The Magic Tower Lord Arrives! (1)
As he slowly made his way forward, the low metallic echo resounding from the end of the frost-laced corridor grew nearer. Beyond the open door loomed a massive black iron round table, floating like an island adrift in the abyss. Surrounding it weren't just a few chairs. In every seat sat the executive cadre, much like himself, exuding sinister auras. Each wrapped in darkness and killing intent of distinct textures, they remained utterly silent, as if appraising even one another's breaths.
Thud.
Rozeta claimed her seat without a care for the bone-chilling air that seemed laced with frost, her severed left arm slung over her shoulder. At that moment, the eyes of the woman seated directly across from her slowly shifted.
"You strutted out making grand boasts, only to return in disgrace. I could forgive failing to secure the offering, but to expose our very existence? You've got some nerve showing your face."
Her voice was icy and devoid of emotion. She was the vice-leader of Yam (Dark) Unit, who had even assigned her own subordinates to Rozeta and provided intelligence before the latter stormed out.
"Kihit!"
Rozeta twisted her lips subtly as she took the rebuke in stride. When she shrugged her shoulders, everyone in the room flinched and narrowed their eyes.
"No need to blame a fellow comrade so harshly. The plan just didn't pan out."
"The plan? Hmph, ridiculous. Can you even call breaking that pathetic little trap a 'plan'?"
Even Rozeta, who had brushed off the first jab, felt a twinge of irritation at the belittling of her own scheme, which she'd devised with some actual thought. She kept her twitching eyebrow in check and instead let out a mad cackle.
"Of course! Naturally. If you're so curious, drag your own mother here, Yam (Dark). I'll show you if it works or not."
"We've both long since abandoned family ties, yet here you are with pointless provocations that won't land."
"Oh right, that's true? You're the real psycho who killed her own mom with her bare hands. Kihihit! I forgot."
"……."
It wasn't as if they were holding swords, but their exchange was vicious enough to suggest they'd slit each other's throats on the spot.
"Everyone, calm down. You're not planning to start a holy war among comrades here, are you?"
A figure who couldn't stand it any longer spoke up, his voice carrying a neutral, masculine tone.
"Tch."
Only then did Rozeta click her tongue and lean back deeply into her chair, declaring she had no more fight left in her. And rightly so—the one who had just intervened in their spat was a man who proved exhausting to tangle with.
The Silence Scribe. A man renowned for serving Nemesis herself back when she still walked the earth, basking in her favor up close. Even among the powerhouses of the Silence Followers, he vied for second or third in combat prowess.
'Damn tail-tucking bastard.'
Rozeta inwardly cursed even as she curled her tail, then slammed her legs up onto the round table with a thud. The figure seated to her right turned his head slightly at the sight.
"That means the enemy's resistance was fiercer than you anticipated, yes?"
"Kihit, yeah, something like that. Honestly, I underestimated them a bit. No matter that she's of that bloodline, it's cheating for some academy pipsqueak to reach the Master realm."
"Master, huh... That's certainly surprising."
The woman who took up Rozeta's words let out a genuine sigh of admiration. Of course, even among Masters, the differences based on attainment were stark. But for a man in his early twenties to have just entered the Master realm was enough to make anyone whistle in awe.
Blood truly doesn't lie, does it?
"If I'd meant to kill him, I'd have taken him down. But unfortunately, I couldn't. And if I'd gone easy, my own head would've been the one rolling. Kihihihit!"
"...It does look that way."
Rozeta bristled a little at the voice laced with faint pity, but then the woman reached out her hand, and the motion stopped. Sss...
A murky light flowed from the woman's hand—not quite a thread, but some ethereal afterimage—that lifted Rozeta's left arm from where it draped over the chair. It moved the limb back to its proper place, and beams of light stitched it repeatedly, like sewing.
"Oho, nice skills."
Rozeta flashed a satisfied smile at her arm, now reattached in an instant. The woman let out a short sigh at the sight, but Rozeta paid it no mind.
"So, what's your next move, Rozeta?"
As she repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fist in satisfaction, the Scribe's voice flowed out. Even a simple question about the next plan carried weight in every syllable.
In response, Rozeta narrowed her eyes and sneered.
"I'm not going solo this time. We'll tighten the noose around the offering first. Instead of him alone, rip apart what he's risking his life to protect. Kihihihit!"
Rozeta's right hand on the table drummed a sharp tap. The dark purple mana spreading across the surface molded into the shape of a small doll. Thud. Thunk—
She picked it up like a toy and tore at its joints here and there. Once its limbs were all severed into a grotesque, mangled form, she grinned even wider and pounded the doll's torso against the table.
"Iferia Dorm—didn't the same thing happen there? Well, she was pretty tough herself, so she opposed Her even if it meant her comrades dying. But can that bloodline pull off the same? I say no."
"So you're repeating the exact same tactic as this time?"
Yam (Dark) asked in a tone that clearly showed her indifference, prompting Rozeta to burst into mad laughter.
"Exactly! Carve out his surroundings to tie his feet. Make him come crawling to this round table on his own, and then... Kihihihit! Offer him up to Her."
"Not an overly reckless plan. It'll whittle down their forces too, and if the key walks right into our hands in the process, all the better."
"That's the spirit."
The woman who had repaired Rozeta's arm showed no strong opposition. The others didn't voice any negatives either. It seemed they chalked up this failure to Rozeta acting alone; with more investment, they believed the plan was entirely feasible.
"Very well. We'll postpone rebuking Ling's failure and focus on devising a detailed plan for this one."
Even Yam (Dark), who had seemed the most dissatisfied with Rozeta, said as much, leaving no room for further argument. After a brief silence, voices buzzed busily through the conference room once more.
When everyone finally fell quiet, the darkness enveloping the round table rippled outward like waves, extinguishing all the room's lanterns at once.
All that remained was their oath for the next hunt in Her name.
After returning from Siel sunbae's villa, summer break flew by like an arrow. We'd stayed at the villa for about a week, then come back once academy security tightened, and I'd spilled everything to the young miss.
She flew into a rage about why I hadn't told her such an important matter sooner, but when I explained I wanted more solid info first, she at least understood.
"Classes start tomorrow, and you're still grinding hard today."
"Oh, Silvena. About time you showed up? You're later than I thought."
I'd been out in the training hall since morning, keeping up my routine, when an unexpected visitor arrived. Silvena, who hadn't returned from her family home for ages.
"Sorry. I wanted to at least send word, but I truly had no time."
"Makes sense for the grand duchess."
I could just loaf around the academy, but she'd no doubt been swamped. Probably spent days catching up with family and acquaintances she hadn't seen in ages. Plus, the news she'd brought home was huge, so discussing that alone must've been a hassle.
"Your skin looks a bit tanned, by the way."
"Yeah. I figured I'd catch some sun at the beach for once, but it doesn't suit me."
"I think it looks fine. Suits your lively, fierce side. Actually matches you well."
"Really? Glad to hear it, then."
Not that I planned to tan more, but if it didn't look bad...
"Nothing else happen after that?"
"Nah. I holed up at Siel sunbae's villa partway through."
"Good. I was worried something bad might happen to you again."
Her tone felt softer than before. Must've unwound a bit back home.
"Too bad I couldn't stroll the beach with you. Would be nice if we get the chance next time."
"This summer break's gone, but next year works. Worst case, we hit the winter beach. They say it's got real charm."
The young miss seemed keen on another beach trip too, so we could all go together. Honestly, I'd just tossed it out casually with no real plans.
"Is that a promise?"
"Huh... A promise?"
"Even if you're a guy, you wouldn't take back your words, right?"
"Well, if you wanna go..."
But this grand duchess seemed way more hyped about the beach than I'd imagined. Come to think of it, the northern regions were mostly inland. You had to go all the way to the edge for the ice-choked sea, blocked by northern barbarians, making it practically inaccessible.
No wonder she's so eager.
"By the way, Neriel Marit was lurking outside. You two got plans?"
"Huh? Neriel?"
I was just packing up to head back to the dorm when Silvena's out-of-left-field comment made my head snap sideways. Neriel was outside? Maybe she had business at the training hall too? But at this hour, nowhere else was open except this sparring room.
Did she really come for me? I excused myself from Silvena and stepped out.
"What're you doing here?"
"...Who said I came 'cause I wanted to?"
And there she was, a familiar purple-head pacing about. Our eyes met, and she spat her usual gripe. Wait, she came to me, and now she's denying she wanted to? Was this that out-of-body speech pattern I'd heard about?
"Just came to tell you something."
"Tell me what?"
"Yeah. Actually, there's someone who wants to meet you."
"Someone wants to meet me? Who?"
This girl wasn't the type to play messenger for just anyone. I raised an eyebrow in confusion, and she chewed her lip before sighing.
"...My master."
".........What?"
She dropped a name I never saw coming. Wait, her master—the current Magic Tower Lord? Why would a heavyweight like that want to see me?