Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: An Instant Grasp
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The answer was shocking in many ways.
Why would the crown prince want to kill Schwerin's Tower Master?
Why would Grafton cooperate with a group as vicious and evil as Brien?
"Can the Mask of Truth be wrong?"
Werner asked Loan.
His voice was incredibly subdued.
"I don't believe so."
Just as Loan finished speaking.
Aul, having reverted to its original state, leaped from Karl's body and flew back to Loan.
This had never happened after just a few questions.
It meant a considerable amount of power had been consumed to make him utter the crown prince's name.
But that wasn't the problem.
Suddenly, Karl's body began to tremble violently. His head shook from side to side even faster.
With that, his face turned red and swelled up like an angry pufferfish. Then, pop!
It burst.
The faceless Karl fell straight down like a great tree, thudding to the ground.
He was dead.
Werner, who had blocked the splattering blood with an instantaneous shield, spoke as if sighing.
"This... is the aftereffect of a Vow of Silence. A particularly nasty one, at that."
"Is that so?"
"Usually, they die before they can speak, but it seems the owl reversed the order. In any case, it means the crown prince's name was top secret."
It was perfect proof that Aul had drawn the truth from Karl.
And then, silence fell.
Everyone was inwardly mulling over the shocking truth.
Their own common sense and speculations churned in their minds. The silence was a measure of their confusion.
In the heavy atmosphere, even Aul dared not make a sound, shrinking down on top of Loan's head.
No matter what assumptions one made.
The single 'fact' that had been revealed was enough to start a war between nations.
Loan, however, focused on the meaning of the event rather than the emotions of the involved parties.
He broke the long silence.
"Schwerin has long maintained its national wealth and power through mana stones. They are still its main source of income."
"..."
Werner neither confirmed nor denied it, simply looking at Loan.
"Selling mana stones within Schwerin would be pointless. Exporting them to other countries would be the most profitable."
"..."
"A near-monopolized product. Many who desire it. To afford the soaring prices, one would need to excel in wealth, power, and military strength. The Grafton royal family seems to be the most fitting customer. What do you think?"
All eyes turned to Werner's lips.
He could no longer remain silent.
"That's right. They are a very old and most important customer. So, it's not entirely out of the blue that their name came from Brien's lips."
"Have you ever shared information with the crown prince?"
"I have met him. But he never asked about the location of the mines or the shipping yards. There was no need to tell him. However..."
Loan waited for him to continue.
"Even I don't know everything the Schwerin family, who have managed the mana stones while passing down the title of Tower Master for generations, has done."
"So the location could have been revealed by a previous generation, or the one before that. Especially if the place is that old and on the verge of being shut down."
The puzzle pieces concerning the path of information acquisition seemed to be fitting together.
But now that the crown prince's name had been mentioned, the more important thing to consider was his motive.
Why did the crown prince contact Brien and request they kill the Tower Master?
"Do you have any suspicions?"
Suddenly, Magda approached and joined the conversation between Loan and Werner.
The position she took.
It subtly blocked Loan from Werner's line of sight.
The conversation had been sensitive until now, but it was about to become even more so.
Distrust in the royal family, the unsettling possibility that handling this affair could be construed as treason.
Since they were dealing with the sparks of a potential war between nations, it was right for someone who could take responsibility for their words to lead the discussion.
Reading the Commander's intention to protect him, Loan silently took a step back.
He respected and appreciated it.
Now, the ones facing each other were a man and a woman who were once husband and wife.
Loan was unaware of their history.
And it was no wonder, as the gazes the man and woman exchanged were quite cold.
It made Werner's attitude toward Loan just moments before seem incredibly warm by comparison.
Werner asked Magda in a low, heavy voice.
"Are you asking me to state my thoughts on the Grafton royal family? What an interesting proposition."
"You don't trust me?"
"I trust you. But the Commander of the Union is a different story."
"The Union may be under Grafton, but it is an independent organization. We look only to the welfare of the people and peace. If there is a chance of conflict between nations, it is our job to view the situation impartially and resolve it. Our swords and magic do not discriminate. Grafton is no exception."
They were textbook words, but their depth changed depending on who spoke them.
This was why Loan respected the Commanders.
It felt as if the path he should look to and follow was being paved anew, wider and grander.
Commander Magda's words put Loan's mind at ease.
Werner didn't press the issue any further.
"When I consider what the Grafton Kingdom might want from Schwerin, I can't think of anything specific. But I don't believe it's impossible. If it's Grafton, if it's King Simon, he's a man capable of anything."
"And what about the crown prince personally?"
"I did get the impression he might do something unexpected. That's separate from an assessment of whether he's that kind of man."
"Do you see it as a personal deviation?"
"We'll have to find out. We know who did what; now we just need to find out why."
"There are two routes to investigate. Brien and Grafton. In any case, both must be brought into the light for this to be resolved."
At Magda's words, Werner's gaze shifted to the four Tower Masters.
"Coincidentally, it seems we've already reached an agreement on that."
The four Tower Masters nodded simultaneously. Werner tilted his head slightly.
"And, Loan."
"Yes."
Loan peeked his head out from beside Magda and answered. On his head, Aul poked its head out as well.
"The matter we agreed to settle outside. I'll give you my answer now."
"Yes."
"I am convinced."
"Thank you."
Though only a few brief words were exchanged, he felt as if he had received an enormous gift.
With this, he had completely achieved what he had planned on his trip to Schwerin.
Werner spoke to the four Tower Masters.
"As the Tower Master of Manifestation, I declare this. Schwerin will not stand by and watch this incident unfold. We will uncover the full story and take the necessary revenge and measures. I will investigate Grafton myself. Phenomenon, Perception, Sensation, Conception—the four of you will make the extermination of Brien from Schwerin your top priority from this day forward."
The four Tower Masters answered with a nod.
Considering Schwerin's history, this was close to a cataclysm. A matter of great importance was being decided with remarkable composure.
Werner then looked past the Tower Masters to the other four people.
The four who had suddenly been confronted with an incident too massive to handle.
Wounded and visibly intimidated, they looked rather pitiful.
Werner's gaze was not particularly warm.
"I said this would be a place where wills are carried through. I also told you to prove your strength to make your claims. And yet..."
Stipe cut him off.
He had his dangling arm secured with a cloth.
"You don't need to say it. We realized our inadequacy the moment we crossed the bridge. Passing through the Magic Tower, we witnessed that boy's unique abilities, and we felt a sense of duty to fully engrave what we saw with our own eyes."
"So you're content with being witnesses to history?"
"He achieved our goal for us, so what more could we ask? However, for the sake of that boy who looked after us without finding us burdensome, we must not cause any trouble for him in the future."
He then looked at Josef and his other companions.
Though it seemed they hadn't discussed it beforehand, they all nodded at once.
Then they clasped hands, forming a circle.
"Our testimony ends at the Magic Tower. Everything that has happened here will not leave our lips or hands. To break this vow, one must first offer up one's life."
"One must offer it up..."
The words from each of their mouths became silver threads that swirled around the four of them, binding their necks before disappearing.
A Vow of Silence.
Even having faced an unbearable truth, to take such an initiative themselves was a very courageous act.
The Tower Masters were grateful that one small worry had been lifted.
The Tower Master of Manifestation stopped the harsh words he was about to say and looked back at Magda and Loan.
"While the Tower Masters deal with Brien in Schwerin, I plan to go to Grafton. However..."
The words meant that the pinnacle of Schwerin would be leaving the Magic Tower for a long journey.
It could become a major event that the world would clamor to talk about.
He continued the sentence he had drawn out.
"The justification for the Tower Master to leave the Magic Tower is weak. I can't reveal what happened here until I've clearly investigated the full story and motive and secured evidence."
"Are you asking the Union? To create a justification for you to contact the royal family?"
"I'm asking Magda."
"...This is a grave matter. One that should be discussed directly with the Governor-General."
"Are you telling me to go to the Union?"
After a moment of silence, Magda gently wrapped an arm around Loan's shoulder and said.
"Isn't it possible for me to return to the Union with this child under the pretext of a magical exchange?"
"Of course, it's possible, but that too will require the world's acceptance."
"Don't worry about that. We came here prepared to be witnesses and tell the world."
"Our words, as those who have been at odds with the Magic Tower, should be helpful."
Stipe and Josef added their thoughts. Coming from those who had even made a Vow of Silence, their words were trustworthy.
After a moment's thought, Werner spoke.
"Then we'll need something to back that up. Proof that the Tower Master acknowledges Loan."
He then turned and reached for the double doors leading to the deep mine shaft.
The doors clanked open, lowering downwards.
Werner's mana extended into the pitch-black cavity.
The power held by a family that had managed mana stones for ages.
That power, like drawing up a water source from deep within an arid desert.
Like finding a vein of gold mixed with rubble and trapped in mud, having lost its luster.
From among the piles of worthless ore and rubble, he pulled up a single mana stone truly worthy of being called valuable.
It was only the size of a pebble, but its mana was densely concentrated.
To Loan, it looked like a flame on the verge of exploding.
Werner floated the mana stone through the air and offered it to Loan.
"This is a gift, a sign of my acknowledgment."
"The process of detecting mana stones is mysterious. I'm also curious about its uses."
"The Schwerin family has unique magics known as 'special abilities.' The most representative are mana stone detection and the Schwerin-style enchantment. The stones can be used as they are, but enchanting is far more valuable."
"I've only heard the name."
Loan held the mana stone in one hand and unclasped his necklace, holding it in the other.
Imbuing his necklace with the power of circulation to draw in mana could be considered a form of enchantment, but that had only changed the object's properties.
He had been contemplating adding a magic circle for reinforcement, and perhaps the Schwerin-style enchantment was the answer.
A further question arose.
"When you say it's close to a special ability, do you mean only those of Schwerin blood can use it, like Cion's authority?"
"Even understanding it is difficult. The Tower Master of Perception shook his head at it."
"It's that difficult."
"That's because it has been learned, refined, and perfected over many long years. It involves granting a permanent characteristic to a specific target through the consumption of a mana stone..."
Werner explained the essence of the enchantment to the curious Loan.
It was a concept so abstruse that those who overheard it tilted their heads in confusion.
For a brief moment, Loan's sea-blue eyes flashed intensely.
Then, suddenly.
With a crackling sound, the mana stone turned to dust and scattered into the air.
The pendant necklace in his palm began to emit a brilliant light.
Loan said.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, I've finished something I'd been putting off for a long time."
Seeing the dumbfounded Werner, Magda let out a small laugh.