The Head of the Magic Tower
The mention of Helgor snapped Elsie to attention as though someone had doused her with cold water.
"Wait! Please, come this way!"
"What is it? Hel—"
"Shh! Shhhhh!"
Elsie desperately pressed her index finger against her lips, her eyes widening.
Seeing the pleading look in her eyes as she silently begged him to follow her somewhere private, Vermoor slowly began walking.
When he followed without resistance, Elsie breathed a sigh of relief and led him toward a corner of the lobby.
On the way, she stopped a nearby colleague and hurriedly whispered something into their ear.
The colleague's face turned pale. They immediately gathered several others and began removing the witch's corpse.
"Over here."
They arrived at a secluded corner of the lobby, partially concealed by pillars and curtains.
The space had been arranged so cleverly that someone passing by would never have noticed there was a room behind them. It appeared to have been carefully planned from the very beginning of the Magic Tower's construction.
At the same time, Vermoor sensed a subtle disturbance in the surrounding air.
He could feel the orderly flow of Mana arranged throughout the space.
Although he did not recognize it, this was sophisticated soundproofing magic designed to prevent voices from escaping.
"Mr. Vermoor! Did you just say she was a witch of Helgor? Where did you hear that name!?"
"I read it in the witch's journal."
Vermoor took the old journal from inside his clothing and handed it to her.
Elsie accepted it with trembling hands and quickly skimmed through the contents. With each page she turned, her complexion grew increasingly pale.
"Ah……!"
A short gasp escaped her lips.
Her face drained of color, Elsie glanced around once more before lowering her voice.
"Helgor…… It's not exactly a secret, but it's better to avoid mentioning that name whenever possible. It's taboo in the Magic Tower. The older Mages, especially, start trembling with rage at the mere mention of Helgor."
"Is that so?"
"The younger Mages aren't quite that extreme, but you should still be careful. It's an easy way to get yourself on someone's bad side."
The Mages of Helgor did not regard human beings as people.
To them, the human body was merely an object of investigation, a subject for experimentation, and a source of research materials.
Their entire magical system was rooted in human experimentation. Having violated countless taboos, they had long since been permanently expelled from the magical community.
Even in the present day, Helgor continued to face fierce opposition, particularly from elderly Mages who had personally witnessed its atrocities.
"Then that witch's head must be worth quite a bit."
That was Vermoor's only reaction to the explanation.
Elsie stared at him blankly for a moment before nodding.
"Well, that's true. I'm planning to report this directly to the Head of the School. Besides the bounty, you should receive at least a Gold Seal."
"A Gold Seal? What's that?"
"Exactly what you've been looking for, Mr. Vermoor! Something that proves your credibility with the Magic Tower! When the Magic Tower awards a Gold Seal to an outsider, it's proof that they've made a significant contribution to the tower. Perhaps they played an important role in advancing magic, or donated an enormous amount of money……."
"Or eliminated someone they despised?"
Elsie nodded.
"A Gold Seal from Tenever, one of the Four Great Main Schools, also carries considerable authority as a travel credential. It would even allow you to enter Sylvrant's Inner City without much difficulty."
Sylvrant's Inner City.
The Linked Quest, The Witch of the Sewers, had originally required him to enter Sylvrant's Inner City at some point.
That had become unnecessary because he had found the witch immediately, but there might be other occasions when he needed access to the Inner City.
"That sounds useful."
"Right? I'm telling you, it's an incredible honor!"
"Is that the only reward?"
"Pardon?"
Elsie blinked at Vermoor's question.
"Well, yes…… Isn't that already an exceptionally generous reward?"
"Hmm. Wouldn't they also let me choose a magical item from the Magic Tower's treasure vault?"
Elsie let out an incredulous laugh.
"Oh, come on, Mr. Vermoor! Capturing a witch of Helgor is certainly a major accomplishment, but it isn't worth that much! Do you have any idea what the Magic Tower's treasure vault is? They would never let an outsider inside! As far as I know, no one has ever been permitted to enter without at least receiving a Platinum Seal!"
"I see."
Vermoor answered calmly, but inwardly, he was puzzled.
Hyunwoo's book had clearly stated that he would also receive a magical item.
Still, the book's contents were not necessarily absolute.
'Hyunwoo wasn't an actual god. He couldn't possibly know everything that would happen in this world.'
Vermoor calmly accepted the discrepancy between the book's information and reality.
"Then please wait here. I'll report this to the Head of the School immediately. And this time, you absolutely, positively, must wait! Do you understand?"
Elsie repeated her warning several times, as though admonishing a disobedient child.
Then she gathered her skirts and hurried up toward the upper floors of the Magic Tower.
Vermoor watched her retreating figure before leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.
There was nothing particularly urgent this time.
He decided to wait patiently.
Smoke rose from the highest floor of the Tenever School throughout the year.
This was the private chamber of Turkan, the leader and Head of the School.
However, nobody referred to it as an office.
Anvils and furnaces were scattered everywhere, sparks flew constantly, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of heated metal.
By any reasonable standard, it was a fully equipped forge.
Amid the intense heat, a small figure wandered about, dragging a cloak considerably longer than its owner's height.
The old man, whose thick beard extended to his chest, was not human.
He belonged to the diminutive race known as Dwarves.
Every day, he shut himself away here, heating iron, hammering metal, and engraving magic circles as he pursued the ultimate limits of metallurgy and the Path of Magic.
BANG!
"Head of the School! Sir!"
The door to that sacred workshop suddenly flew open, allowing the commotion of the outside world to intrude.
Turkan, who had been about to pick up a glowing red-hot iron ingot, stopped and bellowed.
"Elsie, you little brat! How many times have I told you not to open the door like that!? You're letting the heat escape! The heat!"
"I-I'm sorry! It's urgent!"
Elsie bowed repeatedly, struggling to catch her breath.
She quickly reported everything that had happened downstairs concerning the Witch of the Sewers, including the discovery of her connection to the Helgor School.
"What? That sewer rat hiding underground was from Helgor?"
Turkan's eyes widened furiously.
The reason Mages generally built tall towers was that Mana became purer the closer one approached the heavens.
For the same reason, those who wished to abandon worldly distractions and devote themselves entirely to magic often secluded themselves atop mountains.
However, the Helgor School was the complete opposite.
Its followers believed that the filthy, turbid Mana found deep beneath the earth was the primordial force from which all things originated.
"Those dirt-crawling bastards dared sneak into Tenever's territory? While I'm still alive and watching over this place?"
"But you didn't even know they were underground until just now."
Glare.
Elsie flinched beneath Turkan's piercing gaze.
What a terrible slip of the tongue!
Desperate to change the subject, she quickly explained how Vermoor had eliminated the witch and recovered her research journal.
Her simple diversion worked.
Turkan's interest shifted toward the Barbarian in her story.
"Isn't that the Barbarian who smashed several of the iron training dummies I made?"
"Yes. That's him."
"Who exactly is that fellow? Could he be a spy sent by Helgor?"
"What? No, no, Head of the School. He's not a Mage. He's just an incredibly strong warrior."
"That body of his defies common sense! How else could he tear my dummies apart like that unless Helgor had modified him?"
At that very moment, Turkan's perception was focused on the first floor.
Within his tower, he could freely extend his senses to any location he wished.
"Barbarians are a race known for becoming absurdly strong, aren't they? Maybe he was simply born that way."
"Even taking that into account, he isn't normal. There's not a single speck of Mana in his body, yet he possesses that much physical strength? Unless he's undergone some sort of physical mutation through Helgor's magic……."
Turkan stroked his beard thoughtfully.
Was that body a natural phenomenon, or had it been altered through Helgor's forbidden arts?
He could not determine the answer immediately.
Still, whichever explanation proved correct, the Barbarian was certainly worth observing.
If it was the former, his existence would be evidence of the mysteries of nature itself.
If it was the latter, he would be a valuable specimen for uncovering the secrets of Helgor's magic.
"Either way, his abilities seem genuine, so keep a close eye on him. If there are no traces of Helgor's influence, find some way to keep him on our side. That fellow is something special."
"If that's the case, why not take him as your disciple?"
"Don't be ridiculous, you brat! What magic could a Barbarian possibly learn? Let's see…… He's a simple savage, so I suppose giving him a present would make him happy. Open the Beginner Vault and let him choose something to take."
Elsie's eyes widened.
"Are you sure? Even the Beginner Vault contains valuable magical items."
"What could an ignorant Barbarian possibly choose that's worth worrying about? He'll probably pick up a jeweled sword or a sturdy leather shield. It doesn't matter. Go ahead and show him some generosity."
"Yes, understood!"
Having completed her report, Elsie began descending the tower.
However, halfway down the staircase, she suddenly stopped.
She had remembered something Vermoor had said earlier in the secluded corner of the lobby.
—Wouldn't they also let me choose a magical item from the Magic Tower's treasure vault?
At the time, she had dismissed the suggestion as utterly ridiculous.
The Magic Tower's treasure vault was practically sacred ground, a place that was almost never opened to outsiders.
And yet, the Head of the School had just made precisely the same offer, almost as though he had read Vermoor's mind.
Or perhaps it was the other way around.
It was almost as though Vermoor had somehow foreseen the future—
"Oh, come on. Surely not……."
Elsie laughed awkwardly, trying to shake off the strange feeling that had begun taking root in her mind.
Then she continued toward the first floor.
The weather was rather chilly today, and goosebumps had risen along her arms.
At the end of a corridor inside the Magic Tower stood an iron door considerably thicker than any of the others.
It looked sturdy enough that even three or four strong men working together would fail to budge it.
Elsie touched several symbols engraved on the door and activated the distinctive Mana of Tenever.
With a low rumble, the heavy door opened.
The chamber beyond was more spacious than Vermoor had expected.
Dozens of shelves stood in tiers along the walls, filled with all manner of objects arranged in seemingly random order.
However, Vermoor sensed the Mana surrounding them and immediately understood.
Although the items appeared to have been placed haphazardly, they were actually classified according to the quantity and nature of the Mana they contained.
There was gray powder sealed inside glass bottles, daggers engraved with faint ancient characters, and lead boxes containing unidentified objects.
There were also a remarkable number of books.
They filled an entire wall, with additional volumes stacked across the floor.
'For a Beginner Vault, this is much larger than I expected.'
Then again, a higher-grade treasure vault containing only the finest treasures would probably be much smaller.
After all, truly precious items would hardly be piled up in such quantities.
The Beginner Vault was a place overflowing with magical devices and artifacts that possessed at least some practical value.
With so many items to store, it was only natural that the chamber would be enormous.
"Now then, please choose whichever item you like."
Elsie spread her arms with a friendly smile.
However, Vermoor was lost in thought.
Sometimes, having too many choices could be a disadvantage.
Without a clear standard to guide him, he could easily lose himself in this vast forest of treasures.
"Do you happen to have a magical device that could turn me into a Mage?"
"Oh, come on. If anyone could become a Mage just by using a single item, things would be much simpler, wouldn't they? And even if such an item existed, it certainly wouldn't be kept in the Beginner Vault."
"I suppose you're right."
Her explanation made sense.
Vermoor nodded and returned to his thoughts.
'Should I simply choose the item with the strongest Mana?'
Vermoor could sense Mana.
However, he was not certain whether that alone would be a reliable standard for judging the items.
As he felt the numerous overlapping waves of Mana circulating throughout the vault, he took a book from inside his clothing.
"Would you mind if I read this while making my selection?"
"Of course! Go right ahead."
Elsie readily agreed, covering her mouth as she quietly chuckled.
Had he asked a Mage he knew to write down instructions for selecting magical items?
He had seemed so frightening at first, but now that she looked at him more closely, perhaps there was something unexpectedly endearing about him.
Oblivious to her thoughts, Vermoor continued turning the pages.
[#Linked Quest: The Witch of the Sewers
*How to Choose the Beginner-Grade Magical Device Reward: First, the three best items are listed below.
Magnetite Sword—Generates a powerful magnetic force. However, be careful, as it may attract your own weapons as well.
Mercury's Hand—Allows the user to shape the mercury covering its surface into any desired form. Can be used as a variety of weapons.
Windwanderer Boots—Boots that gather wind to assist movement. An essential early-game item that increases movement speed and endurance.
These three are the most valuable items in Tenever's Beginner Vault. Other worthwhile options, depending on the situation, include…….]
Vermoor did not look particularly satisfied as he read Hyunwoo's notes.
None of the options seemed especially appealing.
'The Magnetite Sword would interfere with my own sword, and while the glove is versatile, its durability is disappointing. It wouldn't be much different from the weapons sold at market stalls. That leaves the boots, I suppose.'
The book introduced several other choices, but none caught his interest.
After wandering around for quite some time, Vermoor finally stopped beside a dust-covered shelf in a corner of the storeroom.
An empty bottle lay there, resembling a discarded salt container.
"What's this?"
"Oh? Well, I'm not sure. I can't sense any Mana from it, so it doesn't seem to be a magical device. Someone must have left it behind when they visited the storeroom."
That was Elsie's assessment.
However, Vermoor's senses were telling him something entirely different.