[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 237: Ascension (1)

“Hm?”

From the VIP seats below the presentation stage, several tower masters turned their heads.

The owner of the one empty seat had just arrived.

“Well, look who finally decided to show up.”

Kudel Redmane grinned, having found an easy target to pick on.

Sasha, who was taking her seat, replied coolly.

“I’m a bit late. Something came up.”

“Everyone here is busy, you know. Aren’t you acting like you’re the only one with things to do?”

“Oh, really?”

With innocent eyes, Sasha looked Kudel up and down and spoke.

“I always thought all you did was stir up trouble for no reason, but I guess that’s not quite true.”

A few of the other tower masters chuckled at that, while Kudel licked his lips repeatedly —

a habit of his when he was annoyed.

Glaring at Sasha, who had just embarrassed him, he muttered,

“Interesting… What kind of wind is blowing today that she’s acting so confident… huh?”

Kudel trailed off, his eyes narrowing sharply.

He had noticed something different about Sasha Maist.

“...Heh. So that’s what it is.”

Realizing what had changed, Kudel sneered.

Why she was acting so bold today, why she wasn’t intimidated even in front of him —

it all made sense now.

“Yes, it was quite a favorable wind.”

As Sasha spoke softly, one by one, the other tower masters began to notice the change in her too.

“Wait… Level 8?”

“Congratulations, White Tower Master.”

“Hm.”

Their reactions were varied.

Some, like the Black Tower Master, were skeptical and couldn’t believe it.

Others, like the Violet Moon, genuinely congratulated her.

And then there were the Four Great Tower Masters — whose true thoughts were impossible to read.

‘This kind of reaction… I expected it.’

She hadn’t expected warm congratulations from everyone.

Even though they were all tower masters, they were still rivals.

If anything, she found it odd that someone like the Violet Moon or Green Tower Master would congratulate her at all.

“You’re the fourth one at this table, then.”

The Blue Tower Master, Seruin Aquadne, muttered.

All other tower masters, excluding the Four Greats, were still at Level 7.

“Given your age… you’re pretty fast.”

Those considered prodigies usually broke through to Level 7 before thirty.

But even that difficult milestone was only the beginning for some.

There were plenty who reached Level 7 before thirty but never touched Level 8 even into their eighties.

If Level 7 could be achieved through talent and effort alone,

then Level 8 required overwhelming talent and a stroke of luck.

In that sense, Sasha reaching Level 8 at just 28 years old marked her as a once-in-a-generation genius.

“Hm. That’s what makes it so strange.”

“...Strange? What is?”

Sasha noticed the puzzlement in Kudel’s eyes as he looked at her.

“When you were younger, you seemed to be the least talented of the three… And yet you’re the first one to reach Level 8.”

It wasn’t hard to figure out who the “three” he referred to were.

He meant her senior brothers, Lloyd and Gilliot.

Though Sasha’s face hardened at the mention, Kudel continued without care.

“Tsksk. If I’d known it would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have picked Lloyd, but you—mm.”

He suddenly trailed off, catching himself mid-sentence, as if he’d said something he shouldn't have.

Sasha, picking up on it, pressed him.

“Go on. If not Lloyd, then me—what comes after that?”

“Kuhuhu. That’s none of your business.”

Leaning back into his seat with a smug expression, Kudel grinned like a victor.

As Sasha bit her lip and glared at him, he shrugged.

“Staring like that… are you trying to pick a fight?”

“Not like I can’t.”

“Kuhuhu. You’ve just hit Level 8 — of course you’re feeling bold.”

Suddenly, Kudel leaned forward and bared his teeth in a grin.

“But kid… you’re not ready to take me on. Those fangs and claws you just bared — better tuck them away before I find them annoying.”

“…”

Just as Sasha was about to snap back, someone grabbed her arm.

Turning her head, she saw the Violet Moon beside her quietly shaking their head.

A clear sign to stop.

Realizing how worked up she had gotten, Sasha took a deep breath and composed herself.

“...I got a little carried away.”

“Kuh. Shame, really. I was kind of hoping it’d go further.”

Kudel smacked his lips in disappointment and straightened his posture.

As the tension settled, the Green Tower Master tried to lighten the mood.

“Haha. So then, how did everyone’s projects from the past year turn out?”

“…”

“…”

As if someone had poured cold water on the conversation, no one responded.

Everyone was too busy watching each other’s reactions.

Embarrassed by the silence, the Green Tower Master scratched his head, but the Blood Tower Master, Carmine Zeidel, snapped,

“You won’t know until the food is served. What cook can tell how their dish tastes before it’s eaten?”

“Hm. Now that you say it, that’s quite true.”

The Green Tower Master chuckled awkwardly.

At that moment, the lights in the presentation hall dimmed.

— We will now begin the 19th White Night Festival’s magical presentation.

The towers of knowledge each Tower has built over the past year shall now illuminate this gathering.

Clap, clap, clap!

Thunderous applause and cheers filled the hall.

As anticipation and excitement welled up on the faces of the crowd, the guiding voice rang out once more.

— The first demonstration and presentation is by the Green Tower.

Then, stepping out from behind the stage, the Green Tower's mages began presenting their new magic.

“Our Green Tower, in consideration of the Empire’s current direction toward future food security, has pursued research aiming for a sustainable and highly efficient food production system. The magic we’re showcasing today drastically accelerates the growth of staple crops with minimal mana consumption…”

It was a spell that could increase the growth rate of staple crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes by up to three times.

Though not particularly flashy or intense, the inclusion of video data with various simulations and graphs made it engaging enough to watch.

At the end of the presentation, Emperor Ludwig, seated in the royal VIP section, offered his personal impressions.

“A truly impressive consideration of both practicality and sustainability. Sometimes, quiet innovation brings greater value than flashy magic. Today’s demonstration was a fine example of that. Well done.”

“Y-Your Majesty! Such high praise…!”

Flustered by the compliment, the Green Tower’s mages repeatedly bowed to the Emperor in gratitude.

As they exited the stage to applause, conversations stirred among the archmages’ table.

“Hmph. Increasing the growth rate of staple crops… the citizens will love that.”

“An excellent presentation, Green Tower Master.”

“Heh heh, thank you, Violet Moon.”

With the warm atmosphere, the presentations of the other towers followed in turn.

The Purple, Blood, and Blue Towers completed their demonstrations smoothly.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“Hmph. Nothing flashy or particularly attention-grabbing this year.”

“Oh, come now. Even if they’re magic towers, they can’t unveil groundbreaking discoveries every year.”

“True enough… Just as there are explosive years, there are also years like this one, where things are quieter.”

Indeed, this year’s magical showcase felt tamer compared to the last.

That thought had begun to dominate the audience when—

“Good day.”

The mages of the Black Tower ascended the stage.

Their very presence changed the atmosphere of the venue.

It was the aura of their pitch-black robes—equal parts allure and discomfort, a reminder of the lingering wariness toward them.

“……”

The sins of their predecessors.

A cold gaze that marked them with a stigma—one that might never be erased.

But the Black Tower’s mages accepted it as if they were used to it, speaking calmly.

“This is the magic the Black Tower has prepared.”

Snap!

As the mage snapped his fingers, a two-meter-tall mechanical golem stepped onto the stage.

At first glance, it looked no different from the Black Tower’s usual mechanical golems.

But the mage gazed at it lovingly and said:

“Allow me to introduce it. After nine years of painstaking research and effort, this is the masterpiece that will represent the Black Tower and lead the Empire’s magical academia forward—Golem 2.0. Official model name: Prometheus.”

Despite the grand and dramatic introduction, the crowd gave no response.

And why would they?

It wasn’t immediately clear what was different about this golem compared to the older models.

“Of course, many of you are probably wondering the same thing: So what’s different about it, exactly?”

Reflecting the thoughts of the audience, the mage smiled and continued with the demonstration.

“Please, see for yourselves.”

A large screen lit up with the number 1.

Then, one of the Black Tower mages suddenly attacked the golem with the Black Tower’s standard offensive spell, Black Arrow.

The golem simply turned its head to watch the incoming arrow—

Thunk!

—took a direct hit, staggered, and clumsily fell backward.

“……”

“……”

An awkward silence spread across the hall.

But it was short-lived.

Laughter, tinged with ridicule, erupted here and there.

“Pfft, what the hell was that?”

“They spent nine years making that?”

“Give me a break! Time to quit magic!”

As the laughter began to die down, the screen changed to show the number 2, and another Black Arrow was fired.

“……”

This time, as the arrow approached, the golem dodged it cleanly with a swift motion.

“Oh, it dodged it.”

“Maybe it made a mistake the first time?”

“So what? Even older models could move more gracefully than that.”

With skepticism spreading again, the screen shifted to 3, and the mage launched a third Black Arrow.

This time, the golem ducked low and charged the mage, slamming him into the floor in one fluid, decisive motion.

The seamless sequence made people tilt their heads in curiosity.

“What the…? Was that just slightly smoother than before?”

“Still doesn’t seem like a huge leap from previous models.”

Just as curiosity reached its peak, the lights brightened, and the Black Tower mage smiled widely.

“What you just witnessed was a next-generation model equipped with a Cognitive Pattern Processing System.”

Cognitive Pattern Processing System.

Even the phrase sounded complex, and the audience blinked in confusion.

So the mage explained further:

“In simple terms, that golem recognized the mage’s attack, analyzed the pattern, learned from it, and not only evaded it but also retaliated—all on its own. We had no input. The golem acted entirely based on its own learning.”

At that, murmurs broke out among the crowd.

“Come on, that’s gotta be a lie.”

“There’s no way a mechanical golem can learn on its own. That’s just…”

“…like it’s alive.”

Suspicion and unease toward the unknown swirled in every eye.

Seeing this, the Black Tower mage stood proudly and declared:

“Our mechanical golem, model name Prometheus, will play an active role across various industries—filthy sewers, deep caves, the ocean depths. Places unfit for human activity. It will perform the dirtiest jobs without complaint. And on battlefields where soldiers might be wounded or killed, it will perfectly replace them. Mark my words—this technology will spark innovation equal to, if not greater than, magical engineering itself.”

This was the Black Tower’s secret trump card, meant to reclaim its place among the Four Great Towers.

Having completed the presentation flawlessly, the Black Tower mage bowed to the Tower Master.

Receiving the gesture with a satisfied smile, the Black Tower Master, Janko Drax, turned his gaze toward Sasha.

As if asking: So, how do you feel now?

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]