DMHS 52

“What? I already checked that side many times.”

The sound came from the direction where Kian had come out of the forest. If there had been an entrance, there was no way he would have missed it.

Kian, in disbelief went toward where Lucien stood and blamed his useless eyesight.

“I guess I’ll have to wear glasses from now on.”

There was a wooden door that did not match the white outer wall. Its size was large enough for a whole carriage to pass through.

“With eyesight that bad, glasses won’t change anything.” Lucien shrugged and added,

“Just take me with you. If you can’t find something, I’ll help.”

“What would I be looking for again?”

“Who knows. But I’ll find everything you want.”

The words gave Kian goosebumps. He brushed his arm and glanced at Lucien from the side.

‘He really says embarrassing things with a straight face.’

If pushed a little more, would he say he would bring down the moon and stars too?

‘Don’t take what he says literally.’

After that thought, Kian knocked on the wooden door.

Knock, knock, knock.

And then…

Knock. Knock-knock. Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock!

“That’s enough courtesy.”

Kian pulled the doorknob.

The inside of the building was pitch-black. He could not tell how high the ceiling was or what was around him.

In front of him, there was only a single path lit by magic stones. Kian and Lucien walked in a line along the path.

‘It’s impossible to check the surroundings with mana.’

Because it was inside the Tower, various mana energies mixed chaotically. It was impossible to single out or track any specific mana.

‘Light.’

Finally, at the end of the path, a bright space appeared. It looked like the banquet hall of a palace.

The round ceiling was so high he had to tilt his head back to check it. Soft natural light filled the floor, yet no windows could be seen anywhere.

At the center of the space stood a white desk made of the same material as the tower’s outer wall.

Kian approached the person sitting at the desk and spoke.

“Hello. My name is Kian Semes. We stopped by to stay a few days on our way to Lord Lucien the Gold Dragon’s coming-of-age ceremony. The palace should have sent a telegram ahead. Did you receive it?”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Wendy. I received the order to host you here for three days and show you the Fourth Tower. But have all your companions arrived?”

The woman stood and pushed back the hood attached to her robe. When he saw her face, Kian was quite surprised.

“Come to think of it, we’ve met before.”

Wendy was one of the two women who had spoken to Kian in the village. Not the bold one who spoke up, but the one who stayed behind, quietly blushing. So she really was a mage of the Tower. He had not expected to meet her here.

But Wendy ignored Kian’s added remark.

“According to the telegram, four people were supposed to visit. Right now there are only two.”

‘Is she acting like this out of embarrassment?’

If so, he could understand.

“To be exact, there are five of us. Because of circumstances, only Lord Lucien and I came first.”

“When the others arrive, I’ll guide them. For now, would the two of you like to go to your lodging?”

Lucien cut in on their conversation.

“Rather than that, I’d like to meet the Tower Master.”

“The Master is not receiving visitors at the moment.”

“Even if it’s the king’s order?”

“It’s still impossible.”

“Even if it’s to teach a new spell?”

“That won’t work either.”

Lucien looked ready to argue further but then backed down blandly.

“Then it can’t be helped. Take us to the lodging.”

“Please follow me this way.”

Wendy stood a short distance from the desk. When she touched the cross-shaped magic circle drawn on the floor, the ground shook a little.

The floor split open and spiral stairs rose up. Corridors appeared, connecting to several floors along the stairs.

“Your lodging is Room 33303. Please be careful not to mistake the number and enter another room.”

“What happens if we enter another room?”

After a brief silence, Wendy answered in a grave tone.

“No one knows how many mages are in the tower right now. If they leave once every ten years to go outside, there are records, but if not, no one knows where they are, or even if they are alive.”

“You mean if I open the wrong room, I could find a pile of bones.”

“On top of that, mages deeply absorbed in research are sensitive. They are likely to react harshly even to small things. The help we can give you is limited, so please understand.”

“So when we aren’t guided, we should stay in our room. I understand.”

The two followed Wendy up the stairs and reached the room marked ‘33303.’

“I hope you have a comfortable stay.”

As Wendy was about to close the door and leave, Kian asked a question.

“That friend from before also works in the Tower, right? The one with red hair and freckles… you know who I mean?”

“Ah.”

Wendy nodded.

“That’s right. She’s in the Tower.”

A soft smile appeared on Kian’s lips.

“If I get the chance, I’ll meet your friend too. Thank you for guiding us.”

Wendy closed the door and left. Lucien opened the doors connected to the room and checked the guestroom. Judging from the seven or so doors that led off from the living area, it seemed the room included a study, a parlor, and a bedroom.

Lucien’s eyes narrowed.

“Terrible.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everything.”

Kian could not understand what he meant. But there was something more important right now.

“The person just now was a doll.”

Kian had doubted Wendy the moment he saw her. It was strange for someone said to be on long leave to appear in the Tower.

On top of that, she did not remember the events in the village. And her answer to the last question had sealed it.

The friend who had spoken to him did not have red hair. She had no freckles. Yet Wendy answered while mistaking someone completely different for ‘that friend.’ That was a problem.

“If I hadn’t actually met the real Wendy in the village, I wouldn’t have suspected that Wendy is a finely made doll.”

From the spell laid on the forest to dolls moving freely inside the Magic Tower.

Unlike the urgent situation, Lucien sat on a chair and leisurely tilted a teacup.

“What should we do?”

Hearing his tone, as if he didn’t care what happened, made Kian came back to his senses.

‘Right. He has nothing to do with this problem.’

Kian unknowingly clenched his fist tightly.

“I’m sorry during the time we spend together. But I’ll have to investigate inside. If you wait here, I’ll return as soon as I can.”

“No. I’ll go with you.”

“This has nothing to do with you, Lord Lucien. You don’t have to step in.”

“It’s not that it has nothing to do with me. I’m the Gold Dragon who protects the kingdom.”

“What?”

“Am I wrong?”

Kian only blinked, speechless. He had heard Lucien said such things in the bandit village too, but he had never thought he meant it seriously.

“Have you finally decided to protect the kingdom?”

“Why say it like that. It’s been my duty from the start.”

……It didn’t sound like words from his heart after all.

‘He just doesn’t want to let me go alone.’

But taking Lucien along brought more loss than gain. A task Kian could finish in three seconds with his full skill would surely take over three minutes if he had to watch Lucien.

While Kian was wondering what words might change his mind, Lucien walked out to the balcony and slammed his fist into the glass window.

Bang!

The window shattered with an explosive sound. But instead of the foggy forest they had seen earlier, beyond the broken glass was another guestroom with the same layout as theirs.

Kian was appalled.

“How can you break the building wall like that! This room has a proper door!”

“That door?”

Lucien glanced at the door they had come in through and let out a bitter laugh. He had a bad feeling. He turned the doorknob.

Click. Click. Click.

The knob turned uselessly. Even when he pushed with force, the door would not move, it was like pushing against a wall. If it did not budge under his strength, then it was sealed.

“You’ll go, right?”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lucien smashed through the wall as he went forward. The noise was so loud that someone should have come out to check, but the surroundings stayed quiet. It seemed no one else was living on this floor.

The two came out into the corridor from before. The spiral staircase connected the upper floors and the lower floors.

Lucien’s expression suddenly stiffened as he looked up and down the corridor. Staring blankly at the stairs, he bit his lower lip.

“……I don’t know.”

“I don’t know where the clue is either. So let’s split up and search. I’ll go up, Lord Lucien, you go down.”

Lucien quickly grabbed Kian’s wrist.

“I don’t feel good about this.”

“I’m fine, so you don’t have to worry.”

Just then, a huge tremor shook from above. Startled, Kian looked up toward the upper floor and pulled his wrist free.

“I’ll go up.”

But the grip on his wrist, strong enough to make the bones on the back of his hand stand out, did not loosen.

Kian’s gaze followed the hand holding his wrist up to Lucien’s face. Lucien’s green eyes were shaking violently like waves.

“What if I say don’t go?”

“……”

“What if I beg you to please stay here, then you won’t go?”

Kian pressed his lips tight and then parted them. The answer was already decided.

“I’m sorry. I have to go.”

The crushing grip on his wrist loosened slowly. With an expression that looked like he was crying and smiling at the same time, Lucien turned first.

“I’ll go down. Let’s meet later.”