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“One of the heretics has contacted the Imperial Army.

It is said they have secured Elteman Edelweiss’s personal safety.

Investigation results revealed that Elteman Edelweiss is included as a member in the masquerading academic meeting.

Elteman has not returned since leaving the research lab five hours ago. It has been confirmed that there was a regular meeting scheduled today.”

“Damn…”

I’m not one to curse easily, but confirming the message about Elteman being captured by the heretics wasn’t enough to just vent my frustration internally. I needed to let my anger out somehow before I drove myself crazy.

People often say life is a series of coincidences, but isn’t this a bit much?

Heaven really shows no mercy. It feels like just yesterday I was celebrating how well the cleanup of the heretics was going, only for me to be thrown into this trial. I thought things were progressing too smoothly, but it seems I was just at the beginning of a much larger story. It stings in the back of my head.

“Ugh, my neck is aching.”

But why in the world is Elteman intertwined with those heretics?

As I wondered that internally, I couldn’t dismiss the possibility that his capture might partly be my fault. If I were to assess blame fairly, it wouldn’t be a clean 100 to 0, but more like a 40 to 60? I’d be unsure about a 50/50; it’s a really ambiguous ratio to round up.

Such an event never occurred in the original story. To be precise, there hasn’t been any incident where her family lands in danger.

In the novel, only the protagonist, Elena, suffers and grows from pain. The situations where her family faces harm simply didn’t happen. Their designated roles were to be unwavering supporters of Elena; there’s no way the author would permit those characters to appear weak.

But the world I’m living in now is reality, and in reality, there are no predetermined endings or fates. Only causal relationships based on each person’s choices exist, meaning there are absolutely no things that can’t happen. If there’s a cause, then naturally, there must be a corresponding effect.

Right now, I could say that the cause of Elteman’s predicament was something I provided. Of course, his choices would have had an impact too, but as I mentioned earlier, I can’t claim to be entirely blameless.

If those heretics were the ones causing chaos, and I’m the one trying to get rid of their hive, then Elteman is merely a victim passing by when he got stung. I feel like I’m not at fault, yet somehow feel that I share some blame.

The twists of the original plot aside, the Imperial Army moving so aggressively is all because of me, so it’s impossible not to feel responsible for the current situation.

The Heniwei incident, which alerted me to the presence of heretics in Ruden, unexpectedly turned into a butterfly effect. Perhaps I was too greedy in skipping so many main plotlines at once. Almost like karma biting back.

“Why did Elteman, of all people, who hardly ever leaves the research lab, have to go out into the city at that moment?”

Frustrated, I wanted to blame Elteman, but I knew deep down it wasn’t his fault. The fault lies with the heretics who made a mess; we are merely victims affected by their actions. I clenched my hand and glanced at the crumpled message again.

No matter how many times I look over it, the content won’t change, but I looked again nonetheless.

It mentioned the location where Elteman was captured. The Imperial Army had temporarily eased their watch on the area, so in order to rescue him, I would have to either comply with their negotiations or take action myself. Even if those heretics attempted negotiations, it was unlikely to proceed normally, meaning I effectively had only one option.

“…Should I take a night stroll for old times’ sake?”

I prepared to head out, grabbing my sword and clothes. The only comfort I had was that the dormitory had no curfew… it brought a tear to my eye.

Thanks to the spy planted in the Imperial Army letting me know first, it wouldn’t be long before the news reached Duke Joachim and Elena as well. I needed to move faster. I promised myself before coming here that I wouldn’t let them worry.

With that resolve, I rushed my preparations and left the dormitory.

Unbeknownst to me, a blue-feathered bird was chasing after me.

I didn’t realize until Elena, cloaked in black, appeared before me.

“Elena?”

“I also learned about your abduction. Damian, let’s hurry to rescue you, brother.”

“No, that’s not the issue right now. Why are you here? Since when… Could it be, Elena… have you been spying on me…?”

“Let’s go!!”

Elena???

*

Elteman Edelweiss.

The heir of the Duke House of Edelweiss, he enjoyed reading ancient stories like myths from a young age. The contents were entertaining and made it feel like the world of imagination was becoming real.

In this place where gods exist, legends and myths are not mere figments of imagination but actual records. The fact that the landscapes he imagined unfolded in the past on this land was enough to make Elteman’s heart race.

In that sense, being born into the Edelweiss family was fateful. One of the places with the most records in this world was the Seven Magic Towers, and he was their heir.

Thus, he often found himself in the great library of the Magic Tower, not out of curiosity for magic, but to read records of past days.

Though he was called a genius celebrated for his outstanding magical accomplishments since childhood, Elteman was closer to being a hardworking prodigy than a genius. His ambition might have been slightly misdirected, but his magical achievements stemmed from the efforts of a child striving to grasp the basic knowledge needed to understand historical records.

Elteman didn’t harbor much interest in magic. To be precise, he had no fascination for the unique magic passed down through the House of Edelweiss.

While the holy magic that manipulates the power of the stars could not be learned without the requisite talent, Elteman possessed that very talent, yet his interests lay elsewhere, even as he should have become the next master of the house.

Ever since he began searching through ancient tales, Elteman Edelweiss harbored a dream.

Tales from the mythological age when gods directly ruled the world to wars initiated by the greed of ancient dynasties. The knight who severed the arm of the thunder god. The hero who killed the dragon. The first magician who moved the stars and his disciples; this land was filled with various stories, but among all, the one Elteman loved most was the story of the ancient giants and the mages who opposed them.

“Wow…”

When enormous giants that moved mountains once existed on this land, a certain mage created a colossal golem equivalent in size to oppose them. From the moment he read that story, Elteman’s dream became to create such golems with his own hands, just like that mage from the story.

There are indeed noteworthy achievements that compare, but the greatness of those achievements is merely one of many factors that can sway a person’s heart; it doesn’t wield absolute influence.

If he simply liked the idea of defeating a giant, Elteman would have chosen the path of a knight instead. Many tales of defeating such monsters were more abundant in knightly lore. Elteman loved the story because the golem was as massive as the giant it defeated.

Initially, it began with wondering if he could control a golem larger than a mountain, but the deeper he delved, the more engrossed Elteman became, like a sponge, absorbing knowledge on the subject.

For Elteman, golems were an alluring prospect.

Golems.

That is what changed the course of a future great mage’s decisions.

“Father!!! I will become an alchemist!!”

“Get out right now!!! You brat!!!!!!”

It goes without saying that Joachim would never allow it.

The Edelweiss family was the master of the Dawn’s Tower, known as the headquarters of holy magic, and Elteman was the next heir there. Naturally, how could the heir declare his intention to become a mage of a different school without Joachim getting upset?

Yet, despite Joachim’s opposition, Elteman graduated from the academy and eventually made a name for himself at the Golden Tower. The passion of a young mage could not be quelled simply by his father’s disapproval. As a result, a sulking Joachim withdrew all support for Elteman as the heir of Edelweiss, but he never regretted his decisions.

He was willing to let his brother take all the titles and rights he would inherit. He cared for his brother that much, and he recognized her as the true successor to the title of Duke of Edelweiss long before others did.

The memory of his sister effortlessly performing an incantation from a spellbook she had just laid eyes on left an indelible impression on Elteman. He knew she was a more suitable heir. This also contributed to Elteman transferring to the Golden Tower without any worries.

What he regretted was that his sister showed no interest in golems.

With her genius in magic, if she had assisted in his research, they could have made much greater progress. That was Elteman’s sole regret toward the House of Edelweiss.

During his time studying at the Golden Tower, he felt more joy in learning than ever. He could sense he was gradually getting closer to his dream. The joy derived from that felt sweeter than anything he had ever enjoyed.

But everything must come to an end.

Elteman’s sweet dream was bound to shatter against the cold wall of reality.

Elteman was a capable magician and the youngest to receive the title of chief alchemist at the Golden Tower, honored with high regard. With a well-prepared research environment and companions who shared his ideals, it was truly the optimal circumstance for him, yet there remained one critical mismatch.

“Uh… why doesn’t anyone understand the beauty of this grandeur?”

The current trend at the Golden Tower seemed to focus on crafting smaller, more delicate golems than their predecessors. They were not the enormous golems Elteman desired. As time progressed, magic developed beyond the past; it was a change that came with that progress.

Whereas the golems of old emphasized the physical force stemming from their size, today’s golems prioritized precision and flawless movement. In this era, a golem of massive proportions became nothing more than a targeted punching bag for others’ attacks.

Of course, when it came to practicality, most understood that there should be some limit to a golem’s size, but still, the size Elteman envisioned was considered inefficient.

Maintaining a body as large as a mountain alone required an immense magical power, and the additional burden posed by that size, along with the intricate spells and functions required to support it, meant that it was simply more efficient to quickly fire off a few powerful spells instead.

“Why is efficiency so important!!!”

Of course, to Elteman, such facts held little significance.

From the beginning, he was aware that operating colossal golems was inefficient. Yet he was a man who had given up everything he should enjoy for his dream. For him, the difference between efficiency and inefficiency was merely an additional letter placed before the word; it was not something to be considered.

That, however, was not his only trouble.

The engagement of Elena, whom Elteman believed to be the family’s true heir, had been secured. His anger at whoever had snatched his sister would have been profound, but it flared even further at the fact that her fiancé was the heir of Kraus.

Elteman had no particular animosity toward Kraus—in fact, he quite liked them, since one of the stories he cherished featured a hero slaying a dragon, which was a legend said to have originated from the Kraus family.

However, Elena’s engagement to the heir of Kraus was something Elteman couldn’t take lightly. His sister, who was meant to become the owner of Edelweiss, seemed destined to become the mistress of Kraus; this allowed Joachim to exert pressure on Elteman. The powerful ward that had shielded him so far, “Elena will carry on the family,” was on the verge of losing its strength.

Ultimately, despite earning the title of chief alchemist at such a young age, Elteman had no choice but to leave the tower. He could no longer root himself there; it wasn’t that family affection didn’t exist, no matter how important dreams might be.

Yet he made one last decision for his dream, and that path led him to a professorship at Estellia Academy.

Although not a full professor, he had received positive feedback regarding his ideas from the professor of alchemical studies there, along with a promise to create a free research environment, making it the best opportunity he had encountered thus far. The position at Estellia was honorable, differing from the root of a specific school’s Magic Tower, allowing him to maintain a status until he became the head of the family.

“The Titans of ancient times. My childhood dream was to create such a golem. I’m really glad to meet someone who shares the same aspirations. What do you think? Would you join me?”

“Of course! The contract!! Let’s write up the contract right away!”

Thus, there was little Joachim could say about this decision, and he grudgingly accepted his son’s last struggle.

With seniors who walked the same path as him and supporters who agreed with his intentions, all that Elteman yearned for was laid out before him. There was no reason for Elteman to say no; originally, he had been an enthusiastic research fanatic, and he became completely absorbed in that haven, focusing solely on research, excluding meals and sleep.

In that warehouse of ideas, Elteman began to see the world as beautiful once more.

Initially, his feelings towards Elena’s fiancé were steeped only in animosity, but after hearing various rumors surrounding him, he seemed tolerable. After all, even if his time was limited, he’d be able to fall back into that sweet dream.

*

“Ugh… Where am I…?”

In a pitch-black room where not a single step could be seen. There, Elteman awoke. The ringing in his ears made his head throb for a moment, but it was just a temporary sensation. As Elteman began to circulate magic within himself, the headache quickly subsided.

Feeling a sense of confinement in his body, he turned his gaze and saw black chains binding him. It was easy for Elteman to recognize them as restraints that prevented him from using magic.

Seeing the chains prompted memories of what happened before he fainted to flash through his mind automatically, even without conscious thought.

“Elteman. I’ve enjoyed our time together. Unfortunately, you must serve as a hostage.”

He realized he had been kidnapped during one of the regular academic meetings held by his comrades, all of whom were now heretics. Though he had expected such a thing from happening, a part of him felt a bittersweet sentiment.

“100 million per head.”

Muttering a magical phrase to calm his mind, Elteman sighed softly at the chains.

“Looks like they’ve come very well-prepared.”

Although he knew how severe being unable to use magic was for a magician, his tone remained surprisingly relaxed. Anyone who saw him in this predicament might think he had hit his head too hard and was out of it, but Elteman had his reasons.

After quickly scanning his surroundings and confirming he was alone in the room, he whispered a name softly.

“Minion.”

In response to Elteman’s call, a tiny figure appeared. It wasn’t summoned by magic, but rather an inhabitant of the surrounding area that materialized at his command. Elteman looked down at the small figure then ordered it.

“Unlock.”

At his command, the minion nodded and slipped into the keyhole of the shackles. Moments later, with a click, the chains binding him began to fall off one by one.

Once he confirmed that he could move freely and cast magic without hindrance, Elteman placed his hand on the floor and executed a particular spell. To an outsider, it would appear as though there was no change in magical energy movement, but it was one of Elteman’s color-based magic spells.

In his mind’s eye, he created a three-dimensional mental map of where he was.

“Underground 1st floor, 3rd level above ground. An academic building. The count stands the same: a total of 15… no, to be exact, fifteen people. Shouldn’t be a problem.”

A smile blossomed on Elteman’s lips after finishing his exploration. The joy derived from the fact that everyone he knew was still in that building ignited excitement within him. Not a single one could be overlooked; otherwise, the reward he could demand from the Imperial Family would decrease.

Elteman felt a twinge of humiliation at such a thought, but when he began to consider making that reward part of his new magical circuits, that feeling melted away like snow in the sun. If he thought of it as a sponsorship, just like always, his mind found peace.

“Giant. Blade. Ghost…”

As Elteman pulled out his golems from the void space, fleeting hesitation left his mind.

“By the way, that academic chair seemed fairly capable. Perhaps a high-ranking individual in the sorcery community? I hope so.”

At that moment, only the bounties placed on the heads of heretics were fresh in his mind.

Elteman Edelweiss.

This genius alchemist, cut off from his family’s support, was a man in desperate need of money.

 

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