Adonis (1)

It had been two weeks since Reed began researching magnesium. Finally, Reed had achieved the results of his research.

"It's done."

He overcame the problem of mana not being distributed evenly in overloaded magic stones by creating mana channels similar to waterways.

However, there was a significant drawback: the magic stones had to be used in pairs, and because of the flaws created when mana channels were created, they could not be used in weapons or armor yet.

'Well, that's a problem we'll have to improve on.'

For now, Reed was able to control the distribution of mana and finish his research.

[Research progress has reached 100%.]

[The research, <Enhancement and maintenance of magnesium materials using magic stones>, has been successfully completed.]

[<Success Reward> is given.]

- You can use magnesium as a metal substitute.

After acquiring this knowledge with a 100% probability, another message appeared before Reed.

- A new research project is unlocked.

This new research could be obtained with a 20% probability, and there was no better feeling than gaining a reward with such low odds. Reed checked what he had received and said in disbelief, "This is insane..."

[You've acquired the research project <Magical Power Absorption Using Magnesium>.]

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Magical Power Absorption Using Magnesium

Type: Research Project

Author: Reed Adeleheights Roton

Using magnesium, a metal that absorbs magic, this project aims to verify if it's possible to absorb or neutralize the mana of magical projectiles or objects shaped by mana.

Hypothesis established: X

Research progress: -%

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<Success Reward>

- You can add 'Magic Absorption Glove' functionality to products made using magnesium. (15%)

- Unknown.

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Reed had thought about magnesium-related research resulting from his basic research on magnesium.

'It should be one of the top-rated research projects for magnesium...'

It was like getting an SSR instead of just an R from the gacha.

A fortune had fallen into his lap.

'Once this is completed, there will be no need to be afraid when facing magicians.'

It meant he could create an item that would allow Reed, who had <Mana Sensitivity Lv. 4>, to reach <Mana Sensitivity Lv. 5> or even possibly Lv. 6 which allowed control of surrounding mana.

'But it's hard to be completely happy.'

Although it was excellent news, it was still just a pipe dream for now.

Since there was no established hypothesis, there was still a chance of failure even if the research progress reached 100%. For commercialization, further research would be required.

The top-rated research projects in magnesium derivative research required skilled individuals to proceed.

Reed's level of <Magical Engineering> was 4, and while he had a high level of understanding, this project could not be completed with just his abilities alone.

'It's just a waste of time and resources.'

Although he had enough money, time was not unlimited.

If Reed continued to invest solely in that magic reaction glove, there would be problems in the overall flow.

'I need an expert for this research.'

At the same time, one name flashed through his mind.

'Kaitlyn Ramos.'

A master of <Magic Engineering> who had appeared in <Disaster 7>.

She believed that only magic engineering could provide the power to oppose these catastrophes, and she was indeed the pioneer of magic engineering, which had successfully thwarted the disasters.

'I need her.'

It just so happened that Reed had something to ask her regarding how these projects overlapped, and if it was an idea everyone could easily think of.

Reed went to the top floor and approached Phoebe, his half-dragon assistant, and secretary.

"Phoebe."

"Yes!"

"Do you know Kaitlyn Ramos?"

"Kaitlyn... Ramos?"

Phoebe tilted her head, puzzled.

"You don't know who that is?"

"No..."

Phoebe looked deflated as she shook her head.

"Tell Leto to find information about Kaitlyn Ramos."

"Yes, I understand."

"And what about the news from the Huper Kingdom?"

There had been no news since the message that they would meet soon.

Reed was starting to get curious about when exactly they would meet.

Phoebe, too, seemed not to know and apologized with a sad face.

"They haven't informed us yet... Should I contact them today?"

"Do that. We can't just wait indefinitely."

"Yes."

Reed said and entered his office.

Drinking a cup of tea that followed him automatically through magic, Reed looked out the window, which was made of full-length glass. Just as he was savoring the moment and enjoying his tea, he noticed something unusual.

"Huh?"

Reed doubted his eyes. In the 1-kilometer radius cleared around the Silence Tower to monitor incoming visitors, a portion of it was covered with an array of soldiers, like an army of ants, approaching the tower.

The number was around 300 people. It was the size of an army dispatched to defeat a large monster, but now they were approaching the Silence Tower.

Without a doubt, these soldiers must be from the Huper Kingdom, who had promised to meet soon.

"Master, I've tried contacting them, and the princess is coming on behalf of the king, it seems."

Phoebe chimed in late.

"Isn't this like they're preparing for war?"

"War?"

Reed pointed downward, and Phoebe, seeing the soldiers walking in a rectangular formation while approaching the tower, gasped.

"I don't think they're preparing for war. They must be on high alert."

"Alert?"

"Well, you know…"

Phoebe grinned sheepishly.

Reed understood, just a little, what she meant: the soldiers were all on guard for Phoebe.

"Anyway... doesn't it look like they're here for war?"

"Don't you like it? Should I sweep them away?"

"You?"

"Yes! If it's the Master's command, I'll do it."

Her long, fluffy hair and innocent eyes.

Lately, since Rosaria kept saying she was acting strange, Phoebe was hiding her innocent eyes and showing only her real eyes, which looked like an excited rice cake.

'Even that appearance hides a vicious side.'

She was submissive and allowed her master to pull her hair when she was an ally, but it was different with enemies.

Reed, who had seen Phoebe from the enemy's perspective, knew her well.

'I even wondered if she was human.'

As a half-dragon, she had a combat trait called "Dragonization" among her abilities.

When she used Dragonization, the dragon instincts dormant in Phoebe's blood awakened, turning her into a battle maniac.

In an instant, a Gold Retriever sticking out its tongue and baring its belly turned into a fierce fighting dog, drooling and charging.

"Hmm..."

Reed stared intently at Phoebe without saying anything.

As he kept looking at her, Phoebe blushed with embarrassment.

Alright, the decision was made.

"Very well, go ahead."

"Really? Should I go and do it?"

"No, don't wipe them out. Go and escort their representative into the tower."

"Me? But won't they be alarmed?"

Phoebe was taken aback.

"It's a tactic. It shows who's dominant."

"I see! Understood!"

Phoebe left Reed's office, excited about fulfilling her task. Reed couldn't help but admit it.

"I'm curious about how they'll react when Phoebe is out there."

For any army, a commander who is strict and demands high discipline is as essential as a kind-hearted commander popular among the troops.

Commander Doner Russelos was one such popular commander. He was a seemingly indifferent person, lacking a military mindset.

But today, his demeanor was different.

"Attention! Don't slack on your guard! Those who display weakness today will be punished! Do you understand!?"

Faced with an unusual situation, the soldiers were disoriented, but had no choice but to be alert, as two of their peers had already been disciplined earlier.

'I heard today was just a simple escort mission to the Tower of Silence...'

'Did we come here as if we were on a subjugation mission?'

Although it wasn't a war, the soldiers had received orders to be prepared as if it was. They were standing in a defensive posture at the entrance to the Silence Tower.

Their protectee, Adonis Huper, was the princess of the Huper Kingdom and held the position of the third Knight Division commander.

Princess Adonis Huper had inherited the Huper bloodline with platinum-colored hair and light green eyes. She had short, bobbed hair, like a proper knight.

At first glance, it was difficult to determine if she was male or female due to her androgynous appearance.

"So, why did they come like this? We are the representatives of the king, aren't we?"

The strict discipline enforced by Commander Doner puzzled even Adonis.

As the commander, Doner maintained a stern expression as he asked Adonis, "How long has it been since you became a knight, Miss Adonis?"

"It's been 7 years and 3 months since this year."

"Then, I suppose you don't know about the incident that happened ten years ago."

"Ten years ago?"

"The extermination of the Asteria family."

Asteria.

Adonis only knew about it in fragments.

"If you're talking about the Asteria family, they were the rebels who experimented with mixing dragon blood for the revival of magic. Does that have something to do with the Silence Tower?"

"The incident itself doesn't have much to do with it, but a person involved in that incident is in the Silence Tower."

"Who is that?"

Donner unconsciously brought his right hand to the scar on his cheek.

The memories of that time came back to life, stinging the wound and reviving dormant fear.

"Mad Dragon, Phoebe Asteria... She probably also bears the name Roton by now."

"Mad Dragon..."

"A literal mad dragon who threatens enemies loudly and torments opponents with her claws. She was also skilled in magic, making her one of the most difficult enemy at the time."

Donner turned his gaze to the Silence Tower and spoke.

"And that Mad Dragon is in there. The former Tower Master Jude Roton took her under his wing, and she has been known as the Guardian of Silence' ever since."

"I see... but it still hasn't been explained why you brought an army."

"No matter how much she's been tamed, her nature doesn't just disappear. So, isn't it natural to be prepared for any possible situations?"

Adonis began to wonder what kind of creature would make even Donner, who was reasonably cautious, more vigilant with such excessive caution.

Adonis looked up at the Silence Tower.

The magical tower surrounded by a red curtain.

Hearing Donner's serious words, Adonis became more tense.

She couldn't grasp the idea that a dragon lived in such a place like a bridge to the sky.

Creak-.

A moment later, the door of the Silence Tower opened and someone came out.

Commander Donner examined the figure that emerged.

As the person approached, Adonis and Donner saw a woman walking out.

"She must be the tower's mage. Probably here to guide us-."

"Everyone, get into a defensive formation!"

Commander Donner shouted loudly.

Soldiers who had been waiting lined up their shields on the ground and formed a defensive formation in a swift and orderly manner.

"Commander Donner?"

"That's the Mad Dragon."

"What?"

"The monster that wiped out all the knights dispatched to strike the Asterias is that woman."

Adonis doubted his eyes.

When she heard the term Mad Dragon, she had no doubt that they would be facing a fierce demon with an angry aura enveloping its entire body.

But now, the person walking out in front of her was a mage, no matter how she looked at it.

Seeing the soldiers standing guard at Commander Donner's order, the woman showed a restless and impatient appearance.

"Is she really that monster?"

"Yes. Don't be fooled by that innocent face! Why on earth did the Tower Master of Silence Tower send out that Mad Dragon!?"

As Donner kept a serious gaze in his vigilance, Adonis was alternating between glances at the two, unsure of who to believe.

The flustered woman eventually raised her voice in that spot.

"Ah, helloooo!"

"…"

"…"

The woman greeted them in a dragged-out voice.

The soldiers, who had been holding shields and extending spears outwards, looked at one another with bewildered expressions.

"Excuse mee, but... please don't be on guard. I've come to guide the representatives hereee!"

"…"

Seeing the woman's distressed face as she smiled and spoke, Adonis looked at Donner with an unspoken question in her eyes.

Adonis had no choice but to get off his white horse and approach Phoebe.

"The Third Knight Commander of the Huper Kingdom, I am Adonis Huper. And you are?"

"Ah! I am Phoebe Asteria Roton. I am the secretary of the Tower Master and the deputy Tower Master, and... right now, acting as your guide like this."

Hearing her introduction, Adonis realized that Donner hadn't misjudged the person.

'Is she the Mad Dragon?'

However, her appearance was far from what he had described.

Her infected speech and smiling face.

The only threatening element was a pair of horns on her head, which made her feel nothing but warmth that didn't elicit a sense of vigilance at all.

"I apologize for my commander's excessive caution. Please forgive this rudeness."

"Ah, you were one of the people affected back then..."

Phoebe looked at Donner over her shoulder with a regretful expression.

"Do you recognize who that person is?"

"Well... When I lose my senses, I rampage without knowing anything, so... I've heard that there are a few people who tremble when they hear my name. I can't remember, and I don't want to... I'm sorry!"

"No, it's fine. I shouldn't have brought up the past."

"Ah, um, then let me guide you."

Phoebe awkwardly but energetically smiled and guided Adonis.

Commander Donner didn't let his guard down until Phoebe disappeared.

* * *

Adonis entered the Silence Tower and found everything around her fascinating.

'This is the Magic Tower.'

In the Huper Kingdom, there are groups of mages who reside in workshops instead of towers.

The mages in the workshops didn't build towers; they conducted magic research by extending underground and drawing mana flowing through ley lines.

Therefore, it was the first time she had seen the elevators and the appearance of the towers.

"You can go in here."

Guided by Phoebe, they arrived in front of the reception room door.

As she slowly walked there, the door seemed to react to her presence and opened slowly.

Inside the well-decorated reception room, a man was standing and welcoming her.

Reed Adeleheights Roton.

A man who, as a second-seat graduate of Escolleia, conquered all magic by extending his range into various fields.

However, observant people wouldn't view Reed as a versatile person.

- He doesn't have a distinct talent.

- He has fallen out of the Adeleheights family's teachings.

All the high-ranking mages would often disregard Reed, and even the royal family did not consider him an important figure.

'Despite such notoriety...'

But the fact was, Adonis, felt overwhelmed when she first saw Reed.

Tower Master.

His dignified appearance exudes elegance, like a noble knight, a great mage, and a grand duke.

Tower Master Reed was the first to greet them politely.

"I am the Tower Master of Silence Tower, Reed Adeleheights Roton."