Chapter 151 : Good News
Philip opened his eyes at the break of dawn, just as he always did. Day by day, it felt as though his ability to sleep in was slipping away.
He moved his body sluggishly, preparing for work. He washed himself thoroughly, donned a crisply ironed uniform, neatly combed back his completely white hair, and placed his hat on his head.
Embodying the very image of a wizard as the world might imagine one, he suddenly found himself gazing intently at his reflection in the window.
‘When did time slip by like this?’
The face from his youthful days, brimming with vitality and dreams, was now buried under a multitude of wrinkles etched by the years, impossible to uncover.
“I’ve aged quite a bit myself.”
Philip murmured softly to himself. The skin around his eyes had sagged, accentuating his already droopy gaze even further, and his once-petite frame was shrinking more with each passing day.
As was his habit, he attempted to slip on his shoes and grasp his staff using magic, but he had a change of heart.
For the first time in ages, he personally took up his staff and put on his shoes. Sitting on the floor, he meticulously tied the laces, then braced himself against his knee and rose slowly.
An undeniable ache throbbed in his joints. It hit him anew just how much his age had advanced, to the point where even such simple movements would be arduous without magic.
“Cough, cough!”
A fit of dry coughing burst forth without any apparent cause, and Philip stepped out of the house, boarding the carriage.
He strained his eyelids, committing to memory the vista of the Magic Tower visible through the window. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say he had devoted the bulk of his life to traversing this very path.
Throughout his tenure as the Tower Master, Philip had forsaken his personal existence. He had never formed a family, leaving him without kin, and his close friends could be counted on one hand.
As Tower Master, he had accomplished a great deal, but as the man Philip, he wasn’t so certain. Beyond honor and achievements, what remained for him?
Having immersed himself in magic since childhood, his individual life had been all but nonexistent. Confronting this reality once more, Philip pondered quietly.
‘Perhaps the time has come for me to tend to my own life as well.’
Before it grew too late, he needed moments to live as the human Philip. Without the need to amass accomplishments or guide others—just waking to a cup of tea in the morning and strolling under the warm midday sun.
Such utterly commonplace days had arrived at a point where they felt precious and vital.
Having swiftly composed his unsettled thoughts, Philip entered the Magic Tower. His aide, who had been half-compelled into becoming a morning person by his diligent superior, bowed his head upon seeing him.
“You’re here, Tower Master.”
“Ho ho ho, a fine morning indeed.”
“Yes, shall I prepare some tea for you?”
Philip didn’t respond immediately, instead standing there for a moment, observing his aide. The man, who had served under him for over twenty years now, had entered middle age.
When I first laid eyes on him, he was a bright-eyed young fellow. Now, strands of white threaded his hair, and he was a family man with a child or two.
Burdened by the unwavering stare, the aide asked with an awkward expression.
“Is there something you’d like to discuss?”
“Ho ho. Skip the tea, and convene a meeting of the Tower executives this afternoon.”
“Understood. But what is the agenda for the gathering?”
The aide inquired meticulously, ready to execute the abrupt directive faithfully. Philip offered a benevolent smile in reply.
“It’s to officially announce my successor as Tower Master.”
“Yes, as you… What?!”
The aide’s eyes widened as if they might pop out. Designating the next Tower Master implied that Philip was stepping down.
With a face full of astonishment, he stammered.
“T-Tower Master, you don’t mean…”
“I’m far too old now. It’s time to make way for a new era.”
“But…”
“I’ll leave it in your hands, then.”
Philip gave the aide’s shoulder a light pat and vanished leisurely into his office. His retreating figure appeared noticeably smaller than before, rendering the aide utterly speechless.
Aracila halted abruptly in her steps as she was heading out. Turning on her heel without warning, she made her way to the mirror.
Her vivid blue eyes scanned herself meticulously from head to toe. Something seemed amiss, as a subtle furrow creased her brow.
“…Madam? What’s the matter?”
Audrey, who had been holding the door open oblivious to the issue, asked a moment later. Aracila, gazing earnestly at her reflection in the mirror, replied.
“I think I need to retie my hair.”
“Pardon?”
“Doesn’t it look a bit unkempt? I’d like to pull it up neatly and high instead.”
Audrey blinked in bewilderment.
This was the first time Aracila had voiced such a complaint during her morning routine. Wasn’t she the sort who would simply let her hair down freely if it became a hassle?
‘What’s gotten into her to care so much all of a sudden…?’
Though she found it peculiar, Audrey obliged her mistress’s request. She raised the low, loose ponytail secured with a ribbon and fixed it high and secure.
“Is this better now?”
“Yes.”
After confirming that not a single stray hair had escaped, Aracila nodded with satisfaction.
“You’re paying such attention to your hair out of the blue; there must be an important event at the Tower today.”
“…No, not particularly.”
Aracila fumbled her response and averted her eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to confess that it was because she didn’t want to appear even slightly disheveled in front of Damian.
Ahem. An embarrassed clearing of her throat escaped her lips.
When one deviates from their usual behavior, no one knows it better than oneself.
“Let’s hurry along.”
Feigning urgency, Aracila quickened her pace toward the dining hall.
Damian, having arrived first, was seated and waiting. His silver hair was impeccably groomed today, just as Aracila’s now was.
“Good morning, my lady.”
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.”
Damian smiled gently as he regarded Aracila. In response, the corners of her mouth instinctively curved into an arc.
With expressions that seemed to summon blooming flowers and radiant light around them, the pair averted their gazes in unison, as if by some unspoken agreement. Neither wished to reveal a flushed face so early in the morning.
Whether fortunate or not, their simultaneous identical actions meant they failed to notice the oddity in each other.
After finishing a simple meal and exiting the mansion, Damian personally opened the carriage door and extended his hand.
“Give it your best today, and safe travels.”
“Thank you, and the same to you.”
Aracila took his hand and boarded the carriage. As she settled into her seat and began to withdraw her hand, Damian unexpectedly captured her fingertips.
He bowed his head and pressed his lips to the back of her pale hand. The warm, soft sensation against her skin caught her off guard, widening her eyes in surprise.
Damian held the kiss firmly before releasing, then lifted his gaze slightly and tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Have a delightful day.”
“…Yes.”
Aracila bowed her head slightly as she closed the door. She could feel her cheeks burning hot, and the back of her hand where the kiss had landed tingled inexplicably.
Leaning her arm against the window, she covered her mouth with her hand. Laughter kept bubbling up unbidden. What was it about this that had her in such high spirits from the morning on?
The soft, spilling smile lingered all the way until she arrived at the Magic Tower.
“Hello, everyone.”
“Come on in, senior! Oh my, has something good happened?”
Sally greeted her energetically, then tilted her head upon seeing Aracila’s face.
“Why?”
“You’re grinning from ear to ear.”
She pulled her lips into an exaggerated smile and pointed to her own mouth. Aracila rubbed her cheek with an embarrassed expression.
“Ah… Was I doing that?”
“Yes, you look incredibly pleased.”
Rudy joined in, adding his own comment. As she tentatively touched around her mouth, she found the corners still faintly upturned.
“Maybe it’s because I have a feeling today’s going to be lucky for me.”
In the end, Aracila gave up on suppressing the smile and responded with a bright grin.
Up until that moment, she couldn’t have imagined her words would become reality.
In the midst of carrying out her research as usual, news arrived of an emergency executive meeting being convened. Aracila finished her meal without much thought and attended the gathering.
With half the executives having been swept away in the previous incident, the meeting room felt sparse. After exchanging casual greetings with the survivors, she took her seat and pondered.
‘They mentioned a major announcement is scheduled—could it be about selecting new executives?’
In case Philip changed his mind, the aide had refrained from revealing the reason for the meeting. As a result, Aracila and the other executives were assembled without knowing the purpose.
It wasn’t long before Philip appeared at the head of the table. He seemed much the same as always, yet there was a subtle air of lightness about him.
“Ho ho ho, thank you all for coming. I have something important to say, which is why I called you here so urgently.”
“Are you referring to appointing new executives?”
One of the executives voiced the same speculation as Aracila. Philip shook his head with a gentle smile.
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then what is the announcement?”
“I’m here to declare the successor to the Magic Tower.”
At those words, the meeting room immediately buzzed with murmurs. Everyone stared at Philip with bewildered expressions. Aracila was no exception.
Selecting a successor for the Magic Tower meant that Philip intended to pass on the position of Tower Master and step down.
It also signified that the long-discussed next Tower Master had finally been decided.
Amid the unsettled atmosphere, the most senior wizard among the executives, who had observed Philip the longest, stepped forward.
“Tower Master, this is far too sudden. With half the executives already gone, if you step down as well… The Tower could descend into great chaos.”
The other wizards nodded in agreement. Aracila shared the sentiment. She couldn’t yet envision the Magic Tower without Philip.
Moreover, with some wizards having been expelled due to the recent unsavory events, they needed a strong central figure to foster unity.
Philip, seeming to understand their concerns, wore a benevolent expression but spoke firmly.
“That’s precisely why we must appoint the next Tower Master now. So that person can select the members of the coming generation.”
They say opportunity arises in the midst of crisis. Philip believed the current situation was just that. With the Tower having been shaken once, now was the ideal time for a generational shift.
While the executives grasped his intent, they couldn’t hide their feelings of reluctance and regret.
“But we’re not yet prepared to let you go, Tower Master.”
“That’s right. You’ve been the Tower Master since before I even joined the Tower. It’s hard to believe that could change.”
Philip was the wizard who had served the longest term as Tower Master in history. Accordingly, many trusted and followed him.
After calmly surveying the wizards murmuring with uneasy faces, Philip spoke.
“Don’t worry too much. Designating a successor doesn’t mean I’m retiring immediately. It’s just that this old man is ready to stop being worked to the bone and let the younger ones take on the hardships.”
“If that’s your will, Tower Master… then we accept it.”
It would be unseemly to beg for more when Philip was well into the twilight of his years. Some had noticed that his health had deteriorated noticeably in recent times.
It was better to select the next Tower Master while Philip still retained some vigor and prepare for the future accordingly.
“Do you have someone in mind for the next Tower Master?”
As someone quietly posed the question, the meeting room fell into silence. Philip didn’t deny it and slowly nodded.
Even before he could utter the person’s name, all eyes converged on one spot.
Right on Aracila.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
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