The Innocent Mage's Spellbinding Nights - Chapter 33
The previous day in the bustling downtown area, not only Irina and her senior disciples were present but also a significant number of White Tower mages. As a result, from the following day onwards, rumors about the nature of the relationship between the two began to spread discreetly within the White Tower.
The younger mages mostly gossiped about the romantic aspects.
“Did you hear the current rumors?”
“Are you talking about the one where the Tower Master and Vice Tower Master are supposedly together?”
Several elder mages, who had long supported Hesed as the next Tower Master and were displeased even after Irina had firmly established herself as the White Tower Master, showed their discomfort with these rumors.
As the leader of the Western mages, the White Tower Master should guide them righteously and strongly. If Irina, a woman unfit for such a position due to her immaturity and gentle disposition, were to make a critical mistake, Hesed should swiftly rise to the occasion.
Instead, they saw him entangled in personal matters like a girl in love, a notion difficult for their mindset and values to comprehend.
“The world is truly in decline. The previous Tower Master must have gone senile in his old age to appoint a frail girl as the next Tower Master. Even the one we thought was better is…”
“Hesed, does that boy truly lack any grand ambition as a man?”
One of the elders sighed deeply, lamenting.
“No, no. It’s not wise to make judgments based on fleeting rumors. Perhaps all of this is part of that cunning child’s calculation.”
But someone’s suggestive comment shifted the atmosphere among them.
“Calculation? Shimobe, have you heard anything specific from him?”
“Think about it. Even if Hesed decided to make a significant move for the White Tower, it wouldn’t be easy to act on it, would it? After all, the opponent is his senior.”
Hierarchy is crucial among disciples who serve the same master. Moreover, as the youngest disciple, he cannot completely ignore the sentiments of those close to the current Tower Master, like Scarlet or Vine.
“For him to become the next Tower Master without any issues, he needs not only the support of those present and the White Tower mages but also the public gestures from the current Tower Master.”
If, as the rumors suggest, the current Tower Master and Hesed were lovers or in a relationship of that sort…
“Given her disposition, she wouldn’t tarnish her lover’s future, so it’s beneficial for all. It seems to me that he’s aiming for maximum efficiency with minimal effort.”
Of course, politics aside, it was an objective truth that Irina was quite an attractive woman. Any man would be tempted by her at least once.
However, whether it was a momentary lust or a beautiful pure love, what could be greater than the desire for power? History shows us countless instances where individuals have abandoned or even killed their lovers, families, and friends to attain the highest positions.
Hesed, praised as the greatest genius of the White Tower, is smart and quick-witted. Given the right opportunity, he would not hesitate to abandon what needed to be abandoned and ascend higher.
“Oh, now that I think about it, it does make sense. Indeed, we shouldn’t judge the situation based solely on rumors.”
“As elders of the White Tower, our duty is to have a deep conversation with him and express our support when the opportunity arises.”
As the saying goes, a patient’s eyes see only patients, and a thief’s eyes see only thieves.
These mages, more interested in maintaining their influence and power than in practicing magic or seeking new truths, didn’t even consider the sincerity of Hesed’s feelings for Irina.
A few days later, this sentiment and atmosphere within the White Tower reached Irina through her aide, Celsia, in the worst possible way.
***
‘This is strange.’
Irina frowned as she looked at the documents. She had placed small communication orbs in several areas to gather clues about the back alley disappearance cases.
‘Not a single one has been triggered. That means the culprit or the criminal group identified and avoided all the orbs. Could the perpetrator or the group be mages? Surely not…’
As she pondered, sifting through data on other disappearance cases, a firm voice broke her thoughts.
“Tower Master.”
“Yes?”
“I apologize, but I have something to ask. Are you currently in a relationship with the Vice Tower Master?”
“…What?”
Irina, who had been lightly listening to Celsia while looking at the documents, was startled by the unexpected question and raised her head. Her eyes met Celsia’s serious, purple gaze, which carried a sense of solemnity.
“What do you mean, all of a sudden?”
Her green eyes wavered, showing signs of agitation on her surprised face. Celsia sensed that the stories she had heard were not entirely baseless rumors.
“The hottest topic of conversation in the White Tower right now is whether the Tower Master and the Vice Tower Master are in a relationship. You didn’t know?”
“…This is the first I’m hearing of it from you.”
Irina’s voice trembled slightly as she answered.
‘Has Hesed heard this rumor?’
It was unlikely that someone as well-connected as him was unaware, unlike her.
‘But why hasn’t he mentioned it to me at all, not even once?’
