At the edge of the continent.

At the end of the world stood a towering structure that seemed to pierce the sky.

It was a tower, magnificent yet strangely colossal, so tall that no matter how high one looked, its peak could not be seen. Its summit vanished into the misty clouds, as though it touched the realm of the gods.

The Lighthouse of the World.
The Peak of Knowledge.
The Tower of Truth.

People called this place by many names, but most simply referred to it as the Magic Tower.

The Tower of Wizards, the Magic Tower.

This was not merely a place of scholarly pursuit. It was a sanctuary for those who sought to unravel the secrets of the world and transcend the boundaries of reality.

For those who practiced the art of magic, it was the holy ground where dreams and ideals could be realized.

At least, that was the external image of the Magic Tower. But the reality was somewhat different. Those who knew even a little about it would all say the same thing:

It was a cruel experimental ground for madmen seeking to break the boundary between gods and humans, a warehouse of infinite desire.

A line between genius and madness, and the graveyard of wizards who sought truth.

In their pursuit of truth, moral standards defined by humanity held no sway over the wizards of the tower.

The wizards of the Magic Tower would stop at nothing, not even human experimentation, to achieve their lofty ideals.

The Magic Tower was built on the endless greed of those seeking power beyond the laws of the world.

Edmund was no different.

Edmund Alexius Wilmore.
One of the elders of the Magic Tower.
Once a member of a now-destroyed marquis family.

He was the traitor who had annihilated his entire family after being caught researching forbidden magic.

Yet, Edmund harbored no guilt. To him, his family had been nothing more than fuel for a greater cause. Of course, he had escaped and survived the fallout.

Wanted for his crimes and with nowhere to go, Edmund eventually found his way to the Magic Tower.

Because, no matter what atrocities they had committed—whether it be a serial killer who had massacred dozens or a high treasonous traitor who had sold out their nation—the Magic Tower welcomed any exceptional wizard.

Edmund, who had been hired as a court magician as soon as he became an adult, found immediate success within the Magic Tower. He was granted his own private lab and ample resources, allowing him to make rapid progress.

Thanks to that, he had risen to the rank of Archmage and even exacted revenge on those who had mocked him as a heretic.

It took him forty years to achieve that.

Now, with his revenge complete, Edmund hoped to spend the rest of his days leisurely honing his magical abilities as a wizard, rather than as a vengeful spirit. But recently, he had encountered a troubling dilemma.

What Edmund had been researching was transformation magic, specifically the most forbidden of all: the magic of turning humans into dolls.

Living humans turned into dolls.

Not only their bodies but their minds and personalities could be customized to his liking. The stronger the base, the better their performance as a doll.

In other words, he wanted to capture and transform a child with untapped potential—someone who hadn’t yet fully grown but held immense promise—and mold them to his desires.

“They need to be pretty too.”

No ugly ones would do. After all, dolls should be beautiful.

“But where would I easily find such a child?”

All the promising stars were the offspring of nobles. Wandering through the slums looking for one was like searching for a star in the sky.

Oh, if only a child fit to become a grand archmage would just wander by…

Mumbling such nonsense to himself, Edmund walked through the streets, laughing like a madman.

“Hm?”

As he walked, something caught Edmund’s eye: a maid sitting alone on a bench in the early hours of the morning.

She had navy blue hair and a cute, round face. Her small frame was well-suited to the maid outfit she wore.

Her short skirt barely reached her thighs, leaving her soft, bare legs exposed.

“A slave.”

She wasn’t a hired servant but a slave. The black collar around her neck confirmed it.

However, what really caught Edmund’s attention was the staff she held so dearly in her hands.

“That… that’s?!”

A silver shaft glowing with a mystical light, topped with a brilliant blue crystal.

Edmund instantly recognized it.

It was identical to the Heavenly Oath, the staff used by the great sage Arseria, as described in the Collection of Legendary Weapons Used by Heroes of the Past.

But like most legends, few believed it was real. It was a story from myths.

So, was this one a fake? Even then, it emitted an aura that was far from ordinary.

As a wizard, once curiosity was piqued, it had to be satisfied. So, Edmund approached the maid girl.

The shimmering color in her eyes… Edmund clearly saw a brief flash of navy blue magical light in them.

This girl was blessed with the power of mystery.

“Child.”

“…?”

“You must be surprised to have an old man speak to you so suddenly. I’m sorry about that. You see, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found it hard to suppress my curiosity.”

Edmund did his best to sound gentle as he spoke to the girl.

“That staff of yours—where did you get it? It looks very much like one I know.”

“It was given to me by someone precious.”

“I see. I’m quite interested in it, though. Would you mind if I had a look?”

“I mind. Why should I?”

“Huh?”

Edmund blinked in surprise at the girl’s blunt refusal, her expression filled with indignation. Up close, the dark circles under her eyes made her look like she hadn’t slept in days, giving her cute face a more hostile appearance.

“If you’re done, I’ll be going now.”

“W-wait a moment!”

Edmund hurriedly called out to her. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this girl might be the one he had been searching for all this time.

“You… you’re a slave, aren’t you?”

“Do I look like a slave to you?”

“Uh, no, I didn’t mean it like that…”

“Thank goodness…”

“Huh?”

The fierce expression on the girl’s face softened, and she smiled bashfully, just like any girl her age might.

Was being a slave popular among girls her age these days? Edmund wasn’t sure, but either way, the situation seemed to be going in a favorable direction.

“So, why are you out here in the middle of the night?”

“I’m looking for my master. He’s very far away.”

“Hmm, and you’re trying to find him instead of running away? He must be a good person.”

“Yes, my master is a good person.”

Edmund could now roughly grasp the situation.

This girl seemed to be proud of being a slave. It appeared her master had treated her with a lot of care.

The “precious person” who gave her the Heavenly Oath was undoubtedly her master. Someone willing to give a slave such a weapon…

“Child, is your master a noble?”

“He’s someone greater than a noble.”

The tangled threads in Edmund’s mind unraveled all at once.

Someone greater than a noble. At the very least, that meant royalty. This girl must have caught the eye of royalty and been taken as a slave.

A wandering mage, traveling the world to hone her skills and extend her influence. Now, she was on her way back after completing her mission.

“I can’t let her go.”

She was bound to become a masterpiece.

If he let her go now, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

“It’s late. Why don’t you come with me to my house? I have a laboratory up there, in that tall tower.”

“Isn’t that the Magic Tower?”

“I’m a great wizard, you see. So, what do you think? Are you interested in magic? I could teach you a bit if you’d like.”

“Magic…?”

This time, the girl didn’t flatly refuse. She hesitated, and a flicker of life returned to her tired eyes.

As expected, this girl was the same type as himself.

Even if she had important duties, she couldn’t hide her desire for new knowledge in front of the promise of magic. She was a magic-crazed maniac.

In that case, the answer would naturally be yes.

“Well then, just for a little…”

 

“This is my lab.”

Like a sly old man offering candy, Edmund lured the girl to his private laboratory.

If she hadn’t come willingly, he would have taken her by force, but he was grateful she followed so easily.

Edmund’s lab was located on the 49th floor, just below the top of the tower. To reach it, one had to either use the magical stone elevator or fly through the central opening that ran through the tower.

Flight magic, regarded as one of the most difficult branches of magic. Magic that allowed one to soar through the sky like a bird.

But even among archmages, only a few could fly freely. Most could only manage short-term levitation through telekinesis.

Still, levitation magic was a skill mastered by those who had reached the pinnacle, and as one of the elders of the Magic Tower, Edmund was, of course, proficient.

However, out of consideration for the girl, who had great magical potential but hadn’t yet blossomed, he decided to take the elevator.

“I’ll help those petals bloom.”

In this lab, everything was prepared for the dollification process.

Once the device was activated, it would drain her magical power. With her power gone, her mind would be vulnerable, and he would invade her psyche to erase her personality.

After that, he would mold her empty shell to his liking.

The hardest part was getting her here. Once she set foot in the lab, it was already over.

“Are there many books like these in the tower?”

“Yes. Centuries of research and knowledge from countless wizards are piled high here. It’s heaven for wizards.”

“Hmm.”

The girl stared intently at the magic books. She wouldn’t understand a word of them, but that didn’t matter. Once she was turned into a doll, he could simply inject the knowledge into her.

As she became distracted, Edmund targeted her. He activated the device.

Magic circles appeared above and below the girl.

Crackle!

A white electric barrier surrounded her, and the device began absorbing her magical energy.

The girl’s navy blue mana was extracted explosively. Noticing something was wrong, the girl glanced at Edmund, but it was far too late.

Once caught in this device, even the great sage Arseria herself wouldn’t be able to break free.

“I’m really sorry for tricking you. But it’s all for your own good. I’m going to turn you into the world’s strongest battle weapon, not just some mere slave.”

“…”

Her mana kept draining. Continuously. Endlessly.

Continuously…?

Why… why was the mana not stopping? By now, even an archmage should have been drained dry!

Just as Edmund began to doubt whether something was wrong, he froze. The flow of mana halted, and the girl glared at him with fierce intensity.

“I am my master’s slave. Even in death, I will always be my master’s slave.”

“What?”

“I will never allow anyone to come between us.”

Tap.

The girl lightly tapped the Heavenly Oath on the floor. With that single motion, the barrier shattered. The magical device, which Edmund had poured his entire life into designing, crumbled to pieces.

Panicking, Edmund tried to cast a spell, but he couldn’t channel his mana. His magic was being suppressed by something.

Rumble…

The space around them trembled. The tower shook.

It was the sheer aftershock of the magical energy the girl was emitting. The level of power was beyond anything he had ever imagined.

“What… what is this ridiculous amount of mana…?!”

Edmund collapsed to the floor, his entire body shaking. He gazed at the girl with a mix of emotions.

Fear.
Terror.
And yet… reverence.

Facing the overwhelming power of the girl, Edmund’s expression filled with a strange, twisted joy. This girl might just be the one the Magic Tower had been waiting for all along.

This girl was far too extraordinary to be reduced to a mere doll. She was the one who could fulfill the long-held dream of all wizards.

Without realizing it, Edmund stood and knelt before the young girl.

And he spoke:

“Child, would you like to become the Master of the Magic Tower?”