I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 71

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 71

 

In the quiet room where only the sound of sipping tea echoed.

 

“So, how long do you plan to loiter around here?”

 

The Elder finally set down his cup and spoke.

 

“….”

 

The Woman sitting across from the Elder avoided his gaze without answering. The Elder looked at the Woman intently and spoke firmly.

 

“This is a Magic Tower you walked out of on your own two feet. It’s not an inn you can come and go from as you please.”

“That’s too harsh to say to your only daughter. Think of me not as a Mage of the Magic Tower, but as a daughter who’s returned home after a long time. Wouldn’t it be nice if I stayed longer?”

“I don’t intend to indulge your whims forever just because you’re my daughter. You should consider your age. Aren’t you old enough that I should have seen a granddaughter by now? What about that guy from before… what was his name… how are things going with that man Ator? Don’t tell me you came here after a fight?”

“Dad!”

 

With a shout, the teacup in Melissa’s hand flew through the air. However, the teacup didn’t break.

 

Magic circles emitting faint light from various places.

 

Several spells deployed as naturally as breathing caught the teacup and even prevented the water from splashing. The teacup that had been floating in the air for a moment returned to the table following the Tower Master’s gaze.

 

Melissa huffed angrily, but there was nothing she could do about it.

 

Not only was there a vast gap between them, but this was the Tower Master’s office. In other words, it could be considered an Archmage’s workshop.

 

Melissa, who had lived as a Mage her entire life, knew better than anyone how powerful a prepared Mage could be.

 

The Tower Master, who had been wearing a mischievous smile while looking at Melissa’s face, asked casually.

 

“That organization you mentioned, the Dawn Order.”

 

This was essentially the reason Melissa had returned to the Green Magic Tower. To recruit the Green Tower Master into the Dawn Order, which had recently lost many personnel due to various incidents.

 

Since the Magic Tower’s situation wasn’t good, she thought now was actually an opportunity. If they received support from the Dawn Order, the Green Magic Tower could instantly regain its former vigor. She believed it was an offer that the Green Tower Master, who loved the Magic Tower more than anyone, couldn’t refuse.

 

“Answer me one thing, and I’ll consider it.”

 

However, the Green Tower Master didn’t readily accept the proposal. It was something she should have expected.

 

No matter how much he was considered the weakest among the Tower Masters, he was still an Archmage counted among the best on the Continent.

 

He was someone who had the power to easily escape something like the Magic Tower’s financial crisis if he set his mind to it. Yet the fact that he was talking about ridiculous things like Magic Tower reform meant there must be his own reasons. Unless his mind had deteriorated due to old age.

 

“That tall Child, do you know him?”

“….”

 

Melissa’s body stiffened.

 

Do you know him. It was a simple question, but answering it wasn’t easy. He was a young Boy who had introduced himself as a wandering Mage. What kind of relationship should she say would sound natural?

 

Her opponent was a Tower Master before being Melissa’s father. The position of Tower Master wasn’t something you could reach simply by having good Magic Ability.

 

If she spoke wrongly, not only would the Boy’s identity be revealed, but the plan currently in progress by the Dawn Order might also be exposed.

 

“What is his identity?”

“Why are you asking about that young kid’s identity? As for his identity, just like he said, he’s just a wandering Mage…”

“He can’t just be a wandering Mage.”

 

The Tower Master, who had cut off Melissa’s excuse in one stroke, muttered.

 

“I don’t know how he did it, but he was able to deceive my senses.”

“Your senses…?”

“Yes. If I had been a little less careful, I almost wouldn’t have noticed.”

 

Melissa bit her lip.

 

She had some idea what he meant. He was someone who had even infiltrated as a soldier while hiding his identity in Andril. Even Melissa herself hadn’t noticed he was a Dark Mage until she saw him use magic directly.

 

She had thought he possessed a special artifact and hadn’t paid much attention to it. But it was something she should never have forgotten.

 

“The flow of mana was. It was far too violent to be ordinary mana. But its nature was too pure.”

 

Whether it was the power of an artifact or a special spell, being excellent enough to escape the Tower Master’s eyes was remarkable.

 

But in the end, he was caught.

 

“I thought that’s how it would be if someone who had never handled mana before tried to shape mana through imagination alone.”

“….”

 

Having gone this far in the conversation, she couldn’t hide it anymore. Setting aside her mission for the organization, the Tower Master wasn’t someone who would just let things slide because of blood relations.

 

Melissa irritably grabbed the teacup that had returned to the table and opened her mouth. She had broken her promise with the Boy in just one day, but first she had to survive.

 

“Sevian… Yes, that child.”

 

After the explanation ended, the Tower Master, who had been sitting quietly with his eyes closed, let out a sigh.

 

“What are you going to do?”

“Living a long life, my Magic Ability doesn’t improve much, but my regrets keep piling up. That child Sevian was also one of my countless regrets.”

 

The Tower Master, who had muttered with a bitter expression, looked at Melissa. As if asking whether she felt the same way.

 

When Melissa avoided his gaze, the Tower Master smiled bitterly and said.

 

“What this Magic Tower couldn’t give to that child back then… I hope we can give it to that child’s disciple.”

 

* * *

 

Telon’s plan to invite Jude to his research room was stopped by Shtidy, who returned panting heavily.

 

Unable to overcome her insistence that she was in charge of guiding the newcomer during the adaptation period, Telon chose to follow her down to the reception desk with a sigh.

 

“This is annoying…”

 

As soon as Shtidy arrived at the reception desk, she slumped down in her seat. Seeing this, Telon shot back coldly.

 

“Sit up straight and do your job properly. Don’t you know there’s already talk about your poor work attitude lately?”

“So what if there is? If my research results are good, everyone will shut up.”

“That’s assuming your research has that kind of value.”

“Even if it’s derivative research, it’s still better than yours, Senior.”

 

The situation quickly escalated into a pride battle between the mages.

 

“Fine, let’s ask our newcomer here. Whose research is better!”

“Good! Newcomer, answer us!”

“…Even if you say that.”

 

Jude, who had been watching their fight with an awkward smile, replied.

 

“I don’t even know what Telon hyung’s research topic is.”

“Ah, right. My research is…”

“Wait! Telon hyung? Hyung? When did you two get so close that you’re calling him hyung?”

 

Shtidy asked in an urgent tone.

 

Telon wasn’t angry at all despite being interrupted. Rather, he seemed to puff up with pride as if he’d been waiting for this moment.

 

“Stand, there are things between men that you wouldn’t understand.”

“Don’t call me that. You two were only together for a short while anyway.”

“Ah, ha. He just told me to comfortably call him hyung…”

“Really? Then call me noona too. When you think about it, being part of the same Magic Tower makes us like family, right?”

 

Jude nodded to calm Shtidy’s excitement, but she wasn’t satisfied. Only after he awkwardly called her noona did she nod and back down.

 

“I really wish you wouldn’t bother ‘our Jude.'”

“Oh my. Jude, did ‘noona’ bother you?”

 

Just when things seemed to quiet down, the psychological warfare continued again. With the sudden wave of fatigue, Jude wanted to escape the Magic Tower, Holy Sword materials and all.

 

“My research topic is the recreation of dragons.”

“…Dragons?”

“That’s right. The legendary ancient species that’s said to be the origin of magic. There haven’t been any proper sightings since the legend of them granting power to the First Hero… Isn’t it an exciting topic?”

 

Certainly.

 

Compared to Shtidy’s research, which was hard to understand even when explained, this was an easy-to-grasp and interesting topic. Dragons, of all things.

 

Dragon bone and heart. For Jude, who had entered the Magic Tower to obtain information about the treasures in the Empire, this was absolutely a story he couldn’t just pass by.

 

“It’s a topic many mages have challenged since ancient times. It’s also a topic where they’ve all failed.”

 

Shtidy spoke toward Telon as if pitying him.

 

“You really don’t understand romance, do you? Dragons?”

“More than a few people have wasted their entire lives chasing that romance.”

 

However, Jude couldn’t mock Telon.

 

He knew of those who had made similar topics their aspiration and eventually created something close to completion.

 

The elves’ secret art of spirit magic was knowledge built up with the sole intention of recreating the World Tree. Regardless of his dislike for the Elf King’s methods, he couldn’t ignore those achievements.

 

Of course, he didn’t think Telon’s research would succeed at all.

 

“Your research has no romance!”

“No, when this is completed, the continent’s transportation will develop incredibly fast. It’s nothing short of innovation!”

 

At Shtidy’s claim, Telon snorted.

 

“A few years ago, those noble lords in the capital were riding around in those horseless carriages, right? That expensive thing is innovation…?”

 

Shtidy trembled with anger at the mockery.

 

“…Don’t you understand cost reduction?”

“If your theory is correct, maintenance costs would be low. But what about production costs? As processes are added, increased production costs are unavoidable.”

 

Telon spoke calmly without erasing the sneer from his lips.

 

“For the innovation you speak of to happen, not only would production costs need to be reduced, but you’d need to be able to handle massive quantities. When are you going to create that? Even if your research succeeds, it’ll just be a luxury item for wealthy nobles. And those nobles won’t care about maintenance cost reduction.”

 

It was a level of logical reasoning that seemed impossible to come from someone whose absurd research topic was reviving extinct dragons.

 

Shtidy couldn’t find anything to refute and collapsed onto the reception desk. Looking down at her, Telon asked Jude with a bright smile different from before.

 

“Newcomer. Instead of paying attention to such research with no future, how about touring my research room?”

 

An opportunity to possibly obtain the information he wanted. But for some reason, Jude felt uneasy and hesitated to answer, so Telon calmly added.

 

“I’m not planning to give you anything difficult from the start. Just come and help with small tasks, and you’ll learn a lot in various ways.”

“Learn a lot, my foot! You’re just planning to use him by making him run errands! I suffered through that for months.”

 

A voice filled with resentment echoed from the reception desk table, but Telon didn’t lose his smile and pressed down on the source of the sound with his hand.

 

“Sorry to interrupt while you’re talking.”

 

Just then, someone called out from across the reception desk.

 

“I’m sorry, but did you get a number ticket? Please get one and come back…”

“Here.”

“Uh, um…”

 

To Telon, who had been responding skillfully, the other person handed over a number ticket without hesitation. At that sight, Telon’s body stiffened.

 

“Good grief. It’s been ages since I left the Magic Tower, and now I’m running errands like this. They really work me to the bone.”

 

It was because of the identity of the grumbling person.

 

Witch Melissa. The Tower Master’s daughter and the protagonist of ghost stories still passed down to this day – upon confirming this, Telon stepped backward.

 

“A research room tour sounds nice. But joining the research… maybe you should reconsider that?”

 

Melissa spoke to Jude without even glancing at Telon.

 

“It’s the Tower Master’s order, newcomer. If there’s research you want to do, feel free to start whatever you like. He said not to worry about support.”

 

At this story that was absolutely unbelievable as something said to a newcomer mage, Shtidy, who had been lying face down, suddenly shot up and shouted.

 

“The Tower Master did? My research support is still pending…!”

“I told you. Not to worry about it.”

 

Melissa looked at Shtidy, who was half-consumed by madness, and waved her hand dismissively.

 

“That man has gone off to make money right now.”

 

The Tower Master had begun to move.

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