As if the answer had been unexpected, the glow of the spell circuits dimmed for a moment.

—Bold move... are you sure that’s wise, Friend?

As Miguel’s breathing behind him grew quieter, Yog whispered with a snicker. Ian, of course, ignored it completely. He simply stood there with his arms folded, staring at the wall etched with spell circuits.

Soon, the chamber brightened again, and the buzzing voice echoed through the room.

"So, an external apprentice who has yet to even place his name on the official registry dares to refuse the magic tower’s request?"

Even though the voice sounded artificially altered, the anger in it was unmistakable.

Ian still didn’t so much as blink.

"All the more reason I cannot tell you. I’m not even formally affiliated yet, and you demand the contents of my research. Don’t you think you have the order backward?" He said coldly, barely moving his lips, making no effort to hide the distrust in his eyes or tone.

He was certain that blind obedience to such a question would look far more suspicious.

To a spellcaster, research materials are no different from their life.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason he was acting so bold.

To the examiner, Ian was currently the only person claiming to have inherited the research of Matthias, which had supposedly been lost. They wouldn’t destroy such material the moment it walked in on its own. Even if they intended to kill him, they would have to bring him into the tower first and pry open his mind.

"You make a fair point."

After a brief silence, the voice spoke again.

"However, if you claim to be Matthias’s disciple and the heir to his legacy, then you will require proof beyond simply arriving here, Apprentice Mage Ivan."

Damn picky.

Ian let out a quiet snort inwardly.

Still, thanks to that, he was once again convinced that the magic tower had always been wary of its location being exposed to outsiders or spies from other towers.

That was likely why the voice handling the entrance examination seemed familiar with Matthias. Whoever this examiner was, they held an important position within the tower.

And there must have been countless people who died at this stage.

He had already sensed it the moment he saw the staircase blocked by a wall below.

It was essentially a trap with no way to escape.

Even calling him an apprentice was probably a typical spellcaster’s trick, meant to provoke his pride and lure him into saying something careless.

"I’m aware there were disagreements between my master and the magic tower."

After flexing his fingers slightly as if hesitating, Ian continued speaking without unfolding his arms. He had decided to act as though his pride had been somewhat offended.

"My master believed one must first secure enough time to pursue the truth. Once again, it’s a matter of order—just as it is now."

That was also the biggest reason he had chosen to impersonate Matthias’s disciple.

After all, Ian had read both Duke Kralen’s and Matthias’s journals. Even though quite some time had passed, he still remembered their contents fairly clearly.

Of course, most of it had been utter nonsense that barely held together.

"And under His Grace the Duke’s patronage, my master’s research had nearly reached completion. It would have, if not for that tragic incident."

Still, it was more than enough to stitch together a convincing story.

Once again, the countless insane journals written by spellcasters and corrupted men he had read over the years were paying off.

"As I said before, regarding the contents of the research—"

"Let us revisit that incident."

The spell circuits flickered as the examiner cut him off. The tone remained stern, but Ian immediately sensed that the examiner believed him.

"Everyone involved in that incident died. How did you survive?"

"It is true that the Purification Squad and the Dragon Slayer ruined a great undertaking. But not everyone died. Sir Palmer, a beastfolk who served as one of the duke’s most loyal retainers, was captured—but later escaped."

After a brief pause, Ian answered in a subdued voice.

Of course, that backstory had been prepared together with Thesaya, after she insisted on it rather dramatically.

Palmer, now Charlotte’s right hand, had officially been recorded as missing along with the Purifiers who had taken custody of him.

Ian had originally thought such detailed explanations unnecessary. However, this time, the fairy’s intuition had proven correct.

"And he rescued me from the mansion’s underground chambers, where I had been hiding, and fled together with me."

"So you stole your master’s research materials in the process."

At the immediate remark, Ian frowned. "I saved them so they wouldn’t be burned. Besides, my master never mentioned my name anywhere in those records. The most important parts were never written down."

He didn’t bother hiding the resentment and mockery toward Matthias in his tone.

After all, it wasn’t uncommon among mages for a master to exploit their disciple. It would serve well enough as another reason for him to distrust and remain wary of the magic tower.

"So you’re saying you didn’t inherit all the research."

The voice continued. Its tone had grown noticeably more relaxed—likely because it had finally found several angles to press him on.

"But I assisted my master’s research at the closest distance. Based on those memories, I’ve already made considerable progress." Ian immediately shot back, his nose twitching as if his composure had cracked.

His arms were still folded, both hands clenched tightly. "If I’m given sufficient time and resources, I’ll be able to complete it again before long. This time, even more perfectly."

Yog’s snickering laughter echoed in his mind right afterward.

—I get that you’re impressed with the acting, but wipe that grin off your face, Pointy-Ears. Unless you want to ruin everything.

From behind them came a faint, frightened breath. Thesaya must have been trying to compose her expression.

"So, in the end, the resources you currently possess were insufficient. Apprentice Mage Ivan."

The relaxed voice followed almost immediately.

Ian’s brow furrowed slightly. "It was merely a matter of time. I could have managed alone."

"Yes. I’m sure you could have." The examiner replied with a hint of mockery before continuing in a tone that sounded almost generous. "Still, it’s somewhat impressive at least. Even with the help of a beastfolk, laying the groundwork wouldn’t have been easy. What process did you go through?"

"At first, we hid in Tessen. After spending some time preparing by searching through the ruins there, Sir Palmer chose to stow away on a ship, and I..." Ian, who had been answering without hesitation, suddenly fell silent.

He even remembered to click his tongue briefly as his nose twitched. The spell circuits that had dimmed earlier flickered again.

"And then? Continue. Apprentice Mage Ivan."

"I’ll simply say that I lived somewhere on the frontier. I won’t reveal anything beyond that," Ian said firmly.

After staring at the wall for a moment, he added, "And do not call me an apprentice."

"Do not be insolent. Without the Magic Tower’s recognition, no matter what spells you have learned, you are nothing more than an apprentice."

Despite the harsh words, there was no real anger in the tone. The examiner clearly believed he had secured complete control of the conversation.

Which also meant he believed Ian’s story, at least to some degree.

"You should remember that your meager tricks could return to nothing in the blink of an eye. Understood, Apprentice Mage Ivan?"

"...Yes."

Thinking that this was exactly the sort of sinister arrogance typical of spellcasters, Ian reluctantly unfolded his arms and lowered his head slightly.

The examiner fell silent for a moment, savoring his reaction, before speaking again.

"To pursue the deepest truths, there are lines one must cross. If you truly are Matthias’s successor, then you must have already cast aside the trivial notions of the mundane world."

What a roundabout way of saying it.

Clicking his tongue inwardly, Ian answered at once. "Of course."

As he spoke, he awakened the essence bead of chaos.

A small portion of chaos power poured out from the essence bead, spreading through him. When Ian lifted his hooded head and looked toward the wall, the spell circuits suddenly shone brighter.

"Not bad."

A faint vibration echoed through the chamber.

Rumble...

At the same time, the wall diagonally to the left rose upward.

So it was that way.

Letting the chaos power dissipate, Ian looked beyond it. Another room was connected past the corridor lined with flickering spell circuits.

And just then, two figures stepped out from either side and blocked the way.

Guards? No, slave soldiers?

Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Their bodies were wrapped in gray hooded cloaks, while their heads and faces were completely concealed by plain metal masks and helmets without markings.

"Come inside, Apprentice Mage Ivan."

As the vibration subsided, a voice filled with magic echoed from behind the slave soldiers. It was the voice of a middle-aged man, the examiner, without a doubt.

"Yes." Answering calmly, Ian glanced back at the group lined up behind Moro.

They were probably feeling relieved inside, yet outwardly they still kept their heads lowered, shoulders hunched or trembling. The one panting with exaggerated shakes, of course, was Thesaya.

Ian gave a slight nod toward Miguel, whose face was equally tense, before finally turning back.

—Hmm, that’s interesting.

As Moro lowered its head and followed him into the corridor, Yog whispered with a chuckle.

At the end of the corridor stood more masked slaves, motionless. The eyes behind the masks staring at Ian were sunken and completely devoid of life.

As Ian walked forward, his gaze narrowed on its own.

Did they completely rummage through their minds?

They looked utterly devoid of self. Perhaps their faces and heads were covered to hide the marks of whatever horrific procedures had been performed on them. And of course, there was no need to even consider that these two were the only slave soldiers in the tower.

Don’t tell me all the tower’s slaves are...

Ian stopped in front of the masked slaves.

The examiner’s leisurely voice followed. "Disarm yourself completely and hand everything over, along with the slaves."

The masked soldiers extended their right arms forward at the same time. Beneath their hooded cloaks, dark leather garments that appeared to be armored vests were visible. Despite their large frames, their hands and wrists were thin, pale, and lifeless.

"I can hand over my weapons as much as you like..."

Ian frowned slightly as he looked at them for a moment before continuing, unfastening the sword at his waist. "But the horse and the slaves are not negotiable. Until my status is officially recognized, I won’t let them out of my sight for even a moment."

"You harbor quite a bit of distrust toward us..." murmured the examiner, a low chuckle mixed into his voice. "Understandable, after living outside for so long. Even more so if you studied under Matthias, that fellow."

"I’ll take that as permission," Ian said flatly. Turning back, he jerked his head slightly.

Smacking his lips reluctantly, Miguel stepped forward while removing the ax and crossbow from his waist.

Rumble...

As the passage behind them closed again, Ian extended Nasser’s sword toward one of the masked slaves.

Even then, Ian noticed spell circuits etched across the wrist like a tattoo beneath the slave’s sleeve.

After taking Miguel’s ax and crossbow as well, the masked slaves finally stepped aside.

From the left side of the corridor, the examiner walked forward into view.

"Setting the test subjects aside, I can’t quite understand why you insist on bringing a horse along." Saying this, the man turned to face Ian. He was an Imperial with a brown beard, wrapped in a gray hooded cloak.

Ian stared at the repulsive face for a moment before replying expressionlessly.

"It’s my familiar."

"Oh? That’s not very common."

"Neither are the things I’ve gone through."

At Ian’s answer, the examiner let out another chuckle. "I like you. It seems that picky fellow Matthias had a good eye for disciples after all. Well, yes... that must be why you managed to survive everything you went through."

After staring into Ian’s eyes for a moment, he added, "Let me introduce myself properly. I am Senior Mage, Roben."

"...Apprentice Mage, Ivan," Ian answered without breaking eye contact, remembering to twitch his nose once more.

A satisfied smile spread across Roben’s bearded lips. "Excellent. You’re quite fortunate, Ivan. Matthias and I were rather close."

"My apologies for any disrespect, Lord Roben."

"So you hadn’t heard my name before."

"No."

"Well, I suppose that’s not surprising. Hmm..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Roben stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment while slowly examining Moro and the rest of the group. Ian also glanced around the chamber calmly.

So that’s where he was sitting.

On the left side stood a stone chair that seemed almost fused with the wall. Like everything else, it was carved with spell circuits and even had a cushioned seat placed on it.

Another corridor extended along the wall to the right.

"Very well. Since this is your first time in the magic tower, I’ll guide you personally."

Roben finally turned back to Ian and jerked his head toward the corridor, a smile lingering beneath his beard. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"There are still things I’d like to hear. We can talk as we walk. Of course... your slaves will come along as well."

Of course, he wasn’t offering this courtesy because of his past connection with Matthias or any personal fondness. The peculiar gleam in his eyes made that obvious, regardless of his expression.

He’s interested in research.

Perhaps he had been from the beginning.

Suppressing a scoff, Ian simply nodded. "Very well. Thank you."

"That wasn’t a suggestion."

Saying so, Roben signaled to the masked slaves before leisurely turning toward the corridor.

"Follow me, Apprentice Mage Ivan."

"Yes," Ian answered and began walking after him.

I’ll make sure to drive a dagger straight through the center of that face myself.

The thought passed quietly through his mind as he walked.