The Failed and Useless Noble Lady Will Be Reborn into Overwhelming Love!? - 03_The Sorcerer of the Magic Tower

The Magic Tower — a mysterious tower where special sorcerers live, even among those in the Kingdom of Eugilhunts where I reside.

In this country, most nobles possess magical power. However, the sorcerers who are invited to the Magic Tower have an extraordinary amount of magic, possess rare attributes, or can use unique types of magic. They are, quite literally, special sorcerers… or so I’ve heard.

And it’s said that those with overwhelming magical power, like the sorcerers of the Magic Tower, are often mentally affected by it.
For example, before they learn to control their magic, they might be severely emotionally unstable, unable to control their feelings. Even after gaining control, some may possess overly strong emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure, while others may lack some emotional faculties altogether. Some have highly skewed ways of thinking.
All in all, the sorcerers of the Magic Tower are mostly written off as “eccentrics.”

The book I read from my grandfather described the Magic Tower almost like a picture book.
Most likely, it was written in a very gentle way.

Even so, among its gently written tales, there was a striking passage about “exceptions” invited to the Magic Tower.

Those were people like me — incompetents who normally wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the tower, yet somehow got pulled in. In such cases, their use is limited.

For example, they might be used as feed for man-eating magical beasts captured for research… or used in human experiments to develop new spells… or even as sacrifices in powerful, illegal summoning rituals…

But these rumors, however widespread, are ultimately just speculation. Because no ordinary person who entered the Magic Tower has ever been said to come back alive—

Thinking back to the contents of that book, I shuddered.

I assumed I was sent to the Magic Tower to be used in human experiments because… that seemed like the best-case scenario.

Being eaten alive or used as a sacrifice is way too scary…!
Besides, you definitely die as food or a sacrifice, but if it’s just an experiment, maybe — depending on what kind — you might survive…

I squirmed and somehow managed to poke my face out from the fluffy fur of the wolf surrounding me.

It was pitch dark inside the fluff, so my eyes took time to adjust. I blinked a few times and timidly looked around.

It felt as if I’d become a star myself — glittering stars were close around me, and the night sky flowed nearby like a bedsheet. Below, the lights of the city spread out like another starry sky. Stars above, stars below, stars beside me…

Wait a minute! Am I—

A-am I f-f-flying in the sky!?

“Eek!”

I let out a small scream without thinking.

Hearing my shriek, the wolf — or rather, the magical beast — pushed my head back down against its body with its front paw, as if to smother me again.

“Ahaha! What is that thing? It’s so overprotective—like a total mom!”

That was the voice of the sorcerer who had introduced himself as North earlier, chuckling gleefully.

But I was so overwhelmed by the surreal experience that my heart was pounding, my mind was floating, and I couldn’t even tell if I was dreaming or if this was reality anymore.

✳︎ ✳︎ ✳︎

“Whoa! A magical beast!? North, what the heck did you bring back!?”

“Huh? That’s a magical beast?”

“Wow, amazing! Why is this magical beast so calm?”

“North, is this tonight’s snack? Mind if I chop it up?”

“Hey hey! Stop that! There’s a human inside there, okay? Don’t touch!”

“What? Did someone get eaten?”

“No, no! Look!”

As the various voices swirled around me, the beast’s front paw was slightly moved away, letting light flood in.

Wah, bright!

The starry sky was already gone. Apparently, I had been brought indoors without realizing it.

Could this be… the Magic Tower?

“Hm, what a dilemma. This big ol’ mama really won’t let go of you, huh? What should we do?”

After dismissing the gathered sorcerers, North tilted his head and muttered this.
Being treated like someone’s baby was kind of… complicated.

Indeed, as soon as he tried to reach for me, the wolf — or magical beast — let out a low growl, warning him.

“Must be that your magic and its magic are super compatible or something.”

“Eh, but… I was told I don’t have any magic…”

When I was five years old, I was examined and determined to have no magic.
Even though I’m a noble.
Both my father and mother, and even my older brother, have more than average magical power.
And yet I was judged to be powerless — a failure. That day, when Lizette was judged to possess holy magic, it marked the moment our paths in life clearly diverged.

But North tilted his head in confusion.

“You? No magic? That can’t be right…”

“Huh?”

What does he mean?

Before I could make sense of what he said, I heard hurried footsteps running toward us.

“Hey! What are you doing!? Why didn’t you come to me right away!!”

The person approaching with a harsh voice had a deeply furrowed brow and an unmistakably intimidating, grumpy face.

I instinctively froze in fear, and his sharp gaze pierced right through me.

Then, suddenly, he reached out toward me.

(Is he going to hurt me!?)

Terror rooted me to the spot—
…But at that moment, the hand that had stiffened with fear was gently wrapped in warmth.

“Ahh! Please don’t misunderstand! I’m not angry at you! And of course, I’m not angry at this man either! Well, okay, I am angry, but that’s only because I’ve been waiting and waiting to see you, and this man just wouldn’t bring you to me—Ah! No, I mean, I’m reflecting on it now. I should have just come to pick you up from the start. It’s not that I didn’t want to meet you— I was just so nervous about how I should greet you, and I couldn’t think straight! But I’ve been eagerly waiting to meet you — that’s absolutely true, so please don’t misunderstand!”

While gently holding my hand, the man rattled all this off in one breath.
And behind him, I could see North looking just as dumbfounded as I was.