Published at 26th of June 2021 2:30 pm

Chapter 124: Ivory Tower’s Council Meeting (1)

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“Please enter.”

The 10 high ranking sorcerers have entered the Ivory Tower’s Assembly room. ‘Albert,’ one of the younger sorcerers, recited. The first item on the agenda for the council was the trial of ‘Haileyy Greenriver’, the princess of the empire, who was illegally trained in sorcery.

“This way.”

The Ivory Tower was not an institution for processing the empire’s legal matters. There was no interrogation, confinement, or was there even any complicated process. There was only the unveiling of the truth or falsehood through cooperative inquisition magic of the high sorcerers.

“Please take the center seat, your majesty, and all of you who are relevant in this case may take your seats in the back.”

Following Albert’s instructions Princess Haileyy, Kevin- a palace sorcerer who had illegally trained her in sorcery, and the princess’ servant girls who were like her friends, all took their designated seats.

“Alright. Now then……”

“Wait.”

Ian cut Albert off as he stood up from his seat. Then he walked towards Kevin and the servant girls and took a seat among them. Ian spoke in a dry voice as no one understood Ian’s intentions.

“I, too, am relevant in the charge against the princess. I should not be allowed to participate in the trial process. I’d look to Sir Ronan and Sir Deckard to conduct the trial in my place.”

It was a sudden confession by Ian. Ronan, the high sorcerer, asked.

“What, What are you implying?”

“I am also guilty of teaching sorcery to the princess.”

The high sorcerers’ faces turned darker upon hearing such a thing so suddenly. Although the entire story must be heard, the fact that they heard the confession, itself, was a perplexing situation. To simply put, the situation would be put in the following context.

‘He wants us to put the Tower Lord of the Ivory Tower to a trial?’

It would have been tough enough even for an ordinary Tower Lord of the Ivory Tower. Even worse, he wants us to put Ian Page to a trial? After all, he has reached the level of sorcery, which made us all wonder, whether he was even a human, he even travels on a white dragon. Put such an entity before us and conduct a trial? Can a verdict be competently reached? On top of that, even the trial method was problematic. The interrogation magic will not even work. That is because Ian would easily be able to neutralize such magic.

‘Is he saying that knowing this or not?’

The high ranking sorcerers were just curious whether this young Tower Lord of the Ivory Tower, standing before them, was saying such things because he really didn’t know better or not. By simply assessing the situation based on only his age, the former case would be highly likely, but then based on all the acts that were witnessed, the latter case seemed to be more likely.

“Ahem!”

After having observed the dynamics of the high sorcerers, Deckard, the most senior member of the Ivory Tower, cleared his throat and spoke in his old voice. He thought that it was time for him to take control of the situations like this.

“My Lord. As you know, the Ivory Tower’s trial is entirely dependent on the cooperative interrogation magic of the high sorcerers.

“Yes, I do know it as so.”

“However, my lord, your case is different. Although I do not know it for sure in my old age, I can guess that you will be able to neutralize the interrogation magic quite easily. Of course, I am not insinuating that you would intentionally do so.”

It wasn’t necessarily because he wasn’t afraid due to his old age. After all, it was Ian Page, rather than some ordinary Ivory Tower’s tower lord, that he had to face. Yet, he brought himself up to continue. Deckard did not age or spend his long life in vain.

“I understand what you mean. I have not thought it through that far. As a far distant junior member, I will remember it as a lesson well learned.”

Ian replied with courtesy. Whether it was in his former or in present life, Deckard has always been the model sorcerer. Even though he wasn’t the greatest of all characters, he was an elder who certainly commanded respect.

“I believe that I can certainly neutralize the cooperative interrogation magic that you speak of. Although I have no such intention, I do not have a way to prove it either. Hmm, how should it be addressed……”

Ian fell into deep thoughts as he massaged his chin. Perhaps, he was just putting on an act of showing that he was troubled.

“Well, wouldn’t it make sense to first hear the whole story?”

Ronan, the high sorcerer, spoke out at that time.

It wasn’t a simple interjection.

“The tower lord has admitted to his guilt. As a matter of fact, he did not try to conceal it at all. We can certainly anticipate a number of outcomes since it is a trial, but it seems entirely fair to allow the tower lord an opportunity to explain his position.”

Ronan was rather persuasive. The rest of the high sorcerers nodded in agreement.

“If everyone agrees……”

Deckard also read the room this time around. He continued to carry out the trial.

“Please, my lord, explain the background for the offense that you have admitted to. Please explain how you came to teach sorcery to the princess and everything that relates to that action.”

Ian closed his eyes slowly. He had no intention of telling a lie. He would only tell parts of the whole truth. Why did he teach her? It was simple. It was so that he could protect the princess.

‘A debt owed must be paid back.’

The princess helped Ian’s family. When the dragon soldiers attacked and caused havoc, the princess along with Oliver, rescued his family. Furthermore, she took complete care of them to the end. It was a way of paying her back.

‘It was an opportunity to clear his conscience.’

At the same time, it was a form of comforting himself. As alluded earlier, Ian was on the side of strictly prohibiting unlawfully passing down sorcery, and thus training sorcerers as a result of it. His belief was still the same now. However, he went astray of his own core belief by his act. No matter what the reason was, he had abandoned all the belief system that he had? It was that regret in some form that he wanted to shed.

“I-”

Ian opened his eyes. Then he began to speak.

“I knew that the princess was a sorcerer since 7 years ago. Of course at the time, I saw her by accident, so I was the only one who knew it. Since then, I had completely forgotten about it for the next 5 years.”

He omitted talking about the stone heart mushroom. It was because he had no other choice.

“Meanwhile, as I had mentioned it before when the 5th prince had attempted to assassinate the king, I had investigated the people who, after the execution of Herbert the former Ivory Tower’s tower lord, had newly risen to power around the 5th prince. The key people were Dumpil Moret, the king’s body guard, and Oburn Parker, the imperial city’s aristocrat. In the process of investigating them, I needed the princess’ identity. It was not easy to penetrate the aristocrat’s circle as a sorcerer.”

Of course, the stories relating to the Dragonians were omitted as well.

“I had used sorcery training as bait and I used sorcery training as a repayment. Specifically, the newly revealed form of breathing technique that is open to the entire Ivory Tower and a few small bits of knowhow. They were not that great of skills, but I do admit that illegal magic training did occur.”

Ian’s explanation has ended. There certainly was not even a spot of lie. Yet, it was a bit different than what had actually happened. A moment of silence pervaded the assembly room.

“I would like to ask a question to the princess, my lady.”

Deckard’s voice broke the silence. He spoke to the princess Haileyy Greenriver.

“Is what the tower lord has just said all true?”

“……Yes.”

The princess certainly did not tell a lie either. She did not know that Ian chased after the heart stone mushroom, and the Dragonians. What Ian has just said was what the princess knew as the whole story.

“What exactly did you help him with?”

“It was a request for me to attend as a buyer at the secret auction that Oburn Parker, the imperial city’s aristocrat, had organized. As requested, I had attended and afterwards, I was taught the breathing technique and received a few pieces of advice.”

The high sorcerers recognized the princess’ words as being true as well. There was no other indication that they could sense from the cooperative interrogation magic that they were applying. Although Ian was there next to them, they did not consider interference as a possibility. Wasn’t it the case of fully admitting guilt?

“Alright. I will continue my questioning.”

From that point on, it just followed the original intent of the trial. Almost all the questions were directed at the princess. The princess also obliged fully with her responses. How she came to conceal the fact that she was a sorcerer and the reason behind it all. Much time has passed and finally the trial seems to be nearing an end.

“I’d like to offer the princess, my lady, the final opportunity to speak. Please speak freely should you have anything to say at this time.”

The final opportunity to speak freely… Princess Haileyy surveyed the area. Kevin, the imperial palace sorcerer, looked placid. And the servant girls were shaking in fear. As if she was determined, the princess began to speak.

“……I am guilty of violating the strictly prohibited law of the land. I am prepared to accept any form of punishment. If I was not, I wouldn’t have come forward. I do not wish for any favoritism that may be given to an aristocrat. Please pass judgment and punishment that are fully in line with the laws of the empire and the Ivory Tower. I ask only one thing…”

Haileyy was speaking in a calm manner. Then she added one condition at the end.

“…Those who knew that I was a sorcerer yet kept that secret from others, Sir Kevin and the servant girls, do not bear responsibility for any wrong doings. They were only obeying my orders, coaxed by the pressure as an aristocrat. They would have lost their heads should they have not obeyed me. Please do consider all these things and only pass down punishment on me, and only on me.

“Those who knew that I was a sorcerer yet kept that secret from others, Sir Kevin and the servant girls, do not have any responsibility to wrong doings.They were only obeying my orders, coaxed by the pressure as an aristocrat. They would have lost their heads should they have disobeyed me. Please consider these things and only pass down punishment on me, and only on me.”

Her last words were meant to protect her people. Kevin, the sorcerer and the servant girls, who were like friends, were all surprised. It was certainly a very kind gesture they were thankful for, but it wasn’t entirely true. They have never received any oppressive command. In the beginning, her status might have certainly affected how they acted, but after that, they had stayed silent by their own volition.

“Princess, my lady! We are……!”

“Stop, only the princess has the right to speak.”

“……”

Deckard cut off others from speaking. He slyly looked at Ian. It was something that he could have simply let pass without interjecting. Yet, Ian, the Ivory Tower lord, had to speak. What was the reason? Was it simply due to conscience? It wasn’t that, no matter how hard it was thought over. At least this was so according to Deckard’s senses and feeling.

‘Is it that he does not want a severe punishment to be passed down?’

It was the same no matter how it was thought about. The conclusion always seemed to come close to that. Deckard raised his head in silence. The closest colleague in the Ivory Tower, the one who is quick-witted and has the ability to read the room well. He wanted to read Ronan’s expression.

“……”

Deckard and Ronan’s eyes met. Ronan nodded his head quietly. Ronan also had the same thought.

‘Is that it.’

Deckard finally felt sure. The Ivory Tower lord knew exactly how the trial’s flow would change by his own interjections. He was not just a young tower lord of the Ivory Tower, who was born with magical talents. He knew exactly how to use his position To say it in a bad way, he was manipulative, but to put it in a good way, he was an intelligent young man.

‘It’s probably better that way.’

Rather than a sword held by a baby, a sword held by an intelligent person is safer. At least that was the conclusion that Deckard had reached.

“Normally, after all the arguments are heard, the tower lord of the Ivory Tower determines the outcome, but since the tower lord is involved in this particular case, I will hand down the decision.”

Deckard discussed with the high sorcerers. Then he began reciting the final decision.

“Illegally passing-down and grooming a sorcerer is a great offense, but I’d like to point out to a few special circumstances. First, Herbert Leon, the absolute power of the Ivory Tower, who was the target of the princess Haileyy’s vigilance at the time, was a devoted servant of Ragnar, the 5th prince, who wanted to assassinate the King, and was an evil slave of black magic. Therefore, her vigilance was just.”

The first special circumstance was in reference to the Ivory Tower at the time. The princess kept her vigil against the Ivory Tower in order to keep her crowned prince safe. As a result, that vigilance was found to be justified.

“Second, it was found that Princess Haileyy did not reap any benefits from the hidden powers of being a sorcerer. It was only that she revealed the long kept secret in order to protect her subjects, and that was the first and the last time. Unless other new facts were to be discovered in the future, it is impossible to conclude that she kept the secret of her being a sorcerer in order to further her own desires.”

The second special circumstance was related to self greed. The princess did not benefit or fulfill her desire using the power of sorcery. She only trained in secret and grew stronger in magic, but ultimately, she had no choice but to act on behalf of her people. At least that was all, based on the discovered facts.

“Third, under the constrained conditions, Princess Haileyy reached the 4th class that was equivalent to being a high level sorcerer. There was only a limited, pool of talents in the entire continent that can achieve this level. Therefore, rather than handing down a punishment, I’d like to move to offer her a last chance.”

The third circumstance was exactly the same as what the princess had anticipated. The talent that reached the 4th class. The conclusion that such talent will not simply go punished.

“The anticipated punishment shall be deferred for 5 years, but you will perform all the responsibilities that come with being an Ivory Tower’s sorcerer during that time. When missions are called within the empire, for any reason, you will be deployed before anyone else. Through individual lessons from the Ivory Tower academy, you will be taught all the things that you haven’t been taught yet.”

Any deficient knowledge will be supplemented through the individual lessons from the Ivory Tower as Ian had done before. What was different, however, was that she would be deployed from the get go to any missions. That was the summary.

“The importance of the deferred punishment will be decided again 5 years later based on the results by following the process. Hence, from this time forward, I order Haileyy Greenriver, a sorceress, to fulfill her duties as Ivory Tower’s sorceress, rather than as a princess of the empire.

Although it was conditional, it was still the birth of a new high level sorcerer.

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