Dark Fantasy Normalized

65 – Back Alley Bigwig

A canvas where pure and passionate scholars sketched their futures.

That was the Grey Mage Tower of old, the one the Grey Mage Tower Lord remembered.

“…”

But.

The Grey Mage Tower Lord’s eyes today saw a Grey Mage Tower that was profoundly different.

The pure and passionate scholars were gone.

The Grey Mage Tower had become a den of politicians and turncoats.

With cold, dead eyes, the Grey Mage Tower Lord looked at his puppet.

“Was this the best you could do?”

The puppet spoke with abject humility.

“Yes. This was the best I could do. I am sorry for not meeting your expectations, Master.”

“Alright. You’ve worked hard until now.”

That was all the acknowledgement given for the puppet’s long service.

The Grey Mage Tower Lord reached a hand toward the puppet.

“…”

The light faded from the puppet’s eyes.

The doll, which had long managed the gray magic tower in place of its absent master, reverted to mere inanimate matter.

Then, the master of the gray magic tower, with eyes heavy with sorrow, took in the tower’s form.

That time was not long.

Without regret, the master of the gray magic tower turned his back on it.

The gray magic tower had lost its pride, and it had lost its master.

Now, all that remained there were the opportunists and the turncoats.

[Area – The Ruined Gray Magic Tower]

***

The master of the gray magic tower, ‘Wandering Star,’ is a legendary being.

If you seek witness accounts of this entity, you must inquire among those with at least five years of magic tower experience.

Indeed.

The tower’s master had not even shown his face at the tower for a full five years.

Furthermore, even when he briefly visited five years prior, he concealed his identity and met with only a few contacts.

Some say:

-A merchant who specializes in land and buildings would show more interest in a bad property than that.

Some ask:

-Why even enthrone someone like that as the tower’s master?

Some reply:

-Even considering all of that, no greater mage has yet emerged than him.

A tower master is, before being the owner of a tower, a symbol.

Their individual achievements sometimes surpass the accomplishments of the entire tower.

The gray magic tower does not have a long history.

Compared to other towers rooted in great noble families with both magic and history, the very word ‘gray’ seemed to fade.

Nevertheless, they are treated as a respectable tower.

Because it is the place where Wandering Star is based. Because it is where the achievements of that entity remain.

The mages of the gray magic tower speak with awe.

Thus, some, admiring, understand the existence of a tower master possessed by wanderlust.

…And then ask:

-So who’s actually running the tower?

-…

Surprisingly, the Grey Tower suffered no issues whatsoever in this regard.

The Tower Lord’s absence was instantly filled by the presence of another.

The Grey Tower Lord was not an irresponsible person.

Before abandoning the tower, she had responsibly (?) sought out someone to take her place.

Wherever the Tower Lord’s seal was needed, she was always there.

With dark circles that had become a part of her being, and a cynical smile soaked in fatigue and resignation.

Dmia.

She idly tied up her dusty grey hair, as parched as dirt, and indulged in a luxurious thought.

Today, I absolutely must take a bath before passing out.

But.

Hearing that name spoken right before her eyes, she quickly gives up.

‘Lichir…’

For Dmia, it was a name akin to a nightmare.

The tower’s mages unanimously praised his talent.

They welcomed him into their ranks with open arms.

Dmia could not.

The order Dmia had received from the Tower Lord was ‘the preservation and revitalization of the tower.’

And what was most needed for that was not securing talent, but securing finances.

The massive financial acquisition plan Dmia had been secretly working on for the past year.

It had all been shattered by Lichir’s appointment as an honorary mage.

***

There is a merchant family called Merici.

Having amassed immense wealth through commerce in the South, they had emerged as a new power, but they were plagued by a lack of legitimacy and honor.

They had made some money.

Now they wanted to mingle with the high and mighty and gild their name, but those high and mighty wouldn’t recognize them, calling them nouveau riche.

Even as they were taking money, they’d flatter them with “Ah, you’re truly Dolea,” but the moment they turned around, they’d say, “Well, that’s just how the Dolea are,” a brutal attitude shift that made even the most cunning merchants tremble.

Merici, in response, had sought out a solution and took an interest in the Grey Tower.

They sought to establish legitimacy by making their eldest son an honorary mage of the Grey Tower.

And so, for the past year, Merici had been launching an aggressive campaign of support towards the Grey Tower and had just reached the point of solidifying their promise with the tower, foreshadowing an impending “Boss went crazy” situation.

In relation to that matter, Dmia had been so excited that she had been losing sleep at night.

If only this one job was solved, the magic tower’s finances would finally have some breathing room, maybe even enough to experience this thing called a “vacation,” a concept only whispered about in legends.

‘Finally, I can go to one of those “cafes”… eat delicious food… buy new clothes… look into makeup… sleep all day in bed, hehehe…’

Demia couldn’t believe it.

Could she really indulge in such luxury?

-No can do?

That was the sky’s answer.

Right then, a wandering mage named Lysir appeared, instantly becoming the idol of the magic tower.

The Master Council unanimously proposed Lysir’s appointment as an Honorary Mage.

Demia refused.

The Master Council unanimously proposed Lysir’s appointment as an Honorary Mage.

Demia refused.

The Master Council unanimously proposed Lysir’s appointment as an Honorary Mage.

The Master Council unanimously proposed Lysir’s appointment as an Honorary Mage.

The Master Council unanimously proposed Lysir’s appointment as an Honorary-

Demia fainted.

And so, the position of Honorary Mage of the Grey Tower went not to the eldest son of the Merici family, but to the wandering mage, Lysir.

As a note, appointments for Honorary Mages were, by tradition, limited to once every two years.

The Merici family’s stance on the matter was clear.

-Too bad.

The way the Merici family expressed their regrets was just as fiery as the way they showed their favor.

They immediately ceased all financial support, and on top of that, used all the influence they had to make their displeasure known to the tower.

Merchants who had long maintained a good relationship with the tower suddenly turned their backs.

Demia fainted.

Of course, some of the more rigid mages might say something like this regarding the situation.

-Isn’t the position of Honorary Mage essentially being sold for money? Is that okay?

If there was an excuse, or rather, a defense, it would be that most magic towers had been using this method since the past to strengthen their political influence.

In fact, it was the Grey Tower’s adherence to honor that made it exceptional.

That was also the reason the Merici family coveted the recognition of the Grey Tower, and not any other tower.

In that sense, you could almost call it a good thing?

With this, the Grey Tower’s reputation would only grow that much more.

Ah, right.

Fortuitously, there was another piece of good news.

With Lisir’s help, the Magic Tower had succeeded in excising the malignant tumor that was Gerhen.

Thereby, they were able to move one step closer to the value of integrity.

The minor problem being, that Gerhen’s family, the Dryder, had been one of the Magic Tower’s major sponsors?

And so, the Magic Tower, having repeatedly pursued the ‘good news’(?) of integrity.

Was now in the throes of a magnificent financial crisis.

It was truly a cruel irony.

The closer they got to honor, the poorer they became, and the further they were from honor, the wealthier.

Forced to choose the former from the [Becoming an Honorable Beggar vs. Becoming a Dishonorable Rich] dilemma, Dmia had no choice but to find a solution.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t think of anything at the moment.

This was how Dmia, the de facto head of the Magic Tower, came to resent Lisir.

“Lisir. Isn’t he our Magic Tower’s honorary mage? And yet, you’re assigning him to such trivial tasks like mediating disputes between merchants.”

In such a situation, Master Mortier, the Magic Tower’s most ardent Lisir enthusiast, had come to her office to voice his complaints.

“Master Mortier, do you know how many resources were spent on the selection and investiture ceremony of this honorary mage?”

Dmia, the proxy for the Grey Tower Master, spoke with a weary, yet authoritative tone.

“That’s…!”

To speak so cowardly about reality!

Master Mortier lowered his eyes.

“Let me ask you something, Master Mortier. What did our Grey Tower gain from this honorary mage’s appointment?”

“We gained an individual of unparalleled potential and value.”

“Indeed. An individual we gained by paying a very precious price. I believe this is a process of confirming the value of that individual.”

“But, even the Proxy Tower Master knows! About the figure known as ‘the Red Box’s Sword’!”

“A former mercenary. A man who committed heinous crimes as readily as he ate, before laundering his identity. Considering his nature, there’s a high probability that Lisir won’t be respected. A title of honor held by such a young man, is bound to leave room for various interpretations.”

“If you know that, why…!”

Dmia looked at Mortier with an enigmatic gaze.

“I, too, like you all, have high expectations for him.”

“…”

Contrary to her words, her expression was utterly dry.

In reality, Dmia had no particular expectations for Lisir.

Right now, the “Leather Chains,” a criminal syndicate in the northern back alleys, are beyond even the control of the city’s nobles.

Their primary source of funding, they’ve severed all external communication and contact, embarking on their own path.

Currently, Kal is likely acting strictly under the directives of those above.

In that situation, if a merchant showed up demanding his goods, would they just hand them over?

It’s regrettable for the merchants, but realistically, their chances of retrieving goods or rights tied up in the north are extremely low.

Polda would understand immediately if she experienced the atmosphere on the ground herself.

Therefore, Demia thought,

This dispatch of Lishir.

If it didn’t spark complaints from Polda, that was enough.

***

For a merchant, information is akin to life itself.

The worst situation arising from a lack of information is usually just a financial loss, but for merchants, their lifeline is connected to their pockets.

Conversely, financial gain can revive a dying merchant.

The anecdote about the chief resident of a large merchant guild, who was on his deathbed from illness and old age, shouting “It’s up!” and burning his last bit of energy upon hearing the news of a “boon” outside the door is quite famous.

Therefore, Polda made an effort to be well-versed in the trends and state of Bondales, along with most other kinds of information.

It was a habit that contributed greatly to her rise from the bottom to her current position as a mid-level guild leader.

Some people say about Polda,

That she really knows everything.

Polda knew that the criminal organizations that dominated the back alleys of Bondales weren’t just gatherings of criminals, but combinations of adventurers and mercenaries who had tasted the black money.

She knew that the recent activities of one such criminal organization, the “Leather Chains,” were unusual.

Among all merchants, Polda was the first.

She was the first to show movement towards withdrawing all business related to the northern side of Bondales.

As such, Polda’s informational power was unmatched even amongst the merchants of Bondales.

Polda was aware of this fact herself, and therefore was experiencing extreme confusion at present.

“I deeply apologize for not recognizing you, Master Lishir! The issue you mentioned, I will resolve it immediately!”

“Heh, thank you. By the way, do you know me?”

“How could I not! Of course, I do!”

“Heh. Why would you know me?”

Lishir.

To think I didn’t know about a figure of this caliber at all.

Right now, the man bowing his head to Rishir is named Kal.

He’s the manager of the Red Box, with clients in both the light and shadow of Bondales, a figure trusted by the Leather Chain.

Who could make a man like Kal, beyond cautious, actually fumble and fluster?

“Here it is, sir! Mr. Poldar’s belongings!”

“Oh, my thanks for the swift work.”

“For R-Rishir-nim to say such a thing! It’s an honor! If there’s anything more you need my help with, please, don’t hesitate to find me!”

Who else could so smoothly resolve a problem against the current ‘Leather Chain’?

It would be a struggle even for most of the city’s nobles, masters of the magic towers, or high-level adventurers.

“Mr. Poldar, is this the safe you were looking for?”

“Huh? Ah. Yes! That’s it! Thank you!”

A windfall he hadn’t even dared to expect.

‘Rishir.’

Poldar imprinted that name, unfamiliar to anyone else in the city, into his mind faster than anyone else.

***

“What in the world is going on?”

An unexpected carriage procession threw the magic tower into an uproar.

Demia asked her secretary for the details.

“The heads of the Bondales merchant guilds have urgently requested an audience…!”

The merchant guild heads, who usually pushed the magic tower to the back burner while being mindful of nobles?

Suddenly?

Demia’s dark-circled eyes twitched.

Right at this moment.

Rumors about one honorary mage were spreading rapidly among the merchants.

There was someone who could neatly resolve problems even the city nobles couldn’t manage.