I really got too good at playing the adopted daughter. Chapter 132. The Winter Castle is located at the ‘Place Where the Eye Shines’.

The Place Where the Eye Shines is the area with the highest number of monsters in the entire continent, and the people of Winter Castle are in a constant battle with these monsters.

Through this process, they acquire many by-products.

These by-products not only include the corpses and fur of the monsters but also special stones embedded near the hearts of the monsters.

People referred to them as ‘Magic Stones,’ and Magic Stones were essential materials in modern magical engineering.

“Getting the Snow Tree Magic Stone is easy.”

The Snow Tree was a type of monster that only inhabited the Place Where the Eye Shines.

It looked like a snow-covered tree and would eat anyone who got too close.

Due to its hard shell, only skilled martial artists could hunt it.

However, since they form colonies, once found, large quantities of Magic Stones could be obtained.

In other words, the Snow Tree Magic Stone is not a very rare Magic Stone.

“Are you talking about that white stone I know?”

“Yes, they’re worth about 5 million Daria more or less in the market.”

For a Magic Stone, that wasn’t overly expensive.

Elcina’s expression twisted.

“Did the caretakers accept the Snow Tree Magic Stones and give their approval?”

“Yes.”

“That’s bribery.”

“Let’s call it a gift.”

Elcina found it hard to believe.

The caretakers accepted bribes and gave their approval?

“Lady Elcina, it’s nice to dream beautiful dreams, but sometimes you must face reality.”

Although Viola was only 13, she had the soul of capitalism.

From a young age, she had painfully experienced just how great the power of capital could be.

“There’s no way the caretakers of the Magic Tower would do that.”

“Aren’t you just wanting to believe that they wouldn’t?”

“But they are people of honor.”

If it were the Brachio Magic Stone or the Cerberus Magic Stone, which everyone would recognize as top-notch, I could understand.

But this easy handling of paperwork for the Snow Tree Magic Stone, which is only worth 5 million Daria, seems odd.

‘So what was I doing all this time?’

Before sealing her mana, she could easily hunt Snow Trees.

If she had swept through the Snow Tree colony and obtained the Magic Stones, she could have sent the beggars out of the Magic Tower—thinking of all her past efforts was disheartening.

She had never thought about it in this way.

“There seem to be far too many beggars for a place governed by those who know honor.”

The Magic Tower is a place where magic and magical engineering, the foundation of this world, are researched.

Naturally, there should be a lot of money.

There’s no reason for beggars to exist.

The wizards could take on the roles of the beggars or hire them from the outside with big bucks.

Yet the Magic Tower has gone out of its way to create beggars.

Just because they lack talent in magic,

“After all, wizards are also people. I touched upon that, and even in a supposedly equal world, greed exists.”

“Even so….”

“Are you curious why I could move them with only the Snow Tree Magic Stone worth 5 million Daria?”

“…….”

Elcina somehow didn’t want to hear the answer.

It felt like opening a Pandora’s box she didn’t want to touch.

“Because it’s pretty.”

“…What?”

“The Snow Tree Magic Stone is used as jewelry. When infused with mana, it shines with a mysterious white light. Didn’t you know that?”

To Elcina, a Magic Stone was merely a material for magical engineering.

She had studied pure magic and only researched magical engineering.

She was a person who only thought about how to allow more people to live richer lives.

You could say she dreamed of ideals, or you could say she was clueless about reality.

“If you just hand over this pretty thing, there are people who will sign the paperwork, yet they haven’t done it until now.”

Viola could read Elcina’s inner thoughts.

The affection she had for the Magic Tower and wizards, which had barely remained, surely turned to dust.

An idealist who was only dreaming began to face reality.

“But there’s a problem. The Master of the Magic Tower won’t let me out. Not ever.”

Elcina was a blemish on Sirson.

She had outstanding qualities but had thrown away her own power and rights and half-betrayed the Magic Tower.

So they wouldn’t want to let her out.

Viola smirked.

“Not ever?”

“Yes, never.”

“I said I would accompany Lady Elcina. There’s no such thing as never.”

Elcina was at a loss for words again.

Was this 13-year-old girl really just 13?

“I’ll show you.”

Elcina almost found herself about to say ‘Yes, sister’ to Viola, who was much younger than her.

Struggling to keep her emotions in check, she asked again.

“The reports about me and Princess Viola must have already gone up. Sirson won’t meet with Princess Viola, that’s for sure.”

“Usually, that’s the case.”

Isn’t persuasion something that can only happen after meeting?

At this point, Viola could not possibly meet Sirson.

That’s what Elcina thought.

Viola pulled a wooden plaque from her pocket.

“But what if I have this?”

It was a wooden plaque inscribed with Sirson’s name.

Elcina gasped, unconsciously dropping her jaw.

*

In the center of the city stood a tall spire.

That spire was the real Magic Tower built inside the great city called the ‘Magic Tower.’

Viola stood before it.

‘Wow, it’s so tall.’

It was a state-of-the-art building, the product of advanced magical engineering, adorned with numerous magic circles.

The entrance had a total of four doors, and Viola headed for the south door, which was reserved for VIPs.

Two guards in robes stood at the south door.

“Turn back.”

“This door can only be accessed with an invitation from the Master of the Magic Tower or the Deputy Master.”

Viola marched boldly toward them.

“If you don’t turn back, you won’t see good things.”

“Consider this your final warning.”

Viola took the wooden plaque from her cloak.

“Before warning me, shouldn’t you check if something like this exists?”

Their eyes widened.

A wooden plaque inscribed with Sirson’s name.

Though they had worked here for more than 5 years, both had seen such a thing only a few times.

Who is this girl carrying that plaque?

“I apologize for not recognizing a distinguished guest.”

““We’re sorry. We won’t make such a mistake again. Please forgive us with your great kindness.””

The power of the wooden plaque was strong.

Viola received exceptionally courteous treatment and was allowed to enter the Magic Tower.

She was even exempt from the body search, a necessary procedure for outsiders.

“This is the express elevator to the top floor.”

Standing in front of the elevator, Viola felt a bit nostalgic.

‘Wow, an elevator.’

The elevator here is powered by mana.

It looked almost identical to modern elevators.

In fact, in a place where warping is activated, elevators feel like artifacts from a bygone era.

Even so, the Magic Tower used elevators.

It’s all part of its tradition that lets you feel the old charm, or so they say.

The elevator moved.

Zeno smiled and gently covered Viola’s ears.

“The Magic Tower’s elevators are artifacts of a bygone age. They can sometimes cause dizziness and nausea. If you cover your ears like this, those symptoms improve.”

Zeno’s hands were warm.

Viola appreciated Zeno’s consideration, but she didn’t feel the need to show it.

She carried herself as if she were receiving service naturally.

She understood how that would appear to the elevator attendant.

Hey there.

Don’t tense up and swallow hard.

Viola swallowed those words.

“We have arrived at the top floor.”

What’s amusing is that they didn’t say ‘what floor’ but ‘the top floor.’

The exact number of floors in the Magic Tower isn’t actually known.

Some say it’s 30 floors, others say it’s 50.

Since the tower itself is filled with many magical spaces, the physical number of floors didn’t matter much.

As the elevator doors opened, a very large room came into view.

‘Various experimental tools.

Mysterious potions bubbled, and a strange chemical smell filled the air.

Strange papers filled with strange characters rolled all over the floor.

On the walls were several cages, and inside them were oddly shaped birds dozing off.

Some had bodies like snakes with wings, and some had the body of a human baby but the face of a bird.

‘Not a pleasant space.

Viola took out the wooden plaque.

“I came to see the Master of the 6th Magic Tower.”

At that moment, the door of a cage containing a bird with a snake’s body and wings opened by itself.

The bird spread its wings and flew toward her.

‘Don’t be surprised.’

She already knew.

That bird would soon transform into a human.

Specifically, the Master of the 6th Magic Tower, Sirson.

As its body grew larger, and its wings expanded, it soon transformed into an old man.

The scene was quite grotesque and honestly a bit scary.

“Hmm. What brings you here, Princess Viola?”

A malicious glint flickered in his eyes.

There was no hint of goodwill from the Master of the Magic Tower.

That’s no surprise.

Viola, who is shaking the traditions of the Magic Tower that have lasted for hundreds, even thousands, of years, would not be viewed favorably.

“If you weren’t the daughter of Bellatu, you probably wouldn’t have survived the first incursion.”

The Master of the 6th Magic Tower smiled, as if disappointed.

Viola clearly heard him mutter to himself, ‘Should I have just killed her back then? What a hassle.’

He openly provoked her without hiding his discomfort.

Viola, with a relaxed smile, muttered back.

“If I were my father, I would have smashed the 6th Magic Tower to bits.”

This was said with the ongoing power struggle surrounding the Golden Road in mind.

Sirson’s eyebrows twitched.

It seemed he didn’t expect this retort.

But Viola’s counterattack didn’t stop there.

“Dad is really quite gentle, isn’t he?”