I See It All, But I'll Never Live Up to That Name
‘Do I really have to say it out loud like that?!’
Of course, this was just another result of his unwavering adherence to procedure. Why? Because the Next Tower Lord Candidate quest listed everyone from the Tame Giant to that damned Black Dark Dragon as candidates by their epithets.
‘At least my full name didn’t pop up... thank goodness for small mercies.’
Even so, claiming the title of Black Dark Dragon with my own mouth was still utter agony. Naturally, my iron mask of a poker face remained unflinching. To weather the reactions that were about to pour in, maintaining composure was key.
“......What the hell did you just say?”
A self-proclaimed candidate for Next Tower Lord voluntarily withdrawing. At my declaration, the already buzzing Sapphire Hall erupted into even greater chaos.
But there was one difference from before.
“W-Withdrawal?!”
“Bensy senior, even if you shake me down, I don’t know anything...!!”
“Then what do you know, Banggrit?”
“Well, the results of Bensy senior’s next tower application?”
“W-What?! How the hell do you know about that...!”
The Mage Tower mages, who had been struggling to maintain their calm amid the bewilderment—especially the executives—were now visibly shaken. Even Yugweed was no exception.
Yugweed approached cautiously. “Did I go too far and piss you off, Chief?”
Being called Next Tower Lord had irked me a bit, sure. But come on, would that be reason enough? Did they still not know Grandfell after all this time?
‘If I acted on mere whims...’
I might not know about everything else, but Raymon Sean and Cheonha Tongil would’ve been long gone from this world by now. From the perspective of an upright gentleman like me, Lee Hoyeol—not a saint by any means—those guys had crossed the line a hundred times over.
But they were still kicking, weren’t they? What did that mean? That Grandfell’s every action was free of petty emotions.
“Mere sentiment cannot sway me.”
“Then why withdraw from the Next Tower Lord election...?”
“I have witnessed a flaw in the Mage Tower’s regulations.”
“......!!!”
Yes. As I’d said time and again, for Grandfell’s pride to yield, his justification had to be ironclad. This wasn’t a Proof Duel where he could refuse on a whim, nor could he just drop out of the candidacy because he wasn’t interested.
That’s when Marcelo spoke up. “Chief Lee Hoyeol, I ask on behalf of the Mage Tower.”
I nodded.
‘Indeed, he’s qualified to represent us.’
Just moments ago, Yugweed had been stripped of her elder mage status. So at this moment, the highest-ranking members of the Mage Tower were co-chiefs: me and Marcelo.
“I formally raise the question: what flaw have you witnessed?”
Murmurs rippled through the hall—rumble rumble—from elder mages to co-chiefs now. From the onlookers’ perspective, with all these incidents piling up, I must look like a hot potato, a total troublemaker.
But I could read Yugweed’s intentions crystal clear. There was no way I’d miss Marcelo’s.
‘You’re setting the stage for me, Marcelo.’
So I couldn’t afford to panic. Instead, I strode leisurely across the Sapphire Hall as if it were my lectern and opened my mouth.
“Do you all remember my battle with Yugweed?”
Seeming to grasp my intent, the Sapphire Hall transformed back into a battlefield atmosphere.
I glanced at Yugweed. “The magic Yugweed unleashed during the Proof Duel was top-tier, with power enough to vaporize several cities, great and small. Its aftermath must have reached you all as well.”
Yugweed shrugged. It was all part of the plan, so no excuses from her. I had no intention of criticizing her for it either.
“Unleashing top-tier magic inside the Mage Tower cannot be tolerated, regardless of intent. Even if it occurred during a Proof Duel where everything was at stake, there can be no exceptions in disciplinary action.”
Yugweed nodded in agreement. Marcelo, listening intently, and the audience in the Sapphire Hall seemed to have no counterarguments.
In the silence, I halted my steps with a clack and extended my hand.
“Thus, it is reasonable for you to wonder: how did I counter Yugweed’s top-tier magic without breaking the regulations myself?”
Shing! I drew Gwiseol from my waist with a straight thrust.
The spectators—especially the players—buzzed.
“......No way, that was swordsmanship?!”
“Not just any swordsmanship—that’s an ego sword!”
“An ego sword that can turn into a dragon?!”
“You idiots, it’s obviously just an example.”
The last one nailed it.
‘Wish I could slap a gold star on that one.’
In truth, reactivating [Legend, Black Dark Dragon Lee Hoyeol] would’ve been the simplest way to demonstrate intuitively. But casually spamming a legend with its absurd effects would shatter balance entirely.
Cool-down. So I had no choice but to use another legend-grade, Gwiseol, as a stand-in example.
Despite these unavoidable circumstances, I calmly raised Gwiseol high.
“Because I did not use magic.”
Swoosh—I held Gwiseol aloft.
-Master, shall I cleave magic itself today?
No such thing, Gwiseol. Don’t get the wrong idea.
‘This is more lecture than battle.’
Swish! As I swung Gwiseol with controlled power, a sharp yet gouged sword scar materialized in the arena. Like lightning flashing followed by thunder.
Kraka-ka-ka-boom! A deafening roar filled the Sapphire Hall.
Murmurs arose again, this time from the Mage Tower side.
“S-So... you overwhelmed Yugweed’s top-tier magic without magic? How is that even possible, Jibril... uh...!”
“They’re staring because of you. Shut it, Linne.”
“A-Ah......”
I hadn’t meant to boast.
‘It’s this damn posture. The posture.’
My upright stance made it look self-aggrandizing. But this attitude wasn’t new. And now wasn’t the time for anyone to call me arrogant.
“As you all know, the Mage Tower is exceedingly insular. This golden tower, built by magic, permits no external influences whatsoever. Whether that is a strength or a weakness, I shall not judge. However, the Proof Duel regulations contain a clear flaw.”
Marcelo added, “Indeed. The rules strictly prohibit mid-tier or higher magic in Proof Duels... but they say nothing about non-magical means or methods.”
From now on, the Mage Tower would slowly unlock its doors for full openness. Players would gradually learn the Tower’s regulations too. In that sense, the Proof Duel was dangerous. Mages’ pride would make them fall for players’ provocations easily. If a player with impure motives exploited that regulatory gap for dirty tricks?
‘Facing a mage barred from mid-tier or higher magic? Without restrictions on means, it’d be a cakewalk for players.’
It meant they could lose duels.
‘Society doesn’t overflow with dreams and hope like that.’
A bed of flowers, that place. I couldn’t know Grandfell’s thoughts, but as someone steeped in society, I knew. Players who’d see the Tower’s goodwill as a right—or more—and exploit it? They’d be a dime a dozen.
For those types, the Mage Tower turning into a wasteland?
“Thus, as chief, I formally propose.”
I couldn’t stand by as a chief.
“That the Mage Tower establish new regulations befitting a new era.”
At that moment, my vision flickered.
Mage Tower Reconstruction
📍 The Reality of Contradictions: The Mage Tower’s pursuit of truth has been tainted by impurity. Rebuild it from the foundation.
A message that I’d taken one step closer to the Mage Tower’s complete reconstruction.
‘Well, then.’
I recalled the days when Marcelo became co-chief via parachute drop. He’d pulled all-nighters just memorizing the regulations. The rulebooks alone were thicker than a full encyclopedia set.
‘Like I have time to rewrite those.’
Obviously, I had no intention of shouldering such a burdensome task. No spare time either.
So I returned to the main point.
“Thus, for the sake of propriety.”
No explanation needed—looking at the Tower Lord’s machinations made it clear. Revising the Mage Tower’s regulations could only be led by the Tower Lord. In other words, rewriting them fell to the next Tower Lord.
“I withdraw my candidacy for Next Tower Lord.”
That was why I’d invoked propriety while announcing my withdrawal...!
Even so, Grandfell’s strict adherence to rules paid off here. If nothing else, everyone in the Mage Tower—and players—knew his temperament regarding regulations all too well.
“......But is that really grounds for withdrawal?”
Even the few slow on the uptake...
“Admitting defeat would mean acknowledging an unfair win, and you think Lee Hoyeol of all people would cop to that? He’s lived without a shred of shame—don’t you get it?”
“Yeah, the whole duel was to expose the contradiction!”
“Makes sense... they had no real reason to fight anyway...?”
...quickly dispelled their doubts.
Clink—I sheathed Gwiseol.
The Sapphire Hall’s scenery restored to normal. Yugweed whispered softly to me.
“You truly sit at the pinnacle of this old woman’s thoughts, Chief.”
She burst into laughter before continuing.
“Then I must revise my farewell. I trust you’ll keep thriving as you are, Chief. If I can’t trust you, there’s no one I can. And furthermore...”
Yugweed’s gaze turned to Marcelo, who still seemed a bit out of the loop.
“Please look after our pure yet supremely talented little future Tower Lord. With your help, Marcelo can surely fulfill the Tower Lord’s role.”
Yugweed had lost her elder mage qualification for breaking regulations. Naturally, she was disqualified from Next Tower Lord candidacy too. And with my ethical withdrawal, the only remaining candidate was Marcelo.
Marcelo would naturally become the Next Tower Lord.
I thought only Yugweed and I, with our scheme, had realized it.
“......Wait a second!”
But then a raspy voice from the seats.
“Th-Then the only Next Tower Lord candidate left is our Marcelo chief?! Yes, I knew it! The Colosseum gambling god, Rackid, still has his touch!!”
Thanks to Rackid, who’d been thinking about bets all day.
Of course, Rackid’s ecstatic uproar didn’t last long.
Who am I? As I said, a stickler for rules.
“Shadow Mercenary Rackid.”
“?!”
Rackid jolted upright at my call. Words weren’t needed now, right?
I brought a finger to my lips with a sly smile.
Shh. Quiet.
Even as we wrote new regulations, basic etiquette wouldn’t change.
*
Cheonha Tongil Chongqing branch.
Riiiing—The man clicked his tongue at the endless tone.
“What the hell are you doing at a time like this?”
The general assembly was right around the corner. He couldn’t reach the Tianjin branch chief, with whom he needed to align.
At first, he suspected a backstab from Tianjin. But no matter how he thought about it, there was no reason.
“Aren’t we united for our lord?”
Radical or not, it stemmed from loyalty to their lord. If they snitched the truth, the lord would punish the informer even harsher—a fact everyone in Cheonha Tongil had witnessed.
Riiiing—
“Then why won’t you pick up?”
Wondering if he was dodging just him, he’d called the Tianjin branch. No one—from executives to grunts—answered.
This felt like...
“Gone to heaven or sunk to hell.”
If neither...
“Caught in a rift or something unlucky?”
He’d even checked rift sightings just in case. No rift outbreaks in Tianjin from homeland reports, updates, or AAU forecasts.
Then the other possibility that dawned.
“......An attack?”
He shook his head. Cheonha Tongil had enemies everywhere, sure. But it made no sense. This was Tianjin, not Zero Mountains.
“Unless they’ve lost their minds.”
Who’d dare assault Cheonha Tongil’s home base?
“Guess my nerves are on edge.”
Silly thoughts. The general assembly was long overdue. Knowing the weight of its agenda, his nerves were frayed already.
Riiiing—The tone dragged on.
Bang! The door flew open suddenly.
His secretary with news? The man asked without looking.
“Reply from Tianjin branch?”
No answer.
He turned. No one there.
Only then did he sense something amiss.
‘......[Stealth]?’
Squelch squelch. Viscous footsteps approached from the hall.
Soon, the sources appeared.
Kinber casually dispelled [Stealth]. And.
Elcidoir stated flatly, “No light in Guangzhou, none in Tianjin, none in Beijing.”
“......T-Tianjin? G-Guangzhou, Beijing?!”
“The Five Stars of the Supernova.”
Just words, no threat.
“Where’d you hide the Five Pillars, worm?”
The man’s vision flashed.
Status Abnormality, ‘Terror’ has occurred.
.
.
.
Cheonha Tongil Guangzhou, Tianjin, Beijing. And Chongqing branch fallen.
Elcidoir and Kinber’s landing in China.
All in a mere 30 minutes.