“It’s not that.”

“……That person looked uncomfortable.”

“Most of the staff are crowded on the 1st and 2nd floors. Only authorized persons can enter the other floors, and they are very few. And they won’t think it strange.”

Riley nodded.

Gibnen led Riley away.

·

·

·

The grand magic tower Horizon was made up of 20 floors above ground and 3 more underground.

The 1st and 2nd floors were open to outsiders, from the 3rd to the 7th were workspaces divided by department, the 8th to 13th were amenities for the tower’s workers, the 14th to 18th were educational and research facilities.

And the 19th and 20th floors were the private offices and guest meeting facilities of the tower’s executives and master Gibnen, with the number of people sharply decreasing on the higher floors.

“Is this underground?”

“Underground floor 3.”

“What’s that giant magic circle?”

“A magic circle that can activate largescale teleportation magic. It can move up to ten thousand people at once.”

The deeper underground, the more filled it was with topsecret facilities that should never be revealed to the outside.

Not only the magic circle that could activate largescale teleportation, but there were also facilities like the core mana repository that could be said to be the heart of the tower, including the magic tool development laboratory.

“Is this the mana repository?”

“Yes.”

“All that giant thing is mana?”

Gibnen looked at the giant mana repository and nodded.

“It gathers at this point as mana. It’s refined here and then distributed to where it’s needed.”

“Does every other tower have such a repository?”

“Yes, originally the purpose of the magic tower was to manage the stored mana.”

“……Amazing. But there’s not a single person here?”

“There’s only one manager here. Not just anyone can manage it. And he should be asleep in his dormitory at this time.”

“……It’s much bigger and wider than I thought.”

Riley stared intently at the giant mana repository. The giant crystal body, glowing with a bluish light, was very beautiful. Captivated by its beauty, Riley was watched intently by Gibnen.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Gibnen said, still gazing at Riley, who was entranced by the giant mana repository.
“Ricestun managed this place at that time, I heard.”

“……My father?”

“Yes, only a great magelevel talent can manage such a large amount of mana. Such a position of a mana storage administrator can be considered right below the tower master.”

‘I can’t imagine.’

That my father worked in a place like this.

Always wearing ragged clothes, covered in dust as he went to chop wood, gather herbs, and hunt animals, that was all I knew.

Riley imagined her father working here. It didn’t fit at all, to the point she couldn’t imagine it. So she just stared blankly at the magic storage.

And Gibnen squinted at such Riley.

He thought of his dying master here.

“I didn’t want to hand over my position to you.”

“But you’ve handed everything to me.”

“What can I do, you were the one who caught my eye out of all my disciples.”

“If I caught your eye, you should have let me live more freely. Locking me in this prison, how cruel, old man.”

“I thought you could handle it.”

“I will not live up to your expectations, Master. What did you trust me with…….”

His master died here, vomiting blood.

“Ricestun’s daughter, she’s catching my eye.”

“Why did you keep delaying it? No matter how busy, no matter the circumstances, you could have fulfilled Ricestun’s request anytime.”

“Ricestun overlooked one thing.”

“What is it?”

“That I am of small capacity.”

“A great mage who controls the empire has small capacity, others must be nothing but a dipper.”

“I can’t handle him or his daughter. But you are different.”

“My capacity is a dipper, Master.”

The dying one looked comfortable. The feeling of finally being released. Seeing his peaceful face as if finally free, the master’s death didn’t seem entirely sad. For a moment, he thought it might be a good thing.

“Ricestun is a cruel fellow. Leaving his child to me. How cruel, terrifying, and dreadful….”

“……”

“I don’t have the confidence to handle his child….”

Ricestun had asked Yong to take good care of his daughter, but the master couldn’t take her in. The reason he kept postponing, postponing, and postponing taking her in was that he himself was struggling to escape from the situation.

He had no confidence to handle the girl his friend entrusted him with, and he wanted to kill her rather. But he couldn’t. As time went by, a considerable amount of time had passed.

“Gibnen.”

“Yes, Master.”

“I entrust her to you.”

“……What should I do?”

“Find Ricestun’s child, and bring her here. Suitably…… keep her here. Watch her closely. Don’t let anyone touch her, don’t let anyone know she’s Ricestun’s blood. Never let her fall into their hands. If you feel you absolutely can’t handle it, bring her here to Horizon. And…….”

The master pleaded, vomiting blood.

“Kill her with your own hands, without a trace. Just like here…… just like Ricestun picked up his blood and killed his wife himself. You too…….”

And now she’s here in Horizon.

Ricestun’s bloodline, his only daughter. Riley Eardalin.

Right at the place where the master died, vomiting blood.

Gibnen’s mouth curved into a smile as he stared at Riley.

‘……So should I kill this woman here, Master?’