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Chapter 50: Why Did You Do That, Lord Ronos?
After the first day’s schedule came to a close and the world fell into sleep, silence blanketed the night.
Besty, the trainee affairs manager at the Rostia Magic Tower, sat at her desk, carefully examining magically-rendered portraits of the tower’s trainees one by one.
But she wasn’t simply memorizing faces.
“Ha, this trainee won’t do.”
Peering at one of the portraits, Besty shook her head and promptly marked a large X on the document spread out before her.
It was a skill honed over many years—after observing trainees up close more than anyone else, Besty had developed a unique ability.
That ability was discernment.
At a glance, she could tell whether a trainee would be diligent or not.
And the portraits helped her do just that.
“Oh, this one’s drawn so clearly!”
She lifted a particularly vivid portrait and smiled in satisfaction.
These were no ordinary portraits. Created through magic, their clarity reflected how attuned the subject was to mana.
The more gifted the trainee, the sharper and more lifelike the image became.
In short, the clarity of the portrait served as an indicator of just how much potential a trainee had and how far they could go.
While hard work was certainly essential to achieving success in magic, raw talent held an undeniable influence.
Even Besty—who had pushed herself to the limit—never managed to rise to the top ranks of the Magic Tower.
“Hm?”
That was when one portrait, in particular, caught Besty’s eye.
“How is this possible…?”
Over the years, Besty had grown so confident in her assessments that doubt no longer entered her mind. But now, staring at this portrait, she found herself questioning her own eyes.
Each time trainees began a new round of training, they received a fresh portrait.
If they failed, they’d get another before the next round—and another if they failed again.
Even if they didn’t pass the exam, a trainee who had grown in their understanding of magic would have a slightly sharper portrait than before.
But this one… the portrait that drew Besty’s gaze… wasn’t just slightly sharper.
It was extraordinary.
“The daughter of Balthazar, commander of the Holy Order. Still… how…?”
When Liana’s first portrait was drawn, it was utterly average—nothing special.
From what Besty had seen, Liana lacked any remarkable talent. But she had something else: a clear and unwavering goal.
She pursued that goal with passion, and Besty had taken note of it. She had been confident that Liana would pass the exam.
She wasn’t cursed with a mana-rejecting constitution either, so while she might not have topped the class, failing altogether would’ve been stranger.
That was what Besty believed.
And yet, Liana had failed the exam.
Worse, once her identity as Commander Balthazar’s daughter was revealed, she became the target of scorn from other trainees, who suspected her of receiving special treatment.
“I’m sorry, Liana… but how did this happen…?”
Liana’s latest portrait was so vivid it looked like a mirror reflection. It was no longer a portrait, but a masterpiece—so lifelike, it could almost breathe.
Even Besty, with all her experience, had never seen a portrait this clear before.
“What happened to you, Liana…? What kind of change…?”
Knock knock—
“Come in.”
As the door opened, Besty calmly flipped the portrait over to hide it and relaxed her expression.
The visitor at this late hour was none other than…
“Oh my, it’s Trainee Liana! Come in, dear.”
Yes—Liana herself, the very subject of the portrait Besty had been staring at just moments before.
“I’m sorry to disturb you so late, Besty-nim. I should’ve let you sleep…”
“No need to apologize at all. You’ll find sleep becomes a rare thing as you get older. Besides, what kind of mage doesn’t know a spell that lets them rest deeply in just a few minutes?”
Just one glance told Besty that Liana was burdened with something heavy.
Without a word, Besty chanted a light incantation, and the water in her kettle began to boil.
“Come sit. I’ll pour you some tea—just give me a moment.”
“Okay.”
Liana sat down obediently and waited as Besty prepared the tea.
“You’ve been having a rough time, haven’t you? Failing the exam and all.”
“Yes.”
“I’m really sorry things turned out that way. I was sure you would pass, Liana. You must have been really nervous, huh?”
“……”
Liana had answered politely up to that point, but she stayed silent at Besty’s suggestion that nerves were the reason she failed.
Even though Besty had been present in the examination room herself, she knew the truth.
Liana hadn’t been overly nervous. She had shown just the right amount of tension—certainly not enough to fail such a basic spell like casting a small flame.
‘Something happened. I’m sure of it.’
From years of experience, Besty was convinced.
Something unusual—something significant—had happened to Liana.
“What happened, Liana?”
“…The staff.”
“The staff?”
“There was something wrong with the staff.”
“The staff? That’s impossible.”
Besty’s gaze drifted to a box placed in the corner of the room.
There it was—the staff used in the exam, resting safely in the training supervisor’s chamber.
It was kept in a triple-enchanted security case, only ever brought out during official exams.
What’s more, the box could only be opened by Besty herself—thanks to a restriction spell keyed to her alone.
A true mage never blames their tools—or so the saying goes.
But this time, the situation was different.
This wasn’t just any trainee. This was Liana, whose portrait had become one of the most vividly drawn in Besty’s memory.
Besty decided to sit with Liana and hear her out over tea.
They sipped quietly for a few minutes, letting the silence give Liana time to gather her thoughts.
Then, sensing the moment was right, Besty asked gently.
“When you say it was strange… what exactly do you mean? Tell me in detail.”
“Lord Ronos once said… magic isn’t something you command—it’s something you wish for. That it only responds when your wish is sincere. But what I felt was…”
Liana trailed off and bit her lip tightly.
“Please, tell me everything. If you can’t talk to me about it, who else would you tell? It’s perfectly possible the staff was faulty. You know it’s a very old magical artifact.”
“…The staff wouldn’t listen to my wish.”
“It didn’t… listen to your wish?”
“Yes. It was like… like it could hear me—clearly—but was pretending not to. Like it was plugging its ears and acting like it didn’t hear anything at all.”
Sensing something through intuition in the midst of magic—
That belonged squarely in the realm of talent.
Saying that the staff didn’t answer her wish could have sounded like a poor excuse. Something any other trainee might say in desperation.
But this wasn’t just any trainee. This was Liana.
And Besty took her words seriously.
Without another word, Besty quietly rose from her seat and walked toward the door.
“…Liana.”
“Yes, Manager Besty?”
“What’s about to happen in this room—everything—you must never speak of it. Not anywhere, not to anyone. Can you promise me that?”
“…Yes. I swear.”
As soon as Liana swore her promise, Besty firmly locked the door.
Then, she activated a magical device hidden in the wall—one that completely sealed off the room from letting even the slightest sound escape.
Once the room was thoroughly secured, she walked over to the box.
“Besty-nim…? What are you doing…?”
“Just checking. That’s all I want—to check something.”
Besty spent a long moment undoing the locks before finally retrieving the staff.
Then, she murmured a simple incantation.
“Ignite.”
Fwoosh—
Before the word had fully left her lips, a fierce flame burst from the tip of the staff.
“At least in my hands, it seems to be working just fine. But…”
Besty gently waved the staff, extinguishing the flame, then offered it to Liana with measured care.
“Try casting the exact same spell you did during the exam—right here, in front of me. If the staff was tampered with, it’s a serious matter. Do it. Right now.”
“…Okay. I will.”
Liana accepted the staff with trembling hands.
Just like during the exam, she resonated her mana with the staff—slowly, carefully.
And then…
“Please… ignite, flame!!”
Whoosh—
Liana’s eyes widened in shock.
The very same flame spell that had failed her multiple times during the exam had now succeeded—instantly and flawlessly.
“I-I did it! Besty-nim, I really did it! I—ah…”
Liana turned to Besty, her eyes gleaming with joy.
But though Besty was smiling gently, her expression carried a distinct chill.
“Yes… you succeeded. Just like that. So easily.”
It didn’t take Liana long to understand the meaning behind that cold smile.
“N-no… this can’t be. I did it exactly the same way during the exam, and the flame never appeared!”
“I understand. The staff appears to be working fine. I suppose it must’ve been nerves after all, hm?”
“No! I told you—I wasn’t that nervous!”
“I see. Then you may return now, Trainee Liana. I’ll be rooting for you in the next exam.”
Unable to prove her innocence, Liana left the room, crestfallen.
Besty saw her off with a pleasant smile—but once alone, her smile vanished. She rested her chin in one hand and sank deep into thought.
“The same person, the same spell, the same staff. If everything is the same… the results should be the same too. But the outcome changed.”
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the staff she hadn’t yet returned to its case.
“To manipulate the staff in such a short time, without me noticing… the only one who could do that is…”
***
“Hmph… nothing wrong with it. Proceed.”
“Thank you. We appreciate you coming in to personally inspect the staff, Lord Ronos. It’s an honor for the trainees to be seen by a Grand Mage like yourself.”
“Hmph. ‘Honor’? Don’t be ridiculous. Honor is a useless concept felt by small-minded insects.”
***
“Lord Ronos… why did you do it…?”
Besty’s brow furrowed sharply as the prime suspect became clear in her mind.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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