LTTH C18

Chapter 18

One month hence, he must return to England once more. There was no fate in remaining bound to this place forever. After much hesitation, he arrived at this resolve.

Just as he was about to proffer some excuse for the wizard’s crestfallen expression, a resounding crash rent the air—the door shattering with a thunderous bang, depriving him of the moment’s words.

“Healer!”

Surely the Mage Tower. Beyond the roar came a figure entering unscathed—an exceedingly handsome man. His hair glimmered golden, and his eyes shimmered on the cusp between gold and brown. Despite his disheveled garments and the anxious bearing upon his face, his beauty could be fashioned into an accessory of its own making.

‘Who might he be?’

Approaching with undisguised concern, Hansol had the sense of familiarity…

‘Could it be the Holy Knight?’

Though differing in hair and eye color, the man’s features bore a striking resemblance to the youth. Though, was he always so tall?

“Pray, are you—”

“Yes, indeed. Forgive my delayed introduction. I am Lee Sehyun. Please, call me as you wish.”

“Ah, yes.”

Though he had not requested an introduction, Hansol bowed in courtesy upon hearing the name. He could no longer address the youth as the Holy Knight, but the information was welcome. Yet the last memory he possessed of the young man was of brown hair and brown eyes. Could a person’s hair and eyes change so drastically overnight?

‘It cannot be… perhaps due to the system?’

Contemplating the marvels of the human form, Hansol’s thoughts veered to an arrogant conjecture. Having become a Holy Knight, perhaps the Divine Power stat had altered his hair and eye color. Could such a thing be? What extent this Divine Power’s influence might reach, even Hansol did not know. It was, in some ways, the most plausible theory.

“You emerged sooner than expected.”

“Mage! Healer! This way, please.”

At the gentle summons of the wizard, Sehyun barred his path with a fierce presence. Their history was unknown, but even in the best light, their rapport seemed strained.

‘Hmm, but with that face, he doesn’t seem the type to do ill.’

Perhaps the fault lay with the wizard. Sehyun, coined the Holy Knight, bore a countenance blending innocence and steadfastness, quite credible.

“Forgive me. The activities of that man within the chamber rendered it difficult to depart promptly.”

“What sort of activities?”

“I wished to have some time alone with Hansol. It seemed plain that you would only pose interference.”

The wizard’s jocular claim to be skilled in physiognomy rang hollow.

Indeed, what had that youth done to spark such frenzy and pursuit?

‘It was a proposal not worth consideration after all.’

The Mage Tower was a fortress of seclusion. No means of escape would present itself simply through the passage of time. Would joining the Tower grant him freedom? Certainly not—else the wizard would not have gone to such trouble.

The only answer to be found here was one: refusal. And so, Hansol fixed his gaze squarely upon the wizard.

“My apologies, but I must decline.”

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Though I thank you for your offer, I cannot, nor desire to reside permanently in the Mage Tower.”

“If it be your wish, Hansol, you may remain indefinitely. Whatever you require, it shall be prepared.”

Indeed, it might offer comfort. It seemed unlikely this man would treat him with disdain. Yet therein lay the danger—complacency.

“No, that is not my desire. I have duties.”

“Hmm, serendipitously, I am free as well. Shall we share those duties?”

No sign of retreat graced the man’s demeanor. Swallowing his chagrin, Hansol continued.

“Regrettably, I am not the remarkable person you imagine.”

“Ha ha. I assure you, that is ‘delusion.’”

What confidence! With a self-assuredness that seemed to know all of Hansol’s secrets, the wizard’s demeanor only served to cool Hansol’s heart.

At first, he suspected nothing. Yet from the eve till dawn spent here, he could not shake the sense that he was witness to a clumsy play. Though the charade was well-concealed, Hansol’s five years of experience evaded detection.

Crossing paths with every wizard in the Mage Tower, he noticed evasive eyes and careful posturing. If caught making eye contact, they quickly bowed their heads. These proud wizards were no mere guests.

Moreover, a revelation struck this morning while entering by teleportation circles.

The Mage Tower knew no elevators; only magic circles divided its floors. Circles permitted only to authorized levels exemplified the Tower’s closed nature. Yet Hansol had moved freely between floors today, even to levels other than his own.

‘Only the Master of the Tower may traverse floors at will.’

None but the Master.

“And I find it quite a burden. You, after all, are the Master of this place, are you not?”

“……!”

Between strands of hair, Hansol caught a startled widening of eyes. Though the man appeared perhaps in his mid- to late-thirties, it was unlike the well-known visage of the Tower’s Master. Yet none other than he was the Master, doubtless capable of changing his form at will—and perhaps, this very guise was his true face.

“…Hansol.”

Sehyun, startled, pressed close with wide eyes. His solid back blocked Hansol’s sight, but Hansol needed not to see the magician’s expression to guess its nature.

The man likely foresaw his exposure, though surely not so soon. He should have kept better concealment. Even an invitation to the Tower’s highest level or the best guest chamber would not have sufficed. Hansol was certain this outcome was the wizard’s own making.

“…I did not expect exposure so soon.”

“Thank you for allowing me to stay even but a day. Though I can offer no repayment, I shall not forget this debt.”

“…I suppose I must be satisfied with that debt, albeit reluctantly.”

Answering with reluctant bitterness, no better response presented itself. Hansol had duties to fulfill, things he must do.

“Never before have I so loathed this place. Such a pity.”

The Mage Tower’s Master.

His seat was not won by mere games—it was the product of endless effort and accumulated skill, perhaps even greater toil than Hansol’s own five years.

“Truly, a great regret.”

His voice waned, shoulders drooping. A melancholy atmosphere clung to the wizard, as if spurned by a mere Level 16 healer. Alas, it was time to depart.

“Then,”

Hansol rose, bowed lightly, and turned away. Were it not for the insistent system notifications, he might have departed without pause.

“Reward for clearing Minion Berthel’s Laboratory No. 1 has been distributed.”

“A substantial amount of experience has been earned.”

“Level Up.”

“Level Up.”

“Level Up.”

“Level Up.”

“Reward: Entry permit for Minion Berthel’s Laboratory No. 2 has been obtained.”

“…!!”

At the sudden appearance of the system message and its echo, the three exchanged glances. It was not mere surprise at delayed rewards.

Most astonishingly, the Gate bore a name, affixed by the system with unmistakable certainty.

Ordinarily, fixed gates that refused to close were named by the Hunter Association according to their nature—‘Goblin Village’ for gates swarming with goblins being a prime example. This was a system instituted to allow hunters to navigate Gates with greater ease and clarity.

Yet none of these names was bestowed by the system itself. Should this not be a vision, it would be the very first time the system had specifically designated a Gate’s name.

‘Again.’

Beginning with level-ups in England, followed by achievements and quests—all were unprecedented in Hansol’s hunter career, arriving all at once. He could no longer deny it—the stagnant Gates and hunters and world were on the cusp of change.

“Have you both received your notifications?”

The wizard abruptly rose and peered into the void, turning to inquire. Both Hansol and Sehyun nodded. Presumably, the same had appeared for all who cleared the new Gate—including Association hunters present.

‘The Association would no doubt seek exclusivity.’

Originally, the lion’s share of credit for clearing the Gate belonged to the wizard—for he had felled the Lich with a single blow.

 

NOTE – In the phrase “the lion’s share of credit,” the term “lion” is used metaphorically to mean “the largest part” or “the majority.” It is a common English idiom. So, “the lion’s share” means the biggest or main portion of something, in this case, the majority of credit for clearing the Gate. It does not refer to a literal lion.