I, Reincarnate as the Leader of the Villainous Knight Order - Chapter 167: The Former Magic Tower Master

Chapter 167: The Former Magic Tower Master 

The next day. After finishing lunch and changing into formal attire, we were led to the audience chamber of the royal castle. 

At the front of our group were Third Princess Clarisse and her brother, Ernest. They were the main figures of this event. 

—

Inside the audience chamber, influential figures of the Eldorasia Kingdom were already gathered. Other members of the royal family were also present besides the king. 

They didn’t show it on their faces, but my subordinates were visibly restless. Unlike the Rafios Kingdom, where both clothing and architecture were relatively restrained, Eldrasia’s buildings had an open design, lavish decorations, and an evident display of wealth. 

Even the First Knight Order, who were used to seeing luxurious furnishings, seemed taken aback by the dazzling decorations. It was no surprise that my subordinates, who were commoners, were overwhelmed. 

Still, according to the divine oracle, someone in this country should be in the same situation as me—either a villain who has reincarnated or an antagonist on the path to execution that I need to save from falling into darkness. 

The problem was… I had no idea who it was. 

If the oracle was going to give me a prophecy, I wished it had been a bit clearer. 

For now, maybe I should look for someone widely disliked in the capital. 

While I was lost in thought, the King of Eldrasia appeared. 

“Welcome, Princess Clarisse and Prince Ernest of the Rafios Kingdom,. This marriage will be a testament to the everlasting friendship between our nations. It is an honor to have kinship with the hero who defeated the Evil God.” 

“I am honored. However, the defeat of the Evil God was not my achievement alone. Every knight of my country present here took part in the battle—they are all heroes.” 

“Oh! If they are the heroes who saved the world, then tonight’s banquet must be a grand one indeed! But first, let me introduce the royal family and the key figures of this castle, whom you will be seeing often in the future.” 

With that, the Eldrasia King introduced the members of the royal family, excluding those who were already married. 

He had six children in total. The First Prince was the son of a concubine, while Second Prince Felix was the fifth child. He was named Crown Prince as he was born to the queen. 

The remaining four were princesses, two of whom had already married and left the royal family. 

Following the royal introductions, the king presented his key officials. It included the Prime Minister, ministers, and the master of the Magic Tower, who oversaw research on magical artifacts and spells. 

Despite the officials and royal family members wearing cool and breezy outfits, the Magic Tower Master—a middle-aged man—stood alone. He was dressed in a stifling black robe. 

However, he appeared perfectly comfortable. His robe was likely enchanted with temperature-regulating magic, just like our armor and cloaks. 

I wanted to discuss magical artifacts with him. 

So far, this world lacked the convenient electronic devices of my past life. I had given up on developing them in Rafios Kingdom. But perhaps Eldrasia had the potential to make it possible. 

—

After the audience, we were given a tour of the castle until the banquet began. 

Clarisse and Ernest had many matters to discuss. So they went ahead with a few knights from the First Order. 

Normally, our Third Knight Order was only meant to provide protection against monsters along the journey. So an escort mission inside the castle wasn’t necessary. 

However, we all unanimously agreed to tag along—simply because we wanted to admire the grandeur of the building. 

“Even at night, the magic lanterns keep the castle well-lit with almost no blind spots. The magic stones imported from the Rafios Kingdom are of high quality. They last for several years without needing replacement. The previous Magic Tower Master himself favored them.” 

“The previous master? But magic lanterns have existed long before that, haven’t they? Also, in our country, magic stones need replacing within a year.” 

Hearing the royal guard’s explanation, the First Order’s vice-captain raised a question. 

“Ah, yes. While magic lanterns have been around for a long time, the ones currently used abroad are from older generations. The former Magic Tower Master developed a new circuit that greatly conserves magic power. It allows these newer models to last several years. Naturally, newer magical devices are prioritized for domestic use. So it will take some time before they are exported. However, with this marriage alliance, the Rafios Kingdom may receive some sooner.” 

“I see, so upgrades make such a big difference. Speaking of which, I heard the former Magic Tower Master passed away. If he hadn’t existed, our country would still be dealing with a lot of inconveniences…” 

“Wait! The former Magic Tower Master… Do you mean Lord Zephyr!? When did he pass away!?” 

Marius suddenly interrupted the conversation between the royal guard and the vice-captain. 

“Yes, you know of him? He passed away from an illness three years ago.” 

“Was he famous among merchants?”

Marius was filled with excitement. He whipped around with incredible speed when I asked him. 

“What are you talking about?! The magic oven, magic refrigerator, and magic stove in the Commander’s room were all developed by Lord Zephyr! Technically, there were already magic devices for refrigeration. But he was the one who developed a combined refrigerator-freezer unit. 

Before Lord Zephyr became an active mage, magic devices were much larger. It makes it difficult to import them in large quantities. But thanks to his improvements to the magic bag, which significantly increased its storage capacity, we could suddenly transport as many as we had magic bags for! It was a revolutionary breakthrough for merchants! 

Oh, and the time-delay feature on magic devices? That was also developed by Lord Zephyr!” 

Marius spoke with such an unstoppable passion that I started worrying if he was even remembering to breathe. 

Not just the royal guards, but everyone present was left stunned. Their mouths were slightly open. 

“I see… If I’ve benefited that much from his inventions, I wish I had been able to meet him at least once.” 

“Yeah… Truly…” 

“Haha, I appreciate you speaking so highly of one of our own. There are still many of his improved magic devices throughout the castle. So, allow me to introduce them to you as well.” 

“”Yes, please!”” 

As our castle tour resumed, we failed to notice the shadow of a figure silently observing us.