Overly Sweet Coffee
The interior was a rectangular space painted with stark white wallpaper. Due to the forced expansion of space within the magic tower, the flow of time had stretched to an extreme degree. As a result, ordinary watches and smartphone clocks stopped working the moment one entered, so a clock fixed to the flow of time outside hung on the right wall as a reference point. On the opposite wall was a single photograph of a sunset landscape, though it was impossible to tell who had taken it. In the center of the room sat a rectangular desk matching the room's shape, with six chairs neatly lined up beside it. It seemed this place had originally been used as a conference room.
Kain's eyes moved slowly as he took in the surroundings. He then walked toward Majoan, who sat facing the door at the short end of the rectangle, and pulled out the chair directly opposite him with a scrape before sitting down. With his right arm resting on the desk and his chin propped up at an angle, Kain stared at Majoan, his displeasure plain on his face with no attempt to hide it.
"Why'd you call me here for no reason?"
He cut straight to the point the moment he arrived. Seeing the same attitude Kain had shown during their phone call, Majoan let out an involuntary chuckle.
"I mentioned it last time. I said we should meet once your trip was over."
Once Kain had settled into his seat, Majoan slowly rose and moved to the side, beginning to prepare something with a clatter. Watching him in silence, Kain replied in a flat tone.
"I don't recall hearing anything like that."
"Is that so? I distinctly asked Jealousy to pass the message along."
"He probably chewed it up and spat it out on purpose. He knew I'd refuse anyway."
"Truly, the subordinate matches the master."
Majoan muttered the words under his breath. Normally, even knowing the Death King would refuse, one would still deliver the message. Who would have thought Jealousy would suppress it entirely, assuming the Death King would reject it? The sheer audacity of the subordinate was on a scale befitting the Death King himself.
"Unfortunately, the only beverage we have prepared is coffee. Do you like coffee?"
"I don't really have any preferences."
Majoan returned to the desk carrying two cups of coffee and set one down in front of Kain. Americano? The color was darker than instant mix coffee. Usually, places like this only stocked cheap instant mixes. Thinking this, Kain brought the cup Majoan had offered to his lips. At the same time, his brow furrowed slightly.
Sweet.
He had assumed it was a simple Americano, but it was far sweeter than any instant mix. The sweetness was violent enough to be shocking, as if two kilograms of sugar had been dumped in. Grains of undissolved sugar even crunched between his molars.
Is he trying to mess with me?
There had been no sign of that intent. Kain looked up at Majoan without a word.
"Is it all right? It has been a while since I brewed coffee myself, so I am not sure if it turned out well."
Majoan took a leisurely sip of his own coffee, seemingly unaware of Kain's expression. At the same time, his eyes wavered slightly, as if flustered.
"Hmm, was the coffee too sweet, perhaps?"
When Majoan asked, Kain nodded calmly.
"My apologies. It seems I accidentally switched it with the cup I intended to drink."
Majoan let out an awkward laugh. "If you would like, I can brew another."
"It's fine. Like I said earlier, I don't have any particular preferences."
So it had been a mistake, not intentional. As long as there was no malice, it was not a problem. Thinking this, Kain took another sip of the tooth-rottingly sweet coffee.
"I see."
Majoan did not press further. Instead, he fetched sugar and began pouring it into his own cup. From the moment they met, his clumsy mistake and his obsessive love for sweet things felt at odds with the image of a perfect perfectionist Kain had imagined. Just how thick were those rose-colored glasses?
Along with that thought, Arina's face flashed through Kain's mind—praising Majoan after their meeting. Where exactly is this guy supposed to be dignified and cool? She had said that even his uncle would feel his aura once they met in person, but as expected, Kain felt not even a speck of the overwhelming presence Arina had described.
"I have always wanted to have a conversation with you someday."
"Yeah? I don't feel the same."
From the moment Kain entered the room until now, his responses had been consistently curt. Yet there was almost no anger or irritation behind them. If anything, it was extreme indifference. The reason the Death King did not like him was simply because he had failed to pique his interest.
A new type.
Or rather, not entirely new. People like this existed surprisingly often in everyday life. It was a common trait among those with sociopathic tendencies whose interests were heavily skewed in one direction. Even they, however, usually showed interest when standing before him.
High threshold.
Was it because of his overwhelming talent? Ordinary stimuli rarely stirred his curiosity. In a way, it's a curse. The world he saw was probably a faded, colorless one. Perhaps there was no enjoyment at all in the life he lived. That was likely why his Inner World was dyed entirely black—because an Inner World reflected a dark mage's true nature.
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
Kain glanced at the clock on the wall. Perhaps because the flow of time had been set to match the outside, the second hand moved at an excruciatingly slow pace.
"There is no particular reason. I simply wished to have a light chat with you."
After all, Pride regularly exchanged reports with him regarding the progress of their affairs. Based on what Majoan had observed so far, the Death King likely had no clear idea of how things were unfolding. Since he only received brief reports from Pride, discussing such matters with him would be utterly pointless. He probably knew even less about the current movements of the underworld than Majoan did.
"Trying to figure out what kind of guy I am?"
Kain already knew Majoan had been observing him. He snorted derisively at the man's words.
"I cannot deny it."
Majoan did not refute him and took another sip of his heavily sweetened coffee.
"But more than that, I simply wish to become closer to you."
At the very least, he was not the type to scheme from behind like the Empress or lash out unpredictably like Tugwi. He was indifferent to all things. Therefore, unless provoked first, he would not bother seeking revenge. He simply did not see the value in doing so.
"You're a strange one. You too."
Kain shook his head slightly at the words. He was someone who had willfully destroyed his own communication skills, having no intention of getting close to others. Even the kind-hearted Layla Ruby had flown into a rage at his inconsiderate words and actions. Who would have thought someone would appear wanting to befriend him?
I thought only the kid would be that foolish.
As expected, those called Absolutes were all abnormal. That said, he probably has some ulterior motive.
Currently, the underworld and the Ellemental Kingdom were in an alliance, but it was only a temporary arrangement. It was nothing like the relationship between Tyrfing and the underworld, where both sides needed each other so desperately that the alliance was indispensable. Once this commotion ended, neither the underworld nor the Ellemental Kingdom would feel any loss from severing ties. That was why Majoan wanted to build a new relationship with him—one that would continue like the bond with Tyrfing. Unlike kings, who changed with each generation, an alliance between Absolutes, for whom lifespan held no meaning, would persist without the slightest distortion for as long as they existed.
Obsessed with national prosperity, huh…
Absolutes often displayed fanatical attachment in one particular direction. Like Tugwi, obsessed with battle, or the Empress, obsessed with power. Majoan's obsession was the prosperity and development of this nation. If it meant creating an even slightly better world, he was willing to set aside his pride and befriend the underworld.
"It would not be a bad arrangement for you either. At the very least, while living in this country, you would not have to worry about anyone else's opinion. I can ensure you never experience something like what happened with Baron Givernoon's wife again."
He had done a thorough background check. Kain found it absurd that Majoan showed no intention of hiding how much he had dug into the past. Well, being this honest about it is probably better. From the look of it, Majoan seemed to have already grasped his personality to some extent. It's not a bad offer, really.
What Majoan proposed was maintaining a superficial friendship. In exchange, he offered safety for Arina while she lived in this country—an arrangement that would remain valid for her descendants if she ever had children.
"……As long as you don't make it too bothersome."
After briefly weighing the pros and cons in his head, Kain turned his head and replied. There was no need to bring out a contract here. Neither Majoan nor the Death King were the type to accept and then change their minds later—they would simply refuse on the spot if they disliked the terms.
"If that's all you had to say, can I leave now?"
Perhaps because he had arrived just in the nick of time, the clock now pointed to the start of the presentation.
"If it is because of the thesis presentation, there is no need to go."
As Majoan spoke, he pointed to the wall beside them. At the same time, mana stirred and a complex spell formula began to inscribe itself across the surface. The spatial expansion spell composing the interior transformed, causing a distortion in space-time. An image projected onto the wall like a beam projector. Watching the crowd of people murmuring within it, Kain realized it was a live feed of the thesis presentation.
"Would it not be far more pleasant to watch from this leisurely place rather than a crowded hall?"
"It would, but…"
"Furthermore, if any questions arise, you can ask me directly."
Just as Kain had once imitated the unification of the computational domain and the Inner World after only hearing about the Mana Up application, Majoan, standing at the pinnacle of magic, could generally understand any magical theory perfectly upon seeing it once. He likely understood it better than Savage Frankhorn, the thesis's author. Therefore, while Majoan's offer was highly advantageous for Kain, the latter instead frowned at his words.
"You're staying? Aren't you busy?"
"I am busy. But no matter what, nothing is more important than building a friendship with you."
"Save the romantic talk for a woman you like."
Having Pride cling to him was already more than enough—far too burdensome, in fact.
"The reason you came all the way here yourself is probably to create magic for your niece, who has begun learning alchemy, is it not? Opportunities to put the Death King in your debt do not come often."
"Well, I don't really care, but could you stop investigating a little girl's private life like some pervert?"
The kid had her own privacy. If she realized someone knew this much about her, the timid girl might be terrified. With a furrowed brow, Kain lightly scolded Majoan before turning his head toward the wall. The current time was exactly 11 o'clock. The reason Kain had gone through the trouble of coming to the magic tower himself—the moment Amy Pewter slowly ascended the podium to present Professor Savage Frankhorn's thesis on magic circle shape transformation.