The Patient Wizard Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – The Magic Tower (7)

Ten days had passed. The first unit of the Lion’s Hall was scattered around the front yard, each finding their own spot.
“Era sultinsiavi era ummododisia.”
Having not felt magic for ten days, Alex shouted irritably, perhaps out of impatience.
“Be quiet!”
Chris responded glumly.
“I need to recite the formula to feel magic.”
“Everyone else is reciting it silently. You should recite it silently too.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll do as you say, my Lord.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“How could I possibly do that, my Lord?”
“This bastard is definitely mocking me. Do you want to die!”
As voices grew louder, the prince who had taken a position on the upper right gave a warning.
“Quiet.”
Tony added a comment.
“Fighting with a slave only hurts you. Even if you win, it’s humiliating. Utterly humiliating.”
“Ugh.”
Alex made a groaning sound and disengaged from Chris.
Around the time the sun moved directly overhead, David visited. It was his first visit in ten days. The members stopped their meditation and gathered around him.
Chris expected that, as usual, Alex would be the first to voice complaints, but surprisingly, Catherine spoke first.
“Would it be possible to get a maid?”
David frowned.
“What about Juan?”
Alex couldn’t stay out of such a conversation. He stepped forward and rapidly spat out words.
“That fellow doesn’t have the right attitude as a servant. He only sets meals and washes dishes twice a day, morning and evening, and that’s it. It’s hard to even see his face.”
David looked troubled.
“Couldn’t you all share the other household chores?”
Catherine spoke while suppressing her irritation.
“I have nothing left to wear. I need to do laundry.”
“You could do it yourself…”
David started speaking but stopped. Even he thought that Catherine was not the type of person to do chores like laundry. She probably wouldn’t touch water except when bathing, and perhaps even her bathing was done by a maid.
Chris had wondered how Catherine, who had entered the dormitory with just one bag, changed into different clothes every day.
Where did all those clothes come from?
Judging by her talk about laundry, it seems that her many clothes were now running out.
“If you pay me, I’ll do your laundry.”
Chris had spent the summer with the clothes he wore when leaving the estate and two sets of secondhand clothes that David had provided during the journey. During that time, he had roughly washed them at the stream and rotated wearing them. He could wash Catherine’s clothes along with his own. But despite his offer of goodwill, Catherine reacted violently.
“Let you handle my clothes? Absolutely not!”
Chris thought she was uncomfortable because of her underwear.
“I’ll just wash your outer clothes.”
“Do you know how delicate my clothes are? They need to be washed by professionals. If you just wash them in water, they’ll be ruined.”
“Ah, I see.”
Chris scratched his head awkwardly.
“I’ve never seen such high-quality clothing before.”
David said,
“Who needs someone to do their laundry?”
Three nobles and two commoner women raised their hands. The commoner man Frank and those of slave origin did not raise their hands.
“If they’re not affiliated with the Magic Tower, they can’t set foot in the tower’s territory. So you can’t personally have maids and servants. Instead, if you go over that mountain, there’s a village where you can take your laundry, ask them to wash it, and collect it later.”
Alex brightened.
“Can we go to the village?”
He seemed to have felt confined staying only in the Lion’s Hall.
“Usually it’s not allowed, but I’ll permit one person.”
Smith said,
“So that one person will run errands.”
“That’s right.”
Alex’s interest quickly disappeared.
“I’ll pass.”
He seemed to think that a descendant of the great Marquis family couldn’t run errands for others.
Smith responded,
“I’ll pass too.”
Chris whispered to him,
“Why?”
“I’m sick of serving others. I did enough of that as a slave.”
The prince and children of noble families wouldn’t run errands for others, and it was inappropriate to ask the women to cross the mountain. In the end, only Frank and Chris remained.
Chris said,
“I’ll do it. But please pay me generously for the errand.”
Catherine said with relief,
“I will.”
Chris looked at David.
“Which way should I go?”
David took out paper and a pen and drew a simple map.
“You must absolutely not take any other path.”
Then he handed over a metal pass.
“Never cross the boundary without the travel pass. Not if you want to live.”
Chris carefully stored the pass.
“Let’s go to the reception room.”
David took the members inside the Lion’s Hall. After he settled in, the members brought chairs and sat around him.
David asked,
“Is your training going well?”
There was no answer.
“Has anyone felt magic?”
The prince answered as a representative,
“No one has.”
Following him, Alex spoke up.
“Are we surplus?”
David frowned in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve heard that noble families send their surplus resources to the Magic Tower.”
Alex, full of discontent, flared his nostrils.
“Is that why the wizards treat us poorly? Do they look down on us because we were abandoned?”
David’s eyebrows furrowed further.
“You’ve been confined to the Lion’s Hall since the first lesson, so who told you this?”
“I heard it from Juan.”
David sighed.
“Juan has been at the Magic Tower for a long time. He’s picked up many things, but most of it is superficial and differs from the truth.”
Mark asked,
“What is true and what is false?”
“It’s true that wizards, especially those wearing robes, treat you poorly. But that’s not related to your family – it’s because you are insects.”
“What did you say?”
“You are indeed insects. Even if the firstborn of your family came, the treatment wouldn’t change.”
Tony muttered,
“That’s absurd.”
David interlaced his fingers and rested them on his stomach.
“Most important truths in this world are hidden behind thick veils.”
Mark said,
“Are you saying I don’t know?”
“That’s right.”
“I am a prince of the great Kingdom of Grant. Surely you’re not suggesting that even my father doesn’t know?”
“The king knows much. But he wouldn’t have told you.”
“Why? Because I was abandoned?”
The prince’s voice rose.
“Is that why it was hidden?”
“It’s a secret that shouldn’t be spoken. He might have kept quiet because he didn’t want to disappoint you.”
Alex asked directly,
“Are we surplus or not? Were we abandoned or not?”
“It depends on the situation.”
“What exactly is this situation?”
“First, if someone who properly understands wizards sends their child or grandchild to the Magic Tower, then they weren’t abandoned. Rather, they sent their most intelligent and capable child out of love, or for the glory of the family.
Second, if the guardian doesn’t properly understand the Magic Tower. As you worry, they might have dumped troublesome surplus at the Magic Tower to prevent family discord.
Third, those who know nothing and have no thoughts. They send someone to the Magic Tower because other noble families send about one person per generation. They think it’s good to have one wizard in the family.
Fourth, there are special cases. For example, if a family situation is complicated and a bastard is threatened by a legitimate heir, they might send them to the Magic Tower to save their life.
There might be more cases, but these are what come to mind. I don’t know which case applies to you. To be honest, I don’t want to know either.
It would be good if it’s the first case, but it could be the second or third case. Even so, don’t be disappointed. When you become a wizard, you’ll feel that being abandoned by your family is nothing, rather, it was a good thing.”
Alex grumbled,
“Are wizards that great?”
“I declare that wizards are superior to nobles.”
Mark said,
“Better than the king…?”
He didn’t answer this question.
Chris thought,
It seems David believes wizards are greater than kings. Is that really true? Or does he personally think so because of his strong pride?
It was a bit confusing.
Alex said,
“There’s a wizard in our territory too. He didn’t seem that impressive.”
David became serious.
“Never compare such a half-wit with the wizards of the Magic Tower.”
Ice formed in his voice.
“You’ll die.”
“Die?”
“If you don’t want to die, never speak carelessly to a wizard.”
From Chris’s perspective, whether they were surplus or abandoned, loved or not, these were all concerns of the well-fed. It was a problem only nobles would worry about. Chris had no interest whatsoever. He simply remembered that wizards had secrets, and wizards were truly impressive, while letting the rest flow away like water.
Once the nobles’ complaints seemed to have settled, Chris raised his hand and asked,
“Why do wizards have different robe colors? Is it according to rank, or according to individual wizard’s preference?”
“It’s closer to the former. Apprentices like you can’t wear any symbols. When you feel magic and enter the Gyesin stage, you receive a yellow belt.”
“What!”
Alex opened his eyes wide.
“I thought the yellow belt was for the Magic Tower’s workers.”
“They often handle practical affairs at the tower, so you might have thought they were workers, but that’s absolutely not the case. They’re at the introductory stage of magic and are called shinsas. Though shinsas won’t kill you, they can break your limbs, so treat them respectfully.”
The mention of seniors made Chris think of Juan.
That gentleman might really be a senior.
David continued,
“When you transcend gyesin and enter the next realm, you receive a yellow robe. That’s when you can truly be said to have entered the path of magic. From that point, you are treated as a wizard. Our level has a separate title, but you don’t need to know that, and when you advance to the next level, you are recognized as a high wizard. From that point, you wear robes of different colors: earth wizards wear brown, water wizards wear blue, fire wizards wear red, wind wizards wear white, and metal wizards wear purple.”
David licked his lips and continued,
“That’s only inside the Magic Tower. Outside, they dress differently, so don’t be deceived by colors. You might make a big mistake.”
Chris asked,
“Why do they dress differently outside?”
“Information about a wizard’s attributes is important information. It’s best to hide it when possible. Even better if you can deceive.”
Chris asked,
“Why deceive?”
“Not all wizards belong to our Micclonia Magic Tower. Consider all wizards from other towers as enemies and kill them if you can.”
“Why kill them?”
“Many wizards want resources, but resources are limited. It’s better to have fewer competitors than many.”
“Is it advantageous in battle to hide your attribute?”
“It’s advantageous. For example, suppose a wizard saw someone wearing a purple robe and judged them to be a metal attribute wizard, so they attacked with flame magic, but that person was actually a water wizard proficient in water magic. Who would have the advantage?”
“The water wizard.”
“That’s right. That’s why we hide attributes. But just because the attribute compatibility is favorable doesn’t mean that determines the outcome. It only plays a part in the outcome. Remember it’s not absolute, rather… No, that’s too distant a topic.”
“If it’s good to hide attributes, wouldn’t it be better to wear different colors even inside the Magic Tower? Rumors could spread outside.”
“It’s a Magic Tower rule. Inside, you must wear it according to your attributes.”
David stood up.
“Don’t share what I’ve told you today with others.”
He looked over the noble boys who were deep in thought and went outside.