Chapter 238

“Ack!”

“It’s r-real!”

“Was it true?!”

“Oh my goodness… look at that, Kaichen’s magic bracelet!”

“Ah, that’s kind of him…”

There were a total of five people who took turns talking, each wearing a robe with the Mage Tower crest engraved on it. They must be the Mage Tower wizards, and they were staring at me with faces full of curiosity.

“Is this black hair real?”

“It’s darker and more beautiful black than the people of the Suran Empire.”

“Ah, look at this skin as white as snow. How could you be so pretty?”

“I can’t believe it. Kaichen’s disciple is a woman like this.”

“Why is this guy the only one blessed?”

They blinked blankly, wondering who I was, appearing bold.

They crept up to me, scanning me from head to toe, and stretched out their hands that I wanted to push away. However, as if they couldn’t bear to touch me, their hands stayed in the air as they repeated their strange words.

“I want to take a look at her. I heard she was a victim of time magic, so how could she become a mage?”

“I’m also curious about her mana response. What’s the concentration of her magical power? The contents? Why is this precious research subject being hogged by Kaichen?”

“How dare he make her his disciple! I was caught off guard when I found out about Acrab’s time magic fiasco. I should have flown there at once.”

“It’s too late. Kaichen had already made her his disciple.”

Watching them babble amongst each other madly, I barely regained my composure, then stepped back and spoke.

“Excuse me… Who are you all?”

I tilted my head slightly and asked so I wouldn’t be rude, but their faces twisted and they chattered among themselves again.

“D*mn! This bastard didn’t even mention us!”

“I expected this. When did that bast*rd ever treat us like humans?”

“Still, not knowing us at all is a bit too much.”

“It’s all Kaichen’s fault.”

“It’s sad, really.”

They seemed to have heard me, but I didn’t receive any answers. Looking at them, who said they were sad while blowing their noses instead of wiping their tears, I thought that it might be time for Hamal to come pick me up.

I suddenly didn’t want to know who they were. Among the five, the man who referred to Kaichen as ‘this bastard’ was the most abnormal-looking.

“Anyway, if you’re a mage, shouldn’t you know the basics? This is the top floor, and it’s obvious who’d be here other than the Mage Tower Lord, right?”

Obvious, but I had forgotten about the very obvious people here. I continued to look at them blankly and thought to myself.

Those who could access the top floor of the Mage Tower and still call Kaichen ‘this bastard’.

Then, I knew exactly who these people were.

“…Ah.”

My mouth hung open with a short exclamation, and everyone, including the man who had spoken confidently to me, spread their shoulders wide and looked triumphant.

Ah, I really hate acknowledging them. I had thought they were of lower rank, only to find out they were on Kaichen’s level.

“You were the ones who received the title of Tenebre from the Mage Tower. I’m sorry I didn’t know.”

As soon as I hurriedly bowed down to apologize, they laughed out loud, as if they had never shown their displeasure in the first place.

“We don’t leave the Mage Tower, so you wouldn’t have known!”

“That’s right! Kaichen probably didn’t tell you about us anyway.”

It was true. Kaichen never talked about other mages who were given the title of Tenebre other than himself. The reason I could recognize them was because the original story mentioned that there were four more people besides Kaichen who had the title of Tenebre.

In fact, the title of ‘Tenebre’ was only allowed to five people in a century.

‘Oh? But there are five other people besides Kaichen here…’

When I asked them, the person who had been complaining that Kaichen didn’t treat them as human beings answered.

“Ah, there is one who will soon succeed.”

What? Did Kaichen and all those who received the title of Tenebre in the Mage Tower talk incoherently?

I looked at the one who had talked about being kind and sad. This person would be the one who would ‘succeed’.

This person hadn’t received the title of Tenebre yet, but their ability was already at that level, so it seemed that they could come in if accompanied others in this way. Just like how I came in thanks to being Kaichen’s apprentice and wearing a bracelet made of his magic.

‘I didn’t even think of it, of course there were people other than Kaichen…’

Excluding Hamal and Kaichen, the owners of the Mage Tower, seeing the four Tenebre, who could be said to be the real power of the Mage Tower, gave me a new feeling.

They muttered among themselves, but most of it was criticism towards Kaichen.

Then, as if he felt my gaze, the person who gave me the explanation suddenly stepped forward and introduced himself.

“My name is Jirata. I came to the Mage Tower when I was five years old, and among us, I was the first to receive the title.”

“Then what are you doing? You still got it after Kaichen. Nice to meet you, Kaichen’s disciple. My name is Michelle.”

“I am Nene. It’s Nene.”

“Phew, everyone, calm down. Do you want to look unsightly at Kaichen’s disciple? I guess we’re introducing ourselves now, I’m Olganos.”

It was useless pretending to be dignified after all that though.