Chapter 126 - Damn Reincarnation

Green Tower Master

“Why are you blocking the view?!”

“Let us see, too!”

The spectators clamored. Ordinarily, Melkith would have shouted at the ingrates for failing to appreciate being saved, but right now, she could spare no attention for their squawking.

Nor was she alone. All three tower masters who had stepped forward to protect the spectators were watching the pillar of fire soaring high into the sky.

Slowly, the flames cleared. The raging, scorching wind subsided. Though it was the bitterly cold beginning of spring, the spectators shed their coats, sweltering as though it were midsummer.

Eugene steadied his ragged breathing and looked ahead. Beyond the wavering, mingling heat haze, he could see something enormous writhing. He chuckled and waved a hand. Responding to him, Tempest’s wind swept all the lingering hot air upward and dispersed it.

Now he could see clearly. What had been writhing were thick roots. The tree was not as large as the World Tree he had seen in the elves’ domain, but it was enormous enough to call it to mind. The difference was that things resembling flower buds hung from every root and branch. In any case, it was a grotesque-looking tree.

The center of its trunk split open. Generic stepped out, biting his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. Despite having just been struck by Blazing Heat Bullet and Tempest’s storm, not a single scorch mark remained on his body.

Eugene was genuinely impressed. This was Yggdrasil, the signature of Green Tower Master Generic Osman. The instant the firestorm erupted, the Sixth Circle Divine Tree had transformed straight into Yggdrasil. A succession of defensive spells deployed in a split second, along with layer upon layer of roots, had blocked the explosion.

“That...”

Eugene did not dismiss Tempest. From the heart of the storm, he stared at Generic.

“...certainly doesn’t look like Sixth Circle magic to me.”

“...”

“You’ve broken the restriction you set yourself. Oh. Surely you’re not going to take issue with my using Seventh Circle magic and summoning a Spirit King?”

Generic offered no answer, only a glare. His repeatedly chewed lip did not sting, but the taste of blood filling his mouth heated his mind.

What humiliation. He had broken his own declared restriction. Divine Tree and his other Sixth Circle spells could hardly have blocked that explosion. Blazing Heat Bullet alone was already difficult to handle, and the moment Tempest’s storm joined it, the attack had become absolutely impossible to stop with Sixth Circle magic.

He had therefore had no choice but to use Yggdrasil. What if he hadn’t? He would not have died, but he would have suffered a disgrace nearly as bad.

‘... No. This is even more disgraceful...!’

Eugene met Generic’s seething gaze. Humiliation, rage, and hostility were mingling, turning into murderous intent.

‘Oh, come on. Surely he hasn’t so little self-control that he’d go berserk over this?’

Judging by his eyes alone, he looked ready to charge in and kill Eugene at any moment. But Eugene was not worried about that. Because there were so many spectators? Because the Blue, White, and Black Tower Masters were right nearby?

Eugene chuckled and looked up at the sky.

BOOM!

An enormous gate fell and stood upright on the ground. Intricate patterns were densely engraved across it. At the sight, Generic’s face twisted.

“It seems you’re finished.”

Lovellian descended a moment later and perched atop the gate. Beneath his long, flowing blond hair, his eyes blazed red.

“Or do you intend to continue?”

“... Red Tower Master.”

Suppressing the urge to kill rising from deep within his chest, Generic forced his unresponsive lips into a smile.

“Your disciple is, truly, outstanding.”

“I believe everyone here shares that opinion, not just me.”

With sparkling eyes, Eugene examined the gate upon which Lovellian sat. This was his first time seeing it in person, but the depth of its magic and the complexity of its formula—beyond even Akasha’s ability to comprehend—told him what it was.

Pantheon, Red Tower Master Lovellian’s signature. He had brought it out before even descending not merely because Generic still had Yggdrasil deployed, but because he had sensed the veiled murderous intent in his gaze.

“Green Tower Master.”

Lovellian rested a gloved hand on the gate’s frame.

“That look in your eyes seems rather excessive. Has something displeased you?”

“... Certainly not. I am merely marveling at such a gifted young colleague.”

Lovellian stared at Generic without a word.

SCRITCH. SCRATCH...

His fingers, gripping the gap in the gate, scraped against it. Generic wiped his still-bleeding lower lip with the back of his hand and retreated several steps.

“... Truly outstanding.”

Yggdrasil crumbled away. The heaving ground settled into stillness as well.

“I never imagined you would be this exceptional. I had heard you cast Seventh Circle Blazing Heat Bullet, but to think... you could even cast Spatial Inversion. And the Wind Spirit King, too!”

Generic deliberately raised his voice and laughed heartily, trying not to betray his wounded pride. Eugene would have liked to needle him with a few more barbed remarks, but instead, he lifted the Cloak of Darkness.

“It’s thanks to Mer.”

... He had opened the cloak, but Mer did not emerge. Spatial Inversion, followed by Blazing Heat Bullet. Eugene had cast spells he could not yet handle in succession, and Mer had been unable to escape the burden either.

“... Um... Really.”

He reached inside his cloak and grabbed the hood of Mer, who lay sprawled in its depths. Dragged out like that, she hung limp and dazed.

“Uugh... Ooooh...”

“Good work.”

“It’s over... It’s over, right? I can rest now, right?”

“You don’t sleep anyway.”

“I still need reeest... In all the time I’ve existed... I’ve never felt this much strain...”

Whining, Mer tried to wriggle back into the cloak. But Eugene kept a firm hold on her hood and refused to let her in.

“Wait a little longer.”

“Whyyy...?”

“There’s something you need to hear.”

At those words, Generic’s shoulders trembled. Mer forced her dazed, unfocused eyes to sharpen. Pushing back the hood covering her head, she stared at him.

“... Ah... Right.”

A broad smile spread across her face.

“You won, Eugene. You won your duel against Green Tower Master Generic Osman!”

“Because you helped me.”

“Heh, heheh, eheheh, that’s not true. You could easily have won without me... Heheh, or couldn’t you? Yes, you’re right. You couldn’t have won if I hadn’t helped. Right? I’m right, aren’t I?”

Mer giggled and looked up at Eugene.

“You’re strong even without my help, but you were stronger because I helped. Do you know how hard that was on me? Seriously, it felt like the strain was burning up the formula that constitutes me.”

“That’s quite an exaggeration.”

“Mmm... Yes, you’re right. I am exaggerating. No amount of strain could burn up the formula that constitutes me. After all, it was made by none other than Lady Senya.”

Eugene nodded and stroked Mer’s head. The first time he had done so, she had sharply swatted his hand away, telling him not to overstep. Yet at some point, she had stopped rejecting his touch.

“... Surely you haven’t forgotten?”

Eugene looked at Generic, standing motionless. Unable to say anything, his lips trembled and his face twisted into a ferocious scowl. Forgotten? Of course he remembered. If he lost, he was to kneel, bow his head, and offer a most courteous apology.

“Does having so many spectators make you uncomfortable?”

The towering earthen barrier had already come down. Though they had missed the decisive moment, the spectators had realized which of the two had won. Shocked stares. Whispering voices. All of it was enough to drive Generic mad.

“Hmm.”

With a chuckle, Eugene walked past Lovellian and approached Generic. Once he stood before him, he lightly tapped the ground with his foot.

RUMBLE!

A fresh wall of earth rose around Eugene and Generic.

“Now no one can see. Is this consideration enough for you?”

“... Heh... Heheheh...!”

After staring blankly around him, Generic clenched his fists and let out a laugh.

“Consideration... Consideration, is it...! You really do... make me miserable...!”

“Is even this not enough?”

Eugene’s smile cracked.

“Green Tower Master. I fought you in a duel and won. You were the one who imposed restrictions on yourself, and you were the one who imposed none on me. Surely you didn’t think your victory was guaranteed?”

“...”

“If you did, then you underestimated me far too much. You insulted me. I am a Lionheart, a disciple of Red Tower Master Lovellian Sophis, and the acknowledged successor to Senya the Wise.”

“... If I hadn’t... imposed restrictions...!”

“Who doesn’t know that? I know it, too. Had you restricted yourself to the Seventh Circle instead of the Sixth, I couldn’t have won as ‘easily’ as I just did.”

“... What?”

Generic’s eyes widened as he glared at Eugene.

“Easily? You beat me easily? Me?”

“Does it look like I struggled to win? Green Tower Master, from the beginning of the duel to the end, you moved exactly as I intended.”

“...”

“Let’s give credit where it’s due. You overestimated your own strength. If you had fought without any restrictions and I’d won? Haha! Then I’d have to become the Green Tower Master. Wouldn’t I?”

Generic could say nothing. Everything Eugene said was true, and to dispute it would be to dishonor himself.

“... I will...”

The words he had spoken. The arrogance that had intoxicated him. His excessive faith in himself. His certainty of victory.

“...kneel.”

His contempt for his opponent. His ignorance of what that opponent possessed. His conviction that he was ahead in their battle of wits and controlling his adversary.

“... I will apologize.”

What was honor?

“... For calling you... No, for calling you, a creation of Senya the Wise, a mere familiar. For disregarding your existence, and for my father dissecting you under the pretext of experimentation.”

In truth, he did not want to say it. He did not want to bow his head. Naturally, he did not want to kneel. Apologize? Why should he?

But he had to. No excuse could change the outcome of the duel. He had already lost to someone so much younger. That, at least, could be explained away to some extent by the restrictions placed on the duel. Without them, he would of course have won.

To preserve what little honor he had left, he had to accept the result and keep his word.

“... I apologize for all of it.”

“All right.”

Mer answered with a bright smile. She stepped out of Eugene’s cloak and stood before the kneeling Generic.

“I, Mer Merdein, accept the Green Tower Master’s apology.”

Mer puffed out her chest, planted both hands on her hips, and looked down at Generic. She had an excellent view of his deeply bowed head. Seeing it, she could not help feeling smug. Chuckling to herself, she turned and returned to Eugene.

“Eugene, we did it!”

“Yes, we did.”

Eugene opened his cloak wide for her, but Mer did not go inside. Instead, she clung to his arm and giggled. Even so, her body seemed drained of strength, and she dragged her feet, unable to walk properly.

In the end, Eugene picked her up and sat her on his shoulder. Mer gave a startled cry but quickly settled herself into position.

“This is less comfortable than inside the cloak.”

“Of course it is.”

“I should have a cushion ready for times like this. Or, hmm, Eugene. This cloak can change shape, can’t it? Couldn’t you turn this fluffy fur into a nice, soft cushion?”

“I could, but I don’t want to. What the hell? What kind of lunatic walks around with a cushion attached to his cloak’s shoulder?”

“You can’t even do that much for me when I’m exhausted?”

“No, I can’t. If you don’t like being uncomfortable, go inside the cloak.”

“You’re the one who put me up here!”

“Because it’s better than walking around with you hanging off my arm.”

Eugene refused to reshape the cloak to the very end, and Mer’s lips jutted into a pout.

The raised earthen wall sank back down. In the meantime, Generic had risen and brushed all the dirt from his knees. Yet he could not entirely hide his twisted expression. He glared at Eugene’s turned back, then cast Blink the instant the barrier vanished and left the plaza.

“Why did you hide it?”

Melkith approached in a fuss.

“I wanted to see that bastard of a Green Tower Master kneel and blubber, too!”

“He knelt, but he didn’t blubber.”

“That’s the problem. An apology is only complete when there are tears. If I’d been there, I’d have made that shameless old Green Tower Master bawl his eyes out, snot and all!”

Melkith heaved sigh after sigh in genuine disappointment.

Beside her, Lovellian was watching Eugene. ... It was the first time Lovellian had looked at him with that expression, those eyes. The Pantheon he had summoned still stood tall behind him.

“... Um... Er...”

Eugene smiled awkwardly and tilted his head.

“Are you angry?”

“Yes.”

Lovellian answered without hesitation.

“I am angry. What on earth are you doing, Eugene? Do you know where I went today, and why?”

“... Um... Yes. You went to Abram.”

“Yes. I went to Abram. Eugene, I dislike Abram. I truly dislike it. I doubt any mage likes Abram unless they belong to the court mage corps. That place renders mages powerless.”

With a deep sigh, Lovellian waved a hand. The towering Pantheon turned to mist and disappeared.

“The hearing is over. Aroth’s royal family has confirmed your ownership of Akasha. But the king of Aroth was not present, and someone had to report the details to him and vouch for your worth and your relationship with Aroth.”

That was why Lovellian had been summoned. He was master of Aroth’s Red Tower, an archmage who had supported a part of the kingdom for decades.

“My conversation with His Majesty was quite enjoyable. He understood the situation, too. But having that conversation in Abram was itself unpleasant for me. Still, for you, my disciple, I was more than willing to endure it.”

“Well... Um... I’m sor—”

“Do not apologize.”

Lovellian did not let Eugene finish.

“... But you said you were angry?”

“I am angry! But I am angry because you engaged in a reckless duel. When the Green Tower Master challenged you, you should at least have postponed it, even if you didn’t refuse. You should have discussed with me whether the conditions of a duel against him were ‘fair’!”

“Listen, Red Tower Master. I was there, too. I thought the conditions were quite fair—”

“Be quiet, White Tower Master. You are not Eugene’s teacher.”

I shouldn’t have butted in. Grumbling, Melkith shook her head.

“... Um... So you’re angry because I did as I pleased?”

“Because you were not prudent.”

“But I won.”

“That is why I am telling you not to apologize. However imprudent the duel may have been, you... defeated the master of the Green Tower. An archmage. You won your duel against Generic Osman.”

Lovellian was no longer angry.

“You were outstanding.”

“It’s thanks to me.”

Sitting on Eugene’s shoulder, Mer promptly answered.

“Yes. You were truly outstanding as well, Lady Mer.”

“... Well... Um. If I hadn’t blocked it properly, most of the spectators would have burned to death.”

Melkith, who had been listening quietly, interjected. Lovellian turned toward her with a reluctant expression.

“... You were outstanding.”

“Ahem... Just saying.”

Feeling embarrassed, Melkith averted her eyes.