Diary of a Dead Wizard-Chapter 207: Say That Again, and I’ll Kill You

"I only know his name is Victor, though that likely isn't his real name. He’d been hiding at the Bloodthorn Family’s Ralph Manor for a long time. He lured many people into the castle, where the mutated Ralph devoured them. But I don’t know the exact reason why he did all that," Saul said “truthfully.”

After a pause, he also told Kira about Victor’s most terrifying ability.

"Victor might not be as powerful as you in a direct fight, but he seems to be able to cloud people’s awareness and memory. When I first entered Ralph Manor, I inexplicably mistook him for my older brother. It took a while before I realized I had fallen under his influence."

Just as he finished speaking, Saul saw Kira, who had been standing with her back to him in a carefree pose, suddenly turn around in surprise.

Of course, the moment Kira met Saul’s gaze, she immediately wiped the astonishment from her face.

"Ahem… Even though he hid his power and suppressed his magic, he’s still a Second Rank wizard. For you to break free from his control… Are you Gorsa’s student?"

How was he supposed to answer that? Saul hadn’t yet received formal acknowledgment from the Tower Master, so he went with a more tactful reply.

"The Tower Master has indeed taught me many things."

Kira, being straightforward, took that as a confirmation.

"He doesn’t care about other people’s apprentices at all. You must be his student. That makes you the fifth one, I think. Hopefully, your ending will be better than the others'."

Kira started to take Saul more seriously. "You look so skinny and small. How old are you?"

"Uh, fourteen."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Kira scoffed in disgust. "So young. How much time does Gorsa plan to waste raising another test subject?"

Test subject?

Saul “jumped in surprise” and quickly asked, "Lady Kira, what… what do you mean by 'test subject'?"

Kira didn’t seem at all flustered about letting something slip. She just waved her hand casually.

"Don’t worry about it. True wizards don’t train newcomers just to share knowledge out of the kindness of their hearts. They’re not that generous. Either they want to train an assistant, or they want to cultivate materials. As for what kind of apprentices will become in the end, it depends on their own abilities and in what way they can help the wizards.”

Kira clearly didn’t find the topic alarming, even though any ordinary apprentice would likely panic at hearing something like that.

"Lady Kira," Saul said carefully, "I know the Tower Master is conducting a complicated experiment. I wonder if I could be of help to him?"

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"Right now? Absolutely not. Even Gorsa’s last three apprentices didn’t seem to stand a chance. But your mental power is… quite exceptional. Maybe once you advance to a true wizard, you’ll be able to help."

A touch of melancholy appeared on Kira’s face. "He’s waited this many years already. Maybe he really will succeed."

So Kira knew what Gorsa was working on.

Could it be… the Tower Master truly wants to bring Lady Yura back to life?

He always seemed so gentle—it was hard to imagine him as someone driven by such deep passion.

"Lady Kira, do you… Do you know Lady Yura?"

Kira turned away. Saul couldn’t see her expression.

"Ah, of course I do. She was my cousin. Your Tower Master’s wife. The kind of person who, once she got stubborn, made you want to strangle her."

Perhaps the mention of Yura made Kira emotional or upset, because she didn’t say another word for the rest of the trip, nor did she give Saul a chance to ask anything else.

Kira’s cold, imposing presence forced Saul to shut up for now.

After all, if he annoyed her too much, she could just toss him off the giant bird.

The two of them, riding the giant bird, arrived at their destination in less than an hour.

That simple, lonely silhouette of the Wizard Tower appeared before Saul.

It made him appreciate how useful flying mounts really were.

Saul was already fantasizing about the day he became powerful enough to get his own big flying bird—for transportation… or for showing off.

As they approached the Wizard Tower, Kira guided the giant bird downward.

As one of the few Second Rank wizards in the western continent, Kira didn’t need to enter the tower like a regular apprentice through one of the two ground entrances.

She flew straight to the top of the tower with Saul in tow.

Just as the giant bird’s talons gripped the railing at the top of the tower, Gorsa emerged from a small door on the rooftop.

Saul quickly undid his Adhesion Spell and leapt off the bird’s back.

“Tower Master.” He walked over and respectfully bowed to Gorsa.

The Tower Master, wrapped in a reddish-brown cloak, nodded and motioned for Saul to stand behind him.

Saul hurried over.

Only then did Kira dismount from the giant bird.

"The soul storm broke out way closer to your Wizard Tower. I arrived all the way over here, and you still hadn’t shown up?"

Kira raised her chin and suddenly smirked. "Don’t tell me… you’re really mutating?"

Gorsa’s face was hidden beneath his hood. Saul couldn’t see his expression.

But he heard Gorsa’s gentle voice, calm and slow, "Say that again, and I’ll kill you."

Kira’s mocking expression froze. She didn’t press the issue about Gorsa’s health any further and instead pointed at Saul.

"A stranger who’s a Second Rank Wizard shows up in your territory, and you don’t care? I even went out of my way to rescue your promising student."

Saul: "?"

"Thank you." Gorsa nodded slightly. "You can leave now."

Kira: "?"

"I’ll handle the rest myself," Gorsa said, his tone still flat. As if he had no idea how insulting his words sounded.

Kira immediately flared up.

"I personally brought him all the way here instead of just leaving him there, and you think all I want is a 'thank you'?"

Gorsa replied, "Did you fight the intruder?"

Kira paused.

"Then what more do you want?" Gorsa’s voice had a hint of amusement. "Don’t tell me you’ve started taking an interest in other people’s schemes?"

Kira rubbed her chin, thought for a moment, and actually jumped back onto her giant bird.

"I’m not interested, no. But I’m not stupid either. If anyone dares set their sights on Kema’s territory, I’ll slice them into pieces." She waved her fist at Gorsa.

Gorsa nodded obligingly. "When the enemy shows up, I’ll let you know."

Kira seemed satisfied with that.

Before she left, she looked at Saul one more time.

"Hopefully, this new apprentice of yours turns out better than those useless ones before. And if you ever decide to give up on him, just let me know—I’ll come take Yura away."

Gorsa said nothing.

Kira stared at him for a moment, then felt like leaving just like that was a bit too lame, so she clenched her fists and added, "Or when I surpass you—I’ll take her away then!"

With that final threat, she didn’t wait for a reaction and quickly took off on her bird.

Only after Kira disappeared into the sky did Gorsa turn toward Saul and give him a once-over.

"Soul and body divergence is increasing. Compatibility’s dropping. Your situation is getting worse. Still haven’t figured out a solution?"

"I have an idea." Saul lowered his head slightly, though his mind was still on what Kira had said—“mutation.”

In the wizarding world, mutation was a term often associated with contamination.

"Could the Tower Master’s body really be failing?"

Gorsa noticed Saul’s unease and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let’s talk inside. It seems this trip exposed you to some unexpected dangers."

If nothing goes wrong…

(End of Chapter)