The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 61
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 61
Tracking Victor wasn’t particularly difficult.
In fact, it was quite easy.
First of all, it was fortunate that our party included a covert mage who was considered a master of tracking.
“Looking at the footprints, there were a total of four people in the workshop.”
Sheril said while examining the floor.
Covert mages refer to mages who have learned unique magic specialized in assassination, tracking, infiltration, and information gathering.
Since these covert mages were mostly raised by organizations that taught dark arts from a young age, many were orphans who often belonged to information guilds or back alley forces.
Covert mages might seem similar to black mages at first glance, but their essence is clearly different.
Unlike black magic, covert arts don’t disregard life.
Of course, they could be called heretics in that they don’t follow the modern magic system, and in fact, in my previous life, most mages belonging to the Dark Mage Guild cooperated with the Archmage King.
However, Sheril belongs to Benheim.
She could definitely be considered one of our allies.
“If there are four sets of footprints… that means three people came and took Victor away. Are there any signs of resistance inside the workshop?”
“None.”
“Then these guys are likely acquainted with Victor.”
The first possibility I could think of was loan sharks.
However, I quickly dismissed that possibility from my mind. Victor would have already paid off all his debts with the investment money he received from me.
The second possibility was robbers.
However, Orelion is the Empire’s capital, not a lawless city where robbers could kidnap people in broad daylight.
Even if they were robbers, it still doesn’t make sense that Victor would follow them obediently without resisting even once.
“…Then.”
In the end, I had to consider the last possibility.
A third party who could entice Victor to follow of his own will.
For instance, the person who took Victor in during my previous life.
Damian Carius—the worst possibility that the Archmage King had come looking for Victor.
The absence of any signs of resistance in the workshop could also be because Damian revealed his affiliation with the Imperial Magic Association.
If my speculation was unfortunately true, I might end up facing the Archmage King this time.
“It can’t be.”
It shouldn’t be.
As I was trying to suppress my anxiety, Sheril withdrew her tracking magic.
“I’ve confirmed the traces. They left through Orelion’s north gate and headed northwest.”
“They went outside the city walls?”
“Based on the distance, yes. If they’re traveling by carriage, it would take about half a day to reach.”
A covert mage’s tracking magic is useful.
If even a little bit of a person’s footprints or scent remains, they can track that person even if they’re on the opposite side of the continent. That is, when there’s sufficient mana.
“Half a day means it’s in the suburbs. Sheril, what’s in that direction?”
“Nearby there are farmlands, logging sites, and Ingrid Countess’ Estate.”
“And?”
At my words, Sheril shrugged and added.
“There’s the Ochre Tower.”
Hearing Sheril’s words, I naturally recalled Victor’s personal information.
“A mage expelled from the association.”
And the Ochre Tower.
The general situation seemed to be taking shape in my mind.
* * *
Victor Otto glared at the man before him with a stern expression.
“What’s your reason for wanting to see me?”
Victor asked sharply.
The man sitting before him, Giles, the chief researcher of the Ochre Tower and a 6th-tier mage, smiled broadly.
“Victor, why are you reacting so harshly? I just want to have a cup of tea. And take care of some business while we’re at it.”
“I’ve already left the tower. What business could you possibly have with someone like me.”
As he said, Victor was currently in a research room of the Ochre Tower.
The Ochre Tower.
It was an organization Victor once belonged to, but not anymore. Since he was semi-forcibly driven out, Victor’s feelings toward the Ochre Tower could never be good.
“Let’s get straight to the point. What’s your reason for even sending people to bring me here?”
While conducting golem research in his workshop as usual, mages dispatched from the Ochre Tower had come looking for him.
He would have liked to refuse. However, Victor knew well the prestige that the tower held, having once belonged to the Ochre Tower. If he refused, he didn’t know what disadvantages might come back to haunt him later.
In the end, he had no choice but to accept their invitation.
The fact that the person he encountered was Giles was quite unpleasant for Victor.
“We’re not exactly on terms to leisurely sit face to face and drink tea, are we?”
“That makes sense too.”
Chief researcher Giles was someone who used to constantly find fault with Victor’s research in the past.
He was also the very person who insulted Victor’s determination to restore his family’s lost secret magic of golems, cut research funding claiming it was inefficient, and ultimately drove Victor out of the tower.
For such a Giles to have business with Victor.
It certainly wouldn’t be friendly business, he expected, and sure enough, Victor’s prediction was right on target.
“Victor, I hear you’ve been making tremendous money lately.”
Giles said with a sly smile.
“Did you think the tower had no eyes and ears in Orelion? I hear you’re using an entire two-story stone building as your workshop.”
“….”
“Who’s your patron? To be able to use that kind of workshop alone, you must have received quite a substantial investment.”
“I have no obligation to tell you.”
Victor answered curtly.
“More than anything, how I earned my money and who sponsors me—what does that have to do with you, Giles? I’m no longer affiliated with the Ochre Tower, am I?”
At Victor’s reasonable retort, Giles chuckled and shook his head.
“Oh my, oh my, Victor. It hurts to hear you say that. How much money have we invested in you? Are you planning to just wipe your mouth clean after leaving the tower?”
“What?”
“Wouldn’t it be proper to show some appreciation to the tower and this senior researcher who supported your garbage research all this time?”
“…What are you talking about!”
Victor’s eyes widened as he shouted.
What the hell was this about?
He had no memory of receiving any support. Only memories of being humiliated and despised.
“Taking research conducted with the tower’s support and receiving sponsorship from other investors.”
“What on earth are you talking about!”
“You embezzled the tower’s research funds and double-dipped money from other investors, didn’t you? That’s a clear violation of regulations.”
“Regulations? I’ve never seen any such regulations!”
Victor knew the Ochre Tower’s regulations well. Even when he withdrew from the guild and left the tower, no such regulation existed.
Moreover, he had never heard of a tower demanding money from mages who had left.
“Giles, just how low are you planning to sink…!”
Victor realized intuitively.
This was Giles’s scheme. He had heard news that Victor had come into a large sum of money, and was planning to steal it by citing non-existent regulations.
“Whatever your scheme is, I don’t have a single penny to give you! That money was invested in me by my sponsor who trusted me!”
“Haha. Is that really so? When I, a senior researcher, say otherwise?”
“I’m no longer affiliated with the tower!”
“Once a tower member, always a tower member. Isn’t that right?”
Giles smiled as if he had expected this response.
Then the other researchers standing nearby also giggled.
Victor frowned. Everyone here was in cahoots with Giles.
“Does the Tower Lord know about this?”
“Well. You were at the tower for nearly ten years, Victor, so you know well that the Tower Lord is the type who focuses only on research, don’t you?”
“If the Tower Lord knew about this, he would be furious!”
“Then we just need to make sure he doesn’t know.”
Giles smiled broadly and gestured with his hand.
“Hey, you guys. First, lock this fellow up in my research room.”
* * *
Shortly after, Victor was thrown into a windowless research room.
The door closed, and the latch was secured.
No matter how much he screamed until his throat was raw, the soundproofing magic prevented anything from being heard outside the research room.
“…Damn it.”
Victor grimaced and curled up his body.
He had thought he finally found hope.
But what was this?
In the end, he was back at the tower just like before, only to be humiliated again.
‘What’s different….’
Victor clenched his fist tightly.
He felt pathetic for being unable to do anything by himself.
More than that, he resented the world, including Giles.
Everyone was dying to devour him.
If it was going to be like this, he might as well….
‘Might as well modify the golem and….’
It felt like sticky emotions were swirling deep in his chest.
Thud.
That was the moment.
A vibration sound echoed.
At first, he thought there might have been an explosion accident in the workshop downstairs.
However, thud, thud.
Irregular vibrations shook the tower.
As dust fell from the ceiling onto him, Victor realized that some major commotion was taking place.
And for good reason….
‘Kyaaaaaaah!’
A blood-curdling scream could be heard from far away.
“What is it?”
However, Victor couldn’t even guess what was happening.
* * *
The Ochre Tower was built on top of a desolate rocky mountain near Orelion.
To my eyes, having only seen the elegantly designed towers like Orelion’s Imperial Mage Tower or Benheim’s tower, the Ochre Tower was close to an eyesore.
It was a crude and rough-shaped tower that looked like it was carelessly carved out of a giant lump of earth.
A form that prioritized only function, with no consideration for aesthetic elements whatsoever.
“The Ochre Tower indeed. It lives up to its name.”
Standing in front of the massive main gate, I asked Sheril.
“Sheril, you’re well-versed in the magic world, right? Could you explain about the Ochre Tower?”
“Yes. The Ochre Tower is one of the Empire’s seven great towers. It’s quite prestigious, enough to participate in the Great Mage Alliance.”
After hearing the story, I nodded. So it belongs to the Great Mage Alliance.
It seems they also participated in the Council, but since I don’t remember their face, their influence probably wasn’t very strong.
“Renia, are Benheim and the Ochre Tower on good terms?”
“Not particularly? Even at the Council, they greeted us almost last in order.”
I nodded.
‘That actually works out well.’
That means I can go wild without much consequence.
Before starting anything, I asked to learn about the Ochre Tower’s mages in advance.
“Sheril, does this tower also have unique magic formulas?”
“No, it doesn’t. Unique magic formulas can only be properly operated with exceptional mana cultivation methods, or with someone like Reagan who has a special mana core. Organizations like towers, where people with various mana cultivation methods gather, cannot create them, and even if they did, they couldn’t teach them.”
“Then towers are organizations that mainly research and learn common magic?”
“Usually, yes… but towers do designate specialized fields and focus on developing magic systems for those areas.”
“Really? What magic does the Ochre Tower specialize in?”
“As you can tell from the name, the Ochre Tower’s mages mainly use earth magic. It’s magic that becomes especially strong in places with natural materials like soil or rocks.”
“So that’s why they built their tower on this rocky mountain.”
“Yes. That tower itself was built by the first tower lord using his own magic. Successors added floors to it, creating its current appearance.”
“Good. I understand roughly.”
This means the opponents won’t be particularly troublesome.
—Creeak.
At that moment, the tower’s door began to slowly open.
As I leisurely watched, Sheril expressed her concern.
“Reagan, you probably won’t listen anyway, but…”
“Then you don’t need to say it.”
“If you cause a disturbance here, the family head will be furious.”
“Don’t worry. The mage causing trouble here won’t be from Benheim.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Watch me closely.”
I spread out my clothes to show them.
My current outfit was shabby plain clothes without any insignia. Renia beside me had her hood up.
So right now, no one would think I’m a mage from Benheim.
“I noticed last time that most of Airidd’s mages have white or gray hair.”
“Reagan, surely you don’t mean…”
“That’s right. From now on, I’m a mage from Airidd.”
My hair is naturally ash-colored. Unlike last time, I don’t even need to use color transformation magic—it matches Airidd’s characteristics perfectly.
“…This is driving me crazy.”
“Ahaha! That’s so like Reagan!”
Sheril sighed, and Renia giggled.
Thud.
Just then, the door opened.
From inside, someone who appeared to be an apprentice mage walked out with a wary expression.
Second tier. Insignificant.
I brought up my business before the other party could speak.
“I’m looking for someone named Victor Otto.”
“Excuse me?”
“He would have come to this tower this morning. Small build, wearing glasses. You know him, right?”
“…Uh, um.”
The apprentice mage strangely stammered. Then he glanced back inside the tower.
Seeing that reaction, I was certain.
“Hey. I asked you a question. Shouldn’t you give me an answer?”
The apprentice mage stared at me quietly, then immediately averted his eyes.
“Well… first you need to identify your affiliation…”
“What’s it to you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You guys took someone else’s person first, didn’t you? So I have no particular obligation to answer you.”
Perhaps sensing an ominous premonition from my gaze, the apprentice mage tried to hastily retreat, but…
“So this is self-defense.”
Thwack.
Faster than that, I brought up my knee and struck the mage’s solar plexus. He collapsed and dry-heaved.
“Wh-what the hell, *cough*, what are you doing!”
“You should have told the truth when I asked nicely.”
As soon as I finished speaking, several mages noticed the commotion at the entrance and came rushing down from the upper floors.
“What the hell is this!”
“It’s an intruder!”
I gave Sheril a look.
“Are those the ones?”
Sheril sighed and nodded.
The covert mage’s tracking magic is truly convenient.
“Good. Then…”
I confirmed that Victor is here in this Ochre Tower.
The problem is where exactly he is.
“Well, I’ll figure it out once I beat them all down.”
I rolled up my sleeves.
As Ecla, which had been hidden inside my sleeve, was drawn out, the bracelet on my wrist flashed.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
