Chapter 29 – A Relationship That Bothers Me (4)
“Ah, this?”
Jade turned his head slightly and glanced at Eclipse.
Eclipse stared back at him, unblinking.
Don’t say it.
That powder was very likely connected to Elsie.
He couldn’t let Jade blurt that out as he pleased—
especially not in front of Lynette.
“Hm, it’s a secret,” Jade said playfully, putting a finger to his lips as if he’d caught the silent signal.
Lynette nodded with a face that said, Figures.
“Well, of course. Everything in that tower is shrouded in secrets.”
“Our young lady is so tolerant. How am I supposed not to like you?”
“Hmph.”
Arms crossed, Lynette tilted her head aside in annoyance.
“Anyway, what a coincidence. I came because I have business too.”
Her lifted gaze landed on Eclipse.
Eclipse met her eyes head-on.
“…”
“…”
The two said nothing, simply locking eyes in silence.
“This is an odd mood,” Jade muttered. “Feels a little more barren than last time. Or maybe… awkward?”
Rambling to himself, he stood and drifted over to Silbern.
“Alright then, Mr. Butler.”
“Yes, Lord Jade?”
“I’d like to meet the magic tutor who recently came to this mansion… Where is he now?”
The moment those words landed, the Ledaire siblings’ attention snapped to Jade.
“Oh? What’s with these scorching stares?”
Jade blinked, then smiled with an unreadable expression.
“Well now… that reaction’s not normal.”
A sly look spread across his face. Sensing danger, Eclipse spoke quickly.
“Jade, handle your business through me.”
“Do I have to? I can take care of it privately.”
“This is the Ledaire ducal residence, not your tower. Don’t forget—my word is absolute here.”
Jade fell quiet for a moment.
“…Ah, I see.”
He nodded as if he’d just realized something hugely important.
For the record, Eclipse really hated that attitude of his.
“My brother’s right,” Lynette cut in at the perfect time. “Mister, what business do you have with our teacher?”
She looked unusually on guard.
“Don’t tell me your ‘business’ is meeting Elsie?”
“Hm, so her name is Elsie.”
After thinking it over, Jade answered plainly,
“Right. I came to see Elsie.”
“…What did you say? Why? How do you know her? What business? Do you two know each other?”
Startled, Lynette fired off questions.
Before Jade could let his tongue run wild, Eclipse jumped in first.
“Calm down, Lynette. Jade said he was curious how skilled the person teaching you magic is. So I invited him.”
“Huh?”
“He wants to check Bloomhire’s aptitude himself. He is a tower master, appearances aside.”
“…Really?”
Lynette still looked doubtful.
Eclipse flicked a discreet hand signal at Jade.
Watch your mouth.
He tapped his finger against his lips, then his temple—
more “think before you speak” than simply “be quiet.”
“Hm.”
Jade, who had been silently observing, grinned.
He slid the floating glass vial back into his sleeve.
“That’s right.”
“Aha…”
With that, Lynette’s sharp expression eased.
“See? You could’ve just said so. I was nervous for nothing.”
The precarious moment just barely smoothed over.
Eclipse let out a breath of relief he didn’t show.
He hadn’t read Jade’s mind, but he knew the man would decide that cooperating for now was the more entertaining path.
“Well then, Your Grace, would you please call Elsie Bloomhire in?” Jade said with a sunny smile.
Eclipse chose the lesser evil. His head throbbed.
“Very well.”
A little while later, there was a knock at the office door.
Everyone’s gaze turned as one.
“You called for me, Your Grace?”
Elsie entered, looking rather puzzled.
Jade’s eyes suddenly brightened as he looked at her.
“Eclipse, is this kid the—”
“Jade.”
“Right, right. Sorry, sorry. My mouth runs ahead of me.”
Eclipse warned him in a low voice.
Jade played it off, lightly tapping his lips with a finger.
He stared straight at Elsie, who was glancing around nervously.
“Ohho… I see.”
Smiling leisurely, Jade studied her—and then, out of nowhere:
“What are you, exactly?”
He strode forward and brought his face right up to hers.
“Uh… y-yes?”
I was flustered.
A man I’d never met had suddenly leaned in close and asked, “What are you?”
Who is this guy to come at me like this?
If things had gone as planned, I would be in the city at Butter Snow right now.
But Silbern had rushed over saying it was urgent, so I hurried here…
Looks like cookies are a lost cause today.
Today just wasn’t my day.
I gave up quickly and scanned the office to grasp the situation.
Inside were me, the Ledaire siblings, and this mysterious man—
who was now standing way too close.
If he’s here, he must be close to Eclipse. But who?
No one came to mind. Half unsure, I asked,
“Um, who are you…?”
“Me? I’m someone curious about what you are.”
Isn’t this where you usually give your name?
“Ah. I see.”
He clearly had no intention of telling me.
For convenience, I decided to call him “Weird White-Hair.”
While I eyed him warily, Weird White-Hair fell into thought.
“Hm, too many eyes here. In that case…”
He suddenly smiled to himself.
“Let’s change locations.”
Click.
He snapped his fingers, and the world turned blinding white. Everything vanished.
“…!”
I could feel it.
This white space was formed by his mana.
He’s a mage.
And a terrifyingly strong one at that…!
I quickly tried to guess his identity.
A white-haired, purple-eyed mage close to Eclipse…
The vague outline sharpened.
“Don’t tell me—you’re Jade Kallon?”
“Oh? So you know me.”
Weird White-Hair—Jade—smiled, intrigued.
This is that Jade Kallon? The Tower Master of the Hern Mountains?
So the weird white-haired guy was the tower master.
As if the situation wasn’t confusing enough already.
“I don’t think I’ve introduced myself, but sure—no problem. I’m fairly famous, after all.”
Excuse me? Fairly famous? You’re extremely famous.
You’re the tower master and Eclipse’s ally—how could I not know you!
Yes. He was the stalwart ally of Eclipse, the story’s final antagonist.
Back then—long before now—there was a time when the Hern Mountain Tower was in danger for various reasons.
Eclipse had just become the new Duke of Ledaire.
And the very first thing he did was fund Jade’s tower.
The nobles sneered at Eclipse for backing a tower on the brink of collapse.
“The Hern Mountain Tower? He certainly chose a place that mirrors his own situation—no future in sight, how fitting.”
“That’s the limit of a commoner. Do you think that commoner even realizes he’s dragging his house down?”
“Of course not. He lacks the intellect for his station—that’s why he made such a foolish choice.”
“Well then, let’s just sit back and watch. If he’s going to self-destruct, we can enjoy the show! Hahaha!”
“Hoho, how right you are.”
But the tower came back to life—miraculously.
More than that: it was revealed that the force threatening Jade’s tower was actually a rival tower, and that they’d used forbidden magic.
Jade crushed the rival with sheer ability, and because of that, the Hern Mountain Tower rose to great prominence.
