Chapter 57

### Reincarnated as the Sword Emperor in the Sword Saint Family (57)

Mages of the Tower of Magic wear robes that symbolize their status, making it easy to identify their affiliation even in the Atlantis Maritime Union.

Ester was no exception.

Her robe, adorned with four stars symbolizing her attainment of the 4th rank, made her feel that the crowds on the streets would unconsciously disperse as she walked by.

The gazes she received were entirely different from those given to famous adventurers around Bermuda.

‘The power the Tower of Magic wields in Atlantis must be considerable.’

Leonard felt a mix of fear and curiosity from the gazes directed at them.

In an isolated place like the Atlantis Maritime Union, the suspicion and hostility towards outsiders would naturally be several times stronger. He had experienced this when he visited the Southern Sea Sword Gate in the past.

There were two main ways to break this one-sided sentiment.

‘Either bring a benefit so great that it collapses their suspicion, or threaten them so severely that they fear any hostility.’

It seemed the Tower of Magic had chosen both.

The magical arrays that composed the buildings in Bermuda and the magical power felt in every major facility in the city were evidence of this.

They had spread their influence subtly in Atlantis, creating a situation where the city's survival would be difficult if they were to disappear.

It was like offering a carrot while also showing the stick.

“We’re here. This is it.”

Before long, the surroundings around the two of them became quiet, and as Ester walked down a deserted path, she knocked on the door of a small cottage.

The wooden door then opened naturally from the inside.

“This is a place only known to a select few. Don’t come here alone, okay? It’s a members-only place.”

“Understood.”

As soon as the two entered, the space that had seemed narrow suddenly widened.

Before Leonard could ask, Ester explained.

“There’s an expansion spell on it. It’s a building provided by the Tower of Magic, so we can come here anytime without a reservation.”

It was a peculiar shop.

There were no employees in sight, but a hat flew over from somewhere, flapping as if calling out to Leonard and Ester. Following its lead, they found a quiet room.

Sitting across from each other at a table with a tray and utensils, a menu board hanging on the wall floated over to them.

Leonard slowly examined the bizarre menu items and then handed the choice over to Ester.

“Ester-sama, or Ester, I’ll go with your recommendation.”

Only then did she realize his identity.

“Now that I think about it, you said you were a native, right? Is this your first time eating in Atlantis?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know if there are any fish you can’t eat… I’ll order the most common dishes. I’ll exclude shellfish and crustaceans, but with your External Force Mastery, you should be able to handle most dishes.”

With a familiar hand movement, Ester scribbled a few words on the menu board, which then disappeared.

It seemed that this was how orders were placed here.

Ester casually hung her robe on a nearby hanger and then spoke to Leonard, who was sitting opposite her.

“Why don’t we chat while we wait for the food? Why do you want to learn magic?”

“Didn’t you hear from Fran?”

“That child doesn’t speak freely about others. All I heard was that you asked me to teach you the basics of magic.”

“I see.”

Leonard nodded and replied.

“Let me start with why I boarded the ‘Aquamarine.’”

The story, which began with the失控的空间魔法 and continued for a few minutes, reached the part where he landed at the dock with Francis, cut Luciano’s arm, and wiped out the gang.

Ester laughed and clapped several times at the story of how Luciano met his match.

“Hahaha! That scoundrel finally met his match? He won’t be able to crawl out of his house for a while, given that he only has his father’s influence!”

The suspicion in her eyes began to dissipate at that moment. A person who could calculate gains and losses would not risk antagonizing Pablo of the Union Council.

When she wondered why Marian left him alone, it was clear that she had sensed a similar smell in him.

‘Indeed, he must be the successor to Director Nörd. Fran definitely has a good eye for people.’

Ester recalled the face of the former adventure guild leader and wore a wistful expression.

The food began to be served around this time.

Clatter, clatter.

Ester was lost in old memories, and Leonard was fascinated by the dishes he was trying for the first time, so they were silent for a while.

The clatter of the dishes echoed in the room.

The two focused on their meal until the plates were empty and finished the dessert and tea that came at the end before getting up from their seats.

* * *

The Tower of Magic.

The existence of this symbolic building has been confirmed since ancient times. The one built in the Atlantis Maritime Union is one of the most recent in its long history, while the oldest tower has stood for a millennium.

Mages are inherently a socially and emotionally deficient race, neither liking to lead nor follow.

If the Tower of Magic did not exist, mages would have split into dozens of factions, making it impossible to consolidate their power.

“In short, it’s an institution that tries to integrate these reclusive mages into the flow of society.”

This was Ester’s explanation in the heart of the Tower of Magic.

“…Is it okay to say this to anyone?”

“People who can directly criticize me are locked away in the top floors, so it’s fine.”

Leonard realized that her position in the Tower of Magic was even higher than he thought.

To be someone that only the residents of the top floors could criticize, despite being only at the 4th rank, was a level of treatment reserved for the direct disciples of the Tower Master or the Elders.

“Follow me. We’re going to my personal workshop.”

Following Ester onto a wide, disc-like platform, it quickly ascended to their destination.

The interior of the Tower of Magic, without any stairs or ladders, was filled with hexagonal rooms and doors, resembling a beehive.

“Doesn’t it feel suffocating?”

Ester grumbled as she gestured at the rooms.

“Each of these small-looking rooms is expanded by a spatial expansion spell. To gather thousands of mages in one tower and provide each with personal space, this was the only way.”

“It’s efficient but inhumane.”

“Who would disagree? Mages’ eccentric personalities are partly innate, but they are also largely shaped by their environment.”

As they discussed this, they arrived at a room with Ester’s nameplate, similar to the entrance of Bermuda, which had no visible handle.

Placing her finger on the nameplate and concentrating, the magic power flowing from her finger unlocked the door, which then slid open.

“Everything from movement inside to entering and exiting rooms is done by magic.”

“Well, it is the Tower of Magic. Humans have a tendency to flaunt their special status.”

Leonard agreed and looked around Ester’s workshop.

‘It’s a strange space. The energy flows like a spider web in all directions.’

While the expanded size was different from the outside, the entire space was dominated by an artificial flow.

It seemed to be managed magically for humidity, temperature, and other factors, giving the impression of living within a harmless formation. Upon closer inspection, he found a magical array functioning similarly to the formation’s axis.

Not wanting to risk anything, Leonard decided not to go near it.

“Sit over there. I need to prepare a bit. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Coffee? Is it a type of tea?”

“Surely you’ve never had coffee?! It’s popular even in the inland regions.”

Ester looked at him with a truly surprised expression, then filled a kettle with water and infused it with a small amount of magic power.

Steam soon began to rise from the spout of the kettle.

‘Is this an artifact for boiling water? It’s convenient.’

As the water poured into a mug, a pleasant aroma began to spread through the room.

It was the opposite of tea, which pursues a subtle fragrance.

“The aroma is good.”

Leonard looked at the coffee cup in front of him for a moment, took a sip, and frowned.

“It’s bitter. Is this the original taste?”

“Hahaha!”

Ester laughed heartily at his reaction.

“Now that’s a more 15-year-old reaction. I’ll add a few teaspoons of sugar, so just wait a bit. Some people like it as it is, but it seems it doesn’t suit your taste.”

“Thank you.”

From his past life, the closest taste he could think of was the bitter ginseng tea he had once received from the old medicine king.

He had almost drawn his sword at the old man’s nonsense about how bitterness soothes the soul, but he had endured it out of gratitude for the old man’s healing. While the ginseng tea had a pungent smell, this coffee was not enjoyable either.

However, Leonard soon had to change his mind.

“…It’s good.”

The bitterness was significantly reduced with a few teaspoons of sugar, transforming into a flavor that could be savored for a few seconds.

Ester chuckled at his honest evaluation.

“Nobles in the inland regions also add a few teaspoons of cream, but I don’t have any, so you’ll have to make do with this.”

“It’s enough. Now, please tell me about magic.”

“Alright, that’s enough chit-chat.”

Sitting across from Leonard with a small table and two cups of coffee between them, Ester began to explain slowly.

It had been a long time since she had reviewed the basic theories.

“The mana cultivation you and the knights are practicing accumulates mana within you, strengthening your body and refining your aura. The power comes from outside to fill you, but the subject of the power is always yourself. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“However, mages take the opposite approach. The only thing they build within their bodies is a medium, a circle, to interfere with the world. The rest of their training time is invested in discovering and improving the formulas to change the world.”

For example, Ester raised her index finger.

“What happens if you release the mana inside your body through your finger?”

Leonard thought for a moment that she was talking about a finger wind, but then shook his head.

“It would be released.”

“Yes, that’s it. Normally, that’s where it would end. But by applying a hidden formula of this world, you can manifest a different effect, which is magic. [Fire].”

As soon as she said it, a small flame appeared at the tip of Ester’s index finger.

As she had explained, it was just the release of mana.

“Theoretically, any phenomenon in this world can become magic. [Fire] is a spell that ignites a flame by injecting a certain amount of mana into the formula for combustion. If you add direction and speed, and amplify the explosive power, it becomes [Fireball].”

Leonard’s insight instantly grasped the meaning of her words.

“…If the amount of mana and the completeness of the formula are sufficient, can anything be done? Is that what a mage is?”

“Yes.”

Ester affirmed.

“A mage who reaches the 10th rank can become omnipotent in this world. If we consider the ultimate level of mana cultivation, the Mythical Realm, where one becomes a transcendent being, it would be difficult to compare.”