Chapter 39: What Were You Doing
I went looking for the Tower Master because I had something to ask, but as luck would have it, nobody seemed to know where she was. Not even Senior Scarface who was passing by.
“She’s probably right next to you, on top of you, behind you, or below you, Esteemed Junior.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that it’s you, Esteemed Junior, who spends every single day glued to the Tower Master, so how would I know where she is?”
That was the kind of response I got. If someone heard that, they’d think I was sleeping with the Tower Master and showering with her too.
Of course, that sort of thing did happen occasionally.
Like those times when we ended up dozing off after late-night research sessions or the Tower Master washing me while I dozed off in the shower.
But that didn’t mean anything scandalous occurred. This was the third thing I was most concerned about in my life at the Magic Tower: relationships with the opposite sex.
Once you start being conscious of each other in that way, it becomes endlessly awkward. There’s no turning back. After all, isn’t it said that a single wrong confession can send a relationship built over many years crashing down?
The Tower Master was like family to me. I didn’t want to risk drifting apart over a silly mistake.
And here’s where almighty Illusion Magic comes into play. I was able to prevent any physical reactions even when I felt a little Eros creeping in. Blushing and all that.
Anyway.
The reason I was looking for the Tower Master was to ask about ways to boost my combat power. After my fierce battle with the Guardian Golem during the last outing, I realized that using Illusion Magic thoughtlessly could get me smacked upside the head like some duster.
So, I prepared various countermeasures, but whether they would actually work was still unknown.
I wanted the Tower Master to test them and thought I might need some career counseling too. Hadn’t I seen the First Princess unleash a storm zone and become a Flying Princess? Having witnessed that, I couldn’t just sit idle.
Metamorphosis.
I wanted to achieve Metamorphosis too.
The First Princess’s Wind Gloves were magic I could use as well. I specialized in Illusion Magic, so it wasn’t like I was barred from learning other types of magic. But the Wind Gloves she cast were truly a storm in action.
After seeing that scene, I thought, “Could I do that too?” and murmured “Bloodwind” under my breath. Of course, it didn’t work, and I ended up with a breeze fit for a mini fan.
Metamorphosis seemed like some sort of ultimate move or awakening skill. At a glance, it felt like a technique that worked with sheer mental strength, but no matter how much magic I cast sincerely, nothing happened.
Yuna, the Purple Magic Tower Master and Archwizard, had reached a realm beyond Metamorphosis, a state known as Sublimation, hadn’t she? As someone experienced with ultimate moves, I thought maybe I could learn a method from her. No, even a clue would do.
So, I checked the bathroom (I only knocked), peeked into the bedroom, visited the labs of my seniors and juniors, thinking she might be hiding, and even threw a low kick in place of the Tower Master.
And there, in the simulation room where I thought she definitely wouldn’t be, I found the Tower Master sprawled out on a magic circle, connected inside. I called out to her through the general voice chat from outside.
“Tower Master, what are you doing there?”
-I, I was just… playing! Uh huh!
“Ah, yes, well. It sure looks like that.”
When I glanced at the display, it showed the internal situation in a pixelated format. While the control room inside the simulation allowed for a full 360-degree view, the outside here was depicted in pixels due to budget and mana issues.
The pixelated Tower Master was shown sweating profusely. Maybe she was panicking because she got caught playing alone.
Next to her, there were pixelated representations of Centra and Pero, along with all sorts of assorted items. Given that it was pixelated, I couldn’t see everything in detail, but I could tell there were a sword, a dress, and a cake.
I threw out a casual offer.
“Want to play together?”
-Uh, e-eh?
“It’s more fun to play together than alone, right?”
-Uh, I-I’m fine, though.
“Did you want to see how the after story unfolded? If you want, we can explore a bit more. Or we could reset and make the Tower Master the main character for a second round. Of course, I’ll tweak the plot a little.”
-N-No, no resetting!!
===============================================================
While Tower Master Yuna was desperately gazing at the sky and putting up a defense, Centra and Pero bore witness to the intense clash between an evil Evil God and a kind Righteous God.
The Evil God casually mentioned “reset.” Just like that, it signified doom. Centra and Pero stood frozen in place, trembling. Yuna, with her hands hidden behind her back, frantically signaled to the two.
“Leave it to me to fix this, so just stay quiet and don’t draw attention!!” was the signal she relayed.
Meanwhile, the Evil God continued spewing horrifying possibilities.
-A crossover of worldviews is a great idea, Tower Master! And Centra seems like she would thrive in a wasteland too,
“No, th-that’s not it! I-I just tried moving things because I was bored!”
One suggestion the Evil God tossed out was to send Centra, with all her memories and experiences, away to an unfamiliar world.
-IF games are always interesting! What if Pero was a girl or if Centra was a guy? Something like that! Should I tweak the modeling a little? Tower Master likes butlers, doesn’t she?
“That’s—No, forget that!!”
Another suggestion was to switch genders. (Centra genuinely pondered how she’d explain the situation to Irid if that scenario actually happened.)
From then on, Righteous God Yuna, mustering her courage, shielded against the sprinting invitations of the Evil God, who was darker and more sinister with each passing moment. It was because the Tower Master didn’t want to play with him that he felt a bit butthurt.
-Well, there are times a person just wants to play alone, right…? Fine, I guess. I’ll head into the research building and work, so if you have extra time, please give me some advice.
“Okay, I’ll be out soon!”
Click.
The booming voice from the sky cut off.
The Tower Master slumped, releasing a phew. He seemed a little sulky, but she could either humor him by helping carve models for three hours or, if that didn’t lift his spirits, just say the magic words.
“I’d like to hear your thoughts on character’s underwear.”
That meant sitting through an embarrassing hour-long speech, but it was better than leaving him dejected. After all, if he was sulky, he could become a bit of a nuisance.
“Is it over, God…?”
“Yeah, we… survived.”
“We survived!!”
Pero cheered with both arms raised. At the same time, the boy understood why this world was filled with so much suffering. No doubt it was the Evil God who unleashed it. No wonder the God struggled to explain clearly what was happening!
The Tower Master decided to carry to the grave the fact that she was the one who had once suggested the idea of wiping out Pero’s village.
===============================================================
Some time later, the Tower Master came looking for me. Glancing at my face with a look that clearly screamed “I’m nervous,” she hesitated and then said,
“S-So, I’d like to hear about your thoughts on c-characters’ underwear…”
Mm.
It seemed my act of being miffed had worked. Seizing the moment, I dove right in, listing the types of underwear that would suit the Tower Master best. I stopped just before her face was about to explode in embarrassment.
Then we moved onto a more constructive and wholesome topic—my original goal.
“How does one achieve Metamorphosis?”
“Are you worried about it?”
“It seems useful, and a man can’t resist ultimate moves.”
“Hmm, it might be a bit tough for you right now…”
“Why’s that?”
“AHH! D-Don’t lean your f-face in so close!”
“At least give me a reasonable explanation.”
“Oh, you really want it, huh?!”
How could anyone hold back when it came to ultimate moves? I know for sure I can’t.
The Tower Master gently pushed my chin and forehead away with her soft hands as she explained.
“Metamorphosis and Sublimation are about changing your soul to gain strength. The fundamental way to change the form of the soul is to evoke intense emotions from memories. But… your memories aren’t whole, are they?”
“What?”
Suddenly, I was suspected of having early-onset dementia. I opened my mouth to dispute it—then shut it again. Upon further thought, I realized that there were indeed portions I couldn’t remember. Quite a lot, actually.
My past life’s memories were still vivid. However, my present memories were… vague. To be specific, I couldn’t even recall the names of my parents who farmed potatoes. Plus, I thought there had been a childhood friend who was a heroine I used to play with in the neighborhood…
Was I experiencing early-onset dementia?
“D-Don’t worry too much! It can be fixed. I’m trying hard!”
“There was this novel I used to enjoy reading in my past life? It was about this protagonist who periodically loses his memories like cattle.”
“I’m suffering so much over here, and you’re—!!”
The Tower Master, enraged by my sudden slander attack, pinched my cheeks. Even though I said that, I wasn’t actually suspecting her; I was just keen to hear more of her explanation.
“So maybe after you recover your memories, you should aim for Metamorphosis. As I mentioned before, unstable Metamorphosis is quite similar to Demonic Arts. What if you achieve it while unstable and end up with a case of Qi Deviance? Right?”
“But from what I’m hearing, it sounds like there are other methods too?”
“Yep. Since the condition for gaining power is changing the form of the soul, you can induce Metamorphosis artificially by crushing or injuring the soul.”
“So, those who tamper with their souls like that… are called Black Wizards, right?”
“Exactly. That’s why Black Wizards still hold power. Even when the entire world unites against them, they aren’t wiped out. Why? Because they are strong. Essentially, every spell they cast is like a Metamorphosis.”
The conclusion of our consultation was to postpone the issue.
She assured me that she would protect me, encouraging me to relax and have fun. She suggested we could take things slow once everything settles.
Sometimes, I wondered why the Tower Master treated me so well. Did she like my occasionally handsome face, or were my pheromones working overtime?
It felt like she might be projecting someone onto me—kind of like how Elaine did.
===============================================================
“I’m thinking of visiting my hometown.”
“Hometown?”
“Yeah. The gaps in my memory are nagging at me. I’ll just check briefly and come back.”
This suddenly troubled me.
Upon careful consideration of my memory gaps, it seemed that my early-onset dementia operated in decreasing priority. Essentially, useless memories were wiped out first, while cherished ones were lost last.
Indeed, being born with a sharp mind was a blessing. How could a human brain even deduce memory voids? That was the hallmark of an Archwizard. And that was me.
Thinking about it inversely meant that the memories I’d lost were of low priority. What could have been so awful about my potato-farming days back in my hometown that I completely forgot?
“Since the academy is starting soon, it seems like now is the only spare time I have. Take off the necklace, Tower Master.”
“But it’s dangerous outside…!”
“But I could break my neck quicker than you think! Besides, I’m not going alone. The Second Prince said he’d assign someone to accompany me, you know? He mentioned we’d be together through my entire academy life. Since it’s come to this anyway, I thought this would be a great opportunity for a friendly outing…”
“A girl?!”
“Yeah, she’s a girl.”
“NO!”
The Tower Master growled.
I stood there, bewildered, facing unexpected resistance, when suddenly, the click-clack of high heels approached. A woman in a perfectly tailored suit with a ponytail entered the reception area.
She looked sharp and cool, complete with horn-rimmed glasses, and yet her hair was pink. Given traditional stereotypes, pink hair hinted at—
“I am Yuri Lanster, field agent of the Imperial Defense Bureau. From today onwards, I’m assigned to accompany Mr. Crazy Wizard.”
G-Girls are not allowed! I object!
“I like girls. I look forward to your cooperation.”
Uh, uh…
The Tower Master froze at this unexpected reveal of preferences, her objections unuttered. I, too, stiffened as I tried to comprehend the situation.
My sharp and clever brain quickly pinpointed the muddled problem. If what she said was true, didn’t that imply she intended to cast wily glances at the Tower Master? After all, the Tower Master was cute.
Even worse, it seemed she was already doing just that. Following the pink-haired gaze, I noticed she was staring pointedly at the gap between the Tower Master’s stockings and skirt—a direct line of sight into the “absolute territory.” This was simply unacceptable. Even if I couldn’t entirely articulate why it was unacceptable.
“Let’s get along well, Pink-Haired Lesbian,” I said lightly.
“Yes, I look forward to working with you, Mr. Crazy Wizard.”
As Yuri and I shook hands, sparks flew between us.
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