The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 215: Eternal Moment (3)
Zone 1,999 was a slum so forsaken that even most demons avoided it.
It was a place where those who had hit rock bottom clung to life, unable to die.
So when the residents heard that their former overseer, Yuribe, had become a Count, they responded with indifference.
‘What does that have to do with us, anyway?’
‘That guy oversees dozens of zones. No way he remembers this dump.’
‘He’ll probably play king in one of those fancy central districts.’
‘Honestly, if I were him, I wouldn’t live in this shithole either.’
Just as everyone predicted, Yuribe left Zone 1,999 and lived a luxurious life elsewhere.
But then, without warning, he returned—one of his horns severed.
“.......”
“.......”
Step. Step.
As Yuribe walked through the silent streets, everyone lowered their heads and averted their eyes.
They instinctively knew the wisest course was to stay out of his sight.
“L-Lord Yuribe!”
A demon who had been managing the zone in Yuribe’s absence came running, falling flat on his face before him.
He was a viscount-level demon who had once dueled Yuribe and, impressed by his strength, pledged loyalty to him.
‘L-Lord Yuribe’s horn...’
The demon’s eyes trembled violently.
Before him stood the demon he had sworn fealty to—one of only eight Counts in the entire demon realm.
There was no mistaking the implications of a Count returning with a broken horn.
“It’s been a while, Tumash.”
“I-It’s an honor to see you again, Lord Yuribe.”
“...You seem stronger than when I last saw you.”
“I’ve trained relentlessly to live up to your great name.”
“Hmph.”
Yuribe stared down at Tumash with lowered eyes, then asked,
“Tell me something. Did you always hold your neck so stiffly when addressing me?”
“...Pardon?”
The moment Tumash reflexively replied—
Crack!
Yuribe moved a beat faster and stomped on his head.
Blood and brain matter splattered the street as Tumash’s skull was crushed like a watermelon.
The other demons trembled in terror at the sight.
‘T-Tumash couldn’t even put up a proper defense...’
‘He was said to be the strongest demon in the neighboring zones...’
‘To think he’d reject a noble title to serve him—only to be killed like that...’
Sweeping his gaze over the fear-stricken demons, Yuribe issued an order:
“Bring me the five strongest viscount-level demons in this zone. Send them to my quarters.”
After saying that, Yuribe left the scene and returned to his residence, cursing under his breath.
“Damn it.”
To be honest, he remembered.
Tumash had always looked at him like that—upright and steadfast.
He’d actually admired that stiff yet loyal demeanor.
But now, what mattered was his strength.
‘He may have refused a title, but in terms of raw power, he was top-tier among viscounts.’
Now that his horn was severed and his strength weakened, even a backstab could prove fatal.
So he killed him.
Whether or not Tumash harbored any betrayal was irrelevant.
What mattered most was his own life—and his power.
“......”
More than anything, he had noticed the change in Tumash’s gaze.
The wariness that had once been there was now faint.
Perhaps it was because Tumash felt closer to him now.
Or perhaps—just perhaps—he looked more beatable without the horn.
“Tch. I hate everything about this.”
He recalled the looks on the demons’ faces as he walked down the street.
Maybe it was just paranoia, but it felt like their lowered heads hid mocking grins.
He imagined them sneering, “You’re no Count anymore.”
—Get out of my world, viscount-level demon.
It was all because of what that arrogant human said before parting.
The words still rang in his ears like a brand that refused to fade.
“...Arrogant bastard. He called me a viscount-level demon?”
Bang!
Yuribe punched the wall without meaning to, shattering it.
Even then, the anger roiling inside refused to calm.
“That fool will regret ever uttering such nonsense.”
He was Yuribe—a demon who rose to the rank of Count despite losing his horn.
He was no lowly human’s equal.
“Hoo...”
Calming himself, he washed up and sat down, awaiting his subordinates.
Soon, five viscount-level demons arrived.
Perhaps having heard of Tumash’s fate, they all grovelled on the floor without lifting their heads.
Only then did Yuribe feel the slightest relief.
“Things have gotten a bit complicated.”
“...Do you mean the matter regarding the First Finger and the journey to the mountains?”
“Yes.”
A few days ago, the human known as the First Finger had made a request.
He asked Yuribe to guide his people to the Dragon’s Nest.
‘Normally, I wouldn’t even consider doing a favor for livestock like him...’
Yuribe clicked his tongue, recalling the complicated reasons that compelled him.
But the others, unaware, began to speak out.
“Please, Lord Yuribe. Pay it no mind.”
“Indeed. So what if things didn’t go smoothly? Humans can’t complain to us.”
“To begin with, I still don’t understand why a Count would personally act for someone like—”
“Enough.”
Yuribe interrupted them, voice tinged with fatigue.
“He may be livestock, but he is competent. The Great Emperor himself ordered us to maintain good relations. No further comments.”
An imperial decree.
No demon would dare question those words.
They finally understood why Yuribe had personally gotten involved and fell silent.
“While returning from the mountains with the humans, we were ambushed by livestock from another faction. That’s how I lost my horn. By now, they’ve likely entered the demon realm.”
“Unforgivable!”
“To ambush us? Those humans are either stupid or bold.”
“If you command us, we’ll tear them limb from limb and bring them before you!”
“Hmm.”
Yuribe nodded slightly and continued.
“The First Finger said the Emperor himself sent those people to the Dragon’s Nest. They were probably the ones who ambushed me.”
Perhaps it was guilt for lying, but he felt a phantom ache in the horn that shouldn’t even hurt.
“The Dragon’s Nest... you mean...”
“Yes. The place where everything has stopped.”
The place where everything has stopped.
The demons who knew what that meant flinched—but only for a moment.
“Understood. Should we request reinforcements from nearby zones?”
“No. We’ll handle this on our own.”
Yuribe shook his head immediately.
There were two reasons behind his decision.
‘Those arrogant humans... I hate to admit it, but they are powerful.’
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
If he could devour them all, he might not only restore his broken horn but surpass his former strength.
His eyes narrowed.
‘But to do that, I need to reduce the number of mouths to feed. I’ll take the bare minimum... and when it’s over, eliminate them and keep it all to myself.’
That was why he had selected only the five strongest viscount-level demons in the zone.
The second reason?
Public perception.
‘Normally, I should be able to kill mere humans by myself.’
Even after having his horn severed, he couldn’t afford to show any sign of weakness by asking for support from others.
The moment he did, people would start disregarding and mocking him.
Yuribe, who was fiercely proud, could never allow that to happen.
“I’ll give you two hours. Finish your preparations and gather again.”
Upon entering the Demon Realm, Sasha wore the goggles Oscar had given her and wrapped a scarf around her nose and mouth.
That’s because a human body couldn’t handle the polluted air of this land as it was.
—You’re not qualified to inherit the White Tower.
—You almost got everyone killed because you lacked power. Who’s to say it won’t happen again?
—The position of Tower Master isn’t one where mistakes are allowed. But you already made one.
—You’re neither human nor fae. No one welcomes you.
The whispers of a mind demon or endlessly echoed in her ears.
And she knew exactly what it was.
‘It’s a heart demon... I mustn’t listen to it.’
No—those were words she absolutely must not listen to.
Yet, the words whispered by the demon pierced her heart like daggers.
Because, the more she listened, the more they didn’t sound entirely wrong.
‘...I was lacking, it’s true.’
To be honest, she’d had some confidence in her own abilities.
Though she hadn’t reached the 8th level like the other masters of the Four Great Magic Towers,
for her age, she thought she had attained a fairly high realm.
But that confidence had been utterly shattered.
“......”
By just one demon.
The pride and powerlessness that were broken after encountering that creature weren’t easy to restore.
Sasha quietly looked at Oscar, who was walking ahead, finding the path for them.
‘Master... he must have fought against beings like that countless times.’
And not even once had he been defeated.
On the contrary, demons feared him.
“......”
In contrast, she couldn’t even come close.
At one point, she had even blamed her master for that.
Thinking that her weakness was because she didn’t know enough high-level spells.
But she knew better than anyone that was just an excuse.
‘Some of the previous Tower Masters... with just one high-level spell, they could dominate the world.’
Yes, it would’ve been nice to have more high-tier magic,
but that wasn’t the root of the issue.
Was it because of a lack of effort?
That wasn’t it either.
She had worked hard—so hard that she could proudly say it to anyone.
Even while taking outside commissions, she would reduce her sleep to study magic.
‘Then... it really must be...’
A lack of talent.
In truth, this doubt had plagued her since childhood.
Lloyd and Gilliot—her two seniors—were older, yes, but even then,
their talent had shone brightly, even in her young eyes.
‘Compared to those two...’
She was endlessly weak, her talent painfully meager.
And in that moment of doubt, the heart demon whispered again, as always.
—You were the first who should’ve left the White Tower.
—They left because you felt like a burden.
—They must regret it now. Realizing it was a mistake to entrust the White Tower to you.
‘No, that’s not true...’
Sasha shook her head violently.
She had never once desired the position of Tower Master.
All she had wanted was to be with them.
If she had any selfish desire at all,
it was simply to be worthy of standing beside her two seniors.
“Haah... haah...”
Suddenly, she felt as if something were tightening around her chest—
like being trapped in a flooded room.
She couldn’t breathe properly for a moment.
“Tower Master.”
“Huff, huff...”
Oscar gently shook her shoulder and asked with a concerned look.
“Are you alright?”
“S-sorry...”
Regaining her breath, Sasha nodded.
“I’ve been a little negligent in physical training, so walking for so long is a bit tough...”
“That won’t do. A strong mind and magic dwell in a strong body.”
“...I’ll keep that in mind.”
With an awkward smile, she asked in return,
“Anyway, why did you call me? Did something happen?”
“We’ve arrived.”
Swoooosh!
As Oscar spoke, he pointed to the area beneath the waterfall they had been walking along.
Far below the steep cliff, an utterly surreal scene was spread out.
“This is...?”
The falling water of the waterfall suddenly stopped at a certain point in midair.
Even the individual droplets were distinctly visible.
The same applied to the rainbow that naturally spread outward,
the tree branches swaying in the wind, and the blades of grass.
It was as if the very concept of time had been severed,
a perfectly frozen world.
A place where time itself held its breath—waiting for a visitor that might never come.
“The meadow visible below—that’s the location marked on the map. The Nest of Edna Sol Laplace.”
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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