15 Chapter 15. Marabou Stork

Entering the Tower Master's office, I expected to see a serious and majestic person, surrounded by an aura of power and dignity. But instead, a comedic scene unfolded before me: a tall old man, dressed in a black classic suit, holding back a young girl's attack with an outstretched arm. She, like a cat, flailed her arms in attempts to scratch the old man's satisfied face.

But as soon as Mephisto and I entered, everything abruptly stopped, and the girl, whose long dark hair was tied up in two tails, slowly turned her head in our direction. She gradually realized the situation she was in: first her arms dropped, then her face turned crimson, and finally, she recoiled from the old man, fixing her clothes consisting of a red turtleneck, a black skirt, and black stockings.

This short skirt and long stockings reveal so little, yet perfectly accentuate her hips. So perfectly, that my heart starts beating faster... This is real magic! The magic of women's hips!

Meanwhile, the old man just grinned like a Cheshire cat at the turn of events.

"Mephisto, Ryan, it's nice to meet friends again," the old man greeted us and approached to shake our hands. "Sit wherever you're comfortable."

"If it weren't for this guy, I would have gladly skipped this visit," Mephisto replied, shaking the old man's hand.

"Don't be so harsh, old man," he smiled in response. "It was just a prank."

"Just a prank for which you asked Ajuka to create an indelible rainbow paint?" Mephisto asked with poorly concealed irritation.

In response, the old man only grinned even wider, clearly trying to hold back his laughter. Then he turned his attention to me.

"Ryan Romano, you've grown up," he said, patting me on the shoulder.

"Do we know each other?"

"Didn't you receive my letter when we were kids?"

"My letter?" I tilted my head and looked questioningly at the old man.

"My humble person has begun to be forgotten..." the old man began to say with feigned sadness, but he was interrupted by the girl.

"Ahem," coughing into her fist, she began to speak. "Good evening, Mephisto. And, Ryan Romano? My name is Tohsaka Rin, I hope you remember it because I won't repeat it twice."

"Hello to you too" I just smiled at her provocative tone.

"Good evening, Rin. I see Zeltrech is bothering you again," Mephisto greeted her with a smile.

"Nothing serious. Compared to a rainbow paint, this is child's play," Rin replied sympathetically, looking at the director.

So many eccentric people surround me... Wait a minute! Who in my surroundings isn't eccentric?!

"So, Mephisto, what made you pay attention to my humble self?" sitting behind a large wooden table, Zeltrech asked.

"As I already said," Mephisto continued, sitting opposite. "It's all because of this guy."

"Is something wrong with him?" Zeltrech gave me a scrutinizing look. "Apart from overloading the circuits with him, I think everything's fine."

"Don't play dumb," the director replied irritably. "This guy, in two months, went from being a talentless mage of the 1st Circle to becoming one of the strongest students of the academy, reaching the peak of the 3rd Circle."

"Well, the guy awakened hidden powers within himself. Don't you know which family he belongs to?"

"Do not fill my ears with such nonsense. The only things he inherited are pride, love of freedom, cynicism, and stubbornness," Mephisto listed all my positive qualities while looking at me. At least, I personally consider them positive.

"You are absolutely right," Zelretch chuckled bassly. "But those are qualities of his mother. What about his father?"

"Zelretch, stop changing the subject," Mephisto became unusually serious. "As the academy director and association chairman, I will not allow such a person to exist peacefully. Either you let me conduct an investigation, or if necessary, you will bear responsibility with him."

"If you think his increased strength is due to Impure methods, then I suggest you leave a statement with the enforcement department," the Tower Master calmly replied. "And if you want to know how he became stronger, here's your answer: I know what happened to him, and I helped him a little."

After that, Mephisto and Zelretch argued about it for a long time. Legions of arguments and squadrons of counterarguments were used, along with complicated warnings and promises-type rockets. But in the end, it all came down to Mephisto continuing to watch over me, and if he noticed even the slightest hint of my involvement in using Impure methods to increase my strength, he would bring punishment not only to me but also to Zelretch.

After such a heated discussion, Mephisto wanted to go for a walk, and Rin went to do Zelretch's homework. I had quite a few questions, such as who my parents were, whether Zelretch really knew the reason for my increased strength, and what happened to God. The only one who could answer all these questions was sitting across from me.

"Do you think Mephisto will believe you?" I tried to start a conversation.

"Of course! Although that doesn't mean he will be less suspicious of you," Zelretch answered confidently. "Although you already figured that out yourself."

"I see... so what about how I became stronger?" I asked.

"You don't know how you became stronger?" the old man replied with a sly smile.

"If you look at it that way, then no, I don't know," I frowned and turned to the Tower Master. "But judging by your answer, you not only know how, but also helped me."

"That's not entirely true," Zelretch continued, looking at my right hand. "I know about your connection with that little friend of yours, but I didn't help you in that regard."

He knows about Gluttony! But he doesn't seem to think it's important. What the hell?

"I see you are smitten, but don't worry so much: I have no complaints against you. Though a grimoire that takes the form of a book is quite unusual, they usually choose their own masters. If someone decides to kill the owner of a grimoire, such a person would be very lucky if the grimoire didn't steal something from the intruder or retaliate against the attack. In addition, there have been several cases where grimoires have been killed by mages who tried to take them by force," sipping something from his cup, Zelretch continued. "That's why I'm incredibly glad that you were able to get such an opportunity in your hands."

"That was a pun?" I asked shortly.

"Exactly!" Zelretch replied just as shortly.

After a long silence, I looked at Zelretch and asked.

"Do you have any guidance for me?"

"To be honest, I have very little information about the 'Seven Deadly Sins' grimoires," he continued, stroking his beard. "But I can assure you that in this world, at most ten beings, including myself, will be able to find out about your connection with the grimoire, including the brothers and sisters of that little girl in your hand."

"This is very promising," I said, calming down a bit. "But is this really all that the Tower Master knows?"

To my outburst, Zelretch only laughed and then looked out the window.

"Listen, Ryan, do you want to take a walk?" he asked me.

"Maybe..." I answered uncertainly.

"Exactly! We need to take a walk."

After these words, Zelretch jumped out of his chair and, putting his hand on my shoulder, disappeared... of course, taking me with him. Again, a blur of emotions, again nausea and dizziness. But this time, I recovered quickly, as my frail body found itself high in the sky above London!

It was late evening, and the rising moon illuminated the city with a silver light. Many glowing snakes spread out in different directions, creating the image of a spider's web. But the most incredible thing was the towering tower in the middle of London, which disappeared behind the clouds.

"This is... the real sight of the Tower of Magi," Zelretch replied proudly. "Ordinary people don't even suspect that something so grandiose is located in the middle of the city."

"Incredible," I said, turning to the old man with admiration. "But isn't it too visible? Anyone who wants to attack will know where to go!"

"The Four Towers of the Magi, all the association hotels, and this planet - they are all our home, Ryan," Zelretch continued, looking at me seriously. -"o why should I be afraid that someone will attack me in my own home? And if there are such fools, I will gladly show them their place."

"It's easy for you to say, but it's a whole faction that's out in the open."

"Hm…" Zelretch looked at the city beneath his feet. "Your reasoning is inherently flawed. Even after gaining power, you ended up feeling like a small, defenseless human who cannot control their own destiny. You fear, hate weakness, and scramble from side to side in an attempt to find a safe and warm place. But all of these are signs of a pitifully weak and incredibly cowardly person, Ryan."

I didn't know what to say. All of the old man's words hit me right in the heart. Standing there, high in the sky, and looking at the big mysterious moon, it felt like my heart was being squeezed. And the only thing I could manage to say was:

"Help me..."

"No."

"Why?" I was shocked and, for some reason, irritated.

"Why am I acting like the Master of the Tower owes me something? Why am I irritated?!"

"Because you will become stronger even without my help," the old man continued, turning his gaze to the starry sky. "In a way, everything that happens in the modern world is ridiculously foolish. In ancient times, people didn't know about astronomy and didn't think that the stars in the sky were millions of kilometers away. No wonder there's a saying that ignorance breeds courage. Perhaps its true meaning is slightly different, but there is some truth to it. When people acquire knowledge, they realize the limit of "recklessness". No matter how they jump, they cannot reach the stars and cannot extinguish the sun."

The old man looked at me and smiled kindly.

"Therefore, if possible, Ryan, challenge yourself. Grow not only as a mage, but also as a person. Learn about the world around you, find allies and make enemies, meet ordinary passersby and great heroes."

"Is this an offer that cannot be refused, or just an offer-offer? Because I'm allergic to horses," I joked in response.

Zelretch laughed at my joke and patted me on the shoulder.

"You remind me of your mother: you also make jokes even in the most dramatic moments."

"My parents, they are not just Grau Zauberer mages, are they?"

"No, they are not just mages. But if you want to know who they are, become a mage of the 7th Circle."

"Why is everything so complicated?" I grumbled irritably.

"Ignorance is bliss," Zelretch chuckled. "But out of respect for your parents, I'll help you out a bit and grant you one request."

"What's the catch?"

"There is none. However, of course, this request must be within your capabilities. So to speak, so that I don't give you the sun, and you can't eat it."

"And I won't have to pay for a service from a Master of Ban?" I asked, surprised.

I really don't want to be in debt to this old man.

"Hm," Zelretch pondered for a second and continued. "And indeed, it seems somehow wrong..."

This old man looked at me and smiled strangely, which sent shivers down my spine.

"I know how you'll repay me."

And in the next moment, I started falling down from the sky like a stone…

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A bit of post-chapter coddling:

I'm back, guys.

More chapters are now available here: https://www.patreon.com/watson_

However, if you guys collect 100 power stones, I will immediately release the next chapter.