Chapter 84
Teo, who had been standing quietly in place, muttered,
“Now that the safety mechanism is definitely engaged…”
No one can touch it.
The remaining ring of Rasandra, worn on his left middle finger, emitted a faint glow.
As Rico had said, almost everything he had just told Anelia a moment ago was mostly a lie.
The ring was already an artifact that had long been successfully activated.
This artifact reacted sensitively to the mental strength and life force of the two mediators who wore the pair.
It meant that if Anelia were in danger, the ring could detect it immediately.
That was why…
The reason the child had to wear this artifact without fail was clear.
“This time, no matter what happens, I’m going to save the kid first.”
There was no magical tool that could watch over and protect the child as closely as Rasandra’s ring.
“Let’s go, Rico.”
It was the moment he began walking with a resolute expression.
“Master of the Magic Tower!”
At the sudden shout, Rico quickly hid himself.
The child, who had followed the escort, was now running back toward him.
“Here, here!”
The child, now right in front of him, was out of breath as they held something out.
“Put this on your scar. Earlier, on your arm.”
The child handed two small blue bottles into Teo’s palm and smiled.
“It’s a secret. I didn’t even give one to His Majesty the Emperor.”
Then, the child bowed deeply and ran off again.
Only after the child had completely disappeared did Teo exhale the breath he had been holding.
Behind him, Rico murmured with interest,
“Wow, look at how firmly you’ve got the leash on. Just like Master Bel…”
“Anyway, he was really a strange person!”
I finished explaining the entire situation in detail over a full thirty minutes, leaving out only the secret that I had regressed.
Sharon Abner, who had been listening, finally put down her cup.
The oak mug, which had been filled with wheat beer, was now empty.
She looked at me with a serious expression and asked,
“So, what do you think?”
“You mean, what I think, Ria?”
“Yes.”
I thought for a moment and replied,
“I guess I really am a person of great caliber!”
Sharon Abner’s eyes widened in surprise.
I grinned.
“All the effort I’ve put in since last winter has paid off! Staying up all night with my teacher to make reagents too!”
I was genuinely excited, swinging my legs under the chair.
“To think that the Master of the Magic Tower, who has never once been seen outside Devokio Island, would make his first public appearance at the Abner Society meeting!”
I could feel my heart pounding beneath my hands clasped to my chest.
“I think all the smart scholars from across the continent will line up to join. Maybe a few tower scholars might follow along too?”
“Well, probably.”
“It’s all thanks to me, of course!”
Sharon Abner let out a deflating sigh.
I laughed along with her and added,
“But it’s a bit surprising, honestly.”
“What’s surprising?”
“The Master of the Magic Tower… he’s really passionate about his work.”
The Master of the Magic Tower, as the world knew him, was a recluse.
In my previous life, he had disappeared about ten years after this time, leaving only a single paper on regression magic.
‘I wondered why he was never seen.’
He was simply a scholar full of passion.
It was evident from how he diligently researched artifacts and high-level magic behind the scenes.
‘I only just realized today that there’s even an artifact called Rasandra’s Ring.’
He had already discovered the ring’s activation conditions and had investigated me to find a suitable mediator.
And he had done it meticulously.
It was obvious how much effort he had put in to get to this point.
‘I didn’t expect he even suspected that I had regressed.’
A shiver ran down my arm at the thought of how far his intelligence network reached.
This realization led me to a serious conclusion.
‘I still have a long way to go. My own information-gathering skills are pathetic.’
In my previous life, I had spent over ten years in the Longton household.
But all I did there was stay locked in a lab, mechanically producing papers and magic formulas.
‘The Duke of Longton practically kept me imprisoned.’
He had been extremely opposed to me belonging anywhere else, even a small social gathering.
As a result, I had to stay at the Longton residence even when I was officially enrolled in the academy.
Normally, I would have lived in the dorms.
“The Magic Tower’s technology is far more advanced than the public realizes.”
Thinking of Teo’s words, my eyes sparkled.
More advanced than people knew…
I was intensely curious about what that could mean.
It was an instinctive curiosity for information I had never had access to before.
There were surely documents in the academic world that could only be viewed by the Pharmaceutical Institute or the Magic Tower.
‘I want to know. I want to know so badly.’
How advanced is the Magic Tower’s technology, and what are they hiding?
I wanted to get my hands on it as soon as possible and investigate it myself.
“Duke, I’m going to help the Master of the Magic Tower and work hard on research.”
Sharon Abner stared at me.
“In return for letting him join the Abner Society, I get unrestricted access to the Tower’s materials.”
Though I didn’t show it, his offer was incredibly advantageous for me.
“This is a secret, but the formula we’re developing now needs to be finished quickly so we can produce it at the top. Without sending it to the Pharmaceutical Institute!”
Sharon Abner blinked slowly.
“That way, we’ll make a lot of money, and I can use it to create tactical magic formulas! Abner has no magic, so maybe I can make something useful for the knights too?”
“……”
“And now the Abner Society also has the Master of the Magic Tower, an incredible resource, so we can put him to work and make all sorts of magical tools!”
The more I spoke, the more I realized how perfect my plan was.
Sharon Abner laughed as if she couldn’t stop me.
In a comfortable bedroom gown, brushing her wet hair back, she said,
“Yes, yes. Do whatever you want to do.”
Her voice was very kind.
“But make sure to eat well every meal, and exercise properly. All the servants are worried about your health.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I already exercise though…”
“Breathing isn’t exercise.”
“I walk a lot and run too…”
“When you race with Prince Denis, you fall far behind.”
“That’s because Arwin oppa is taller and older than me!”
Sharon Abner shook her head as if that excuse was impossible.
She pondered for a moment and added,
“…Well, you’ll improve naturally when you come to the island. You’ll be doing more outdoor activities, and the sun will make you healthier.”
The Abner estate often had cloudy days due to the northern climate.
It seemed to bother Sharon Abner quite a bit.
I quickly brightened up to reassure her.
“Yes! I’ll be very active outside! On the island, I’ll even go for walks every week with the Empress Dowager!”
But Sharon Abner’s expression suddenly turned sharp.
“Walks with the Empress Dowager? Every week?”
I nodded hesitantly.
“Yes… the Empress Dowager said she was bored, and it’s also to see Prince Tian…”
“Hah, sneaky little plot.”
I gasped, eyes wide.
It made sense—Sharon Abner’s gaze was full of raw hostility.
She muttered to herself while staring into the air.
“No, if someone needs walking, why take someone else’s child…”
Then she suddenly turned to me, eyes full of dissatisfaction.
“I don’t understand.”
Flustered, I cautiously tried to explain.
“Why…? I think the Empress Dowager is lonely in the palace. So…”
“Why is it the Dowager?”
“Uh… yes?”
“Why is it always the Empress Dowager?”
My mouth dropped open.
Why the Empress Dowager?
‘She was the one who told me to call her that…?’
I had gotten used to the title since I was consciously paying attention.
I raised both hands in panic.
“It’s not because I’m disrespectful! Last time, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager told me to call her that…”
“Then what about me?”
Her eyes widened.
“Why am I the Duke? Is it okay to discriminate like this?”
