[V2C2] The Fox and the Black Lion
Translated by Jodas 2: Daily Lives of a New Teacher and the Apprentice MagesAccording to the Black Lion Emperor, the Wedge Tower is an organization that keeps watch for Monsters that have survived to the modern day, and occasionally sends out extermination teams.
The existence of the Wedge Tower, that accepted all forms of magic, itself had been known to the Smoke Fox.
However, this was the first time he’d heard of the Crystal Territory to the east of the Wedge Tower where Monsters dwelled, and that those Monsters would occasionally wander out of it.
It was hard for him to believe that there even were Monsters in the present day.
(Now that I think about it, I did that once…..Monster hunting fraud.)
He once visited a rural village where rumors abounded of unfortunate events occurring and strange shadows being sighted. There he declared:
“This must be the work of a Monster that has survived to the modern age. I descend from a family that has hunted Monsters for generations. Allow me to slay this Monster for you!”
Then, he shaved animal bones and fangs, dyed pelts and feathers, and engineered them to look like Monster parts. They thanked him when he brought those parts back, saying “I’ve slain the Monster. Here’s the proof.”
The Smoke Fox glanced at the Black Lion Emperor.
He seemed to be enjoying the Fox’s reactions.
(Why are you toying with a third-rate con man….?)
The Smoke Fox threw back his glass of wine in one gulp, then asked a question of the Black Lion Emperor with as much politeness as he could muster.
“I understand what you are saying about Monsters living in the Crystal Territory, and how the Wedge Tower watches out for them. However, what am I to do by infiltrating the Wedge Tower….?”
“Indeed. Ordinarily, the Wedge Tower’s activities have benefited from the support of many generations of Emperors. Thinking of the well-being of my people, that much would be obvious, is it not?”
Sure, okay. The Smoke Fox whispered in his chest.
If there really were Monsters out there, it would be a huge problem if they left the Crystal Territory.
Even an Emperor who lit the flames of wars of conquest would be troubled if Monsters appeared as well. It was only natural that they would provide at least some funds to help keep the seal on these Monsters.
“That said, the previous Emperor did something. It appears he earned the Wedge Tower’s ire. Since then, the Wedge Tower has stopped communicating with the Imperial Family, and cut off all relations.”
“That’s, uh….. What exactly did you say he did?”
“Even I do not know. The previous Emperor died without the chance to tell me everything.”
“Ah~…..”
That was a very plausible answer.
The previous Emperor, who passed away a few years ago, disliked war and cut the military budget dramatically to fund the preservation and restoration of things he determined to have artistic value.
As a result, the Empire weakened, and barbarians from the south were able to take territory uncontested. Even the northern countries were a powder keg that could spark off at any moment.
Almost none of the money claimed after their victory over the western Kingdom of Ridill fifty years ago remained. On top of that, they had started to trail behind Ridill on many key metrics.
Under the previous Emperor, who was unconcerned about politics, it was said that corrupt nobles were allowed to do as they pleased.
In that case, the chances he botched whatever issue occurred between him and the Wedge Tower were high.
(……On top of that, I’ve heard dark rumors about the previous Emperor’s death.)
The Black Lion Emperor, Leonhard, had assassinated the previous Emperor and usurped the throne. That rumor had been whispered about ever since the Black Lion Emperor ascended to the throne.
To be honest, the Smoke Fox thought it wasn’t an unreasonable suggestion.
The Black Lion Emperor was just the kind of cruel and cunning person to do such a thing.
(On top of that, I can’t read his intentions….)
He could not understand why the Emperor would drag in a third-rate con man and give him such an important mission.
“Since the time of the previous Emperor, all relations with the Wedge Tower have been cut off. I find this circumstance very unfortunate. So, I will have this person infiltrate the Wedge Tower, and investigate exactly what the previous Emperor had done to them.”
“Well geez, if Your Majesty were to only say the word…. tell them ‘Let us be friends,’ then surely the folks at the Wedge Tower would bow their heads and comply.”
“I’ve already sent countless messengers trying to make peace with them. All of them were driven away at the gate.”
“Whoa….”
That was more than just a powder keg.
Even though the Wedge Tower was located in an autonomous territory, they wouldn’t have any right to complain if the Emperor dispatched soldiers to put them down.
“Improving relations with the Wedge Tower is a crucial issue to keeping the peace in the Empire. Thus, I have decided to make use of the Imperial Mage Association. The Wedge Tower still keeps a minor correspondence with the Mage Association.”
Although the Wedge Tower is a place for accumulating all forms of magic from throughout the Empire, they are particularly strong when it comes to preserving and maintaining older forms of magecraft.
In order to perform research on the latest magics, human and financial resources are indispensable—meaning the Mage Association that has offices all over the Empire is far more suited to that task.
Thus, the Wedge Tower, with its ancient knowledge; and the Mage Association, with the most advanced modern magic; would occasionally hold symposiums to share knowledge and research with each other.
“In order to guide their students in modern magecraft, the Mage Association will occasionally dispatch people to the Wedge Tower. We will use that. Not long from now, the Wedge Tower will hold its triennial entrance exam.”
With more recruits, obviously they would have need for more teaching staff.
To the Wedge Tower, which was always short on personnel, the presence of the Mage Association which could dispatch qualified mages on demand was highly appreciated.
“I see.” With the face of a competent man who could understand where a conversation was going quickly, the Smoke Fox nodded.
“You mean you want me to take the place of a mage from the Mage Association and infiltrate the Wedge Tower.”
—That would be impossible, the Smoke Fox repeated in his mind.
The Smoke Fox was a con man, not a mage. Obviously, he couldn’t use any magic.
(Despite that, to pretend to be a teacher that’s supposed to be teaching magic? ……Ah, but back in the day, I did something like that before.)
Thinking back to events that occurred a few years earlier, the Black Lion Emperor smirked and pulled what looked like a beast’s fang from his pocket.
It was an ink-black fang that was unnaturally serrated. He felt like he’d seen it before.
(No way, is that…..)
“I’d heard that this man was a descendant of a family that has hunted Monsters for generations, and had already defeated a Monster himself, you know?”
“Urgh.”
He remembered it well. That fang was the one he gave to the villagers, claiming it was part of a Monster he had killed.
It was really just an animal bone. He carved it to be pointed and serrated, then stained it black to make it look convincing.
His Monster-hunting scam exposed, the Black Lion Emperor continued on to deliver the finishing blow.
“Oh, I’ve also heard that you once acted as a professor at a magical university, and scammed wealthy students out of their tuition fees before, did you not?”
“Ack…..”
“It was quite the spectacular performance, was it not? With your twisted words you deceived even the other professors, and occasionally showed off your magecraft with sleight-of-hand tricks……..Indeed, that would make for quite the party trick. Would you mind showing me one?”
“Well, hahaha, that sort of thing requires some preparation….”
Sweat rushed down under the Smoke Fox’s clothes.
The fraud incident at the magical university had been covered up in private to preserve trust in the institution.
However, the Black Lion Emperor knew all about it. Adding on the Monster-hunting scam, he had done some in-depth research into the Smoke Fox’s past works.
(I get it now, if they want to know the secrets of the Wedge Tower, it would be preferable to have someone infiltrate as a mage who could get close to the core of the institution, rather than just having someone work as a servant. In that case, you would want a mage, but most mages were affiliated with the Mage Association…..)
If a member of the Mage Association were to try and infiltrate, then get discovered, the Wedge Tower would probably find out that the Black Lion Emperor was making the Mage Association do it. If that happened, the relationship between the Wedge Tower and the Black Lion Emperor would only get worse.
(However, if I, a criminal, were to infiltrate them….. In the worst case scenario, they could just cut me off.)
If the Smoke Fox was discovered, then all the official story would say was that ‘The con man known as the Smoke Fox tried to steal the Wedge Tower’s magic for profit, and pretended to be a member of the Mage Association to infiltrate.’
Since the Smoke Fox had already performed a con at a magical university before, it wouldn’t be an unnatural proposition.
“This man is my loyal retainer, is he not? Then do your best to accomplish the mission and report back to me.”
Thus, the Black Lion Emperor dropped an impossible mission into the lap of the third-rate con man, the Smoke Fox.
Now, he was no longer the Smoke Fox. Using a cover identity provided by the Black Lion Emperor, he was an advanced mage of the Mage Association.
—The Dream Mage, Caspar Hütter.
This man named Caspar Hütter was no imaginary person, he really existed.
He was a mage who had accompanied a Princess, the Black Lion Emperor’s little sister, for protection when she married into the royal family of the neighboring Ridill Kingtom. Apparently he had decided to stay in that foreign country along with the Princess as a bodyguard.
However, those events were not widely publicized, making him the perfect target for the Smoke Fox to impersonate.
For the sake of his infiltration, his appearance has been modified to look more like the real Caspar Hütter.
His frizzy black hair has been straightened out properly, and he shaved his mustache. He wore a robe and put on a pair of glasses. No matter how you looked at him, he had the impression of an intelligent thirty-something-year-old man.
(Alright, let’s do this….)
Getting off the carriage in front of the Wedge Tower, the Smoke Fox, now Caspar Hütter (fake), thought.
Wow, there’s nothing around here~. It’s the middle of nowhere~. I want to go home…….