Tommaso And Felipe

“It seems Jonah has arrived first.”

“Mr. Tommaso!”

One hour after Jonah finished the ‘Three Trials.’ When the magic circle drawn on the wall glowed, Tommaso appeared, pinching his Kaiser mustache.

He, too, seemed to have safely cleared the ‘Three Trials.’

“Still, they gave quite an unpleasant trial. But… nuhoho. I, for one, am not so easily deceived or broken-hearted as I may seem.”

“Haha…”

Tommaso spoke with a hint of pride, but he was the sort of good-natured man who meddled in the affairs of a stranger child. Jonah had rather expected him to be easily fooled, so he couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

“Hm… as I thought (…) Felipe hasn’t come yet.”

Felipe’s way of speaking made it sound as if he had known this would happen; Jonah felt something off about that.

“Um, how do you know Felipe will be the last?”

“…Well, as I explained to Jonah, I’ve known him a long time. One can predict certain things to an extent.”

“I see…”

Though the two now had a strained relationship, Tommaso said they had once shared dreams together. If that’s the case, perhaps that explained it.

“By the way, Jonah, how were your ‘Three Trials’? They show rather unpleasant dreams, so I hope it didn’t include anything that would hurt you…”

“Hehe, I’m fine.”

Jonah averted his gaze slightly and answered, blushing as he tried to cover it up.

“That’s good to hear…. Then, might you listen to a little of my story?”

“Y-yes…”

Jonah felt relieved not to be pried into, but faced with the somewhat melancholic expression on Tommaso’s face, he hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“As I’ve said many times, I longed for ancient magic and pursued it relentlessly, but there were times when I nearly gave up…”

Tommaso folded his hands and began to speak slowly.

Of the days spent chasing ancient magic, there was a single regret.

◇◆◇◆◇

It was about five years after I first knocked on the gates of the Mage Tower.

Those days were so hot I could hardly sleep, and in those moments I truly wished for a magical device that would cool me more than ancient magic ever could.

So I visited Felipe’s laboratory, begging whether such a device existed or could be made, and I still remember him sending me away with an exasperated look.

Those were the happiest times for Felipe and me.

But those days eventually came to an end.

That day as well, I was trying desperately to decipher an inscribed stone tablet and kept comparing it with texts on ancient script.

“Oh? What brings you at such a late hour?”

“…………………………..”

The one who had come to the lab was Felipe. He usually kept his room so messy he rarely showed his face and would send a servant to summon me, so it was odd enough to make me tilt my head.

Moreover, Felipe looked worried and his face was sallow, which made me even more curious and I asked the reason for his visit.

Then.

“…It seems the Towermaster of the Mage Tower will retire.”

“…!?”

The retirement of the Mage Tower’s Towermaster.

At that time, the Towermaster was already over seventy, and the mages in the tower had had a vague sense that this day might come.

“S-so, what will the Towermaster do next? Who will be the successor…?”

When I asked that, there was only one person in my mind suitable to become the next Towermaster.

…Yes, there was no one other than Felipe.

He was respected by the other mages and his skill as an alchemist was proven. Ask ten people and all ten would recommend Felipe.

And yet.

“…The Towermaster intends to entrust it to you… to Tommaso.”

“Huh…?”

Felipe’s words, delivered with a pained expression, made me doubt my ears, and I involuntarily let out a stunned sound.

I had dreamed of ancient magic and knocked on the Mage Tower’s gate for five years, yet I had not achieved a single accomplishment as a mage nor contributed to the Tower.

And yet, what had the Towermaster been thinking to choose me?

“I cannot accept that! The next Towermaster should not be someone like me; it should be Felipe who is worthy!”

“Ah… h-hey!?”

I bolted from the room and headed to the Towermaster’s chamber.

Fortunately, only the Towermaster was in the room, and I pressed him relentlessly about Felipe’s achievements and character, insisting he was fit to be the next Towermaster.

Even so, the Towermaster persisted that I should become the next Towermaster, but I was not the sort to back down.

After pleading over and over, the Towermaster finally relented and acknowledged Felipe as the next Towermaster.

But I later realized that this action of mine was a mistake.

“Why… why did you do such a selfish thing! Who would be happy to have the Towermaster’s seat handed to them!”

“N-no, it’s just that…”

“Why must I become the Towermaster out of pity—!”

Yes… all my actions did was wound Felipe.