A Horror Novel’s Supporting Character Wants to Live as a Human

Chapter 274

Chapter 274

While going to the city that supposedly had a Mage Tower, he had time to ask Yurik various things about mages and Mage Towers.

According to Yurik's explanation, Mage Towers existed everywhere in the western Thurian continent.

Like the legend that the first emperor of ancient Acheron kept mages close by his side,

At that time, the power called magic was enjoying its golden age.

The disciples that Eibon accepted, those who learned the magic she taught, became mages and established an organization called the 'Mage Tower.'

The first Mage Tower was a countermeasure institution to prevent mages from misusing their own power and to prevent outsiders from carelessly borrowing mages' power.

Thanks to the first emperor, who was known to be generous to mages, and Eibon, who was considered his confidant, the Mage Tower implicitly received the royal family's protection.

The Mage Tower built towers here and there across the continent for various research and moved freely between them.

In the process, they began to use 'Mage Tower' to refer to both the organizational administrative institution and the 'Mage Towers' that mages had built.After Acheron fell and split into kingdoms, naturally the organizational administrative institution called 'Mage Tower' also lost much of its power,

But the 'Mage Towers' built on the continent and the mages stationed there became affiliated with the countries where the towers were located.

"So if we think about it, Aquilonia's Mage Tower belongs to the Kingdom of Aquilonia, right?"

"That would be right."

"Are there many mages in the Mage Tower we're going to use?"

"Strictly speaking, it's not a real Mage Tower. Since it was made in imitation of the Mage Tower's format, it's called a Small Mage Tower."

Yurik answered while pulling the reins to slow the horse down a bit.

He couldn't tell how much time had passed since they separated from the party.

But judging by the sun's position, it was definitely late afternoon at the latest.

Until now, they had been riding alone together, but now people were beginning to appear one by one on the passing roads.

"What's the difference between a Small Mage Tower and a Mage Tower?"

"A Mage Tower is literally an institution where the country's mages gather. You can think of Aquilonia's Mage Tower in the royal capital as the center of all mages existing within Aquilonia."

"Small Mage Towers aren't?"

"Small Mage Towers were built at the kingdom level after Acheron. They were built for people to enjoy the convenience of magic, including teleportation magic. Do you understand a bit?"

Ah. So if he thought of the existence of Mage Towers as banks,

The old Mage Tower in the royal capital would be the bank headquarters, and Small Mage Towers would be like local bank branches in neighborhoods.

At the bank in front of one's house, customers would visit to withdraw cash or apply for loans,

But the bank headquarters wouldn't do such things.

Instead, they would review financial investment risks at the bank level, plan marketing, or support high-net-worth individual consulting.

Each had different roles.

What did Mage Towers look like then? Did they just look like ordinary guilds? Or did they look like tall towers studded with gems? What about Small Mage Towers?

"Are Small Mage Towers big?"

"Go see for yourself. But they're not as big as you'd expect."

Yurik left him on the horse and jumped down.

While he was imagining the appearance of Mage Towers and Small Mage Towers, when he suddenly looked around, he could already see walls surrounding the city and wide-open gates over there.

What? When did they get here?

As he was about to dismount awkwardly, Yurik looked up at him.

"Keep riding. You're a patient."

"But you got off?"

"The inside of the city is crowded with many people. Besides, we don't know who might attack from where."

"Assassins? Then shouldn't I get off and you ride the horse instead?"

"Is Yesung my escort? I fight better than Yesung."

No, then was he his escort?

No matter how he thought about it, there seemed to be no need for someone who was the 3rd Prince of a country to act like a servant leading a horse.

But Yurik, who had pulled up his cloak hood and firmly wrapped the horse's reins around his hand, smiled as if he enjoyed it.

"This way, Yesung will look like a noble young master who snuck out to play. Let's go."

"No. That..."

Without giving him time to say anything, the horse began to move slowly following Yurik's guidance.

He wondered if he should bow and offer thanks.

He felt unnecessarily awkward and was just brushing the horse's mane when his eyes opened wide as soon as they passed through the city gate.

People here, people there.

He couldn't even guess what the sharply pointed roof style was imitating, but anyway, thick smoke was rising from the chimneys.

The square was crowded, but thanks to being on horseback, he didn't feel that stuffy.

Moreover, since he could look down at people, he even felt secretly good.

On the left, people were raising their voices to attract customers, leading to the main market street.

When he turned his head to the other side, it seemed to be shops where craftsmen were, as hammer sounds were ringing out with bang-bang along with stalls.

Acrid smells and the fragrance of soft fruit, the fragrant smell of burning herbs from high-end shops.

Laughter and shouts hitting his ears. There were fascinating things everywhere he looked, making him feel dizzy too.

"What's that? A performance?"

"A street band. You don't see them often, but Yesung's luck was good today."

"Is that over there a market? How big is it?"

"It's not that big."

"Who were those people who just passed by? Their clothes were colorful."

"They're probably merchants or knights from nearby territories."

Even though it wasn't the first time he'd seen such things, he kept looking around as if entranced.

That was because in previous cycles, he had only thought about surviving and had never properly enjoyed such things.

Even if he had, he had lived on a planet without civilization for hundreds of millions of years in this cycle.

Wasn't it understandable that he'd be spellbound?

As he was watching the bustling crowd with his mouth half-open like a fool, Yurik asked from below.

"Is it fun? Do you like this kind of thing?"

"It's been a long time since I've been in a crowded place. My eyes keep wandering elsewhere."

"I knew from long ago that Yesung is fundamentally the type who likes humans."

Yurik's gaze shifted slightly from under his cloak.

"I made it."

"What? I couldn't hear well because it was noisy just now."

"I said I made it. The place where these people live, the country. ...When you think about it, it all started from Acheron. Aquilonia too, and other countries too."

"R-right?"

"So I made the place where these people live. Right?"

What was he trying to say?

It wasn't like he lived in Aquilonia, so was he asking him to express gratitude?

He didn't know what to answer to Yurik who was speaking clearly, so he just patted his head a few times over the cloak.

"Good job."

For some reason he didn't know, Yurik, who received the praise, became quite triumphant and his steps quickened.

He thought Yurik hadn't just used him as a machine that gave out praise when pressed.

Yurik and he, who was radiating a strangely satisfied atmosphere, crossed the square and headed toward a somewhat quieter street.

They passed the busy district and went through closely packed private houses.

When they reached the outskirts near the wall, a low hill road continued, and at the end stood a simple two-story house.

From the outside, it looked like a peaceful family home with lush green vegetables growing in the yard.

The unusual thing was that they had built something similar to a tower in the back.

The elongated tower was built by stacking black stones, and at the very top, there was a small arched window like a watchtower.

"Is that a Small Mage Tower?"

"Right. In front of it is the house where the manager and resident mage stay. I told you it wasn't as big as you'd expect."

Yurik, who approached the front of the house, knocked on the door.

After a moment, footsteps were heard from inside, then the door opened and a farmer with a kind impression came out.

"Who is it?"

"I'd like to apply for teleportation magic to the royal castle."

"Do you have a confirmation certificate?"

Yurik held out something.

It seemed like paper the size of a small card, or perhaps a piece of wood painted white.

The farmer took it and examined it closely.

"It doesn't seem to be... a forgery. Space-time cross-verification number, confirmed. Be careful as next year is the renewal date. You said you're going to the royal castle? What are the teleportation magic coordinates within the royal castle?"

"They're written together."

"Royal castle. Royal castle. Let me see, ah! Here it is. If the destination coordinates are designated as planetary calendar year 34, then that place is..."

The farmer's voice trailed off.

The farmer, who had been silent, glanced at Yurik and him, then returned the confirmation certificate he was holding.

"Are you a companion?"

"Can we teleport together?"

"I'll have to check the collected magical power amount, but it's probably possible. Please come this way."

The farmer guided them toward the tower.

The black tower seen up close was quite unique.

Rather than just cutting stones into rectangular shapes and stacking them up,

It used various forms of rocks as they were, so the sizes were all mixed up.

But stones shaped to fill the joints between the misaligned rocks were filled in,

And pebbles that could fill the gaps were fitted perfectly into the spaces between stones.

Yurik helped him get off the horse in front of the Mage Tower.

The inside of the tower was shabby. Three or four worn-out books were stuck there, and complex traces that were difficult to make out remained on the floor.

"Please stand here. Will you leave the horse outside in our care?"

"We'll do that."

"Are there any other special circumstances?"

"My companion is not in good physical condition. Please be careful."

The farmer looked at him. His expression was somehow suspicious.

"Well... you look healthy. How are you unwell?"

Yurik was quite worried. He quickly said.

"Ah, it's nothing much. Just a long cut from chest to stomach, so I think it might be okay."

"What? Were you cut?"

"Is it bad to be cut?"

The farmer suddenly became serious, which made him a bit flustered.

What if he said it was bad to be cut? Then come to think of it, he should change his words to say it seemed like he was stabbed.

No, but what if he said being stabbed was also a wound so it was bad? What was the difference between being deeply cut and being stabbed in the first place?

If it were Evana, she would judge accurately.

"Come to think of it, I think I was stabbed just a little bit. ...Probably."

"The aftereffects of teleportation magic might be severe. I'll try my best to send your companion as well, but informing you of the risks in advance is also the duty of a Small Mage Tower manager."

Aftereffects? Were there such things?

Yurik and he, who were standing side by side in the center of the tower, looked at each other.

Yurik blinked his red eyes and asked.

"What will you do? They say there might be aftereffects, so do you want to go back? Or will you continue going with me?"

"Well... if the aftereffects aren't limbs falling off, I don't really care."

"So he says."

Yurik's last words were directed at the mage who looked like a farmer.

As he said that, he looked strangely happy, and today's Yurik seemed particularly in a good mood.

Such a fickle fellow anyway.

When Yurik's permission was given, the mage scratched his sparse hair and took out a narrow bottle from a dusty shelf.

"I'll take it that you've consented. According to examples reported to the current magical academic world, the aftereffects you'll experience after teleportation include amnesia, abdominal pain, nausea, insomnia, excessive sleep, nervousness, difficulty breathing, fainting, dizziness, headache, memory loss, and so on."

"Wait, if it's that severe, isn't there a problem with teleportation magic itself?!"

"Please keep in mind that Mage Tower and Small Mage Tower managers do not take responsibility for this."

Thick liquid was poured from the bottle onto the floor. The spilled liquid spread along grooves carved into the floor as if it had its own will.

Like thin tree roots, delicate and beautiful black threads boring into the spaces between stones.

The letters and pictures that clearly appeared above the traces were complexly intertwined.

The liquid began to bubble. His skin tingled and he felt strangely like his feet were floating.

Without realizing it, he grabbed Yurik tightly, and solid fingers intertwined with his.

"[Behold this ship. Things so large and driven by strong winds are moved by an extremely small rudder. May it be so with all things, wind, bless this safe journey!]"

An unpleasant sensation attacked.

The feeling of being sucked in from his feet and thrown into empty space where no one was.

At the same time, the feeling of his body and everything inside it completely disappearing, then returning, twisting and being reconstructed was-

As soon as he perceived that his toes touched the floor, he felt intense nausea.

Before he could even think what to do, he was already kneeling and vomiting up his empty stomach.

Several urgent footsteps were heard, and there was a hand patting his back.

In the process, after vomiting only pale stomach acid onto the floor and having nothing more to spit out, he even dry heaved while tears and snot poured out.

Then, after he finally caught his breath.

In front of him were many people looking at him and the floor he had dirtied with pale expressions.

Long robes and fluttering sleeves.

Judging by their extraordinary fashion sense at a glance, these people were definitely mage-like people.

Among them, the oldest one first showed displeasure and asked.

"Your Highness, who exactly is this person? How dare he defile this dignified place?"

He thought, don't say it! Don't say even one of his names! Just make something up about him being a poor kid you picked up!

When he glared at Yurik, he looked at him as if he didn't understand, then suddenly his expression brightened and he nodded.

"I met him during my travels..."

That's right. That's right. Say he's a kid you picked up. Say you're taking him around to do odd jobs. Say he's a servant!

"He has been of great help to me. He is a precious person, so show proper respect."

The time when he first met the Shambhala people suddenly flashed back like a flashback.

Actually, when he thought about it, wasn't Yurik a device designed to mess with him?