I closed my eyes and waited until Cain and Heron left. As soon as they left the room, I sat up and spat out what was in my mouth onto my palm. A small copper-colored capsule, metallic in texture, came out just as I had felt it with my tongue. I grabbed the ends of the small metal piece and pulled it apart with force. The capsule split in half, revealing a tightly rolled small note inside.
[I’ll come for you at midnight today. Don’t sleep and wait.]
That was all that was written on the paper. The sender’s identity was not mentioned.
I stared at the words quietly. The person who came to mind as soon as I saw it was Andrea. I didn’t know how he managed to put something like this in my mouth, but he was a skilled assassin, so I assumed he knew clever methods.
However, this place was the top floor of the Tower of Magic, the room of the Magic Tower Lord. I didn’t know much, but there were probably numerous magical boundaries and traps set up, making it difficult for even a skilled assassin to come this far.
I recalled Heron, who had been standing next to Cain. Maybe Heron pretended to nurse me and secretly put this in my mouth. Was he trying to tell me to stay away from the Magic Tower Lord? He could also mock me, saying, “Receiving a room on the 99th floor as an apprentice magician is unacceptable.”
Checking the clock, it was already past 8 in the evening. If I stayed here, would the person who sent this note come to find me at midnight? But this was Cain’s room. Whoever sent the note probably wouldn’t easily approach with Cain around. Staying close to Cain would likely prevent the sender from approaching recklessly.
I got up from the bed, put the note into the fireplace, and burned it. I placed the metal capsule back into my pocket. Then I opened the door and walked out into the corridor.
“Excuse me…? I just woke up.”
I didn’t make much noise, but far away, a door opened, and Cain rushed out.
“Are you okay? Mana vessel? You slept a lot!”
His tone was casual, but his face was full of concern. Well, at least this man was on my side. He had accepted me as his disciple, an apprentice magician, and he seemed to have a liking for me, with a friendship level close to 50. Moreover, Cain was a deep-hearted person, so he would undoubtedly protect me whether someone came to kill me at midnight or not.
“I’m hungry.”
“Oh, okay, okay. Let’s see, the meal potion… Ah, you know, it’s better to eat food directly, like Heron does. There’s food from the village that I bought yesterday. Let’s eat that.”
He took me back into the room. He swept away the messy piles of paper and books on the table, flicked his fingers to move the food around. Small sandwiches, fruits, and snacks appeared. I picked up a sandwich and offered it to Cain.
“Let’s eat together.”
“I’m good. I already had a meal potion.”
“Just one. Okay? Master.”
“M-M-Master?”
Seemingly pleased that I called him ‘Master’ for the first time, he blushed and accepted the sandwich.
“That’s right, get used to it.”
Afterwards, he swallowed the small sandwich whole in one bite, looking aggressive as if in a duel with the food. His cheeks bulged, and after chewing combatively, he gestured for me to eat quickly.
I took my time to eat the sandwich slowly. Perhaps due to the time that had passed, the bread was somewhat dry, and the vegetables inside were soggy from the sauce. The meat was cold and tough. It wasn’t a sandwich that could be described as delicious even in empty words.
“Is it tasty?”
However, Cain’s eyes were filled with anticipation as he looked at me, so I couldn’t bring myself to say it wasn’t good. I nodded, and Cain smirked.
“Damn, what’s so good about this? A sip of potion would fill your stomach in an instant.”
Nevertheless, he tore open a bag of snacks and placed it in front of me. From somewhere, he summoned a dagger, casting a spell to peel a peach effortlessly. It felt like he was feeding his own child. Thinking that way, a warm and cozy feeling spread through a corner of my heart.
Naming the relationship with Cain as master and disciple was probably the best thing I had done since entering this world. Cain wouldn’t easily harm me. He had started to show affection towards me, considering me as his disciple. Therefore, he will completely ignore any sexual desires to ruin this relationship.
I finished the sandwich and smiled at Cain. Even the way he turned his head in excitement looked cute. Even when midnight came later he will definitely protect me. With that confidence, I became a little hungrier and reached for the snacks.
***
After the meal, Cain gave me, my own room. When I went to find Cain in the hallway earlier, the door he opened and came out of was my room. The room was smaller than the one Cain used. It had a single-sized bed, and with the dense arrangement of a desk and bookshelf, it looked more like a study than a bedroom.
“Floor 99 has always been reserved for the Tower Master. So, this small room has been used as the Tower Master’s study. I solved everything in my room and left this place empty.”
He mentioned casting a cleaning spell, proudly stating that the room was clean. Indeed, there was not a speck of dust on the window frame, and the bed was crisp and tidy.
“For today, focus on recovering your body. From tomorrow, I’ll teach you a new spell.”
“Are we going to the Studdle Mountains again?”
I didn’t want to go. When I asked with a reluctant expression, he sighed.
“We won’t go there immediately tomorrow. But as long as you’re learning magic, you’ll always have to go back there. You’re the one who loses if you get overwhelmed by fear.”
“Yes…”
“Ah, for a while, I won’t drag you there, so relax your face.”
He messed up my hair and straightened my chest. Taking a deep breath, he looked around and clapped his hands as if preparing to go out.
“Now then…”
“Just a moment, Master!”
“Huh, huh?”
“I actually want to start learning a new spell from now!”
I said enthusiastically, clinging to Cain. There were still a couple of hours until midnight. I had to keep Cain with me until then. In fact, it would be easier to simply ask him to sleep with me, but even if the handsome adult man asked a gay male lead to sleep with him, no matter how unwilling he was, that place down below would react. So, I had to come up with a natural excuse.
“The success rate of spells in the Studdle Mountains wasn’t that high, right? My wand was eaten by a monster with big eyes. If I were a bit stronger, I wouldn’t have been injured at all… I keep thinking about it. I want to get stronger quickly.”
Cain’s expression changed as I spoke. He looked as if he had just heard his child say, “I’ll buy a house and a car for Dad on Father’s Day. He had a face dripping with emotion and pride. He pressed my cheeks with both palms.
“Mana vessel! You have the potential to become a great wizard!”
He poured out words of admiration and joy as if a noble young noble who had been reluctant to step foot in the Sturtle Mountains had grown, expressing the instinct of a wizard who wanted to become stronger. He was overflowing with excitement.
“Alright, great! Don’t think too much about it today!”
Cain seated me at the desk, and took out a book so thick it made my eyes roll back. Thud. The sound of the book being placed down was anything but ordinary. He opened the first page, and tiny text filled the page densely.
“Chapter 1. Let’s study the history of magic potions.”
“…ugh.”
“Why… don’t you like it?”
“I re-eally like it.”
To hide my disgusted expression, I buried my face in the book. Cain laughed heartily and patted my back. I felt proud and embarrassed at the same time.
The study continued until midnight. After reading a page of the book, Cain would sit on the desk, cross his legs, and explain the content in a simpler way. I was slightly worried about being alone with him at midnight, but surprisingly, it was a genuinely wholesome study session.
As I listened to him talk about the first magic potion, I discreetly checked the clock with a sidelong glance. In three minutes, it would be midnight. Cain’s lesson seemed endless, he was genuinely determined to stay up all night. I felt completely at ease. Perhaps the person who sent the note couldn’t push through when Cain was around.
However, that’s when it happened.
Bang!
With an enormous sound, the Tower shook.
“What the hell!”
Cain jumped up from the desk. A pungent smell soon filled the air. Cain quickly opened the door and went out, but the corridor was already thick with smoke. An ominous, dense smoke was rising explosively from somewhere downstairs.
“Tower Master! Someone threw a bomb from outside into the Tower! Floors in the 20s and 30s were completely destroyed!”
“From the outside? They didn’t accidentally blow something during an experiment?”
“Yes! It’s definitely from outside. Considering the breach of the protective magic, it seems to be a magically enchanted bomb!”
“This darn… Wait! I’m going!”
Cain shouted towards the lower floors and then pulled me back into the room.
“Hey, Mana vessel, stay still here. The security magic on this floor is the strongest. Don’t come out. We’ll continue the lesson tomorrow.”
Then he left without listening for my response. And as soon as he left, the clock struck midnight, ringing, ringing, ringing… announcing the arrival of a new day.
I closed my eyes and waited until Cain and Heron left. As soon as they left the room, I sat up and spat out what was in my mouth onto my palm. A small copper-colored capsule, metallic in texture, came out just as I had felt it with my tongue. I grabbed the ends of the small metal piece and pulled it apart with force. The capsule split in half, revealing a tightly rolled small note inside.
[I’ll come for you at midnight today. Don’t sleep and wait.]
That was all that was written on the paper. The sender’s identity was not mentioned.
I stared at the words quietly. The person who came to mind as soon as I saw it was Andrea. I didn’t know how he managed to put something like this in my mouth, but he was a skilled assassin, so I assumed he knew clever methods.
However, this place was the top floor of the Tower of Magic, the room of the Magic Tower Lord. I didn’t know much, but there were probably numerous magical boundaries and traps set up, making it difficult for even a skilled assassin to come this far.
I recalled Heron, who had been standing next to Cain. Maybe Heron pretended to nurse me and secretly put this in my mouth. Was he trying to tell me to stay away from the Magic Tower Lord? He could also mock me, saying, “Receiving a room on the 99th floor as an apprentice magician is unacceptable.”
Checking the clock, it was already past 8 in the evening. If I stayed here, would the person who sent this note come to find me at midnight? But this was Cain’s room. Whoever sent the note probably wouldn’t easily approach with Cain around. Staying close to Cain would likely prevent the sender from approaching recklessly.
I got up from the bed, put the note into the fireplace, and burned it. I placed the metal capsule back into my pocket. Then I opened the door and walked out into the corridor.
“Excuse me…? I just woke up.”
I didn’t make much noise, but far away, a door opened, and Cain rushed out.
“Are you okay? Mana vessel? You slept a lot!”
His tone was casual, but his face was full of concern. Well, at least this man was on my side. He had accepted me as his disciple, an apprentice magician, and he seemed to have a liking for me, with a friendship level close to 50. Moreover, Cain was a deep-hearted person, so he would undoubtedly protect me whether someone came to kill me at midnight or not.
“I’m hungry.”
“Oh, okay, okay. Let’s see, the meal potion… Ah, you know, it’s better to eat food directly, like Heron does. There’s food from the village that I bought yesterday. Let’s eat that.”
He took me back into the room. He swept away the messy piles of paper and books on the table, flicked his fingers to move the food around. Small sandwiches, fruits, and snacks appeared. I picked up a sandwich and offered it to Cain.
“Let’s eat together.”
“I’m good. I already had a meal potion.”
“Just one. Okay? Master.”
“M-M-Master?”
Seemingly pleased that I called him ‘Master’ for the first time, he blushed and accepted the sandwich.
“That’s right, get used to it.”
Afterwards, he swallowed the small sandwich whole in one bite, looking aggressive as if in a duel with the food. His cheeks bulged, and after chewing combatively, he gestured for me to eat quickly.
I took my time to eat the sandwich slowly. Perhaps due to the time that had passed, the bread was somewhat dry, and the vegetables inside were soggy from the sauce. The meat was cold and tough. It wasn’t a sandwich that could be described as delicious even in empty words.
“Is it tasty?”
However, Cain’s eyes were filled with anticipation as he looked at me, so I couldn’t bring myself to say it wasn’t good. I nodded, and Cain smirked.
“Damn, what’s so good about this? A sip of potion would fill your stomach in an instant.”
Nevertheless, he tore open a bag of snacks and placed it in front of me. From somewhere, he summoned a dagger, casting a spell to peel a peach effortlessly. It felt like he was feeding his own child. Thinking that way, a warm and cozy feeling spread through a corner of my heart.
Naming the relationship with Cain as master and disciple was probably the best thing I had done since entering this world. Cain wouldn’t easily harm me. He had started to show affection towards me, considering me as his disciple. Therefore, he will completely ignore any sexual desires to ruin this relationship.
I finished the sandwich and smiled at Cain. Even the way he turned his head in excitement looked cute. Even when midnight came later he will definitely protect me. With that confidence, I became a little hungrier and reached for the snacks.
***
After the meal, Cain gave me, my own room. When I went to find Cain in the hallway earlier, the door he opened and came out of was my room. The room was smaller than the one Cain used. It had a single-sized bed, and with the dense arrangement of a desk and bookshelf, it looked more like a study than a bedroom.
“Floor 99 has always been reserved for the Tower Master. So, this small room has been used as the Tower Master’s study. I solved everything in my room and left this place empty.”
He mentioned casting a cleaning spell, proudly stating that the room was clean. Indeed, there was not a speck of dust on the window frame, and the bed was crisp and tidy.
“For today, focus on recovering your body. From tomorrow, I’ll teach you a new spell.”
“Are we going to the Studdle Mountains again?”
I didn’t want to go. When I asked with a reluctant expression, he sighed.
“We won’t go there immediately tomorrow. But as long as you’re learning magic, you’ll always have to go back there. You’re the one who loses if you get overwhelmed by fear.”
“Yes…”
“Ah, for a while, I won’t drag you there, so relax your face.”
He messed up my hair and straightened my chest. Taking a deep breath, he looked around and clapped his hands as if preparing to go out.
“Now then…”
“Just a moment, Master!”
“Huh, huh?”
“I actually want to start learning a new spell from now!”
I said enthusiastically, clinging to Cain. There were still a couple of hours until midnight. I had to keep Cain with me until then. In fact, it would be easier to simply ask him to sleep with me, but even if the handsome adult man asked a gay male lead to sleep with him, no matter how unwilling he was, that place down below would react. So, I had to come up with a natural excuse.
“The success rate of spells in the Studdle Mountains wasn’t that high, right? My wand was eaten by a monster with big eyes. If I were a bit stronger, I wouldn’t have been injured at all… I keep thinking about it. I want to get stronger quickly.”
Cain’s expression changed as I spoke. He looked as if he had just heard his child say, “I’ll buy a house and a car for Dad on Father’s Day. He had a face dripping with emotion and pride. He pressed my cheeks with both palms.
“Mana vessel! You have the potential to become a great wizard!”
He poured out words of admiration and joy as if a noble young noble who had been reluctant to step foot in the Sturtle Mountains had grown, expressing the instinct of a wizard who wanted to become stronger. He was overflowing with excitement.
“Alright, great! Don’t think too much about it today!”
Cain seated me at the desk, and took out a book so thick it made my eyes roll back. Thud. The sound of the book being placed down was anything but ordinary. He opened the first page, and tiny text filled the page densely.
“Chapter 1. Let’s study the history of magic potions.”
“…ugh.”
“Why… don’t you like it?”
“I re-eally like it.”
To hide my disgusted expression, I buried my face in the book. Cain laughed heartily and patted my back. I felt proud and embarrassed at the same time.
The study continued until midnight. After reading a page of the book, Cain would sit on the desk, cross his legs, and explain the content in a simpler way. I was slightly worried about being alone with him at midnight, but surprisingly, it was a genuinely wholesome study session.
As I listened to him talk about the first magic potion, I discreetly checked the clock with a sidelong glance. In three minutes, it would be midnight. Cain’s lesson seemed endless, he was genuinely determined to stay up all night. I felt completely at ease. Perhaps the person who sent the note couldn’t push through when Cain was around.
However, that’s when it happened.
Bang!
With an enormous sound, the Tower shook.
“What the hell!”
Cain jumped up from the desk. A pungent smell soon filled the air. Cain quickly opened the door and went out, but the corridor was already thick with smoke. An ominous, dense smoke was rising explosively from somewhere downstairs.
“Tower Master! Someone threw a bomb from outside into the Tower! Floors in the 20s and 30s were completely destroyed!”
“From the outside? They didn’t accidentally blow something during an experiment?”
“Yes! It’s definitely from outside. Considering the breach of the protective magic, it seems to be a magically enchanted bomb!”
“This darn… Wait! I’m going!”
Cain shouted towards the lower floors and then pulled me back into the room.
“Hey, Mana vessel, stay still here. The security magic on this floor is the strongest. Don’t come out. We’ll continue the lesson tomorrow.”
Then he left without listening for my response. And as soon as he left, the clock struck midnight, ringing, ringing, ringing… announcing the arrival of a new day.
