CH 10

“It doesn’t matter to me, but…”

She turned her head and examined Adandito’s face. Divine power was highly incompatible with magic, so for a priest to stay in the mausoleum was essentially an act of suicide. However, contrary to her concerns, Adandito simply nodded obediently.

“It doesn’t matter. Besides, we need to find Hierian anyway.”

“Well then, I will prepare the accommodations right away.”

Izaya and the other magicians disappeared in an instant. Thanks to that, only me and Adandito remained on the top floor.

‘Come to think of it, where did Dianel go again?’

As I looked around, Adandito asked in a quiet voice.

“By the way, what’s going on here?”

“I just followed along after coming here, so I ended up at the mausoleum.”

“Why?”

“Just out of curiosity, I guess?”

He wanted to show me around the underground, so it wasn’t like he was keeping the teleportation ability a secret. What’s the problem?

As I looked at him with a puzzled expression, Adandito smiled subtly.

“I was worried that perhaps…”

I couldn’t believe that was the reason. I interrupted him with a snap.

“No way! I just got caught up in a magical outburst on the way to the vault.”

“I see.”

“By the way, did you deal with that cat person earlier?”

Did Dianel go back? If so, that’s a relief. I was just trying to find out where the two of them had gone using the teleportation, I didn’t intend to interfere like this. So if Dianel is here too, he must have been planning to escape quickly.

‘It might be better than being in the temple.’

Above all, I was closest to Hierian. Despite having some eccentricities, Hierian was the most human of the three male leads.

‘In the original, he helped the heroine escape and even ended up in a life-threatening situation.’

The Hierian I saw during the expedition was just like the character in the book. That’s why I thought we could become friends. I was really worried when someone who cherished the magical pillar more than his own life disappeared.

‘Where did you go, Hierian?’

As I looked around with an uneasy feeling, a familiar and eerie presence was strongly felt. When I quickly turned my head, someone appeared who hadn’t been seen until now.

Beige hair and ruby-like shining eyes. Dianel, who looked out of place as if he were wearing a costume, approached and stood in front of me. Only his jawline was visible in my line of sight. At the edge of my vision, I could see Dianel’s mouth curling up slightly.

“Lady Siara.”

He reached out his hand to me. I took his hand hesitantly, wondering how he knew my name.

“…Yes, nice to meet you.”

Perhaps he overheard the conversation between Adandito and me. Making judgments on his own, Dianel lowered his upper body towards me. His whispering voice tickled my ear.

“I can sense the power of a fairy. I suppose identity verification should be done in the Empire… If you need help, please let me know. I’ll assist you.”

At that moment, Adandito, who had been silent all along, stepped forward.

“Dianel, she seems troubled.”

Adandito firmly grabbed Dianel’s wrist. Dianel glanced at him for a moment and smirked. It seemed to bother Adandito, as his eyebrows furrowed.

‘What’s going on in this situation?’

Amidst the inexplicable tension, Izaya appeared at the right moment and spoke.

“The room is ready. Shall I guide you?”

As if they had made some kind of agreement, the two of them withdrew from me.

* * *

Izaya assigned us to different accommodations. Thanks to that, Adandito and Dianel went with other wizards, while I followed Izaya.

Throughout the journey, I was captivated by the various features of the magic towers. Hierian had mentioned them, and I had read about them in books, but seeing them in person was completely different.

The magic towers were truly fascinating.

The sky, walls, and floors were filled with magical circuits flowing like wires, surrounded by blooming flowers. They resembled Columbines. As I was gazing in awe, Izaya added an explanation.

“These flowers are called manajang. They are common here but are traded at high prices outside of Hyregia.”

“Is there a reason for that?”

“They are primarily used as restorative potions for wizards, but they are also consumed by non-magical individuals. Since they are flowers overflowing with mana, consuming them stimulates the latent magic within and allows non-magical individuals to manifest magical abilities. Becoming a wizard enhances one’s physical health, as if being reborn, so many people with incurable diseases purchase them with hope and anticipation.”

“But are there no side effects?”

Eating them could potentially cure incurable diseases and, if lucky, even trigger the manifestation of magical abilities. Where else could you find a better herbal remedy? It might not work, but if there’s a possibility, it was worth a try.

‘Becoming a wizard is like an instant rise in status.’

Wizards were treated as high-ranking nobles in most social classes. Therefore, commoners often dreamed of manifesting as wizards. A flower that increased the likelihood of that happening, as long as the side effects weren’t severe, was worth attempting.

As I looked at her with an intrigued gaze, Izaya gave a vague smile.

“Why not give it a try?”

With an ambiguous response, she playfully placed her hand on the wall. Suddenly, the solid stone wall turned transparent. Through the transparent glass, the entire Hyregia region became visible.

“Magic towers are entirely made of mana, so we can change the material anytime. The wall was just made of stone earlier, but we usually make it transparent.”

“Does magic become stronger within the line of sight?”

“Yes. That’s why the crime rate in Hyregia is extremely low. Once someone commits a crime, tracking starts from the magic towers, and it’s nearly impossible to escape.”

Izaya smiled at me. I didn’t understand why she suddenly brought up this topic, but I smiled back.

Awkward smiles, a subtle atmosphere. Just as I felt it, Izaya spoke softly.

“But, Miss Siara… Are you really not Hierian?”

“I thought we were done discussing that.”

Could it be that the reason Adandito, Dianel, and I were separated was for this? Going as far as making the magic tower transparent to talk about crime rates?

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Izaya hurriedly took my hand in hers.

“Then how do you explain this?”

Her gaze pointed towards the “Eora’s Blessing” ring. I wondered what was happening and shifted my gaze. And at that moment, I gasped in disbelief at the unbelievable sight.

“…Unbelievable.”

For some reason, the pink gem was now tinted purple. Inside the gem, where a fairy had been asleep, there was a violet current flowing.

“…Mana?”

In a state of confusion, I removed the ring, and Izaya scolded me as she spoke.

“Hierian, did you really think you were going to conspire with the High Priest to deceive us about the current situation? You know better than anyone how serious the situation is!”

“Oh, no. I…”

“Then how do you explain this? This ring, which was measured for divine power, is now filled with mana.”

It seemed like Izaya was deeply angered. With the impending rampage of the magical pillar right in front of her, it was understandable that she would feel frustrated if her employer didn’t take the situation seriously. But I wasn’t the Hierian, and I didn’t know why the ring suddenly changed its properties. I just felt unjustly treated.

“I really don’t know! I never knew how to use magic in the first place.”

“If you insist on claiming that until the end… Fine. Then let’s go up to the top floor together and try opening the door to the ‘Restricted Area: No Access for Non-Administrators.’ That door can only be opened by Hierian, so if it doesn’t open, I will give up cleanly as well.”

She firmly grasped my wrist and started walking, making it impossible for me to escape. Despite her delicate appearance, her grip was forceful, and various thoughts swirled in my mind.

‘Restricted Area: No Access for Non-Administrators? They say only Hierian can enter. What if something bad happens when I open it?’

There was something that Hierian told me during the time of the purge. He said there was a reason for everything he told me not to do. And if I ever visit Hyregia, I shouldn’t take his words lightly.

‘The regulations created by the magicians are quite strict. It’s better to follow them as much as possible. You never know what traps might be waiting.’

As Hierian’s words came to mind, I stood my ground and didn’t move any further before Izaya could say anything.

“I will open the door. However, please guarantee that there won’t be any problems even if someone other than an administrator opens the door.”

Upon hearing that, Izaya looked surprised, which was a rare expression on her face.

“…What if something goes wrong? There won’t be any problems. It’s a door that has been designed to be opened only by administrators from the beginning, so there are no traps or anything like that.”

“How can I believe that?”

Hierian also told me something. ‘Always keep a record of agreements with the magicians.’ 

Otherwise, I might get betrayed or something like that.

At the time, I wondered why he said such things, but now I realized they were all useful.

‘Thanks, Hierian.’

So, no matter where you are, please come back soon and clear up this misunderstanding. I stared at Izaya, capturing my inner thoughts. Then she sighed and nodded.

“Understood. I will make sure to keep a record.”

“Also, if I can’t open the door, please apologize properly for the misunderstanding.”

“Of course.”

And yet, with an uneasy expression, Izaya spoke as if there was nothing she could do.

“Furthermore, just by attempting to open the door, I will grant you the VIP membership of Hyregia.”

“…VIP?”

There’s always something. As I looked at her with blurred eyes, Izaya quickly continued explaining.