Chapter 120

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Chapter 120: Return (2)

The place Sasha chose for their private walk was the rooftop of the Magic Tower.

A space with no structures, where merely stepping onto it made one feel an exhilarating sense of liberation.

The white stone floor was so pristine that not even a speck of dust dared to settle, giving the impression of stepping into a sacred sanctuary.

"How is it? Standing at the highest point of the White Tower."

"......"

Oscar silently took in the view before him.

When he had been the Master of the Magic Tower, he, too, often came here.

No, it wasn’t just him—every Master of the Magic Tower throughout history must have done the same.

Standing alone at the center of this pure white world made one feel as though they were the last person left in existence.

It was the perfect place to clear one’s mind and organize one’s thoughts.

‘Come to think of it, Sasha has always liked this place.’

He recalled a time when he had brought his apprentices here as children.

Since then, Sasha had pestered him endlessly to go on picnics to the rooftop every day, giving him no end of trouble.

"It’s nice. Open, liberating, and the breeze is refreshing."

"Right? That’s why it’s a bit of a shame. That I can’t share this view with many others."

The stairs to the rooftop were connected to the Master’s chamber, meaning only one person—the Master of the White Tower—had exclusive access to this special view.

"Actually, the first time I came here was when I was a child. We came on a picnic."

"That must’ve been fun."

"It really was. It was so much fun that my dream at the time was to become someone who could visit the rooftop every day."

Hearing this, Oscar remembered.

He had once read about Sasha’s childhood dream and had laughed so hard alongside Marlon, the Deputy Master, that they held their sides.

"Well, it seems your dream has come true. Now you can come up here whenever you like."

"......That’s true."

Sasha, with a faintly complex expression, began to walk across the expansive rooftop.

Oscar matched her pace, walking alongside her for a while, until she murmured softly.

"But no matter how many times I come up here, it doesn’t feel the same as it did back then."

At the edge of the rooftop, she placed her hands on the railing and gazed down at the city below.

Yet, her eyes seemed to hold not the present but a moment from the past.

"I wondered why that was, and one day I realized. Ah, it wasn’t the rooftop itself I liked. It was the moments when I laughed and chatted here with those dear to me."

"......"

Oscar couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

The smile Sasha directed at him was so wistful, it broke his heart.

"The reason I dislike stories about you or the others isn’t complicated. It’s because they keep bringing up happy memories of the past."

"Happy memories should be a good thing, shouldn’t they?"

"It’s the opposite. Because I know I can never go back to the relationships of those days."

A mage could gather spilled water, but even they could not turn back time.

Sasha closed her eyes and let herself be carried back to the events of that day.

* * *

There’s a saying that even a wealthy family can endure for three years after losing everything.

But the White Tower, once the most powerful entity on the continent, fell in a single day.

Mages, grimoires, fragments of truth, and history passed down through the generations...

All of it turned to ash and disappeared.

"......"

"......"

It wasn’t just knowledge and objects that were reduced to ash.

Even those who survived the invasion of the demonic forces were left hollow, like extinguished candles.

The pride they had once felt in being part of the White Tower vanished along with its collapse.

"I’m leaving."

"......Where to?"

"Who knows? Out of respect for old times, I don’t think I’ll join another Magic Tower. Maybe I’ll look for a position with the royal court."

"There aren’t many of us left. Each one of us is valuable in these times..."

"What, do you think it’s opportunistic to leave as soon as the White Tower collapses? Wake up. The White Tower itself—Oscar Sage—was the one who abandoned us first."

Those who believed Oscar had abandoned them left without looking back.

The ones who stayed were those who, while hurt by his decision, understood it was unavoidable.

"......Let’s rebuild."

They resolved to rebuild.

To recreate the White Tower at its most glorious moment.

With that single goal, the mages banded together, resorting to any means necessary.

"Let’s summon every mage affiliated with the White Tower back to the main tower."

"Are there no high-ranking mages among them? Even one would do. Scour the continent if you have to."

"Let’s start by documenting the basic and intermediate spells we’ve learned and used so far."

"I’ve seen our predecessors use their unique magic. Let’s try to replicate it as closely as possible."

Everyone pooled their efforts, desperately working to restore their lost magic.

In particular, Oscar’s three apprentices, considered the future leaders of the White Tower, demonstrated exceptional talent.

While they minimized interaction with the outside world and focused solely on their research, the world rapidly changed.

An era of peace unfolded, and the age of grand magical engineering began.

Five years passed with everyone’s sole focus on restoring the White Tower’s magic.

"......"

"......"

Those five years were long enough to show why the Magic Towers had existed in the first place and why the older and more traditional towers wielded such immense influence.

Despite their efforts, they failed to recreate even a fragment of the magic their predecessors had developed over centuries.

It was only natural.

Calling it restoration was misleading—it was closer to the creation of new magic.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I think this is the end for me."

"My parents’ health is failing. I plan to return home and farm while caring for them."

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"......The Academy made me an excellent offer. I have a family to support, so... I’m sorry."

Five years was enough time for those once united by a common goal to disperse.

In fact, it was a miracle they had lasted as long as they did without giving up.

"......"

During this time, Oscar Sage’s first apprentice, Lloyd Schultz, abruptly left the White Tower without a word.

A few days later, the news reported that he had become an apprentice to the Red Tower Master.

When the members of the White Tower read the article, the despair they felt was indescribable.

The impact on the two apprentices who trusted and followed him was particularly devastating.

"This can’t be happening. Sasha, pack your things. We need to ask him directly."

"O-Okay."

The two headed to the Red Tower, demanding to meet Lloyd and waiting days for a response.

Ordinarily, they would have been thrown out, but being known as Oscar Sage’s apprentices worked in their favor.

No one dared treat the disciples of a hero carelessly.

Eventually, the Red Tower Master came down to the lobby with his apprentices.

"What’s all this commotion?"

"W-Well... Mages from the White Tower are here, insisting they must meet Lloyd. They’re Oscar Sage’s disciples."

"Oh? Is that so?"

With an amused smile, the Red Tower Master turned to Lloyd.

"Lloyd, it seems you have visitors."

"......My apologies for the disturbance."

"No need. We’ll wait here, so go ahead and speak with them."

Lloyd stepped forward from the group, wearing a crimson robe as vivid as blood.

The striking contrast of his appearance left Gilliot and Sasha momentarily speechless.

"Why are you here?"

Lloyd spoke in a tone that was slightly angry, almost spitting out the words.

Clearly irritated, Gilliot, trying to keep his temper in check for the sake of the situation, asked,

"Hey, brother, I’m really pissed off right now. So make it simple enough for an idiot to understand. …What the hell are you doing here?"

"The news must have already been reported,"

Lloyd replied dryly.

"I’ve become a mage of the Red Tower, and the Red Tower Master has taken a liking to me, so I became their disciple. That’s all."

"…Why did you leave the White Tower?"

"It was the most logical decision."

"Then why didn’t you consult with us, not even once, about such a significant decision?"

Cold and emotionless eyes turned toward the visibly upset Gilliot.

"Because, likewise, that was the most logical decision."

"…One last question. What exactly were we to you?"

"…"

Hearing that question, Lloyd let out a deep sigh as if utterly exasperated.

"Pathetic. Did you seriously come all this way just to say something like that?"

"Something like that?"

"If you insist, I’ll answer. I hate you."

Lloyd’s words pierced through the ears of the two like sharp arrows.

"In fact, I’ve hated you for a long time. We share no blood ties, not even a drop. We are complete strangers. And yet, just because we happened to serve the same master for a brief time, you started treating me like family, leaning on me, and expecting things from me. I found all of that incredibly bothersome and detestable. Your expectations of me became so burdensome and suffocating that I ran away from the White Tower. I never thought you’d chase me all the way here. Does that answer suffice?"

"…"

Sasha couldn’t say anything as tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall.

What scared her more than her tears, though, was the possibility that her second senior might lose his temper and cause a scene.

If that happened, he might end up beaten to a pulp here.

"…I see. I understand your thoughts now."

But Gilliot showed an entirely unexpected reaction.

As if it didn’t bother him at all, he calmly nodded and turned away.

"Don’t cry over a jerk like that, kid. Let’s go home."

"…Okay."

"And Lloyd Schultz,"

Looking back, Gilliot issued a chilling warning.

"Don’t ever cross my path again."

"…"

Afterward, sounds of conversation between Lloyd and the Red Tower Master could be faintly heard in the background, but Sasha couldn’t remember them.

What she did remember came six months later.

Even her second senior, whom she had relied on, disappeared, taking one of the high-level magic books from the White Tower.

* * *

"And after that…"

Sasha trailed off.

"It’s not much different from what’s publicly known. Everyone rallied around me, giving up their rightful positions to ensure I could access more advanced magic. Honestly, I’m not the kind of person suited to leading others."

"…"

"Oh, don’t look at me like that with such pity. I’m genuinely happy these days. Back then, I thought the day when my efforts would finally pay off would never come. I felt so much self-doubt, wondering what I was even doing."

She beamed a bright smile.

"But thanks to you, Oscar, things have gotten so much better, haven’t they? So you really don’t need to make that face. Anyway, that’s why I said I could never go back to the way things were back then."

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