Quit The Hero Party

EP.80 The Tower of Oddities (1)

At a brunch café in the Royal Capital.

Rosel was looking out the window with a face that seemed to have aged a good ten years. Tired. Life feels tiresome these days. His hair was thinning little by little.

‘…I can understand Aaron’s feelings now.’

It felt like his hair was fallin out too.

Suppressing a sigh, Rosel looked ahead. The source of his fatigue was right before him, his disciple.

Watching Raniel spread cheese on bread, Rosel opened his mouth.

“…Is it tasty?”

“Huh? Yes. It’s delicious.”

Thank goodness it’s delicious.

I can’t even get a sip of coffee down because of you.

The words rising in his throat were swallowed back. Unbeknownst to him, Raniel was savoring her lukewarm milk tea.

“…Hoo.”

Eventually, Rosel let out a sigh.

Recently, a rumor had been circling around Apuria Academy. A crazy mage who ripped the saint’s clothes and dumped coffee on her.

– Apparently, the saint’s clothes were torn.
– It seems she got angry, which is rare for the gentle saint…

The epitome of gentleness, Saint Sara.

An incident had occurred that made her furious. The café owner testified, sweating coldly, that he saw nothing, and the saint herself didn’t say a word.

No one knows anything about the crazy mage. Just heaps of rumors.

‘No matter how I think about it…’

However, Rosel was convinced.

‘It must be Raniel’s doing.’

Rosel tried pronouncing ‘saint.’ Raniel looked up at him. At first, her expression was bewildered, but soon her face brightened, asking, “What about the saint?”

That expression didn’t seem unpleasant. It even looked somewhat refreshing.

“…It’s nothing.”

Good, it’s fine as long as it isn’t discovered.

Rosel decided to think positively and changed the subject.

“So, that ancient lich came into Apuria.”

“Right.”

“Did you get hurt?”

A loaded question.

Raniel nodded while chewing on her bread.

“It’s not like I’ve only tried catching it once… I’m fine. I think I only got hurt the first time I met that skull bastard.”

Her voice didn’t carry outside. Inside the temporarily set barrier, Raniel continued speaking.

“After developing a magic system to take that thing down, I’ve hardly been hurt since…”

She suddenly stopped speaking, putting down her bread, and shyly turned her gaze away.

“…Since I developed the Battle Mage Class, I hardly get hurt anymore.”

Battle Mage.

At that word, Rosel’s lips twitched.

‘Looks like she’s realized something.’

Rosel chuckled as he tilted his coffee cup.

“How does it feel to be the founder of a class with no roots, Raniel?”

“W-Well, I suppose it’s something to be proud of to have developed a class…”

“It’s something to be proud of.”

“No, Master, why didn’t you tell me?”

That was quite a refreshing question.

“Isn’t it more strange that you didn’t know?”

“Huh?”

“If you just ask anyone, they’ll tell you the founder of the Battle Mage Class is the great Ashen Mage…”

“Aaaaagh!”

Raniel screamed and bowed her head. With a look of astonishment, Rosel gazed at Raniel.

Her face was bright red.

It seemed she recalled the words she had uttered herself. Rosel chuckled, saying,

“No roots at all.”

Thud.

“A mage should cast spells, not use useless martial arts; it doesn’t get more rootless than that.”

Thud.

“I don’t know who the founder is, but they must be a seriously insane mage.”

Those were all things that Raniel had said.

Stopping his fingers from tapping on the table, Rosel looked down at Raniel. She mumbled in a voice that seemed to crawl out of her mouth.

“P-Please stop, Master…”

“So you do realize it’s embarrassing.”

Rosel savored his coffee.

Unlike before, the coffee went down smoothly now.

“When did you find out?”

“…While fixing the midterm exam. I was looking at some other professors’ questions, and I saw my name in the text.”

“It pops up from time to time.”

The Ashen Mage Raniel.

Questions about the disciple who had become a part of history were often included.

‘I guess that’s what she saw.’

Rosel stroked his chin, saying,

“You were slow to catch on. I thought you’d realize it right away when you saw the students applying for the Battle Mage.”

“…Isn’t it that a crucial piece was missing? I just didn’t think it was a class I made…”

Complaining, Raniel continued explaining. It was about the core foundation of the Battle Mage, physical enhancement.

“…You replace the physical strain with mana consumption by using enhancement spells?”

“Yes, that’s how I could keep up with Kyle’s movements. Isn’t it strange to engage in physical combat without that?”

It was surprising that such a flaw hadn’t been noticed. As Raniel muttered like that, Rosel smiled bitterly.

“Indeed, as you said, that is a flaw. But, Raniel.”

“Yes?”

“Even considering that, the Battle Mage is a class with outstanding practical abilities. Its usefulness on the battlefield has been proven.”

This was a fact.

A combat system utilizing the stock concept of spells.

Casting spells without delays.

Combat capabilities that don’t lag behind even in a close-range fight.

Unless one is facing high-ranking executives like Raniel does in the frontline… the flaws of the Battle Mage didn’t stand out that much.

‘In fact, the advantages are far greater.’

Because they had upended the operating system of mages.

The Battle Mage was indeed an innovative class.

“It may lack roots a little, but the Battle Mage class has proven its worth on the battlefield. It’s not a class with defects.”

“If that’s the case, then I’m relieved…”

Not fully satisfied, Rosel shrugged at his disciple.

“If that worries you so much, can’t you just teach it yourself?”

“Me?”

“You are teaching related courses anyway.”

The enhancement spells that go beyond being just a subordinate.

That core is tied to Mana Trading Studies, the subject currently overseen by Raniel.

‘Replacements for costs.’

Trading with stars through balance.

Not simply manifesting spells, but offering something as a price to create phenomena.

‘That’s the ultimate goal of Mana Trading Studies.’

A class premised on that.

Rosel chuckled.

‘There are too many prerequisites, though.’

One has to master the stock concept of spells. Be able to use enhancement spells, and be good at martial arts as well.

‘And on top of that, you need to be able to handle balance too.’

Is there another class as complex as this?

“Well, it doesn’t seem like something can be done in a day. Take your time to teach them.”

“Hmm… Since I learned by watching Kyle run, I think there should be some examples to learn from.”

Do I need to find a hero or something?

As Rosel pondered while looking at Raniel, he suddenly pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

“By the way, Raniel.”

“Yes?”

“I received an invitation.”

It was the invitation that had arrived at the mansion recently.

Rosel placed the letter, embossed with the emblem of the Magic Association, in front of Raniel.

“Where’s it from?”

“The Magic Association.”

“…Huh?”

Rosel pointed at the letter.

“The Magic Association sent an invitation to the Ivory Tower.”

2.

There is a tower called the Ivory Tower.

Unlike the Ashen Tower where I belonged or the other towers with their respective colors, the Ivory Tower is where the scholars of the Magic Association stay.

They do not research predefined topics. They interpret circuits that are not easily decipherable and require much time, like those discovered in ancient ruins.

‘And based on that, they create problems.’

A place to solve problems and create them.

That is exactly what the Ivory Tower of the Magic Association is.

‘…But, that’s just the surface of the Ivory Tower.’

While everyone knows it as a tower where highbrow scholars gather to solve circuits, my experience dealing with those madmen tells me otherwise.

‘A tower full of moist, meticulous brats.’

That’s how I know the Ivory Tower.

These guys, who spend all day interpreting circuits, have a rather peculiar mindset.

They seek to pursue art through circuits.

– This part looks a little off in curve.
– Don’t you think there’s a way to draw it more artistically? This mess! Circuits shouldn’t be this messy…!
– Creating a new circuit is like challenging the 300 circuits made by ancient mages…!

Whenever I tried to create my signature spell and get that circuit registered, those were the kinds of tantrums I had to deal with.

‘Damn it, it just needs to activate properly, right?’

That kind of mindset is beyond my comprehension.

Anyway, the Ivory Tower is not like the tower where efficiency-minded mages gather. The Ivory Tower is a tower of odd ones who turn circuits into art.

‘That’s why I didn’t want to go…’

I sighed while looking up at the Ivory Tower.

Originally, I would never have stepped foot here.

‘If Master hadn’t asked me…’

Remembering the words Master said while handing me the letter.

– There’s that final exam problem you created, isn’t there?
– Dean Aaron recommended it to the Ivory Tower. Apparently, even the Ivory Tower has its eyes on the problem you made.

At first, I planned to refuse.

I didn’t particularly want to mingle with the oddballs. Although having a problem featured in the Ivory Tower is a huge achievement for a professor… I had no interest in such things.

‘So I thought of refusing, but…’

Then Master said to me,

– Do you know that most of the textbooks and manuals used in Apuria are sourced from the Ivory Tower?

As I listened, I realized the situation was different from when I was at the Ashen Tower.

While the Ashen Tower was like a stumbling block, it didn’t seem to be the same for Apuria.

‘A mutually beneficial relationship, perhaps?’

Apuria provides free academic journals and manuals to the Ivory Tower. In return, they recommend scholars among the graduates who show promise.

For Apuria, it’s good to obtain free manuals, and for the Ivory Tower, it saves them the trouble of finding talent… that’s the deal, I suppose.

– We need to maintain a good relationship.

Pushed along by Master’s clear instructions, I found myself standing in front of the Ivory Tower.

“Hmm.”

Nothing had changed from my last visit to the Ivory Tower.

‘When was the last time I came here?’

It must have been about 6 or 7 years ago.

The last visit was when I threw a problem at them as a parting gift, after they kept rejecting the circuits I was trying to register.

Thud.

While thinking that, as I passed through the entrance of the Ivory Tower, someone approached me.

“Ah, Professor Rania?”

Nodding, the scholar beamed widely.

He bowed while flicking his robe.

“I’m Brick, your guide. It’s nice to meet you, Professor Rania.”

“Yes, nice to meet you.”

“The pillars of the Ivory Tower are waiting in the upper levels. You will need to explain the simple solution of the problem and your intentions behind it.”

The five pillars of the Ivory Tower.

I remembered it was somewhat like the elders of the Ashen Tower.

“Yes, sure.”

Nodding, I followed Brick.

As I walked the hallway under his guidance, suddenly the frames hanging in the corridor caught my attention.

The 44 unsolved problems of the Ivory Tower.

A sign reading such was hung in the frames, displaying circuits like art.

Looking at the circuits hung like artworks made me smirk.

‘They’re still the same.’

As I walked through the corridor, I suddenly noticed a circuit framed in a more elaborate display.

“…Hmm?”

I stopped in front of the frame.

The circuit looked familiar. Somehow, it seemed like one I had seen before. While I was tilting my head, Brick walked up to me.

“Oh, are you interested in that circuit?”

“Huh? No, it just looks familiar…”

“That circuit is donated by the Ashen Mage, Raniel, to our Ivory Tower.”

Ah, now it makes sense.

‘That’s it.’

That was the problem I had thrown at the Magic Association to mess with them every time.

‘A problem that mixes all sorts of circuits.’

A problem meant to be dismissed, blatantly frustrating them.

It was a question filled with malice.

‘Though it’s seen as a tough problem, I didn’t expect it to be displayed like this.’

I felt a strange mood.

I turned to Brick and asked,

“Why the hell is this—”

“Isn’t it a magnificent problem?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Why is this ridiculously bad problem on display?

As I started to ask that, I closed my mouth.

‘Magnificent? This?’

As I blinked, Brick opened his mouth again.

“Look at the slope of that curve; it draws a perfect geometric pattern in the circuit. Do you see how dozens of circuits interweave to create… a beautiful design?”

Brick had an ecstatic expression, as if he were in awe.

“This is among the problems regarded as tough, reaching the realm of art. The Ashen Mage is not called the Wise One for nothing.”

Uh, I nodded as I glanced at Brick.

“Isn’t it a beautiful problem?”

“………”

Brick’s eyes sparkled immensely.

Looking into those eyes, I couldn’t bear to say, ‘This is a problem I made to mess with you guys.’

“Yes, well…”

I gazed at Brick with pitying eyes, muttering,

“It’s a beautiful… problem.”

Perhaps those who solve it feel that way…

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