TMOHI 64

Chapter : 64

The man scratched his cheek and blinked absentmindedly.

I watched him for a moment before getting up from the bed.
Then, slipping on the indoor robe hanging on the chair, I said,
“First, let’s sit and talk. I’ll turn on the lights, so come over to the sofa.”

“May I make a suggestion?”
The man, Ashil, cautiously raised his hand and spoke.
“Personally, I’d like to have a conversation while looking at the sea. Would it be alright if we talked on the balcony?”

“The sea?”
Of course, my bedroom did have the best view of the sea on this Tadibna island.
The night sea, quietly illuminated by the sparkling stars and the large moon, had a charm quite different from daytime.
But I didn’t expect him to make such a request.

Ashil’s purple eyes were so sharp and lively that it was hard to read his intentions.
I tilted my head slightly, trying to guess the meaning behind that gaze.
“That’s fine with me. But since it’s outside, someone could see you.”

“I’ve already cast a transparency spell and a sound-blocking spell. No one will be able to see us or hear our conversation.”
He cast those spells without me noticing?
I’m quite sensitive to magic myself.
Quickly checking my bedroom and him, I confirmed that, indeed, the formulas for the transparency and sound-blocking spells were in effect, just as he said.
Unlike my own formulas, which I learned piecemeal according to need, these were perfect and intricate.
Is he really an archmage?

Squinting my eyes, I stared at him for a moment before heading toward the balcony.
“Come this way.”

The balcony had chairs and a table set up for enjoying the sea.
I sat in one of them, and Ashil followed me obediently.
“The southern seas of the empire are truly beautiful,” he murmured, staring intently at the horizon.
I watched him for a while and smiled faintly.

“Shall we start with introductions? I’m Eani Nasel. I’m the owner of this Tadibna island and run the resort here~.”

“Nice to meet you, Eani. My name is Ashil.”
I blinked slightly at how casually he used my name.
It was a fleeting reaction, but noticing it, Ashil spoke in a slightly troubled voice.
“Did I make a mistake again?”

“Hmm, I was just a little surprised because you said my name so warmly.”

“Is it surprising to call someone by their name?”
I thought a name was simply how people distinguish and call each other.
Ashil muttered softly, almost like he was reciting a dictionary.
I tilted my head slightly at such a literal answer.
“That’s true, but there’s etiquette appropriate for the situation~. Do wizards at the Tower not value such manners?”

Come to think of it, the 7th elder of the Tower I met at the engagement ceremony was quite rude as well.
Are all Tower wizards like that?
But Ashil doesn’t give off a rude impression.
Rather than rude, he seems more ignorant than anything.

While quietly analyzing him, Ashil spoke with a slightly gloomy expression.
“I don’t know. I’ve never learned such things… I’m embarrassed to say I have many shortcomings. If I make a mistake, please tell me immediately.”

“Of course, don’t worry~.”

Wizards of the Tower are like an elite group in modern terms.
They would never be unaware of basic etiquette.
But an archmage has never learned this?
Is he really an archmage?
He looks exactly like the archmage in the pictures, at least.

I glanced at Ashil for a moment before gently changing the topic.
“By the way, you said you came to see me today as a ‘personal wizard.’ But aren’t you an archmage?”

Since he addressed me casually, I returned the favor and called him by his name.
Ashil nodded slightly, clearly pleased.
“That’s right. I am an archmage. But today, I came to see you as a personal wizard.”

“Hm. But I thought personal wizards were those who resented the Tower enough to avoid affiliation. And I heard that the one coming to see me today is the leader of the personal wizards.”

“To clarify that point, I’m not the leader. But I have a favor I want to ask of you, so I asked the leader for permission to do so.”

“A favor? For me?”
If he asked the leader’s permission, that means they are personally acquainted.
What could be the relationship between an archmage and the leader of the personal wizards, and what kind of favor is he planning?

I looked at him suspiciously. Ashil placed both hands on his thighs and bowed respectfully.
His sparkling purple eyes met mine.
“Eani, did you also undergo ‘possession’?”

“!”

“I underwent possession—or rather, I think I did. That’s why I want to know who I really am. Please help me.”

With that, Ashil bowed his head deeply.
I furrowed my brows slightly and stared down at the crown of his head.
“…That’s truly an unexpected request.”
I rarely get surprised, but this really hits me out of nowhere.
How does he know I was possessed? And he thinks he was possessed too?
What is he scheming with that silver hair of his?

I squinted at Ashil, then slowly spoke.
“First, lift your head.”

Obediently, he lifted his head like a well-behaved child.
His eyes shimmered with urgency.
“You keep telling me contradictory things. You are an archmage yet a personal wizard, possessed yet want to know your true identity—”

“That’s…”
I reached out and placed my index finger on his forehead.
Leaning slightly toward him, I whispered,
“I don’t like contradictory people like you. So if you want to continue this conversation, swear.”

At the same time, I cast the Oath magic.
The Oath magic was the spell the Marquis of Quind had requested when he took out his magical tool.
I had practiced it before, but I never thought I’d use it on the world’s greatest archmage.

“From now on, you will not speak a single lie to me, and will only speak the truth. If you do not swear this, consider today’s events null and void.”

I spoke the conditions calmly, and Ashil quietly met my gaze and nodded.
“I intended to speak the truth from the start anyway. I’m not very good at lying.”

Ashil’s compliance completed the oath from the tips of his fingers.
How foolish.
He agreed without specifying a duration for the oath or requiring me to swear the same.
He must know that breaking the oath would cause permanent physical harm.
Should I call him stupid or innocent?

Of course, the magic isn’t perfect and has weaknesses, but for now, it has taken effect, so I can ease my suspicions.

I removed my finger from Ashil’s forehead and slowly smiled.
“First, are you really an archmage?”

“Yes. To my knowledge, I am the only one in this continent referred to as an archmage.”

“But you came to see me today as a personal wizard?”

“Yes. Because I have a favor that only you, Eani, can grant.”

“Alright.”
I nodded leisurely, watching him.
“Then tell me about this favor, from beginning to end.”

“Before I explain, there’s something I want to ask you.”
Ashil spoke with a serious look.
“How do I appear to your eyes, Eani?”

“Hm~? What do you mean by that?”

“The self I see has a tall, slender figure and a delicate appearance.”
What? Is this a self-praise session?

“My skin is fair, hair long and silver, eyes blue. I’m male. Does that match what you see?”

“Hmm. Do you mean that’s how you appear in the mirror?”

“Yes. Not just in the mirror; everyone sees me the same way. Long silver hair, blue eyes, fair skin. These are my defining physical features.”