The Magic Tower. True to its name, it is the foundation where all research and development of magic begins, and a crucial military stronghold that protects the nation from foreign invasion.
Textbooks for related subjects depict the massive Magic Tower in detailed illustrations, surrounded by towering walls, dozens of layers of defensive barriers, and vast moats. However, this Northern Magic Tower, which would be the first step of the “long journey” Jade mentioned, was in truth so low in height that it was somewhat misleading to call it a tower.
In the distant past, the Northern Magic Tower had boasted a lofty magnificence rivaling any other Magic Tower, but during the Great War, half of its spire was swept away by the tail of a dragon.
“Wow, how big must a dragon be to make half a building fly away?”
“…Well, I don’t know about that either.”
Elijah looked at Clover with incomprehension as he sparkled with excitement at his own words, as if hearing the story for the first time despite having attended the same classes.
“It must have been big enough to cover the sky. Even with half of it gone, it’s still that massive.”
In any case, in the past when war and territorial disputes were active, the defensive role of Magic Towers was extremely important, but now they were merely academic institutions researching magic-related studies.
Those residing in the Magic Tower were more suited to being called scholars than magicians, and their main work was developing magical tools by incorporating magical theory into various fields of study.
For instance, they commercialized medical thread precisely extracted through magical engineering to treat wounds more effectively, or developed lamps that emitted light without oil by sealing a certain amount of light magic inside small glass spheres.
“But all those people are dead, and everyone in there now are the traitors Master spoke of, right?”
“That’s what he said.”
Clover and Elijah carefully observed the scholars of the Magic Tower walking through the corridors in their long robes. Young people who appeared to be around their age followed beside them.
Carrying books thick enough to look quite heavy at first glance, or several long scrolls of parchment, busily moving along—their appearance was strikingly similar to themselves following their Master.
“…Are those kids all traitors too?”
“Probably.”
“They all look nice though. Those kids are the infamous traitors?”
“Stop asking already, Clover…!”
Elijah, who had been responding indifferently to the repeated questions, finally snapped in irritation.
“You already heard everything from Master, so why do you always have so many questions?”
Embarrassed by the sudden rebuke, Clover lowered his eyes while rubbing the back of his neck.
“Sorry…”
Elijah withdrew the “Eye” with a tired expression. The interior view of the Magic Tower that had been spread out massively across a section of empty air faded from the edges and soon disappeared without a trace.
The Magic Tower was always surrounded by dense defensive barriers, but any barrier inevitably has seams. Their Master, who knew everything about magic, had taught them how to slip the “Eye” through those gaps.
The “Eye” was a type of clairvoyance magic that sent a sphere crafted from mana to a specific location, allowing observation as if viewing it right before one’s eyes. However, it required considerable mana and concentration, so it couldn’t be sustained for long.
“Look at this, Elijah. It’s almost complete. We just need to figure out the back gate and underground structure now.”
Clover held out a map. Elijah blinked his eyes, their focus blurred from the aftermath of mana consumption, and checked it. The interior blueprint of the Magic Tower was drawn by Clover based on images formed through Elijah’s “Eye” that they viewed together, and despite taking a full three days, it still wasn’t finished.
“…If there were others besides me who could use Eye magic, it wouldn’t take this long.”
“True.”
Clover blinked his gentle eyes and smiled at Elijah’s complaint.
“But what can we do? Among us, you’re the most capable.”
Though they’d spent over ten years together as peers, Elijah had never once seen him get angry or complain. Clover was that kindhearted, and befitting his nature, he showed aptitude only in healing magic. Even that was merely somewhat more skilled compared to other magical abilities; his overall skills fell far short.
“But from now on, there should be something I can help with too.”
“…”
Well, would there really be such an occasion? On the cliff swept by sea winds, Elijah pressed down on his aching head with one hand while looking at the Magic Tower below.
The Northern Magic Tower, surrounded by sea on all sides, formed a path near the back gate when low tide lowered the sea level. Except for that time, it was difficult to enter inside without a boat.
This meant only a select few peers would likely enter the site. In such situations, Clover always ended up on standby.
“Let’s go, Elijah. For dinner.”
Clover, who had rolled up and gathered the map, gestured with a smiling face. However, Elijah still had a clearly displeased expression.
“…Fish again?”
“Yeah. Is there anything else to eat?”
“Then I won’t eat.”
“Why? Aren’t you hungry, Elijah?”
“You think I’m you? What’s so delicious about rotten fish?”
Elijah grumbled and started walking. After using Eye magic, he felt nauseous and his nerves were on edge. Of course, it wasn’t as if he treated his peers kindly even normally.
“Elijah, then will you at least eat this?”
“What is it? It’s obviously the same thing. I don’t like shellfish either. I don’t like crab either. It’s all rotten anyway. I hate everything that smells like the sea…”
Elijah, who had turned his head while pouring out complaints, stopped mid-sentence upon seeing the bread in Clover’s hand. The fist-sized bread wasn’t rotten, didn’t have mold growing on it like what they’d eaten at the monastery, and appeared soft with an oily sheen on its surface.
“…Where did you get this? We don’t have money.”
“I don’t really know either…”
Clover glanced around, then approached Elijah’s ear and whispered.
“Iris stole it.”
Though they could have obtained fresh seafood by making good use of magic in the surrounding sea, their Master forbade the use of magic outside of missions, reasoning that they shouldn’t waste mana on such trivial matters before the great undertaking.
So without much money, they had no choice but to buy old fish starting to rot at bargain prices and use that for meals. Elijah, who wasn’t accustomed to seafood to begin with, was often sick of the fishy smell and skipped meals, but upon seeing the golden-brown bread for once, his stomach churned.
Elijah, who had unconsciously reached out his hand first, barely managed to collect himself.
“…Aren’t you. Going to eat?”
Clover handed the bread to him.
“I ate a lot.”
For Clover to give away food, of all things, was truly a great favor. He, who had boasted a vigorous appetite since childhood, was the second tallest among the peers after Rose and had a more massive build than anyone. No wonder the reason he learned healing magic was “because he often got indigestion.” To that extent, Clover loved anything edible.
Elijah, who had been swallowing while looking at the golden-brown surface of the bread, finally resisted the temptation and handed the bread back to Clover.
“Just eat it all yourself. …I’m not hungry.”
This kind of favor made him uncomfortable. It felt like he’d have to return what he received someday. Elijah didn’t want to use this as leverage to clean up Clover’s stupid mistakes later.
“No, Elijah. You really can eat it all.”
Because Clover insisted on declining, Elijah finally sighed and broke the bread in half. It was a desire to reduce the size of the debt by at least half. Clover smiled sheepishly and immediately brought the bread to his mouth.
“Thanks, I’ll eat well.”
Elijah, dumbfounded, frowned and let out an incredulous laugh.
“It was yours to begin with, so what’s there to thank?”
“I gave it to you, so now it’s yours, Elijah. I’ll eat well.”
Clover grinned with bulging cheeks from stuffing all the bread into his mouth in one bite. Elijah, who had been quietly watching him, pulled his hood over his head and said bluntly.
“…You’re really kind.”
“You’re kind too, Elijah.”
“I’m…”
Elijah pondered for a moment before responding quietly.
“I’m smart.”
He wasn’t as kind as Clover. When he saw peers who couldn’t understand even the simplest magical formulas and wandered lost, he truly felt so frustrated he didn’t want to deal with them. What irritated Elijah most of all was that he couldn’t completely ignore them either.
In any case, they were peers who had grown up together since childhood. Elijah didn’t know exactly what the familial affection people spoke of was, but looking at them, he felt he understood it a little.
The feeling of being unable to ignore them even when disliking them. The feeling of having to help them in the end even when it was bothersome. The feeling that while they weren’t very precious, it would feel empty without them nearby.
The kind of feeling where they could tease Clover and call him a fool all they wanted, but if an outsider who wasn’t a peer mocked him, they’d feel furious.
That was the familial affection Elijah had learned through his peers.
“Right, Elijah is smart and kind.”
Elijah, who had been taking steps along the gentle slope of the cliff, chuckled.
“You’d say Igrit is kind too, wouldn’t you?”
“Uh…, Igrit is kind too.”
Clover apparently had no eye for people. Or else his standards for judging others were infinitely lenient.
“Who in your eyes isn’t kind?”
“Hmm…, the traitors Master speaks of?”
Elijah laughed out loud once more.
“Why are you laughing?”
Clover asked persistently while jumping down after him.
“I’m right, aren’t I? Aren’t those people bad?”
“I don’t know either.”
If you don’t know, who does, Elijah? Huh? Walk a bit slower, why does such a little kid walk so fast? Let’s not skip meals tomorrow and eat fish too, Elijah. You’re too skinny…
Slightly fed up with Clover’s incessant chatter, Elijah ignored it and kept walking. Clover, following him as he strode ahead alone, kept mistepping and nearly fell several times along the way.
In the end, Elijah had to match his pace with Clover’s and occasionally grab his arm.
