Damn Reincarnation

from you,” Melkith admitted.
“I’m hoping that as I teach you, our relationship will grow.”

Eugene confessed, “I feel like I’m already pretty close to you, Lady Melkith.”

“So are you going to learn spirit summoning magic from me or not?”

“If you’re offering to teach me, then I’ll make sure to learn with gratitude.”

Eugene had no hesitation in accepting her offer this time around.
At Eugene’s reply, Melkith cackled and nodded her head.

“Good,” she said.
“Right now is unsuitable, but I’ll make sure to visit you soon.”

“Why is it unsuitable?” Eugene asked.

“My spirit summoning magic focuses on controlling spirits of earth and lightning, and you haven’t contracted those spirits.
I feel like you’ll have a better chance of contracting the spirits of lightning instead of earth, but you don’t have any affinity towards lightning spirits,” Melkith judged.

“So what then?” Eugene prompted.

“I said it before, didn’t I? As long as you’ve signed a contract with the Spirit King of the Wind, your affinity with spirits isn’t all that important.
Although it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to sign a contract with the Spirit King of the Lightning like me, you should be able to make contracts with lightning spirits up to the intermediate level.
As long as I provide a catalyst, you should also be able to finalize a contract,” Melkith assured him.

Instead of replying immediately, Eugene was lost in thought for a few moments.

[Lightning Spirits are powerful.
Even if it’s only up to the intermediate level, they should be able to achieve excellent results when combined with your skills.]

With a voice inside of his head, Tempest came to Eugene’s aid.

[Especially when combined with one of the weapons in your possession, the Thunderbolt Pernoa.
If a lightning spirit lends its aid to the weapon, its power would be amplified and the mana consumption would be reduced.]

‘That sounds about right,’ Eugene agreed thoughtfully.

[Hamel.
In your current list of skills, isn’t there something you once called the Lightning Counter? If that skill is amplified with actual lightning, it won’t just be called ‘lightning,’ you might be able to develop it into a real lightning bolt—]

‘Mind shutting your piehole?’ Eugene immediately interrupted Tempest as his face transformed into a scowl and he thrust Wynnyd back into his cloak.

Once he regained his composure, Eugene addressed Melkith, “…There’s also the fact that I won’t be staying in Aroth for all that long.
Since the hearing is over, I was planning to head back either today or tomorrow.”

Melkith snorted, “So what if you’re heading back, why should that matter? You’re just going to stay at the Lionheart clan’s main estate, aren’t you? That works out pretty well.
I also happened to be interested in the elves staying at your main estate.”

To be more precise, rather than the elves, Melkith was interested in the trees that were said to have been brought with them.
Seeing as how they were transported together with the elves from the depths of the rainforest, those were definitely the fairy trees that only grew in close vicinity to the elven territory.

‘As long as I get close enough, I might be able to snag a branch for myself,’ Melkith thought greedily.

A branch of a fairy tree was a precious material that you might not be able to find even if you had the money to purchase it.
Currently it was extremely rare for any branches to be in circulation, and most of those that were had already been processed into items.

“Sir Eugene,” Mer finally spoke up.

While Eugene and Melkith had been focusing on their conversation, Mer had vacuumed up all of the desserts.
While she wiped away the whipped cream covering her lips, her eyes were still sparkling up at Eugene.

“Could I please eat some more?” she requested.

“…Aren’t you sick of those yet?” Eugene asked.

“Sir Eugene, I haven’t been able to eat anything for the past two hundred years,” Mer pointed out.
“Do you really think that I would get sick of such cakes after only eating a few of them?”

“But that wasn’t just a few cakes…,” Eugene argued as he turned to survey the empty plates in disbelief.

Despite his protest, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t allow Mer to have some more.
With a trembling expression on his face, Eugene nodded his head, causing Mer to hug Eugene’s arm with a smile.

“Thanks!” Mer said cheerfully.

Melkith stared at Mer with wide eyes.

Was this really the Wise Sienna’s familiar? The Mer that Melkith recalled wasn’t so lively and cute.
Well, this was probably due to Melkith having peed herself in Sienna’s Hall, but in any case, she felt deeply surprised as she saw Mer show such a different attitude towards Eugene.

‘…Since this familiar has the body of a woman… could it be that she likes handsome young men?’ Melkith speculated.

But no, Mer’s current attitude wasn’t like that, it was closer to the way a daughter would pester her father….

Melkith quickly dismissed the thought. ‘…There’s no way… if you count the years that familiar has been in operation, it should be well over two hundred.’

Although her mental age had been fixed by basing it on Sienna’s childhood personality….
Melkith scratched her cheek in confusion as she felt that this was quite a complicated situation.

“So you were here,” a voice interrupted.

Just as Eugene was about to call a waiter over to place another order, someone approached their table.

The sarcastic voice continued, “It’s nice to see you looking so relaxed, Eugene Lionheart.”

It was the Green Tower Master, Jeneric Osman.
As he drew closer, Melkith narrowed her eyes and stood up to confront him.

“Green Tower Master, I can’t help but think of some pretty rude assumptions about you right now,” Melkith admitted.

Jeneric accepted her accusation, “I won’t scold you for being rude.
Because your assumptions are probably correct.”

“…Ha! Are you being serious?” Melkith scoffed.
“The hearing is over and Aroth’s royal family has recognized Eug—”

“But I haven’t recognized him,” Jeneric spat out as he glared at Eugene.
“Even if Lady Sienna has recognized you and handed over the ownership of Akasha.
As the Patriarch of the Osman family, and the Master of the Green Tower of Magic, I must assess you personally.”

“How disgraceful,” Melkith remarked with a sneer.
“I really don’t appreciate your overweening pride, Jeneric Osman.”

The Wise Sienna had taught three disciples during her life.

One of them was Lovellian’s grandmaster, who had served as the former Red Tower Master.

The remaining two had stayed in the Green Tower of Magic, proceeded to marry, and had children together.
This was the Osman family.
The two’s son had served as the former Green Tower Master, and his son was Jeneric Osman, the current Green Tower Master.

…But now that Eugene had become Akasha’s owner, and thus Sienna’s successor, the Osman family could no longer claim to be the legitimate heirs to her legacy.

“Do you intend to defy Lady Sienna?” Eugene asked without standing up from his seat, simply staring at Jeneric.

However Jeneric refused to back down and just glared back at Eugene.

“I,” Jeneric declared, “believe that if you would claim to be the successor to the Wise Sienna, then you must be the most exceptional wizard of your time.”

“Disgraceful,” Melkith repeated.
“And arrogant as well.
The greatest wizard of your time? Could it be, are you really saying that you’re confident enough to claim to be such a wizard?”

Crackle.

An electric current began to flow around Melkith.

“You’re really saying that in front of me?”

Without hiding her hostility, Melkith glared at Jeneric as she hissed this question.
Although her gaze was fierce, Jeneric didn’t shrink back and just snorted.

“I’m not free right now, but if you so desire, I’ll gladly establish the pecking order between us, Melkith El-Hayah.
Although I admit that you’re a worthy and respected wizard, I don’t see you as above me.”

“…Ahaha! Are you so old that you’re going senile? If you really do think that way, then… follow me outside right now!” Melkith finished with a challenging roar.

“I should have already told you, I’m not free right now,” Jeneric said as his eyes coldly looked Eugene up and down.
“What I want to confirm today isn’t who is superior between you and I.
What I want to confirm is, between Eugene Lionheart and I, which of us two is the best suited to become Lady Sienna’s successor?”

“You have no right to decide such a thing, Green Tower Master,” Mer cut in.

Although she’d been smiling softly just a few moments before, Mer was no longer laughing.
She was now confronting Jeneric with a cold and stiff look on her face.

“In the first place, it is ridiculously arrogant for you to even believe that you have the right to decide who has the better qualifications.
If I had to say why, then it’s because you're not qualified in the slightest,” Mer coldly pronounced.

“…What?” Jeneric barked out indignantly.

Mer explained, “Both you and your father.
I’m saying that neither of you has the right to claim to be Lady Sienna’s successor.
Your grandfather, Weiss Osman, and your grandmother, Frilla Hellen, may have been Lady Sienna’s disciples, but that doesn’t mean that their descendants can claim to be Lady Sienna’s successors.”

Jeneric stewed in silence.

“Instead, I believe that the only other person with the right to claim to be Lady Sienna’s successor is the Red Tower Master, Lovellian Sophis.
Because Lovellian and his master, at the very least, managed to show respect to myself, Lady Sienna’s familiar,” Mer explained.

Jeneric shouted, “A mere familiar dares to—!”

Mer interrupted him, “Yes, I am a mere familiar.
That might just be a fact, but if you truly claim to be Lady Sienna’s successor, then it’s inappropriate for me to look down on you as you are.
I remember what happened one hundred and twenty years ago.
How your father had me dissected.
Just how presumptuous they were in trying to dig into the core of Witch Craft?!”

Jeneric’s face twisted into a scowl as he protested, “My father was doing that for the sake of Lady Sienna.
It was in remembrance of Lady Sienna that he was attempting to fully comprehend the Witch Craft that she left behind for us!”

“In remembrance?” Mer repeated mockingly.
“Lady Sienna hasn’t died.
She’s still alive, and she has recognized Eugene as her successor.”

“Enough,” Eugene spoke up.
“So, what the Green Tower Master is saying is… he doesn’t recognize me as Akasha’s master nor as Lady Sienna’s successor….
Have I got that right?”

Pushing his chair back, Eugene stood up.

“Well then… I’m happy to accept such a challenge.
Because legitimate or not, it’s that, ‘for now,’ I am lacking in terms or being a wizard when compared to the Green Tower Master,” Eugene easily admitted.

“…For now?” Jeneric ominously repeated.

“You have to consider our ages, of course.
Take right now, for example.
Isn’t it an ugly and shameful thing that someone who isn’t as talented as me, whose only advantage is having lived fifty years longer, is actually questioning a young man’s qualifications?” Eugene asked mockingly as the corners of his mouth twisted upwards.

“Honestly speaking, I’m not sure what exactly it is you’re trying to achieve, Green Tower Master.
Are you really trying to get me to hand over Akasha on the grounds that I’m currently lacking as a wizard when compared to the Green Tower Master? Have you seriously come here thinking that would be accepted? Or else, could it be that you’re so blinded by greed and jealousy that you want to take Akasha from me even if it means defying Lady Sienna, whom you claim to respect?”

As he asked these questions, Eugene reached into his cloak.

“In your opinion, do you really think that such stubbornness is acceptable? The Green Tower Master himself might believe that it is, but no one else who agrees will agree will feel the same way.
Do you really think that you’ll be able to convince Aroth’s royal family at this point? When they should currently be busy worrying that Lady Sienna might just drown Abram?”

“…Lady Sienna is also a rational wizard,” Jeneric insisted, his eyes bulging as he glared at Eugene.
“Lady Sienna may have met you first, but she hasn’t met me yet.
Since my abilities are superiors to yours, why would Lady Sienna still choose you as her successor?”

“So what are you going to do about it?” Eugene challenged.

“Let’s duel,” Jeneric proposed as he looked inside the cloak that Eugene had unfurled.

The staff that he wanted, Akasha, was now in Eugene’s hand.

“Of course, since there is a large difference between your skills and mine, an ordinary duel would be unfair.
So I will limit myself and only use magic up to the Sixth Circle,” said Jeneric.

“And me?” Eugene prompted.

“You’re free to use all the abilities in your possession.
The Lionheart clan’s martial arts and your magic, both are fine.”

Even if a wizard of the Eighth Circle were to limit themself to using spells within the first six Circles, their skill would definitely not be limited to that of an ordinary Sixth Circle wizard.
Even if the spells were from a lower Circle, they could match spells from a higher Circle depending on how they were used.

In the first place, the Eighth Circle wasn’t something that could just be reached only by knowing spells that had a lot of power to them.
A wizard’s Circle level depended on how deeply they understood magic itself.
That was why the wall of the Eight Circle was so high, and why anyone who crossed that wall was allowed to call themself an Archwizard.

“And if I refuse?” Eugene tested him.

“Are you going to?” Jeneric sneered.

“Of course not,” Eugene snorted as he picked up a crumpled napkin that was on the table.
“If I lose, I will place Akasha in Akron and leave.”

“…You should hand it over to me,” Jeneric proposed greedily.

Eugene immediately refused.
“Absolutely not.
This staff belongs to Lady Sienna, I’m just taking care of it for her.”

Jeneric’s face stiffened at these words.
He opened his mouth to say something, but his voice couldn’t come out.

A napkin stained with whipped cream, which Mer had used to wipe her lips, was thrown into Jeneric’s chest.

As he threw it, Eugene said, “I will accept your challenge, Green Tower Master.”

The napkin struck Jeneric’s chest and fell to the floor.

“If I win, I want you to apologize to Mer,” Eugene stated.

“…That’s…” Jeneric hesitated.

Eugene further clarified his request.
“And I want you on your knees, with your head bowed, very respectfully.”

Jeneric’s face reddened in anger.

1.
The original Korean version of this is simply ‘a piece of wood’. ☜