My Husband Is Not the Magic Tower Master - Chapter 15

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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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Chapter 15

The Crown Prince, notorious for his jealousy, had apparently grown distant from his friend over some recent affair.
Though it didn’t yet seem to have developed into an outright rivalry with Elline at the center.
‘Of course, I sold my very soul for Reward Leave, but still….’
I felt uneasy about having dragged Carlo into this scheme to block Elline’s fieldwork deployment.
‘…It’s not too late. I could still tell him to back out.’
Ah.
While I was hurriedly packing my belongings at the lodgings, I suddenly stopped moving.
And my usually steady thoughts stopped with me.
“What am I even….”
I couldn’t find the words, exasperated as I was.
On the eve of a crucial and dangerous mission that would determine whether I could retire safely, I was worrying about a man I barely knew—a workplace colleague with whom I shared no personal connection whatsoever.
A month from now, I would be married.
And shortly after, my family might face annihilation.
My life, which had been nothing but peaceful until now, would plummet from the peak like a roller coaster, crashing to the ground in an instant.
Even if I prepared for everything, it wouldn’t be enough—yet here I was, the one directly involved, letting my heart be swept away toward something completely irrelevant.
‘…I’m truly hopeless.’
The more I reflected on my situation objectively, the stranger I felt.
And immediately after, I muttered to myself.
“Don’t deceive yourself. It’s just curiosity, or something like that.”
This was merely a simple camaraderie born from having weathered several crises with Carlo recently.
Or perhaps it was nothing more than pity.
From what I had observed over those two seasons—short in some ways, long in others—the man I knew was objectively a good person.
So this was just a thought I’d always held.
That Carlo was decent.
There was not a shred of room to think otherwise.
“I shouldn’t say I’m sorry. I should tell him I’m grateful.”
The kindness he was showing me now would become a first and last moment once time passed.
I left the lodgings with my thoughts arranged in calm order.
Having arrived at the departure point by carriage, I busily began unloading the belongings I’d stacked neatly behind the cart near the Teleportation circle where I had already input the coordinates.
In about five minutes, my destination would be the boundary region where Security Magic was weakest and most diffuse.
Specifically, the mountainous outskirts where Stein County—my birthplace—met the edge of the Demon Realm.
“Roze. Hiiii. You’re really doing this?”
“What?”
I gave Elline a familiar look as she continued clutching at the hem of my robe.
Let go already. She was like this during the last field mission too.
Elline, now that Carlo and I were ready, threw herself on the ground and began wailing dramatically.
“This is so unfair. I volunteered first, and now some random person’s taking my spot!”
“If you’re so upset, why don’t you just become a Grand Mage already.”
“What good would that do? By then you’d just tell me to go handle it on my own!”
“Caught.”
“You’re always so predictable, Roze Stein!”
Elline eventually dragged herself up listlessly and turned away from me in a sulk.
After crawling around the ground for over thirty minutes and thrashing about on her side, she had finally exhausted herself.
Her retreating figure, trudging slowly away, looked quite pathetic.
“You’re leaving?”
“…Hmph.”
I started to bid her my usual farewell but hesitated, watching her turned back as she refused to answer.
“Hmm.”
I considered changing my route.
I turned my head directly toward Carlo.
He had apparently finished gathering his things and was now stepping into the Teleportation circle beside me.
“Aren’t you going to say goodbye to Carlo?”
“…What do you mean goodbye?”
“A farewell greeting. You know—telling your teammates that you’ll return safely.”
For instance, returning without so much as a hair out of place.
It was really a matter of making him look good in Elline’s eyes, in case he became a candidate for a secondary male lead.
Carlo mulled over my words for a moment, then began fidgeting awkwardly with his hand.
I wondered why it should be so strange.
Oh.
“I’ll go and return safely.”
Somehow the direction felt off.
I stared blankly at the hand he extended. What is this?
“…To me?”
Why was he saying goodbye to me? We were going together anyway.
“Should anything serious happen, I will ensure that not a single hair on Roze is harmed before myself.”
“Not only that you won’t let her be hurt, but why do you need to make such effort?”
Both of us would be in equal danger. It was the sort of cringey confession line you’d only see in movies.
Heh.
Faced with this unexpected promise, laughter spilled out before I could help myself.
It was the kind of thing you’d usually only hear between lovers.
The feeling was strange.
Why did it come across as clumsy and endearing?
“…Right.”
I quickly shifted my gaze downward and changed the subject.
“I actually thought you disliked going on fieldwork together.”
“If it seemed that way, I apologize. To be precise, it was situations that became dangerous that I disliked.”
“Ah. If that’s the reason, then it’s fine.”
“…I harbor no ill will toward Roze. Quite the opposite―.”
Zzzzt―.
Just then, a white light flared in the center of the Teleportation Magic Circle as the spell activated.
It was the signal to depart.
Our first field assignment from the Demon Realm Research was to Stein County, where the damage from the Demon Beast attack was the most severe among the four locations struck.
Since the affected region lay some distance from the Capital, I already knew my parents were safe. Yet the tension had made my body grow increasingly rigid.
As the spatial displacement magic repeated its cycles of dissolution and reconstruction, I took the deepest breath I could manage to stay calm.
‘It’s alright.’
No terrible incident had occurred here yet.
Thanks to the local people’s swift response, there had been no casualties—only a handful of minor injuries, at worst from people tripping over their own feet while evacuating.
It would be wonderful if this Demon Realm Research project could uncover the cause of the Demon Beast swarm attack.
But that was a wish with no hope of coming true at this point in time.
There was more than a month and a week left until the original story’s ending.
It was impossible for a mere extra to pull forward ahead of schedule the miraculous achievements the protagonists would only bring forth after the ending.
Moreover, this world did not yet have a complete Grand Mage.
The Grand Mage positions for water and earth had been vacant for centuries.
Even if the water-aspected Grand Mage position were to be filled sooner than planned, it would change nothing.
Elline’s magical power would far exceed mine, and then I would simply play supporting roles to the protagonist until one day I faded away quietly.
The only variable, if one existed, was a possibility that couldn’t possibly occur within these circumstances.
‘Unless some wandering tower master living in hiding suddenly appeared.’
I laughed bitterly at the futility of it.
In the end, nothing I could do on my own would resolve anything.
“I think we should take it easy this time. We don’t want anyone getting hurt from pushing too hard.”
As I spoke, Carlo’s expressionless face slowly turned toward me.
“There’s no need to worry like that. We’ll likely remain within the boundary zone.”
“Wait.”
At the certainty in his voice, I immediately redirected my gaze to follow his.
“So you’re saying we won’t venture into the Demon Realm at all, and will conduct the research entirely from the outside?”
“Not won’t venture in—can’t venture in.”
Carlo corrected himself as though explaining to someone who didn’t understand.
“The Demon Realm isn’t a place anyone can simply enter.”

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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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