Chapter 22 – The Suspicious Tower Master and the Child Who Knows Too Much
Owen blinked blankly.
“Right here! This part is the most important!”
He could hardly believe what he was seeing.
“And here too, Duchess! Look at this part too!”
“…I told you, I don’t understand any of this anyway.”
Across the heavy reception table sat the famous Duchess of Abner herself—holding Owen’s precious alchemy design in her hands.
Beside them, one of her knights tilted his head curiously.
“So this is that incredible formula everyone’s talking about?”
The little girl huffed, as if frustrated by the question.
“Of course! I’ve read ‘Advanced Magical Science for Beginners’ at the Abner Orphanage, and not one of the formulas in there is this amazing!”
Owen’s brows furrowed slightly.
Something about this girl felt… strange.
But the child just kept chattering away excitedly.
“This formula’s way more complicated than the mana crystal purification one we talked about a few days ago!”
“…Really?”
This time, it was the Duchess who asked.
The girl nodded with great enthusiasm—then turned to glance at Owen, pointing at a section of his formula.
“Actually… from here on, I don’t really understand it either. But I know it’s a really amazing design!”
Owen’s expression stiffened even more.
She doesn’t understand it?
The part she had just pointed to was the exact transition point—where the formula expanded into its next phase.
If she truly didn’t understand it, she couldn’t have pointed that out so precisely.
While he was still studying her carefully, a calm voice interrupted his thoughts.
“You’re Viscount Dennis, correct?”
Owen flinched and looked up.
Then answered nervously, “Yes. Owen Dennis, at your service.”
“I heard you were waiting for me outside my estate.”
His throat tightened.
He hadn’t expected this turn of events.
Right now, he was actually inside the Abner mansion—sitting face to face with the Duchess herself.
He’d thought the guards would block him forever, but somehow that silver-haired child had dragged him all the way in.
He cleared his throat, trying to stay composed.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“What business did you have with me? Does it concern this design?”
He swallowed hard.
That tiny flicker of hope he’d nearly abandoned began to burn again.
If he could just explain everything using this design—maybe she’d lend him the ten billion tera he needed.
Then he could save Arwin.
He took a shaky breath and began, “Yes. Actually, I came here because—”
“My teacher wants to work for the Abner family!”
The little girl’s cheerful voice cut him off.
Owen blinked in confusion.
The small, silver-haired girl trotted toward him with a bright grin.
“You said so on the stairs, remember? You said you wanted to work for House Abner and make potions!”
“…Why would I be your teacher? And when did I ever say—”
The girl poked his leg sharply.
When he glanced down, she was forcing a big smile and darting her eyes around as if signaling something to him.
What is this kid doing?
She was tiny—barely reached his waist. Her round, soft face was full of baby fat, and even though she tried to sound mature, her words still came out a bit lisped.
“Hmm? Ria definitely heard it! Teacher said he made this amazing design because he wants to work for the Abners!”
Poke.
Another jab to the leg.
Owen pressed his lips tightly together—then reluctantly nodded.
“…Y-yes. That’s right.”
The moment he said it, the little girl skipped back over to the Duchess, bouncing on her toes.
“Wow, Duchess! Congratulations!”
“…For what?”
“You told me, remember? That smart people are rare in House Abner!”
She pointed proudly at herself.
“Well, now you’re even luckier! Another super-smart person came here! He’s way smarter than me! I think he could even become a Tower Master someday!”
Her bright, sparkling eyes were locked completely on Owen.
“Miss Miel and Miss Soya said they’d help me find a teacher, but I think I already did! I want to learn from him! What should we do?”
Owen let out a long, quiet sigh.
The kid was putting on quite a show—as if performing a one-person play.
“It’s not easy to find a teacher that matches so perfectly! I think heaven sent him to me because I’m such a good student…”
“…”
The Duchess glanced at the knight beside her.
He looked back, just as confused.
After an awkward silence, the Duchess finally spoke.
“You’re familiar with mana stone refining, then?”
Her tone was calm but direct.
Owen froze, then quickly nodded.
“Yes, I am.”
“You seem young. Where did you learn?”
“I’ve published several research papers during my advanced alchemy training at the academy,” he replied politely.
Sharon Abner nodded, then placed his design back on the table.
“And what about teaching? Are you good with children?”
Owen blinked, caught off guard.
Teaching children?
He glanced down at the silver-haired troublemaker—then sighed softly.
“…I have a younger brother,” he said finally.
“I see.”
The Duchess didn’t say anything more. She simply stood up.
Apparently, the meeting was over.
“Wendel,” she said to her knight. “Tell Roger to clear out the underground lab and prepare it for new research.”
The knight bowed. “Yes, my lady.”
Then she turned back to Owen.
“I can’t assign you an assistant. There are no other researchers available right now, so you’ll be working alone. It’ll be tough.”
“Wait… what?”
“And since you’ll also be teaching this little one, you won’t have much time to rest.”
The Duchess approached slowly, passing by him—and gave his shoulder two firm pats.
“Still, you’ll have complete freedom to pursue your personal research. Make as many potions as you like. If they can make money, all the better.”
“…”
“The starting fund… let’s say twenty billion tera.”
Owen’s eyes went wide.
That was twice what he needed.
“Then, I’ll be counting on you.”
With that, the Duchess walked out of the room without hesitation.
Wendel followed closely behind.
Owen remained frozen in place for a long moment—then slowly turned his gaze toward the mysterious child.
She was trying to sneak out after the knight, tiptoeing toward the door.
“…Hey, you.”
She froze, then turned around with a stiff smile.
“Y-yes, teacher?”
“Hah.”
Owen sighed and crouched down to meet her eyes.
Then, holding her small shoulders, he asked seriously,
“Your name’s Annelia, right?”
“Mhm, yes.”
“So it’s true, then? That there are still dark magicians in the empire?”
“…”
“I’ve heard they can change their appearance however they want. Old, young, man, woman… whatever suits them.”
“Uh…”
Owen’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“So that’s it, huh? You’re a dark magician, aren’t you?”
“…”
Silence filled the room.
The smile faded from her face.
Then she rolled her eyes dramatically and sighed.
“Teacher, why are you being like this?”
Owen’s brow twitched. “What?”
Her clear, clever eyes looked slightly annoyed now.
“You want to save your brother, don’t you?”
***
“What?! I—I become a Tower Master at thirty?!”
Owen’s startled whisper echoed faintly in the room.
“Yes,” I said simply.
“And Arwin… he dies?”
“Yes, he does.”
Owen’s pupils trembled.
“And how do you know all that…?”
“I told you already. I went back in time.”
“That’s impossible.”
I squinted at him.
“Why are you so surprised? You were already suspicious of me.”
I gave him a quick, summarized version of what had happened so far.
There were reasons for being honest.
Then I pointed at his alchemy design.
“You realized I understood your formula, right?”
I’d noticed his wary glances from the start.
I even expected he’d confront me like this eventually.
“I worked hard to get into House Abner. I might be the Duchess’s ward now, but that could change any time. People’s minds change fast.”
Owen stayed silent.
“Well, even if I do get kicked out, it’s fine. But I don’t want that to happen too soon. I’d at least like to stay until I’m ten.”
“…”
“To do that, I need to prove I’m useful to House Abner. But look at me—what can I do with this tiny body?”
I stretched out my small hands to show him.
He stared at them seriously, deep in thought.
After a long pause, he frowned.
“Why are you telling me all this?” he asked quietly.
Then, lowering his voice, he added,
“What makes you think you can trust me? What if I report you to someone right now?”
