Chapter 12

Chapter 12

At the sudden remark, Zeke’s brain stopped for a moment.

“Pardon? Training in the magical arts?”

Training in the magical arts was a method of training in which talented mages, like Peter, worked at the Magic Tower to broaden their experience.

In modern terms, it was like leaving early to study abroad.

‘But that only applies to talented mages.’

The two people here knew he was not qualified, and surely the Magic Tower knew that as well. So why?

“What about the successor trial?”

“Going to train in the magical arts and forming a Circle will be your successor trial. To obtain the qualification to become a successor, you must at least form a Circle, must you not?”

“That is true, but...”

“I have already discussed it with Peter. He said the Magic Tower gladly accepted Peter’s request.”

“For the sake of my beloved younger brother, I exerted some influence at the Magic Tower. I will be cheering you on, hoping you achieve what you desire.”

‘Eldest Brother did?’

When Zeke looked at him as though wondering what his intention was, Peter spoke in a friendly voice.

His formerly cold expression softened as though it had never been there.

“Do you not like it? It is not easy to make such an unreasonable request of the Magic Tower, you know. I feel a little hurt.”

“I simply... do not understand.”

“There is no need to think of it so difficultly. I recommended you partly for your sake, but I could not ignore the family’s prestige either. So consider it a special opportunity and think positively.”

‘Think positively?’

From Zeke’s perspective, there was no way he could like such a sudden notification.

He was being told out of nowhere to go to the Magic Tower.

‘Training in the magical arts usually lasts eight years.’

No matter that it was his successor trial, he could not waste that much time.

“Father. Are you truly going to send me there?”

“Mmm... I am sorry to tell you to leave so suddenly, but Peter has already spoken with the Tower Master and even obtained permission, so there is little I can do. It would not look good to refuse either...”

“…….”

Zeke’s expression stiffened.

Because Peter had unnecessarily interfered, he was about to be sent to the Magic Tower, something that had never been in his plans.

“Since things have turned out this way, accept the Magic Tower’s invitation and broaden your experience. You have been taking mana stones all this time, yet there have been no results, have there?”

“That is true, but...”

“If you stay there, there may be some kind of effect. The Magic Tower is filled with magical tomes you like, so it would be good to study there as well. And there is no need for you to stay for eight years. If you form a Circle, you will have passed the trial, so you may return immediately. Conversely, if there is no improvement, the Magic Tower may send you back early.”

To be honest, Zeke did not want to go.

More than anything else, it was bothersome.

He could grow stronger comfortably here by accumulating proficiency, so why would he wander outside?

‘I do not need the Magic Tower’s help, but because of that damned eldest brother of mine. Haa...’

-If you do not need it, can you not simply refuse?

Karbol interjected, but it was not such a simple matter.

Refuse an invitation from the Magic Tower, which could be called the headquarters of the Deccan Kingdom?

Even a prestigious magical family would easily fall out of favor.

Nor could he openly form a Circle in front of them.

‘Is there no choice? If I say I will not go, Father’s position will only become difficult...’

Now that it had come to this, perhaps adapting to the Magic Tower would not be bad.

There would probably be more materials he could absorb there than here.

‘I do not know what skills will awaken later, but the Magic Tower should be a better environment than this place.’

If it truly seemed impossible, the Magic Tower would send him back too, so there was no reason to look at it too pessimistically.

“Understood. I will do as you wish, Father.”

“You have made a good decision. There will surely be good results. Prepare yourself and depart this afternoon. You only need to go as far as the Teleport Gate, so it will not take long. Your brother will accompany you, so do not worry about the journey.”

“My brother?”

Zeke looked back at Peter.

Considering the looks Peter had sent him in that short time, he did not seem very reliable.

Rather, he made Zeke uneasy.

“Do not worry. I will take you safely at least as far as the road there.”

“…….”

At the Magic Tower trip that had been decided as suddenly as roasting beans over a lightning fire, Zeke inwardly sighed.

***

‘This makes me uneasy, so I should bring these.’

After returning to his room, Zeke took clothes out of the wardrobe.

He did have to pack spare clothes, but that was not the reason.

It was because of the relics of the dragon he had hidden in the wardrobe.

‘Karbol. I am taking these with me, all right?’

-You already stopped by my home and brought them here, so why ask permission now?

‘Because it makes my conscience feel a little better?’

The owner was clearly beside him, watching with his eyes wide open, so should Zeke not ask permission?

Even if the owner had no use for them.

‘I thought the day would come when I would use these someday, but I did not think that day would be today...’

Zeke had secretly visited the Dragon Ruins and brought back several items.

It would have been a waste to let the things Karbol had left behind, like his legacy, rot away in the stone chamber.

Of course, he had not brought everything from the stone chamber.

He had only selected a few small items and taken them.

‘The remaining items should still be safe in the stone chamber, right?’

-Because of the magical energy remaining in the ruins, even most archmages will find it difficult to approach, so do not worry about thieves entering.

‘But a thief did enter. Me.’

-Ahem. That was because you are special. Are you not a Descendant of God?

‘Well, I am special.’

Who else could reach the level of an Aura Master at the age of fifteen?

It was a talent that would astonish even the magical geniuses known as the Twelve Pioneers.

‘All of this is thanks to the system.’

That did not mean he agreed with being called a Descendant of God.

It would have been a lie to say he had no resentment toward the god who had left Earth to be destroyed.

‘Hoo, I should train a little more before going to the Magic Tower.’

With a sigh, Zeke began accumulating proficiency inside his room.

***

“Elder Brother! Elder Brother Peter!”

At the sound of someone calling him, Peter’s steps paused.

When he turned his head, Alex, the Third Young Master, was running toward him in a hurry.

“What is it?”

Peter’s reaction was cold.

To him, who had spent the past eight years with no interaction with his family, Alex was no different from someone worse than a stranger.

In contrast, Alex seemed to think of him as a true elder brother, smiling foolishly.

“I wanted to speak with you, Elder Brother.”

“I am busy. I have nothing to say to you.”

“Please do not say that. Spare me just a moment. I am curious about something, hehe.”

The sight of Alex smiling as though asking for understanding looked, in Peter’s eyes, like a puppy wagging its tail.

“Fine. I will spare you a moment. What are you curious about?”

“It is about Zeke. You said his training in the magical arts was thanks to your influence... May I ask why you recommended Zeke?”

“There is no special reason. I simply did not want to see him, who has no Circle, shut himself inside the house and drag down the family’s prestige.”

“I feel the same way. I really cannot stand that bastard Zeke.”

At Alex’s true feelings suddenly spilling out, Peter could not hide his absurd amusement.

“It seems you are not on good terms with the youngest.”

“No. Luna feels the same, and none of us likes Zeke. Ah, except perhaps Second Brother.”

“Russell?”

“Yes. Seeing how he approaches Zeke first and talks to him, he seems to like him.”

As the second son, Russell was one of the few siblings with whom Peter had some degree of familiarity.

But from what he was hearing now, it seemed there was no need to maintain even that shallow connection.

“To be friendly with a talentless bastard born of a concubine. He did not seem that way, but Russell is pathetic too. Even among family, the law of survival of the fittest applies.”

“Exactly, right? I strongly agree with what you said, Elder Brother.”

“…….”

Peter quietly stared at Alex.

The way Alex had been wagging his tail since earlier made him look as though he were trying to gain some scraps.

“What is it? Is there something on my face...?”

“What is your intention?”

“Pardon?”

“Why are you talking to me? What are you trying to say?”

At the blunt question, the flustered Alex laughed awkwardly and waved his hands.

“Intention? What intention? I simply wanted to get closer to you, Elder Brother Peter...”

“There is something you should know.”

“Yes?”

“I hate people who are not honest most of all. The second thing I hate is someone with no talent who stains the family’s prestige.”

“…….”

“And from what I see, you seem to fall into both categories.”

“N-No, I do not! I am not such a...!”

“The time I permitted you ends here. I am busy, so do not speak to me anymore. I am already displeased, so do not make me feel even worse.”

After speaking coldly, Peter left first.

Alex could only watch Peter with trembling eyes.

***

[Absorbing the cast spell ‘Lightning Hands’.]

[The skill’s proficiency has increased by 30.]

[The achievement level of the skill ‘Magic Absorption’ has reached 9-Star.]

[The range of Magic Absorption has been increased from 50m▶60m.]

[You have awakened the 4th Skill.]

‘Ohh.’

Inside his room, Zeke let out a silent cheer.

After three years of effort, he had finally awakened the 4th Skill.

‘What will come out this time?’

Zeke’s eyes widened when he opened the information window.

[4th Awakening Skill : Master of Magic Absorption]

-Achievement Level : ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (1-Star)

-Type : Passive

-Proficiency : 0/100

-Effect : The number of spells you can absorb increases to 2. Each absorbed spell is [Stored] in the Dimensional Gap and can be [Released] whenever desired. Each stored spell has a 10-minute cooldown.

-Cooldown : None

-Special Notes : You can raise proficiency by using Magic Absorption. Upon reaching 9-Star Achievement Level, the 5th Awakening Skill will be unlocked.

‘It is a passive skill again?’

Looking at the explanation, it seemed to strengthen Magic Absorption.

But that enhancement looked better than he had expected.

‘The number of spells I can absorb increases to 2? And the cooldowns are calculated separately too?’

In other words, something he had been able to absorb once could now be absorbed twice.

It was the same as saying the number of storage slots had increased.

‘Could it be that if I reach 9-Star, I will be able to absorb and use 10 spells?’

If that happened, then just as the skill’s name suggested, he would truly become a master of magic absorption.

Absorbing ten spells aimed at him and returning them exactly as they were?

If that became possible, he was confident he could win even against a dragon.

Though he had already defeated one dragon.

-Did you perhaps insult me? My ears are itching.

‘How can a soul’s ears itch? It must be your imagination.’

-Hm, is that so? But what are you doing staring blankly? It is about time to go.

‘I know, I know.’

It seemed even Karbol, who was a soul, could not see the system.

Since he had filled his proficiency as well, Zeke left the room.

The luggage he had to take had already been entrusted to a servant.

Except for Karbol’s legacy, of course.

As he walked down the corridor, a servant happened to be looking for him.

“Young Master Zeke. It is time to leave.”

“What about Father and Eldest Brother?”

“They are all outside.”

“Oops, I should hurry.”

When he hurried outside, his father, mother, aunt, siblings, and the rest of his family were all gathered to see Zeke off.

“Go carefully. I will give you a communication orb, so do not forget to contact me if anything happens.”

“Do not worry, Father.”

“My son, you must contact me often even after you go to the Magic Tower, all right?”

“I will. Do not worry, Mother.”

Christina, his aunt, did not even look at him.

Her habit of ignoring him because he was a concubine’s child had not changed from the past to the present.

Peter, who had been watching the parting between parent and child with a frown as though it were some farce, coldly turned his head.

“Let us go quickly. The Tower Master is waiting.”

“Yes. Then I will be back.”

“Take care of yourself!”

“Have a safe trip, Zeke!”

With his parents’ and Russell’s farewells behind him, Peter and Zeke boarded the mana-powered vehicle.

“Then we will depart! Hyah!”

The guard knight order, led by Raker, surrounded the mana-powered vehicle and began moving.

VRRRRRM-

His parents watched the back of their youngest son, whom they did not know when they would see again, with worried eyes.

***

Throughout the journey to the Magic Tower, Zeke felt uneasy.

‘He has not said a word. Not a single word.’

They had boarded the mana-powered vehicle together, but the atmosphere was not good.

Zeke had guessed as much from the moment Peter glared at him with cold eyes, but even now, a full day later, Peter had not spoken a single word to him.

‘So I am keeping my mouth shut too.’

Peter not only looked at him with killing intent, but had also driven him out under the pretext of training in the magical arts. How could Zeke possibly see him favorably?

‘He is probably trying to remove me from the family because I have no talent. The successor trial came at just the right time as a good excuse.’

He had not had a conversation with Peter, but he could know without one.

At a glance, he could feel that Peter looked down on him as though he were a peasant.

‘No matter how many years it takes, by the time I return, he will have already solidified his position in the family. Then the successor trial or whatever else will not matter.’

The successor trial was merely the process of proving one’s qualification as a successor candidate.

Even if he formed a Circle and passed the trial, the possibility of being chosen as the successor was low.

That was, if his other siblings each passed their successor trials as well.

‘If that happens, I may no longer be able to receive Father’s protection.’

He might no longer be able to live training while holed up in the magical archive.

To prevent such a situation, he had to return to the family as quickly as possible.

Of course, that was only if the Tower Master permitted it.

‘Damn it. Surely I will not really have to stay for eight years, right?’

Normally, training in the magical arts was done for eight years, from the age of twelve after the Guidance Ceremony until the age of twenty.

However, Zeke had received a special invitation from the Magic Tower and had been permitted to train in the magical arts despite being late, at the age of fifteen.

‘The problem is what intention Eldest Brother had in recommending me. And with what intention the Magic Tower accepted.’

They were offering kindness without a price to someone with no talent?

It was a journey Zeke did not like, but Gerard had neither the power nor the pretext to refuse the Magic Tower’s kindness.

The same was true for Zeke.

‘This is a complete checkmate. I have no choice but to work at the Magic Tower.’

He did not know what work they would assign to someone without even a Circle, but he had no intention of walking the path of a mage.

Even if he wanted to, he could not.

His dantian was already filled with aura at the level of an Aura Master.

And because of the system, he could not form a Circle either.

‘They will give me a private space at the Magic Tower too, will they not? Then I can continue accumulating proficiency.’

With this 4th Awakening, he could now absorb multiple spells, so he should be able to raise his proficiency faster than before.

The problem was that no space was as comfortable as home.

‘If not for this damned training in the magical arts... Hoo.’

Just as he sighed inwardly like a soldier being conscripted, Peter spoke for the first time.

But he was not speaking to Zeke.

He had turned his head and opened the window before speaking.

“Hey, Raker.”

“Yes, First Young Master.”

“At this speed, how long will it take until we arrive?”

“At least a week.”

“Can you not increase the speed? Shorten it to three days.”

“Th-That is...”

Raker Van, the Captain of the Guard Knights, looked troubled.

He was being told to cut a week-long journey in half.

It was no different from being told to move without any time to rest.

“Th-That would be realistically difficult. It would be too much of a forced march.”

“Why? Is there not a shortcut on the way?”

“By shortcut... do you mean the Forest of Magical Beasts?”

There were two paths to the Teleport Gate, their current destination.

One was a route that took some time because it went around, and the other was a route that cut straight through the Forest of Magical Beasts.

However, the Forest of Magical Beasts was infamous.

The level of monsters that appeared there was so high that even Aura Masters feared them.

If one passed through recklessly, one might die.

“The Forest of Magical Beasts is a place even Aura Masters hesitate to approach. It is full of all sorts of vicious monsters, so even for us elites, handling them would be...”

“Tsk. You cannot even break through the Forest of Magical Beasts? Can you really call yourselves the family’s finest guard knights like this?”

“…….”

Raker remained silent, but his pride must have been greatly wounded inside.

It was bad enough that he had to admit his own ability was lacking, but he was being rebuked for it as well.

Even so, the position of First Young Master was far too high for him to talk back.

“Enough. Give me the communication orb. I will contact Father.”

“Here it is.”

Peter received the entrusted communication orb and tapped it three times to contact his father.

However, for some reason, the communication orb was unresponsive.

“Is it broken?”

Just as Peter muttered, an unexpected message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.

[Mana has been detected at the 3 o’clock direction, 60m away.]