Mastermind
Copyright© 2026 by FantasyTranslater
Chapter 17
Alon had already achieved all of his objectives at the Blue Tower. His goal was to obtain the artifact hidden in the underground chamber of the tower, and now that he had it, there was no reason for him to stay any longer. He decided to leave the Blue Tower immediately, partly because there was no reason to linger, but also because Penia, who was already annoyed, might cause trouble if he stayed. Although he knew she wasn’t an entirely irrational person, there was always a chance that something unexpected could happen.
He thought this way just after he dealt with the artifact and let out a secret sigh of relief.
But then...
“What is ... this?”
“It’s a potion I made.”
Alon glanced at her, forcing a smile despite his sharp gaze, and then picked up the potion bottle from the table. The liquid inside was a deep blue, and it emitted a white glow when shaken slightly.
‘ ... This is ... a magic recovery potion. And a highly valuable one at that... ‘
In this world, magic potions don’t work immediately like in other games; instead, their effects appear gradually. Therefore, it would be more accurate to call them “Magic Recovery Enhancement Potions” rather than just “Magic Recovery Potions.”
However, among all the potions, the five bottles Penia placed before Alon were the only ones here that truly lived up to the name “Magic Recovery Potion.” The highest-grade potion he held could restore some magic power almost instantly, just by drinking it.
These potions, which were called Magic Recovery Potions but were actually Magic Recovery Enhancement Potions, were incredibly expensive. Alon had once tried to buy a magic potion when he felt inconvenienced by only being able to use magic once a day, but the price had almost made him faint.
‘I think the cost of these two bottles alone could buy a small villa... ‘
As he stared at the potion for a while, he turned his gaze to Penia. Her awkward smile revealed a hint of nervousness, and as soon as he looked at her, she spoke.
“Do you like it?”
“I understand it’s a high-grade potion, but why are you showing this to me?”
“I’m giving it to you.”
“You’re giving me this potion?”
“Yes.”
“...?”
A question mark appeared in Alon’s mind. He could somewhat understand why her attitude had changed immediately after he closed the artifact. She might have felt a bit of gratitude or awe since the method to close the artifact was unknown until now.
But to Alon, Penia’s current behavior didn’t seem to stem from gratitude or awe at all.
‘Does she misunderstand me like that wizard who came with Lady Zenonia last time?’
With this thought in mind, Alon spoke.
“ ... Just to clarify, I’m a Second Rank Wizard.”
“Yes, I know. Of course, you’re a Second Rank Wizard.”
When he opened his mouth, suspecting that she might be mistaken, Penia nodded eagerly as if she had been waiting for him to say that, leaving him even more confused.
Seeing her nod so earnestly, Alon couldn’t help but wonder if she was just trying to flatter him.
However, Penia’s expression did not seem playful at all. In other words, it was clear that Penia wasn’t mistaken about anything, which only made Alon more confused.
“I swear I’ll keep what I saw earlier a secret. Absolutely, without a doubt,” Penia continued.
Alon replied, “There’s no need to make such a promise—”
“No, please! Make me promise. I want to promise. If necessary, I can even swear on my magic. I’ll do it right here and now!”
“Wait, hold—”
Before Alon could finish speaking, Penia quickly began gathering her magic power. The sudden surge of intense magic filled the office, making Alon’s heart skip a beat, and before he could say anything, Penia had already sworn a magical oath.
‘Is she really going this far just to keep the method for closing the artifact a secret? Sure, the artifact is a mystery to them at this point, but... ‘
On the outside, Alon remained expressionless, but internally, he was utterly bewildered. He realized that Penia was clearly misunderstanding something.
“You see? I’m good at keeping promises. I’ll keep this secret, absolutely...!”
“ ... Alright.”
Seeing Penia speak so desperately after making her oath, Alon could only nod calmly in response. There was no sign that her misunderstanding would clear up anytime soon.
Thus, Alon left the Blue Tower with five bottles of magic recovery potion and the artifact he had sought.
Riding in the carriage back to the count’s estate from the Blue Tower, Alon naturally glanced at the bracelet on his wrist. This bracelet, which he had received permission from Penia to take after closing the artifact, was the very item he had aimed to acquire on his trip to the Blue Tower.
‘The Bracelet of the Impure.’
The design of the bracelet wasn’t particularly refined. To compare it, it looked like a cheap bracelet that could be bought for less than 10,000 won at a local market. The only unique feature was the black gemstones embedded in it, which seemed to absorb all light. Other than that, it didn’t have any remarkable appearance.
But despite its plain and unimpressive look, the bracelet had the ability to compensate for Alon’s small mana pool.
Alon subtly rotated his wrist to examine the black gemstones. Although they were not visible at first glance, a faint blue energy could be seen rippling through the stones if one looked closely.
‘It’s working well.’
The bracelet’s ability was to absorb and store ambient magic, allowing the user to utilize it when needed. While the amount of magic the bracelet could store was limited, and not particularly large, it amusingly held more magic than Alon’s own mana pool.
“...”
For a brief moment, Alon experienced a strange sense of realization as he compared his own body’s capacity to store magic with that of an item designed merely to assist wizards, like something out of Psychedelia. But that feeling soon passed.
“Sigh.”
He took a deep breath, calming his thoughts.
‘This is sufficient. I’m not going into battle, after all.’
After all, the reason he sought out the Insignia of the Impure was to enhance his magical studies more efficiently and to protect himself in case of unforeseen danger.