Chapter 33: Plant The Seeds and Water Them.

There was a slight incident, but the first subject of the knight exam, the character evaluation, was successfully

completed.

Out of 106 applicants, 46 were eliminated, leaving 60 participants.

‘Almost fifty dropped out from the start.’

It was more difficult than a simple morality test, as the exam also assessed problem-solving ability in challenging

situations. There were more eliminations than I expected. This proves how tough the knight exam is.

Ah, it seems Jimmy’s evaluation went well.

He went in right after me and, upon seeing the familiar face of an Amazonian warrior, he flinched in the first round.

When the warrior’s face turned bright red, he flinched again in the second round. Since we were in the same group, I

thought he’d be happy to see a familiar face, but instead, he grimaced and flinched a third time.

Despite this, even though Rine was trying to prank me and got frustrated in the process, she was still a capable vice-

captain of the escort. She wouldn’t let her emotions ruin the exam for other participants.

‘The second subject, leadership evaluation, starts tomorrow.’

Each participant is assigned a few soldiers.

After interacting with them for a week, the last day will present a task to assess the leadership ability of the participants.

The number of soldiers assigned and the task are both secret.

However, I had heard some information from Elaine-sensei.

‘The number of soldiers assigned ranges from three to six.’

Given the short period of interaction, too many soldiers would compromise the defense of the fortress, so three to six

is the standard.

‘It’s like group projects in college or at work.’

Thinking this way, painful memories resurfaced, and my stomach ached, but still, it would be much better than those two.

‘Unlike college students or office workers, soldiers have a strict hierarchy. Plus, they share their lives together, so

there’s a sense of community.’

With this positive mindset, I hoped to be assigned to a group with people I could get along with.

Rather than waiting for the uncertain future, I decided to focus on what I could do today.

‘I don’t know when or how the Snowflower Tower Terror will happen, but it’s certain.’

It will happen, inside the Snowflower Tower.

If I can’t figure it out, I’ll have to resort to the brute-force method of staying near the Snowflower Tower and

watching everyone entering and exiting.

But I don’t have time for that.

My goal isn’t just to catch the terrorists but to prevent the attack itself.

If even one person manages to slip by and the terror happens, it’s over. Even if I catch the culprit later, it will be too late.

Moreover, there’s the Bingjeong inside the Snowflower Tower right now.

If the Bingjeong breaks due to the attack, the damage will be far worse than what’s written in the novel.

That’s why I kept pondering deeply.

My thoughts, which had been branching out like a mind map, suddenly led me to an idea.

‘But how did the terrorists get inside the Snowflower Tower?’

The Magic Tower is, as the name suggests, a ‘tower for mages.’ Naturally, there’s a magical barrier to detect outsiders.

Even Grace, the Duke of the North, had to be escorted inside during his last visit.

So, how could the terrorists have infiltrated the Snowflower Tower to carry out their plan?

And the truth that the Snowflower Tower attack was not an accident but a conspiracy won’t be revealed until Episode 4.

That means the North didn’t catch the culprit during the attack.

Even though the knight exam was the focus at the time, how could the terrorists have escaped the North unharmed?

This led to a dangerous possibility in my mind.

‘What if there was an insider inside the Snowflower Tower working with the terrorists?’

Of course, this is just a possible theory with no evidence.

But if it seems plausible, I should investigate it.

Just like detective manga protagonists, they start with a ‘what if?’ and then get closer to the truth by discovering

evidence.

The beginning of investigation is always through questioning. In a famous courtroom battle game, key clues were

often hidden in conversations with NPCs.

However, I can’t just meet everyone in the Snowflower Tower and go through events.

So, I decided to take a simpler approach.

“Sophia, I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

If you want to learn about the school, you should ask current students. If you want to learn about the area, you

should ask locals.

Coincidentally, here was the daughter of the principal and the daughter of the mayor.

“The Snowflower Tower mainly deals with ice magic, right?”

“That’s right.”

“But you’re an apprentice elder who specializes in fire magic. Does that mean there are other schools of magic in the

Snowflower Tower?”

“Oh? Luke, are you interested in the Snowflower Tower?”

“I’m curious. It’s a famous place after all.”

Sophia’s eyes sparkled.

Although she is a lesbian, it’s not that she has no affection for men. She just never crosses the line of friendship.

Over time, we had built quite a friendship from attending classes together.

Being of the same age made it easier for us to communicate as well.

In Sophia’s eyes, I was an interesting talent, and her desire to be friends with me was not just a statement meant to

sir Elaine’s sympathy. There were several reasons why she became interested in Aran’s group in Brave Road, but

one of them was certainly that we were of a similar age.

Additionally, the reason Sophia was dispatched to the Winter Palace was not just because of her duties but also

because Dariel had his own agenda to lure me to the Snowflake Tower.

Sophia herself must have been moved by the fact that a new friend was showing interest in her workplace.

Therefore, there was no reason for her to avoid this conversation.

“Ahem, let me explain. As you know, the Snowflake Tower’s dominant magic is ice magic. However, a tower

dedicated to magic research wouldn’t only focus on one field. Naturally, there are other schools of magic too. Like

fire magic, which I specialize in.”

“Oh, I remember you mentioned one of the elders specialized in enchantment magic.”

“Hehe, you’re a good student with a solid attitude. That’s right.”

To summarize Sophia’s explanation:

The main school of magic at Snowflake Tower is ice magic. Following that, there are fire, enchantment, alchemy, and weapon magic.

“What’s weapon magic?”

“It’s a school that doesn’t process magical power into specific attributes but instead uses the raw magical power itself

as a weapon. It’s a unique school that only exists in the North, nowhere else.”

No wonder it’s a tower specializing in combat.

Now that I think about it, enchantment magic is used to imbue weapons with magic. Alchemy is for creating various

potions. Fire magic is useful not only for surviving in the cold North but also boasts formidable firepower.

The top five schools are all related to warfare. These people are truly dedicated to their concept.

“However, not all magicians from the North study only these five schools. Some ice magic specialists may want to

explore other fields, some magicians are drawn to less popular schools of magic, and some mages from other regions

settle in the North to pursue different research from what’s traditionally practiced here.”

Wait, that last part caught my attention.

“Magicians from other regions settle in the North?”

“Yes, it’s not common, but it happens occasionally.”

“Given that the North is isolated and transportation is difficult due to the cold climate, it’s considered somewhat of a

closed-off environment. Even so, are there mages who come here?”

“Hmmm? You’re from the North, but you’re well aware of the prejudice other regions have about us.”

“…I read a book about the Southern regions once.”

“Aha, yes, that’s the common perception.”

Looking at the friendly relationship between the Snowflake Tower and the Northern aristocracy, it’s clear that the

North isn’t all that closed-off.

In fact, even commoners can rise to prominence if they have strong abilities, which makes this place fairly open-

minded. However, due to transportation issues, it’s difficult to maintain smooth exchanges with other regions, and

that’s likely how the perception of the North being closed and outdated arose.

“As I said, it’s not common. But it’s not unheard of. Magicians will do anything for their research. That’s why we

don’t block anyone who wants to come to this harsh environment, and as long as they pass a simple examination,

they’re accepted as members of the tower.”

Sophia said this nonchalantly, but my ears perked up again.

‘So, it does happen.’

Logically, a magician born in the North is unlikely to jeopardize their own region. Unless they hold some kind of grudge.

The North’s strength lies in its powerful defense, so why would someone jeopardize it? They wouldn’t be that foolish.

Furthermore, while the North is not closed off, the bond between people from the same region is exceptionally

strong. The mentality that “people must stick together to survive in the cold” has been passed down through

generations, which is why the North has an extraordinary sense of unity.

That means there’s a high likelihood that someone with ill intentions infiltrated the Snowflake Tower from the beginning.

Since the Snowflake Tower is generally welcoming to outsiders who’ve struggled to get here, their examination

process might not be that strict.

“Magicians are the type of people who would do anything for their research.”

If someone managed to infiltrate the Snowflake Tower, they would obviously be a magician.

Did they get promised something by the dark forces to infiltrate?

It’s an obvious point, but since I’ve seen Brave Road, I know who is behind the Snowflake Tower terrorist attack.

They certainly have the personality and financial power to lure and use people with sweet offers to achieve their

goals.

‘If a spy really infiltrated, when could that have happened?’

This was something I couldn’t deduce due to a lack of clues.

I don’t have the kind of deductive thinking that would let me piece together the key information from small hints like

some world-famous detective.

So, what to do?

I need to gather more clues.

“If only a simple test is enough to become a member of the tower, could there be a magician who infiltrated aiming

for the Snowflake Tower’s vision?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“I mean exactly that. The Snowflake Tower is a magical tower that specializes in combat and cryomancy. If someone

with evil intentions tried to steal knowledge or techniques, they might see it as an opportunity.”

“That’s a valid point, but you don’t know this, but the Snowflake Tower isn’t that careless.”

Sophia’s face stiffened slightly, and her tone became harsh.

Did she think I was insulting the tower she was a part of?

I felt a chill in her gaze but didn’t back down.

Because provoking Sophia was the way for me to gain clues.

“I think I misspoke. My apologies. But there was an instance where a dark magician infiltrated a magic tower to steal

knowledge in order to summon a demon, didn’t there? The kingdom’s top magic tower, to be specific. Do you know

about that?”

“I’ve… heard of it.”

When I mentioned the event from Brave Road, when Aran was still part of the hero party before he was betrayed,

Sophia acted as if she was familiar with it too.

It seemed that this was well-known among magicians, just as I had expected.

Good, that means I don’t need to explain much.

“Magicians really will do anything for their research, and considering the Snowflake Tower’s status… If I were a

greedy magician, I think I would be willing to risk my life to obtain knowledge.”

Magicians, as seekers of the mysterious and obscure, are naturally inquisitive.

They tend to immerse themselves deeply in even the smallest phenomena or doubts.

Like why an apple falls from a tree.

Or why the water spills when someone enters a bathhouse.

This kind of immersion often leads to discoveries that change the world.

I planted a seed of doubt in Sophia’s mind, then watered it with words that would make her reconsider the

established facts.

Though there was no change in Sophia’s gaze right away, it was enough.

The fact that she didn’t get angry and kept silent meant my approach had taken its first step.

After a moment of silence, Sophia’s expression softened, and she spoke up.

“Hmm. I didn’t expect you to think of the Snowflake Tower this way. That’s a commendable attitude.”

“Is that so?”

“I’d like to say you’re being too worried, but listening to external opinions is also an important way to broaden one’s

perspective. Moreover, as you’re the Duke’s bodyguard, I’m sure you have a heightened sense of security.”

Ah, I see.

It seems my position as the Duke’s bodyguard added extra weight to what I said.

That’s a good thing.

“Security is directly related to the safety of the north as well,” I said.

“Exactly.”

Sophia smiled as though a good idea had occurred to her.

“Then, it might be a good idea to consult the bodyguard unit on the tower’s defense matters.”

“Sorry?”

“When the Duke visits to see the ice crystal next time, we should ask the head of the bodyguard unit for an

evaluation. I’m sure they’d have some great ideas.”

“…”

Good grief.

Even at times like this, Sophia still tried to fulfill her personal agenda, but for this moment, I couldn’t help but admire her.

Of course, that might not have been her real objective.

But thanks to her personal motives, I was able to influence the Snowflake Tower without having to go in myself.

No matter who the terrorist was.

They wouldn’t be stronger than the youngest-ever elder of the Snowflake Tower.