[V5.5C5] Machinations of a Bad, Bad Mage
Translated by Jodas 5.5: Tales of the PastIn the afternoon, as a thin layer of clouds covered the sky, Samuel Löwenich, Spiremaster of the First Spire: White Smoke, walked alone through the gardens inside the Wedge Tower’s campus.
In less than a year after coming to the Wedge Tower, Samuel had already risen to the rank of White Smoke Spiremaster. His resume was nothing short of abnormal.
Mages of the Wedge Tower were wary of Samuel. They were wise to be so cautious.
After all, Samuel was a bad mage who sought to take over the Wedge Tower with the power of money in order to monopolize all magical knowledge in the Empire.
“Spiremaster Löwenich.”
Someone called to him, and Samuel came to a halt.
He turned around to see a man in his thirties standing behind him.
The man had neatly cut straight blond hair and round glasses — it was Hegelich, a mage of the Guidance Office.
“Kuku… What do you want, Hegelich? Have you finally worked up the courage to join my faction?”
Hegelich’s face tensed in response to Samuel’s teasing words. He was like an open book, no different from when they worked at the magic academy.
Ordered to engage in a factional dispute he had no interest in, Hegelich nevertheless made a serious attempt that ended in failure following his defeat by Samuel. Truly, an adorable junior.
Maintaining his tense expression, Hegelich responded bitterly.
“…You’re the Spiremaster of the White Smoke now. I believe it would be best for you to avoid such careless remarks.”
“Careless, huh? Yes, perhaps I may be. But, I like you. That’s why I can speak so openly with you.”
“I’ve had more than enough of factional disputes. I’ve cut off ties with my family already. As of now, my only objective is to grant knowledge to those curious young minds.”
Hegelich may say that he was fed up with factional disputes, but so long as he remains in the Wedge Tower, Samuel predicted he would inevitably find himself wrapped up in such disputes.
To the eyes of Samuel, who was often called a true genius of Modern Magecraft, Hegelich was an excellent mage. In time, he may be bestowed with an important role in the Wedge Tower.
As it stood, there was a fierce battle for dominance between the Modern and Classical Schools under the surface of the Wedge Tower. As a mage of the Modern School, Hegelich had drawn the eyes of the Classical School, making him feel boxed in and weak.
If he accepted Samuel’s protection, then he would receive funds and assistance, but every time Hegelich looked at Samuel, he drew away in disgust.
It seems he bullied him a little too much back at Arsler Magic Academy.
“Kuku, you like to make things difficult, I see. So, what business do you have with me then?”
“Assistant Headmaster Miriam is looking for you. Given that Headmaster Möbius is away, I suspect she wants to solidify our defenses.”
Not long ago, news reached them that the Extermination Office had encountered the Primordial Beast.
Upon hearing that, Möbius took the Ancient Magical Artifact ‘Ignatius, the Severer’ and headed out to the scene.
An ordinary person might question whether it was okay to let the highest authority of the Wedge Tower to head to a battlefield so flippantly, but Möbius was the only one who could make proper use of the Ancient Magical Artifact ‘Ignatius, the Severer,’ so there was no use complaining.
The three Spiremasters existed so that the Wedge Tower could continue operating seamlessly in Möbius’ absence.
“Kuku… I see. Then perhaps I must return.”
Samuel decided to continue his search later that night.
The Wedge Tower held a great secret.
The details of that secret would ordinarily only be shared between the Headmaster, Assistant Headmaster, and the three Spiremasters. However, Samuel alone was kept in the dark about that secret.
In all likelihood, they were wary of Samuel, who had arrived at the position of Spiremaster through the power of money alone. Their instincts were sound.
But it was the essence of a good villain to expose that which was hidden and to use it to his benefit.
Now that Headmaster Möbius was away, there was no better opportunity. Not investigating was never an option for him.
“If you ever decide to become my subordinate, feel free to say so at any time. I am willing to make you my right-hand man.”
“You’re already the White Smoke Spiremaster… As a member of the Guidance Office, I already am your subordinate, Spiremaster Löwenich.”
“Even though I’m the man who will become Headmaster, holding the entire Wedge Tower in my grasp?”
Hegelich looked at the proud Samuel with befuddlement. Hegelich could never manage to hide such emotions of his.
With ‘I don’t get it’ radiating all throughout his body, Hegelich asked.
“Hadn’t you already bought your way to principal of Arsler Magic Academy? Why would you go all the way to…?”
“Because it wasn’t enough.”
Samuel had brought all of Arsler Magic Academy, one of the five most prestigious institutions in the entire Empire, under his thumb.
The people, the knowledge, everything.
“I attained all of the knowledge there was to gain there. Thus, the next thing I wanted was the Wedge Tower. I don’t care if it’s Classical or Modern. I want everything, Hegelich.”
Samuel snickered “Ku, ku, ku,” as Hegelich’s expression soured once more.
Hegelich must surely know. When Samuel achieved the goal he set out to do, he would not look back at either those who stood in his way nor those who sacrificed for him.
At night, Samuel’s contracted spirit, Agniol, returned to his room from her errand.
Agniol, in the form of a red-maned lion, waved her tail back and forth.
“Samuel, are you going to do some investigating tonight?”
“Yeah, now that Möbius is gone, it’s the perfect opportunity.”
“Please bring me with you! I wanna go on an adventure!”
Agniol was an exceedingly powerful flame spirit.
Her battle prowess was invaluable, but the Wedge Tower had many restrictions.
Due to the nature of the Wedge Tower, there were sealing barriers placed all over the place. As it was easy for spirits to effect magical device materials and grimoires, there were countless barriers that prohibited spirits from entering.
If he did bring Agniol along with him, the barriers would react.
“Ku, ku, ku… I’ve bought off all of the servants around Assistant Headmaster Miriam. I know where that woman goes on her nightly walks. I’m going to try tailing her tonight, so it would be best if I traveled light.”
“You’re saying you’re leaving me behind again? Then I’m going home to play with Young Master Julius, okay?”
“If you’re doing that, take this with you.”
Samuel opened a drawer and pulled out a graded assignment, a new assignment, a book on elementary magic, the sequel to an adventure novel, a new set of children’s clothes, and finally a bag of sweets, laying them all on the table with a thud.
“Kukuku, Oh how I wish to see the look on poor Julius’ face as he despairs over the volume of assignments… Kuhahaha!”
“Young Master Julius was thrilled! You should go home and play with him more!”
“Indeed, once the Wedge Tower is within my grasp, perhaps I may allow him to study here.”
Julius, who he’d only adopted recently, was a true talent. He would absorb anything he was taught. In time, he would surely become a renowned mage himself.
“I should get a staff ready for him soon.”
“Oh!”
Agniol raised a voice at Samuel’s murmurings.
He gave her a look that meant ‘what now?’ and Agniol smiled with her lion face as she talked.
“Young Master Julius told me! He said ‘If Samuel gives you a staff, don’t take it.’”
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
Unable to understand Julius’ intentions, Samuel furrowed his brow.
The crimson lion exhaled deeply through her nose, before speaking with pride.
“Young Master Julius wants to get it directly from Samuel!!”
“……”
“Staves are the proof of maturity, right? I know, I know! Haha!”
Samuel chuckled as he held a hand over his face.
“Ku, ku, ku, ku, ku, ku…”
Then the next time he went home, he’d make sure to bring a staff as a souvenir.
Or perhaps it would be better if they went shopping for one together. He wondered how he would test Julius when the time came.
Should he make him guess the price of the staff? Or make him come up with a form of magecraft that went well with it? Either option would do well.
No matter how difficult a problem he gave, Julius would be sure to answer it.
After all, Julius Löwenich was the son of the world’s most evil mage, Samuel Löwenich.
Post-Script
I apologize for the delay. We will return to the main story from the next chapter onwards.