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odorekijin[Central Country—Sky]
Lennox: I believe this is the tower, Master Sage: from our reports, that odd building rose overnight thanks to some individual.
Akira: It’s… It’s immense! I still find it hard to believe that a building this tall appeared like that, in just one night…
Settled on Lennox’s broom, I gave another intent look at the foreign presence that had lodged itself in these lands.
A strange tower had suddenly appeared in the middle of a forest in Central Country. The Manor received a request to conduct an investigation, and we were on our way to the location.
Arthur: I sense traces of powerful magic emanating from it. I can almost guarantee that it is under the influence of the Great Calamity.
Riquet: Yes, but with our combined efforts, I’m sure we will settle this strange occurrence in no ti–
(Roar)
Riquet & Akira: Wah!?
Owen: Well well, it sounds like monsters have claimed it as their den already.
Owen piped up, clearly enjoying our fright.
This time around, Arthur, Lennox, Riquet, and Owen (who was begged to join) would handle the mission.
(Roar)
Owen: Hear that? That’s the roar of a beast who cannot wait to welcome us in.
Riquet: Do you find that cry welcoming, really!? It sounds a little more… hostile and aggressive to me…
Arthur: Hm, I see…
No matter how we look at this, this tower very likely rose from the lost “Seed of the Legendary Beast.”
Owen: Hm...
Riquet: What is that “Seed” that you all have been mentioning...?
Lennox: It’s the unique magical tool that Lord Snow and White mentioned before we left for our mission.
[Flashback]
[Wizard’s Manor—Lounge]
Snow & White: Oh, do not depart just yet, darling wizards of ours! We forgot to mention something~ !
Snow: In fact, we have another emergency to handle.
White: We placed an order behind closed doors for a certain magic tool commonly called “Seeds of the Legendary Beasts,” alas our package has gone missing in transit.
Snow: It looks like a pure gemstone, but do not be fooled by its beauty: this tool was made from the claws and bones of ancient creatures that no longer roam these lands.
White: Plant one of the seed, provide it a spell, and like a plant budding, a tower will rise from the earth in a single night.
Snow & White: Perhaps it is correlated to the mission you’re about to embark on! Who knows~!
[End of flashback]
Akira: …That’s the gist of it, basically.
Riquet: I don’t exactly know if it’s related to their issue, but their description does match this tower!
Akira: Still, growing towers out of nowhere with just a spell, that's a pretty incredible tool to have...
Lennox: It seems that the Beast’s Seed is meant to create a training ground for young wizards.
They also say that, the moment you enter the tower, your clothes will change to something more appropriate for training.
Arthur: Various trials and even resurrected ancient beasts apparently lurk inside. Is that true?
Lennox: Yes. Once inside, the wizard must overcome the trials laid for them and resonate with the spirit of the ancient beast, gradually gaining power to climb the tower.
Riquet: I see… This truly is a training ground for wizards in its most fundamental form.
Arthur: Indeed. Our goal is to cooperate with the creature, safely reach the top floor, and then everything should revert back to its original state.
Well, at least that’s what they instructed us to do.
Owen: …Ahaha! How gullible, your Highness. The twins handed you a pack of lies on a silver platter, and you blindly gobbled them up.
These so-called “trials” won’t have you cast your everyday spells, you know.
A tower birthed from the Seed of a Legendary Beast, influenced by none other than the Great Calamity—this is no walk in the park.
But go ahead, confront those trials like they’re easy as pie. The monsters within will be delighted to make your death an equally pathetic piece of cake.
Riquet & Akira: …
Of course—the Great Calamity was at the origin of the various incidents and strange cases we’d handled thus far.
Recalling this fundamental fact, we could not refute Owen’s statement.
Lennox: From what I understood, they had it under control from the Manor before the Calamity’s influence mutated the Beast’s Seed...
Owen: It must have disappeared on the way, then. Ugh, it's a vain effort, really.
The fact that the tower is here means that it’s already too late to do anything about it.
All the monsters have to do is to patiently wait for some fool to take the bait and walk straight into their den.
Arthur: …Be that as it may, we haven't seen for ourselves if the situation is too desperate to act.
—That’s precisely why we’re going to head in, regardless of what awaits us.
⁂
[Central Country—Training Tower]
We managed to sneak our way inside the ground floor through a small, window-like hole.
Save for that small opening, only darkness was spread before us.
Akira: (There’s no way to progress through the floors if we can’t see two feet in front of us…)
Arthur: Let me bring some light to this place.《 Pernoctant Nixzo 》
Akira: Ah, that’s better! Thank you, Arth–... huh!?
I tried to thank Arthur, but my words caught in my throat.
Front quarters of a raptor, hind of a quadrupedal carnivore.
What stood before us was a creature that could have never belonged to my world.
What I could only describe as a “beast,” for lack of a better word, was staring at me, its muffled growl like a heavy purr.
Arthur: …Is this…
Before I knew it, our outfits had changed into unfamiliar attires.
Lennox: Master Sage, Riquet, stay behind me. I sense a powerful magic aura from it. That is most likely an ancient beast that has been revived along with the tower.
Riquet: Look how far its wings spread… They’re fantastic...!
Lennox: Pardon?
Riquet: Ah-um, nothing! Don’t mind me!
Owen: Eugh, of all the pests that could have been resurrected, it had to be the most irritating one of all.
Riquet: Do you know this creature, Owen?
Owen: I’ve only met it once, long ago. Although it’s a beast, it wastes its wisdom in its hubris.
We should just take the whole tower down—and that beast along with it—before we tick it off and it fights back. Then we’ll be done once and for all with this ridiculous mission.
Lennox: How would we secure the Seed then? Lord Snow told us to handle this valuable magic tool with care and respect once we locate it.
Arthur: We do not need to coerce this being into obedience.
As long as we can get along and trust each other…
Riquet: Now that I’m looking at it, I sense no evil in this creature. Especially from its crystal clear eyes… They’re very pretty, too…
Nodding to Riquet’s observation, Arthur returned an equally intent gaze at the ancient creature. He offered his hand, and announced:
Arthur: Allow me to introduce myself: I am Arthur Granvelle, one of the Sage’s wizards.
We need your assistance. Please, come with us, and let us combine our strength.
The beast addressed Arthur with another sharp stare, as if assessing something.
Arthur: Super… bia? Is that perchance… your name?
Riquet: Is it, really? Being able to read an ancient beast’s mind is an incredible feat, Prince Arthur!
Arthur: …No, that’s not quite… I wouldn’t say that I can read its thoughts, but rather that this particular name somehow came to mind.
Arthur seemed a bit mesmerised by what had just occurred.
Perhaps he had managed to establish some kind of deep connection with the beast.
Arthur: May I call you by that name, then?
The ancient creature did not make a sound, and instead ambled ahead of us as if to show us the way.
Arthur: …Thank you, we appreciate your help. Now, let’s not waste any more time. Let us follow Superbia.
Thus began the adventures of the Sage’s wizards and the ancient beast, in a strange tower that had suddenly materialised overnight.
