Reformation (2)

As magic engineering was being promoted, extensive renovations began in Reed's laboratory as a priority.

The entire room on the 80th floor was filled with various magicology research tools.

Having dabbled in all kinds of magic, there was a wide range of devices he could utilize.

However, the only thing that was missing among them were the tools necessary for magic engineering.

In order to create a space for magic engineering research tools, he was working on transferring devices and equipment to other research departments that needed them.

Although it was called work, Reed simply stamped his approval on documents stating that items were moving between floors.

It was a simple task, but it was boring enough to drive one crazy.

Knock knock.

"Come in."

Reed assumed Phoebe had brought more paperwork, but the footsteps entering were heavy and not from just one person.

Reed looked up at the men who entered.

Long beards and stern middle-aged expressions.

Red robes representing the Silence Tower, with a gold emblem in the middle of the chest.

It was an emblem possessed by the chief magicians.

Reed knew them.

When he announced that he would promote the reform, they were the ones with a bitter expressions.

"What's the matter?"

"This is the opposing opinion on the reform."

The man on the left handed over the document first, followed by the middle-aged man beside him.

"And these are the magicians who agreed with this opinion."

Reed read their opinions.

Although lengthy, it could be summarized like this:

"Stop promoting Magic Engineering immediately. If not, we all will resign."

They were asserting their opinions through a threatening manner.

'Well, it's a threat that actually works.'

It wouldn't matter how many middle-aged or apprentice magicians left.

However, losing two of the only five chief magicians would be a significant loss of personnel.

'If it were another tower, maybe.'

"Talent Appraisal."

Reed possessed a special ability that allowed him to see not only the other party's condition but also their potential.

As they were old, all their potential had been reached.

Even in such a state, they had terribly inferior abilities compared to Reed, who was merely a figurehead Tower Master.

Although they were called chief magicians, they were of poor quality compared to other tower's chief magicians.

They were the kind who just barely maintained appearances.

These two, in particular.

Yet, they arrogantly stepped forward with the feeling of being a 'chief.'

"We believe that changing the direction of development to magic engineering alone, after overturning this project, is a unilateral action."

"Didn't I get enough agreement at the last tower meeting?"

"Weren't those words said with the meaning of risking everything?"

"Nobody would have really thought that you, the Tower Master, would change the direction to magic engineering."

If it were a few days ago, Reed would have thought the same.

However, while reading the meeting minutes, he accidentally found out why there were magic engineering books on his desk.

While vaguely announcing the plan for Project Flower Garden, It was recorded that if the project failed, they should at least try magic engineering.

Of course, it is possible to interpret that Flower Garden was a crucial project that had high stakes, but then it wouldn't make sense to have magic engineering books placed there.

He was a man who was willing to compromise with reality if the Flower Garden failed.

But the Flower Garden succeeded, and because of that, his sense of inferiority was vented in a twisted form.

"How many people agreed with this opinion?"

"Five middle-ranked magicians, twelve apprentice magicians, and thirty-three disciples, making a total of fifty people."

Fifty-two people made up a quarter of the tower's population.

Seeing this, Reed put down the paper.

"I understand your intentions well."

"Then, following our wishes, we should return to magicology..."

"I said I understand, but I never said I would follow your opinions, so listen until the end."

The chief magicians' expressions became distorted.

Reed looked up at them, rolling his golden eyes.

"Being the chief magicians of this tower, are you incapable of reading the situation?"

"We know."

"We also know that our research and projects are yielding pathetic results."

"Then what's the reason for being against this reform itself?"

"Isn't it the future?"

The future.

There was nothing more to think about.

It was a reference to Rosaria.

"We hope that if we educate her more, we can restore the tower's status through the young lady."

"Isn't it unnecessary to compromise with magic engineering..."

The chief magician couldn't continue his words.

Golden eyes were staring at him.

It was a silent pressure not to say anything more.

When the man closed his mouth, Reed opened his.

"Rosaria is my adopted daughter. I didn't adopt her to be your plaything. What would you do if she wanted to go somewhere other than the Silence Tower?"

"Th-that's...!"

"How could she betray the Tower Master who took her in as his adopted daughter?"

Yes, they could educate her to the point where she could never betray them.

However, in the end, that was only control created through the education of fear.

'A byproduct of pure selfishness.'

Reed did not want to push Rosaria that far and hold on to her.

'Disgusting.'

Reed was displeased with their thoughts.

Despite being called chief magicians, they had produced only mediocre results, and now they were salivating at the sight of Rosaria's ability as an adopted daughter.

Isn't that admitting their own incompetence?

"Would you all oppose me if I continue to push for magic engineering?"

Reed threw a question at them like a final verdict.

And the two, who might not even know a knife is at their throat, answered like this.

"Yes."

"So, please reconsider one more time."

The two chief magicians bowed their heads.

Reed, without further thought, looked down at the documents and spoke to them.

"Then, I'll take a good look."

"You've made a wise... Huh?"

"What do you mean?"

The chief magicians had a stunned expressions.

It was the expression Reed most desired.

"You opposed my opinion, and you brought me the written documents in person. So, regardless of the decision I make with magic engineering, you're not going to change your negative stance, right? I don't need such a groundless opposition. Even looking at the future, it'll only give us headaches. I have no choice but to let you go your own way."

In other words, it meant to leave the tower.

The chief magicians were startled by Reed's judgment and asked.

"Does that mean... you will continue to push for magic engineering?"

"What else could it be?"

"We thought the Tower Master was a magician who longed for pure magic."

"Yes, I undoubtedly was."

Undoubtedly, he had been.

A girl, and even the entire continent, had been plunged into disaster, so he must have longed for it more than anyone else.

"But what has that pure magicology left for us?"

"Well..."

"What did I gain through that pursuit? What have you all done?"

They couldn't answer easily.

No, they reluctantly answered.

"Haven't we gained pride as magicians?"

"The pride of a failure is nothing but a pathetic sight. Outside, they're laughing at us as the tower of desolation and the silent magicians."

Silence was the most fatal and shameful nickname for a magician.

It was a nickname that should have made their eyes flip, yet the chief magicians calmly accepted it.

It was a ridiculous situation.

"You can't judge everything by external evaluations, especially for the magicians of the tower."

"But those external evaluations are a factor that determines our tower's existence. Face reality."

"If we bow to every whim, it only shows our incompetence."

Incompetence.

As the word came out, a chilling silence flowed.

The one who uttered the word regretted it, but the words already spoken could not be taken back.

Therefore, they had no choice but to hold their heads up shamelessly and insist on their will.

"Yes, I am incompetent."

Reed admitted to that fact.

The chief magicians were rather taken aback.

"How incompetent must I be to have had such narrow-minded and incapable people as chief magicians?"

"…!!"

"If you think your research failed because the Tower Master was worthless, then it's my mistake. I am ashamed of having the likes of you under me."

"…"

"Goodness, it's a clear mistake to have left you, who toppled over and were picked up from other towers, to threaten me with your heads held high like this."

As Reed stood up from his seat, the chief magicians hesitated.

"So I will correct it right now."

They were on guard, thinking he might cast some kind of magic, but Reed had no intention of doing so.

He personally opened the door and spoke to them.

"I'll give you 3 hours. Leave the tower with the underlings listed in that document. That's my last act of mercy."

The two chief magicians came outside.

With a helpless face, they both blankly waited for the elevator to come up.

Only one thought remained in their minds, like the wailing of a dying curse.

'We're screwed….'

Both of them sighed in regret.

"I never thought things would turn out like this…"

"I knew he was a stubborn person, but I never thought he would do this to us…"

"I thought he would have pinned his hopes on magicology once more since he took in the adopted daughter…"

As he mentioned that, the other chief magician cast a sidelong glance and admonished him.

"You shouldn't have said that."

"What?"

"Think about it. Isn't it because you suggested using the adopted daughter that things turned out like this?"

"Ha! You're the one who drove the nail in by calling the Tower Master incompetent, and now you're saying that!"

"You...!"

Just as the two were about to break into a fight.

"Oh, what's going on?"

Phoebe Asteria Roton, the Tower Master's deputy and secretary, intervened.

With her flowing wavy blonde hair and distinct facial features.

A gentle image as if looking at a large dog.

A pair of horns adorning her head and golden pupils, as if to leave evidence of being a dragon.

She was dressed casually in a white shirt and uniform pants, having been tidying up the 80th-floor laboratory.

"Why do you both look so unhappy... Did something go wrong this morning?"

Phoebe, with her gentle eyes, worried about them.

The two stopped arguing and looked at each other.

'Could she possibly help us?'

'Even though we've known her for a long time...'

The chief magicians exchanged opinions and nodded at Pibi.

"Oh dear, Deputy Tower Master!"

"Who's this! Isn't it our proud Deputy Tower Master~?"

"Oh, why are you praising me all of a sudden? It's embarrassing."

Phoebe laughed awkwardly.

"The thing is, we desperately need Deputy Tower Master's help right now."

"Can you help us?"

"Of course! We're all family in the tower, so we should help each other, right?"

Phoebe nodded with an enthusiastic face.

At that, the two spilled the beans about what had happened in the office.

"Oh my... So that's what happened."

"Yes, that's right, Deputy Tower Master. So, we were wondering..."

"Have a safe trip~."

Phoebe, waving both hands, distancing herself from them.

Her steps were cold, contrary to her tender attitude.

So, the chief magicians hesitated and then approached Phoebe again to finish their unfinished words.

"Um, excuse me..."

"Yes?"

Phoebe tilted her head.

"We might have been too radical and impulsive, but... Could you possibly persuade the Tower Master?"

"After working at a place for nearly 20 years, leaving like this is just..."

"If someone like you, Deputy Tower Master could intervene, he might listen. Please."

The two prayed with their hands clasped and pleaded with pitiful faces.

Phoebe tilted her head with a troubled expression.

"Hmm... But if the Tower Master has decided, I can't change his mind."

"Why?"

At that question, Phoebe smiled brightly.

"Because I'm on the Tower Master's side."

It was truly a loyal dog-like appearance.

"So, I don't want to get involved in such matters, okay?"

"I-I see."

"Alright, excuse us."

Their last hope was gone.

Just as they were about to wait for the elevator again.

"Oh, by the way..."

Phoebe stopped them in their tracks.

An uncomfortable atmosphere began to flow through the area.

The chief magicians, who looked back, faced a suffocating horror.

Her expression, which was smiling just a few seconds ago, had hardened.

Her beautiful wavy blonde hair floated in the air like a witch, and her pupils seemed to shine.

But not in gold – in red!

The atmosphere of the innocent rice cake girl had instantly turned into that of a dragon whose territory had been invaded.

"Which one of you said that our Tower Master is incompetent?"

Although she was a loyal dog, she was still the Tower Master's loyal dog.

She was a fierce beast to the Tower Master's enemies.

The two, no longer part of the tower's family, were strangers.

And for a stranger to badmouth the Tower Master was an act that clearly revealed hostility.

Phoebe was a woman who showed no mercy to that hostility.

'I had forgotten about that side of her.'

'The Silent Guardian...'

Having spent over 20 years there, they had become complacent in the long-lasting peace.

How could they have forgotten that before becoming the secretary of Reed, she was called the Silent Guardian, neither the deputy Tower Master nor secretary?

She had inherited the blood of a dragon, possessing a temperament of a battle maniac that could turn the surroundings into ruins once her eyes flipped.

The chief magicians desperately smiled and stammered.

"Ha, haha!! Who said that?"

"It's, it's nothing! It's just a slip of the tongue. A slip of the tongue~. How could our Tower Master be incompetent? Right?"

The two magicians laughed and fumbled.

If they were really strangers, even their bones wouldn't have been left.

The fact that she was holding back was an act of mercy for the two.

She withdrew her intense killing intent and smiled again with a loyal dog-like face.

"Right?"

"Yes, that's right! So, we should hurry and prepare!"

"We, we'll see you later, Deputy Tower Master!"

As if fearing Phoebe would follow them, the magicians quickly closed the elevator door.

There was one thing they were grateful for after talking to her.

Their disgusting desire to stay in the tower.

Thanks to her, they felt that it was completely gone.

Phoebe touched her floating hair, watching them leave.

"Ah, I came to deliver some good news in such a good mood..."

Phoebe cheerfully smiled as she pressed her head and entered the office.

Grey hair and sharp eyes.

He was looking at documents with his right hand, clad in black gloves, biting his lips. His figure caught Phoebe's eye.

His focused demeanour was truly elegant.

Pheobe felt that her mood had completely cleared up from just moments ago.

"Master~"

"Leave the documents and go."

"It's not a document, but a gift that has arrived!"

It was then that Reed finally looked up.

"A gift?"