I Became the Magic Tower Master's Experimental Mouse - Chapter 70

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

Griffin could not bring himself to raise his head, watching only as the Emperor’s shadow trembled.
“Your Majesty…….”
“No, it’s not that I don’t believe you. You said you’d create a poison to kill the Basilisk, but first you touched the children…….”
The Emperor waved his hand without dropping his smile.
“……How old is Behemoth’s child again?”
“Yes……? Nine years old, Your Majesty.”
“……So young.”
The shadow beyond his feet fell silent for a long moment.
The Duke, unable to fathom the meaning of that silence, could only remain prostrate and wait for the Emperor’s next words.
“Do whatever play-acting or whatever you must. If you catch the tail of the conspiracy, bring me results.”
“Your boundless grace overwhelms me.”
The Duke bowed formally, and as the Emperor waved his hand, he withdrew from the audience chamber.
* * *
Griffin arrived at the Magic Tower.
Having stepped out of the Tower Master’s office, even Cassian had boldly claimed a seat on the sofa—a protest he’d lodged earlier, insisting he was involved in the matter after all.
“The culprit was the court physician. I only told the physician about the Chapel, yet an Assassin Guild member appeared there.”
The Duke’s expression was rigid.
Cassian, nestled against my side, went stiff.
‘He must be thinking of Schultz.’
After betrayal had clawed through him, Cassian even now sometimes groaned in his sleep, occasionally muttering accusations against Schultz in his dreams. The wound had not fully healed.
Schultz, being a minor, had been spared execution and instead confined to a distant Monastery, but Cassian’s thoughts still drifted to him unconsciously.
‘It’s all right, it’s all right.’
I gently stroked his back with my hand to comfort him.
“The court physician oversaw the entire diagnosis. It was revealed he deliberately misled the summoned physicians about the cause.”
“……At least the young lord has recovered. That’s fortunate.”
“The man captured at the Chapel bore the insignia of the Assassin Guild. I was planning to strike decisively with the Imperial Guard soon.”
Hearing this, the Tower Master rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Then he dissuaded the Duke from his course of action.
“This poison does have some connection to the Eastern Continent. So if we dig into the continental trade routes first and hit a wall, I’d like to use these people instead. Perhaps it would be wise to wait a bit longer?”
“Ah, so that’s why you didn’t clean things up at Behemoth’s estate beforehand.”
Griffin nodded his head.
It seemed he understood that his son’s poisoning notwithstanding, with the Imperial court now entangled, caution was unavoidable.
“Now that the connection to His Majesty is certain, I think it best to officially petition the Information Guild for personnel.”
“Is that permissible?”
“There’s nothing wrong with it—we’re hunting conspirators. Besides, His Majesty has already granted me full authority.”
Griffin tapped his left breast and spoke expansively.
There hung an insignia that marked his rank as Commander of the Imperial Guard.
“Hmm, I see we have quite a bit to work with. Very well.”
The Tower Master nodded with satisfaction, then changed the subject.
“Ah, since you’ve come this far, why not see the young lord before you go? Although it was only about twenty seconds, he did wake briefly this morning, so we should be able to bring him home soon.”
“Oh, let’s do that.”
At the mention that we could visit Aquila, Griffin’s face brightened.
We made our way through the secret passage to the basement. Aquila lay sleeping on the bed.
“Well, we’ve mistimed it.”
Seeing Aquila sleeping soundly, the Tower Master offered the Duke consolation.
Aquila’s complexion, unlike when we first arrived, now held a peaceful, healthy glow.
The Duke, reassured, tapped the side of the bed and spoke.
“Hmph, shake it off quickly and get up! Seems your resolve still needs work!”
Seeing his worry visibly lift, my mood brightened as well.
“Mm…….”
At the Duke’s loud voice, Aquila’s brow furrowed in displeasure, and his eyes fluttered slowly open.
“Oh, you’re awake!”
At my voice, both the Duke and the Tower Master’s gazes fixed on Aquila.
“You’re awake, Aquila!”
“……Father?”
Aquila frowned and brushed his forehead once, then tried to move his body as if to gather his wits.
“No, don’t move yet! You still need rest!”
I startled and stopped Aquila.
At that, he gazed blankly up at me, then slowly looked from Cassian nestled in my arms to the Tower Master and the Duke, examining each one in turn.
“Where am I……?”
“I mentioned it briefly earlier—this is the Poison Tower.”
I quickly pressed a lukewarm cup of water into his hands and began my explanation as he drank.
Once the water had revived him, Aquila’s eyes narrowed.
“The Poison Tower……?”
“Yes, I suppose I owe you a fuller account. I am Claude Serpens, Master of the Poison Tower.”
The Tower Master settled into the chair beside the bed and walked Aquila through the entire affair—the poison, the experiments, how the culprit had been caught.
Everything from beginning to end.
By the time he finished, Aquila’s face had gone even paler than when he’d first awakened.
“My funeral was held?”
“Nearly. Multiple times over, in fact.”
“In several different places?!”
“Don’t strain yourself—you’ve only just woken.”
The Duke answered with casual unconcern, as if his son were fretting over trifles, though Aquila’s expression had shifted from bewilderment to outright shock.
“Good heavens, my leave—if my leave has ended——!”
The Imperial Guard was, in essence, a military corps.
Aquila cried out in horror, convinced he had become a deserter.
“Of course I had you recorded on medical leave. What sort of father do you take me for?”
The Duke spoke with disapproval and flicked his son’s forehead with a finger.
“Now that I’ve seen your face, that’s enough. Sleep and recover.”
“The damage to your Core is not severe—a day or two of rest, and you should be fit enough to move about and return home.”
“My thanks, Tower Master. I shall see you are properly rewarded.”
The Duke smiled with satisfaction at the Tower Master’s words and announced he would take his leave.
“Purrrr, rumble.” (A nap is always the best cure for restlessness.)
Behemoth offered this sage counsel as if to a junior, quite certain Aquila wouldn’t understand, and settled into a satisfied expression.
Aquila’s stunned gaze brushed against Behemoth for a moment, but I laughed—”Rest well~”—and followed the grown-ups out.
* * *
Evening had fallen by the time all the visitors had departed.
“Pipi, you’ve been keeping busy lately?”
Liz tapped my shoulder gently as we met in the hallway and asked.
Well, there was the matter of the secret guest, which couldn’t be helped…….
To avoid suspicion, I turned the question back on her instead.
“You’re the one who’s been busy, Liz. Where did you go today? Why are you all dressed up?”
At my question, Liz gave my cheek a playful pinch and answered.
“I did go out to meet a friend, it’s true.”
“So it’s you who’s been busy, not me! What’s in that box?”
I pointed to the small box in her hands.
Liz laughed softly, clearly pleased.
“You know that friend I mentioned meeting recently? She bought me this as a gift. She got two and we split them.”
“Oh, it smells delicious!”
I sniffed habitually. The scent was buttery and sweet—the rich aroma of cookies.
Thankfully, there seemed to be no poison or anything else I found suspicious.
“These are meant to be shared among all of us, but I’ll give you some too, Pipi.”
From the box she held in her other hand, Liz offered me a few candies in small wrappings.
They gave off the sweet scent of honey.
I took them happily with a “Yay!” and popped one into my mouth.
“By the way, she said she’d take me to the Curiosity Shop next time—would you like to come along? You haven’t done much exploring outside the Magic Tower since you arrived.”
“The Curiosity Shop?”
“Yes, they have all sorts of exotic items, and there are supposed to be lots of cute and pretty things. Neither of us has been there before.”
I hesitated at Liz’s suggestion.
‘If I go along, won’t that look awkward……?’
I narrowed my eyes, trying to discern her true intent, when Liz burst into laughter.
“Really, it’s fine! You’re well-behaved, after all. Right? It’s not even tomorrow—we’re planning it for this weekend.”
Well, if that was the case.
I nodded in agreement.
* * *
I was about to wash up and retire to bed when there came a knock at my door.
“Who is it?”
I called out and opened the door.
Standing in the doorway was the Tower Master.
“Huh? Tower Master?”
“Pipi. There’s something urgent I need to tell you.”
“……Yes?”
I felt a flutter of unease in my chest and asked carefully.
Such sudden visits had never brought anything fortunate.
“I’m planning to leave the Tower in a few days.”
“……What? Where are you going? Am I coming too?”
At my question, the Tower Master shook his head and tapped a large hand gently on my head.
“I have business to attend to. It seems I’ll be away for quite some time.”
“B-but what about Griffin……?”
Hearing that the Tower Master would be away for a while, I felt oddly deflated.
‘Why?’
What did it matter to me if he went out?
But as I looked up at him with a sinking feeling and asked, the Tower Master gave a bitter smile.
“I’ll send the prince away before I go. He’ll behave himself.”
I nodded. But I couldn’t shake the heaviness in my chest.
I tried to control my lips, which had begun moving of their own accord, but they kept pouting.
‘He went out of his way to tell me, so he’s being considerate.’
Then why did this feel so lonely?
“You don’t really have to…… I mean, it’s fine.”
I started to whine before catching myself and hurriedly shook my head.
Then the Tower Master gently stroked my head and whispered,
“When I return, there’s something I must tell you. Something very important…… a favor I need to ask.”

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