Chapter 68: The Wish Tower, V

Dexter stared blankly at Louis as he beamed and handed over his paper. Dexter chuckled dismissively at Louis’s claim of having solved all the puzzles.

“Did you give up already? Tut-tut. You lack patience. Listen carefully: Gear research is a test of endurance. With such a measly attention span…”

How could Louis have completed them so quickly after they were assigned? Naturally, Dexter assumed that Louis had given up on solving them.

Louis interrupted Dexter’s nagging.

“I said I’ve solved them all.”

“…Huh?”

“I told you, I figured them out.”

“Tsk, stop messing around—”

“I’m serious.”

The sheet of paper Louis presented was smooth and pristine, which made sense considering Louis hadn’t done anything but stare intently at it this whole time.

All Louis had done was stare intently at the paper, so Dexter couldn’t believe him. Seeing his skepticism, Louis extended his other hand toward Dexter.

“If you don’t trust me, may I borrow your pen?”

“…”

“C’mon, hurry up.”

“…Here.” At Louis’s insistence, Dexter handed over the pen he always kept in his front pocket.

Louis snatched it and immediately began scribbling on the paper. He then confidently returned both items to Dexter.

“Okay, here you go. Please check it out.”

“You little rascal! What kind of joke do yo—” Dexter started lecturing as he took the proffered sheet but stopped short when he saw the numbers written there.

Huh?!

Dumbfounded, Dexter blinked repeatedly. The figures on the page matched the correct answers exactly.

No matter how many times he rubbed his eyes and checked, the numbers remained unchanged.

H-how could this be?

Denial wouldn’t change reality. Dexter stared blankly at Louis, who was looking up at him expectantly.

“Right? So does that mean I passed?”

“…”

The cheek of this young man! He spoke with such confidence because he knew for sure these were the correct answers.

D-did someone leak the solutions?

But that couldn’t be possible, since Dexter had just written them down himself moments ago.

His face twisted as he urgently blurted out, “W-wait here a minute!” With that, Dexter hastily disappeared but soon returned with another sheet of paper and a pen. “Solve this one too!”

“…Why?” Louis’s eyes widened innocently.

Dexter flinched.

“A-a written test?!”

“But you said solving that one question would be enough to pass.”

“Well, umm… Yes! This is a final confirmation of your abilities! Right, that’s it!”

Louis shrugged at Dexter’s flimsy excuse and took the paper and pen from him. He quickly scanned the questions on the sheet. There were two types:

One deals with space and time attributes, while the other covers fire and wind.

Louis frowned slightly as he immediately solved the first problem. The second gave him pause.

I’m not specialized in these elements…

Still, they weren’t completely foreign to him either. Despite being classified into thirteen distinct categories, all magical properties fell under the umbrella term “mana.” Recognizing some similarities, Louis started working on the second problem.

After some thought, Louis cautiously handed his paper back to Dexter.

“I’m not sure… The second one was tricky since it’s not my area of expertise.”

“…” Dexter immediately took the paper from him.

His eyes widened as he checked the answers.

H-how is this right? It’s correct!

It had taken longer this time, but Louis had answered both questions correctly. And that wasn’t all that surprised Dexter.

The marks on the paper were problematic. For the first question, only the answer was neatly written with no other calculations around it, while various workings surrounded the second question. This indicated that Louis had solved the first problem mentally and calculated the second using magic spells.

Did he really solve them…?

The markings on the test served as proof that the young boy before him had indeed tackled these problems.

Dexter’s voice sounded defeated as he asked, “Did you…study holy magic on your own?”

“Yes.”

“Who was your teacher?”

“I taught myself.”

To think Louis had self-taught himself at such a young age! Dexter couldn’t find words to express his awe of this prodigy who possessed extraordinary talent beyond common knowledge.

Louis observed him and asked, “So is that it?”

“…Yes.” Seeing Louis beam brightly, Dexter helplessly nodded in agreement.

There was no denying what he’d just witnessed.

This cheeky little brat…

The cheeky little brat before him truly was a genius.

Dexter let out a small sigh. “Well then… Come back tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir!” With that enthusiastic reply, Louis darted out the door, leaving it swinging open.

Creak.

Dexter stared wordlessly at the broken door.

Dexter stared at the spot where Louis had been standing for quite some time after he left.

After passing the entrance test, Louis could officially become a member of Tower of Wishes and visit freely. On his next visit, he arrived at the tower with a wide grin only to be met by Dexter’s unenthusiastic gaze.

“…Who’re those brats next to you?”

“They’re my friends. They came along because they were bored.”

“Hello, Mr. Tower Master!”

“Hiiiiii!”

Dexter sighed lightly as the twins politely greeted him with deep bows.

“Let your two friends play wherever they like… As for you—what was your name again…?”

“…It’s Louis.”

Louis shot a bitter glare at Dexter for not remembering even his name. The older man cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Oh, anyway, Louis, come with me.” Dexter strode ahead as he spoke.

The twins eagerly set off to explore the house upon receiving their host’s permission, while Louis trailed behind Dexter.

As they entered his workshop, Louis looked around curiously.

Oh-ho!

Dexter’s workspace was quite fascinating. Various wires and attribute stones were scattered everywhere, along with mysterious blueprints strewn about. Among them, one object in particular caught Louis’s attention: something covered by a white cloth standing nearly two meters tall in the center of the room. His curiosity piqued further at this enigmatic item.

His wandering gaze snapped back when he heard a voice:

“Sigh… What am I getting myself into?”

Dexter let out a small sigh.

I had no intention of taking on any more disciples…

But he couldn’t go back now. How could he unsay what was already said?

He gazed at the child who might be his last disciple.

“Yes, Louis. What do you think about gear?”

“Hmm… Do you mean man-made or natural gear?”

“Please explain both types.”

“Well, as its name suggests, natural gear is created by nature’s mysterious magic spell, and artificial gear mimics that process.”

“…That’s quite an interesting perspective.”

Although Dexter sounded nonchalant, surprise flickered across his face once again. Most people considered natural gear to simply be miraculous creations.

However, Louis, the young boy before him, referred to natural gear as “mysterious entities created by nature.” This indicated that he had some understanding of gears’ workings.

Dexter couldn’t let his surprise show too much; it would damage his dignity. As the current tower master of the Wish Tower, which had been dedicated to studying gears for generations, he needed to maintain authority. With a solemn expression, Dexter responded:

“You have a point, but more accurately, natural gear embodies the flow of mana within certain objects. This aligns with your concept of magic spells. When the paths of mana become embedded in an object, mysterious phenomena occur.”

“Oh?”

“Artificial gear mimics these natural paths. I believe this is both the foundation and origin of holy magic research.”

“Why do you think so?”

“How do you suppose holy magic was created? It all began with studying objects imbued with nature’s pathways. Nowadays, mages develop new types of holy magic left and right, but it wasn’t always like that, was it? Creating something from nothing isn’t easy.”

“Wow… I’ve never heard such an explanation before.”

“Heh-heh, no wonder. This theory is exclusive to our Tower of Wishes.” Dexter wore his pride for his work on his face.

Louis observed him closely and asked,

“Hmm… But some people claim dragons were the originators of holy magic, right? That they created it and taught humans.”

Louis keenly observed Dexter’s reaction to this popular belief about dragons spreading both holy magic and martial arts throughout the world. As a dragon himself, Louis couldn’t help but wonder what Dexter thought of this notion.

Dexter took note of Louis’s eager expression before responding.

“Yes, that is indeed widely known. However, let me propose another perspective… What if we consider this possibility?”

“How so?”

“What if dragons were the first to discover the flow of mana within gears, systematized it, and then introduced it to human society?”

”…?!?” Louis was slightly taken aback by this alternative interpretation.

Louis pondered this interpretation before nodding slowly. “Indeed…that could be possible.”

“If dragons possess abilities as described in legends, it’s plausible that they were the first to uncover secrets of gears unknown to humans. Aha! That makes sense!”

“Yes, absolutely!” Louis enthusiastically agreed, as if receiving praise himself.

The two hit it off so well that it was hard to believe they had been at each other’s throats just moments ago.

They continued discussing topics such as the origins of holy magic and principles behind gears for quite some time.

Eventually, Dexter handed Louis a thick book from one of his shelves. “Here.”

“What is this?”

“It’s the basic textbook for our Wish Tower curriculum. Despite being labeled ‘basic,’ it contains all the foundational knowledge accumulated by our tower over centuries.”

“Wow?”

“If you study this thoroughly, you’ll have a basic understanding of gears.”

“Is there more after this?”

“Of course! After mastering fundamentals, it’s time for advanced applications! Did you think our tower only had one book to offer?”

“Ohhhh!” Louis cheered at the prospect of acquiring new knowledge and eagerly accepted the tome.

Dexter observed him closely before saying, “Although I took you as my disciple somewhat unexpectedly…I don’t intend to slack off on your training. So, give it your all.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

“Well then, go ahead and start studying.” Dexter ushered Louis out with a display of authority befitting a tower master.

Louis, clutching the book tightly, was pushed outside. Dexter quietly closed the door behind him, watching the back of Louis’s white hair disappear.

“Haah…” Dexter let out a quiet sigh filled with regret, bitterness, and longing.

“How unfortunate… If only I had met you earlier.” Under different circumstances, he could have recruited Louis for the Tower of Wishes. The prodigy’s talent at such a young age would have been instrumental in establishing the tower as a dominant force for centuries to come. It was all the more disappointing given that time wasn’t on Dexter’s side…

“Well then…” Dexter strode toward the center of his study, where he gazed upon an object covered by a white cloth.

“I must complete this before it’s too late,” he murmured wistfully while admiring his work-in-progress.

However, his doubts soon dissipated, replaced by fierce determination.

“I must…I absolutely must succeed this time.”

With unwavering resolve, Dexter spread out blueprints on a large table.

About thirty minutes later…

Knock, knock.

Someone was knocking at the door, but Dexter didn’t hear it as he was engrossed in his work.

Bam, bam!

The persistent banging finally caught his attention, and he scowled irritably.

“Who the hell is it?!” Frustrated that someone had interrupted his concentration, Dexter flung open the door. “What do you want?”

His gaze naturally drifted downward to see Louis standing there tightly clutching the book Dexter had given him earlier.