Chapter 94

“Riana, am I seeing this wrong?”

“……Yeah. I see the same thing.”

After the Gatekeeper entered through a small Magic Portal, we were left staring blankly at the spot where the portal had appeared.

The Gatekeeper of the Magic Tower might sound like an insignificant role at first glance.

But in reality, it was a position that not just anyone could hold.

The Magic Tower, a place for exploring magic and knowledge, was a sacred learning ground, more profound than anywhere else in the world.

The Gatekeeper of the Magic Tower had the crucial task of deciding whether to allow outsiders into such a valuable place.

This meant they had to use all their knowledge and insight to weigh the value of the outsider against the interests of the Magic Tower.

Gatekeepers rarely spoke of their pasts, but it was almost impossible to find one who didn’t have an extraordinary history.

However, the Gatekeeper of Rostia Magic Tower was on a completely different level.

“That Sun Emblem… is it the one I’m thinking of?”

“Yeah. Magicians say the largest Magic Tower in the world is the Shadow Tower. But the magicians of the Shadow Tower, true to their name, always hide in the shadows and rarely reveal themselves, so we don’t know much about them. Unlike that…”

Riana picked up the shattered Sun Emblem necklace from the ground and examined it closely.

“It’s certain. This is the emblem of the Sun Tower, the largest Magic Tower that stands in the light. And if what I just saw is correct…”

Perhaps because she had witnessed something truly astonishing, the despair in Riana’s eyes faded, replaced by a glimmer of wonder.

“This is a Necklace of Repayment.”

“A Necklace of Repayment?”

“Among magicians, those who make significant contributions to their Magic Tower are given a necklace that allows them to request help from the Tower even after they leave. No matter what the request is, the Tower must honor it. So, the Gatekeeper was a magician who achieved great feats within the Sun Tower.”

“Then how did someone like that end up here…”

This was something that defied common sense.

This northern region was a frozen wasteland, covered in snow and ice year-round, with few visitors.

But the Sun Tower was located in none other than the Rimpos Empire.

And the Rimpos Empire and the Sun Tower were inseparable, bound by a close relationship.

The Rimpos Empire was famous for being founded by the Rimpos tribe, who unified other nomadic tribes through a massive conquest. However, the process wasn’t smooth.

While no force could defeat the Rimpos in physical combat, they suffered heavy losses against those who wielded magic.

Most of the Rimpos tribe rejected learning magic, believing it to be impure, relying instead on physical strength. But the tribe’s elder, recognizing the importance of magic, made a decisive move.

Despite his high status and failing health, the elder entered a Magic Tower to learn magic from the ground up.

Inspired by the elder’s actions, some Rimpos tribe members followed him, scattering to Magic Towers across the world.

The elder never returned to his tribe, but the Rimpos magicians who did return eventually built the Sun Tower.

Having grown in power through the great conquest, the Sun Tower became the largest Magic Tower in the world, standing alongside its homeland, now the center of the world.

“Right. The Gatekeeper left to do something for us. So, we should do what we need to do too.”

“……Yeah. Thanks to the Gatekeeper, I’ve calmed down a bit, Oppa.”

Riana’s eyes were still swollen from the tears she had shed in confusion, but her expression was resolute.

It was the face of a girl who had matured, leaving her childish self behind.

“We should probably give Nigelung some time. If we try to interrogate him now, he’ll just go berserk.”

“I’m disappointed. Really disappointed. I thought he was just a reliable uncle who helped and protected Dad, but to think he had such a terrifying story hidden…”

“Sorry you had to hear that. Sometimes the truth is too much to bear. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m more sorry you didn’t tell me earlier. If I had known, I wouldn’t have been so naive, stuck in the Magic Tower. And what we need to do now is clear.”

Riana clenched her fists, determination shining in her eyes.

“We need to find my dad, who came here with Rostia.”

“Commander Balthazar? But what are you going to say to him?”

“Of course, we have to stop him! We need to tell him clearly that what he’s doing is wrong. We have to convince him to stop, even now!”

This little girl was saying this.

She wanted to confront someone who had sold his soul to a demon, gaining enough power to single-handedly destroy a nation, and tell him he was wrong.

Even I, who had already died once and returned through time, was afraid of this. Yet Riana, not even twenty years old, spoke without hesitation.

I had to admit, her boldness put me to shame.

But there was something Riana didn’t know.

“Riana, I have to confess. I’ve already cut your father’s throat once.”

“Gasp. What, what are you talking about?”

“Not long before leaving Cresnig, I was invited to dinner. That’s when I faced your father. I thought I had won by cutting his throat, but then he appeared beside me, unharmed. That’s when I realized I couldn’t defeat him as I was.”

“You cut his throat, and he just appeared beside you? How is that possible?”

“I don’t know how it’s possible. But it means your father’s power is beyond comprehension. I thought it was the end, but your father told me to keep struggling. He said he was looking forward to the entertainment I’d provide.”

“……This is hopeless. I might not sound like a good daughter saying this, but Dad seems impossible.”

“I think so too. It feels like we’re talking about something terrible, but it’s not entirely bad. It’s a strange feeling.”

“Hehe, I’ve always only heard good things about Dad, so this is the first time I’ve badmouthed him. It’s refreshing!”

In the midst of this despair, we laughed and made small jokes.

Perhaps it was because of the despair that we desperately tried to find something positive, even if it was just through jokes.

“Anyway, let’s look for him. He didn’t listen to me, but he might listen to his one and only adorable daughter.”

“Yeah, let’s do that. But where should we start looking……?”

“That’s simple. Just wait a moment.”

I approached Nigelung, who was slumped over, and without hesitation, activated the handcuffs.

“Guh…!”

As soon as Nigelung regained consciousness, I immediately released the cuffs.

“Hey, Nigelung. Are you awake?”

“Ugh, uh……”

“Just answer one thing, and I’ll let you rest. Where is Commander Balthazar?”

“Uh, uh…… The last place I saw him was in front of the government office.”

“Good, you’re being cooperative. Then……”

Thud-

With a crisp sound, Nigelung lost consciousness again.

“Stay asleep until we get back.”

***

“Emergency assembly, emergency assembly!”

The magicians of the Sun Tower were in a state of confusion, running around in response to the sudden emergency.

“What’s going on! What’s happening?”

“Why are we suddenly being called to assemble, dropping everything we’re doing?”

“I’m busy with my research, do I really have to go?”

“You think you can just not go? Even the Lady of the Magic Tower is coming!”

“What, the Lady too? You didn’t say that earlier! Let’s run!”

The emergency assembly order.

It was a command that required everyone in the Tower to gather immediately at the “Hall of the Sun,” the central plaza within the Sun Tower.

Only the Archmage could issue such an order, but there was one exception.

Countless members of the Sun Tower gathered in the plaza.

The 17th Lady of the Sun Tower, Tetia Rimpos, stepped onto the podium and spoke.

“Let me introduce someone to all of you. None of you would be unfamiliar with our esteemed guest today, but this might be the first time you’re seeing them in person.”

Amidst the solemn atmosphere, some Tower members whispered as they noticed the shabby old man standing beside Tetia.

“Who’s that old man? He doesn’t look like much.”

“He might have been something in his youth, but it looks like he couldn’t break his old habits and is just here to beg for some money to live comfortably until he dies.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. This is someone you cannot speak of so carelessly. You’ll be surprised when you find out who he is.”

“Yikes……”

Tetia graciously let it slide and stepped aside respectfully, addressing the old man.

“If it weren’t for this person, neither the Rimpos Empire nor the Sun Tower would exist today. Breaking a long-standing taboo, let me introduce him.”

Tetia, the Lady of the Sun Tower, was the first among the Tower members to bow to the old man.

She even lowered her posture, showing every possible sign of respect.

“This is Atlas. Atlas Rimpos.”

“Atlas, Atlas……? Gasp, no way!”

The solemn space was filled with gasps, as not a single Tower member remained calm.

“The elder of the Rimpos royal family, the first to accept magic!”

“The one whose achievements led to him being honored as the 0th Lady of our Sun Tower……!”

As everyone buzzed with astonishment, the old man smiled kindly and added,

“Don’t praise me too much. I’m just a humble Gatekeeper at a small Magic Tower now. Hehe……”