NOVEL NEXT Chapter 71
EP.71 The Next Master of the Ashen Tower, Resti (Part 1)
People often bind themselves without even realizing it.
The reasons for such bindings don’t always need to be grand.
Childhood nightmares, regrets from mistakes… such things can limit one’s potential.
And.
That was also the case for Resti Elenoa, the next Master of the Ashen Tower. Resti reflects on her past.
The memories she brings to mind are quite old.
It’s a story from before she bore the Elenoa surname.
In other words, it’s a tale from her time at the orphanage.
Resti was a somewhat unique child, even in the orphanage.
While other children played outside, Resti was holed up in the library of the orphanage. That place was filled with all kinds of books. The headmaster was a retired mage after all.
Resti loved reading.
She enjoyed analyzing and exploring. From the moment she was born, she was destined to be a mage. It was only natural for someone like Resti to take an interest in circuits.
– What a unique child.
– Always holed up in the library, huh?
– So what? Being obedient is a good thing, right?
The teachers who saw her reading laughed.
They only thought lightly of it.
No one could imagine.
That a child who hadn’t properly learned magic would complete a summoning circle for a familiar drawn in a magic book.
– Scratch scratch.
Like piecing together a puzzle, Resti drew the circuit.
She completed the circuit piece by piece, with an instinctive feeling. Just finishing it was already an incredible talent.
If she had simply completed it,
There would have been no problem at all.
However, Resti infused it with mana.
She knew that was what truly completed the circuit.
After all, it wasn’t her first time doing it.
Resti would sneak out at night to summon spirits for fun. So, she thought this time would be no different.
So.
She mistook the familiar for a spirit.
– Huh?
Fortune smiled upon Resti in that she possessed talent.
Misfortune was that her talent was beyond limits.
Young Resti lacked mana.
When mana is insufficient, the circuit doesn’t activate. That is the norm. The problem was that Resti’s talent was anything but normal.
– Creak creak.
With her deficient mana, Resti’s talent found a way to compensate. Her eyes, filled with starlight, naturally made her realize how to supplement the mana.
She repairs the circuit.
What Resti wanted was the activation of the circuit.
Her talent responded to Resti’s wishes.
The circuit of ‘control,’ which consumes a lot of mana, was dismantled.
Thus, the half-baked circuit was completed.
The completed circuit emitted light.
A summoning of a familiar from the Otherworld came into reality.
– Master!
– Evacuate the children, hurry!
The summoned familiar was far from what Resti imagined.
It wasn’t cute like a spirit. It wasn’t kind either. Drool dripped from its gaping jaws.
Sharp teeth, sharp claws.
And fierce red eyes.
It was a beast.
The familiar was different from spirits.
Unlike spirits that are born gentle and possess intelligence, familiars move according to instinct.
It’s the summoner’s role to hold the reins.
Resti, unaware of this fact, removed the circuit of control. The result was catastrophic.
– Grrrroooar!
The uncontrollable familiar went berserk.
The guards who appeared late managed to subdue the familiar, but damage was already done in the process.
Someone got hurt.
Blood splattered.
While they didn’t die, it was said there were injuries.
– I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…
Resti felt fear at that reality.
She was afraid of the talent she possessed.
In the end.
She extinguished her own light.
She even forgot that she had done so.
– So you’re that child from the rumors.
It wasn’t long before Resti was taken in by the Elder of the Ashen Tower, who had heard the rumors.
Even after being taken in by the Elder, Resti still refrained from using her talent. She didn’t cast that glow over her eyes.
The world she saw was frightening.
She couldn’t imagine what might happen.
– Yes, it must be fear.
The Elder understood Resti.
He did not force her to use her talent until his last moment.
He only offered advice in that final instant.
– You’ve become capable enough to handle what you possess. You are already a fine mage.
Advice she couldn’t bear to hear back then.
– What I mean is, explore until you are satisfied.
But now she had come to understand that advice.
Recalling the words, Resti closed her eyes. The glow enveloped her eyes.
The flame she had extinguished long ago.
She embraced that flame within her eyes.
“·····.”
Drawing in the glow, Resti opened her eyes.
When she opened them, the scenery of Apuria filled her vision.
The garden located on the outskirts of Apuria.
Sitting on a bench that offered a panoramic view of the garden, Resti gazes upon it.
The afternoon sunlight lazily illuminated the garden.
The petals swayed in the spring breeze.
With the gently rustling leaves, the scent of spring lingered.
The world seen through her platinum-tinted eyes was a little brighter and clearer than before. Resti felt the warmth of the coffee cup in her hands and thought.
‘…I think I feel a bit more at ease.’
It was just that feeling.
She had always lived in pursuit of something.
She had been suppressing something.
Now that she had untied it, her heart felt much lighter. Feeling a strange sense of liberation, Resti gently turned her head.
Everything seemed to change little by little.
However, some things remained unchanged.
When she turned her head to look beside her.
“·····.”
There sat a mage.
Her hair was ashen.
Her eyes were blue. With delicate limbs and body structure, she didn’t seem to have much of an age difference from Resti.
Her appearance wasn’t much different from the students.
But, her tailored suit, unlike the students’ uniforms, gave her an air of experience. The unique mysterious aura she exuded contributed to that.
She was sitting with her legs crossed, leaning back against the bench. One arm rested on the bench while the other tilted a coffee cup.
Sipping her coffee like that.
She always looked the same.
Like someone imbued with starlight, she was a person radiating a gentle light. That light felt warm to Resti.
“And so.”
After a while, she removed her lips from the coffee cup.
Slowly turning her head, she looked at Resti.
“What do you want to ask?”
2.
“Top student, Resti.”
The Dean of Apuria, Aaron, flipped through the papers.
‘Resti Elenoa.’
The adopted daughter of the Ashen Elder.
And, the next Master of the Ashen Tower. When she first expressed her intention to enroll, Aaron was quite taken aback.
‘Of all towers, the Ashen Tower.’
Typically, each tower specializes in different fields based on their colors.
For instance, the White studies the basics of mana manipulation and elemental magic. The Black deals with the concept of stock in inscription of spells.
Although the Red and Green also have varied fields, one commonality is that they all have specialized areas of study.
Thus, if she were the next Master of another tower… it wouldn’t have been surprising for her to announce her intention to enroll. It could be thought of as learning in different areas outside her major.
‘In fact, Belnoa and Lac were examples of that.’
However, the Ashen Tower is different.
The Ashen Tower has no specific areas of study. It deals with all fields of magic.
‘Being the next Master of the Ashen means…’
It signifies mastery over most fields.
She was no longer at a student level. Even when standing shoulder to shoulder with professors, she wouldn’t fall behind.
Such an exceptional child entered Apuria.
As the Dean of Apuria, Aaron wished for her to gain some form of learning.
‘…It doesn’t have to be magical advancement. That’s not the sole aim of Apuria.’
He pondered a lot.
Then, Aaron arrived at his own conclusion.
“And so, I asked of you.”
Aaron turned his head.
There sat his friend, resting his chin on his hand.
Rosel van Trias.
To him, known as the Wise One, Aaron had made a request.
“Find me a useful professor.”
“I remember.”
It was a conversation they’d had long ago.
Though he had said ‘useful professor’, Rosel had already sensed which individual he meant.
From Rosel’s perspective, an outstanding mage meant none other than Raniel, the Ashen Mage.
“Surely, you were hoping for my first disciple.”
“Yes, I believed you would know the whereabouts of the Ashen Mage.”
“Was it absolutely necessary for it to be Raniel?”
Rosel asked this question, and Aaron shrugged.
“This child.”
With a tap, he pointed to the page that read ‘Resti Elenoa.’
“I may not have the eyesight of the Elder of the Ashen Tower or the talent you have in discerning gifted children.”
But, Aaron continued.
“I could tell this child hasn’t broken her shell.”
A talent that hasn’t bloomed.
Aaron didn’t know what that talent was. However, having lived as an educator for a long time, he instinctively understood that.
That talent was on the brink of blooming.
Yet it hadn’t encountered the crucial catalyst.
What could be that catalyst?
Finding that wasn’t too difficult.
“And I had an inkling that it related to the Ashen Mage.”
“·····.”
“So, I mentioned to you, if possible, even a special lecture would be nice… It would be great if we could invite them in any capacity.”
“That was indeed the case.”
Aaron’s expression turned bitter as he smiled.
“If possible, I wanted to have those two meet.”
“Why?”
“Breaking the surrounding shell doesn’t require an unexpectedly large catalyst, you see.”
A few short phrases.
Just a few lines were enough to spark realization. The important part lies in who speaks those words. The existence of someone who can empathize matters.
Aaron merely thought that for Resti, that figure was the Ashen Mage, Raniel.
“But still…”
Tap, Aaron closed the documents.
“This is just my selfish wish.”
He knew it was selfish.
This wasn’t solely for Resti but would also lead to the development of all students… Yet, calling upon a sage who is resting after retiring from the battlefield wouldn’t be easy.
‘It’d be a disgrace for the Ashen Mage too.’
If he were to reveal himself in any capacity, the royal family wouldn’t let him go. Other surrounding nations are also eyeing Raniel.
‘Thus, if he did show himself, it would disturb the peace he has finally obtained.’
Aaron let out a sigh.
“Above all, I hope you keep a close eye on Resti. I believe you’re the only one who can teach this child.”
“Well…”
Rosel took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“I think there might be someone even more suitable than me.”
He turned his head.
Rosel’s gaze fell upon the window, drenched in sunlight. At that nonsensical sound, Aaron tilted his head.
“…What do you mean?”
“There’s a possibility.”
3.
Asking what she wanted…
There were many things Resti wanted to ask.
How did the professor appear there?
What was that note about?
Did he anticipate Skebal’s attack?
What happened when he wrapped a robe around her and headed deep into the forest?
Such questions floated in her mind.
Yet.
She didn’t want to pry and seek answers. It didn’t seem that important.
‘What matters…’
Was that Professor Rania acknowledged her.
And, that she had helped her.
Those were the only two things.
What she really wanted to ask was somewhat different.
“Um…”
Resti hesitated for a moment.
Words didn’t come out easily. She wondered if it would be inappropriate to ask this question…
As Resti remained silent, Professor Rania chuckled and spoke first.
“Don’t worry about it; just ask casually. It’s alright.”
“…Professor Rania.”
Resti continued speaking slowly.
“I’ve heard you learned magic from Elder Rosel for quite a long time.”
“Indeed, for about ten years. I was only recently acknowledged as his disciple.”
“Well then.”
She had to ask at least once.
Resti finally voiced her thoughts.
“Have you ever met Lady Raniel?”
To that question, Professor Rania smiled wryly.
“Yeah.”
And she answered.
“Quite a few times. In fact, a lot.”