The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 43

Magic Tower

Up until now, Leonardo could confidently say that he had experienced every kind of battle.

The berserker known as the Human Butcher had failed to kill him. The Necromancer King, called the Lord of Curses and Death, had fallen by Leo’s hand. Even an ancient demon resurrected in the modern era couldn’t ultimately devour Leo and met its end.

But even for Leonardo.

“Leo…”

He could be sure that this was the most terrifying situation he had ever faced.

“Explain.”

“…Sorry? Explain what…?”

Thunk.

A sword was driven into the marble floor of the hallway. As if piercing through soft clay, it sank quickly and cleanly, leaving only the mark of the sword, without even a crack forming on the floor.

As she drew the sword out, she smiled.

That smile made him feel death creeping over his body.

[…Don’t worry. If you die, I’ll teach you how to live as a ghost.]

The assumption of death was strange, but he couldn’t think of anything to refute it.

“Miss Ariasphil…? Please, calm dow—”

“Shut up.”

“Y-Yes…?”

Ariasphil expressed her anger with a twisted expression. The murderous smile from before now seemed almost cute in comparison.

“Did you do it?”

“Sorry…? Do what exactly…?”

“I asked if you did it!! Answer me…!!”

She spoke without a subject, so he had no idea what she was talking about. Moreover, his mind had frozen in fear, leaving him no room for guesses or assumptions.

“…So, what exactly are you asking…?”

“Shut your mouth…!! I don’t want to hear it…!!”

At this point, he couldn’t tell what was what anymore.

Why was she so enraged?

Was she asking for an explanation, or telling him not to speak?

In the meantime, Ariasphil exploded in a fit of anger and fury.

“…I…! I wanted to do it with Leonardo for the first time…!! Why…!! Why did you betray me…!!”

Now, it was beyond anyone’s understanding. Ariasphil, her voice almost breaking into sobs, was wailing in a near-crying tone. Tears were gradually streaming down her face.

<…Why the hell is she acting like this…?!>

[I don’t know… What’s up with her? She’s terrifying…]

At that moment, when both men were feeling terror amidst the confusion—

A graduate student wiped away Ariasphil’s falling tears.

“I’m sorry. As an adult, I made a hasty decision. I should have considered Miss Ariasphil’s feelings as well…”

“You’re just as guilty…!! How could you do such a thing to Leonardo…!!”

Just as she was about to raise her sword again, the graduate student embraced Ariasphil.

“I’m truly sorry. It was my mistake for not understanding Ariasphil’s feelings, especially since we both admire the same person.”

“…Ugh… Aaah…”

Once again, tears began to fall. If asked to define chaos and madness, Leonardo would immediately point to this scene without a second thought.

“So, let’s do it together from now on.”

“…Pardon…?”

Ariasphil’s tears stopped. It wasn’t because her rage had subsided. But more than that, Ameri’s words left her utterly bewildered.

“…What do you mean…!”

“We both like and respect the same person… so doing it together will be better for everyone! It’ll be more meaningful, too!”

Ameri’s words clearly centered around the Sage’s Legacy.

In Ameri’s eyes, Ariasphil likely appeared to be searching for the Sage’s Legacy just like Leo.

So, she believed Ariasphil felt jealous and angry because she had been left out when the others found the Sage’s Legacy. Ameri figured that if she were in the same position, she would have felt the same way.

The real problem was…

‘…Three people…?! Could it be… all together…?! Something so… wild…!!’

Ariasphil had interpreted it in a completely different way. In her mind, a party of lust and betrayal was unfolding.

“…Such… such shameless acts…!! That I would want…!!”

“…Shameless, you say…? Ah! It’s because we left Rios out, isn’t it? Let’s do it together with Rios too! Then it’ll be great!!”

Ariasphil’s face turned beet red. The mix of pleasure and the bloodlust of betrayal conjured by her misunderstanding was dangerously provocative for a young girl.

A moment of calm, explanation, and clarification was desperately needed.

* * *

“…Ugh…”

Ariasphil buried her head in the table, her face hidden in her hands.

Everyone remained silent, unsure how to address the strange situation.

If they brought it up now, Ariasphil might faint from sheer embarrassment.

“…I’m… really… so… sorry…”

Grinding her teeth, Ariasphil forced out an apology that was embarrassment itself.

“No!! No, really!! It’s actually more strange not to have doubts in this situation!!”

Ameri quickly accepted her apology. After all, it must have been awkward for her to see her friend’s younger sister like this.

When they first explained the Sage’s Legacy to Ariasphil, she had been suspicious, asking repeatedly for clarification.

It was understandable given the circumstances; the late hour and everything else made it more than reasonable for her to be suspicious.

Thankfully, after they showed her the cut wall in the bathroom, the storage box, and the ring, which was the Legacy, Ariasphil finally believed them.

<…But what exactly did she misunderstand?>

[I don’t even want to know anymore. Don’t ask a Sage like me.]

Even though it sounded absurd, Leo naturally nodded in resignation, deciding to let the matter drop. If the Sage didn’t know, it was probably better to stay in the dark.

“…But what are we going to do with that ring?”

To change the subject, Ariasphil looked at the ring in her pocket and asked.

“Well… I suppose we should report it to the Masters of the Magic Tower first. Since this is the first Sage’s Legacy ever discovered in the history of the Tower…”

“You mustn’t do that right away.”

The one who interrupted was Leonardo, who had found the ring with her.

“Huh…? Why not…?”

“Because they’ll probably want to verify its authenticity first, and there’s a high chance they’ll take it away under the pretext of determining if it’s genuine.”

“…So, it’s not allowed…?”

Leonardo sighed in frustration but reluctantly answered her question with a pitying look.

“Do you really think they’d just give it back? We’d be lucky if they don’t switch it with a fake.”

Not all the Masters of the Magic Tower were corrupt, but the Sage’s Legacy was a treasure of immense historical and practical value.

It wouldn’t be surprising if someone harbored ill intentions.

Especially when the owner was someone as weak as that, their greed would only intensify.

“…Do you really think so…?”

“What would you do if they offered you a PhD in exchange for giving it up?”

“I’d take it!!!”

That response didn’t come from stupidity or foolishness.

It was simply a reflexive yearning for freedom, born from years of living like a slave.

“See?”

“…Y-yeah.”

Faced with such a pitiful scene, Ariasphil was almost at a loss for words. A genius born with a silver spoon in her mouth could never understand such a poverty-stricken mindset.

“…Yes… I guess… that’s true?”

“Then how about we try putting the ring on at least once before deciding? That way, we can at least verify if it’s the real deal as a magical artifact.”

Both companions fell into deep thought at that suggestion. Meanwhile, the creator of the ring whispered to Leo.

[But are you sure? Once she puts it on…]

[…Well, in truth, it’s best if she’s the one who uses it anyway.]

As if waiting for the Sage’s approval, the hesitant Ameri slipped the ring onto her finger.

“…I don’t feel… much of a difference…”

“…Huh?!”

The first to react was Ariasphil.

“…W-what…! What’s wrong…?!”

“Look at your eyes! The redness…!!”

At those words, Ameri checked her reflection in the dark surface of her watch.

The dark circles under her eyes were still prominent, but the dryness and bloodshot redness were gradually fading, leaving her eyes clear and moist.

“…Come to think of it, I don’t feel sleepy anymore. My head is incredibly clear…!”

“It seems it’s real after all. That’s a relief.”

[You knew all along… You’re a master of deceit. Truly.]

Whether that was an insult or a compliment, Leo decided to take it as praise since the outcome was favorable.

“…Then, I should probably take off the ring now…”

As if she didn’t even have time to relish in this newfound happiness, the diligent slave tried to remove the ring for the sake of her graduate studies.

“…Huh? Why won’t it…?”

Ameri, looking flustered, pressed down on the ring with her opposite hand and tried to pull it off her finger, but it wouldn’t budge.

“What’s wrong?”

“The ring… Miss Ariasphil, could you please help me for a moment?”

“Yes? Yes, of course.”

At Ameri’s request, Ariasphil lightly grasped the ring. Trusting in Ariasphil’s strength, Ameri quickly pulled her body back.

“Owww…!! It hurts!! Aaah!!”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Ariasphil quickly covered her mouth with her hand and apologized when Ameri cried out in pain.

[Didn’t Ariasphil just smile a moment ago?]

Considering the situation, there was no reason to smile, so it was probably a trick of the light, or maybe the Sage’s aging eyesight was acting up.

“What do we do now…? If it won’t come off…”

“It’s okay. Since we’ve found it, the ring’s ownership belongs to either you or me. But if we compare who solved more of the puzzles, you definitely have the larger share, Ameri.”

From the beginning, this was meant to be given to Ameri.

The healing effect of the ring could probably solve all the various bone ailments she had.

[But is it okay to just give it away for free?]

Leonardo looked at her with a pitying gaze.

And who knows? She was already a high-ranking magician in her past life; maybe this magical tool will help her achieve great success.

[But you’ve got me.]

[With roasting skills like yours, it’s not just a national treasure, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage.]

Nothing to say there. Such praise was an exaggeration.

“…That’s important, but… I’m not even married yet… What am I supposed to do with this?”

Ameri had slipped the ring onto her ring finger, and anyone with common sense knew what that meant.

“What if I can’t get married because of this…?”

<…>

The small-minded cowardly man quietly looked at his spirit guardian.

[…]

The irresponsible scoundrel shook his head, giving a despairing answer.

The coward and the scoundrel expressed their condolences without any sense of responsibility. It was truly a pity.

* * *

The next day, despite several disturbances and incidents, things passed relatively quietly.

First, following Leonardo’s advice, they decided not to reveal this matter immediately.

Surely, there would be many who would object to it, and at worst, they might cut off her finger or even assassinate her just to take the ring.

Ameri filled and repaired the bathroom wall with her magic, and the group returned to their respective lodgings.

And that night, they agreed to meet again in one place.

[…But don’t we need to catch those despicable magicians?]

[That’s true, but… this test will be trickier than you think…]

Whether it happened or not is unknown, but considering the Sage’s standards, even an indirect kiss would count… So it was safer to assume it did.

[Shut up, you bastard.]

[I honestly thought they’d solve it within a week! They were all close friends of mine!]

If they were truly close, they might have solved it right away, but unless one was a genius or completely crazy, there’s no way they’d guess like that.

And even if they did solve it, it was doubtful that they’d still be friends afterward.

“Ah! Leo!”

“You’re here? Leonardo-kun.”

Two people were already waiting in front of the library.

“Sorry for calling you so late at night.”

“No, it’s fine! If it’s to find the Sage’s Legacy, I can go without sleep for a week—no, even a month!”

It was clear that she wasn’t just agreeing for the sake of it; she truly meant it. Otherwise, the Sage wouldn’t be wearing such a smug expression.

“But do you really think the legacy is in the Magic Tower’s library? It’s not like it’s a place where only a few people have visited…”

“If you think about it that way, the bathroom is also a place that people visit frequently. They probably hid it in plain sight, right under everyone’s noses.”

The two nodded in understanding, impressed.

[…Yeah, of course, that must be it. Haha.]

If he hadn’t added that unnecessary comment, they really would have believed it. But that guy just had to tack on that extra bit, making them suspicious. It was so pathetic that no one bothered to point it out.

“…But even though I’ve been here before… this place is really vast. I wonder how many books there are…?”

“Around 8 million… If you include the underground archives, there are about 300,000 more.”

At that number, Aria’s mouth dropped open.

In fact, the Magic Tower had an obligation to pass on scholarly materials to future generations. The students and professors in the Magic Tower also cooperated with the Tower, taking advantage of this vast collection of resources, so the Tower saw the value in managing all these books.

“But how are we supposed to find it?”

“…Actually, the Sage left a hint in the library.”

[My wisdom is embedded in the library as well. Perhaps the remaining wisdom here will last forever, even if we fall asleep.]

“…That’s what he said. So, everyone tried all sorts of methods in the library.”

Some people tried sleeping with a book under their pillow, some tore the books apart, and some even went so far as to burn them.

“But then, all the professors and students who did such things were expelled. They were charged with damaging materials and property…”

Sleeping with a book under their head was met with a scolding or a written apology at most, but there was no excuse for those who tore or burned the books.

[Of course. Where did they sell off their common sense?]

As he said this, Leonardo began pulling books from the shelves.

“…Are those books the clues?”

“No. Actually, any book will do. Just pick the largest and thickest ones you can find.”

“…What? Really?”

Leonardo nodded in response, pulling out various books. Seeing him, the others, though a bit skeptical, decided to follow suit, thinking it might be worth a shot.

“Will this be enough?”

Ameri asked, looking at the stack of books piled up on the desk.

“Yes, that should be plenty.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“Now, we just need to make a sleeping area.”

“A sleeping area…?!”

He couldn’t understand why she was so startled by that comment. Was the method really that shocking?

“…We tried that, but it didn’t work. Sleeping with your head on a book has already been done…”

“Not just sleeping on the book, but you need to make a full coffin out of the books.”

“…What?”

Leo wasn’t surprised by the reaction at all. After all, he had reacted the same way when he first heard it.

-“So, ‘falling asleep’ has two meanings. It could mean literally falling asleep, or it could mean death. It’s hidden with that meaning in mind.”

-“…It’s an interesting and novel idea, but the fact that no one has tried it for hundreds of years… That’s a bit…”

It was indeed a clever method, but it was a little suspicious that no one in the Magic Tower, filled with eccentric individuals, had ever attempted it.

[Actually, even if you know the method, if you can’t pass it in one go, it’s meaningless.]

[It’s exactly as I said. I can tell you how to enter, but knowing how to pass it becomes pointless once you start the trial.]

They didn’t quite understand what he meant, but since this person was known for spouting nonsense, they just accepted it.

[But as long as one person succeeds, you can obtain the item, so don’t worry too much.]

The Sage’s words were true.

This trial, like the last one, had a focus on being advantageous if there were more participants.

It was likely intended to encourage cooperation among the group…

‘But expecting such behavior from magicians who would tear each other apart over a patent… that’s a stretch.’

With that thought lingering in his mind, Leonardo carefully stacked the books, shaping them into a coffin.

“More or less done.”

“I’m ready too. I didn’t expect ‘falling asleep’ to mean this.”

“…So, should we lie down?”

Leonardo nodded as he inspected the completed book coffins.

“Since this is a game where winning only requires one person to succeed, don’t feel too pressured.”

“But we must succeed!”

“I’ll do my best too!”

Expressing their determination, each of them lay down in their respective coffins. Leonardo also laid down and spoke.

“Good night.”

The group closed their eyes.

* * *

…

……

………

“…Wake up…”

“…Huh…?”

Someone was shaking Leonardo’s body.

“…Wake up, Leo…”

Perhaps because he couldn’t resist the shaking, Leonardo cautiously opened his eyes.

“…Where… is this…”

He was at home. Had he dozed off? There was a bit of warm drool at the corner of his mouth.

“…Sorry. I must have fallen asleep without realizing it.”

“It’s fine. Between us, no need to apologize~”

Ariasphil responded with a bright smile. Somehow, she had found an apron in the house and was wearing it comfortably, as if it were her own.

Honestly, it didn’t look bad on her. The dark blue apron accentuated the soft curves that had gradually developed on her body.

Feeling a bit of heat from her sensuality, Leo used the excuse of sleepiness to pull the blanket over his lower body. Once his hormones calmed down a bit, he got up from his spot.

“Are you okay, Leo? You don’t look too well.”

Of course, the main reason was waking up to find her in an apron, but who would openly admit that?

Only a madman would say something like that.

“I’m fine. How about you, Miss Aria? Were you okay last night?”

“Hmm? Last night, what about it?”

Stretching her body like a bow, Aria asked in return. Feeling a bit flustered by her slightly provocative posture, Leo awkwardly smiled and rephrased his question.

“You had that confrontation with the chief. How did you manage to beat that stubborn old lady?”

“…Oh, that…? Well, you see…”

Aria hesitated for a moment before answering. Leonardo’s gaze focused on the distant clock.

After about nine ticks of the second hand, Aria cautiously began to speak.

“Well, what happened was…”

Leonardo’s expression twisted into a cold sneer.

“Hey.”

He cut her off with a single word.

“…Leo…? Why all of a sudden…”

“Shut up. You’re pissing me off.”

His tone was distinctly different from usual. Even if it was someone else, he would never speak to Aria like this.

“…What did I do wrong…?! Why are you so mad…?”

“Because you’re pissing me off, so don’t pretend to be Ariasphil in front of me. Are you a succubus? Or a dark mage? Or did you inject me with hallucinogens?”

“What are you talking about?! I don’t understand…! Why are you doing this?!”

Leonardo slammed his fist onto the table, shattering the furniture.

“Then answer my question. How did you beat the chief? Tell me everything from start to finish, without leaving anything out.”

“That’s…”

“You can’t answer right away, can you? Isn’t that right? It’s unavoidable.”

Hallucinations or dreams create a false reality by combining the subject’s knowledge and unconscious thoughts. Even if it’s not perfectly realistic, most people won’t notice.

Even if it’s not realistic, as long as it blurs their memory and consciousness, people won’t even question whether it’s reality or a dream.

“But there’s one flaw in that.”

However, when you’re dealing with memories you’re aware of but don’t know in detail, the fabric of imagination is different.

“To make it seem natural, you need at least 10 to 15 seconds. You have to recreate something that doesn’t exist from scratch. Do you understand now?”

“What are you saying?! It’s only been 9 seconds!!”

Aria’s uncharacteristic outburst, but Leo’s confidence hit the mark in another area entirely.

“Oh, really? Then how did you know it’s been 9 seconds?”

“Huh…? That’s…?”

“You didn’t even look at the clock… it could be 8 seconds, or just barely 10 seconds… but how did you know it was exactly 9 seconds?”

Aria couldn’t answer.

Wasn’t it obvious?

“’Because that’s how I perceived it.’ Isn’t that right?”

In this place, the only person who could accurately know that the time was 9 seconds was Leonardo.