Chapter 97

EP.97 Prophecy-2

The ticking of the clock.

As the soft sound of water followed, tea was poured into the teacup.

Steam and a sweet fragrance rose gently, but no one took a sip.

The atmosphere was similar to when Leo and Eileen first met in the magic tower, sparred, and then teleported to the teahouse.

"Are you going to criticize me for savoring tea, even though I'm an uninvited guest? This is really too much."

The noble lady of the Tempeius family, who was the cause of this, gently lifted her teacup. The werewolf beside her was busy trying to read the room, and Anus drank tea from the side.

"...What brings the noble lady of the Tempeius family here? Without any prior notice."

The head of the family, Gladio, asked the question with a hint of restraint.

"I apologize for that, Head Gladio."

Eileen put down her teacup and smiled in a formal and hypocritical manner.

"Seeing the great senior mage, I couldn't help but approach him. I'm really embarrassed. But thanks to that, I was able to help the family of my junior, which was a great honor."

At her words, the werewolf shuddered excessively. He had only been happy to be guided by a beautiful woman, never imagining he would end up in such a thorny situation.

Especially, a white-haired hero who kept glancing at him with a murderous look, making it impossible for him to even think about drinking tea.

"A senior mage?"

Leo, who had just woken up, did not lose his focus, paying attention to every word of the story. Even if the sage beside him talked about Caren, a genderless human beyond the concept of a surname, he did not lose his concentration.

"...It's all an old story. No need to take it to heart, right?"

Anus, who seemed displeased with Eileen's formal attitude, made a sarcastic remark.

"If you think it's empty words, there's nothing I can do. But I believe the research on elemental magic and ethical rights that Master Anus gave me has value."

"You talk well. In the end, the magic tower only sees elementals as auxiliary tools to replace or collect magic or mana, don't they?"

Anus's sharp words made Eileen chuckle. Everyone thought it was an unusually natural laugh for her.

"That's a bit disappointing. At least now, the magic tower has changed. It's thanks to the contributions of many mages, including Anus."

In Anus's narrowed eyes, Leo's expressionless face was reflected.

"And among those who contributed, there was Anus's grandson, my capable junior."

At her words, everyone's attention turned to Leo. At the same time, those knowledgeable about magic, like Rios and Anus, looked at Ein.

"Practically, Ein was destined to be preserved permanently, subjected to repeated experiments and dissections. It was beneficial for the magic tower and, more importantly, had fewer ethical issues."

The Reinhardt family looked at Eileen with murderous intent. But she was not afraid at all, knowing that their eyes were trembling.

"The chances of winning the debate were low, and there was no one willing to defend him properly. At least, not a defense that would guarantee his rights as a living being."

It was understandable.

Leo and Rios had emphasized this many times when introducing Ein. That's why Leo was considered even more remarkable, and it was a pity that he did not seek help from the family.

"The reason Leo's junior could turn the tide was thanks to the papers left by Master Anus in the magic tower."

Rios also knew this. The satisfied smile on Leonardo's face when he saw the name 'Anus' in the papers he prepared for the debate was unforgettable.

"So, it's quite moving to realize that this junior, who staged such a historic comeback, used the wisdom left by his great-grandfather, Anus, correctly."

Though there was little response to Eileen's words, the content was a touching story that could have come from a novel.

"Surely, Leonardo's excellent growth is also due to the education provided by Master Anus."

Aria thought at that moment, 'Anus isn't someone who would be swayed by flattery.' But that belief was shattered in about 10 seconds.

"...Don't get the wrong idea. He just grew up on his own."

Anus, turning his head, covering his slightly upturned lips while avoiding eye contact, was truly a master of subtlety.

Aria felt her confidence that Anus would be on her side shattered like dust.

The permission she had fought hard to obtain from Anus, her de facto mother-in-law, seemed to be given to Eileen in about 10 minutes.

Clank

Leo put down his teacup with dignity. At the same time, he deliberately made a loud sound to calm the tense atmosphere.

"So, what is your business, Senior Eileen?"

Leo spoke in a cold, businesslike tone, clearly drawing a line.

"...Thank you."

But to her, it was within her comfort zone. The sudden gratitude drew everyone's attention back to Eileen.

"I heard you even dropped the senior title when addressing Flatus Blanc, but fortunately, I'm still called senior."

The scandal involving Flatus Blanc had long spread throughout the magic tower. Her disgrace and misconduct had tarnished the Blue Tower's reputation.

The Blue Tower's head was even grateful to Leo for beating up his daughter, as it helped improve the public opinion and sympathy for her rehabilitation.

"...I'm sorry for declining your offer, but I haven't forgotten the kindness you've shown me, Senior Eileen."

When Eileen Tempeius learned that Leonardo was studying at the magic tower, she regularly visited to encourage him to affiliate with the Tempeius family or, at the very least, the magic tower in some form.

In fact, the reason he could receive a permit to access the classes and libraries of multiple magic towers without being affiliated with any one of them was due to Eileen's recognition as a magic tower supervisor.

"You left quite decisively. You even had a simple farewell party, which everyone found regretful."

Many juniors, seniors, professors, and even some magic tower heads had repeatedly suggested that Leo should establish roots in the magic tower.

But Leo consistently and politely declined, and even at the final farewell party, he made his intentions clear.

"...I never did that. Are you discriminating against people~?"

Everyone except Anus and Dean thought, 'Think about your own behavior first.'

"Sending at least 200-character handwritten letters to each person, along with a magic book related to them as a gift, made it hard to hold you back."

It was the highest form of respect for a mage. The letters not only contained the content but also clearly stated his intention to return to Reinhardt, making it impossible to hold him back.

"...Strange. The Tempeius family is supposed to be in a position to check the magic tower. Why are you encouraging him to stay?"

Chris's opinion seemed reasonable on the surface. The growth of the magic tower's power was not beneficial from the Tempeius family's perspective.

"...I see. From Reinhardt's perspective, it must be hard to understand the feelings of someone who remains steadfast despite any means used to retain them."

At least, the desire to retain someone who could contribute to the development of magic in any form.

"...What do you mean? I don't want to hear this from an uninvited guest."

There was a strange tension between Chris and Eileen. Thinking about it, Chris and Eileen had similar judgments and emotions. The only difference was that Chris was overly pure, and Eileen was overly cynical. Leo suspected there was a kind of self-hatred between them.

"Do you really not understand the value of Leonardo's existence?"

At her words, most people fell silent.

Since returning from the magic tower, or rather, since Leo came to Reinhardt, the entire Reinhardt family might have subconsciously believed, if not consciously, that Leo would succeed even if he didn't stay in Reinhardt or come there in the first place.

"At first, I thought I owed a great debt to Reinhardt. Or perhaps, there was a personal feeling."

At the mention of personal feelings, a white-haired, red-eyed girl's teacup trembled, and her ears, flushed with a rosy hue, perked up in anticipation.

"But, surprisingly, the direction of assistance and support was mostly the opposite."

Eileen's words were rude, but there was little to refute. Logically, this direction and form were strange.

"He didn't even learn Reinhardt's mana cultivation method. Instead, according to rumors, he developed his own method and passed it to Reinhardt."

Everyone recalled this.

The cultivation method Leonardo demonstrated when he first came to the Reinhardt family.

Despite having the opportunity to gain something, he passed on his vision without asking for anything in return, as if returning what he had received.

"Surprisingly, a new cultivation method appeared in the Reinhardt family, and Leonardo became the exclusive knight of Ariasfil."

The familiar tone and the fact that she already suspected this made it clear that if it were true, what Leonardo received was insignificant compared to what he gave.

"So, I thought. If this was due to personal feelings, what kind of feelings...?"

Bang

Leo slammed his fist on the table, finding her words too much.

"Oops, were there mosquitoes or flies around?"

"There's no way. I'm just warning an uninvited guest who is rudely interrogating the head of the family and the family members."

The hostility was now clear.

"Is that so? You are indeed loyal."

"Because of Reinhardt, I can be here like this."

This was a sincere statement from Leo.

He had never forgotten this fact.

The problem was...

'...Is that really true...?'

Eileen's strategy was already half successful, as the family members had begun to doubt.

If they started to believe they had no right or qualification to retain Leo, it would be easier to draw him to her side.

"Then, I'll take my leave. I hope to see you again soon."

"Yes, it would be better after you've cooled down."

"Then, I'm sorry."

She smiled and prepared the spell for teleportation.

"Leo, you're so charming that it's hard. Every time I see you, my head and heart heat up."

"Then, I won't see you easily."

Leo drew a clear line, but Aria, with a mix of anger, obsession, and jealousy in her eyes, drew her holy sword.

"...That's a shame."

As Eileen disappeared, Aria swung her sword vertically. Eileen smiled triumphantly and vanished.

"Who would let you see my Leo! Never come back!!"

The anger and rage were so intense that everyone felt not just shock but fear. Dean, standing next to the holy sword, rushed to Leo and whispered in his ear.

"...Do they...not get along...?"

"Yeah, it seems really bad."

Not knowing this was also a skill, Dean almost blurted it out.

"...But what can we do?"

"It's fine. I don't think it's your brother's fault."

Dean and Anus were outsiders and victims in this matter, and they were likely to be treated well as if they were family.

"...No, that's not it... That woman is also going to the place with the seer."

"...What?! Why?!"

Why would that woman go to such a place...! A woman who seemed to ignore prophecies...!

"She said she wanted to go to an auction and a casino after a long time, and the conversation led to that."

"Wait... An auction and a casino...?"

The only place in the capital where legal auctions and casinos existed came to mind.

"Is the seer in the Pleasure Alley?"

A bustling area and a legal pleasure district.

A place where legal and illegal auctions and gambling thrive.

[What does she mean by a seer who doesn't want to see the future?]

<...Ha...That's what I thought.>

Contrary to her pre-reincarnation words, it was a place that made sense.

It was hard to find a place where fate changed so rapidly.

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