23. Full Scale War (1)
The tower lord, Herbert, felt the subtle stares of the sorcerers ever since he had entered the Ivory Tower and reached the height of the tower lord’s room. Of course he knew the reason why. He had received Intel from a few prior to entering the castle. However, he did not antic.i.p.ate such behaviors from the point of his entrance into the tower.
“6th cla.s.s, already a 6th cla.s.s. Ha ha.”
The tower lord released mana in great fas.h.i.+on after a hollow laughter. Numerous doc.u.ments and books, chairs and other things have scattered all over the place. The suppressed wrath seemed to be finally overpowering him.
‘Such a wicked plan was in the works.’
He thought of him as a ruler, as a king, among the novices. Presumed his level to be only as high as the beginning of the 5th cla.s.s level. ‘The level at which can be controlled as I please.’ 5 years of thorough background investigation and private tutoring have been clearly whispered to the tower lord.
‘Novice b.a.s.t.a.r.d…..!’
But, that was not the case.
He was a 6th cla.s.s grand sorcerer.
Even five of the high level sorcerers are following him.
He has lost one half of the Ivory Tower. No, perhaps, even more.
It felt as if everything was lost.
Everything that was cultivated over the many decades.
Hatred and sense of loss have overcome him.
‘Be calm. Think Herbert.’
He is still a novice no matter how great he is right now. A 17 year old novice as of this year. I can’t be losing everything to such b.a.s.t.a.r.d? Especially for someone that is none other than Herbert, the ruler as the tower lord of the Ivory Tower for many decades.
‘It must be restored. Everything must be restored to its own place.’
There was not a time to waste.
Great urgency came over him.
It has to be taken care of before he gets any stronger.
Before he gains even greater strength.
“……”
The tower lord was preoccupied with a great concern.
Suddenly, he has activated a communications line.
It was a direct communications line to his a.s.sistant sorcerer.
“Marco, come up here for a moment.”
Soon after, a young sorcerer appeared, riding up an elevator. It was ‘Marco’, who was once deployed to the Mogrian region and already approaching the 3rd year since his tour of duty has ended.
“My lord. Have you called for me, sir?”
“Ah, you are here.”
Marco’s level has been steady, remaining at 2nd cla.s.s, for the past 5 years. That itself is enough to make him a very talented sorcerer. The majority of the sorcerers cannot reach beyond the 1st cla.s.s level, isn’t it?
“I am suddenly reminiscing the old times. It has been over twenty years since I saw you first. Marco, of course, you wouldn’t remember as you were a newly born infant.
The tower lord’s visage has been filled with hatred and caution towards Ian. That ugliness was nowhere to be seen. Rather, his visage demonstrated kindness and affection more so than the usual.
“It is still vivid to me. A baby wrapped in a cloth looks up at me and smiled. Perhaps, it was because I had no children of my own. I couldn’t fathom handing it to someone else. You, that is.”
It was not widely known, but the tower lord has taken in newly born Marco and nurtured him. Marco, in return, followed the tower lord as his own father. They were like this ever since and the relations.h.i.+p continued to this day.
“You crawled and stood up on your two feet…..I had even forgotten to tend to my work from the joy of watching you grow. The child born with the gift of sorcery was not content of being gifted, but have grown to become a validated sorcerer is certainly not antic.i.p.ated. Now, could it have even been imagined?”
