The women I set free are obsessed with me

You can read 155 episodes on patreon and 50 new episodes are released every month. patreon.com/Ashenrose

At the edge of the continent.

There, facing the end of the world, stood a lone tower that seemed to pierce the heavens.

An enormous structure, both awe-inspiring and bizarre. No matter how high one looked, its summit remained hidden from view. The top, vanishing into the hazy clouds, seemed to touch the very realm of the gods.

The Lighthouse of the World.

The Pinnacle of Knowledge.

The Tower of Truth.

Among its many epithets, people simply called it the Magic Tower.

The Tower of Mages, the Magic Tower.

This was no mere place of learning. It was a sanctuary for those who sought to unravel the world's secrets and transcend the boundaries of reality.

For those who honed the art of magic, it was a sacred ground where dreams and ideals could be realized.

…Or so went the publicly known image of the Magic Tower. The reality, however, was somewhat different. Those who knew even a little about the Tower all said the same thing:

It's a cruel laboratory for lunatics attempting to shatter the barriers between gods and humans, a crucible of infinite desires.

The line where madness and genius intersected, a graveyard for mages seeking truth.

In the face of their grand pursuit of truth, the moral compass defined by humanity served as no barrier for them.

The mages of the Magic Tower were the kind who wouldn't hesitate to conduct human experiments to realize their ideals.

The Magic Tower was built upon the endless greed of those seeking power beyond the principles of the world.

Edmund was no exception.

Edmund Alexius Wilmore.

An elder of the Magic Tower.

A scion of a now-extinct marquis family.

He was the traitor who brought about his entire house's annihilation after being caught delving into forbidden magic.

Yet Edmund felt no guilt. To him, even his family was merely kindling for his grand ambition. Naturally, he had managed to slip away and survive in the aftermath.

With a bounty on his head and nowhere to go, Edmund's feet led him to the Magic Tower.

After all, the Magic Tower would welcome anyone as long as they were an exceptional mage, be they a serial killer who's slaughtered dozens or a traitor who had sold out their own country.

Edmund, who had become a court mage as soon as he came of age, made groundbreaking progress thanks to the private research lab and substantial support he received upon entering the Magic Tower.

As a result, he rose to become an Archmage and even exacted his revenge against those who had branded him a heretic.

It had taken him 40 years to reach such heights.

Edmund had planned to spend his twilight years leisurely honing his magic as a mage rather than a vengeful ghost, but recently, he had encountered a predicament.

What Edmund had been researching was modification magic. Specifically, the forbidden art of transmuting humans into dolls.

The dollification of living humans.

It allowed for customization not just of the body, but also the mind and personality according to one's preferences. The stronger the base, the better the performance when dollified.

In essence, he sought to dollify a child with potential who hadn't yet blossomed, and modify them to his liking.

They should be pretty too.

Ugly ones wouldn't do. Dolls should be beautiful, after all.

But where can I easily capture such a child?

Promising young talents were all children of noble families. Scouring the slums would be harder than plucking stars from the sky.

Ah~ Where could he find a budding archmage material just wandering around?

Muttering such nonsensical hopes to himself, Edmund walked the streets, giggling like a madman.

"Hm?"

As he walked, what caught Edmund's eye was a maid girl sitting alone on a bench in the early dawn.

Indigo hair and a round, cute face.

A maid outfit that suited her petite frame.

The short skirt only came down to her thighs, fully exposing the girl's smooth bare legs.

A slave, huh.

This maid wasn't a hired servant, but a slave. There was a black shackle around her neck.

But what captured Edmund's attention was the staff she was carefully holding.

That, that is…?!

There was a silvery handle shimmering with otherworldly light, and a glowing blue crystal atop it.

Edmund immediately recognized what it was.

It looked identical to the Heavenly Covenant used by the Great Sage Arselia, featured in the [Compendium of Legendary Weapons Used by Ancient Heroes].

But as with all legends, no one believed them at face value. They were just stories woven from myths, after all.

Then was this a replica? Even accounting for that, it exuded an extraordinary aura.

Mages were the type who had to see things through once their curiosity was piqued, so Edmund approached the maid girl.

Her eyes held an ethereal color. For a fleeting moment, Edmund caught a glimpse of an indigo magical light in her pupils.

This girl was born with the blessing of the arcane.

"Child."

"…?"

"You must be startled by a suspicious old man suddenly talking to you. I'm sorry. As I've grown older, I can't help but act on my curiosity."

Edmund imitated the kindest voice he could muster as he spoke to the girl.

"Where did you get that staff? It looks very similar to one I know."

"It's a staff given to me by someone precious."

"I see. This old man is curious, would you mind if I take a look at it?"

"I don't want to. Why should I?"

"Huh?"

Edmund blinked like a fool at the blunt refusal from the girl who looked like she had barely left her mother's embrace.

The girl had a sullen expression. Now that he looked closely, the dark circles under her eyes made her look like someone suffering from insomnia. It made her cute face appear somewhat vicious.

"If you have no more business, I'll be going."

"W-Wait a moment!"

Edmund hurriedly called out to stop her. He thought this girl might be the very child he had been searching for.

"You're… a slave, aren't you?"

"Do I look like a slave to you?"

"Huh? Ah, no, that's not what I meant…"

"That's a relief…"

"Hm?"

The girl's fierce expression suddenly softened. She smiled brightly, just like any girl her age would.

Is being a slave popular among kids these days?

He wasn't sure, but in any case, this was good. He intended to keep this mood going.

"Why are you out here so early in the morning?"

"I'm looking for Master. He's very far away."

"Hmm, looking for your master who's far away instead of running away. Your master must be a good person."

"That's right. Master is a good person."

He got the gist of it.

This child took pride in being a slave. Her master must treat her very preciously.

The 'precious person' who gave her the Heavenly Covenant must be the girl's master. To give a slave the Heavenly Covenant…

"Child, is your master perhaps a noble?"

"He's even more amazing than a noble."

The tangled threads in Edmund's mind suddenly unraveled into a single line.

More amazing than a noble. That meant at least royalty. In other words, this child was a case of becoming a slave after catching the eye of some country's royalty.

She must be a wandering mage, traveling the world to improve her skills and expand her influence. Now she must be on her way back after completing her mission.

I can't let her go like this.

This child could become a masterpiece for ages to come.

If I let her slip away here, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

"It's getting late, why don't you come to grandpa's house instead of staying here? Grandpa's research lab is in that tall tower over there."

"Isn't that the Magic Tower?"

"Grandpa is a great mage, you see. Why, are you interested in magic? If you want, grandpa could teach you some magic."

"Magic…?"

This time, instead of flatly refusing, the girl seemed to consider it. Her previously dull eyes sparked with life.

As expected, this child was of the same kind as him.

Even if she had an important mission, she was the type who couldn't hide her desire in the face of new knowledge. A magic lunatic.

If that was the case, there could only be one answer.

"Well, just for a moment…"

***

"This is my research lab."

Like luring a child with, Grandpa will buy you a tasty candy, Edmund brought the girl to his private research lab.

If she hadn't come willingly, he would have brought her by force, but he was grateful she came along so easily.

Edmund's research lab was on the 49th floor, just below the top floor. The only way to reach it was by using the mana stone elevator installed in the tower or flying through the massive hole that pierced through the center.

Among the many branches of magic, flight magic was considered one of the most difficult. It literally meant soaring through the sky like a bird.

But even among archmages, those who could freely fly through the sky were extremely rare. Most could only manage short-term levitation by applying telekinesis to their bodies.

Most of what people called flight magic was actually just levitation magic.

Even that was only possible for those who had reached a certain level of mastery, so naturally, Edmund, as an elder of the Magic Tower, could use it.

Today, however, he used the elevator out of consideration for the girl. Though blessed with innate magical talent, she was still an unbloomed flower.

I'll make those petals bloom.

Currently, this research lab was perfectly prepared for dollification.

When the device was activated, it would absorb the target's magical power. After draining their mana, it would invade their weakened mind and remove their personality.

After that, it was a simple matter of modifying the empty shell as desired.

Getting them here was the hard part; once they set foot in the research lab, it was already over.

"Are there many books like this in the tower?"

"Indeed. Centuries of accumulated research and knowledge from mages, piled high as mountains. This place is like heaven for mages."

"Hmm."

The girl stared intently at the magic books, clearly interested. Even if she read them, she probably wouldn't understand what they meant, but that didn't matter. Once she was turned into a doll, he could just implant the knowledge.

While she was distracted, he made his move.

Edmund activated the device.

Magic circles materialized above and below the girl.

Crackle!

A barrier of white lightning surrounded the girl as the device began siphoning her mana.

The girl's indigo mana was explosively extracted. The girl noticed something was wrong and looked at Edmund, but it was far too late.

Once caught in that device, not even the Great Sage Arselia, owner of the Heavenly Covenant, could break free.

"I'm truly sorry for deceiving you. It's all for your future. Grandpa will modify you from a mere slave into the world's strongest battle weapon."

"…"

Mana continued to flow out.

It kept flowing.

And flowing.

And… still flowing…?

Why… why is the mana endlessly flowing out? By now, even an archmage should have been an empty shell.

It was then that Edmund began to suspect something was terribly wrong. He flinched at the unceasing torrent of mana. The girl was glaring at him fiercely.

"I am Master's slave. Even in death, I am Master's eternal slave."

"What?"

"Anyone who dares to come between us… won't go unpunished."

Tap.

The girl tapped the Heavenly Covenant on the floor. With just that simple action, the barrier dissipated. The magical device that Edmund had spent his entire life designing was effortlessly shattered.

Edmund frantically attempted to cast a spell, stretching out his arm, but he couldn't manipulate his mana as he wished. It felt suppressed by something.

Rumbleeeeee…

Reality itself trembled.

The tower shook.

This was merely the aftermath of the mana unleashed by a single girl. The sheer volume defied common sense.

"Such mana… defies all reason!"

Edmund fell backwards, pushed by the shockwave. His entire body quaked, and a maelstrom of emotions swirled in his eyes as he beheld the girl.

Fear.

Terror.

And—

Reverence.

Ironically, Edmund's face, upon witnessing the girl's power, was filled with ecstasy. The child before him might be the one the Magic Tower had long been waiting for.

This child was not an existence meant to be reduced to a mere doll. She was a noble person who could fulfill the long-cherished desires of all mages.

Unconsciously rising to his feet, the elderly man then knelt before the much younger girl.

And he said,

"Child, would you perhaps be interested in becoming the Tower Master?"