“If things continue like this, Andrea will die. I had to stop it somehow. But how?
I picked up the plant encyclopedia that had fallen beside me. At least for now, I thought of using this to beat up the fairies
However, before I could swing the plant encyclopedia, a savoir-like voice rang out.
[Glacio]!
As Cain’s mana-filled spell resounded loudly, the fairies and spirits pouring towards Andrea froze in place.
“Mana vessel! Are you okay?”
Cain rushed over, pushing Andrea aside and helping me up. Heron, who followed Cain, looked around and clicked his tongue.
“I didn’t explain, but it’s common sense not to mess with the territory of fairies and spirits.
“Hey, Heron! Why did you kill the mana barrier! Maybe the kid might not have known that much!”
Cain sided with me. I was so thankful that it brought me to tears.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Cain rotated my body around, checking for any wounds.
It felt like I might collapse if I relaxed too much, I wasn’t injured. I quickly added.
“And… well, it was Andrea who helped me.”
“The kidnapper used a knife to cut the fairies? He is truly barbaric.”
Cain frowned and looked around as if he wanted to curse at Andrea. However, Andrea had disappeared by then. Heron, who was standing behind, intervened.
“He left on his own.”
“No manners.”
Cain grumbled, brushing off the dust on my cloak. He placed me against his side and started walking out of the garden.
“Cast a disarming spell to release the fairies, when we go out.
He instructed Heron. Heron sighed and acknowledged.
“How did you end up coming all the way here? Do you know how stubborn fairies and spirits are?”
Cain asked me.
“I was trying to find the poison plant.”
“Well, there is a poison plant here, but it’s better to avoid entering this area if possible. The fairies and spirits living in the Mana Tower Garden are significantly influenced by our mana, making them quite strong and fierce. You know that too, right?”
I didn’t know. Honestly, when someone mentions fairies and spirits, what comes to mind? I thought they played harps, laughed joyfully, and sang about happiness. Well, they did laugh amusingly. That laughter was a bit scary, though.
“Your curiosity must have been enormous, and if they saw your unique mana, they would have rushed at you madly.”
They actually did. I recalled it and shivered, and Cain clicked his tongue beside me.
“If they had caught you, they would have sucked you dry until your mana was depleted.”
“What would have happened then?”
“What do you think? You would become a mummy.”
The words were so chilling that my spine tingled. Cain explained the process of how human energy disappears until leaving the territory of fairies and spirits.
For fairies and spirits, the energy of plants is considered essential for survival, so they instinctively consume only the minimum amount necessary. Even if the plant is damaged or dies, they can still survive. However, human energy is like an mouth-watering meal, so they usually consume it recklessly until the mana runs out. In my case, with a unique type of mana, the temptation to lose self-control was even stronger.
It’s like feasting on a table full of MSG dishes. I shuddered and rubbed my arms that had goosebumps.
“Why do you keep such dangerous creatures inside the garden?”
“Oh, the tears of fairies and the wings of spirits are key ingredients for potions.”
In other words, they were raised for a convenient supply of ingredients. As I had felt when hunting monsters in the Studdle Mountains before, the thought process of magicians can be cruel and detached. Cain expressed it as a necessary evil.
“They consume our mana leftovers, and we receive what we need from them.”
Moreover, they had richly decorated and arranged the garden, making it a paradise for them. It seemed like a typical magician’s self-centered understanding, I just nodded my head.
While listening to Cain’s explanation, an exit appeared in front of us.
“The garden’s gate is managed by the magic power of fairies and spirits. Right now, they’re all frozen, so the entrance is exposed.”
“And Cain shrugged, saying he cast that spell himself, Cain smirked. He was truly a grand magician who loved to show off.
As soon as we left the territory of fairies and spirits, apprentice magicians who had been waiting in front of us gathered around.
“Are you unharmed?”
“How did you survive between fairies and spirits?”
“Lord Magic Tower! How did you subdue the fairies and spirits without killing them?”
It felt like an interview with reporters. Even though they were fellow apprentices, I thought they were concerned about me, but these magicians were indeed magicians. I glared them with a cold face, and they all simultaneously shut their mouths. There was even a girl blushing. Asking such a question in this situation must have been embarrassing.
“You’re really beautiful…”
“He kind of resembles the Imperial Daffodil….”
No, are they just captivated by this face?
Turning away from them with a much colder heart, Cain pressed his shoulder against mine.
“Where are you going?”
“I want to rest a bit.”
I really want to lie down in a bed quickly before I passed out
“Rest? Why? You should get the herbs and poisoned plants checked by Heron.”
Cain said with a face showing he didn’t understand.
I almost died just now.
But even saying those words felt exhausting. The situation a moment ago ended with one spell from Cain. It was nothing to the self-proclaimed genius archmage. So it was natural that he didn’t understand why I wanted to rest.
Fine, let’s endure a bit longer. It was when I gritted my teeth and tried to nod.
“Del, go to your room.”
A low and calm voice suddenly came from next to me. It was Andrea, who knows when he had been standing there. This bastard disappeared and reappeared on his own. I was about to say something, but Cain stood fiercely in front of me.
“Who do you think you are, telling my disciple to go in? You kidnapper.”
Andrea didn’t respond at all. His pink eyes gleamed eerily. He wasn’t someone who had much experience persuading others with words. Instead, he has a sword and fists.
As energy flowed from Andrea, Cain also hardened his expression and changed his stance. He instinctively realized that the opponent was a formidable force. Cain, too, was ready to cast attack spells if necessary.
Andrea had discarded his weapons back in the territory of fairies and spirits. There might be other weapons, but he wouldn’t attempt to kill someone in front of others.
On the other hand, this was Cain’s home ground. He could cast magic without a wand, and could stop his opponent’s heart just by reciting a spell.. While I knew he had never killed anyone, who knows, maybe this might be his first attempt.
I pulled on Cain’s robe from behind.
“Um, Master?”
“Mana vessel, stay still. This insolent bastard is trying to disrupt your learning. I’ll handle it.”
“But I’d like to get some rest.”
“…What?”
Cain turned to me abruptly, his face expressing disbelief.
“It was hard to explain so I was just going to bury it, but the truth is, my legs are shaking even now”
“Why?”
The simple question carried the implication of ‘What did you mean?’ I had wanted to avoid explaining, but it seemed unavoidable now.
“Until five minutes ago, fairies were trying to turn me into a mummy. Spirits, invisible to my eyes, were rushing at me. If Andrea….Andrea hadn’t arrived in time, I would have became a dried corpse.”
“But… I saved you.”
“I was on the verge of death, moments away before you saved me.”
“But…”
But I almost died, you bastard! I wanted to scream, but I gathered patience and spoke again.
“I just wanted to rest for a moment and get checked by Heron separately.”
I had no intention of skipping classes. As an apprentice magician living in the Magic Tower, I wanted to fulfill my duties without fail. Personally, I also had a desire to become stronger. With those feelings, I looked up at Cain with pleading eyes. He seemed taken aback.
“Well, then, okay, take a break.”
Contrary to facing Andrea, Cain’s permission was surprisingly simple and easy. Other apprentice magicians who had been watching us with bated breath let out relieved sighs. I nodded at Cain in gratitude and entered the Magic Tower.
I expected Andrea to follow, but he just stood there. I considered calling him but decided against it. There was no reason to call Andrea when he was resting.
I took the elevator heading to the 99th floor and went to my room. As soon as I entered, I threw off my robe and dove into the bed. As soon as my face sank into the soft bed, sleep overwhelmed me. Perhaps I lost consciousness without realizing it.
That night, I dreamt of Andrea. Amidst fairies descending from the sky and a bombardment of light, Andrea ran towards me without hesitation, discarding his weapon and embracing me. When I woke up, my face was moist with tears. It felt strange.
[Here are everyone’s ages!!! I forgot how old everyone was so I checked.
-Del Narcissus (23 years old)
-Khan Alexis (18 years old)
-Alan Bate (25 years old)
-Hunter Mellian (23 years old)
-Cain (20 years old)
-Andrea Sloane (25 years old)]
“If things continue like this, Andrea will die. I had to stop it somehow. But how?
I picked up the plant encyclopedia that had fallen beside me. At least for now, I thought of using this to beat up the fairies
However, before I could swing the plant encyclopedia, a savoir-like voice rang out.
[Glacio]!
As Cain’s mana-filled spell resounded loudly, the fairies and spirits pouring towards Andrea froze in place.
“Mana vessel! Are you okay?”
Cain rushed over, pushing Andrea aside and helping me up. Heron, who followed Cain, looked around and clicked his tongue.
“I didn’t explain, but it’s common sense not to mess with the territory of fairies and spirits.
“Hey, Heron! Why did you kill the mana barrier! Maybe the kid might not have known that much!”
Cain sided with me. I was so thankful that it brought me to tears.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Cain rotated my body around, checking for any wounds.
It felt like I might collapse if I relaxed too much, I wasn’t injured. I quickly added.
“And… well, it was Andrea who helped me.”
“The kidnapper used a knife to cut the fairies? He is truly barbaric.”
Cain frowned and looked around as if he wanted to curse at Andrea. However, Andrea had disappeared by then. Heron, who was standing behind, intervened.
“He left on his own.”
“No manners.”
Cain grumbled, brushing off the dust on my cloak. He placed me against his side and started walking out of the garden.
“Cast a disarming spell to release the fairies, when we go out.
He instructed Heron. Heron sighed and acknowledged.
“How did you end up coming all the way here? Do you know how stubborn fairies and spirits are?”
Cain asked me.
“I was trying to find the poison plant.”
“Well, there is a poison plant here, but it’s better to avoid entering this area if possible. The fairies and spirits living in the Mana Tower Garden are significantly influenced by our mana, making them quite strong and fierce. You know that too, right?”
I didn’t know. Honestly, when someone mentions fairies and spirits, what comes to mind? I thought they played harps, laughed joyfully, and sang about happiness. Well, they did laugh amusingly. That laughter was a bit scary, though.
“Your curiosity must have been enormous, and if they saw your unique mana, they would have rushed at you madly.”
They actually did. I recalled it and shivered, and Cain clicked his tongue beside me.
“If they had caught you, they would have sucked you dry until your mana was depleted.”
“What would have happened then?”
“What do you think? You would become a mummy.”
The words were so chilling that my spine tingled. Cain explained the process of how human energy disappears until leaving the territory of fairies and spirits.
For fairies and spirits, the energy of plants is considered essential for survival, so they instinctively consume only the minimum amount necessary. Even if the plant is damaged or dies, they can still survive. However, human energy is like an mouth-watering meal, so they usually consume it recklessly until the mana runs out. In my case, with a unique type of mana, the temptation to lose self-control was even stronger.
It’s like feasting on a table full of MSG dishes. I shuddered and rubbed my arms that had goosebumps.
“Why do you keep such dangerous creatures inside the garden?”
“Oh, the tears of fairies and the wings of spirits are key ingredients for potions.”
In other words, they were raised for a convenient supply of ingredients. As I had felt when hunting monsters in the Studdle Mountains before, the thought process of magicians can be cruel and detached. Cain expressed it as a necessary evil.
“They consume our mana leftovers, and we receive what we need from them.”
Moreover, they had richly decorated and arranged the garden, making it a paradise for them. It seemed like a typical magician’s self-centered understanding, I just nodded my head.
While listening to Cain’s explanation, an exit appeared in front of us.
“The garden’s gate is managed by the magic power of fairies and spirits. Right now, they’re all frozen, so the entrance is exposed.”
“And Cain shrugged, saying he cast that spell himself, Cain smirked. He was truly a grand magician who loved to show off.
As soon as we left the territory of fairies and spirits, apprentice magicians who had been waiting in front of us gathered around.
“Are you unharmed?”
“How did you survive between fairies and spirits?”
“Lord Magic Tower! How did you subdue the fairies and spirits without killing them?”
It felt like an interview with reporters. Even though they were fellow apprentices, I thought they were concerned about me, but these magicians were indeed magicians. I glared them with a cold face, and they all simultaneously shut their mouths. There was even a girl blushing. Asking such a question in this situation must have been embarrassing.
“You’re really beautiful…”
“He kind of resembles the Imperial Daffodil….”
No, are they just captivated by this face?
Turning away from them with a much colder heart, Cain pressed his shoulder against mine.
“Where are you going?”
“I want to rest a bit.”
I really want to lie down in a bed quickly before I passed out
“Rest? Why? You should get the herbs and poisoned plants checked by Heron.”
Cain said with a face showing he didn’t understand.
I almost died just now.
But even saying those words felt exhausting. The situation a moment ago ended with one spell from Cain. It was nothing to the self-proclaimed genius archmage. So it was natural that he didn’t understand why I wanted to rest.
Fine, let’s endure a bit longer. It was when I gritted my teeth and tried to nod.
“Del, go to your room.”
A low and calm voice suddenly came from next to me. It was Andrea, who knows when he had been standing there. This bastard disappeared and reappeared on his own. I was about to say something, but Cain stood fiercely in front of me.
“Who do you think you are, telling my disciple to go in? You kidnapper.”
Andrea didn’t respond at all. His pink eyes gleamed eerily. He wasn’t someone who had much experience persuading others with words. Instead, he has a sword and fists.
As energy flowed from Andrea, Cain also hardened his expression and changed his stance. He instinctively realized that the opponent was a formidable force. Cain, too, was ready to cast attack spells if necessary.
Andrea had discarded his weapons back in the territory of fairies and spirits. There might be other weapons, but he wouldn’t attempt to kill someone in front of others.
On the other hand, this was Cain’s home ground. He could cast magic without a wand, and could stop his opponent’s heart just by reciting a spell.. While I knew he had never killed anyone, who knows, maybe this might be his first attempt.
I pulled on Cain’s robe from behind.
“Um, Master?”
“Mana vessel, stay still. This insolent bastard is trying to disrupt your learning. I’ll handle it.”
“But I’d like to get some rest.”
“…What?”
Cain turned to me abruptly, his face expressing disbelief.
“It was hard to explain so I was just going to bury it, but the truth is, my legs are shaking even now”
“Why?”
The simple question carried the implication of ‘What did you mean?’ I had wanted to avoid explaining, but it seemed unavoidable now.
“Until five minutes ago, fairies were trying to turn me into a mummy. Spirits, invisible to my eyes, were rushing at me. If Andrea….Andrea hadn’t arrived in time, I would have became a dried corpse.”
“But… I saved you.”
“I was on the verge of death, moments away before you saved me.”
“But…”
But I almost died, you bastard! I wanted to scream, but I gathered patience and spoke again.
“I just wanted to rest for a moment and get checked by Heron separately.”
I had no intention of skipping classes. As an apprentice magician living in the Magic Tower, I wanted to fulfill my duties without fail. Personally, I also had a desire to become stronger. With those feelings, I looked up at Cain with pleading eyes. He seemed taken aback.
“Well, then, okay, take a break.”
Contrary to facing Andrea, Cain’s permission was surprisingly simple and easy. Other apprentice magicians who had been watching us with bated breath let out relieved sighs. I nodded at Cain in gratitude and entered the Magic Tower.
I expected Andrea to follow, but he just stood there. I considered calling him but decided against it. There was no reason to call Andrea when he was resting.
I took the elevator heading to the 99th floor and went to my room. As soon as I entered, I threw off my robe and dove into the bed. As soon as my face sank into the soft bed, sleep overwhelmed me. Perhaps I lost consciousness without realizing it.
That night, I dreamt of Andrea. Amidst fairies descending from the sky and a bombardment of light, Andrea ran towards me without hesitation, discarding his weapon and embracing me. When I woke up, my face was moist with tears. It felt strange.
[Here are everyone’s ages!!! I forgot how old everyone was so I checked.
-Del Narcissus (23 years old)
-Khan Alexis (18 years old)
-Alan Bate (25 years old)
-Hunter Mellian (23 years old)
-Cain (20 years old)
-Andrea Sloane (25 years old)]
