Chapter 33 - Damn Reincarnation

Red Tower

Bolero Street opened on nights when the moon was full. The next one was a week away.

Eugene gave up trying to understand Gargis. The bastard was already so big it seemed excessive, yet even that wasn't enough—he wanted to buy a giant's balls and chew them up.

"I'm not going to chew them up," Gargis replied, his expression turning serious.

"Then are you going to steam them?"

"Making medicine out of them will be much more effective than cooking and eating them myself."

"So you'll grind them up and drink them."

"I'll give you some, too."

"Don't need it."

"Why? From what I've heard, giant testicles are excellent not only for muscle growth, but also for sexual stamina."

Gargis's eyes were earnest. He continued as he sliced his tough, lean meat.

"They're also packed with mana. It's a tonic you couldn't get your hands on even if you wanted to."

"You can have it all."

Eugene understood that it was a healthy tonic, but he simply had no desire to eat a giant's balls. Once they were made into a potion, no trace of their original, disgusting appearance would remain, but that wouldn't change what he knew they were.

"I don't understand. Even ordinary healing potions are made from troll hearts and blood. Mana potions use mana stones and monster parts as ingredients, too."

"Not balls, though."

"Animal testicles are often used as gourmet ingredients."

"You can have it all."

"Don't regret this later."

"I won't," Eugene grumbled, sipping his tea.

"... But why do we need disguises?"

After the meal, Gargis spoke up while sipping egg whites as though they were a beverage.

"... It wouldn't look good for someone from the main family to openly frequent an illegal street."

"Hmm, true."

"Even if the street is tacitly permitted to operate, nothing good comes of needless scandal."

"You're right."

Gargis nodded admiringly.

"I don't intend to do anything shameful there, but there's no need to let unnecessary rumors spread. For the family's prestige, if nothing else."

"Right. Prestige."

Eugene leaned his head back slightly as he agreed. He had a hearty appetite himself, but it was nothing compared to Gargis's. The bastard had polished off several slabs of dry meat, and now he was drinking egg whites without a single dash of seasoning. Inevitably, his mouth reeked of raw eggs.

"... Brush your teeth when you're done."

"Don't insult my sense of hygiene."

"Just brush them. And put on some cologne, too."

"I'm not ashamed of my body odor. But do I need a disguise as well?"

"Hmm..."

Eugene grimaced. He had planned to simply throw on a robe, but Gargis was far too enormous for that to solve anything.

"... You won't need a disguise."

"Why not?"

"Because you couldn't hide that bulk even if you tried."

"Thank you," Gargis replied with a broad smile. Once again, he had taken a remark about his size as a compliment.

'He'll be holed up in the auction house anyway, so it shouldn't matter.'

Eugene was the one who needed a disguise. He was certain Eward would visit Bolero Street on the coming full-moon night. Addicted to a succubus and suffering from nervous anxiety, Eward clearly lacked the willpower to overcome his withdrawal symptoms.

'If he had that kind of willpower to begin with, he wouldn't have ended up like that.'

Something bothered him.

The signs of Eward's vitality being drained were painfully obvious, and rumors were even circulating. There was no way Lovellian didn't know about his behavior.

Had he left it unchecked? No, there was no reason for him to do that. Eugene would have to hear Lovellian's side of the story first. With that thought, he stood up.

"I'm heading back."

"Already? I'll be training soon. Why don't you join me? If we compare our physiques, you'll clearly see the difference between us."

"No thanks."

"Wait."

Gargis spoke emphatically. He pushed the dishes aside and rose to his full, massive height. Then he drew a deep breath, placed both hands on his hips, and spread and swelled his chest muscles.

POP-POP-POP!

The buttons, trembling pitifully under the strain, shot off like bullets. Having shed his shirt that way, Gargis sat down, flexing the muscles of his upper body.

"Let's arm-wrestle."

"... Why?"

"I've wanted to arm-wrestle you for four years," Gargis said, his eyes shining. He set his enormous arm on the dining table and got into position.

"No mana. We'll compete purely with physical strength."

It was an absurd suggestion. But rather than refuse, Eugene sat down opposite him.

"It won't be any fun without stakes. Let's make a bet."

"What kind?"

"If I win, you wear cologne from now on. And stop offering me muscle-growth tonics."

"Agreed. But if I win, you'll accept my kindness without complaining."

Gargis grinned, baring his teeth. Eugene took off his outer garment and rolled up his sleeves. Gargis glanced at his forearm.

'Not bad... but not enough.'

Gargis was certain he would win. Their hands clasped, the difference in size overwhelming.

"We start on three."

"Yeah."

"May I count?"

"Doesn't matter."

"One, two."

CRACKLE.

Gargis's muscles tensed. Eugene sharpened his senses, refraining from prematurely tensing his own muscles.

"Three."

THUD!

It was over in an instant. Gargis stared at his hand in disbelief. His fully swollen muscles had been forced backward before he could properly unleash his strength. Once his arm was halfway down, strength was of little use. If anything, his oversized arm muscles only made it hit the surface sooner.

"I won."

Eugene immediately got up and put his outer garment back on.

"... How did you win?"

"Technique, timing, instinct."

Eugene patted Gargis's shoulder as he passed.

"Wear cologne next time."

Without looking back, Eugene walked straight out of the restaurant.

* * *

As soon as Eugene returned to the Red Tower, Lovellian summoned him. He had been considering asking about Eward, so the timing was perfect.

'Come to think of it, this is my first time visiting the tower master's quarters.'

As befitted his position, Lovellian occupied the tower's entire top floor. Without his invitation, no amount of magical power poured into the elevator would take anyone up there.

'I can more or less guess why he called.'

It was probably because of the magic he had performed in front of Hera. She had nearly fainted from shock when the cabrium golem she had been so confident in toppled backward.

Eugene had been surprised as well, though not to the same extent. There had been no ore called cabrium in his previous life, but regardless, he had knocked down a golem made of that hard material with the very first spell he had cast.

His magic had been more powerful than he had imagined. Frankly, he hadn't expected much from his first attempt, but with that much power, it seemed perfectly usable in real combat. Once he grew more accustomed to casting and expanded his range of spells, he would be able to put it to all sorts of good use.

'He wouldn't have called me here just to praise me.'

It felt as though he was going to receive a gift.

Eugene sensed it instinctively, and the anticipation brought a grin to his face.

He stepped out of the elevator and walked a short way down the corridor. Beyond the wide-open doors, Lovellian rose to his feet and welcomed Eugene with a warm smile.

"Ah, you're here."

"If I'd known you would call for me, I wouldn't have gone out. I'm sorry."

"Please don't say that. I'm the one who summoned you without notice. First, sit wherever you're comfortable."

What had been only a feeling became a certainty. Lovellian's voice wasn't merely full of goodwill—it was overflowing with it.

'I'll ask about Eward after I get whatever it is.'

It wasn't his intention, but depending on how his questions sounded, they might come across as an interrogation. Main-family member or not, it would be disrespectful for Eugene, who was so much younger, to pry into a tower master's affairs.

'... How old was he again? I heard he was nearly a hundred...'

Lovellian was older even if Eugene added his previous life's years to his age. That thought felt rather strange. Of all the people Eugene had met so far, Lovellian alone was older than he was.

"Um... So, what did you want to see me about?"

Eugene asked that first. He saw no need for idle small talk. Everything that happened in the tower was probably reported to Lovellian anyway.

"First, take a look at this."

At a motion of Lovellian's finger, the recommendation floated out of a drawer and flew over to Eugene.

"... A letter of recommendation?"

Eugene's eyes widened as he read it.

'Akron? My God.'

Eugene knew that name, too. The distinguished royal library had been famous even three hundred years ago. It housed the very essence of the magic Aroth took such pride in. However vast the magic towers' collections of spellbooks might be, they couldn't compare to Akron's in quality.

"... I think this is far more than I deserve."

He wanted to leap up with a cheer, but for now Eugene spoke hesitantly. The words weren't entirely insincere. Akron had held a lofty status even three hundred years ago, and it wasn't a place just anyone could enter.

"I don't think so."

Lovellian shook his head and continued.

"On the contrary, I believe now is precisely the right time for you to enter Akron, Eugene."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because you haven't delved deeply into magic yet."

"Then doesn't that make it more than I deserve?"

"No. Because you haven't delved deeply into it yet, countless possibilities still lie ahead of you. Replacing circles with a core is easy enough to say, but it should be impossible at your age. Yet you've accomplished it."

Eugene considered what expression he should wear. Should he smile proudly? Or act humble?

"... Thank you."

He did both. Bowing his head, Eugene fidgeted with his fingers and made a conscious effort to hide his pleased smile.

"Akron has many outstanding spellbooks. You may not be able to begin practicing their contents right away, but simply reading and committing them to memory will broaden your knowledge. Someday, that knowledge will nourish your magic and allow it to shine."

Calling them outstanding spellbooks didn't begin to do them justice. Akron housed not only ancient magic passed down from the age of myth, but also the writings of sages hailed as the greatest of their respective eras throughout its long history.

"... There's something I'd like to ask."

Eugene hesitated briefly before continuing.

"Does Akron have Lady Senya's writings, too?"

"Of course."

Lovellian smiled proudly.

"The Red Tower and Green Tower do have some of Lady Senya's writings. But the original three volumes of 'Witch Craft,' which she wrote in her later years, are kept in Akron."

The greatest spellbook in Aroth's history. A work in which Senya the Wise had reviewed all her magic and distilled its essence into three volumes. Witch Craft was Aroth's treasure, and no copies existed.

"Only the first volume is available to readers, but that alone will provide enough knowledge that you won't need to consult other spellbooks. I... Haha. When I first read the first volume of Witch Craft, I ruefully thought that the magic I'd spent my entire life learning had been nothing but child's play."

"... Ah..."

"This recommendation won't necessarily turn into an entry pass for Akron, but I wanted to hear your wishes first. Eugene, would it be all right for me to write you a recommendation?"

"Of course it would. I'm just concerned that my shortcomings might put you in a difficult position, Tower Master."

'Of course it's all right, you bastard. Why ask something so obvious?' Keeping those thoughts to himself, Eugene bowed his head.

"A difficult position... Haha! Please don't worry about that. This hardly qualifies as a difficulty for me."

Lovellian spoke with a bitter smile. The emotion in his voice, the sigh he hadn't let out... Eugene raised his head slightly to study his expression.

"... Master Lovellian."

"Yes, go ahead."

"Well... Um... There's something I'd like to discuss about my older brother, Eward."

He had seen the recommendation. He had heard the promise to write it, too. Surely Lovellian wouldn't retract his words just because he took a little offense now. Someone who held the position of tower master couldn't be that petty.

"It's something I heard on my first day in Aroth... Apparently, instead of devoting himself to his magical studies, Eward is enjoying himself on a disreputable street..."

"Ah..."

Just as he'd thought.

Lovellian knew about Eward's misconduct.

"Eward and I aren't biological brothers, but as family sharing the same surname, I'm worried about him. Back at the main family, too... the family head and his wife are concerned about him."

"I'm... not sure what to say about this."

Unable to continue immediately, Lovellian scratched his head.

"Eugene, what do you know about Eward's wayward pursuits?"

"... I heard he's spending time with a succubus on Bolero Street."

"First of all, that is true."

Lovellian let out a short sigh.

"I know about it as well, and I've warned him several times. But I haven't been able to stop him."

"..."

"Succubi... They're well-known dream demons. In the past, before Helmuth opened its borders, many people died after succubi drained all their vitality."

Eugene knew that very well.

"But since Helmuth opened its borders, the attitudes of the Demon Kings and demons have changed a great deal. The same goes for succubi. Of course, they still drain vitality, but they no longer kill people as they once did. The queen of the dream demons in Helmuth strictly forbids it."

"That doesn't make my brother's behavior right."

"Yes, of course not."

Lovellian paused. He gazed at Eugene with a bitter expression.

"Please try to be a little understanding of Eward."

"... Pardon?"

"Eward left the main family and came to Aroth four years ago. He arrived with great expectations, but... his aptitude failed to live up to them."

"..."

"He suffered countless setbacks. Samuel and I... Ah, Samuel is the mage who teaches Eward. In any case, we did our utmost to help him overcome his discouragement, but... sadly, it didn't go well."

They had allowed him to remain in the tower despite his lack of aptitude. They had freely offered advice on magic, tried teaching him personally, and even organized various spellbooks to recommend to him.

"Cultivation of oneself is something one must undertake on one's own. Pressure from others cannot inspire genuine devotion. And Eward's position inevitably brings expectations with it."

"..."

"I thought perhaps he should be allowed some room to breathe... while warning him not to take it too far. Without even that, Eward would have broken down long ago."

It wasn't an incomprehensible argument. Eugene had lived with the main family for four years, too. He knew how irritable Theonis was, and how cunning Anisilla could be. Cyan and Ciel had been born with ambition as well as talent. Both wanted to become family head to meet the expectations of those around them and fulfill their own ambitions.

What about Eward? Eugene had heard that he had been timid since childhood, more interested in magic than martial training. Ever since Cyan and Ciel were born, Theonis had constantly impressed upon her son the importance of his position. With his hopes dashed, Eward probably hadn't returned to the main family because he preferred life in Aroth to that suffocating household.

'Even so, a succubus is going too far.'

He understood that Eward's situation was pitiable.

But a succubus was a step too far. However much they changed their attitudes and smiled, demons were still demons. They could never truly mix with humans. Eugene—Hamel—knew that fact all too well.

"I understand."

Eugene nodded.

'First, I'll see it for myself.'

He understood that Eward's circumstances were pitiable, but he still needed to see just how Eward was giving himself room to breathe.