Chapter 326
Chapter 326
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 326
Chapter Title: The Red Tower Lord's Visit
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Naila yanked off her robe's hood roughly as she entered the orphanage, like she was finally exhaling the breath she'd been holding.
Her red hair whipped through the air, carrying the sharp scent of her perfume. If that perfume had a color, it would surely be red.
"Hats are so stuffy. The air here's no better."
She'd thrown on the robe to hide her identity, but she showed no restraint. Glancing briefly at Soo-hyuk, Naila asked,
"New face?"
"You memorized all my underlings too?"
"Not memorized— I just remember. You know how good my memory is."
Even calling him a new face, Naila paid Soo-hyuk no further mind. This wasn't her first time visiting the place.
"The kids doing okay?"
Her tone sounded friendly, but there was another meaning hidden in her words.
She's probably saying she's keeping an eye on things.
"As you can see."
"Yeah, no kidding. With you watching over them, how could they not be?"
After a brief exchange of greetings, Naila cut to the chase.
"Heard the news?"
Mersean nodded. He might seem like he was just tending to the kids at the orphanage, but his eyes and ears were always open.
"Looks like you might end up fighting us."
"That fox of a woman schemed to pit us against the Black Tower."
"Like I said before, don't underestimate the Grand Sorceress."
"That Grand Sorceress? That's gonna be me."
Naila, once a talented mage, had become sub-tower lord, and now tower lord. But no one in the world called her the greatest mage.
Now, she wanted to become a Grand Sorceress. That was her last remaining dream.
Of course, Mersean couldn't care less whether her dream was Grand Sorceress or Empress.
"Sure, I'll root for you."
He had only one interest.
"So what's brought you to this smoggy hellhole?"
"Figured it's about time to open the underground gate."
Soo-hyuk, standing quietly to the side, turned his gaze to Mersean. Even at the mention of the underground gate, he showed no particular reaction.
He'd just heard from Ye-ryeong about some space beneath the Black Tower.
"Didn't you say there still aren't enough kids?"
He even brought up the children.
This was the moment the fate of the children kidnapped over the past decades was revealed.
"Yeah. But things have changed, haven't they?"
"What changed?"
"If it stays like this, we'll have no choice but to raid the Black Tower. Led by that Grand Sorceress you're so scared of."
"Scared? Me?"
Mersean smiled again, donning the mask to hide his true feelings once more.
"But you're the one who set up this situation, aren't you, Tower Lord?"
It was a jab: You attacked Blood Howler first and framed Heiles to boot.
"Didn't your Tower Lord accept the offer?"
"What power do we have? When the great Red Tower Lord speaks."
"Oh? I thought you were scared of your Tower Lord."
"Our thoughts align so perfectly. Guess we're the ideal partners."
"Were we partners?"
"Looks like the Red Tower Lord forgot. Where the funds came from to get you to that position."
This revealed the backstory of how Naila rose from sub-tower lord to Red Tower Lord.
"I know. I'm grateful. But that's exactly why—"
"You're doing this?"
"—we have to. We can't wipe out the deep sea."
"You confident?"
"Red Tower alone? Probably not. But I can move the other towers. And above all, we have a Grand Sorceress."
Their gazes met in midair. It was as if they held invisible daggers to each other's throats.
As the silence stretched, Naila walked deeper into the orphanage. Through the transparent window, children playing were visible.
"Sometimes I wonder why you run this place, Tower Lord. If there's even a shred of guilt in that heart of yours."
Mersean's smile faded as he watched her back.
After gazing at the children for a while, Naila turned with a grin.
"Then, I'll take that as a yes."
Whoosh—
Blue flames erupted where Naila stood, flames without heat that enveloped her body before vanishing along with her, leaving no trace.
Once she was gone, Mersean returned to his usual self.
"Intruder's gone. Whew, that rude bitch."
Somewhere between orphanage teacher and Black Tower Lord.
"Alright, we're late. Let's feed the kids first. They must be starving."
He picked up the basket Soo-hyuk had brought and headed to the children. Soo-hyuk silently watched his back.
"......What the hell are you?"
If he was truly the vicious villain who'd conspired with Naila to kidnap and kill children for decades, experimenting on their lives.
Why tell me this?
Things at the orphanage had become routine.
After feeding the kids and putting them to bed, there was free time. It was rest for both Soo-hyuk and Mersean when the children rested.
Of course, "rest" didn't mean wasting time.
In that time, Soo-hyuk moved to a different spot to practice controlling lightning.
He couldn't climb the tower until he took down the Guardian. From now on, it was about mastering what he already had.
After honing his lightning in the short allotted time and returning, Mersean was with someone.
An old man in a black uniform.
A Black Tower dark mage.
"We have a visitor."
The old man spotted Soo-hyuk and stroked his beard. The aura he exuded was no joke—he looked like a high-ranking Black Tower mage.
"Someone I know."
"A guest of the Tower Lord?"
"More like a coworker."
Referring to the days they'd worked together at the orphanage.
The old man eyed Soo-hyuk for a moment before giving a slight bow. Suspicious glint in his eyes, but respecting the Tower Lord's word.
"Then I'll head back. Don't stay out too late."
The old man with his staff passed by Soo-hyuk.
Once he was gone, Soo-hyuk teased,
"Thought you'd abandoned the Black Tower."
"Busy in the shadows. Like you, Soo-hyuk."
Mersean knew Soo-hyuk slipped away whenever he had time.
And that it was training to grow stronger.
"Here, put this on."
Mersean handed Soo-hyuk a black robe.
"What's this for?"
"Wanna go on a field trip?"
Soo-hyuk was startled at the suggestion of going to the Black Tower together.
"Why the hell would I go there?"
"Won't you get bored alone?"
"Alone? With all these kids?"
No way he was genuinely worried about boredom.
Soo-hyuk asked on a hunch,
"This about whatever's underground?"
Now it was Mersean's turn to be surprised.
"You knew?"
"Been here more than a day or two."
Top players were sensitive to mana. Soo-hyuk especially so.
And with Mersean around, he was on high alert.
That's how he'd sensed something below the orphanage.
Might be the underground Naila mentioned.
Ye-ryeong's discovered Black Tower basement, or the orphanage's? Which one?
One thing was clear: Mersean cared a lot about the orphanage basement.
"Who watches the kids if we leave? More idiots like last time could show up."
"Don't worry. Those idiots won't get close."
He meant magical barriers around the orphanage. Routine enough that Mersean had precautions.
"Then let's go. Seems you're uneasy leaving me here alone."
Soo-hyuk donned the robe and moved first, urging haste. Despite his words, he didn't want to stay alone—but visiting the Black Tower was necessary.
Could confirm what Ye-ryeong saw, if played right.
The way to the Black Tower was too far to walk.
But traveling with Mersean made it easy. He unfurled a large flying carpet and had Soo-hyuk board.
The carpet shot forward. En route, Soo-hyuk saw all nine black towers.
Then, far off, the massive central Black Tower.
First time seeing it in person.
The main tower was as big as all nine combined.
Towering so high other buildings looked like toys, less a human structure and more divine punishment from the heavens.
"Just in case: no streaming here."
As they neared, Mersean warned. Soo-hyuk asked, surprised,
"You watched my stream?"
"Briefly."
"Didn't peg you for the type."
"Hard to find someone who hasn't seen your stream. Your popularity's through the roof."
Mersean grinned after the flattery.
"Get caught streaming here, and even I can't help you, Soo-hyuk."
Even I? Since when are we that close? Soo-hyuk shook off the stray thought.
Mersean hadn't mentioned streaming in days. Yet the warning meant it was truly dangerous.
That dangerous a place.
Naila was arrogant, but the Black Tower was no joke. Mersean barely feared the Red Tower without Heiles.
Even for Soo-hyuk, it was a tiger's den.
Flutter—
The carpet descended.
A group of mages waited at the Black Tower's entrance. Spotting Mersean, they clasped hands in prayer-like bows.
"Back early this time."
The greeter was a different old man from the earlier one.
This bald, dark-faced elder greeted Mersean, then eyed Soo-hyuk.
"Who's the companion?"
Like the previous old man, the interest was obvious.
No matter the dark robe or scowl.
Soo-hyuk didn't emit the shadowy vibe of Black Tower dark mages.
But.
"A friend."
Mersean's word made the dark mages' gazes shift instantly.
"So, everyone—mind your manners?"