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The first thing that popped into my head when I heard those words was the Doomsday Cult. They would be the only entity caring about what is happening in the Royal Tower, the primary researchers for the Sixth Disaster. When I gave her a look suggesting I knew what she was talking about, she nodded as if to say I was right.

“As you surmise, perhaps some of the evil god’s followers have entered the tower.”

“In that case, wouldn’t it be quicker for the Tower Master to root them out?”

Laura shook her head grimly at my question.

“They are operating without my knowledge, and my presence would only raise their guard. Those I can call upon are limited to the wizards here; even then, they could be heretics. Sadly, you seem to be the only one in the Tower I can confidently trust.”

Gods and wizards are not words I would not put together, but anything can happen in the wizarding world. A place where people can put a knife to each other’s throats simply for infringing on their research. It’s a rule that transcends social status and applies to even the best wizards in the kingdom.

“The world of wizards is complicated, and trying to root them out by force will cause a large backlash.”

“So you might as well bring in a trusted outsider. After all, you did help the Holy Land, not to mention being a living legend for defeating three Disasters.”

I frowned.

“I guess the Queen did say you were wary of praises.”

‘When did she say something like that? Were they that close?’ I avoided Laura’s gaze as she smiled at me in amusement. She was annoying for a different reason from Agnes.

(Elroy, that wizard might as well be an old fox. Be careful with how you deal with her.)

‘I’m aware of that. Every time I look at Laura, I feel a deep stirring of mana, a depth that her body’s age could never give her…What is her true age then?’

(…Are you having rude thoughts again?)

I shook my head and replied to Laura.

“…Well, it’s a job that needs to be done, so I’ll gladly take it on, though I have no clue how or where to start my investigation.”

At the mention of cluelessness, Laura puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

“Well, it’s not like I don’t have a clue. I do know how and where you should begin.”

She held out a brochure to me. I flipped through it and wiggled my eyebrows.

“These people are all….”

“I wouldn’t say all, but you can center your research around them.”

At Laura’s words, I sighed.

“You know I’m still on vacation, right?”

“I’m not saying you have to start right now. We can begin when the semester begins, and by then, you’ll be showing your face a lot as an instructor so that it won’t be so awkward.

I glanced at the brochure, folded it, and handed it to Daphne. She nodded and took it, snapping her fingers. Laura looked puzzled as she stared at the flaming pamphlet, which was already gone, reduced to a handful of ashes. I swept the ashes away and looked at Laura.

“I’ve memorized some of the faces and names, and I’ll report the rest whenever I need to because if something like that gets out, it’ll undermine our plans.”

Laura looked surprised.

“You’re surprisingly not that naïve, Hero. I thought you were romanticist with how you act.”

“Think what you will, but what should I do before class?”

Laura arched her eyebrows again, not liking how I skirted the subject.

“There’s a society observing the Sixth Disaster. As you probably know, it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to capture and monitor it, so I suggest you spend the rest of the month observing the stars and enjoy your vacation.”

Laura’s gaze shifted from me to Daphne. From the moment we entered the room, Laura seemed more focused on her than on me.

“A genius mage of the Sixth Circle. Weren’t you once a member of a Tower?”

“I have forgotten those days.”

Daphne replied flatly. Laura set her jaw and looked at her.

“Do you have any plans to move to go back there? Or, if you want, you could even succeed me here.”

Daphne rubbed her arms, feeling goosebumps rise as she looked at the Tower Master, greed beginning to creep into her voice.

“If you can’t because you’re tied to the Hero’s Party, I’ll wait until all the Disasters are vanquished and the world is at peace. Your name should have enough power to inherit my position then.”

Laura let the words cascade out of her. Daphne looked at me pleadingly, asking for help.

“You are the one who can see what I could never achieve. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a person of your age who has made their Sixth Circle and is nearing the Seventh–”

I put my index finger on Laura’s forehead as she leaned forward and pushed her back. I could feel her struggling under my fingertips, but I stared at her expressionlessly.

“Daphne is a member of the Hero’s Party. I was the one who recognized her talents when she was at her lowest and helped her grow. From what I heard, she was even shunned by the Tower Master of where she graduated from.”

At my barbed comment, Laura frowned.

“If I had found Daphne back then, she wouldn’t be here talking with us, as she would be studying to become the greatest wizard that has and will ever live.”

Well, it sounded more like the wail of a missed opportunity than a sincere request, but I kept pushing Laura’s forehead away from Daphne as she continued to flail about trying to reach her. Laura’s whiny voice echoed in my ears.

“You’re adamant.”

Laura slumped down on the desk, sulking.

“Well, it’ll all change when you defeat the Sixth Disaster because how you act then will change Daphne’s impression of you.”

With a snort, Laura lifted her head. Her wistful gaze was directed to Daphne, who slowly opened her mouth.

“I’m not going to a Tower after we finish here.”

The declaration dumbfounded Laura.

“Because my place is, and always will be, at the Hero’s Party.”

Daphne declared, then looked at me. Laura let out a long sigh and stood up from her seat. She approached the door with staggered steps and opened it.

“I see. But first, let me escort you to the Society where you will be briefed on the situation. Follow me… I think you should know what you’re getting yourself into.”

I turned to follow Laura as she stumbled away, but Daphne grabbed me by the sleeve. She held onto my sleeve and stood with her head bowed.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“I won’t let you go even if you cry and scream.”

“…Is that because I’m a useful wizard?”

Daphne asked in a hesitant voice. When I looked back at her without answering, Daphne lowered her head even further as if to hide.

“You know it’s not that.”

I said gently, and Daphne raised her head again. I placed a hand on the top of her head. She blinked and looked at me as I stroked her hair. I rubbed it for a long time, feeling Laura’s icy gaze on my back. Daphne regained her composure and shook her head, her face suddenly red.

“Are you okay?”

“…Yeah.”

Daphne pulled away from me, panicking as she realized Laura was staring at her.

“I was just a little, uh, out of sorts… I’m sorry.”

Laura’s eyes were inorganic as she looked at us. I smiled at her as she rolled her eye. I grabbed Daphne’s hand and walked away. Laura shook her head as we followed and opened the elevator doors.

“…We’re going to the eleventh floor. Home of the Astronomical Society.”

We all entered the elevator. Laura pressed a button, and we started moving down.

“It hasn’t been long since the topic was changed from Astrology to Astronomy. We are no longer trying to study the stars and what they mean, but instead observing different celestial bodies and how our universe operates.”

The elevator doors opened with a ding.

“Of course, it includes the Sixth Disaster.”

Laura disembarked on the eleventh floor and began to walk across the corridor with a familiar stride, heading for somewhere. The wizards walking down the aisle looked at us curiously, then turned away. A few didn’t look in our direction, but they mostly looked like walking corpses.

“…Laura. Those people…”

“They come out from time to time. Slaves who have sold their souls and health to their research.”

Laura spoke casually, as if it was nothing to worry about, and walked past. Daphne’s expression darkened as they passed.

“Reminds me of the old days…”

We walked down a long corridor until we came to a vast glass-roofed terrace, and at the end of it, a man with his eyes glued to a telescope bent at the waist, staring into it for what seemed like forever. It wasn’t even nighttime. As we stood still, we heard the man’s voice.

“We can’t see the stars during the day because the sunlight hides them. I’m looking at the moon.”

The man stretched his hunched back and turned to face us. He looked in his early 60s and had a long beard like an aged hermit. I recognized his face and name immediately.

“My name is Edwin Blub, and I’m the ‘Meteor’ Observing Society’s president.”

Edwin smiled kindly. I recalled his face and name, circled in red in the brochure. It was only natural to be suspicious of someone who could observe the Disaster from so close up. Whether or not he was one was anyone’s guess.

“I never thought I’d get to meet you. I’ve always admired you.”

Offering his hand, I smiled gently and shook it.

“Thank you for your efforts in Disaster observation. Because of people like you, my party and I can prevent catastrophes.”

For a lanky man in his sixties, his grip was reasonably firm.

“No. Even if we did find out, what good would it do if we could not stop it? Thanks to your dedication, we’re still unharmed and ready for the Sixth Disaster.”

Edwin shrugged and tapped his telescope. ‘I wonder if he’s wary of me too?’ I sneaked a look into Professor Edwin’s eyes and smiled. He smiled back at me, a bit confused why I was smiling.

“I’ve heard stories of you as well, Lady Daphne. At such a young age, you’re already far beyond this old man.”

Edwin was a wizard of the Fourth Circle. He was more of a scholar than a combatant.

“Well, I wish you well in your endeavors, especially against the being lurking outside our sights.

I nodded.

Then I heard footsteps approaching the observation terrace. I didn’t have to turn my head to know who those impatient footsteps belonged to.

“Mr. President, I thought I’d give you the members’ report compilation first….”

Nella said, then looked at my face.

“…Here it is.”

I frowned, remembering the red circles drawn over her face.

Translator’s Corner

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. First things first, I want to mention that I’m as far into the story as my translations. I don’t read ahead, so I may make errors like here.

Second, I’ll be going on vacation for a bit, so I’m starting to stack a few chapters. Should I stick to the normal schedule of 1 per day, with maybe a few days missing because I may not have that many prepared, or should I post all of it at once? You’re still getting the same number, as I won’t be translating while I’m gone.

I’ll be putting two comments below for each option, so vote on that below.

-Ruminas