All of them meant “great, great, great, and great” in the ancient language of the Arcane Empire.
From the beginning, his name was not this long.
Over the 200 years he ruled the Magic Tower, wizards who were captivated by him began to call him so to elevate his greatness.
“Just calling the Great Heinz ‘Heinz’ is absurd. He’s a legend of the Magic Tower.”
“Wilbert? Do you think just that one word can contain the greatness of Heinz? Find more, even greater words. I want to spread his fame across the entire continent!”
The wizards, who had a knack for obsession, began to gather all kinds of great words, their eyes blazing.
Of course, in true wizardly fashion, none of them sought Heinz’s permission, but even if they had, it would not have changed anything.
They were the sort who would gladly let Heinz hurl them upside down into the desert if it meant spreading his greatness.
Heinz found the obsessive adoration of the eccentric wizards bothersome but left them to their devices for the time being.
More precisely, he had no energy to pay them any attention.
His sole interest:
The Truth.
Even the time he had was insufficient to explore the transcendent knowledge and power that made up the world.
“To uncover the truths of the world, I need greater power. So, I must study magic.”
“Human life is too short to fully comprehend the truth. I need to find ways to extend my lifespan.”
To delve into the truth, he needed new magic that had never existed in this world. Heinz immersed himself further in magical research, and the more he did so, the more fervently the wizards admired him.
Sometimes, their enthusiasm was helpful. Though lacking in skill, they were just as obsessed with magic as Heinz was.
Before he knew it, Heinz was hurtling toward the truth, dragging along the colossal Magic Tower and its countless wizards.
Two centuries passed in this manner.
The genius wizard who would craft magic to dissolve typhoons because of a leaky window or turn a beast into a cupcake because its cries disrupted his sleep eventually came to a realization one day.
“I cannot reach the truth with my power alone.”
No matter how exceptional Heinz was, a human was still human. No matter how many magical means he used to extend his life, his essence remained unchanged.
He was human.
A limited being.
“As long as I am human, I cannot reach the place where transcendent beings dwell. Whether 200 years pass or 2,000 years, it won’t make a difference.”
Heinz, who had lived his life basking in his greatness, was deeply shocked to confront his own limitations.
“At least I could realize my limits because of my greatness.”
Other humans live their lives without even realizing there’s a limit to the truth they can grasp.
Like fish born in a tank, believing the tank is the entirety of the world.
“It’s more agonizing to realize the limits. It might have been better to remain ignorant.”
The greater the anguish grew, the more he detested the wizards who praised him.
The ignorant fools who came seeking new teachings, begging to assist in his magical research, annoyed him to no end.
“I hate magic. It’s not meant to be mine anyway.”
Heinz fell into a slump for the first time in his life. His despair was so overwhelming that his eyes turned red, and he gave up on his magic research, locking himself in his room. He pulled the blanket over himself and stopped eating and drinking.
“I’m giving it all up.”
Honestly, he wanted to leave the magic tower immediately, but if he did, the wizards who had followed him until now would undoubtedly go berserk.
Though they seemed insignificant to Heinz, the tower’s wizards were capable of receiving royal treatment anywhere else due to their exceptional skills.
Just imagining how they might band together to find him gave him a headache.
“Heinz has quit magic research? Is that true?”
“This is a catastrophe for the tower! He was our only hope! If our hope disappears, what will we follow?”
Meanwhile, news of his retreat quickly spread throughout the tower. As expected, the frightened wizards rushed over. Heinz, swallowing his irritation, set up a barrier on his door.
“Heinz, please open the door! Don’t abandon us, Heinz!”
Among the insignificant wizards, none had the skill to break Heinz’s barrier. Before long, the hallway was filled with wizards desperately calling his name.
“We cannot survive without you, Heinz! You must lead us!”
The sorrowful cries only fueled Heinz’s irritation. They sought him out because he was exceptional, but Heinz himself was acutely aware of his own limitations.
Their praises felt like mockery.
Heinz buried himself deeper under the blanket, curling up like a cocoon.
He wished to disappear forever.
In the end, he dismantled the magic sustaining his body.
The life force that had filled his being slowly dissipated. Since his lifespan had been artificially extended, the loss of life force was rapid. Heinz’s consciousness dimmed.
He thought it was the end.
“…Heinz. Heinz.”
Hearing a sobbing voice, Heinz opened his eyes. Through a hazy vision, he saw a gaunt young man kneeling. Heinz blinked slowly.
“Who is this person?”
The man was so emaciated that Heinz didn’t recognize his skeletal face at first. Only after hearing the sobbing voice did Heinz realize the man was one of the wizards who had fervently followed him.
Heinz slowly sat up.
“…Why are you here? And what’s with that appearance? You look like a stick.”
“Heinz! You’ve awakened! We thought you had abandoned us forever!”
The man let out a piercing cry and burst into tears like a child. Soon, sobs echoed from all around the room.
“What is this?”
About a dozen wizards were present. Every one of them looked emaciated as if they had collectively starved themselves. Some couldn’t even sit properly. Heinz clicked his tongue as he glanced around in disbelief.
“You fools. Did you risk your lives just to open a door?”
It wasn’t hard for Heinz to deduce why they were in such a state.
The magical energy flowing from their bodies was linked to the now-open door. They had likely exhausted all their power trying to break Heinz’s magic.
“I’m sorry. We couldn’t help ourselves; we were worried about you, Heinz.”
The wizards’ magical energy wasn’t just flowing to the door. More powerful forces were converging on one point.
Directly toward Heinz himself.
Heinz stared blankly at the lines of life force flowing from the wizards to himself and muttered coldly.
“There are better things to risk your lives for. Pathetic.”
Before falling asleep, Heinz had disabled the magic sustaining his life. Without their intervention, he would have undoubtedly died.
And yet, here he was—alive.
It was because these wizards had risked their lives to save him.
It left him with a peculiar feeling.
If he were to analyze it, these wizards had defied his wishes. If this had happened before he fell asleep, he might have buried them all in the desert without hesitation.
But this time, he didn’t feel that way. Heinz paused, lost in thought.
“Did my personality change while I was asleep?”
Sleep has a way of purifying emotions.
Rage that reaches boiling point or grief that brings endless tears often subsides after a deep rest.
Perhaps that’s why.
The long slumber seemed to have soothed even the despair that had overwhelmed him.
It was absurd how easily those intense feelings had subsided, but strangely, he didn’t feel displeased about it.
“What on earth am I to you, for you to risk your lives like this?”
In the past, he found the wizards clinging to him bothersome.
He led them only because they were useful for his magical research, but he always believed he could discard them as easily as flipping a hand.
“Wizards are half-mad by nature.”
To become a wizard skilled enough to enter the magic tower required devoting every waking moment to studying magic.
It was nearly impossible without an obsessive passion that bordered on madness.
Even those who appeared normal at first glance were no different upon closer inspection.
The blind devotion of such madmen to him had never felt gratifying.
Just before he had fallen asleep, he had been particularly annoyed that their obsession had trapped him in the magic tower.
“Well, they’re imperfect humans, so they can’t help it. Of course, I’m far superior, but still, both they and I are human.”
Was it because he had realized his own limitations as a human? Or was it because he had seen firsthand how these imperfect humans risked their lives to save him?
Heinz looked at them with a slightly softened gaze. He even felt a tinge of guilt for treating them like burdens and planning to abandon them.
“Let’s set aside the truth for now. It’s important, but I can’t reach it immediately anyway. For now, I’ll focus on what I can do and organize my thoughts along the way.”
At last, Heinz came to a decision. Though it stung a little, he felt surprisingly lighter.
What he needed to do now was clear.
He had to send these wizards, who were crying like children, back to their places. Then, he would figure out how to replenish their depleted magic.
“Thanks to that long sleep, I feel refreshed. I’m not planning to leave the magic tower for now, so stop whining. Go back and focus on recovering your life force… Hm?”
Beneath Heinz’s feet, a sheet of paper gleaming white caught his attention.
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