The Red Tower Master, Veronica, met Theo’s gaze naturally. Her gold eyes, shining with curiosity and interest, were burdensome in a way that was different from the Blue Tower Master’s. When Theo tried to step back unconsciously, Veronica’s pale hand landed on his shoulder. The velvet softness belied the monstrous strength he could feel holding him in place.

“Eh? You are different from what I heard.” She looked Theodore up and down before addressing Vince, “Vince, didn’t you say your disciple was a 4th Circle?”

Vince nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

Veronica’s eyes narrowed. “This guy, isn’t he clearly a 5th Circle… No, wait a minute.”

Veronica’s expression changed as she peered deeper into Theo’s body. She had spotted the problem that had been plaguing him for the past few days.

“It’s unstable. Did this incident wake it up? Looks like you’re experiencing the effects of crossing the wall with an unprepared body.”

Indeed, he couldn’t fool the eyes of an 8th Circle magician. Theo nodded as he admired her insightful perception. Blundell had also instantly noticed when Vince had crossed into the 6th Circle. So, it wouldn’t be hard for Veronica, a magician of equal rank, to figure out that his 5th Circle was unstable.

She cocked her head. “Kid, does your magic power feel on the verge of running rampant as your Circles open and close involuntarily?”

Theo replied, “Yes.”

Veronica nodded. “That’s a typical symptom of disharmony. It occurs when the body can’t accept something your head understands, or when the body awakens without an enlightenment. Unfortunately, it isn’t a problem that can be solved with time.”

Theodore flinched at her words. He had accumulated a great deal of knowledge from the library books, but he had never come across a single reference to disharmony when crossing a wall. Since it was something magicians only faced after the 5th Circle, it was excluded from the academy library’s scope.

Veronica smiled knowingly and turned to Shugel, “Can I take this kid from here, Old Man Shugel?”

Elder Shugel’s eyelid twitched. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that. Even if you did submit the call, His Majesty is the top priority.”

She chortled. “Hahaha, old man, who do you think I am? I’m just trying to bring him to the reception room. Is there anything strange about bringing them to the reception room?”

It seemed like Shugel found her difficult to deal with. He couldn’t come up with a response that wouldn’t lead to an incident. After all, the Red Tower Master was known for her volatility.

He took a step to the side. “Hoo, then please do so.”

“Okay! That’s decided then,” Veronica said as she slung an arm around Theo’s shoulder.

Theo stiffened at the sudden contact. The touch of something soft on his side was rather fatal to a nineteen year old. He could feel Sylvia’s stinging gaze.

Veronica spoke quickly, “Hey kid. Can you tell me about the tournament on the way to the reception room? I wasn’t in the capital for it.”

“... Sure.”

Now that Theo had been caught by the Red Tower Master, it seemed there was no time to spare for his reunion with his master.

***

Theo knew very little about the Red Tower Master. Her identity and age were a mystery. The only things that were publicly known was that she was one of the few dragonslayers to exist in the current era and the strongest and most dangerous magician amongst all the towers’ magicians. He had only ever heard rumors about the Red Tower Master, so he couldn’t quite believe that he was now conversing with her.

Although… She doesn’t hide her feelings at all.

To put it mildly, Veronica was crude and honest. She was the complete opposite of Blundell, who always hid something behind his smile. If Veronica was happy, then she would laugh. If she was surprised, then her mouth would drop open. Her various expressions were rather eye-catching. Theo attributed the rumors he’d heard of Veronica’s explosive temper to her personality. He could easily see her going crazy if she was furious.

As Theo told the tale of the tournament and reached the moment he was declared the victor, Veronica burst out laughing and slapped his shoulder. “Fusion Magic! It is an old theory, but it must be quite powerful if you used it to win. It had enough strength to beat that kid over there.”

“... I’m not a kid.” Sylvia complained in a disgruntled voice as she followed behind them.

Veronica stopped in front of a door as she shot back, “All seventeen year olds are kids.”

They had arrived at the reception room. As befitting the illustrious status of the Magic Society, they were magnificently luxurious doors.

“Let’s go in!”

At that moment, the destructive instincts of the Red Tower Master ignited.

Dukwang! 

She lifted her foot without hesitation and kicked the door! The heavy doors blasted open, slamming into the walls behind them. Even Vince, who was familiar with Veronica’s strength, gaped as the door to the reception room was thrown open, and the figures of the two people waiting inside appeared.

“V-Veronica?!” The Blue Tower Master, Blundell’s face twitched as he saw her.

Veronica frowned at him before turning to the person sitting next to him. “Uh, Your Majesty. Hasn’t it been a while?”

“That's right. Is this the first time since you left for the south?” Kurt III replied lightly.

“Y-Your Majesty!” Theodore and his companions immediately fell to one knee.

They hadn’t been prepared to meet the king. It would’ve been a huge deal if someone other than the Red Tower Master had kicked open the door.

Fortunately, Kurt III didn’t care. “Oh, don’t worry too much about that. It will be hard to praise your efforts if you keep kneeling.”

Theo, Sylvia, and Vince slowly rose to their feet.

“Theodore Miller and Sylvia, please step forward.” The king’s voice may have been quiet, but it had not lost an iota of its power.

Naturally, the two magicians stepped forward. The king’s purple eyes alternated between Sylvia and Theodore, gleaming with a pleased light. The appearance of a potential Superior magician was always linked to an increase in national power. There was no reason he’d be unhappy.

“I acknowledge your merit in the subjugation of the Elder Lich that appeared in the Miller Barony. If it wasn’t for you, then the entire area may have been completely ravaged. This isn’t the official position of the kingdom, but I wanted to make my feelings clear.”

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty.” The two magicians bowed, following courtly etiquette.

“A Class 3 dangerous monster, the Elder Lich. Either way, it could have developed into a nationwide disaster. This merit is too big to be recognized with just a few words. Therefore...” Kurt held out a hand, and Blundell handed him two scrolls that were tied with red string.

Kurt handed one each to Theo and Sylvia, who accepted them with both hands.

Kurt continued, “This time, Theodore Miller and Sylvia’s ranks will be upgraded from Basic to Average. We will pay for the additional expenses incurred and the reward for a Class 3 dangerous mission, as well as reissue the dimension pocket that was destroyed during the mission. This is the edict of Kurt III.”

As the two magicians stiffened in surprise, Kurt gazed at Theodore. “As for this mission’s main contributor, Theodore Miller?”

“Yes.” Theo suppressed the trembling in his heart as he faced Kurt III.

The king wouldn’t call someone’s name carelessly. In most cases, even if the king summoned someone, it would usually be another calling out to them. While this was not an official setting, the king had to have a good reason to call Theodore’s name.

The king lived up to his prestige, as Kurt III pulled out an extraordinary reward. “I have determined that your merit is too large to be rewarded under the existing rules. So, after discussing with the Blue Tower Master Blundell, I have decided to ask you directly.”

“I am listening.”

“Theodore Miller, you can tell me what you want.”

Theo trembled as the king's voice resonated through the reception room. “I, at the discretion of Kurt III and Blue Tower Master Blundell Adruncus, will grant you a boon. However, it can’t exceed your merit level.”

There was no greater reward in heaven and earth than this! Theo was having trouble processing the king’s words. Or rather, he couldn’t accept them. While Meltor Kingdom might be weaker than the Andras Empire, it was still a significant player on the continental stage. Yet the king of Meltor was granting him a wish? This was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Boon... I will be granted a boon.

Theo’s head started mulling it over before his feelings could take over. In fact, it was surprising how calm he was as he measured the gravity of this opportunity. This wasn’t worth some tiny wish. Desire was a part of human nature, and Theodore was no different.

A national treasure? No, the risk is too great. I don’t know if the Elder Lich is worth a national treasure and asking for it is too much.

Perhaps artifacts which exceeded the Precious rating such as Treasure and Legend would be treated as national treasures. Theo wanted a national treasure with all his heart, but he wasn’t sure the merit of defeating the Elder Lich was worth one. Like the old saying, he should refrain from being too greedy or he might lose more than he gained.

At this moment, he was reminded of a conversation he’d had with Gluttony.

- The quality of the food is important. Don’t just feed me common rabble.

Thanks to its advice, Theo had been able to obtain Death’s Worship after unsealing Inventory. Gluttony had never actively given him advice before. Perhaps it would also need higher grade books as Theo grew.

Come to think of it, it was only recently that Gluttony started eating Rare books. Maybe this is a good chance to stabilize the 5th Circle.

He would need permission to read the magic books in the Magic Society and the palace. He would also need to reach the Superior rank to rent those books. However, there was one library that was only available to Prime rank magicians.

The Zero Library. It was Meltor Kingdom’s treasured vault that contained magic books and grimoires that couldn’t be replicated.

His mind made, Theo spoke, “Your Majesty, I have an impudent request.”

Kurt examined his face for a moment and said, “I will listen.”

Theo took a deep breath and uttered as calmly as he could, “Your Majesty and Tower Masters, if you forgive my impudence, I would like to ask for a book from the Zero Library.”