Chapter 653 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

I have yet to meet the Red Tower Master. If I had encountered such a striking and fiery woman, she'd be hard to forget. Perhaps a bit overwhelming, too. However, it seemed she had taken quite a liking to me. "How long will you stay trapped in your snow globe, Celsius? Do you think that keeping yourself frozen in a freezer will preserve you forever? There'll come a time when you'll have to break free of that hardened shell and step outside." Is she sociable? It's not that so much as she's utterly unabashed. She's not quite self-confident; those fiery eyes of hers aren't even looking at you, as if they're about to ignite and vanish at any moment. "Miss Fahrenheit... Could it be that you were behind all this?" Elsia's question seemed to bore her. Her fiery red hair, which had been ablaze, suddenly dampened as if doused with cold water. "Is that all you have to say?" "What more needs to be said? The topic of the Demon War. If you were the one conspiring, then... Celsius losing would make sense..." "Behind the scenes? Conspiracies? None of that's important! Get a grip, Celsius!" The Red Tower Master grabbed my shoulder and pulled me closer. She was a bit shorter than me, yet the strength in her confident gesture made my body follow powerlessly. "Did you know of this man's existence? Did you realize how dangerous and powerful he is? Or did you even feel any need to be cautious? Of course not. If you had, you wouldn't have ended up declaring a miserable defeat after losing even the key to the Gear Battle!" A series of heavy truths. Elsia couldn't rebut them and bit her lip. "This man is just one of many disasters that could befall you all. And he's a 'humane' disaster at that. He hasn't annihilated you, burned, or frozen your territories, or turned them upside down. Celsius should be grateful for the mercy of this particular disaster ending with just this!" "What? It's not over yet." The pressure on my shoulder tightened, to the point where it started to hurt a little. Unsure of what was happening, I decided to keep my mouth shut for now. "It takes strength to uphold the rules! But your rules aren't that strong. They're not grand enough to allow you to stop. They're not solid or steadfast enough to stand against a changing world!" The Red Tower Master snapped her fingers. Suddenly, flames erupted beneath her hair, and up in the distant sky, a massive firework exploded. Boom, boom. Various colorful fireworks adorned the sky. Bright enough even in broad daylight to rival any imperial fireworks display. The Red Tower Master, wielding magic that could burn through the empire's entire regional treasury, declared with blazing eyes. "Ice crystal? Blue Tower Master's determinism? Ridiculous! To be so nervous and scared over that triviality, afraid to even touch it? Instead of living in fear, the essence of a wizard is to seek the means to overcome it!" "Again, all talk, but yet to find any means..." "Haven't found it? I have. No, it exists right above us, plain as day!" The Red Tower Master pointed to a structure seen far off in the distance. Beside the Celsius territory. A colossal structure, to an overwhelming degree. Despite the chaos in Celsius's ice castle, it stood unaffected, dominating one side of the sky—a floating fortress. "Not long ago, the Demon King swiftly subdued the Blue Tower Master's unique magic! Using the power of that space!" Not only did he overpower the Blue Tower Master's magic, but also that of the Green Tower Lord, the Black Tower Master, and the Red Tower Master. No matter how mysterious the magic, it is subject to the confines of space. "The Demon King is the God of Space! With that power, establishing rules renders ice crystals insignificant!" This space's near-omnipotent power. It could be interpreted and used as the cornerstone of the world's laws. The space power is monopolized by the Demon King, which might provoke rebellion against him. Yet the Demon War decided to pursue it—to seize space magic and leap to a higher realm. "Rules? Worthless! Locking yourself within limits only earns this miserable semblance of stability! You tremble and wail over a mere scratch, seeking out your long-gone ancestors." "Hmm...." "Decide! Will you adjust to the world, or will you shape the world to suit you?" It's essentially a threat, wielding a blade in offering terms, like a victor presenting a treaty to the defeated after a war. Yet, Celsius is still a mage. "...Miss Fahrenheit. For you to speak this way, you must have a method, right?" Elsia's words were laden with multiple meanings. Rankine Celsius, shocked by her words, was taken aback. "Elsia! What do you mean by that! You can't mean to accept their demands!" "Be quiet, Uncle Rankine. The key to the Gear Battle is currently in their possession." "The Gear Battle key is merely a conduit! Within Rene's pocket dimension. Plead with the Demon King, and he'll grant us another key linking to that pocket!" "That's the problem, Uncle." Saint Rene. A saint credited as a founding figure of the magical federation and the teacher of all mages. The pocket, whether a relic or the remains of something unknown, is a subspace that can only be opened in a specific way. Perhaps it is the closest thing to a God of Magic. "Even if it is my oversight, losing the key renders us powerless. We also utilize Rene's pocket, yet fundamentally lack understanding of it. Ultimately, if seized, we must rely on the Demon King." "Because it's the Demon King's power...." "If that power were to be made into a rule we could exploit." Elsia rose. Though her pride was hurt, and she wasn't entirely putting her faith in us, she, too, was preparing for change in her own way. 'If an opportunity arises, it's better to go with it than to resist. From the moment you lost to a single individual, Celsius no longer has any options. The rules are already broken; retreating now would leave Celsius less sturdy than before.' "If we could use even a part of the world’s rules, the fear of ice crystals would vanish. Elisha would also earn the right to return to the family." "But…" "If not, would Uncle Rankine be able to reclaim the key and the rules for us?" It was impossible. He couldn't handle even just me, and with the Red Tower Master, the essence of the annihilated Fahrenheit family, added to the mix, there was no chance. Rankine Celsius remained silent. As Elsia gave him a brief glare, she turned her attention back to me and the Red Tower Master. "Celsius will accept your demands. Be pleased; the federation's most advanced rules will support you." "Elsia!" "If there's a way to handle the ice crystals, then expanding the range of warmth shouldn't be impossible. Celsius's growth has been halted due to the limitations of ice crystals. We will adjust the rules to extend to exterior zones and dismiss the issue of dark magic." Perhaps it was because of the recent breaking of rules before her eyes, but Elsia was much more compliant now. I expected more resistance. There was more I had yet to reveal. "And we will formally invite the Demon War to participate in the magical exhibition where you’ll have the opportunity to meet the Demon King." "Elsia! That's…!" "You must have come here hoping for that, too." The Demon King safeguards magic. The solitary Demon King ruling from the floating fortress descends to the earth for one purpose: to witness the magic discovered on the ground. Compared to the floating fortress filled with talents that shine like stars in the night sky, earthly accomplishments often lack. However, their diversity has its own value. The Demon King visits the lands where he descends, listens to their achievements, and bestows grace appropriately. For instance, like Rene's Pocket, which became Celsius's Gear Battle artifact. With her desired response achieved, the Red Tower Master laughed heartily. "I accept!" It was witnessed by everyone present. They had come too far to feign ignorance of this verbal agreement. A dramatic compromise between Celsius and the Demon War had been reached. All right. It was good, but— "…So why are you the one deciding this? What relation do you have with me?" Suddenly barging in and taking over, demanding things—my magical display was reduced to a mere backdrop. The Red Tower Master breezily dismissed my complaint. "We're already in the same boat!" "When did that happen?!" "Wasn't it?" "Didn't we not even exchange words yet? What kind of connection do you and I have…?" I was about to refute, but before I could, something fell from the sky. Through the scattering fireworks, black figures descended. Seven mages in black robes. On their robes was depicted a circle surrounded by six rings. The Demon War. They are the most dangerous mages, taking the world itself as their magical subject. Though not all as dangerous as the Red Tower Master, here were seven comparable to her. I recognized a few faces among them. "Huey! My friend! If you were planning something, you should've given a heads up. I could've come to watch prepared!" "Lankart Spendry!" "The Mad Mage!" Why is your name known even in Celsius's territory? Sigh. Being linked with him makes it hard to deny our association. …More importantly. "Hughes?" The youthful face revealed beneath the robe belonged, surprisingly, to Shei. Appearing suddenly with the Demon War, she muttered in disbelief. "Disappeared just like that. Why're you there?" That's exactly what I wanted to ask. Why are you here? *** A battle between a single mage and the Celsius family. Surprisingly, the sole victor was the mage. After a tense struggle with Celsius's renowned mages and the rules of the Gear Battle, he emerged victorious. …Or at least so one might think. Father Casas understood that this fight was a one-sided victory. "They played right into his hands." The fight looked like Celsius, who held overwhelming dominance, was carelessly defeated after losing the key to the Gear Battle. But the truth was different. Magic did not work on him. Unlike divine powers, he overcame magic through pure comprehension and strategy. Even if Celsius had persistently utilized the Gear Battle, they would have still lost. Thanks to his comical portrayal, Celsius managed to save some face. In any case, he won. As a result, Father Casas was able to save those caught up in the conflict. "He was responsible for his actions, despite the chaos he caused. Teaching dark magic was outrageous, but if the range rules extend, then Richard..." The outlying areas fall outside the influence of rules, making it impossible to manipulate states above freezing or boiling. They merely survive on the scraps discarded from the territories. It was hard enough to make a living, much less teach magic. However, if the range extends, then essentially the outskirts would cease to be outlying. Introducing greenhouse farmings would significantly improve their situation. With dark magic also being dismissed, Richard was now safe from danger. Father Casas felt relieved and elated. "...Father." Upon hearing a sound coming from his arms, Father Casas looked down. Wide-eyed, Richard was staring at the Red Tower Master's flames. No doubt he had woken earlier. Choosing to keep his eyes closed, possibly due to a child's cunning to avoid unnecessary involvement. That choice had been wiser. At least an unconscious child and the priest holding him weren’t considered threats. Without anything to protect, Celsius might have taken more drastic measures. "Richard. Yes. Rest assured. By the Lord's will, everything has ended well. This too shall be under divine protection...." Though relieved by the fortunate outcome, Richard's gaze wasn't on that. His longing eyes were fixed beyond, staring at the mystical display sadly yet eagerly. "If I learn magic, could I become like that?" Beyond them, flames and ice were dancing together. Fire and ice. Two opposing elements with no need for separation; magic exists to allow them to coexist. 'He's entranced by magic.' Richard was captivated by that mystery. He'd likely chase after such enigma throughout his life. He should give up. Richard has neither the environment nor the opportunity to learn magic. Even if he learned dark magic, the Celsius family is merely letting it slide, not truly acknowledging it. He's just shrewd but not particularly talented; being enchanted by that light would only lead him to a moth's fate, burning up as he dives into the flames. It's better he understands his limits, be grateful for what he has, and live contently in reality, believing in happiness in the afterlife. That's the right path. A today like yesterday promises a predictable tomorrow. Such is faith and the teachings to ensure it. However. "...Relying on dark magic won't do. Not in a million years! Seal away that dark magic and learn white magic somehow!" At this point, it's unlikely that a single word from the priest would make him give up. Yet the priest wasn't the type to use harsh and ruthless words to make someone abandon their dreams. "In life, opportunities will come your way someday! So, bide your time and seize the chance, you cunning little rascal!" The white lie was a shade of gray. It wasn't exactly the truth, and the possibility was incredibly slim. Still, Father Casas breathed a gray flicker of hope into the boy.