The Tower of Babel
In the past, mages had been an extremely conservative and closed-off group, much like other ability users. The transmission of magic occurred solely through the one-sided, linear master-disciple relationship, and it was common for a mage's secret arts to be completely lost if they failed to find a successor. However, once Majoan took power, the atmosphere among mages underwent a complete 180-degree shift. The sharing of knowledge became commonplace, and a sense of community formed among them. Magic was no longer the exclusive property of the chosen few; anyone who wished could receive instruction. As this trend spread widely throughout the Ellemental Kingdom, the Magic Tower was established.
"Mataap" was short for "the Tower of Mages." In its early days, it served as a forum where mages gathered to share their knowledge with one another. In modern times, it had become widely known to the public as an organization that manufactured and distributed magical tools.
"……."
Though the Magic Tower organization now spanned the entire Ellemental Kingdom, every organization in the world had to have a beginning. The towering building currently standing before Kain was precisely that—the very first Magic Tower ever erected in this world, located at the heart of the advanced industrial district in the capital, Raymond.
Through several expansions since its construction, the building had soared to such heights that, by sheer elevation alone, it had become the tallest structure in the entire Ellemental Kingdom. At the same time, it had established itself as one of the representative landmarks symbolizing the capital, Raymond.
'They've even expanded the space endlessly, as expected.'
True to its name as the Tower of Mages, countless spells carved into the building revealed themselves to Kain's eyes even before he stepped inside. Their quantity and quality were on par with the Ellemental Kingdom itself. It was no exaggeration to call it the largest mystery existing in the present age.
'The mages call this place the Tower of Babel, don't they?'
They sought to gather all the knowledge in the world and stack it into a single tower. Like the first civilization that once existed on the continent, which was said to have built the Tower of Pride in an attempt to reach the realm of the gods through human power, the mages' collective dream was to gather their knowledge in one place and reach the very end of the sky. Their ultimate goal was to surpass the atmosphere and reach space with a single building, and to that end, the Magic Tower continued to invest in the space industry and never stopped expanding upward as technology advanced.
'With current technology, it's an impossible dream.'
For an Absolute Being, reaching space through individual power alone was not impossible. But constructing a building tall enough to reach space remained unfeasible. No material in existence could maintain such length while withstanding the Earth's rotational speed. It would inevitably bend and snap—that much was certain. It was nothing more than an illusion, a pipe dream. Yet it was undeniable that this goal had fueled the mages' motivation and driven their current progress. Kain didn't think poorly of that aspect. Whether chasing an unrealistic dream or pursuing a practical one, they were far more grounded than he was, living day to day without any goals or ambitions.
Kain himself objectively recognized that he was a hopeless case, but he felt no particular urge to change. He had reached the pinnacle so easily and quickly that he had no need for dreams or goals like others.
"……."
Finishing his personal musings about the Magic Tower, Kain slowly made his way toward the entrance. With his hands in his pockets, he walked in a lazy, indifferent manner. Black cotton pants, a plain white T-shirt, and slippers dragging along the ground—his appearance stood in stark contrast to the neatly dressed people in suits around him. Naturally, curious gazes gathered toward the out-of-place figure. Yet he paid them no mind, merely adjusting his slipping glasses with a blank expression.
Ziiing.
When Kain stood before the transparent door blocking the Magic Tower's entrance, the sensor recognized him and the door slid open automatically. Stepping inside as casually as if returning to his own home, Kain glanced around. Thanks to spatial expansion magic, the lobby appeared far larger than it had from the outside. After scanning the area, he spotted the information desk and headed toward it.
"Hello. How may I help you?"
At the employee's greeting, Kain pulled a ticket Pride had prepared from his pocket and held it out. "I want to go to the middle levels."
The Magic Tower was divided into three main sections. The lower levels, open to the general public for buying, selling, or repairing magical tools and artifacts. The middle levels, accessible to ordinary people only under special circumstances. And the upper levels, restricted to Magic Tower personnel only. The academic journal presentation Kain had come for today was being held in the middle levels.
'Which floor was it again?'
Kain didn't know the exact boundaries between the lower, middle, and upper levels. The criteria changed with every expansion, and he had no interest in memorizing them. He vaguely recalled that the ticket Pride gave him had the floor number written on it, but he hadn't paid much attention to that either. It didn't matter. Showing the ticket to an employee would get him an escort anyway.
"Understood. Could you wait a moment, please?"
This was the result of the middle levels being restricted to the public, and for Kain, it meant he didn't have to bother figuring things out himself—just follow along. It was quite satisfactory.
"Thank you for waiting. Please take the elevator on your right to the 40th floor. Another staff member will be waiting for you there."
Returning the ticket, the employee pointed to the dedicated middle-level elevator on the right with a polite smile. The doors opened as if they had been waiting for him. There were no external buttons, suggesting the elevator was remotely controlled from inside.
"……."
As expected, the moment Kain boarded, the doors closed on their own and the elevator began ascending without him pressing any buttons. 'This really is convenient.'
This was why Kain had chosen to settle in the Ellemental Kingdom rather than anywhere else. The pinnacle of convenience meant everything could be handled without him lifting a finger. 'No wonder Sloth refuses to leave the Ellemental Kingdom.'
If one wanted maximum comfort in life, following Sloth's example was the right answer. Nodding to himself at the thought, he soon arrived at his destination. The doors opened, revealing a woman who bowed her head toward him. Her hair was tied back neatly, and she wore a formal suit with thin-rimmed glasses, giving her an intellectual appearance. She was likely one of the mages hired as an assistant for the presentation, tasked with guiding guests and preparing seats. Greeting visitors was natural given her position, but her excessively polite demeanor made Kain wonder if it was just his imagination.
"I've been waiting for you, Death King."
Her use of his alias confirmed it wasn't his imagination. "My name is Nell. I serve as Majoan's secretary."
"Hmmm."
At her words, Kain gave her a casual once-over with bored eyes. Despite hearing that she was Majoan's secretary, his face showed no interest whatsoever. "Majoan is waiting. Would you please follow me?"
Without the slightest hint of surprise at Kain's lack of reaction, Nell continued speaking with utmost courtesy. Kain glanced past her. 'No one else here.'
The information desk employee had said another staff member would guide him, yet only this woman claiming to be Majoan's secretary was present. It seemed arrangements had already been made within the tower. 'Knowing Majoan's personality, he wouldn't have revealed who I am.'
Had he simply said a personal guest was coming? He must have noticed Kain's name on the attendance list or investigated after seeing him leave. For the busiest man in the country to come here personally just to see him—it was quite the effort. Yet despite Majoan's attempt, Kain couldn't help but find the whole thing ridiculous. 'Who does he think he is, ordering me around?'
Should he kill this woman? Her audacity was sky-high. Did she think being allies meant she could get away with such disrespect? He hadn't thought Majoan was that foolish. Even after Nell finished speaking, Kain simply stared at the back of her bowed head with empty eyes for a long while.
"What if I say I'm not going?"
After the prolonged silence, Kain finally spoke. Nell answered without hesitation. "That's fine. In that case, he asked me to convey that he looks forward to our next meeting."
This was not a command or coercion. It was merely a request to meet just once. That was also why Majoan had sent his secretary Nell instead of coming to greet Kain himself—to avoid offending the Death King as much as possible. In other words, Majoan had lowered his own head to secure a meeting with the Death King.
"……."
Kain's slightly soured mood eased a little at her words. At the same time, cold sweat trickled down Nell's back beneath her bowed head. 'A monster.'
He hadn't even released any magical power. He had merely felt slightly displeased, his mood turning sour. Yet Nell had felt as though her heart had stopped. A crushing pain gripped her chest, making it difficult to breathe. If Kain had remained silent for just a few more seconds, she would have lost consciousness and collapsed on the spot.
"Lead the way."
Paying no attention to her condition, Kain stepped out of the elevator. Only then did Nell raise her head. She turned around as if she could barely look at Kain's face. "Please follow me."
With his hands still in his pockets, Kain quietly followed Nell as she walked ahead. His expression showed not a trace of tension, despite heading to meet one of the continent's Absolute Beings, Majoan.
"This is it."
After walking for some time, Nell lightly knocked on the door twice. Without waiting for a response, she opened it. "Please go in."
Passing her, Kain stepped into the room. 'Spatial expansion and soundproofing magic?'
Spells designed to prevent sound from escaping the room were inscribed throughout. That explained why Nell had knocked and opened the door without hesitation—there would be no response from inside anyway. 'They must have set up a signal.'
Two knocks if he had followed, one if not. Something like that. As expected, inside sat a man in a chair, smiling kindly at Kain as he entered. Short, sporty blond hair. Golden eyes that seemed to hold all the wisdom of the world. Though he had reined in his power, a rich aura of magical energy still emanated from him subtly.
"Welcome, Death King. Is this our first time meeting face to face?"
Majoan, Ern Benedict—the Absolute Being of magic representing the Ellemental Kingdom—revealed himself before Kain.