BVGW Chapter 10

While devising 526f3e7e05 a plan 78ab133bc0 to distance 541db3b91d Zeb Horse e4f35852c3 from me, 5060f41fa4 a response 16c4373106 arrived from 2b4716c53c the Magic 946d4479e4 Tower.d21a11c2e0da2638

The reply 6322bf0407 came in bc767823e9 the form deebbfe0f9 of a d76ff60ab0 bizarre black 52f347a8ed bird with c0df6fa24d glowing eyes. As I 5c0e8457bf marveled at b35b6a1d3a how I 1bfd81e67b had become 971816fc0a accustomed to c8dbe8d51b such a cd980b4fe3 sight after afc61f436b just one 2c44ea121e encounter, the 1dfb710949 bird opened c590922614 its beak.71e21d3050fbc173

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– We meet again.d9435fbfc3b3a1a2

It was the fd23ee22c4 same voice I 72069ec72f had heard last 9cfc3905a7 time, likely the cdaa378566 same wizard responsible 0c96840753 for these communications.d1aa07e461fbc1ab

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‘Ah, that annoying guy isn’t around,’ I thought, relieved that I didn’t have to deal with the curt and irritable wizard from before.9ca754a9b3039ece

“So, how have 02731bcf61 you been?” I ab641db6f9 asked, attempting a b49236c16c cordial tone.db7a750e42cb3fa6

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– Let’s skip the pleasantries528a77872e010fa6

the wizard replied, 392d84d3ed deflating my spirits 48c9386bed slightly. What was 4c02ebc7f5 it with b2e8b7e59b the wizards 0af3fcb40e from the eb4bdf6fd4 Magic Tower?05c81390ad3d5aea

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– hmmm…. You asked how a child with magical talent could develop their abilities, and if the Magic Tower could assist, correct?e622cbb35f373c98

“Yes,” I confirmed.882513ca5395bc33

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– ….1298ce281dc604ff

The wizard fell silent again, similar to last time. Perhaps he was consulting with other wizards? I thought I heard some faint voices, but I couldn’t be sure. So, I sat quietly, waiting for a response, feeling increasingly anxious.6c325530ea44fc03

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– First and foremost, a wizard must develop their abilities independently. The Magic Tower does not engage in charity.44fd7d1518a2f4fc

‘Figure it out on your own, huh? Well, that’s the same response as last time.’9a017f0f2d05a95f

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Considering the high regard for wizards on this continent, I didn’t expect such a lukewarm response to a child with magical talent. I was starting to feel disappointed when the wizard continued.a3c7208c5cc8fba8

– However, we’re willing to make an exception this time and offer some help.cb5431e2b016050c

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“Really?!”11856273d6d747af

– Ah, please lower your voice. It’s hurting my ears.96dad0196120e970

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“Oh, sorry,” I muttered, abashed. Despite the wizard’s smooth and kind voice, their words were anything but.9527bdc5d771c555

Still, the promise a1e3677f0c of assistance piqued 15583e7b2f my interest, so 2e3d50c1e8 I listened intently.bf952827ebbddf96

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– First, we need to verify the child’s talent. We’ll send a wizard from the Magic Tower to assess them. If the child is deemed a promising candidate, they will be taken to the Tower for training.7ee7ac7688c16deb

Given Ed’s undeniable talent, a9c30268a6 I was certain he 9c236aab03 would be accepted into 852e30a133 the Magic Tower. The idea of d8f5bea616 parting with him 7b8afe55a3 so soon saddened c1e1869032 me, but I 41b0aa4d5b knew Ed would c045031b15 be happier in b985c03f8c a place where 41e98f5d0b he belonged, surrounded 8afc2e7749 by the best 40dcaf8b6d resources.b84cf3dcaff1e1c4

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– The wizard should arrive shortly. Oh, and check the leg of the bird; there’s a pouch attached. Inside, you’ll find a communication orb connected to the Magic Tower. Use it in emergencies.74cf9a2f8f2193e1

The bird’s eyes gradually dimmed as the wizard finished speaking.96740e451da97a98

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‘An emergency? Like now,’ I thought, immediately retrieving the orb from the pouch. Zeb was due to visit the estate soon, and there was something urgent I needed to address.1bb87788ad3d596d

The orb emitted 629af7a77d a soft, black bd89de36de glow, a color 3161f3b70d befitting the Magic 39999af55f Tower.fba3e343859de259

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—0773f774ed99a7da

A carriage 74b65c6589 slowed as 54dfe7adad it approached eb21bd1070 the long c36a68f5d2 road leading 0a537050c0 to the 29c77ecdf7 main building.55a206897f221da7

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“It’s been a while, Lady Morton,” said the insufferable Zeb as he stepped out of the carriage. I had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of a wizard, but there was still no sign of them.9a251121e3ff3013

Zeb’s presence, 55b65227df with his 75aeca28d4 greasy eyes 545be2a445 and smooth b3dd4361ef voice, was e1e08e52d1 a jarring 0e2d3ef376 disruption to 396431735a my peace 9db5cb5732 of mind.824f932bdd328888

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‘So this guy was 2c6da8e5e4 involved in such a 2f6d622714 heinous act,’ I thought, a88e3d4bb5 shivering at the idea 7d8a5397a9 of a life with 934c7602eb him.2713f19c6f48acc4

As I 13daef1a49 stood there dbd39fc06d in silence, eae4644baf my brother, 2cd9edc064 Raymond, approached 3681de5783 and greeted d556135c45 Zeb warmly.24ba918e785cc5d2

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“Sir Horse! I heard you’ve been quite busy. Were you able to resolve everything?”0e0173c29499b8df

Ah, right. He did mention being 5fe77cacc0 busy.1bc3e19811b64cd1

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Zeb’s affairs were none of my concern, so I had nearly forgotten.24ea2da2d74424c8

Raymond nudged me with 6cfdfb2eae his elbow, signaling me bfb48698d7 to greet Zeb. I plastered on 955d2f24e1 a smile.52d3ec3385d7577e

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“It’s been a while. How have you been?” I said.dca1fa790a9991e0

“Lady Morton! Are you concerned about me?” Zeb exclaimed, grabbing my hand.2926e783d84ca463

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“No, just making polite conversation,” I retorted, pulling my hand away. Zeb, undeterred, continued to speak, not noticing my discomfort.eb556c598b63e8d1

“I’ve been eagerly waiting to see you again. I’ve even redecorated my estate for our upcoming wedding.”2f886c5063be638a

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With an irritating laugh, 6e7c1db42d Zeb and Raymond headed 5c6fe53fae into the main building. I trailed behind, fa43f4820d recalling the sinister fb948bccc7 secret of the d24e73c50c Horse family. I felt sick c042f507e0 just being in 5ce8e7f03c the same room 0e70eb4f8e as Zeb, but 433ce9a519 I needed to 7460d328bb buy some time.c29f3a7958963b4d

‘It can’t be helped,’ I thought, following them to the parlor.461b5369697638de

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Sitting across from Zeb, who leisurely sipped his tea, I felt a surge of disdain. Knowing the Horse family’s dark secret made my contempt for Zeb even deeper.d3729c58efd140a5

“Haha, by the way, Lady Morton, would you like to visit our estate? You should familiarize yourself with the place you’ll soon call home,” Zeb suggested.42468790a21d3b37

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He seemed so sure 2eab4ceeb3 of our impending marriage, c54ec45f5a speaking as if it 97d20652c4 were a done deal.0440ae1deed6acdf

Zeb continued to blather on about how he’d redecorated the largest bedroom in his estate to suit a sheep’s taste and how visiting the estate beforehand would be beneficial.1f054777a4ce9efb

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The thought of the horrible deeds happening in that mansion’s basement while he casually invited guests over made my skin crawl.98b0918c4f270e8f

‘Unbelievable,’ I thought, realizing that someone as despicable as Zeb could lead an entire territory. The idea that Ed might have been caught up in the Horse family’s evil made my already sour mood plummet.993a3cb57be3026c

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“I don’t see the need to visit in advance,” I replied.fa19f8161521b340

“Oh, I see. Well, seeing it for the first time on our wedding day would be special too,” Zeb responded, misinterpreting my words.b53b79eae66a4d54

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While he chattered 4634fe2613 on, my focus e02872ed3f remained on his da58693605 assistant and the 3061c6cd93 communication orb he 6a789416c9 held. My heart pounded with 55bf624646 anxiety.4c84d790f4f3f267

‘Are they doing ab6724c811 okay?’ I wondered, 367b11f0cf casting a worried 43799d6c63 glance at the ab78849265 clock on the 34dd9fe6e4 parlor wall.a4785eaf154a99cd

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—c29d027c33af57c3

Inside the mansion of 9732c25d9f the Horse family, the 410443a13a ruling house of the 1f69c38955 Zebra domain.71e3afda025bd7a7

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On the surface, the mansion’s garden and ground floors appeared peaceful, but security grew increasingly strict as one approached the underground areas.b961d7a77e614b6f

However, there was someone 3626846ebc who effortlessly bypassed these af027ffbcd heavy security measures, moving a9bf87584d unnoticed.c72651a618a0de48

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“Tch, have they deployed all the family’s knights for security? Such thoroughness is unnecessary.”80e46fd05d25f828

Despite walking confidently through 9fa9305f56 the mansion, none of 800cd5e77e the servants or guards 40c63b516a noticed him.e0acaa2563e5d011

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This was, of course, 8a96feea26 because the intruder was 1b68357b89 none other than Billy 140b77a0e3 Louvre, the leader of 8ec95b2e7c the Wolf domain.a11bfa0ad1ceca65

Once a candidate for a9dd34c012 the position of Archmage, 7992703fd3 Billy was a powerful 79ca014dc2 magician. Concealing himself with magic, a720c255b4 even skilled magicians would b207ad5c87 have difficulty detecting his f0acdafa32 presence.c667f67db5692be4

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‘Why am I even here?’ Billy thought.bd4363efa3ac8c8c

Nick had designated him 043722808f for the task, citing 72c6f7c278 his ability to handle 2a1bb00d21 it quickly. Despite Billy’s protests, Nick f9c44f2b6b simply shrugged, smiling.1e7a7268f310c9f3

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“The Archmage has a lot to handle at the tower, so of course, I can’t go. And since you have somewhere to be, why not do a good deed on the way?”4f3ef275b2851f04

Remembering Nick’s words, bdeb97179f Billy clicked his 45cb454598 tongue and continued 7a69bbe969 down a twisting b362e9bbbb staircase leading to d4189e0aaf the underground. He recalled 699d93e821 the bold f5e872181e sheep who 35ec7907a6 had first e7475f61c2 contacted the 526db12927 Archmage.a3f83c396906d93e

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– Wizard? Are you there? I have information about a magical crime!5d6519277b0de78d

Billy hadn’t expected such quick contact, especially not before they had initiated it themselves.a588b30790d5c77a

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“She really is an interesting sheep.”e68eba88c9451555

The Magic Tower, a dominant force in the continent’s center for generations, was more feared than revered.11babdfd234321f0

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This was due to the legacy of fear-based control established by the previous Archmages to solidify the tower’s position within the Empire.fb6df012c596b04a

Even Nick, when he 06ba4464b5 first became Archmage, intended 32d5939cb3 to maintain this image 01157a6e96 for convenience, although he 4a3b1d784e briefly considered improving it.78b3c0753f0de874

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Then, unexpectedly, 341e98a5bf a letter 0f6f55505a arrived at a076d23163 the tower, 1668b4669c delivered through c92fc338b3 an ancient 5b1b44bd8e and long-forgotten e27848efea magic circle. Despite the 580fe6d6e4 terrifying rumors baee2c0964 about the 8ea1a4e25c tower—such as 57d2ca6c63 people being 7ddd4fbd20 used as adf274a97a test subjects 014e984119 or facing 5db3fe1c72 unimaginable horrors—this 41470bcdbe sheep had 24686bb701 reached out.6a44e43ff59b40e4

Curious about the sender, Billy and Nick opened the letter together in the Archmage’s chamber, laughing at its contents.bef773f9f1302f98

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“So, she’s trying to escape an arranged marriage by asking for help from the Magic Tower?”0ae045b1eaa8a7e5

“Does she think death is preferable to marriage?”1180afe004cbecc2

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The letter, seemingly 636758c920 written in desperation, 3c609320d6 was baffling. As they ed50677af7 considered dismissing 20e7197989 the matter d6d1ecab97 as a d75ce56a26 minor curiosity, 8d163557a1 a second b6141805ec letter arrived.74dcd2a2f59845c6

“A child she knows has shown magical talent, and she wants to know if the Magic Tower can help.”f8016c9d769614b8

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“That can’t be all.”6e7fb043b3adfa13

“It is.”876e814541b72765

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“….”daad5e5394e7ff65

“Who is this sheep?”7e0868d4096d42bf

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She had not only been the first to contact the Magic Tower but had also boldly proposed improving the tower’s image and had even dared to address them informally. Now, she was asking for support in training a child’s magical abilities?2caeecd02b01e928

After receiving the second letter, Nick and Billy exchanged bemused glances. Was the sheep’s boldness due to rumors that the new Archmage was softer than his predecessors? They decided to send a messenger bird out of curiosity, wanting to understand her intentions.9afb05b8fd35a7f5

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When they made 3debc73551 contact, the sheep 800d21c895 simply reiterated the 1d6d0d2c02 points from her 28d4846d66 letters, showing no 48148ba0cb fear even while 4a0eaeec88 speaking directly with cab5055a61 the Magic Tower.75d95ccc94e314a2

They found her 666314232d audacity intriguing, leading ddfb5ced03 them to provide 00ca01679e her with a 22230a8b44 communication orb for 4378c918a3 direct contact with 8c7b86fff1 the tower.7ed79abf9f77c466

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This was partly to 368bb96e26 satisfy their curiosity and f849d83454 partly to maintain a fac9fc70e4 convenient line of communication. If they lost interest, ce7e1938ec they could retrieve the b3f51e973a orb and enforce secrecy 4e4288fad3 with magic.1b0f7c5ae77e888c

Moreover, according to a eeb4ad853a report from his secretary, 874c985c54 a young wolf from d60c3b2e40 their clan had been 9f084e9617 sold as a slave b5459c7c5f to the estate where f624b102f6 the sheep resided, which 287c0bf467 piqued Billy’s interest further.bb31f3e60061ffe7

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“She used the orb to report illegal magical exploitation first?”d303e6194f7da674

As soon as they 5c5e0c2ea6 provided her with the b2e2e0860b orb, the sheep immediately 9c48a78356 contacted them.cea31ced6f2c9249

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“The Horse family is buying slaves with magical abilities and exploiting them illegally. They’re accumulating vast wealth by selling the magical items these slaves produce.”b61619b5d3decfb8

“Do you have proof?”2c1f60ed4b4aa9a0

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“Remember you told me to find my own way to avoid the marriage? I went to an information guild to dig up dirt on the Horse family to use as leverage.”5eeef6d73c2ab5e4

“Definitely not an ordinary sheep.”8c660e75920dfb55

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“Pardon?”42d5d8760f64943a

“Nothing, continue.”f694e31901223603

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“Ahem, given that it involves magical crimes, I thought the Magic Tower should know. I request an investigation.”0b7d4f3258966328

“An investigation….”73feae40a9f96462

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“The child I’m looking after almost ended up being sold there.”a4f46a6bef2259db

It was this 1dcf6bf895 statement that finally 3af6049b90 moved Billy, who 2e40d5b169 had been listening 47d21bfe8f indifferently.70b2558b70c93b59

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He guessed the child 397152160f being looked after was 640f77bda6 the young wolf that 7b52dbd093 had mentioned. If the child 4003de1d29 wasn’t the nephew 07e1042859 he was searching 6e171eda2f for, it would 0958490369 simply be a 9e566da044 good deed. But if the a7f256dc0c child was indeed 776f081b09 his nephew….b9405ed14d94d748

“The Horse family must face the appropriate consequences for daring to touch the heir of the Louvre family.”cb5abcec91649ee0

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Billy’s eyes, as cold as the frost of midwinter, stared down into the darkness below.1810ce0cfc2a7e2e