Chapter 694: The Witch and the Magic Tower (8)

A massive flame filled the vast lobby of Jenny’s bar.

Waves of emerald flames, scorching to behold, poured down over Lennok like a waterfall.

Lennok gazed silently at the swirling fire, his focus intermingling with the bewildered shouts of people around him.

“Van!”

“What in the world is…!!”

“Tatiana, stop it now!”

As Jenny cried out in a sharp voice, Tatiana grit her teeth and channeled her mana.

But the firebird flickering in her hand instead spread its form and slowly began to approach Lennok.

Sweating profusely, Tatiana desperately shook her head at Lennok.

“No. The Magic Tower Lord succession process has activated, and I can’t stop it with my authority…!!”

“So why is Van succeeding the Magic Tower Lord…!! Ha, this is no time to be thinking about such things.”

Jenny bit her lip and shook her head, exclaiming.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Lennok suddenly confessed he had the qualifications or ability to become the Magic Tower Lord now.

However, since she couldn’t know if Lennok was prepared for this sudden situation, she would simply do what needed to be done.

“I’m opening the windows and vents to lower the temperature. I’ll bring disposable fire extinguishing items, so try to block it as much as possible inside the lobby!!”

Meanwhile, the swirling flames instantly compressed, leaving only Lennok and the firebird. They transformed into a circular pathway connecting the two.

The moment the fiery path, through which nothing else around them was visible, passed through his consciousness.

[Entering the Solar System.]

KWAARGH!!!

The flickering, shimmering flames widely curved, unfolding around Lennok like a magnificent palace of fire.

An epic sight, with endlessly swirling flames rippling and burning within distorted space-time.

In an instant, Lennok, who had stepped into the fiery palace from the middle of the bar, silently looked around.

‘Is this a conceptual space created by forcibly injecting an image into the consciousness?’

A marvel that directly drew upon the will-thought image contained within the Phoenix Hall artifact and unfolded it before the target’s eyes.

Rather than forcibly constructing a mental landscape into reality like a Domain, it was the opposite: it pulled the target into a virtual conceptual space.

Whirrrrrrr!!!

A grand palace of flames, burning through space and time.

Beyond it, eight colossal altars of suns continuously blazed.

KUGUGUGUGU!!!

On each altar, suns of different lights and forms incessantly glowed and burned.

There were suns burning fiercely and radiating heat, and suns losing power, flickering, and dying out.

Some even glowed without taking the form of a sun at all, and on one altar, there was no sun to be found.

And right beside them, the ninth altar lay empty.

The massive firebird, coiled upon the empty altar, looked down at Lennok.

“…”

Flap!!!

The firebird, which had flown from Tatiana’s fingertips, slowly approached Lennok.

Its graceful movements suggested its will-thought itself sought to melt into Lennok’s inner self, like a bird finding a new nest.

[Hostility factor judgment complete. Official succession process in progress.]

[Welcome, successor, to the ninth sun.]

A calm voice, quite contrary to pyrokinetic magic that consumed all, echoed resonantly in his mind.

The moment the colossal firebird, with its wings fully spread, was about to plunge into Lennok’s inner self with that voice.

Lennok raised one hand and stopped the firebird.

Chiiiiiik!!!

The shield layered over his fingertips crumpled and melted under the pressure, yet Lennok’s palm felt not a shred of heat.

The firebird, which had been flapping its wings to penetrate Lennok’s inner self, showed a mix of confusion in its movements.

Soon, it began to struggle, as if to exert more force.

[Handover in progress, error… Re-evaluating hostility factor.]

[Peak of Extremes user recognized. Corrective measures in progress.]

Whirrrr!!!

The even more intensely burning flames became a living physical force, swirling before Lennok’s eyes.

The palace of fire surrounding Lennok became a massive, turbulent vibration. It was a powerful will-thought, greatly shaking his very consciousness.

Lennok, quietly listening to the firebird’s image, murmured.

“It recognizes that I’ve mastered pyrokinetic magic. And a Magic Tower Lord succession process, no less…”

Lennok smiled, watching the firebird’s form wavering before him.

“So this is what the Magic Tower’s pursuit of the Phoenix Hall meant.”

Tatiana’s mention of the Magic Tower’s legitimacy and symbol. The reason why the Flame Pillars under the Magic Tower and Deadrise had been tracking this object.

The unique legacy left behind by the previous Magic Tower Lord, and an artifact of unparalleled value.

Lennok now fully understood what this fiery entity, the Phoenix Hall, truly signified.

This was, quite literally, the very [seal] needed to formally succeed the Blaiver Magic Tower’s master.

Lennok’s eyes, silently gazing at the firebird’s form, deepened.

‘The situation itself is a problem, but for the succession of the Magic Tower Lord to proceed at this particular moment means…’

He could understand it reacting to his pyrokinetic magic, but that leading to a Magic Tower Lord succession process was an entirely different matter.

What did it mean that, despite the Blaiver Magic Tower Lord clearly existing, the succession process activated for Lennok, disregarding him?

Having thought that far, Lennok raised one hand and brought it to his wrist.

He pulled the Flame Pillar-shaped artifact from his wrist and tossed it onto the firebird’s neck.

Click!!!

[…?]

“It seems stopping it first and then listening to an explanation is the priority.”

The Charm of Earth’s Embrace, one of the previous Lighthouse Keeper’s legacies. It possessed spatial binding capabilities, allowing it to forcibly bind a specific target.

Even if the artifact alone wasn’t enough, combining it with Lennok’s will-thought to bind it…

Whirrrrrrr!!!

At that moment, the firebird’s form sharply bent, then began to be sucked into Lennok’s forearm where he wore the Flame Pillar.

Stepping back from the palace of fire that filled the surroundings, he instantly exited the conceptual world.

Simultaneously, all the flames that had engulfed and burned around Lennok compressed and vanished into his hand.

“…”

The first things he saw upon opening his eyes were the stiff, astonished faces of Jordan and Tatiana.

Jenny, emerging from the back room of the bar with fire extinguishers and all sorts of items, cried out in surprise.

“Van!”

“It’s more or less done.”

Lennok lightly waved his left hand and smiled.

“I temporarily changed its form and bound it. This should maintain the phenomenon without too aggressive a reaction.”

“That’s…”

A peculiar fiery form, swirling like flames coiling around his skin.

Everyone belatedly realized that it was the will-thought entity of the Phoenix Hall, which had just flown from Tatiana’s hand.

Jenny stared blankly at the sight, then hastily composed herself, approached, and asked.

“What in the world happened? And what was that fire just now?”

“Before that, I think it would be better to hear an explanation from Tatiana first.”

Lennok said, turning his gaze. Tatiana flinched at his look.

“The artifact called Phoenix Hall. It’s not just a simple artifact or relic. Is it?”

“…Yes.”

Tatiana sighed softly and replied.

“The Phoenix Hall is not merely a legacy left by the previous Magic Tower Lord. To be precise, it is her very remains.”

“Her remains…?”

At Jenny’s disbelieving words, Tatiana continued.

“When a very powerful wizard dies, rarely, their will-thought remains in place and materializes.”

“…”

“In old Magic Towers, they traditionally process such materialized will-thought to use as a tool for succession of the Magic Tower’s authority.”

Tatiana nodded, gazing at the fiery form wrapped around Lennok’s forearm.

The materialization of will-thought left behind when a powerful sorcerer died. Lennok had heard of such a phenomenon before.

The will-thought material of the previous Lighthouse Keeper that Maiya Lonsdale had used in Machina, the Machine City.

Hadn’t she used the will-thought entity embedded in the Idol of Two Heads and Eight Arms to deceive the entire Machine City and reach Hermes?

The previous Magic Tower Lord, too, must have been a powerful wizard, strong enough to leave a significant trace in the place where she died and vanished.

“I had planned to hand this object over to another Magic Tower for preservation, rather than letting it be used as a satellite engine… I never imagined it would recognize you in the Solar System.”

“…”

“Since when have you been practicing the main Magic Tower’s magic? No, did you really succeed in transcending hierarchy with pyrokinetic magic?”

At Tatiana’s disbelieving questions, Lennok fell into thought.

Tatiana’s explanation wasn’t largely different from Lennok’s own conjectures, but precisely because of that, there were a few facts he needed to reconsider.

According to her, the current Magic Tower Lord, far from cherishing the Phoenix Hall, which was necessary for Magic Tower authority succession, tried to sell it as a satellite engine.

That would mean the current Magic Tower Lord doesn’t hold positive feelings towards the Magic Tower’s succession process itself.

What could he infer about the Magic Tower Lord from that?

“Van. I need an answer.”

Tatiana asked, her expression slightly hardened.

“If you truly obtained the legitimate qualifications of the Magic Tower, then I…”

“I don’t know either.”

Lennok replied.

“While I’m not entirely without guesses, I don’t clearly understand the current situation enough to be certain.”

“…The authority to succeed the Magic Tower Lord doesn’t activate simply by transcending hierarchy.”

Tatiana explained.

“To enter the Solar System, you must at least possess an intense conceptual image strong enough to step into that hall—”

“I acquired a similar power by chance. I imagine that’s why I’ve gained the qualification.”

“…How?”

Lennok replied shamelessly.

“I picked it up somewhere.”

“…”

His brazen answer left the others speechless, but Lennok knew this was the most amicable way to handle the situation.

With the Phoenix Hall’s presence, he could no longer hide the fact that he had mastered pyrokinetic unique magic or gained the qualification of Magic Tower Lord.

Rather than awkwardly evading, it was better to claim some unspecified circumstances prevented him from answering.

“…Right. Of course, there must be reasons you can’t speak about. It’s not my place to talk, considering I didn’t explain the Phoenix Hall’s history either.”

Tatiana, who had been staring at Lennok with an unreadable expression, finally sighed lightly, as if understanding.

Lennok watched her and nodded.

“You must have your reasons too.”

“The internal affairs of the Magic Tower and the Magic Tower Lord’s authority are intricately intertwined. As long as I maintain the position of Flame Pillar, I cannot escape the prohibition against disclosing internal Magic Tower matters.”

Tatiana replied, looking at Lennok’s forearm.

“Originally, if you weren’t a Flame Pillar yourself, it would be impossible to even touch it. That’s why…”

“That’s why you were able to bring out the Phoenix Hall. And how you hid it too.”

Only after directly handling the Phoenix Hall did Lennok realize how Tatiana had managed to escape with it, evading the Magic Tower’s surveillance.

She hadn’t sealed or concealed the Phoenix Hall separately.

To bring out the legacy of the previous Magic Tower Lord, Tatiana had directly dissolved its power within her own body.

Lennok chuckled wryly and shook his head.

“You could have died the moment you tried it. That was a reckless gamble.”

A materialized will-thought left by a great wizard, it was nothing short of a magical armament containing immense magical power and force.

To inject such an object into one’s body without permission or the right to inherit it—it was an idea one couldn’t attempt while sane.

It made no sense even if Tatiana had completed the hierarchy of pyrokinetic magic and inherited the authority of a Flame Pillar.

If the slightest calculation or judgment had gone awry, she would have died in agony, her blood vessels burning.

But Tatiana nodded as if Lennok’s words were obvious.

“If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have been able to escape my master’s eyes.”

“…”

“It’s late to say this, but my master is an extremely meticulous person. Any half-hearted attempt would have led to discovery and assassination.”

Had she dissolved the Phoenix Hall into her blood vessels, mixed it with her blood, and reached Vulcan while sane?

Indeed, it must have been because she took such a reckless gamble that she could hide the Phoenix Hall’s power and escape.

Since the Phoenix Hall had practically assimilated with Tatiana, nothing beyond that could be outwardly perceived.

Lennok, having figured that out, recalled her actions and asked.

“That’s why you struggled to fight as well. With such a relic dissolved in your body, it must have been hard to move your mana.”

“That’s right. Of course, I did adjust my pyrokinetic magic to specialize in artillery-type magic to some extent, but…”

Tatiana smiled.

“I had no intention of crippling my magical system so much that I couldn’t even protect myself on a battlefield where anything could happen.”

“And using blood as a medium for magic at the end…”

Lennok, quietly retracing his memory, belatedly nodded.

Just before the battle with Halfman and Malacia, Tatiana had tried to use her blood to cast magic.

At the time, Lennok had thought Tatiana was attempting to use life-draining blood magic, but in reality, she was trying to use the power of the Phoenix Hall, dissolved within her blood.

“It was reckless, but I thought it might just succeed. Because it’s not just a powerful artifact.”

Tatiana said, looking at the fiery wave rippling across Lennok’s forearm.

“It’s an object imbued with the previous Magic Tower Lord’s will-thought. I thought that if it reacted properly to her dying wish, changing its form and coexisting wouldn’t be impossible.”

“…”

“I never expected it to attach itself to you as if it had been waiting.”

An admission of risking her life on a slim chance. But Lennok said nothing more to her.

He understood that Tatiana had resolved herself deeply for this matter.

She must have found it unbearable that the wizards who had accompanied her were being ground down as material for an engine.

“Failing in operations and dying, or being thrown away as a sacrificial pawn and repeating meaningless sacrifices, I could endure that.”

Tatiana murmured.

“I knew I had to go to war the moment I joined the Magic Tower, and I never complained. But…”

Faint hatred seemed to rise from beyond her red hair.

“…But I can’t let my subordinates be ground down like this. If even death had meaning, I could accept it, but this is…”

Tatiana’s form, her words catching in her throat.

“Tatiana.”

Jenny calmly and quietly patted her shoulder. Tatiana gave a wry smile and ran a hand through her hair.

“I said something unnecessary. Talking about this now won’t do anything but make me vent…”

“Everyone needs such a moment sometimes.”

Lennok nodded, watching Jordan console her with gentle words.

“Still, seeing it directly, I understand clearly. This is an object worth paying such a price for.”

“…”

“Not only for the succession of Magic Tower authority, but it’s an artifact that can change its surroundings just by its existence. Look.”

Lennok slightly loosened the Flame Pillar on his arm and raised his hand.

The moment he placed his left hand on a nearby table.

Crack…!!

The wooden table withered and crumbled into a handful of ash.

“Why? If it’s something left by the Magic Tower Lord, that much heat is natural, isn’t it?”

“It’s not simply because of the heat emanating from the Phoenix Hall. It’s entered the Solar System and is drawing and using the Magic Tower’s thermal energy and mana.”

Lennok said, retracting his hand.

“There was a reason why Deadrise and the Magic Tower wanted to use this object as an engine.”

As Jenny and Jordan’s expressions subtly changed upon realizing its meaning, Lennok re-fastened the Flame Pillar and nodded.

“This is practically a cornerstone for creating a new Magic Tower in the atmosphere.”