One Day, My Dad Showed Up

At that moment, I was certain that if Zoe Islay ever burned to death, the culprit would be my father.

If Eciel hadn’t flatly refused, and if Mom hadn’t openly shown her distaste, Dad might have killed the Tower Master right then and there…

Of course, the atmosphere at the dinner table, which had nearly escalated to murder, was far from pleasant, and an uncomfortable silence lingered among us throughout the meal.

Yet, Zoe Islay steadily finished his meal.

“Well then, shall we proceed with the verification test?”

He even asked this cheerfully, as if he had no idea that he had ruined what could have been a pleasant atmosphere.

He was truly an impressive person in many ways.

While Eciel was washing up for the test, the Tower Master was infusing magic into a large crystal sphere he had brought from Mom’s lab, chatting away endlessly.

“To be honest, I’d like to ask if Lady Claire could stop by the Tower for a thorough examination as well, but I suppose that won’t be possible, right? Since she’s Astariol, she’s banned from entering the Tower.”

He really should work on his way of speaking, as if he would immediately use me as a research subject if I were allowed entry.

But that was one thing, and my curiosity was another, so I couldn’t help but ask.

“Why is someone from Astariol banned from entering the Tower?”

“Oh… Milady, you don’t know?”

A strange exclamation. Not exactly malicious, but certainly intentional.

I regretted it in an instant.

Ah, I should have stopped trusting people just because they were acquainted with Mom…

‘I shouldn’t have shown that I didn’t know.’

Both my father and mother stiffened.

“Zoe Islay.”

“What’s the matter, Charlotte? She’s Astariol, the Astariol of Judgment, no less. Even at nine years old, she should know.”

“…”

“She should know why the Tower is in the East, why the relationship between the Great Hall and the Tower is still strained… you should know. After all, you’re a member of the Tower too, right? You understand, don’t you?”

Mom bit her lip tightly.

And Dad… he gave the Tower Master a glance so cold it could freeze him to death, before extending his arm and pulling me into his embrace.

Zoe Islay once again made a strange face.

Incomprehensible. Unfathomable. Distrustful. The curiosity of an explorer facing an unknown world beyond their understanding.

But before Zoe Islay could intervene again, Dad was the first to speak.

“Claire, you’ve learned history, haven’t you?”

“… yes.”

“You remember that Astariol was once affiliated with the Great Hall.”

“Yes, I remember.”

I had been sitting between Mom and Dad on the sofa, watching Tower Master.

Dad gently patted me as if comforting a child on his lap, speaking calmly.

“We, the Astariol of Judgment, took on the role of when we transferred to the Great Hall.”

At first glance, it sounded like a natural, plausible explanation… but Astariol’s time with the Great Hall coincided with the persecution of wizards.

During that time, magic was considered a sin. Wizards were seen as criminals. And the Great Hall massacred an enormous number of wizards.

Using Astariol as their front.

“At that time, the one who killed the most wizards was, of course, Judgment. Not even Truth or Creation killed as many as Judgment did.”

“… that many?”

“Yes. So, back then, the wizards made a very strong demand from us.”

“What kind of demand?”

“That we, who were born to protect humans, acknowledge the sin of killing humans and pass judgment on ourselves for that crime.”

The stench of death and iron clashed violently with the cozy room and the warm fragrance around me.

How were we supposed to pass judgment on the weight of sins piled up from so many lives lost, lives that could never return?

With the same death?

Dad held me close again, soothing me gently.

“A sinner has no right to speak.”

The tone of his voice was neither cold nor warm.

It was just lukewarm.

“We admitted our sin and gave the wizards an unnamed island. The emperor of that time personally issued a certificate ensuring that Astariol would never interfere with or enter their domain.”

“And then?”

“And then, over the generations, we helped wizards escape or severely punished those who persecuted them. And so, time passed.”

Flowers in moderation, swords without shortage.

If it was a sin that couldn’t be repaid with any number of flowers, then perhaps with countless flowers beyond measure.

“And that island became the Tower.”

“Yes, that’s how it happened.”

Dad’s hand, as he brushed back my hair, was warm.

“Many wizards died, and the resentment that built up wasn’t insignificant. There was even talk at one point of relocating.”

The Tower Master didn’t interrupt once while Dad was talking.

But I knew, he knew, and even Mom knew.

If Dad had twisted his words in the slightest or concealed the truth, Zoe Islay would have exposed it without hesitation.

‘… that person isn’t someone who just acts thoughtlessly, despite his appearance.’

Zoe Islay… was someone who understood perfectly the final line of what he could and couldn’t say.

And he disliked Dad.

Just as much as Dad disliked him. Or maybe even more.

I was just beginning to get a glimpse of how much opposition there had been when Mom and Dad got married.

While I silently grappled with my complicated feelings, Eciel arrived, clean and freshly dried.

“What should I do now?”

Despite his words, Zoe Islay had filled the not-so-small crystal sphere to the brim with his magic.

He guided Eciel to the table with the crystal sphere and began explaining sincerely, without a trace of playfulness.

“The energy inside this crystal sphere is my magic. You should be able to see the orange currents moving inside.”

The child nodded eagerly.

Freshly washed platinum blonde hair emitted a pleasant fragrance, and her green eyes sparkled like stars.

She was like the embodiment of a young spring.

The Tower Master’s whispering voice was like a gentle stream flowing smoothly.

“Now, young lady, place both of your hands on the crystal sphere.”

Her tiny hands eagerly rested on the transparent crystal sphere.

Inside the clear, round sphere, the magic flowed gracefully, like rich, elegant colors diffusing in water.

Zoe Islay asked gently and kindly.

“If you were a wizard, young lady, what would you want to do with this?”

“What can I do?”

The Tower Master’s hand joined hers on the crystal sphere.

“Well… it might be quicker to ask what you can’t do.”

The vivid orange light slowly shifted to a golden glow. It looked as though gold dust was gliding on the wind and through dreams.

There were trees, vines wrapping around them, butterflies, flowers, meadows. A small, delicate sculpture of a girl. Entirely new, ever-changing worlds in the small crystal sphere.

Even though I had just realized that there was no way I could ever be close to this person, the scene was still awe-inspiring.

And slowly, the golden dust faded, transforming back into orange currents.

It was like watching the most delicate fragments of the sunset ground into a fine powder, gracefully dissipating.

Eciel gasped.

Zoe Islay removed his hand from the crystal sphere. With a gentle silence, he was telling Eciel.

Now it’s your turn.

So Eciel gripped the crystal sphere a little harder.

At first, nothing happened—truly nothing changed—but…

Before long, stars and the moon began to rise through the twilight. Wisps of clouds supported the lingering light, floating serenely in the small crystal sphere.

A world that Eciel had created. A world where stars and the moon rippled, where the clouds were soft, and the light was deep.

“… ah.”

Mom let out a soft breath.

Zoe Islay quietly declared.

“I, Zoe Islay, certify that Eciel Disandos possesses . She is qualified to become a member of the Tower, Eciel.”

My sister stared quietly at the world she had created in the crystal sphere, then immediately turned to look at Mom.

Mom’s gaze was…

If a person could stare directly at the sun with their naked eyes, perhaps that was how he would look.

With awe, with reverence, with love. With a deep, overwhelming sense of wonder.

Mom called her by her name, like calling on an angel.

“Eciel.”

And so Eciel looked at Mom and smiled happily.

She was nine years old, and at her age, the love of her mother meant far more to her than any certification of magical talent from the Tower Master.

… but as we all knew, the Tower Master had a talent for ruining the mood.

“Well then, Lady Eciel. When would you like to depart for the Tower?”

“… what?”

“Nine years old isn’t too late to start. It’s a reasonable age. You’ll do well there with good mentors and peers…”

So, what he was saying was that he intended to bring Eciel in as an internal apprentice of the Tower. Generally, this was considered a great honor.

Those who trained outside the Tower were valued less than those who were formally admitted and trained by the best wizards in the Tower.

But the reason they were valued more was precisely because their abilities differed… significantly.

‘If she becomes an internal apprentice at the Tower, she won’t be able to leave until she’s recognized as a full-fledged wizard.’

I shouted impulsively.

“No way!”

It was the sharpest tone I had ever spoken in. Even my parents paused and stared at me, halting whatever they were about to say.

But Eciel was always on my side, and she trusted that I had a strong reason when I opposed something.

Without a second thought, she shook her head.

“If Claire says no, then no.”

Zoe Islay’s calm face showed a faint hint of something unusual.

He glanced between me and Eciel, then smiled softly and coaxed her.

“Lady Eciel. How about coming with me to the Tower? There will be friends your age, not just your sister, and I’ll even teach you the illusion magic you admired earlier. In a few years…”

Eciel immediately frowned.

“No.”

The Tower Master tilted his head slightly, as though confused, and tried to say a bit more, but…

“I said no, I’m not going!”

Eciel jumped off her chair and ran straight toward me.