A Clue Found

“This pretty much covers what we’ve checked…”

“Unfortunately, there was nothing related to ancient magic…”

Tommaso’s study, lit by moonlight through the window. The two of them visibly slumped their shoulders.

That said, the tense atmosphere from earlier with Felipe and the others was already gone; what remained between the two of them—or rather, in Tommaso—was only a passion for ancient magic.

And Tommaso continued to deliberately hold to the belief that Jonah was not a practitioner of ancient magic.

“But ancient magic definitely exists. Also, the ancient script carved on the tablets and magical tools—the same as that of ancient magic… I think.”

“Y-yes! If that’s the case, we’ll search every corner of the Mage Tower!”

Respecting Tommaso’s kind intentions, Jonah—who was still using ancient magic【Marionette】—encouraged him and gave him a push on the back.

He too raised a fist and rallied his spirits.

Their somewhat contrived exchange was absurd yet endearing, and the kindness they showed each other sparked a small miracle.

It was.

“…!? This…”

Inside a dusty storage room on the third basement level of the Mage Tower that no one used anymore.

It was certainly etched on the back of a shelf tucked into the corner of the wall.

――“I shall draw you in. To the pinnacle of the ancient demon.”

“Jonah… could it be…”

“…I don’t know whether it’s directly about ancient magic, but I think there’s some kind of clue in this storage room.”

Jonah answered calmly to the excited Tommaso.

But Jonah was convinced that ‘the ancient demon’ referred to ancient magic.

“Nuhoho! Then we’ll search this storage room thoroughly! At last… at last we’ve found a clue!”

“Yes!”

The two of them checked everything in the storage room and began tossing out items that seemed unrelated one after another.

Since the storage room had been unused for years, Jonah and the others were covered in dust, but Tommaso didn’t care at all—he was overjoyed at being on the verge of touching a fragment of ancient magic.

Meanwhile, Jonah was eagerly investigating the storage room for a different reason (….).

‘Perhaps… no, I have to check it for sure.’

Yes… There might be a path here that led to the legendary underground labyrinth said to exist somewhere in the Mage Tower.

“…!? Jonah, over here!”

Tommaso shouted loudly as if he’d found something.

Jonah hurried over to where he was.

“This is…”

On the floor Tommaso pointed to were carved ancient characters and three round indentations.

The ancient script read, “Offer three souls. Then I will grant an answer.”

“I see… so those ‘three souls’ are the key, then.”

Hearing Jonah’s explanation, Tommaso pinched his Kaiser mustache and nodded.

That said, Jonah had no idea at all what those ‘three souls’ could be.

As he thought that.

“Mr. Tommaso?”

“…I might have an idea about the ‘three souls’.”

Tommaso murmured with an unusually solemn expression.

It seemed he knew something about those ‘three souls.’

“Let’s go, Jonah.”

“Wah!?”

Tommaso took Jonah’s hand and led him out of the storage room.

Where on earth was he taking him? Jonah tried to ask, but Tommaso gave off an air that discouraged questions, so he could only follow in silence.

And then.

“Here is…”

They arrived at the door of a room on the upper floors of the Mage Tower.

Compared to Tommaso’s study door, this considerably lavish and heavy door exuded a certain dignity.

“This is Felipe’s study. He is now one of the most powerful mages in this Mage Tower.”

Tommaso told Jonah this without breaking his serious expression.

Why had he come to this study? Needless to say, it was probably because he needed to obtain the ‘three souls.’

Tommaso took two or three deep breaths, steeled himself, and knocked on the door.

“Yes… oh, Professor Tommaso…”

“Excuse me. Is Felipe available?”

A female mage who had been with Felipe opened the door. Tommaso tried to enter the study without hesitation, but—

“…Sir Felipe is in the middle of an important experiment right now. I cannot let Professor Tommaso in.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t back down either.”

“…!?”

A man who spent his days obsessed with researching ancient magic and had produced no results.

An eccentric, mocked and belittled to no end, who simply grinned all the time—a shameless, incompetent man.

A useless member of the Mage Tower, barely kept afloat by the charity of a single great mage.

Faced with the resolute expression and forcefulness Tommaso showed for the first time, the female mage was taken aback and stepped aside.

In that gap.

“Ah!?”

“Felipe, I have something to discuss!”

Tommaso shoved the female mage aside and entered the study, announcing it loudly.