Selaim Mikardo, the Master of the Blue Magic Tower, was one of only five officially recognized 8th Tier mages in the world.
A few months ago, he had left for the North to investigate the barbarians. The moment he returned to the Blue Magic Tower, he could sense that something had changed.
The first reason was the disappearance of the Exam Question, a presence he had always felt whenever he returned to the tower.
The second reason was Penia—his disciple, a girl possessed of talent so great that even an 8th Tier mage like himself would describe her as "dazzlingly blessed."
The Penia he knew was defined by an arrogance that pierced the heavens, a byproduct of that very talent.
Of course, she used to show at least a minimum level of courtesy toward her master, Selaim. However, ever since she reached the 6th Tier at a young age and ascended to the position of Vice Tower Master, she had begun to adopt a flippant attitude even toward him.
...To be fair, he was aware that her attitude wasn't necessarily because she looked down on him, but rather because he constantly dumped mountains of paperwork on her whenever he went on business trips.
Regardless, even taking that into account, Penia had achieved too much for her age and was excessively prideful. Yet, Selaim had never felt the need to correct it.
For a mage seeking knowledge, arrogance is a sentiment to be wary of, but Penia was never arrogant when it came to her research.
Furthermore, he judged that her personality would naturally be tempered once she reached the 7th Tier.
No matter how talented or hubristic a mage might be, they have no choice but to become humble upon reaching the 7th Tier.
At that level, a mage realizes that everything they have achieved thus far is merely a futile fragment of a much larger whole.
That was why he had left her be, but...
"You're saying Count Palatio came and closed the Exam Question?"
"Yes."
Selaim looked at Penia, who answered listlessly.
Her sharp eyes, which never wavered even when facing him, were now drooping as if she had lost all her energy. Seeing her speak so cautiously, as if walking on eggshells, was a truly peculiar sight.
"...And you're saying the Count closed the Exam Question, but you cannot explain how because of an Oath of Mana?"
"...That's right."
Penia muttered, her spirit broken.
Intrigued by this unfamiliar sight, Selaim let out a soft "Ho" and tried to recall the Count Palatio mentioned in the story. Unfortunately, he had very little information on the man.
The Blue Magic Tower was quite far from the Asteria Kingdom.
The most he knew was hearing the name a few years ago when rumors spread that the current Count Palatio was a mastermind who had ascended to the title after killing all his siblings.
This only served to heighten Selaim's curiosity about Alon.
He knew Penia's personality; she wasn't someone whose pride could be easily broken.
Moreover, her talent served as a constant pillar supporting that arrogance. There was only one way to strip away her pride by surpassing that talent.
Magic that even Penia's talent cannot comprehend... no, an Origin.
Reaching that conclusion, Selaim smiled.
He felt his interest piqued by a count from a small kingdom he had never truly known.
*
The next day.
Alon checked the letter from Yutia, which now arrived with a familiar regularity every one or two months. He read through the text, thinking to himself.
Nothing particularly special.
As always, Yutia's letter contained nothing out of the ordinary, just snippets of her daily life.
Trivial stories about how she was doing at the prayer house and recent updates on the 5 Great Sins she had been in contact with.
However, he preferred these mundane stories over letters filled with conspicuous or extraordinary events.
The lack of major news meant the 5 Great Sins were living peaceful lives.
...Of course, it felt a bit lonely that the others didn't bother to send a single letter despite living so well, but Alon understood.
I suppose it's because we've never actually met face-to-face.
It was only natural since he had never visited the orphanage. He had never once locked eyes with the 5 Great Sins.
He had certainly provided a lot of financial support, but from their perspective, Alon was likely perceived as nothing more than a "kind mister" they were grateful to.
...In fact, he suspected they might just think of him as "that guy who was nice to us once," but it didn't matter.
His original goal wasn't to win their affection, but to guide them onto the right path so they wouldn't destroy kingdoms.
Since that goal had been brilliantly achieved, there was no need for regret.
"Ahem..."
Still, being human, he couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of disappointment. However, as he looked at Yutia's letter, a satisfied smile formed internally, contrasting with his expressionless face.
While the others had never sent a single letter from start to finish, Yutia had consistently written to him once a month while living her life as a nun.
It wasn't a grand gesture, but Alon felt his heart warm whenever he reminded himself of that fact.
It felt as if he had raised five sons and daughters, and while the rest didn't even think of the grace he'd shown them, his eldest daughter was the only one who recognized his hard work.
Truly, there's no one like Yutia.
As Alon was experiencing the mellow feelings of a doting father, a short knock sounded.
Knock, knock—
Evan entered the room.
"What is it?"
"Ah, I meant to tell you when I saw you at the training ground yesterday, but I realized I forgot. You asked me to look into something separately last time, didn't you, My Lord?"
"I did."
As Evan said, Alon had previously asked him to have the information guild check if the 5 Great Sins were doing well.
In the past, Yutia's letters were enough to see what the other Sins were up to, but recently, her letters had fewer details about their activities.
"So, did you find anything?"
"Yes. But honestly, there was no need for the information guild; rumors about a few of them are already widespread. Especially regarding Deus and Seolrang."
Alon tilted his head, prompting him to continue. Evan stepped fully into the office, organized his thoughts for a moment, and then spoke.
"First, regarding Seolrang. Rumor has it she's already become a fighter close to the level of a 'Babayaga.' They say she's on a 32-game winning streak."
"...32 wins in a row?"
"Yes."
"Is that even possible?"
"To be honest, I thought it was nonsense too, but based on the rumors, it seems to be true."
"..."
"What's more, out of those 32 wins, only one match lasted more than ten exchanges. Apparently, the other Babayagas are getting very nervous."
"I can certainly see why."
Alon nodded, feeling stunned by Evan's words.
'Babayaga' was an honorable title held by only four people in the Colony, and that number never increased.
In other words, the moment Seolrang reached the 100-win record required to challenge for the title, one of the four Babayagas would have to fight her.
"...If I recall correctly, wasn't the fighter with the longest winning streak in the Colony the Lion King?"
"That's right. I believe it was 41 consecutive wins."
"...So she only needs nine more wins to surpass the Lion King."
"Exactly."
Evan nodded as he answered. Alon thought of the Lion King, a brokenly powerful ally character who briefly joins the party in the game.
He was reminded once again that the talent of the Sins was of a truly nonsensical variety.
He knew that while there were some nobodies among the fighters in the Colony, there were also many formidable powerhouses stationed there.
In the game's lore, the Colony relied on its fighters for most of its military strength, yet other kingdoms didn't dare pick a fight with them.
The fact that she was maintaining a winning streak in such a place was a testament to her talent. As Alon wore a look of renewed realization, Evan continued.
"And there are rumors about Deus as well."
"What are they?"
"Rumor has it that Deus and his knight order, the Eclipse, have slain Kurga of the Snowfield, one of the eight chieftains of the barbarians."
"...One of the eight chieftains?"
"Yes. One of the eight. You know them, right? Those monsters who transcended into superhumans through rituals, despite being barbarians."
Even without Evan's explanation, Alon knew about the eight chieftains.
More accurately, he knew from the game just how ridiculous their stats were.
In Psychedelia, to obtain the special magical equipment needed to become a glass cannon, one had to fight the barbarians and deal with the god they worshipped.
Just thinking about it makes me dizzy...
Alon felt a momentary wave of vertigo. Even though it had been over five years since he met Uultultus in the game, the god was strong enough to make his stomach churn.
Specifically, according to the lore, if Uultultus—who descended as a divine spirit—awakened into a true divine entity, he would possess power equal to the 5 Great Sins.
In other words, if Uultultus were to awaken in the North, there was a possibility that the kingdoms would be overrun even without the 5 Great Sins. However, Alon had a reason to remain calm.
It's a relief I won't have to meet him.
As far as he knew, Uultultus would not appear unless the 5 Great Sins descended.
In the lore, Uultultus appeared when a god capable of merging with the 5 Great Sins descended and the laws of the world collapsed.
That meant as long as the 'God' who would create the 5 Great Sins didn't descend and break the laws Alon hadn't even grasped yet, there was no reason for Uultultus to manifest.
"...Deus is certainly going to live a successful life."
"It's more than just successful. He succeeded in killing a chieftain that even a Master Knight would find burdensome. He's practically being treated on the same level as the First Sword, Reinhardt."
Hearing about Deus, Alon felt a slight pang of regret.
...Should I have gone to see them at least three times a year?
The benefits falling from a Master Knight would have been sweet... Swallowing that bitter thought, Alon also heard from Evan about Line, who was working as an appraiser in the Labyrinth City as planned.
"Black Engravings?"
"Yes. They say the shop Line runs applies Black Engravings that enhance the abilities of relics."
"...That's fascinating."
He marveled at the ability he hadn't seen even in the game for a moment, then finally asked about the last remaining person.
"What about Ladan?"
In truth, the reason he had asked Evan to investigate rumors about the 5 Great Sins was partly due to his curiosity about Ladan.
Ladan had gone missing from Yutia's letters about six months ago, later than Seolrang.
Of course, he hadn't been particularly worried since the last he heard was that Ladan had arrived safely in Laxas and was learning the ropes of his job. But since his trail had gone cold after that, Alon was curious.
However...
"I haven't found anything on that part yet. The information guild has some leads, but they asked for a bit more time. They said they'd be able to judge if the information is reliable in about a week."
"If that's the case..."
Alon felt a slight doubt at Evan's words but soon nodded.
*
About two weeks had passed since then.
Alon had returned to his office after researching phrases as usual. He was contemplating whether or not to attend the 'Asteria Social Club,' a gathering for all nobles held every three years, while staring at the invitation.
"My Lord...!"
"...?"
Evan burst through the door without knocking. Alon was about to say something, but...
"It seems Ladan... has become a pirate."
"...What?"
At the words that followed, Alon's face went blank.
"Do you know the Seven Archipelagos?"
"...You mean the place where the seven great pirates stay, off the coast of Laxas?"
"Yes. It's said he has become the captain who rules the entirety of the 1st Archipelago, the largest among them."
"Really...?"
"Yes."
At Evan's confirmation, an old internet post he had seen a long time ago flashed through his mind.
It was a post about a child who had been consistently sponsored through UNICEF for eight years, only to grow up and change careers to become a Somali pirate.
"..."
Alon felt like he finally understood the heart of that original poster. He stood frozen at the fact that Ladan had become a great pirate.
---
Read 530+ Chapters on noveldex.io