BTCATL 18

18.

“…The third one?”

I asked blankly, and Redin nodded.

“Nix doesn’t particularly like humans. In fact, they’re more inclined to reject them. That’s why people often call them aggressive. And yet, on very rare occasions, there were humans they loved. Including you, that makes three.”

Redin frowned and gestured toward the man who was grinning at me.

The man waved his hand playfully, and a pitch-black shadow slithered out from behind him, settling on his shoulder.

[Ugh.]

[Asila, that thing is seriously unpleasant.]

I saw the butterflies flutter around me, bristling with wariness.

[Should we take it down ourselves?]

The shadow, which whispered briefly to the butterflies, wasn’t especially large, but it radiated a distinctly dangerous aura.

Except for its blood-red hue, it seemed almost like a completely different entity—its presence and form both unlike anything I’d seen before.

“Spirits take on completely different forms depending on their contractor’s mana and nature.”

The man seemed to read my thoughts as he offered the explanation while I stared at the shadow.

As more butterflies began to appear around me, he raised both hands and gently pushed the shadow back behind him.

“Anyway, go change. You’ve got an appointment with the old geezer.”

Not understanding his words, I turned to Redin, who gave me his usual warm smile, as if to reassure me.

“The Tower Master wants to see you. And there are some documents that need to be filled out if you’re to become a spirit mage of the tower. Let’s take care of that together. I’ll wait outside.”

Only after repeatedly asking if I felt well enough to move did Redin finally leave the room with the man, looking somewhat relieved.

I followed them down the corridors of the tower, which was far more complex inside than its exterior suggested.

The man giggled as we climbed the stairs and I looked around curiously.

“All spirit towers are like this. Wander into the wrong room and you could end up roasted alive in a trap meant for intruders.”

A room with a giant man-eating plant created in cooperation with spirits.

A room where unauthorized intruders are burned alive the moment they step in and can never escape.

A room containing a savage test creature that will instantly tear anyone to shreds.

The man’s enthusiastic description of all these grotesque traps made my expression tighten.

“Sounds like something your tower would be full of.”

Redin, who had been walking silently as though deep in thought, raised his head with a sour expression.

“Please ignore him. The North Tower doesn’t indulge in such distasteful things. Spirit barriers are enough to stop intruders. It’s just the structure that’s a bit complex.”

He deliberately installs those barriers just so he can enjoy watching intruders struggle to get in.

Though Redin had always been polite, it seemed his language grew notably harsher when it came to this man.

Ever since he called him a lunatic, I had a feeling things would be like this.

“Oh dear, I’ve been found out,” the man snickered without a hint of remorse.

“…Here we are.”

Ignoring him, Redin stopped in front of a large room and opened the door without hesitation.

The butterflies fluttered behind me, scattering light.

Inside the Tower Master’s room, where one wall was fully curtained, there was no one.

My mouth parted slightly at the sight of the desk in the center of the brightly lit room.

Stacks of paperwork towered so high they nearly reached the ceiling.

Whenever the wind crept into the room, the paper stacks swayed dangerously.

A few sheets flapped to the ground. Redin picked them up with a sigh, as if it were a regular occurrence, while the man beside me clicked his tongue.

The fact that something so precarious had never collapsed truly felt like a miracle.

And then—

“Aaaaaargh!!!”

I blinked.

That scream… it sounded like an old man’s voice…

Before I could react, Redin strode toward the curtained wall.

—Shhhk.

Sunlight burst through as he pulled the thick curtains aside.

[It’s a Djinn.]

[But why’s he like that?]

[Guess he doesn’t get along with his contractor.]

[Stupid human.]

Squinting at the sudden brightness, I turned my head at the butterflies’ chatter.

A fierce but clear wind whipped past.

A wide terrace stretched beyond what I’d thought was just a small windowed wall, sunlight glinting off the open glass doors.

“That geezer—seriously, is he stupid or just brainless? He’s always like this.”

“Quiet.”

Multiple enormous djinn—the ones Redin and I had ridden up to the tower—were standing there.

With their bloated forms, they held an elderly man—presumably the Tower Master—dangling by his collar from their mouths.

The old man’s head turned toward us as if sensing our presence.

“Redin! Tell these things to let me go! My head’s ringing! Djinn, can’t you put me down?!”

In defiance, the wind spirit violently shook its head with the old man still dangling from its mouth.

“Aaaaaargh!!”

The frail body of the old man swung dangerously.

He looked ready to faint at any moment.

I could hear the butterflies on my shoulder mocking him softly.

[Definitely a Djinn’s contractor.]

[He’s got the wind sigil.]

[Then why’s he like that?]

[We told you earlier.]

[He’s stupid.]

Perhaps because they said it loud enough, the old man turned to look at me with a dazed expression.

The man behind me snorted with laughter, and Redin sighed.

Then the silvery eyes of the wind spirits fixated on the spot where I stood.

[…Nix.]

The moment I felt a deep, resonant voice in the wind, a strong gust blasted toward us.

Instinctively, I grabbed Redin’s sleeve.

When the wind passed and I opened my eyes, the djinn were gone.

“Ack…”

All that remained was the old man collapsed on the floor, clutching his back and groaning.

[They ran.]

[They ran away.]

[Guess two shadows were too scary.]

[What cowards.]

The butterflies fluttered again, snickering.

The man’s spirit—its black shadow—peeked out from behind his shoulder, likely echoing similar thoughts.

“Ahem. I must apologize for the poor first impression.”

Dusting off his now-soiled robes, the old man finally spoke in a low, composed voice.

“I am Dialune, Tower Master of the North Tower—one of the great four spirit towers.”

Had I not just witnessed him dangling helplessly, his authoritative tone might’ve been intimidating.

But now, I couldn’t find words.

“Great tower, my ass,” the man muttered with a sneer, prompting Redin to glare sharply at him.

Unbothered, the old man chuckled and looked at me.

“So, what is the name of Her Highness, the Imperial Princess?”

I flinched slightly.

But only for a moment.

“…Asila.”

I slowly spoke my name.

Not von Chelsia, nor von Ludwig—just mine, unbound by anything.

—The Tower Master wants to see you.

When he referred to me as “the Imperial Princess,” my body had frozen up.

In the past, when I still had feelings for the Grand Duke, Redin had gently mentioned the Tower Master when suggesting I come with him.

He must have known I was the Grand Duchess. So it wasn’t surprising that he also knew I was a princess.

After all, my marriage had been ordered by the Emperor. Anyone who looked into it would know.

I took a deep breath.

I had to stop reacting every time someone called me princess.

Those titles—abandoned princess, hollow Grand Duchess—were no longer mine.

“I’m no longer a princess or a duchess, so I’d appreciate it if you refrained from using those titles.”

I answered calmly, though the ache lingered beneath the surface.

“I see. Then, Asila, may I speak casually with you?”

I nodded.

Relaxed by my permission, the old man now stared at the butterflies perched on my shoulder.

[What are you staring at, stupid human.]

The man leaning against the wall behind me chuckled softly.

Unbothered, the Tower Master observed the butterflies closely.

“They may be small in form, but Nix is still Nix. That’s a lot of mana they’re holding. Just maintaining their form must be taxing. How’s your body holding up?”

I blinked.

Just like the man and Redin had said, the butterflies were taking my mana as they pleased—but I never found it particularly difficult.

Well, except when they multiplied into thousands to attack the man earlier—then I’d felt like I was about to faint.

The Tower Master stared at me silently for a while, then laughed.

“You contracted with Nix after reaching adulthood—I worried for nothing. Your mana isn’t just sufficient—it’s overflowing. No wonder Nix chose you.”

With a bit of restraint, you might surpass every spirit mage in this tower.

He flicked his fingers toward the massive paper stacks.

A much smaller wind spirit popped out of thin air, grabbed a few documents, and brought them to him.

“Here, take a seat.”

He gestured toward a couch, sat opposite me, and handed me the papers.

“These are the documents for becoming a spirit mage of the North Tower. I’m the Tower Master, so all it needs is your signature to make it official.”

The documents resembled a contract, listing benefits like research funds and support from the North Tower.

The amount of money listed was so large I instinctively looked up.

Seeing what surprised me, Redin smiled gently beside me.

“Spirit mages are incredibly valuable. Even for a spirit tower, attracting them requires appropriate compensation.”

Nodding slowly, I read the paper with trembling eyes.

The realization hit me all over again: I had truly become a spirit mage.

“Each tower has different requirements for affiliation, but the North is especially generous. It’s the area with the most monster outbreaks, and we often have to forcibly recruit members.”

It didn’t take long for me to fill in the signature.

“…!”

As soon as the Tower Master signed in return, the paper began to glow—slowly collapsing in on itself.

I stared at the light in awe.

As the glow dimmed and vanished, only a silver pocket watch with a black circular symbol remained.

The Tower Master placed it in my hand, smiling widely.

“Welcome to the North Tower, Asila.”

I now had a new place to belong, when I had neither a place to go nor anything I could do.