On Official Duty with My Tower Master Ex-Boyfriend - Chapter 17

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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 17
Behind the observatory where I’d followed Simona, a magical beast was thrashing about wildly.
“Wah! Wah!”
“Ugh, why is it so strong?”
The researchers struggled to calm the beast, which was the size of a carriage.
Another magical beast stood tied up at a distance.
Deer-shaped magical beasts, unusually large ones at that, stood right before their eyes—yet everyone’s attention was fixed elsewhere.
“The… the Tower Master?”
“Why would he come here…?”
“Does the Tower Master really involve himself directly in work like this?”
“It’s never happened before……”
Aster and Civil Servant Yukel murmured in bewilderment.
I felt no differently than they did.
Beside a shattered carriage stood Cade, his expression utterly unimpressed, whistling to himself.
When our eyes met as he surveyed the surroundings casually, I panicked and rolled my gaze away.
‘I don’t want him seeing my face, so why did he come here? Don’t tell me he’s come to confirm again whether I’m really a parachute hire?’
This was different from when Aster had called me a “parachute hire” in front of Cade before.
Being treated as a parachute hire in front of an entire group was far more humiliating.
Not knowing what to do, I rolled my eyes about until they met Simona’s, and I smiled awkwardly.
“So… the Tower Master came?”
“Right. That reckless Tower Master delivering magical beasts in person—it’s the first time ever.”
“He’s delivering magical beasts?”
“The sea’s Mana detection system must have spotted a smuggling ship. The procedure is to hand the crew to the Maritime Guard and the beasts to the Maritime Observatory.”
Simona added that it was protocol for the research team here to distinguish which beasts would be sent to the Monster Shelter and which would be released into the wild.
It wasn’t strange for Cade, a Wizard, to appear here, but judging by Simona’s reaction, the Tower Master taking personal action seemed genuinely unprecedented.
I didn’t even see any other Wizards—it seemed Cade had come without Ben, his assistant.
“Has he finally decided to try getting along with civil servants?”
At the Civil Servant’s incredulous tone, Aster responded enthusiastically.
“Well, Vivian and I left the Magic Tower without a scratch, and he attended the Third Princess’s banquet, so it’s possible.”
I couldn’t agree with that optimistic assessment.
‘Thinking about what he did at the banquet… it doesn’t seem like it.’
Simona, who had also witnessed that scene, tilted her head as she looked at Aster, clearly sharing my doubts.
Cade paid no attention to the stares directed at him and simply restored the shattered carriage to its original state.
‘He can fix a completely wrecked carriage but won’t help move the magical beasts.’
If you moved an excited beast with magic, its heart could burst and kill it. When I worked in the Imperial Capital, I often helped move rescued beasts manually into cages.
The research team, apparently unable to wait any longer for the administrative staff to do anything, burst out shouting.
“What are you doing?! Get to work! There are two Attuners here!”
I realized I should step forward, but hesitated whether I actually could, and didn’t rush to move.
Then the research director tapped my back and curled his lips upward.
“What? Lack confidence? Compared to a Crystal Whale, this thing isn’t even that large.”
……
A sudden competitive spirit rose in me and propelled my feet forward.
A few days ago, I’d only faltered against the emotions of those bat beasts because I wasn’t paying attention; I’d easily handled far larger beasts before.
The moment I took a few steps toward the beast, extending my hand.
“Ugh!”
Warm blood trickled from my nose. It seemed to be the aftermath of accumulated fatigue.
I hurriedly blocked my nose with my jacket sleeve, and a handkerchief was pressed into my hand.
“Ah, thank you……”
I accepted the handkerchief and covered the base of my nose, then lifted my head—and there was Cade, his expression displeased.
‘When did he get here? Did he just Teleport? What if people think we know each other?’
I suppressed my anxiety and glanced around—everyone was staring at us with wide eyes.
But my worry was short-lived.
Cade opened his mouth with displeasure.
“I brought you here to calm an excited beast. Were you planning to provoke it instead?”
There were cases where a beast, catching the scent of blood, would become even more terrified and violent.
“Ah, I apologize……”
The words came out reflexively, but I found I couldn’t finish saying “I’m sorry” in front of Cade.
‘How am I supposed to control a nosebleed?’
I glared at him and looked to the side—people were shaking their heads with expressions of “well, that figures.”
I was relieved that my connection to Cade hadn’t been discovered, but my mood wasn’t particularly good either.
‘It was me who decided to keep our relationship hidden, but he didn’t have to embarrass me like this. Am I really that pathetic?’
After being caught as a parachute hire, the thought of showing him more shameful moments in succession made heat rise to my face.
But if I could demonstrate calming the beast here, surely I could recover some dignity.
While thinking positively, Aster patted my shoulder with a worried expression.
“Vivian. Don’t push yourself. If you keep trying to establish Resonance with a beast stronger than your ability, you can hemorrhage.”
What was he talking about?
I looked at Aster in confusion, and Yukel sighed from beside him.
“The magical beast seems too strong for Investigator Vivian to establish Resonance with.”
“No? That’s not because of my Attunement Ability―”
“Since there’s a terrestrial beast Attuner here, don’t worry.”
Before I could finish speaking, Aster stepped forward first.
“No, that’s not what I―!”
“Vivian. It’s dangerous, so don’t get close. I shouldn’t have provoked it.”
“I’m a Crystal Whale Investigator.”
“I know, I know.”
Even Simona began to dissuade me with concern, which only made me feel more wronged.
‘It’s because I’ve been working late for days and can’t sleep properly!’
I felt a sudden surge of irritation toward Aster for treating me like an incompetent person, but explaining myself would only make me look worse.
As Aster strode confidently toward the beast, the researchers quickly scattered.
“Now, relax. Everything’s fine.”
Aster skillfully exercised his Attunement Ability to begin calming the beast.
Cade, too, was now watching Aster establish Resonance with the beast like everyone else.
Inexplicably, spite and petulance welled up inside me.
‘He saw me calm an entire swarm of bat beasts at once. I could establish Resonance with a beast this size.’
Embarrassed by such childish thoughts, I looked away from Aster.
Suddenly, I noticed one of the researchers holding a black cloth.
They’d apparently tried multiple times to cover the beast’s eyes with the cloth—some beasts do grow calm when their vision is obscured—but failed each time.
The beast had one thorn-like horn broken on one side, and its neck was wrapped tightly in a rusted chain.
The wounds from the chain looked deep, as if it had been bound somewhere for a long time before being trapped on the smuggling ship.
Magical beasts possessed forms like mutations derived from animals and conventional aggression.
Moreover, containing Mana as their defining feature, each one possessed a special ability.
They were bound to become subjects of diverse magical research and observation.
Magical beasts were more prevalent on the Northern Continent, where the Guyana Empire was located, than on other continents, so traffickers eager to smuggle them as curiosities or experimental subjects were everywhere.
‘That deer-shaped beast must be one such case.’
Around the time I checked whether my nosebleed had stopped, Aster waved to Simona.
“I’m done. Just load it into the new cage.”
The beast that had established Resonance with Aster was now docilely pawing the ground.
But something felt off.
‘Its behavior has clearly calmed down, yet…’
I could still feel the fear radiating from the beast into the air.
‘Something’s wrong.’
Feeling the frightened beast’s emotions grow increasingly sharp, I turned my head toward the source.
The beast that had been docilely tied to the tree roared in terror.
The researcher who had been trying to cover it with the black cloth staggered.
“Senior! It’s dangerous!”
“Stay… stay quiet…!”
The pale researchers tried to silence the junior researcher, but his loud cry had already further agitated the beast.
Startled, the beast’s fur bristled, it snapped its rope, and began thrashing wildly.
As it raised its front hooves high, the staggering researcher fell backward with a thud.
The beast flailed its front legs, on the verge of bringing them down on the researcher.
“Noooo!”
As the researcher screamed and shut his eyes tight.
I was already standing in front of him, blocking its path.
Gasps of shock erupted from all around.

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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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