POV Leo Cromon
I went to my house to let my parents know that I would be moving out of the city.
My mother was in shock, arguing that with the fortune I had obtained, we could buy a mansion anywhere. However, I turned down the idea, explaining that I had a very specific location in mind and that I had more than enough money for it.
I needed to register the tower in my name. Thanks to the massive amount of treasure we brought back, my family had bought titles of nobility; we no longer belonged to the working class. My mother knew how to manage the wealth very well. My father, on the other hand, not so much. He constantly begged her for loans, which she always refused—after all, she had already handed over 10,000 gold coins to him. Yes, the vault contained much more than that. My father's debt alone was worth more than the wealth of a small kingdom. Our kingdom is the largest and most developed in the region, though it is nowhere near its true potential.
Thanks to the wish granted by the Genie, I acquired a vast intellectual background. Now, I even knew what kind of entity operated through those wishes. Genies of the lamp are, in essence, powerful divinities that reached such an absurd level of strength that they ended up sealed and forced to serve mortals. These entities are usually incredibly ancient gods or spirits, as only beings with an eternal lifespan could accumulate that much power. No human has ever reached that threshold, because we lack the necessary control. Even I, who now possess the theoretical formula on how to reach that level, lack the practical control to do so—and honestly, I don't even want to.
It is a true trap. As soon as a being approaches that threshold of power, the angels seal them away using light magic. Those are the rules of the universe: anyone who challenges the established limit is imprisoned. Judging by her appearance, I would venture to guess that our Genie is the Goddess of Fire. Gods always carry the physical characteristics of their primordial elements; her fire-red hair and ice-blue eyes revealed everything.
The fact that magic lamps are so rare is due to the scarcity of beings capable of reaching that peak. Obviously, when the god of an element is imprisoned, they do not lose their divinity; the only difference is that they become chained to the rules of the artifact. Generally, when gods fall into this trap, they are only condemned once. If someone frees them permanently, they will regain their full freedom. In our world, when we cast magic, we are actually borrowing the power of these gods, either through incantations or through pure mental intent once we are used to it. To channel this, we need to undergo a baptism ritual to be blessed by the gods who deem us worthy. That ritual never granted a core to anyone, but now the world is different: because of the wish I planned and witnessed, I can see that everyone around me is already born with and possesses a magic core.
Well, my immediate goal was to buy the land in that region of the desert. Thanks to the map, I could point out the exact location of the territory I wished to acquire. Normally, the procedure requires an audience with the Kingdom's Minister of Finance. The realm has several ministers, but the king always has the final say. Thanks to my new noble status, I was able to cut the line. Although I despise doing this—as I know exactly how frustrating it is to see a noble cut in front of everyone else—I will use this system to build a better world with a more advanced government, even if it takes generations.
The minister analyzed the point indicated on the map and frowned:
"Wasn't this place just an empty desert? Why does a structure appear on your map?"
"I found a way to erect a tower there, and I would like to register it as my private property," I replied directly.
The minister scolded me, saying I should have bought the land before starting construction. I had to pay a heavy fine because of it, but with the fortune I carried in my magic bag, that meant absolutely nothing.
I headed toward the location mounted on a camel. The journey took some time until, finally, I spotted a gigantic silhouette breaking the horizon. So, this was the tower? I approached the structure, walked up the immense entrance steps, and found myself on a colossal floor filled with shelves of books. I showed no immediate interest in the works displayed there; my true purpose in this place was to test my practical knowledge by forging artifacts, organize the collection, and eventually pass on what I know to the world. After all, after absorbing so much information, I understood that there is no use in forcing knowledge onto people. There are many truths in the universe that the human mind simply prefers not to know. With that thought, I walked into a private room and began my experiments.
POV Royal Mage Grendan
After seeing my daughter safe and sound, my heart finally found peace. My sole purpose in life was to save her. I had become the Royal Mage with the faint hope that, using the king's influence, I might find other mages capable of curing her. Thanks to my track record and my relentless search, I ended up crossing paths with a youth who held something far beyond my expectations: a magic lamp. I coordinated the terms with him, and as planned, I would bring the artifact to the monarch.
As the Royal Mage, I had met with the king countless times. On every occasion, he proved to be an impeccable leader—precise and extremely strategic in the face of any crisis. I entered the throne room and knelt before the sovereign. I explained the origin of the magic lamp and gave a stern warning: that object contained an immeasurable power, capable of corrupting and driving anyone insane if they made the wrong choice.
The king perfectly understood the warning and didn't even make a move to rub the metal. He ordered it to be stored away and, to my surprise, revealed that he already possessed several of them hidden within his personal treasury. He never used them precisely because he understood the hidden danger they posed. Think about it: a king who can manifest any wish for his subjects would fundamentally become a living god. For that reason, the monarch kept the lamps only as a supreme symbol of hidden power, with no intention of ever using them unless the kingdom faced an apocalyptic threat.