The Sanctum of Wizards, the Magic Tower.
It was a place that even the Pope or the Emperor could not casually trespass.
Only wizards who had graduated from the Academy were allowed to enter.
The wizard of the Hero Party, Cynthia Reagrove, was climbing to the top of the Magic Tower in a pitiful state, her arm severed.
“Ha… Ha… This is strange… How can walking this much be so exhausting?”
The top of the Magic Tower is located 5,000 floors up.
Climbing the stairs wasn’t an easy task, but Cynthia still found it odd.
For an ordinary person, perhaps, but this shouldn’t be happening to her.
“Things have definitely been strange lately. How can I be so winded just from climbing some stairs? I… I’ve gotten weaker. I don’t know why, but…”
No.
If there was a reason, she had a guess.
Esther’s words… “Hero Victor is giving strength to everyone.”
If that was a hypothesis… and if those words were true…
“No, what am I even thinking?! That’s impossible! I’m just tired because of the damage I took from Reshia!”
The very hypothesis made her sick to her stomach.
Cynthia shook her head vigorously.
“Let’s stop with the useless thoughts. Everything is just a fantasy. Me… No, all of us, becoming stronger because of Victor? That’s impossible…!”
With determined steps, Cynthia conquered the 500th floor through sheer willpower and mental fortitude.
She had reached the top of the Magic Tower.
It was a space reserved for the sages.
The five greatest wizards selected from across the entire continent…
The Five Sages lived there.
Today, two of the sages were present.
The Great Sage Minerva and the Great Prophet, as well as the Eastern Sage, Kirke, were the ones occupying the space.
Cynthia, breathing heavily, knelt respectfully before them.
“Heh… Heh… Greetings… I am Cynthia Reagrove. I’ve come today to see the Great Sage…”
With her green hair and red eyes, she exuded an otherworldly aura, unlike a typical person.
“You’re out of breath just from climbing 500 floors? With that level of stamina and magical power, don’t you think you’re not even worthy of talking to us? Isn’t that right, Minerva?”
“Not necessarily.”
Despite her aged speech, the Great Sage Minerva, who appeared to be a young girl, spoke up.
“She holds the title of Archmage. She graduated at the top of her class from the Academy. I personally awarded her the certificate, remember?”
“Hah… Hah… Yes, that’s right.”
“Back then, you were overflowing with talent. I also heard the news that you were chosen as the wizard for the Hero Party. So… I believe I have the right to ask you a question. Yes, what have you come to ask?”
“Actually, I bring a message from His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Emperor Carlos?”
For a very brief moment, Minerva furrowed her brows.
Cynthia clasped her hands together and spoke.
“Great Sage, I humbly ask that you lend me your crystal ball.”
“Oh… That’s an unexpected request. It’s the first time I’ve received such a plea from the Empire. But… didn’t the Empire already have the state-of-the-art Hogukgyeong Zero? Its precision is likely better than my crystal ball, isn’t it?”
“His Majesty the Emperor doubts the Hogukgyeong Zero.”
That one sentence was enough for the Great Sage to understand the situation.
“Aha. That makes sense. I understand now. But who is it you want to verify with the crystal ball?”
“…The former Hero, Victor Evans.”
“What did you say?”
For the first time, surprise flickered across Minerva’s face.
Minerva spoke wisely.
“I see. Of course, I knew about the recent defeat of the Hero Party. Under the leadership of the incompetent Hero, Victor Evans, they never faced defeat, but now, under the command of the capable Hero Raoul, a defeat has occurred. This suggests that the Hogukgyeong might have been misjudged. In other words, you’re wondering if Victor Evans was actually competent after all…”
“Y-Yes, exactly.”
Cynthia shuddered.
They said that no falsehood or perjury could ever pass in front of the Great Sage… Her mind was operating at a terrifying level.
“I understand the situation. However, the principle is that the Magic Tower and the Empire do not interfere with each other. And as for the Hero’s business, it’s not something we should involve ourselves with. Isn’t that right, Kirke?”
“Cynthia Reagrove will come to regret her actions.”
“What? This is…?”
It was the second time Minerva was surprised.
This time, Cynthia was just as stunned.
Kirke’s red eyes began to glow ominously, like cursed gemstones, and her body trembled violently.
Most striking of all, it was as if she were possessed, her words pouring out uncontrollably.
“Cynthia Reagrove will kneel before and apologize to the person she despises and has always ignored. Her heart will be filled with despair and frustration, and she will be so overcome with sorrow that she will be unable to rise. This is an unavoidable fate.”
“The prophecy has begun.”
As Minerva had said, Kirke’s prophecy unfolded like this.
It was as if a god temporarily took over her body to speak and then left, starting without any warning and abruptly ending just as quickly.
“Cynthia Reagrove would have been better off never being born.”
Her eyes fluttered shut, a sign that the prophecy had ended.
Cynthia stood up, her face a mask of deep thought, and shouted,
“What is this?! This ominous prophecy! Great Sage?!”
“This is Kirke’s prophecy. Unfortunately, her prophecies have never been wrong.”
“Don’t talk nonsense! M-Me, regret it? Apologize to the person I despise and fall into despair?! That’s impossible! It can’t be! It’s… it’s just not possible!”
The person she despised most.
It was easy to guess who that was.
None other than Victor Evans… that person.
Cynthia recalled the past.
It was when she was young, earning the title of Archmage and riding high on her success.
The unpleasant memories from her school days had already been erased from her mind, and by the time she began to believe that if only she could kill Reshia, she would restore her family’s honor, that was when things took a turn.
The only way to annihilate Reshia, who had become one of the Four Heavenly Kings, was for Cynthia herself to join the Hero Party. But that path was blocked.
It was because of her past.
“It is impossible to recommend Cynthia as the wizard for the Hero Party. Her brother is a demon. Her ideology is likely to be extremely suspicious.”
This was the judgment issued by the Magic Tower.
Cynthia felt despair.
She had trained so hard all this time to kill Reshia, but now, because of Reshia, even joining the party was impossible.
Cynthia couldn’t believe the world could be this absurd.
But she wasn’t the type to give up so easily.
She decided to face it head-on.
The right to choose party members belonged to the Hero.
So, in the end, if she could win the favor of the Hero himself, all problems would be solved.
Cynthia set out to find the newly chosen Hero, Victor Evans.
He was resting in a highly secured room, but Cynthia put all the guards to sleep with a sleep spell and infiltrated the room.
If necessary, she was prepared to seduce him and make him fall for her.
In fact, she spoke in a voice that seemed out of place for her, trying to sound sultry.
“Esteemed…”
“Why do you want to become a party member so badly?”
Hero Victor, unfazed by her seduction, asked in a practical, almost interview-like manner.
Cynthia felt her anger rising at his words, which touched on her most sensitive emotions, but she wasn’t cold enough to lie.
Instead, she spoke the truth.
“My brother… he betrayed me and became a demon. I’ve suffered because of that. If I don’t take revenge, there will be no future for me. So, I’m willing to dedicate myself to you, Hero…”
“There’s no need for that.”
Victor said gently.
“In fact, I already knew about you.”
“You’re a capable wizard, aren’t you? The one who became a demon wasn’t you, but someone named Reshia. It doesn’t make sense that you’re the one suffering. The practice of guilt by association should be eradicated. I’ll accept you as our party’s wizard. So don’t talk about dedicating yourself to me. I won’t treat you differently, even without that.”
“…What?”
Victor said he wouldn’t treat her differently while patting her head.
That action touched Cynthia’s sensitive pride.
…Is he pitying me?
She had spent years struggling, never wanting to lose to anyone.
Yet, Hero Victor was just a lucky man who had been summoned.
And now, he was pitying her?
Cynthia couldn’t accept that.
Moreover, as Victor’s incompetence became apparent, Cynthia…
“With such pitiful skills, you were talking about not treating me differently? Disgusting! I don’t need your pity!!”
Cynthia Reagrove.
The person she despised the most was none other than Victor Evans.
Kirke had foretold that one day, Cynthia would kneel and apologize to Victor Evans.
“It can’t be… such a day will never come… never…”
“They say that everyone who hears Kirke’s prophecy denies it at first… Well, it seems I’ve unintentionally committed an impolite act. It can’t be helped. For now, I’ll lend you the crystal ball. As a gesture of apology. You should go back now, too. Don’t overthink it.”
Anyway, by securing Minerva’s promise, Cynthia had achieved her goal for coming here.
However, her heart was filled with turmoil, and dark clouds began to loom over her mind.