(Proposal 3)
Chapter 64
Rumors spread quietly that Ropheiren had resigned from his professorship and entered into the service of a peripheral lord.
The personnel associated with the Magic Tower would occasionally mention Ropheiren’s name during meals, but they didn’t pay much attention to it.
After all, it wasn’t uncommon for professors to fall out of favor with the Royal Magic Tower and resign.
Though it was a humiliating situation for a Royal Magic Tower mage to end up as a private tutor for a noble family’s young miss, it was also considered the wisest choice in terms of ensuring safety.
Ropheiren officially resigned from his position as a professor and began the procedures to sever ties with the Royal Magic Tower, including the cancellation of his contract seal.
This process usually took at least ten days. During this time, Ropheiren met Florya and Alesya several times in the dining hall.
This was also an intentional move to stir up rumors and gauge external reactions.
Ropheiren and representatives of various Count families anxiously awaited developments.
However, even after a week passed, no significant external pressure materialized.
Ropheiren’s resignation process proceeded smoothly, indicating that things were going well.
“But it would be a waste to just step back here…”
Sitting in his personal study, Ropheiren let out a deep sigh.
Lately, he had fully regained his composure, which meant he could now think like a true mage again.
Ropheiren thought about Ray.
Despite being intelligent for his age, Ray was still clumsy and ignorant of magic.
Had he truly understood magic, he wouldn’t have acted the way he did.
“Who on earth taught him?”
It was highly probable that Ray’s teacher was equally ignorant of magic.
What kind of mage would teach mathematical knowledge classified as confidential to a squire destined for knighthood?
Ropheiren frowned.
He was intrigued by Ray’s teacher. He craved the academic achievements they might have attained.
In a remote area where books were hard to come by unless you were a noble, a mathematician who could grasp the concept of complex planes must possess extraordinary genius.
“And the Obelisk.”
Once he completely relinquished his professorship, entering the Obelisk would become impossible.
The knowledge left behind by Resina would forever remain beyond his reach.
With only a few days left, he wanted to somehow sneak a peek at its fragments.
“Ray, Ray, Ray.”
Ray held all the keys.
Ideally, he’d like to lock up that clumsy squire and make him reveal every secret.
But he couldn’t act too aggressively. There were too many watchful eyes.
Ropheiren pondered how he could deceive and use Ray.
Ray was still young and ignorant of magic. If he exploited these weaknesses with plausible persuasion, he could easily find leverage and create opportunities for coercion.
Ropheiren smiled faintly as he planned.
Ignorance was a sin, and from now on, it would be Ray, not Ropheiren, who committed sins.
Indeed, Ropheiren was a quintessential mage.
*
“In a few days, I will no longer be able to enter the Obelisk for the rest of my life.”
Ropheiren turned to Ray and spoke.
“Even without Resina Records, the Obelisk houses countless magical tomes that cannot be removed. Your cooperation is necessary if I am to review them.”
“I don’t want to risk anything just because of your intellectual curiosity, Lord Ropheiren.”
“It’s safe. With my help, we can ascend to the middle level of the Obelisk without any problems.”
“Even if there are no problems, what benefit do I gain from associating myself with such risks?”
“You’re a loyal knight, aren’t you? My knowledge will eventually belong to your mistress. Isn’t it your duty to assist me?”
“…”
As Ray remained silent, Ropheiren leaned closer.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Think carefully. And remember, I don’t forget favors. If you help me with this, I’ll promise to support your mistress to the best of my ability, separate from the contractual obligations.”
Ray maintained a dull expression, pretending to deliberate.
Ropheiren was underestimating him and making absurd propositions.
Ordinarily, Ray would have slapped him for spouting nonsense.
‘But since a guide is needed…’
Resina’s light form explained that her presence couldn’t last long in the lower levels of the Obelisk and offered little direct assistance. She instructed them to ascend independently to the middle level, which would be impossible without the aid of a mage with a research room inside the Obelisk.
Although Ray couldn’t discern Ropheiren’s true intentions,
he nodded reluctantly, playing the role of a naive child.
“For the sake of my lady, then. But are you sure it’s safe?”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
Ropheiren was confident.
He had already mapped out the structure of the lower levels of the Obelisk.
Moreover, other mages trusted the Obelisk’s security system immensely.
If Ray wore his robe deeply hooded while wandering around, it would be hard to suspect him as an outsider.
“Just follow my instructions.”
*
Following Ropheiren’s orders, Ray entered the hidden corridor of the Obelisk when the sun dipped low in the sky.
At the end of the quiet corridor, a staircase appeared.
Ray ascended the stairs and traversed corridors repeatedly.
Twice, he encountered mages while climbing.
Without places to hide, he had to pass them naturally.
The mages assumed Ray was a mage from another school due to his robes and paid him no mind.
Tense internally, Ray knocked on the door of Ropheiren’s assigned research room within the Obelisk.
Ropheiren opened the door, looked around cautiously, and gestured for Ray to follow.
“…”
Ray walked silently, maintaining a certain distance from Ropheiren.
To outsiders, they merely appeared to be heading in the same direction, not as companions.
Ropheiren led through less frequented areas, guiding them away from the lower levels toward the middle levels of the Obelisk.
Occasional minor security protocols existed, but Ray successfully passed through them with Ropheiren’s help.
Ropheiren smirked inwardly.
‘So easy.’
The Obelisk’s security system was centered around spatial distortion fields.
Thus, if one could neutralize the spatial distortion field, the remaining security measures could be easily bypassed.
Ray ultimately reached the middle level of the Obelisk undetected.
Ropheiren guided Ray to the back entrance of the middle-level library.
Ropheiren scanned the surroundings.
The corridor connecting to the rear entrance of the middle-level library was rarely used except when moving supplies.
“Ray, this is the middle-level library protected by the spatial distortion field. I don’t have access rights.”
That was a lie.
The middle-level library of the Obelisk was accessible to Ropheiren whenever he wished.
However, Ray had no way of knowing this fact.
Ropheiren handed Ray a piece of paper.
“Here, go inside and bring me the magical tome listed here.”
“You mean to carry the tome out without any borrowing procedure?”
Ropheiren reassured the questioning Ray.
“If you can enter, you’re free to borrow books. The tracking magic activates only if the book is damaged or taken outside the Obelisk. As long as you return it safely, there’s no risk of being caught.”
This was also a lie.
Touching the tome would activate the seal engraved upon entry to the Royal Magic Tower.
This seal recorded the borrower’s identity onto the library’s recording device, regularly checked by the staff.
If an outsider’s identity were found on the recording device, the mages would immediately dispatch an investigation team.
While Ropheiren could perhaps cover up the record once,
he intended to expose this fact to Ray when he returned with the book, using it as leverage to extract the desired information.
Ray would likely comply once he realized he had no immediate means to resolve the situation.
It was indeed a risky attempt.
But Ropheiren was willing to take the risk to obtain the knowledge he sought.
“Hurry up and bring it.”
“I understand.”
Ray nodded initially at Ropheiren’s request.
As Ray turned toward the middle-level library, Ropheiren’s lips twitched slightly.
However, before Ray could take a step,
light began to coalesce in the air.
“?!”
Startled, Ropheiren took a step back.
The concentrated light formed a human shape.
Ropheiren was shocked.
Resina.
The silhouette perfectly matched the portrait hanging at the entrance of the Obelisk.
‘Could it be…?!’
This was a magical phenomenon.
Using magic without permission inside the Obelisk would instantly trigger the security system.
Yet, the surroundings remained eerily quiet.
This situation meant one thing.
This light figure was part of the Obelisk’s security system.
‘My goodness…!’
Resina’s Avatar.
The nickname given to the surveillance entity supposedly arranged by Resina within the Obelisk.
Though never actually witnessed, this entity was treated as a mere legend.
Only now did Ropheiren realize the truth behind the legend.
Terrified, Ropheiren stumbled backward.
Having brought an outsider into the Obelisk constituted an unforgivable grave offense. Greed quickly gave way to fear and regret.
However, Resina’s Avatar showed no interest in Ropheiren.
Instead, the light-formed dress clutched by Resina’s Avatar bowed formally toward Ray.
[Greetings, Lady Harshia.]
“…?”
Ropheiren halted his retreat.
“Har…?”
What exactly did Resina’s Avatar just call Ray?
Harshia. Did it call Ray Harshia? Is Harshia Ray’s real name?
Unless…
‘What am I thinking…!’
Before Ropheiren could dismiss the absurd hypothesis forming in his mind,
Resina’s Avatar continued speaking.
[It’s our first meeting since your reincarnation.]
Ropheiren’s eyes trembled violently as they fixed on Ray.
Harshia. Reincarnation. Extreme resistance to spatial distortion fields.
Possessing profound knowledge that the Empire guards closely against leakage, and the legendary Resina’s Avatar appearing to greet.
Each puzzle piece fell into place in his mind.
Ropheiren’s breath hitched.
Surely not. Surely it couldn’t be.
“…”
Ray slowly turned his head sideways while standing in place.
The partially revealed face was dark and ominous.
His extended index finger pressed against his lips.
A chilling shiver ran through Ropheiren’s heart.
*
When Ropheiren asked Ray to retrieve a magical tome from the middle-level library,
Ray neither trusted nor intended to comply with Ropheiren’s request.
Having reached the middle level, Ray planned to pretend to head to the library and distance himself from Ropheiren.
He anticipated that Resina’s light form would contact him alone.
However, Resina’s Avatar appeared right in front of Ropheiren.
Worse yet, it started spewing nonsense Ray hadn’t expected.
[Master Harshia.]
‘What…?’
Confused and flabbergasted, Ray placed his index finger over his lips to signal silence to Ropheiren, who was sputtering.
At that moment, a semi-transparent sphere enveloped Ray and Resina’s Avatar.
[External sounds have been blocked.]
“Hey, are you senile? I’m not Harshia.”
[I am aware. Due to system authority issues, I arbitrarily overlaid your identity as Successor with Harshia.]
“What does that have to do with you talking nonsense in front of Ropheiren?”
[He is a mage.]
“So, he’s a mage.”
[Mages are devious, selfish beings who will always betray trust when convenient.]
“…?”
Ray was momentarily confused.
The grand wizard from six hundred years ago shouldn’t talk like this. He hesitated whether to respond.
Ignoring Ray’s reaction, Resina’s Avatar continued.
[We’ve confirmed the betrayal of the mage Ropheiren. If you don’t eliminate him, it would be wise to suppress him with an authority he dares not challenge.]
“Will that mage believe I’m the reincarnation of Harshia?”
[Yes, he will. As the inheritor of the Spatial Blade, isn’t this the most effective and perfect method to subjugate that contemptible race?]
Ray burst out laughing at the absurdity.
“Hey, weren’t you and your creator mages too? Why do you hate mages so much?”
[My wise master knew that most mages, including himself, were severe personality disorders. Therefore, my personality was based on a third party rather than Resina herself.]
“Who’s the third party?”
[I do not know.]
“Damn… fine. Tell me why you called me here.”
[Security concerns prevent me from answering here.]
As Resina’s Avatar extended her hand toward the wall, a small vibration revealed a secret passage.
Sliding through the air, Resina’s Avatar advised Ray.
[You should bring this mage along. I will lift the barrier. Show some authority. Like Harshia would.]
“Are you really asking me to impersonate Harshia?”
[It is the most efficient and perfect way to handle this mage. If you feel awkward, I will assist you.]
“…Whose personality did you embed in you anyway?”
Muttering under his breath, Ray wiped the expression from his face.
Though bewildered by the whole ordeal, he couldn’t afford to waste time clarifying matters here.
After the barrier disappeared, Ray looked at Ropheiren, who was sitting frozen in place, and issued a low command.
“Follow me.”
“…!”
Still half-believing and half-doubting, Ropheiren hastily stood up.
Whether Ray was the reincarnation of Harshia or something else, he had to obey to avoid immediate death.
