Chapter 325 : Dog (2)

"Of course I came, because of someone's ridiculous lies."

Alon was briefly bewildered by Sharan's openly hostile gaze.

"Lies? Did someone lie to you?"

When Celaime asked as if he really had no idea, Sharan frowned slightly.

"They did. The lie that you can create a spell with Light that has a complexity of the sixth tier—or even higher."

"And why would that be a lie?"

"Ha, are you saying it isn’t?"

"Sharan, you know how many mages the Marquis demonstrated his magic in front of, don’t you?"

When Celaime asked back, Sharan shook her head firmly and declared.

"It must be a trick."

"A trick?"

"Do I really have to explain it with my own mouth?"

She looked at Celaime with an exasperated expression, as if she couldn’t believe him.

"Hmm~"

"You of all people should know how baseless and absurd that is, right?"

"Well—I think if it's the Marquis Palatio, it might be possible."

"......You’re more blindly attached than your top disciple."

"No, it’s purely a matter of probability."

"......Ha."

Sharan, who kept shaking her head, looked at Alon.

"If you really have achieved the next stage of Light magic—that is, reconstruction—then I'll bark like a dog and beg to become your disciple."

After saying that, she turned around as if she had nothing more to say and vanished.

Alon watched Sharan disappear into the distance without even waiting for an answer.

"You have to understand. She has a certain pride when it comes to magic."

"......Ah, yes."

He nodded at Celaime's explanation, but still thought to himself.

'What was that all about?'

Of course, he realized she was clearly trying to belittle him.

But from Alon's perspective, her words were too incoherent.

"It’s obviously because of her pride."

Penia, who was standing nearby, sighed.

"Pride?"

"Yes, the Green Tower Master is famous for her overflowing pride. She became the youngest Tower Master ever, after all."

"Is that so?"

Alon tried to recall his memories.

'Seems like that was part of her backstory. She definitely looks younger than the other Tower Masters.'

The other Tower Masters all looked to be over fifty, but even when she appeared late in the game, she was only in her late twenties.

'In the original story, Penia had become the Tower Master, so I didn’t think about the title of youngest passing on.'

While Alon was trying to piece things together, Penia muttered to herself with a puzzled expression.

"But even if she has a nasty personality, the Green Tower Master isn't usually the type to confront someone so aggressively... Why is she acting like this?"

"Is she acting different from usual?"

"Ah, well, she is normally a bit like that... but today she feels even fiercer... Marquis, do you have something going on with the Green Tower Master?"

"That’s impossible. There are very few people I’m connected to as a mage."

"Hmm~ That’s true. It’s not exactly strange for her to react that way... but still, what could it be~"

Penia fell into deep thought.

But only for a moment.

"Anyway, everything will be settled once the demonstration happens tomorrow."

"That’s true."

With Celaime’s words and Penia’s agreement, the topic closed.

"I’ve been wanting to have a proper chat for a while. Would you mind, Marquis Palatio?"

"I’d be happy to."

Alon moved to talk with Celaime.

***

The next day.

Even though Marquis Palatio’s demonstration had been scheduled at the last minute, the venue was more packed than ever.

The atmosphere split cleanly into two sides.

"Is it going to be Light magic again this time?"

"Finally~! Last time, my magic crystal orb burned out completely, and I couldn’t properly confirm it."

"This time, I brought one just to see it with my own eyes."

"What—such an expensive thing?"

"Of course, it’s property of the Tower."

One side was made up of people who had seen the Marquis’s previous demonstration.

The other side—

"Hmm, what do you think of Marquis Palatio’s magic?"

"To be honest, I can’t believe it."

"But I also don’t think the Marquis would lie—there are witnesses too, after all."

"Still, it’s hard to believe until I see it with my own eyes."

These were the people who hadn’t seen the demonstration before.

All of them looked down at the stage with skeptical expressions.

And then.

"There you are."

It was the same for Sharan Foranu.

"You came, Celaime."

When she greeted him bluntly, Celaime nodded.

"Of course I came. It’s such an important moment."

"......Do you truly believe it?"

"Then what is there not to believe?"

At his carefree response, Sharan let out a deep sigh.

"I understand that other mages believe in Marquis Palatio’s magic. But you, of all people, shouldn’t you know better?"

"Well. We haven’t seen it yet."

"That’s exactly why it’s a problem."

"I really think there’s a chance."

"Like I said yesterday, you really are blindly loyal..."

"Then why are you so emotional about the Marquis?"

"......"

Sharan Foranu, the Green Tower Master, sighed once more.

She had always held resentment toward Marquis Palatio.

It wasn’t because the Marquis had done anything to her.

In fact, she had never even properly met him.

The rumors she had heard were mostly favorable and would have only enhanced his reputation.

But the reason she looked at the Marquis with such hostility was all because of Celaime Mikardo.

Celaime, the Tower Master of the Blue Tower, who stood on equal footing with her.

Of course, Celaime Mikardo had never spoken ill of Alon to Sharan.

On the contrary, he only ever praised him.

He never mentioned that the Marquis might be a True Mage, but he constantly praised his incredible talent as a mage.

Ironically, it was that praise from Celaime that irritated Sharan deeply.

Yes, it had truly gotten under her skin.

Why?

Simply because the person saying it was Celaime Mikardo.

'This is absurd, really.'

Sharan frowned and glared at the relaxed Celaime beside her.

By now, it was widely accepted that Sharan was even closer to the ninth tier than Celaime.

However, before she became Tower Master—and even now—she had always admired Celaime as a mage.

She had become Tower Master faster than anyone else, not just because of her talent.

It was because she wanted to be recognized by Celaime.

But Celaime had never once praised her or acknowledged her achievements.

No matter what she accomplished, he never did.

In short, Sharan’s resentment toward Marquis Palatio—

If put nicely, it was "pride"; if put harshly—

It was all because of her "inferiority complex."

"It's not that I'm being emotional; isn't it only natural for me to react this way?"

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason for her resistance this time.

'Does he really think it's possible for there to be a next stage of Light magic...'

Fundamentally, hierarchical magic allows for relatively free construction.

Because of that, each tower sometimes developed certain spells with unique patterns or arrangements.

However, that was always limited to changes in arrangement and structure.

"You know this too, right? No matter how easy it is to arrange hierarchical magic, there can’t be a next stage. Our predecessors have already proven this over hundreds of years, so how could you possibly believe it?"

Essentially, hierarchical magic— was knowledge handed down exclusively to mages and was considered complete.

It had already been systematized perfectly over hundreds of years—

More precisely, it meant these magics were already completely "researched" and finished.

Yet he claims to have discovered a next stage of such magic?

That would be no different than calling all the mages from the towers, who had upheld hundreds of years of history, fools.

Countless mages and Tower Masters had researched hierarchical magic over the years, but no one had ever discovered such a thing.

That was why those who hadn’t yet seen Marquis Palatio's magic all wore reluctant expressions.

"Hmm~"

Celaime, who had been contemplating for a moment as if to say something—

"Oh, he’s here."

He stopped speaking as he noticed Marquis Palatio appear.

"Well—let’s just wait and see."

Leaving those words, he turned his gaze.

And.

Sharan, looking displeased as she followed Celaime’s gaze down toward Marquis Palatio, immediately focused on the magic as soon as she saw the Light magic forming in his hands in the center of the demonstration arena.

What Marquis Palatio created was definitely Light.

A pure Light with no special features or arrangement.

At the same time.

The mages who had been chattering just moments ago all focused on Marquis Palatio at once.

'No way, could it be...?'

The moment she began to feel a slight doubt as she watched the Marquis calmly unfold his magic.

Snap—!

The Light magic that had been spread out before Alon disappeared.

No—more accurately, it didn’t disappear.

It was.

'Failed?'

A failed spell manifestation.

The collapsing structure of the mana in front of Alon briefly flashed across the eyes of the mages.

"......What was that just now?"

"Did he cancel it on purpose?"

"No, it’s a failure. The structure is breaking down."

"...It really is?"

At that, the mages began to stir.

"What, he failed? At Light magic?"

"Did he get nervous?"

"Wait, is that even a spell you can fail like that?"

The voices of the mages who had been suspicious of Alon grew louder.

"I’m sure I saw it back then!"

"......Did we see it wrong?"

"No way. That was definitely Light. Even the professor said so! Back then, that was—"

"What’s going on?"

Even among the mages who had believed in Alon without question, murmurs began to spread.

The atmosphere turned upside down in an instant.

"Ha—"

As Sharan let out a hollow sneer and turned to look at Celaime.

At that moment, Marquis Palatio, whose expression betrayed no hint of his thoughts, suddenly raised both his hands.

All the mages’ eyes gathered on him again.

Alon's hands—

"That’s—"

Formed hand seals.

Then.

As Alon murmured something, everyone there witnessed it.

The Light in front of Alon—

And something that was devouring that light.

And then.

"Illumination (光明)"

The phrase flowed from Alon’s lips.