The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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Chapter 101: Sage of the Stars (5)

"……."

Oscar remained silent for a moment.

Then, carefully managing his expression, he sank into thought.

‘What is this?’

When he met the Sage of the Stars in his previous life, the atmosphere had been much more amicable.

It was as if the sage had been waiting for him, offering tea and inviting him to sit.

But now, the atmosphere was entirely different.

‘He’s wary of me.’

The reason was likely that the sage was convinced Oscar was not Oscar Crucian.

This raised a question.

‘How did he figure it out?’

To Oscar’s knowledge, the Sage of the Stars was not a godlike being.

That conviction hadn’t changed even now, as he had met actual divine entities in his previous life.

‘If he had godlike powers, he wouldn’t need to ask such questions.’

Divine beings could discern everything about a person simply by observing their soul.

They could uncover whatever they wanted and wouldn’t tolerate even the smallest lie.

Oscar denied the notion.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Hmm.”

The Sage of the Stars hummed softly, stroking his beard with a contemplative expression.

Oscar, emboldened by the sage’s ambiguous demeanor, countered with a question of his own.

“What makes you think that?”

“To explain that, I must first tell you what I am.”

Snap!

As the sage snapped his fingers lightly, the world plunged into darkness.

In the next moment, Oscar realized, to his shock, that he was standing in space.

"……!"

But any sound he made vanished instantly.

Panicking, he tried to summon his magic, but the sage’s voice echoed before he could act.

—I’ve loved gazing at the stars since I was young.

Simultaneously, a vast galaxy materialized in the once-empty void.

A breathtaking spectacle of countless stars clustered together, forming what seemed like a river flowing through the universe.

—Stars are such radiant beings, aren’t they? I was captivated by their brilliant light.

Amid the massive collection of stars, certain ones stood out, commanding attention.

Their dazzling brilliance drew the eye, overshadowing the glow of the others.

—But no star shines forever.

The brightest star dimmed and faded away.

—The reason is simple: most stars eventually reach the end of their lifespan. Once a star cools, it can never shine as it once did.

"……."

—I found this fact profoundly tragic. I wished for their brilliance to endure, to be passed down to future generations.

Oscar realized this wasn’t merely a story about stars and the universe.

—Do you know how a single being can alter the laws of the world?

He shook his head.

One being changing the world’s laws?

Even in the centuries of recorded history at the Tower of Magic, no such tales existed.

‘Surely, it’s impossible.’

As he harbored such doubts, the sage continued.

—You think it’s impossible, don’t you?

"……!"

—Don’t be surprised. I thought so too. But I found a clue in ancient texts.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a dazzling light filled the dark void.

—It’s simple. Become an order yourself, a new universe.

An order?

A new universe?

As Oscar furrowed his brow in confusion, the sage elaborated.

—By your standards, reaching the 10th level would signify such a state.

"……!"

A 10th-level mage, a 10th-level knight—

These were merely theoretical concepts, never achieved in human history.

‘Wait, does that mean...?’

Could it be that the Sage of the Stars was the first mage to reach the 10th level?

Oscar’s eyes wavered, and the sage replied calmly.

—Don’t look at me like that. I neither established an order nor became a universe. I was a hair’s breadth away.

"……."

A hair’s breadth.

Even so, it was clear that he was an extraordinary figure.

A 9th-level archmage from an era so ancient it wasn’t even recorded?

—I offered my soul to the gods, pleading with them. I begged to continue witnessing new stars, ensuring the brilliance left behind by the radiant ones could be passed on to future generations.

The Sage of the Stars finally revealed himself.

At the same time, the background shifted again.

‘This place is….’

A library.

That was the word that came to mind.

“The gods granted my plea.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The stars that had formed the galaxy scattered.

Each became a book, neatly placed on shelves.

“Though I nearly created a universe as a mortal, the gods graciously entrusted me with this role.”

“…What role is that?”

The sage gestured to his surroundings.

“People call me the Sage of the Stars, but I’m more akin to a librarian. The Keeper of the Starlight Library. I remember the most radiant and beautiful moments of stars that have passed and relay them to those of future generations who resemble them.”

"……."

Oscar steadied his breathing.

He hadn’t realized just how remarkable the Sage of the Stars truly was.

Like other world wonders, he’d simply assumed the sage was another extraordinary phenomenon.

“You asked why I believe you aren’t Oscar Crucian? It’s simple.”

The sage raised a hand and pointed at Oscar.

“Because I know a star exactly like you.”

"……."

Oscar paused, choosing his words carefully, before suddenly asking:

"What kind of star was that person?"

"At first, just an ordinary one,"

The sage replied.

"The kind of genius that appears once in every era. But when the war against the demons broke out and dragged on, they began to burn brighter and brighter."

"…"

"By the end, it was frightening to watch. They shone so brightly that it felt like they'd burn themselves out. And, well… their end wasn’t far off from that."

The sage’s eyes dimmed as he finished speaking.

"If I ever meet them again, I’d like to thank them."

"…"

Oscar closed his eyes.

What a peculiar old man.

"You knew everything from the start, didn’t you?"

"Of course,"

The sage replied with a faint smile.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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"The star you hold in your heart, once seen, is impossible to forget."

Oscar felt a strange sense of relief washing over him.

"Oscar Sage, or Oscar Crusian. Which name do you prefer?"

"Just call me Oscar,"

He said, letting out a soft sigh.

"Congratulations. You’re the third person to learn my true identity."

"Only the third? Impressive. And the other two?"

"The King of the Wind Spirits and a Dwarven King."

"Not bad company,"

The sage nodded approvingly and snapped his fingers.

Two sofas approached them.

"Have a seat. Standing for long periods is hard when you're my age."

Once seated, the sage wasted no time.

"At first, I was stunned. A star that had already burned out was shining again. For a moment, I thought I’d gone mad."

"That doesn’t happen often, I take it?"

"It’s outright impossible,"

The sage replied firmly.

"But after observing you for a while, I realized it was thanks to the existence of the ‘Wind Archive.’"

"Ah,"

Oscar nodded.

That was the magic he’d received when he visited this place in his past life.

"A bit late, but I must say—it was incredibly useful."

"Glad to hear it. The demons were defeated, so I suppose it was a fair trade,"

The sage chuckled.

Oscar hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking,

"Could I, perhaps…"

"You’re wondering if you can receive new magic this time too?"

For someone nearing a thousand years old, the sage had an unsettling knack for reading thoughts.

"Does that mean… I can’t?"

Hearing the doubt in Oscar’s voice, the sage smiled faintly.

"You can. In fact, the reason I spent so much effort uncovering your identity was to confirm whether it was safe to grant you magic."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oscar Crusian, the genius of a new era. It’s not impossible to think someone so brilliant could be a villain in disguise."

Oscar unconsciously nodded.

He’d thought many times about how this body was, aside from its tangled energy pathways, superior to the one he’d had in his past life.

It was the main reason he believed he could reach the coveted 10th level.

"Is this phenomenon unique to me?"

"A dead soul occupying a body from a later generation?"

The sage mused before shaking his head.

"Not that I know of. Then again, I’ve only observed the mages who make their way to this mountain."

"Those powers you demonstrated earlier were incredible."

"Just the tricks of an old hermit,"

The sage laughed as he rose.

"Come, let’s figure out what gift to give you this time."

The sage wandered among the shelves, hands clasped behind his back.

"Is there a specific spell you’d like? This library contains everything except what doesn’t exist."

After careful thought, Oscar replied,

"If I ever face the Emperor again, I need a spell to finish him for good."

"The Emperor? Isn’t he already dead?"

"Well, so was I, once,"

Oscar said quietly.

"Ah, I see. You’re thinking that if you returned, he might as well."

The sage glanced back at Oscar and shook his head.

"No need to worry about that. When I saw you, I checked the Emperor’s star just in case. It’s utterly shattered, beyond repair. I doubt it will ever shine again."

"…Really?"

"Absolutely. Honestly, resurrection itself is an absurdity. It’s not something most magic can even dream of achieving."

"Most magic?"

Oscar tilted his head.

The sage chuckled.

"Bringing back the dead isn’t as simple as summoning a soul. If it were, necromancers would have resurrected everyone they ever loved."

"Didn’t they try?"

"Ah, some did,"

The sage admitted.

"But were any of them ordinary humans?"

Of course not.

No matter how fresh the body, a resurrected soul would rapidly decay, leaving behind a monstrosity, not a loved one.

"Ah, this suits you,"

The sage said, halting in front of a shelf.

He pulled out a book and held it up.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

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