I’m In Trouble Because The Darkened Heroes Are Obsessed With Me

Cedric’s gaze wavered uncontrollably as he stared at Rashiel.Rashiel could see right through Cedric’s shaken state, his unease clearly triggered by the color of his eyes.“…What do you mean by that?”“Who knows?”Rashiel, watching Cedric’s turmoil with an unreadable expression, gave a cryptic response before reaching out toward the dimensional shard floating near the center of the magic circle.Before Cedric could stop him, Rashiel teleported in an instant—reappearing beside a dark mage.Without hesitation, he knocked the startled dark mage unconscious and began casting another teleportation spell.At that moment—“Answer me! What do you mean by that?!”Cedric’s magic shot toward Rashiel.But before it could reach him, the forming teleportation circle vanished, replaced by a shimmering magic barrier.Effortlessly, Rashiel dispelled the barrier and retaliated immediately.Cedric dodged his attack with ease, but Rashiel’s spell struck the ground at Cedric’s feet.A thick cloud of dust exploded into the air.Only then did Cedric realize Rashiel’s true intent.‘He didn’t miss—he did that on purpose to obscure my vision…!’As the dust settled, Rashiel was already gone.Not only had he vanished, but so had the unconscious dark mage—and every single sacrifice who had been lying unconscious moments before.‘Impossible.’It all happened in a fleeting moment, in the span of a single breath.To teleport such a large number of people from a distance while escaping himself—this was beyond what most mages could ever hope to accomplish.Cedric stood frozen, staring blankly at the empty space where Rashiel had been.In his ears, his father’s voice echoed.“A worthless wretch. I should have saved your brother instead of you. Worthless child.”Cedric clutched his head as if to block out the voice, muttering under his breath in a dazed, broken manner.“…No. He’s dead. They said he was dead…”If his brother had truly transferred all his mana before his death, then even if—by some absurd chance—he had survived, he wouldn’t be capable of magic.Certainly not powerful enough to stand against Cedric.Certainly not as the Tower Master—a grand mage of overwhelming strength.‘Then what the hell were those eyes?’The moment he recalled the crimson eyes staring back at him from behind that mask, his breath caught in his throat.His fingers dug into his palm as he clenched his fists, veins bulging from the sheer force.“… I must kill him.”The dead could never become emperor.As Cedric glared at the empty space where Rashiel had stood, his own red eyes burned with murderous intent.****The portal gatekeeper assigned to B-48 that week was dozing off in his chair.The B-48 portal of the Magic Tower was connected to the Heritz Forest on the outskirts of the capital, and ever since rumors spread that Rashiel was researching black magic, this portal had been rarely used.Thanks to that, the gatekeepers in charge of the B-48 portal were essentially living on easy street.As the gatekeeper was dozing off as usual, a light suddenly flickered on at the B-48 portal.Startled, the gatekeeper, who had been nodding off almost to the point of toppling over, jerked awake.“Gah!”He quickly wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.The last person to use this portal had been Rashiel.If he came through this portal again, it would be his first appearance at the Magic Tower since being declared a traitor by the Empire.Though the Magic Tower was a neutral institution not belonging to any country, what Rashiel had done this time went against the principles of the Tower, as it was related to black magic.Regardless of nationality, and regardless of the superior-subordinate relationship, this was a crime that no proper mage could overlook.‘D-Do I have to fight him?’The gatekeeper gulped nervously, keeping a wary eye on the portal.As the portal’s magic circle grew clearer and clearer, a figure finally appeared atop it— a woman with brown hair braided into two pigtails.Her face was half-covered by large, round glasses, and beyond the lenses, her golden amber eyes and freckles stood out.Although her soft appearance gave off an innocent vibe, the sharp, cat-like shape of her eyes created a subtle sense of dissonance.At first glance, she seemed ordinary, but her vivid golden eyes and striking features made her memorable.The woman, who looked startled by the gatekeeper’s tense expression, awkwardly greeted him.“H-Hello?”“Whoa!”The gatekeeper, who had been contemplating whether to fight or feign ignorance, let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the woman.“Man, using a portal no one really comes through anymore almost gave me a heart attack.”“Oh, I haven’t been here for a while, so I just used the nearest portal. Was that not allowed?”The gatekeeper was momentarily at a loss for words. It wasn’t like using the portal was prohibited—it was made for people to pass through, after all.It was just that his nap had been interrupted, and worse, he’d briefly felt the fear of death. His reaction had been mere displaced frustration.“N-No, it’s fine.”Now feeling sheepish, the gatekeeper cleared his throat. Then, he checked the name displayed on the portal’s register.“Anna Ritz.”“Ah, no wonder I didn’t recognize you—you must’ve been away for quite some time.”“Yes, I got married five years ago. I’ve been busy enjoying newlywed life…”“Must be nice. You don’t look that old, though. Got married young, huh?”“When you meet the right person, does timing really matter?”The woman chuckled softly and bowed slightly, signaling that she would be on her way now.Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she turned back to the gatekeeper.Seeing her pause, the gatekeeper gave her a questioning look. She gently tapped the corner of her mouth with her index finger.The gatekeeper belatedly realized there was dried drool at the corner of his mouth and hurriedly wiped it off.The woman left him behind and headed into the Magic Tower, a confident smile playing on her lips.‘Whew, that was an Academy Award-worthy performance. I definitely came off as a convincing married woman, right?’Of course, it had been much easier thanks to Tracia’s assistance.Anna—no, Elsez—recalled what Tracia had said while disguising her that morning.“The Magic Tower’s portals are set to recognize users’ mana. I went to the Tower yesterday and adjusted it to recognize your mana as someone else’s. Now, whenever you use the portal, you’ll be registered as ‘Anna Ritz.’”“Anna Ritz…”“Twenty-five years old, Artez Empire national, married five years ago with only a husband as family. The rest? Make up whatever story you like.”As Tracia affixed a wig and drew freckles on Ruel’s face, she explained how to use the magical equipment she had prepared. Naturally, her nagging came along with it.“Don’t get cocky just because you have good gear, and if it looks like you’re going to lose, run immediately. And if something goes wrong, don’t ever mention my name.”Finally, handing Elsez a pair of large-lensed glasses, Tracia added:“Good luck.”Elsez adjusted the glasses on her nose.‘Honestly, I’d love to start by catching the masked man and tearing off that mask…’That would be the fastest and most certain method, but there was a significant problem.‘I don’t know where the masked man is right now.’Moreover, since the Crown Prince had declared him a traitor, the masked man would undoubtedly be lying low for the time being.‘On the other hand, Rashiel’s whereabouts are relatively clear.’That was why she had come to the Magic Tower.The issue now was figuring out how to find Rashiel, who would likely be in hiding somewhere within this vast, crowded Tower.‘Still… it feels a bit lonely without Reti.’She was used to always having Reti with her, but she couldn’t risk bringing him to the Tower in case he got caught during the portal’s security check.Feeling the emptiness in her chest, Elsez stepped into the central hall of the Magic Tower.‘Wow…’The center of the Tower was a massive space, easily the size of a noble’s mansion grounds, where cleaning and utility magic tools freely roamed around.The ceiling, as high as the sky itself, displayed an enchanting starry night sky. The dim lighting from above gave the entire Tower a shadowy, mysterious atmosphere.‘So this is the Magic Tower.’The game had never shown the interior of the Magic Tower, making this the first time Ruel had seen it.Suddenly, something small and white drifted down before her eyes.‘…Snow?’It vanished at her touch, like an illusion, but felt cold despite not being real.For some reason, the not-actually-cold snow felt even colder to her.The snowfall inside the vast hall created a desolate and lonely mood.She recalled a piece of background lore from the game, mentioned only in passing:“The Magic Tower is not merely a building but a living entity that changes its interior according to the mood of its contractor.”All Magic Tower Masters undergo the Tower’s test before forming a contract with it. And the current Tower Master was Rashiel.‘Rashiel…’The sight of the falling snowflakes made her feel anxious.She decided to head to the dining hall to listen in on the conversations of the Tower’s mages and gather information.But then, she heard a commotion nearby.“Are they out of their minds? Right now, of all times, they’re looking for an assistant?”“Who’d be crazy enough to apply? At this point, you might end up labeled a traitor too.”She turned to see a group of mages gathered around a bulletin board, talking animatedly.Sensing that their conversation had to do with Rashiel, Ruel approached them.“Excuse me, can I take a look?”She gently pushed through the crowd of mages to get to the bulletin board.A single piece of paper was posted there.“Assistant Wanted. Simple tasks. No experience required. High pay guaranteed.”It sounded suspiciously like a scam recruitment ad. Below it, however, was a signature that made her eyes narrow.“Rashiel Celeste.”Staring at the notice, she squinted her eyes.‘What’s with this perfectly timed opportunity…?’