Royal Magic Tower (1)
Chapter 59
After the spirit-related issues involving Florya were resolved.
Alesya and Florya’s group headed smoothly toward the Royal Magic Tower. There were a few small incidents along the way, and Alesya insisted on riding Fenrir instead of a carriage, which annoyed Sir Jenkins, but they managed to reach near the Royal Magic Tower without any major problems.
“Wow…”
Looking at the tower over 150 meters tall in the distance, Ray let out a low exclamation.
As they approached the Imperial Capital, not only did the floating population increase, but the style and type of buildings changed drastically, giving an impression as if hundreds of years had passed quickly.
‘The level of civilization here isn’t something to be underestimated.’
This is a world where mana and magic exist, effortlessly realizing phenomena that even 21st-century Earth couldn’t achieve, astonishing Ray repeatedly.
‘But development will likely be much slower.’
Compared to Ray’s previous life, this world has far less accessibility to information and technology, with greater polarization. The population is also smaller than Earth’s, so development can’t help but be slower.
Especially knowledge related to magic is directly tied to power, and everyone vies fiercely to monopolize it, so for centuries, there may have been little progress.
While Ray was lost in thought, Alesya excitedly shouted from atop Fenrir.
“That’s the Royal Magic Tower!”
[Roar!]
Fenrir responded to Alesya’s excitement.
Fenrir now skillfully created a wind saddle to safely support Alesya.
“How truly tall that tower is. What kind of place is it?”
“The tower’s name is ‘Obelisk.’ It’s the place that protects and manages the ‘Resina Records.'”
Florya answered.
While the group exchanged small conversations, a welcoming party from the Royal Magic Tower arrived.
The wizards dispatched from the Royal Magic Tower engraved magical inscriptions on everyone’s skin to verify their identities. This inscription was mandatory to enter the Royal Magic Tower properly.
After passing through the barrier surrounding the Royal Magic Tower, the group underwent another identity verification process.
Once the verification was complete, Ray looked around.
Buildings representing different factions and roles stood here and there, showcasing their individuality.
Except for the ‘Obelisk’ located at the center of the compound, the Royal Magic Tower resembled a large university campus.
“We’ll guide you to the dormitory.”
After all identity checks were completed, Alesya and Florya were guided to the dormitory for foreign students.
Alesya and Florya would share a room, which was already quite considerate treatment given their noble status.
In contrast, servants and maids had to share one room among six people in a building separate from the foreign student dormitory.
“Florya! Let’s get along well from now on!”
Upon arriving at the dormitory, Alesya happily looked around her new room.
Living without attendants was new for her, but conversely, it meant she’d finally have the chance to act freely without worrying about others’ opinions since birth.
Sitting on the bed with excitement, Alesya immediately opened a bag left by her attendant.
As Alesya pulled out clothes in bunches, Florya looked at her curiously.
“What are you doing?”
“Just wait and see. Heh heh… I secretly packed these, and it was quite troublesome!”
“…?”
Florya could only watch as Alesya grinned mischievously.
After taking out all the clothes, Alesya pulled out a few books hidden under cloth from the bag.
With a momentarily moved expression, Alesya placed the books on the desk and leaned forward.
“These are my cherished books! If you keep them secret from others, I might lend them to you, Florya!”
Florya glanced down at the titles of the books.
[The Knight of the Beast and the Villainess Lady]
[I Found a Beast]
[Lofital’s Fifty Shadows]
“?”
Seeing the unfamiliar book titles, Florya froze, then Alesya quietly approached and handed her [The Knight of the Beast and the Villainess Lady].
“At least read it and tell me your thoughts! I think you’ll like it too, Florya!”
“Hmm…”
Florya opened the first page of the book with curiosity.
It was the moment Florya stepped into a new world.
*
For the knights, Ron and his squire ended up sharing the same room.
Lying on the bed while stretching after unpacking with Jenkins, Ray appeared calm, unlike Jenkins who sat on the chair frowning deeply in thought.
“I heard the story, but with our accommodations separated like this, it won’t be easy to guard Young Miss.”
Jenkins could closely protect Alesya when she went out of the dormitory, but he couldn’t follow her inside.
When Jenkins seemed troubled, Ray shrugged.
“It’ll be hard for anything to happen inside the dormitory. How many security personnel are there, anyway?”
“There’s always the possibility.”
“Your lady can handle minor threats herself, thanks to someone, right? She can use intermediate and upper-intermediate spirits like her own limbs.”
Jenkins chuckled at Ray’s shameless boasting.
Just as Ray said, loyal intermediate and upper-intermediate spirits were better than knights in certain situations.
Although Alesya was still at the second circle level, practically she possessed the strength comparable to the fourth circle.
“Thank you. Without you, I would’ve been in trouble.”
“Well, it’s just paying back the favor.”
Chuckling, Ray straightened up again.
He intended to rest for a few days to relieve the fatigue accumulated during the journey, but he wasn’t completely relaxed.
They were in the heart of a tower full of mages.
Considering most people walking the streets were mages, it naturally made him tense.
“Our young miss won’t be welcomed much, will she?”
“That’s true. Her family is humble compared to others, and she doesn’t possess extraordinary talent either.”
The Royal Magic Tower prepared several curriculums for exchange students.
Magic professors receiving support from the royal family allocated time to teach students.
However, this was more of a formal structure. Students who truly sought knowledge had to contact professors individually to build closer relationships.
Professors also considered the students’ backgrounds and potential before meeting with them.
Through this process, students acquired knowledge and expanded their networks.
Given Alesya’s weak family influence and lack of standout talent, it was highly probable she wouldn’t receive proper treatment from the professors.
However, Jenkins and Ray overlooked one thing:
The existence of the spirits.
After Alesya attended a few classes according to the curriculum,
Similar conversations began circulating among the professors.
“Professor, about the new exchange student, I heard she controls two spirits?”
Waut, a junior professor, spoke up while eating.
Gino, the spiritology professor, frowned and put down his utensils.
“So what? There are plenty of talented individuals at the Royal Magic Tower who can control a few spirits. I don’t have enough time for research, so just ignore it.”
“But I heard it’s not natural affinity but monocle.”
“What do you mean by saying it now, idiot!!”
The case of a non-natural affinitive monocle controlling spirits was extremely rare.
All the wizards at the Royal Magic Tower became interested in Alesya upon hearing this news.
Suddenly, an overwhelming number of offers started pouring in for Alesya.
Ray called Alesya over and furrowed his brow.
“Alesya, reject all the proposals from wizards for a while.”
“Understood!”
“Especially avoid those who suggest joint experiments or visits to other towers.”
“Don’t worry! I’ll handle it myself!”
With great confidence, Alesya stretched her neck forward, only to have Ray strike the top of her head hard.
Bang!
“Ouch!”
“You, thinking you’re popular because you’re good? Pull yourself together!”
Laughing at Alesya rubbing her head, Florya interjected while reading a book with a cover swapped out.
“I’ll keep an eye on Alesya. You don’t need to worry too much. It’s not unheard of for monocles to contract with unique spirits.”
Though it’s an extremely rare occurrence, some distinctive spirits occasionally form contracts with monocles.
“While the wizards suspect Alesya might have some special constitution or vision…”
Showing the spirits interacting with Alesya would resolve the issue. Spirits contacting Alesya would naturally show hostility towards monocles, leading the wizards to conclude she merely got lucky obtaining the spirits.
The clarification could be done immediately.
However, Florya advised Alesya to flaunt the attention from the wizards, pretending as if she hid some grand vision.
It was a somewhat risky choice, but it was an opportunity to build connections.
Ray scratched the back of his head.
“She needs to tread carefully. Can Alesya handle it?”
“Is the knight doubting his young lady too much?”
Though Alesya usually appears a bit scatterbrained,
To Florya, Alesya was not entirely lacking in perception.
Convinced by Florya, Ray eventually nodded.
The combination of Alesya and Florya became frequently mentioned among the wizards within less than half a month of studying abroad.
Alesya, a monocle who simultaneously controlled intermediate and upper-intermediate spirits.
Florya, the natural-born daughter of the Osiris family, possessing remarkable magical talent.
As their reputations grew, signs of rivalry began to emerge.
Before getting too busy, Ray decided to take some time to explore the tower.
His first destination was naturally the Obelisk.
*
“The tower where Resina Records slumber…”
Resina.
The legendary grand mage who existed 600 years ago and advanced human magic to the next level.
Of course, it was a story that meant nothing to Ray.
“They hoard the advanced magical theories among themselves…”
A sigh escaped involuntarily.
Ray still lacked understanding of the power structures related to magic.
But two things were certain.
Modern magic hadn’t developed significantly in 600 years, and it would almost certainly be impossible to access Resina’s legacy through proper procedures.
“To prevent collapse, we should immediately gather all the knowledge from the royal family and the tower to teach the talents…”
But in a world where knowledge has become the strongest power, such a thing would be impossible.
“Probably won’t come to their senses until everything goes to hell.”
Shaking his head, Ray entered the Obelisk.
Some areas of the Obelisk were open to outsiders, allowing one to borrow a few basic magic books.
‘I wonder if copying and taking them out is possible.’
Ray picked up a few books related to circles.
He was prepared to study circles, and with determination, it might have been possible with the help of those around him.
However, due to the unusual nature of the core Ray currently possessed, he was proceeding cautiously.
“As for me, sure, but how about our Luna?”
She was still adapting to the atmosphere of the Royal Magic Tower by following Alesya.
He planned to slowly expand relationships here and find a persuadable wizard, but the remaining time wasn’t very ample.
With a complicated mind, Ray borrowed the books and walked around the interior of the Obelisk for a while.
Since Harshia continued the advancement, maybe the ghost of Resina would appear and talk to him.
“Who are you?”
While lost in thought, a strange voice came from nearby.
A middle-aged woman in a robe was standing beside him.
Ray immediately bowed his head deeply.
“I’m Ray, serving Lady of Philips Count. My master is Sir Jenkins.”
“What brings you to the Obelisk?”
“I came out of a small curiosity. I have formally obtained permission to enter.”
“Formally permitted… Alright, go home for today.”
Without a word, Ray bowed again.
Although being told to leave by someone he just met was unpleasant, he didn’t want to cause friction with the wizard unnecessarily.
Watching Ray walk away, the wizard narrowed her tired-looking eyes.
“Squire… huh?”
The Obelisk contained spatial distortion fields created by the grand mage Resina scattered throughout.
Without proper certification, moving forward would simply result in endlessly circling within a limited space.
However, the retreating squire naturally passed through the spatial distortion field, heading deeper into the Obelisk.
“What exactly are you?”
The woman paused briefly in thought.
