I Became the Magic Tower Master's Experimental Mouse - Chapter 57

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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We observed Cassian’s condition for some time.
Even after driving the poison from his Core, there was little visible change in Cassian—he still appeared to be sleeping.
Yet simply watching his chest rise and fall with breath was enough to know he had improved.
“Sigh… I wonder when he’ll wake up.”
I stroked his small foreleg gently, stifling a yawn. The exhaustion of the sleepless night was catching up with me at last.
The Tower Master was occupied mixing reagents for a quick analysis of Cassian’s poison, so I was the one maintaining the Detoxification for now.
‘Really, why do I have so much strength?’
Back then I’d been too desperate to question it, chalking it up to the power of friendship and moving on, but something about that still felt off.
That strange resonance I’d felt in the moment.
It made me wonder if it was proof that I’d broken through some barrier when the crisis came.
‘The timing was apt, but…….’
Eight minutes and half a day—wasn’t that too vast a difference?
I was wrestling with the secret of that sudden growth when I lost focus, and only then noticed Cassian’s breathing slowing again. I jumped in alarm.
“Good grief—can’t you hold on even for a moment?”
My weary mind throbbed, but I refocused on Cassian.
Even the poison itself—why did it have to suffer the same thing?
‘He was always nagging me to keep looking at him. Got what he wished for, didn’t he.’
I made sure not to forget to drape the blanket over him at intervals so his body heat wouldn’t fade.
“……Wake up soon. Yes? When you do, I’ll have to scold you for why you used casual speech.”
And if he wakes, I’ll even forgive that annoying remark about “mere rodents.”
* * *
‘What? Wasn’t it afternoon just now?’
The next afternoon, I suddenly noticed the world outside the window darkening and tilted my head in confusion.
It looked pitch-black like night, and I was blinking when a beam of light suddenly broke through, revealing that I hadn’t lost track of time.
“……That’s extraordinary.”
The Tower Master, who had been tending to Cassian, let out a small sigh.
‘Could it be, could it really be……?’
I suddenly realized what must have happened, and my jaw went slack.
As if to prove my thought, what had been blocking the sky above the mansion was now descending rapidly, shrinking in size.
It was such an enormous Mystical Beast that it had blotted out the sunlight itself.
What I saw was nothing more than the shadow of the Duke—Behemoth—transformed into his Mystical Beast form.
The Duke, whom one might have believed to be a mountain, burst into the room moments later in his Beast-human form.
“Tower Master! How is Cassian?!”
He too bore the light trace of exhaustion on his hardened face, as though he had flown through the night without rest.
Bedel followed behind him, carrying an enormous load of supplies.
“……Please compose yourself, Duke. The worst has passed.”
The Tower Master’s gaze shifted toward the bed.
There the Duke naturally discovered small Cassian, wrapped snugly in blankets and quilts, sleeping.
“……Cassian.”
After speaking only his son’s name, the Duke said nothing more for a time. He approached the bedside slowly and simply looked down at his sleeping son.
He quietly surveyed the Purification Device still working urgently beside him, the Tower Master intent on pouring mana into it, and the scattered potion bottles strewn about.
Then, with trembling fingers, he gently traced Cassian’s scales.
“He’s released his Disguise Form.”
He murmured the words in a hollow voice.
Since he too would understand from the fact that the Disguise Form had been released unconsciously just how precarious the situation was, words seemed to fail him.
“What was his condition originally?”
“The poison he ingested this time is related to the previous one, but it operates differently. It works by affecting the Core directly.”
The Tower Master explained slowly how dangerous this poison was, and how we had treated it.
I felt a little embarrassed at his earnest recounting of my efforts, but since my devoted nursing truly deserved recognition, I didn’t interrupt him.
Hearing this, the Duke pressed his forehead once, then bowed his head toward the Tower Master and me.
“Had you not happened to be nearby, my son would already be……. Thank you truly. And thank you too, little one.”
“That’s not…….”
Since Cassian hadn’t woken yet, I couldn’t bring myself to accept his gratitude.
As I shook my head with a downcast expression, the Tower Master gestured toward Bedel.
“We should complete the treatment first, I think.”
While we were speaking, Bedel had already arranged the tools the Tower Master had brought on a tray for easy access.
The Tower Master took the tray Bedel offered and picked up one small glass vial from it.
It was a reagent I’d never seen before, luminous with an opalescent sheen.
“What is that?”
I asked, and the Tower Master held the glass vial up to the light before speaking.
“It’s an Awakening-series Poison.”
“……Awakening-series?”
“Cassian has sunk deep into a comatose state. He cannot rouse himself, so we’re forcing his nerves to wake.”
The Tower Master carefully checked the vial for impurities, then uncapped the poison.
“Bedel, come and assist. Pipi, if the poison begins to spread throughout the Duke’s body the moment he awakens, detoxify it.”
“I cannot bear to watch. I entrust my son to your care.”
As we began moving frantically, the Duke could not bring himself to witness the poison being administered directly and left the room.
I cradled Cassian’s small foreleg in both hands.
‘I’ve rested while the Tower Master took charge. I can do this.’
This time, I would save Cassian.
And afterward, I would strike his back soundly and make him swear never to eat anything suspicious again.
The Tower Master wrapped the Awakening Poison in mana and let it drip onto Cassian’s lips.
Drop. Drop. Drop.
Exactly three drops fell into Cassian’s mouth.
Immediately after, the Tower Master and Bedel began a long incantation.
I couldn’t understand a single word, yet it sounded like a song meant to wake Cassian.
As the chanting lengthened, Cassian’s body began to respond.
His eyes moved beneath closed lids, and his fingers twitched slightly.
And within Cassian’s body, the poison began to rage.
‘No!’
After his Core was already damaged, I couldn’t allow his other organs to be harmed.
I quickly seized the poison spreading through Cassian’s body and began detoxifying it.
‘Hurry, wake up, you fool!’
I gritted my teeth and poured all my strength into Cassian.
And some time passed.
Cassian’s wildly thrashing body gradually began to stabilize.
“……It’s done. Success.”
At those words, I felt my palm lightly scratched by something hard and scaled.
“……Ah!”
I held my breath and looked down at Cassian.
His small eyelids, trembling faintly, slowly began to lift.
His golden eyes flickered in and out of view between his lids several times before finally focusing steadily on me.
“M-my lord!”
I felt tears welling up.
All the hardship had been worth it.
“Grrrrgh. Grrr.”(You’re late. Idiot.)
A low sound emerged—not human speech.
Hearing that cry, I somehow understood everything he meant to say.
“What do you mean late! I saved you at exactly the right moment. Besides, why were you picking up strange things and eating them in the first place!”
I lightly scolded him, patting the bedsheet with both hands.
“Grrr.”(I don’t know.)
Cassian let out a small, protesting sound.
“You can understand me…….”
The Tower Master looked briefly between me and Cassian as if something was odd, then shook his head.
Regardless, I stood up abruptly to inform the father who had been anxiously awaiting his son’s awakening.
“I’ll bring the Duke!”
I was about to rush toward the door, but before I could, the door opened first.
“There’s no need.”
The Duke had already heard from outside and knew Cassian had awakened.
He regarded me with an odd look for a moment, much like the Tower Master had, then approached Cassian.
“……Cassian. Are you conscious?”
“Grrr, grrrrgh…….”(Father, how……?)
Cassian let out a weak cry toward the Duke.
Though I had informed him that even after detoxifying the poison, Cassian would not be able to maintain his Human Form for some time, seeing him remain in this state clearly troubled the Duke’s expression.
“Ah…….”
He released a long sigh.
As the sigh subsided, new anger began to rise, and his fists clenched tightly.
“……Yes. You endured well.”
He spoke quietly, gently stroking his son’s scales.
“Then go and tell your father.”
Cassian’s gaze had gone soft, drained of its usual intensity.
Seeing it, I felt the contagion of his anger—heat crawling into my own chest.
‘Whoever used poison… should I find them this time and kill them?’
My vow not to commit murder in this life wavered dangerously.
But the Duke’s fury rose first, eclipsing even mine.
“Who in blazes gave you poison?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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