Chapter 663: The Moths Gathering to the Flame - Finale
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 663: The Moths Gathering to the Flame - Finale
How was I supposed to take the Mage King's declaration?
Looking at the outcome, the Mage King had set the stage. He presented a clear reward and established a goal. Countless people would flock to it, seeking that sweet fruit, but no one could really blame the Mage King for it.
He wasn't trying to obstruct us, but I could sense his intention to clean up several troublesome matters at once.
As one of those suddenly troublesome matters, I spoke.
“So he’s presenting a grand challenge and giving whoever passes it a chance to meet the Divine. It really feels like the Mage King is testing us.”
Lord Johannes, who had come after hearing the news of Babel’s descent, agreed with me.
“The Master is cheering for us. He has always tested his disciples, bestowing magic upon them that befits their performance.”
“In that case, this just got a whole lot easier!”
The Shrine of the Divine was a group of mages who couldn't be judged by ordinary standards. It had Tower Masters, elders even more experienced than them, mages who had climbed the previous Gateway, and now, the King of Humans and a Regressor.
And we're supposed to compete with that riffraff? There might be a few formidable ones mixed in, but even a regular member of the Shrine is stronger than them. If the Shrine's all-stars were to go, Babel would be in the bag.
“All we have to do is go up together and claim the Divine!”
There was a surefire strategy for this test: crush all competitors with overwhelming force.
I declared triumphantly, but Lord Johannes objected.
“Nonsense. How can we, the mages of the Floating Castle, participate in the Gateway?”
Huh? What was he talking about?
“The Gateway is the one and only chance given to the ignorant masses of the Lower World. Among those common folk, who are usually of humble birth and lacking in study, a brilliant gem can sometimes be found. What face would we have entering a test designed to sift a single gem from the mud?”
“What? Is this really the time to be talking about face? The Divine is up there!”
“That, too, is questionable. What lies up there is a lesson prepared by the Master, not the Divine. Only the ignorant masses from below would commit the folly of sending their full force to the Tower of Babel based on the Master’s word alone.”
At first glance, Lord Johannes’s words sounded reasonable. It could be a trap, so we needed to hold some forces in reserve—a strategy that cautious tacticians would appreciate.
However.
“What? Then who’s going up? Me?”
“It seems so. But for the King of Humans, who knows everything about humanity, the tower’s trials should be easy to pass.”
You're supposed to use strong people for jobs that require strength. And he wanted to send me, the brains of the operation, to the front lines?
“Then what about the rest of you?”
“Those of us with well-known faces, like myself or the Red Tower Master, would have a hard time entering. Face aside, we could be checked by the other Tower Masters. Furthermore, no one knows that I am part of the Shrine of the Divine. If I were to climb the Gateway with you in pursuit of the Divine, it would stir up all sorts of rumors.”
Listening to Lord Johannes, Lankart asked with genuine curiosity.
“You’re not that famous, are you? The reason no one knows who you are is simply because no one cares about you.”
“…Better than being famous for infamy, I suppose.”
Clearing his throat and composing himself, Lord Johannes began giving orders that no one had asked for.
“If the Red Tower Master and her disciples, or the Blue Tower including myself, make a move, the other towers will react. It’s better for us to provide support from within the Floating Castle. Therefore, you three will be the ones to climb Babel.”
“Hmm…”
Just me, Lankart, and Shei? It was an odd combination. Lankart and Shei, in particular, were the type to have zero synergy.
But in terms of sheer power, we were more than enough. As long as there were no Tower Master-level opponents, who could possibly beat Shei and Lankart? It was better for the others to stay out of it. Lord Johannes’s proposal was difficult to refuse outright.
“And Hwaran Fahrenheit has already agreed to this.”
‘…That’s a lie, of course. But if I only send you three up, she’ll have to accept it. We have to be wary of the Green and Black Tower Masters.’
This damn spy. So your goal was to keep us in check, too. Hmm, how should I deal with this spy….
Wait. Do I really have to deal with him?
It was better for me if they stayed out, and it was better for the spy if they stayed out. Weren't our interests aligned?
Fine. I’ll play along for now.
“True. For a secret society, your movements are too well known. You’d be spotted immediately if you moved.”
“A few of my disciples and I have not been exposed. But if we were to climb the tower with you, we would be found out at once.”
“Alright.”
The moment the Mage King lowered the tower, Babel was open. Mages who had been waiting for the Gateway were already gathering, drawn by the rumors. No one had climbed it yet, as they were all sizing each other up, but…
“O King of All Magic! I shall answer this challenge! I will climb the Tower of Babel, obtain the teachings of Rene, and become a proud mage of the Floating Castle!”
Not anymore! Mages eager to get even a slight head start were already taking their first steps!
I felt like I was being dragged along, but I had no other choice. I spoke, feigning urgency.
“Lankart. Shei. You don’t need any more time to prepare, do you?”
“I am always prepared.”
Lankart answered immediately, but Shei narrowed her eyes as if something was bothering her.
‘Why the sudden informal speech? What’s gotten into him?’
I was just lumping you in with Lankart, that's why! Why are you looking at me like that just because I spoke casually once? We’ve been traveling together for a while now, can’t you let something like this slide?
‘…Using informal speech… it feels like we’ve gotten a little closer. I like it. Hehe.’
Shei nodded and said.
“I’m fine, too.”
I just can't get a read on her emotions. Humans can be fickle, but this was like she was a completely different person.
Sigh. Anyway, the Divine is the priority right now. Let’s go.
“Alright. We’ll head out first. Lord Johannes, please leave a message for the Red Tower Master. If we had a Resonance Crystal, we could contact her, but…”
“Babel is a tower whose space is cut off from the outside. A Resonance Crystal won’t work. Leave a message in Rene’s Attic.”
“But that only works if the building has a fireplace.”
“Babel is also a building. There’s bound to be a fireplace or two inside. Besides, it’s not like you have any other means, is it?”
“Well, that’s true.”
I didn't know what trials awaited in Babel, but it was obvious that whoever entered first would have the advantage. I immediately stepped forward.
Above, the Floating Castle cast a massive shadow. From it, a great tower descended, extending its roots toward the earth. There were eight entrances. The destination was singular, but there were many paths to reach it. Inside, I imagined, countless trials would be conducted through spatial magic.
“Let’s go grab the Divine and get this over with.”
I took a step forward with Shei and Lankart. Toward Babel’s interior. We walked past several mages who were still hesitating to challenge the tower and entered with a dignified air.
The tower was surprisingly made of bricks, stacked one by one. At the top of a three-step staircase, a small door beckoned us in. From the outside, it looked like you’d have to duck your head to enter, but once on the stairs, the ceiling was so high I had to crane my neck to see it.
“Spatial distortion. We haven’t even entered the tower, yet the depth of space is already different,” Lankart commented simply.
I pulled out a card and threw it. The card flew in a perfect arc and embedded itself in a crack between the bricks. It felt no different from throwing it on the ground.
But the card was stuck in a completely different spot. The trajectory hadn’t changed, but the landing place was wrong. The same process had yielded a different result. It was an inexplicable strangeness.
“This is a little intimidating.”
I make my living with mind-reading, so I’m terrible with mechanical contraptions like this where it doesn’t work. I usually tried to avoid trials that didn’t involve people.
But I couldn’t back down now.
‘As expected, they’re all setting off. There’s no time for idle chatter. Go on, King of Humans. I don’t know if you’ll obtain the Divine or not, but I pray you never find it.’
Lord Johannes, the Blue Tower’s spy who had infiltrated the Shrine of the Divine. Having pushed me forward, he watched my back and steeled his resolve.
‘Hwaran Fahrenheit must never get her hands on the Divine. That witch, who couldn’t handle her own talent and burned down her own domain, will burn down the entire Mage Federation!’
Lord Johannes. A member of the Shrine of the Divine back when the Blue Tower Master was its leader, and a 10th-floor mage who had remained to protect the Shrine even after she left.
Even after the Blue Tower Master left the Shrine, he had posed as an ardent seeker of the Divine, but in truth, he was a spy who still communicated frequently with her, feeding her information about the Shrine.
Lord Johannes was a spy. His true purpose in infiltrating the Shrine of the Divine was to obstruct Hwaran Fahrenheit.
But there was something far more important than the simple fact that he was a spy.
Why he was obstructing us, why he was trying to hide the Divine, and who had sent him.
‘Elisha. I leave the rest to you. Seal Rene’s magic within the crystal!’