The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
Chapter 89: The Graveyard of the Dead (1)
Not long after, the Deputy Tower Master summoned him.
Oscar hurried to his room and widened his eyes in surprise.
Because there was Hamel, the Deputy Tower Master, kneeling on one knee.
‘No way...’
As the thought fleetingly crossed his mind, a stranger standing in the room spoke.
"Mage Oscar Crucian, pay your respects to His Majesty the Emperor."
Oscar quickly dropped to one knee, the hem of his white robe fluttering.
Of course, there was no way the busy Emperor himself would come here personally.
Instead, his gaze turned to the ornate object held by the imperial official.
A decree.
It was a letter the Emperor used to convey his opinions directly to someone.
Upon hearing its contents, one had to adopt a reverent posture, as if meeting the Emperor in person.
After ensuring both men were prepared, the official began to read the letter.
"The Empire grants exclusive patents to the White Tower for flying vehicles developed by them, including the Zephyr-001, and any future flying vehicles produced by the White Tower. Furthermore, the White Tower is also granted exclusive rights to issue relevant certifications for the next 30 years. His Majesty is greatly pleased by the advent of this technology and hopes it will continue to be honed for the benefit of the Empire."
It was done.
Oscar, bowing his head, clenched his fist tightly without realizing it.
The solid backing he sought, even at the risk of revealing the existence of airship to Walker, had finally been secured.
‘And not just any backing—it’s the strongest one across the entire continent.’
The Emperor himself supported and endorsed the venture.
There could be no stronger statement of power than this.
"In addition, His Majesty suggested that the official name for the Zephyr-001 be Cheonma (Sky Horse)."
Sky Horse, though...
Reading Oscar's troubled expression, the official nodded.
"I will explain it to His Majesty appropriately."
"Yes, I would greatly appreciate that."
“Oh dear.”
Rising slowly, Hamel, the Deputy Tower Master, chuckled and spoke to the official.
"You must have traveled far from the capital. Won’t you rest here for at least one night?"
"No, thank you. I have mountains of work waiting for me, but I appreciate the offer."
The official, bowing politely, carefully placed the decree down before leaving the room.
The Deputy Tower Master, who had been gazing at the decree, turned his head toward Oscar.
"I don’t know the details, but it seems you’ve done something again, Oscar."
"Yes. I wasn’t entirely confident, but it seems things worked out well."
“Whew...”
The Deputy Tower Master let out a long sigh of relief.
He sank into his chair, speaking candidly for the first time.
"I couldn’t say it before, but I was extremely worried. A sword in the hands of the weak always brings trouble."
"That must have been the case."
After all, with Sasha absent, Hamel was the one managing the White Tower.
He must have spent many days gazing at the flying bikes zooming over the city with all kinds of concerns.
Whether such technology was too advanced for the current White Tower, or whether it might invite disaster.
"It should be fine now. No one would dare meddle in a project personally supported by His Majesty."
"That’s a relief indeed."
With a satisfied smile, the Deputy Tower Master continued.
"I hear you’re planning to expand the Wind Tribe business soon. Is that correct?"
"Yes. We’ve gathered enough data from Sirin. On top of that, there’s been quite a clamor from neighboring territories, asking when the service will be available for them."
The plan was to gradually expand the service area, starting with territories near Sirin.
That way, they could respond quickly in case of any issues.
"At the same time, we’ll be resuming our previous delivery services and restarting the nutritional supplement promotion."
"That sounds excellent."
The smile on the Deputy Tower Master’s face didn’t fade.
"With the delivery business stabilizing, you’ll have more free time now, won’t you?"
"Yes. I was actually thinking of starting Special Operations activities again."
He had been too preoccupied with other matters to even properly start such activities until now.
"Ah, in that case, I have a suitable mission you might want to take a look at."
Hamel rummaged through a drawer and handed Oscar a document.
"It’s a four-hour ride from here, on the outskirts of Sirin. There’s been an issue."
"What kind of issue?"
"They say the dead appear at night."
The dead.
That term could only mean one thing.
"Undead, then."
"Exactly. The village chief reported that undead monsters appear in the cemetery every night, seeking aid."
"Hmm."
To be honest, it didn’t seem like an issue requiring the White Tower’s involvement.
"And one more thing. Black Tower mages have reportedly been sighted near the village."
"...The Black Tower, you say."
Oscar’s gaze turned cold.
Among the Four Great Towers, the one he disliked most was the Blue Tower.
But the one he despised above all towers was the Black Tower.
"Those scum are surely up to no good again."
"Let’s not jump to conclusions. The Black Tower has changed significantly since the war."
...They’ve changed?
Oscar struggled to suppress the sneer forming on his lips.
‘Humans can barely change their own natures.’
Let alone the fundamental nature of a massive organization like a mage tower, changing in just 20 years?
Oscar found such claims utterly unconvincing.
"I’ll assess the situation myself on-site."
"...Very well. Are you going alone?"
"No, I plan to take Killian and Veronica with me, as it’s an official Special Operations mission."
While Fran was in closed training, those two had been idle.
‘And more importantly...’
He had yet to see those two even hold a brief conversation.
It was clear they didn’t get along well.
Improving the relationship between the two of them was the secondary objective of this mission.
Oscar looked at the two seated before him and began the briefing.
“Hendel, a mountain village on the outskirts of Sirin. Undead monsters are said to appear in its cemetery every night. Moreover, Black Tower mages have been spotted near the village. There’s bound to be a connection. Our goal is to uncover the link between the undead and the Black Tower mages and resolve the situation.”
“Understood.”
As usual, Killian responded with an expression impossible to read.
Veronica, however, frowned, her doubts evident.
“Undead and the Black Tower connected? Really?”
“That’s what the circumstances suggest. We’ll have to investigate further to confirm.”
“But after the war, the Black Tower completely abandoned necromancy and anything related to the undead.”
“You never know. They might be secretly keeping that school of magic alive.”
“...If that’s true, the imperial court wouldn’t stay silent.”
Veronica muttered as if unable to comprehend the situation.
“There’s no point in arguing amongst ourselves here. Let’s get going.”
“And how are we getting there?”
“I’ve arranged for a driver to make the journey smoother. Naturally, we’ll be using my car.”
Oscar was seriously considering hiring a driver on a long-term basis.
Until now, his car had been gathering dust in the garage, making him feel it wasn’t necessary.
But with more field operations ahead, frequent travel seemed inevitable.
‘A good driver... something to look into later.’
At the front gate of the Magic Tower, his massive sedan was waiting.
“I’ll sit in the front—”
As Veronica moved to sit in the passenger seat, Oscar stepped in front of her.
“Sorry, but you’ll have to sit in the back. I need to think about a few things.”
He had deliberately placed the two in the backseat, hoping they’d have some small talk during the ride.
...But that calculation was completely off.
Even after three hours, the backseat was dead silent.
‘Are these two asleep?’
Unable to contain his curiosity, he turned to check, only to find them staring out their respective windows.
Seeing this, he decided to break the silence himself.
“Veronica, you seemed to be defending the Black Tower earlier. Do you know something about them?”
“...Not really. Just as much as anyone else.”
Still gazing out the window, her chin propped on a fist, Veronica answered.
“The Black Tower was the first to approach me when I was in the orphanage.”
“What? How did they know about you?”
“Most orphanages funded by scraps of charity don’t have much money. So, when the kids reach a certain age, they undergo aptitude tests. If they’re lucky enough to show potential, the news is sent to magic towers or swordsmanship families, who might take them in. Outsiders often criticize this as exploiting children for profit, but it’s actually beneficial for everyone involved. The children get a chance at a better life, and the orphanage reduces its burden and earns some funds.”
“...Is that really okay?”
“Hm? It’s fine, really. I still exchange letters with the orphanage director occasionally.”
She spoke about what could have been a dark subject with surprising composure.
“Anyway, the Black Tower took me in when I was young and showed me around various places. Despite their bad reputation, they made an effort to demonstrate that they were working hard to improve and change their image. Looking back, my experience with the Black Tower wasn’t bad at all.”
“Then how did you end up at the White Tower?”
“Because of the prestige of being one of the Four Great Towers. I thought it’d make success easier. Too pragmatic of a reason?”
“No, it’s realistic.”
He didn’t blame her for it.
Everyone deserved a chance to make better choices for themselves.
However, it seemed Killian didn’t quite agree.
He finally broke his silence with a single, blunt remark.
“It may have been a practical and smart choice, but by my standards, it was a decision lacking loyalty.”
“Loyalty? What do you even gain from that?”
At her question, Killian glanced at Veronica.
“...Even if it gives you nothing tangible, it strengthens and fortifies your soul.”
“So, ultimately, it’s meaningless.”
“Hmph. You, who only value immediate gain, will never understand.”
Wow, this was the first time he’d seen these two actually have a conversation.
Too bad it was an argument.
Oscar sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Why are you two even fighting? Do you have some kind of issue with each other?”
“I wouldn’t say that. It’s just that our personalities clash.”
“Hah, well said. Yeah, I think this brute and I don’t get along.”
You two don’t get along with anyone.
Oscar barely managed to swallow that thought.
Just then, the driver, who had been watching them nervously, cautiously spoke up.
“Um, mages. We’ve arrived at our destination.”
Looking out the window, Oscar confirmed the mountain village ahead and nodded.
“Drop us off at the front gate.”

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