passed down from the invitations. It’s not something I can casually break.”

Dorothea’s brows furrowed.

Just as she was about to shoot back, an unexpected voice interrupted her.

[“The Tin Knight advises that you should make a deal in situations like this!”]

[“The Tin Knight points out that if there was no room for negotiation from the start, they would have turned around the moment they heard our purpose!”]

Dorothea blinked in confusion.

‘What’s up with him? Did I hit him too hard? …Wait, so hitting is a performance booster?’

[“The Tin Knight feels offended by the very rude thought just now!”]

In that instant, a spark of interest lit up in Medir’s eyes.

“You just had a conversation of some sort. A type of magic I’ve never seen before. How did you manage that?”

“Whether I choose to share is up to you. And don’t forget, you haven’t even confirmed if the North Witch is actually in your tower.”

With Dorothea’s brusque reply, Medir seemed to wrestle with his thoughts.

“…I can’t just arbitrarily discuss her whereabouts. Regrettably, I can’t offer that as a trading cost. However, I could conditionally allow you to search for this ‘Shoes of Boralis.'”

“Conditional?”

“I hear you possess magic to read the past, hand that over.”

“Not happening.”

It was a flat refusal that seemed to have zero hesitation.

It wasn’t something that could be simply handed over anyway, since it was a power of a legendary treasure. Even if it were genuine magic, asking for it in exchange for a mere temporary access pass was far too high a price.

The tower might have rushed to seize the relic if the powers of Tuberosum’s Chalice had been common knowledge before Sophia was sealed away.

“Instead, I can help you restore the materials you have, as you know I’m offering my assistance at almost no cost right now.”

Dorothea didn’t say outright that they’d stop helping if they continued being uncooperative.

Subtle hints tend to be more effective than outright threats in many cases.

Provided the other party has the ability to grasp that, of course.

And Medir was indeed capable of that.

His eyebrows twitched.

“What would you have done if I hadn’t come here? You’d have kept trying for that ‘point’ unforgivingly.”

“Probably would’ve given it another day and closed up shop. People who’ve never tasted meat are hungrier than those who’ve tasted it once.”

“You’ve been planning this from the start.”

After a small sigh, Medir said,

“Principles are principles.”

“Seriously, are you for real?”

“Exactly. Come in here legally and ‘according to the principles.'”

Medir’s words made Dorothea tilt her head in disbelief.

***

The Tower of Prophecy was a venerable building.

It was roughly 200 years ago, coinciding with the founding of the Lydia Empire, that the Magical Kingdom began to be called as such, but the Tower of Prophecy had existed long before that, even when Eolia was just a moderately sized kingdom and not the great power it is today.

While others might complain it was outdated, the history and tradition accumulated over centuries was a point of pride for the tower.

However, not all members adored every tradition that came with the tower.

Some traditions were perhaps seen as something even the members themselves wished would fade away.

For instance, the rule stating, “The front gate of the tower must always be guarded by a living person,” was one that the wizards associated with the tower found most irksome and often urged to disappear.

Especially the younger wizards with less experience in the tower.

This tendency was perfectly understandable.

Higher-ranked senior wizards could now dismiss with nostalgia, saying, “It was tough back in the day,” because they no longer had to stand guard, while the lower-ranked ones had to rotate and stand watch at the front gate regularly.

There were even rumors that the reason novice 1st Grade Wizards were housed inside the tower was solely to prevent them from fleeing the dreaded door duty.

“Yawn.”

Today’s reception officer, the apprentice wizard Poi, let out a long yawn.

He honestly thought this reception duty was nothing short of ineffective.

I mean, there are good notification spells, barriers, and they could even use summoned spirits to guard the door, so why must a person literally wait here?

He’d heard that spirits were originally tasked with guarding the door but ended up playing ‘pranks’ on visitors from sheer boredom, leading even to death, which was why the North Witch personally established this rule. Poi couldn’t help but resent those spirits that caused the troubles.

“Sigh. Damn. I wish I could just see that beautiful fortune-teller or whatever.”

Just as Poi was venting about not being able to go to the shop right in front of him, something unusual caught his eye.

The people standing in front of the fortune-telling shop started murmuring, and suddenly the queue parted like the Red Sea.

Five shadows strolled through the gap, making their way toward the tower’s front gate where Poi stood.

“W-what?”

Caught off guard by the abrupt situation, Poi couldn’t hide his surprise.

It might be that he was stunned by the sight of the veiled dark beauty leading the group.

It wasn’t until they approached close enough that he could see every little movement in their eyes, that he finally regained his senses and asked,

“Wh-what is your business?”

The dark beauty didn’t reply.

Instead, the green-haired attendant beside her smiled and spoke.

“─Is this the place where those who seek the wisdom of the world gather?”

Her voice wasn’t particularly loud.

Yet, Poi and even the onlookers around heard that question clearly.

He almost blurted, “What kind of nonsense is that?” but after catching the terrifying gaze of several professors from the tower mixed in the crowd, he remembered something he’d forgotten.

It was one of the rules every guard at the tower’s front gate must memorize.

But in truth, he’d never had the opportunity to use it, making it a nearly obsolete regulation. So, with the words trained upon him, he mumbled the scripted response.

Having formed that habit just before coming in for his role as reception, the words flowed out with the same tone he’d rehearsed.

“Indeed. This is where the wisdom of the world is gathered, and those who seek to elevate that wisdom reside here.”

“Then I ask of the guardians of great knowledge. Please, grant us an opportunity to expand our understanding.”

For a moment, Poi hesitated.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t recall the latter part of that scripted speech.

Rather, he wasn’t certain if it was indeed appropriate to utter those words.

He’d been warned repeatedly by his seniors to never speak of this outside or it would become a hassle in many ways.

But there was no other option.

If he followed the rules here, his peers or seniors who only played reception would surely hurl disdainful comments at him. However, neglecting the regulations would likely invoke a terrifying, “Do today’s young folks not know the basic rules?” from the professors.

Poi momentarily squeezed his eyes shut, and with great effort, he mustered up the courage to say,

“Of course, as long as you uphold our etiquette, the tower will treat you as guests.”

---