Chapter 121

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Chapter 121: Return (3)

Only the sound of the wind fluttering could be heard on the rooftop.

Was it Sasha's expression that made the sound feel particularly desolate, or was it the turmoil in his own heart?

"……."

Oscar could fully understand why those left behind in the White Tower might feel abandoned by him.

Of course, this wasn’t something that could be easily empathized with unless one belonged to the White Tower.

After all, how could choosing to save humanity be seen as an act of abandoning the White Tower?

Oscar closed his eyes tightly.

—Under no circumstances does a mage of the White Tower abandon their comrades.

That was a teaching of the White Tower.

And it was something he, as the former Tower Master, would always remind others to remember—almost like a mantra.

Yet, when faced with the most critical crossroads, it was he who abandoned the White Tower and his comrades.

He had deemed the future of all humanity more valuable than the comrades and subordinates of the White Tower, or the citizens they were supposed to protect.

‘I don’t regret it.’

No, he couldn’t regret it.

For the sake of the subordinates who had fought by his side until the end, that decision could not be one of regret.

‘If you gain something, you’re bound to lose something as well.’

According to Sasha, the mages who felt abandoned by him had all left the White Tower.

Perhaps they still harbored resentment toward him to this day.

‘…That doesn’t mean those who stayed in the White Tower don’t resent me either.’

They had only intellectually understood his decision.

The emotional scars they carried were another story entirely.

“Was that... too heavy of a topic? You’re so quiet.”

“No, I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

Oscar carefully opened his mouth.

“I was wondering what decision I would have made, and how I would have felt, if I were in your shoes.”

“Oh, that’s something everyone imagines at least once. So, what do you think you would’ve done?”

After a moment’s hesitation, he shook his head slightly.

“I don’t know. It feels like too difficult a question.”

“Really? I don’t think it’s all that hard,”

Sasha said, tilting her head unexpectedly.

“If it were me, I would’ve made the same decision as Master.”

Surprised, Oscar looked at her, but she only shrugged.

“Because it was the right thing to do. If he had turned back to save us that day, humanity would’ve perished.”

“…Then, do you no longer resent him?”

“Oh no, I resent him. A lot. And I’ll keep resenting him forever.”

Sasha chuckled softly.

“But as I said, if it had been me, I would’ve struck down the Great Emperor that day too. And I’d have felt sorry for those left behind in the White Tower until my last breath. I’m sure he did as well.”

“…You can still resent him despite understanding all of that?”

“Oh, those are separate issues. Like how you can be full from a meal but still have room for dessert.”

Understanding and supporting his decision 100% but still resenting him as someone left behind—how very Sasha-like a conclusion.

“Of course, I know this is just me whining. Everyone left behind in the White Tower probably knows that too. But still, how can we not feel hurt? Especially since he was always saying, ‘A mage of the White Tower never abandons their comrades, no matter what.’ If he was going to do this, he shouldn’t have said those things in the first place.”

“……”

Oscar was rendered speechless, stung by her words.

Sasha then asked:

“Is there anything else you’re curious about?”

“I’m curious about the high-level magic book the second senior apprentice took. What was it?”

“Hmm, I think it was…”

As she furrowed her brow in thought, Oscar resisted the urge to press a hand against her scrunched forehead.

Then, as if recalling the title of the book, Sasha’s expression brightened.

“I remember now. It was called 『Wind of Destruction』.”

Oscar froze.

The moment he heard those words, his brow furrowed deeply.

“The Winds of Destruction…?”

“Yes, it was one of the 64 high-level spells the White Tower was once proud of. After the war, it was one of the few original magic books we managed to recover. But then that man stole it outright.”

As Sasha vowed not to let the thief off if she ever met him again, Oscar’s mind was in a tangled mess.

‘…The White Tower did possess a large number of high-level spells.’

So many, in fact, that the total number of high-level spells held by the other four major magic towers combined still didn’t match what the White Tower had.

It was because of this vast and powerful collection of magic that the White Tower was hailed as the greatest.

‘But…’

Oscar’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘To my knowledge, the White Tower’s high-level spells numbered 63 in total.’

In other words, at some point, an additional spell had been added without his knowledge.

There was no need to guess what kind of magic had been added.

『Wind of Destruction』

This was a spell he had never heard of before either.

Maintaining a neutral expression, Oscar asked casually:

“Weren’t there originally 63 high-level spells in the White Tower?”

“That’s what was known in the past. But about three years after the war ended, we were incredibly lucky to discover a magic book left behind by Master. That was 『Wind of Destruction』. According to the accompanying documents, it seems he had planned to formally register it as one of the White Tower’s high-level spells once the war was over. So we honored his wishes by adding it to the collection.”

“…I see.”

Of course, he had never left behind such a document.

Nor had he ever created a ridiculous spell like 『Wind of Destruction』.

“What kind of magic is The Winds of Destruction?”

“It’s a very fast and powerful offensive spell. However, it has the drawback of being incredibly difficult to control due to the ferocity of its winds. In fact, the only mage who managed to master it successfully was the second senior apprentice.”

“……”

So, Gilly, the only one who learned the spell, left the White Tower with the magic book?

A forged document and a fabricated magic book.

Someone had planted these things for the mages of the White Tower to discover.

Naturally, the spell itself couldn’t have been ordinary.

‘Did something go wrong while Gilly was learning that spell?’

If that were the case, it would explain why he had disappeared without a word.

But all of this was still speculation and assumptions.

‘There’s only one thing I can say for certain right now.’

At least one of the other magic towers had worked to sabotage the White Tower’s restoration.

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And they had done so using the dirty trick of a fake high-level spell, even going as far as to exploit his name.

Oscar’s eyes turned cold.

‘I don’t know the color of the mage tower involved or whose mind concocted such a plan...’

Wait and see.

Once he found them out, he wouldn’t let them off.

At this moment, he was feeling the greatest anger since awakening in this body.

He was only managing to endure it with superhuman patience because Sasha was right beside him.

“Now then, has your curiosity been satisfied?”

Her clear, transparent voice brought him back to his senses, and he nodded.

“Yes, thank you for answering.”

“It’s fine. After all, it’s my turn this time, isn’t it?”

Sasha’s eyes curved into crescent moons as she asked,

“Where did you get your information about the Fairy Pain?”

“Oh, that….”

“Just to warn you in advance, don’t lie and say it was from a book. While you were at the Red Citadel, I did my own investigation. Books containing that information aren’t available in public—they’re only kept in the imperial archives. And you’ve never set foot there, have you?”

“You’ve been very thorough in your research.”

“Yes, so excuses like luck or finding it in some book won’t work.”

Her eyes gleamed like a bird of prey watching its quarry.

The pressure was palpable, as if daring him to wriggle his way out.

Oscar chuckled softly.

“You’ve got quite the imagination. I didn’t even intend to say anything like that.”

“...What?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“It seems the tower master had already decided on the answer in her head, didn’t she?”

“......”

Sasha couldn’t deny it.

In fact, she had already drawn her own conclusions.

She nodded.

“It’s refreshing, though. Yes, I do think you… inherited something from my master.”

“Oh.”

“That would explain everything that’s happened so far. Restoring all those potion recipes out of nowhere, greatly contributing to the completion of my master’s Ouroboros spell, and even rapidly growing stronger despite starting with magic depletion syndrome.”

With a triumphant gesture, Sasha crossed her arms and puffed out her chest, like a victorious general returning from battle.

It was as if her confident voice whispered, ‘How about that?’

“As expected of the tower master… Your insight is truly remarkable.”

“So, what does that mean?”

“Phew, I guess there’s no hiding it anymore. Yes, I inherited the legacy of the previous tower master through a fateful encounter.”

“I knew it! I suspected as much!”

Sasha, now assured of her deduction, looked like an excited young detective.

Her bright smile was like that of a child as she eagerly asked,

“You know, I told you what you were curious about. Now it’s your turn, right?”

“You’re asking how I came by this fateful encounter?”

“That’s right! I really like those kinds of stories. Gaining power through a twist of fate—it’s so thrilling, isn’t it? So exciting!”

Oscar chuckled softly.

‘Fate, huh...’

Was his arrival in this body truly fate?

He had already mulled over that question countless times during sleepless nights.

At first, he thought it was someone’s greed or mischief.

After all, rituals to resurrect great souls of the past had existed across all eras.

‘But the conclusion was always the same.’

It didn’t matter. That was the conclusion he’d reached.

He didn’t care whether it was fate or coincidence.

‘What matters is how I use this situation.’

He had been given a rare second chance.

If someone asked what he intended to do with it, his answer would be simple:

‘To reclaim what was lost.’

The prestige of the White Tower, which had fallen because of him.

The relationships with precious people, which had been shattered.

Everything—he would take it all back.

‘Oh, and the extermination of the demon race, as a bonus.’

And now, the revenge against those who had obstructed the White Tower’s reconstruction, which he had just learned about today.

When he listed it all out, it seemed like a lot. A ridiculously long list.

With a bitter chuckle, Oscar shook his head.

‘The road ahead is long.’

Listing everything he had to do made him realize just how far he had to go.

A long road ahead meant he would be busy.

Even wasting time now, thinking of a meaningless excuse to give Sasha, felt like a luxury.

As his thoughts reached that point, Oscar made up his mind.

“I gained this ‘fateful encounter’ when I embezzled research funds to buy an elixir.”

“So it was then! There are those who said you seemed like a different person after that day.”

“They would be right.”

Turning his head, Oscar looked Sasha straight in the eyes and continued,

“Because I truly became a different person.”

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