The Burden of the Tower Master

“That’s why I told you to retire already. Between the Tower and the Academy, you’re holding onto everything, so Frey is the only one dying out there. It wouldn’t even be enough if you gave him a whole team.”

The Academy Principal and Tower Master, left with no excuse, simply cleared his throat. Since I knew that Pysa Tecon would continue to hold both positions until he eventually handed the Tower Master seat over to Cedric Klein, I couldn’t help but feel even more sorry for Frey. If he were actually going to hire more people, he would have done it long ago. Eventually, after pouring out a long lecture on his mentor, Abel took my hand and led me out of the room.

“Let’s go save that poor soul and then head to my lab. Or would you rather go ahead and look around first? I’ve prepared something I think you’ll really like…”

When I told the grumbling Abel that I was already having fun, his face lit up instantly. It wasn’t a lie; the Magic Tower was a place interesting enough just to wander around in.

Abel headed down the floors without a moment’s hesitation. The massive door, which could easily be mistaken for a wall, was made of wood as black as charcoal, with a handle decorated with a coiled dragon. Even at a glance, the carving was so intricate it looked as if it might start moving at any second.

“Frey, I’m coming in.”

“Wai—Wait a second!”

A frantic voice called out, but Abel opened the door as if he hadn’t heard a thing. Frey, who had been sitting on a window frame open to the wind without any glass, was sobbing and hiccuping. Having already wiped away his tears and snot, his pale, haggard face was swollen red only around his eyes and nose. Thanks to the loose frames, his glasses had slid down his nose at an angle.

“Ugh, seriously, I’m so hurt. How could the Professor do that to me? How?”

“He said he’d get you help.”

“He said that last time! And last year! And the year before that! And even the year before that!”

Despite having told us not to enter, the moment Frey saw Abel, he threw himself into his arms to pour out his sorrow. Abel looked disgusted at the prospect of snot and tears getting on his clothes, but he didn’t push Frey away. His hands looked itchy, as if he wanted to yank on Frey’s ponytail right that second, but for now, he held back. In fact, he seemed so used to this that he consoled him with practiced ease.

“Then why are you still stuck at the Tower? How long are you going to keep catering to that old geezer’s whims? I told you to apply for a dispatch to the Imperial Magic Department, but you never listen.”

“I… I don’t like being around a lot of people. Right now, I only have to cater to one Professor, but if I go to the Imperial Palace, everyone above me will be a boss.”

“Look at your seniority! You’d have tons of juniors under you! Blow your nose first.”

Frey blew his nose as Abel commanded. Wiping away the tears that began to flow again with his sleeve, Frey replied, “I’ll… think about it.”

Tsk. Abel clicked his tongue just like Pysa Tecon and came over to lean his head against my shoulder. I gave him the “Good job, good job” time he wanted, stroking his hair.

When Frey saw Abel acting so affectionately toward me, his face changed as if he had seen a ghost. He looked like he had a lot to say, but he shut his mouth the moment he saw Abel’s clenched fist. It seemed Abel was silently threatening him with his mouth—I couldn’t see clearly because of his position. Still, seeing him say, “I’ll bring something your sister would like!” made him seem more perceptive than that green-haired guy from earlier.

“By the way, I haven’t introduced myself properly. I’m Frey Rayner. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“About me?”

Frey nodded without hesitation. It wasn’t surprising that whenever Abel opened his mouth at the Tower, half the time it was about me. He even added that thanks to that, there probably wasn’t a single person in the Tower who didn’t know my name.

I realized today that following Leo, who called me an angel, Abel had been going around calling me a fairy. Blood certainly told. I felt so embarrassed I didn’t think I could keep my head up.

“I see… Haha.”

“If I had a sister like Llewellyn, I would have gone around bragging too.”

“Right?” Abel chimed in.

“I might have hung a giant portrait in front of my door so everyone passing through the hallway could see it.”

At those words, I almost covered my mouth, forgetting that I had pitied Frey. If Abel hadn’t said, “Then all sorts of bastards would touch Llewellyn’s face, and I hate that,” he probably would have done it. The scale of their doting was nearly out of control.

“Oh! Just a moment.”

Frey stood up, saying he happened to have a toy suitable for my age. The room was such a mess that one could believe all the luggage meant for Pysa Tecon’s room had been dumped here, but the lab owner had no trouble finding what he wanted from the pile of boxes.

I accepted the toy Frey proudly handed me. It was a transparent sphere about the size of an adult’s fist, with a smooth, glass-like luster, but it felt soft and squishy to the touch.

“Try squeezing it or shaking it.”

When I pinched it, the area around my fingers turned pink, and grains that looked like sprinkles appeared. When I shook it as instructed, the colors swirled and popped, creating a mist inside the sphere. After a short wait, stars appeared through the darkened sphere. It was the night sky.

“It’s a remote celestial observation tool. You can see the state of the sky in any location you want! I made it while preparing a thesis on astrology.”

I couldn’t take my hands off the sphere. It was certainly enough to catch a child’s interest. Seeing my fascination, Frey taught me how to use it, saying, “You can even project it onto a wall!” When I pressed the bottom firmly, light shot out from the sphere, filling the room with a starry night sky.

As I let out a series of exclamations, Abel, who had been anxiously tapping his thigh with his fingers, suddenly stood up.

“Wait! I have something prepared, too. Llewellyn, play for just a bit. I’ll show you something really cool in a second!”

Once Abel left, Frey laughed awkwardly. He had said he didn’t like being around people, and he seemed uncomfortable being alone with a stranger. Frey, who had been fidgeting with his knees pressed together, stood up.

“I didn’t even bring out a drink for my guest. Is there anything you like?”

“Just water is fine.”

“Abel would drown me in that water if I did that. I have most of the gifts the Professor receives. Just name it!”

Frey pointed proudly to a corner of the room where colorful boxes were stacked. Looking closely, they were high-end teas used for gifts—not exactly the kind for a child’s palate.

As I hesitated, Frey clapped his hands, his face showing he had realized he missed something important.

“Now that I think about it, I heard you like sweets. You always have a cup of thick cocoa with milk after dinner, right?”

My face turned red thanks to my brother, who had gone around sharing even those details. It was true, but there was no need for his colleague to know that. Fortunately, Frey was too busy rummaging through a cabinet to notice my embarrassment.

“I found that when I sit in the lab for a long time, I keep putting sweets in my mouth. I stopped because I started gaining weight… but there should be some chocolate left over from then.”

He looked like he actually needed to gain some weight. Frey had the typical appearance of a mage, wearing a wide, long robe, but his exposed wrists and gaunt cheeks made it clear he was very thin.

I sipped on the milk Frey had made by melting chocolate over a small brazier. It was terrifyingly sweet.

“You must have been in the Tower for a long time, Frey.”

“Not that long, it’s my fifth year now.”

That meant the old man—no, the Tower Master—had been working him for five years.

“Doesn’t five years make you much more of a senior than Abel?”

“Uh, not ‘much’ more. Our graduation years aren’t that far apart. Although our entrance years were a bit different.”

When talking about Abel, Frey gave a goofy smile. Looking at that innocent face, I smiled along with him.

Even after closing the projected sky, I kept squeezing the sphere because of its pleasant texture. Frey clapped his hands. Although his sharp eyes behind his glasses and his gaunt face gave him a somewhat irritable impression, his actions were very childlike—crying in the arms of the younger Abel and being unable to keep his hands still.

“Would you like to take it with you if you like it?”

“Didn’t you say you made it for your thesis?”

“The writing is almost finished, and I made several for experiments. I have a few more versions in different sizes and colors.”

If that was the case, I gratefully took it. If I showed this to Louis, his eyes would surely sparkle with joy. Frey brought out a few more items I might be interested in.

“This candy keeps changing flavors as you suck on it…”

It was the same candy Pysa Tecon had given me. I laughed awkwardly, unsure if it was right to mention that in front of Frey, who had just been crying because of the Tower Master.

“I tried it earlier.”

“You did?”

Fortunately, Frey was just happy that I enjoyed the candy he had made. He pulled a whole box over to the sofa, the heavy weight of it snagging the rug beneath.

“If you wear this necklace, your skin turns blue.”

“Oh…”

“Ta-da!” Frey made the sound effect himself as he wrapped the necklace chain around his wrist. A bluish tint spread, and soon even his face turned blue. His already bloodless skin looked even more ghastly.