The Red Magic Tower, Becher, Fire Soul Palace.

This space, surrounded by numerous barriers, is meant for the master of the Red Magic Tower.

In the center of the circular hall, decorated in intense red, there is only a single bed. No other furniture can be found. Even if it were brought in, it would turn to ash within days.

And there she lies on the large bed. Her bright red hair billows, and spontaneous combustion occurs on her skin, igniting and extinguishing in a cycle.

If fire were to gain life and move, would it be like this?

Creeeak.

Vermilion’s gaze turned toward the only entrance and exit. A girl with similarly red hair, Selbier, cautiously opened the door and entered.

“The magician Selbier of the Red Magic Tower greets the master of the tower.”

“Ah, my disciple has finally come to see me? I granted you a wish, and you’ve used it. Now you must fulfill your duty as a disciple, right?”

“…I—”

“I just happened to need a clever child to maintain the magic circle. It would be wonderful if you could take care of it for about ten years… Hmm, why does your expression look like that?”

The corners of Vermilion’s eyes curled.

She knows well what Selbier is trying to say. Having finally found her childhood friend, she must want to leave without a care. She probably wants to stick to his side like a little shadow.

So she must be trying to say she’ll give up her position as the master’s disciple. Vermilion doesn’t allow her disciple to leave the tower, as they must focus on the research of the hidden realm.

A mischievous glint sparkled in her narrowed eyes. Like a cat playing with a cornered mouse, the master of the red tower added a few more words.

“I took in a country girl who was nothing and turned her into a proper magician. I’m not a philanthropist, so why did I do that… Selbier, can you guess?”

“…To achieve the hidden realm.”

“Correct. You’re quite sharp. To achieve my hidden realm, I need a lot of human resources. Especially a promising magician who has reached the level of a fable. So then—”

Whoosh.

Flames surged, and an invisible pressure constricted and weighed down Selbier’s entire body.

“Why should I let you go?”

—

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

How can I eat only what I want and discard the rest? Only the overwhelmingly strong can act so freely. Selbier did not have that privilege.

Thus, her mischief and playfulness intertwined.

When I see someone weaker than myself acting on their whims, don’t I want to show them reality? The red gaze seemed to carve into Selbier.

Cold sweat trickled down her nape. Sizzle. The droplets that touched the ground evaporated without a trace.

She moved her tightly shut mouth and managed to squeeze out the words.

“⋯⋯In the end, it will be beneficial.”

From noble mtl dot come

“Releasing research personnel?”

“No. It’s not releasing; it’s studying abroad. Lord Vermilion.”

“Hmm⋯⋯?”

Vermilion chuckled as if inviting her to speak more. If he didn’t like her answer, he would tease her further; if he did, he would think of a way to play with her.

What kind of words would she use to persuade me? Would she say she wants to learn the magic of the enemy tower to develop hybrid magic? That would be utterly ridiculous and amusing.

Or perhaps she would claim she would gain solid practical experience while wandering the world? In that case, should I offer to be her sparring partner and try to block her words? I wonder what excuse she would come up with next.

However, Selbier’s answer exceeded Vermilion’s expectations.

“Brother, you are a superior magician compared to Lord Vermilion. Isn’t learning from a more excellent master the secret to rapid growth?”

“Ahahahaha!”

Lord Vermilion burst into laughter.

“Ahahat! You’re saying that right in front of me? Where did you find such courage? You… you all know how bad-tempered I can be.”

“I know. But… beyond that temperament, I know you are sincere about achieving the impossible. I believe you will send me to your side.”

“Uhehe, yes. You have the sense to know which line to pick. That’s right, Selbier. I was already thinking of letting you go. If that allows us to seek your help just once… that alone would be a gain.”

If that’s possible, letting go of someone like Selbier wouldn’t be a problem. It was a worthwhile investment.

Vermilion waved his hand.

“Go on. Live like a parasite by your ‘brother’s’ side. But you must not forget the fact that you owe a debt to the enemy tower. If I feel slighted, it won’t end with mere displeasure.”

“⋯⋯Thank you, Lord Vermilion.”

Selbier let out a shallow sigh of relief and turned her back. Somehow, she had managed to persuade him. As the tension eased, her legs trembled, and her head felt heavy from the heat.

But she did it. She could live by her brother’s side.

Pitter-patter. Stumbling as she exited the Hall of Harmony, Selbier suddenly stopped and turned her head.

“Um…”

“Yes? Do you have something more to say?”

“Perhaps, Lord Vermilion. Could I procure a prosthetic arm? If it’s money, I’m willing to pay everything I’ve saved up until now.”

“Ah… I did receive one from the Gold Tower, but it’s really expensive…?”

It was indeed very expensive. Even after Selvier had emptied all her savings, the amount was still insufficient, and Vermilion generously offered her an interest-free loan.

Selvier had become a debtor.

——–

Creak. Clank. The sound of metal clashing.

“Here.”

“Huh?”

When I merely turned my head to look back, I saw Selvier holding out a sleek metallic prosthetic arm. The strange luster it emitted was undoubtedly a top-tier product.

In one corner, the certification mark of the Gold Tower was stamped.

I knew about such equipment because I had looked into it for the Armored Hologram Project. That thing is disgustingly expensive.

Even by my standards, which control the finances of a tower, it was a purchase that would make me hesitate. If Selvier had somehow acquired that for herself…

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to take it?”

“…Don’t you have any necklace or ring you used to wear?”

There’s a real possibility she might have poured all her savings into this.

Scanning Selvier’s entire body in shock, I found nothing where it should have been. The robe she wore was of a lower quality, and her backpack had turned into a worn-out one with all the fuzz.

As if sensing my gaze, Selvier waved her hand dismissively.

“I sold them because they were cumbersome. Don’t worry about that, just take it.”

“……..”

Only then did I realize my mistake and felt a chill.

I hadn’t yet mentioned that my arm was lost because of her…?

Thud. The weight of my conscience fell like a meteor in my heart. While I had been lazily lounging around, Selvier, worried about me after I lost my arm, had emptied her own savings to buy this prosthetic.

My eyes lost their focus. What should I do? Should I really cut it off? Should I live my life with a prosthetic arm from now on…?

No. I need to face this honestly. She must have thought my arm was lost because of her. I straightened up from the sofa and knelt down.

“Selvier, please don’t be mad.”

“…Why are you suddenly saying something strange?”

“Look at my arm. Eek!”

“……..?!”

Swish. I reconstructed the information I had stored and restored my arm. Selvier’s eyes widened in astonishment as she witnessed a human arm sprouting like bamboo shoots in an instant.

Then, Selvier caught a non-verbal message from my posture of bowing my head in shame. The fire in her eyes slowly ignited.

“What is it?”

The cool voice was almost like ice magic. I bowed my head even further.

“…Actually, I haven’t been cut off. Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything after it was all over?”

“I forgot because there was no discomfort…”

“Hey.”

I slowly raised my head and looked around. And there stood a very angry ghost. The temperature began to rise, and sparks started to fly.

Then, a beam of light shot from Selvier’s chest and connected to my own. This… this is Selvier’s transformation trigger.

“Wait a moment, Selvier. Let’s talk.”

“Transformation (羽化), ‘Flame Angel’──!”

“I-I’m sorry! I’ll, I’ll pay you back. I’ll go back to the base and take my research funds…!”

“That’s not the problem right now! Do you know how worried I was──?!”

Whoosh!

Beeep-beep-beep-beep-!

As Selvier transformed into a flame-human, the thermometer in the enemy tower pointed to 40 degrees and sounded a warning.

I immediately attempted to escape by throwing myself through the broken window, trying to hide my tracks with a mirage-like magic.

“Don’t you dare stand there-!!”

“I, I can see everything because it’s connected…!”

In the end, I was caught.

Selvier’s flames did not harm me. Even now, rolling around on the large bonfire she created, it wasn’t hot at all. Instead, I could feel her pure affection.

But it was hot. The heat was penetrating through my fire resistance.

“It’s, it’s too hot….”

“I won’t let you go until you properly reflect on this.”

“But thinking that I’m wrapped in Selvier’s warm heart isn’t so bad.”

“…I said to reflect, reflect!”

I was forgiven after 30 minutes.

I carefully stored the prosthetic limb.

——–

Now that things at the enemy tower had settled down, it was time to leave.

Selvier naturally joined the group. I heard that she had obtained an indefinite exit permit from the enemy tower after negotiating with the tower master. It was a fortunate thing.

First, I sent a message to Yuna through the tower master. Since I would be moving with a transformation power by my side, there was no need for a welcome, and I asked her to prioritize collecting my data fragments.

It’s more dangerous than I thought, the data fragments.

My travel plan was as follows. Seeing how a single module could turn the city upside down, I couldn’t just leave the Mima fragments alone. There was an urgent need to recover them from this side as well.

I’m not worried about fragments with a sense of self. Even if they get shattered, they’re still me, so I believe they won’t do anything strange. But those without a self or with a weak sense of it are the problem.

If they fall into the hands of malicious brats like this time, accidents could happen.

So, I proceed with the recovery operations for the nearby fragments on the way to the self-tower. I’ll leave the ones that are too far for now and pick them up after joining with Yuna Yuli.

I said I’d only pick up the nearby fragments, but since I don’t know what kind of trouble they might be causing, it’s going to take quite a bit of time. If that’s the case, I had to prepare for the journey twice as thoroughly.

I packed my things with Selbier. I also bought a lot of necessary items from the nearby city’s shops. It’s going to be a long journey.

“Should I buy this jerky? It tasted good.”

“It’s expensive. Let’s go with something cheaper and in larger quantity, okay?”

“…Then what about this rope?”

“That’s not cost-effective either. I think this option looks better.”

…Selbier had become quite the miser.

I thought about teasing him for being too stingy, but I held back, fearing I might get a punch to the gut with a ‘Whose fault is this!’ if I did.

I was pondering if this trip would end up being quite frugal.

Fortunately, I received warm support from friends I made at the Red Tower. They pooled their money together and provided a carriage and two horses. It was a joyous occasion.

I almost had to walk.

“Bishop of Mourning… I won’t forget the time I spent with you!”

“It was a meaningful time, my brother.”

I exchanged brief farewells and climbed onto the carriage. The closest city from here is Elpiris, located in the southern part of the Empire, which I’ve heard has stunning natural scenery.

One notable feature is its proximity to the Elf Great Forest.

It’s been about 20 years since I was reborn in this world, and thinking back, while I’ve seen elves and beastmen, I’ve never encountered wild elves.

Unlike the elves who live among humans, I’ve heard that wild elves wear clothes made of leaves—could it really be true?

It would be wonderful if I could collect models based on them.

Clop, clop. Clippity-clop.

I began to drive the carriage. As the horses started running lightly, the sight of the Red Tower gradually faded away until it disappeared. Selbier was staring intently in the direction of the Red Tower, reminiscing.

Once we entered the lush forest path, he turned around to face me and said,

“…Please tell me about yourself. Things I don’t know. If it’s alright.”

It was a sincere expression of Selbier’s desire to close the distance between us. A simple yet powerful feeling of wanting to get closer because he likes me.

As for how I feel about Selbier, I’m still not quite sure. But I don’t want to grow distant. I didn’t want to push him away either.

After a brief moment of contemplation, I decided to just act as I usually do.

“Calling me ‘oppa’ might make things better.”

Selvia’s face turned bright red. With a sound of frustration, she wiggled the fingers she had gathered on her lap and said,

“Ugh… I want to hear more about you, oppa.”

“If you call me ‘seobangnim,’ it might get even better… Ah!”

“Enough, enough!”

⋯⋯⋯⋯.

With the sounds of their playful bickering, the carriage carrying us disappeared over the hill, sinking below the horizon. Behind the carriage, the sunset spread its colors.

It was the first step on the way home.

——–

The North. The land of harsh winter.

Cold and hungry, winter had arrived in the hearts of the people on this cruel land, and in one corner of it stood the mansion of Duke Julius, who led the winter people.

Since the massacre by the duke, the atmosphere in the ducal mansion had remained colder than ice. It was out of fear.

A man who had hanged his own father to seize power. How lightly would he regard the life of a mere servant?

Thus, everyone had no choice but to take silence as a virtue and be cautious in their behavior. That’s why it was quiet. It was chilly.

I believed it would remain so in the past, present, and future.

But today is different. The northern ducal mansion was unusually heated with an unexpected warmth.

“Don’t you dare flirt with my husband!”

“Madam, I apologize, but I have never flirted. Daisy and I are merely friends bound by friendship…”

Even that was in the heat of a love quarrel…!