Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Cleanup Crew Arrest
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Mana potions were one of the most in-demand items within the Empire.
The measures of human strength were aura and magic, both of which consumed mana.
Naturally, the Empire's two major trading houses, Marriott and Forest, also dealt in mana potions.
No, they went beyond mere dealings—they were deeply involved in the production and brewing of the potions themselves.
In contrast, Hilton Trading House lagged far behind those two in the potion market.
With a history that wasn't particularly long, they hadn't dared to enter the mana potion market, which was oversaturated with tradition.
In fact, quite a few trading houses had jumped into the mana potion market only to suffer crushing defeats and withdraw.
Rather than risk such dangers, Hilton Trading House had chosen to find its strengths in other fields.
And that choice had been brilliant, leading to their current position of success.
Now, that very Hilton was challenging the mana potion market anew.
By creating potions that completely melted down magic stones, lowering the price while raising the quality.
Damian's collaboration with Hilton Trading House was an open secret.
However, just how perfected their mana potions were remained top secret.
Only Damian, Dillon, and Anya knew the full process. So, rumors about Hilton's new potion were bound to swirl endlessly.
But deals would eventually leak information, no matter what.
Over the past few weeks, Hilton Trading House had been aggressively pursuing deals for their new potion, and even with nondisclosure agreements, information inevitably seeped out.
"Even so, this is too extreme. Marriott and Forest—they don't survive solely on mana potions, you know."
A scheme of this scale was impossible without those two trading houses.
Otherwise, it would mean a third party with a grudge against Hilton was involved, but Anya hadn't engaged in any such deals.
"Those two houses are involved, but the one actually leading the operation is another force."
"Who the hell could... No way?"
"Exactly. The ones who'd suffer the biggest losses from our mana potions."
The mages who ultimately produced the mana potions. And those two were currently in the Magic Tower.
Mages Grisha and Leon, who closely collaborated with Marriott and Forest on mana potion production.
They were also the ones who had made great contributions to the alliance between the reformists and Marriott, and the orthodox faction and Forest in his previous life.
'They're scum who suck people dry.'
Producing a single mana potion required the efforts of countless people.
But Grisha and Leon had seized the rights that should have gone to them, amassing their wealth.
On top of that, they didn't hesitate to use threats, fraud, assault, and even assassination.
Marriott and Forest were merely using those two conveniently, without dirtying their own hands.
Damian's support for Anya and Hilton Trading House was to check those other two houses.
Though often lumped together as the Empire's three great trading houses, the gap between the other two and Hilton was vast.
Direct conflict with those two would burden even Damian.
But he could indirectly damage them through Grisha and Leon.
They didn't live off mana potions alone, but disruptions in production would still cause significant losses.
"That's the rough situation."
"Mages Grisha and Leon. You're going after both of them at once, despite their enmity?"
Ezekiel rubbed his eyes as he received the report. Dark circles shadowed them. Handling paperwork he’d never done in his life was utterly draining.
However, unlike other councilors, he hadn't set up an office in the First Tower.
He had demanded permission to work from home when accepting the councilor position from Ariella.
"We still have to resolve issues tied to the Tower Lord as well."
The two had no direct connection to Cadrel but were deeply entangled in the Magic Tower's shadows.
They might be linked to the seekers, and could have influenced Ariella's disappearance.
"Got evidence?"
"We'll find it from here on. It worked with Cadrel, didn't it? No issues there."
"It's not one guy this time—it's two. And it's only been a few months since the Cadrel incident."
One Magic Tower councilor dead, two missing.
One had been exposed as a criminal with a sordid history, and the others weren't much different in truth.
But with three councilors vanishing suddenly, the repercussions were far from minor.
That was exactly why Ezekiel looked half-dead while reviewing his duties.
"Both were top candidates for the next council seats. Without me, they would've filled the vacancies first."
"It's fame bought with money, not skill."
"Yeah, yeah. You're right on all counts. They've been under similar suspicion before."
It wasn't mere suspicion—those two were the actual culprits.
They had collaborated to ruin a mage who, in a different way from Damian, had innovated mana potion production.
-Leon, that bastard's trash at heart, but our interests aligned in various ways. We're split now, though.
He'd heard it directly from Grisha herself during his reformist faction days.
It was inference, but this was the key reason Damian was convinced of their guilt without other evidence.
"So we'll take them one by one. Got it?"
"No. If you take one, the other will go into hiding. This is our only chance to hit both at once. Master."
"You know if things get messy, I'll have to cover for it all, right?"
This time, he couldn't rely on Denis's help. Having just returned to active duty, the man was swamped.
So, he'd borrow Ezekiel's name instead.
Ezekiel wouldn't actually do anything, but all of Damian's actions would be under Ezekiel's orders.
"It's all for the Tower Lord."
"Isn't this more for your own ends this time? Using my name feels a bit shameless."
It wasn't a wrong point.
If Grisha and Leon hadn't shown special reactions, their priority would have been pushed way back.
"Ah, really..."
Ezekiel placed a hand on his forehead and shook his head.
He didn't doubt Damian's abilities.
If the boy spoke with such confidence, he must have his reasons.
Ariella placed near-infinite trust in him, but Ezekiel himself wasn't without worries.
The Cadrel incident had been the same. Regardless of skill, Damian's plans felt like tightrope walking—precarious.
One slip, and it was over. This time would be no different.
If their relationship had ended with that meeting two years ago, he wouldn't worry like this.
But having formed a master-disciple bond for whatever reason, he couldn't just leave it be.
'Marian. You really make trouble for people in all sorts of ways.'
Ezekiel harbored his own burdens toward her.
"In return, if it succeeds, it'll all be your achievement too, Master."
"Oh, you foolish disciple. What good does more fame do me here? I'm not aiming to be Tower Lord."
"There'll be additional revenue."
"...! Separate from selling those potions?"
"Yes. If we handle those two well, an extra share will fall our way. You're a bit strapped for cash right now, aren't you, Master?"
It was true—he'd mortgaged the mansion he'd fully owned for the first time in years, and that money was nearly gone too.
He'd planned to borrow more from Hilton Trading House, but with this incident, he hadn't brought it up easily. He had that much sense.
'Where the hell does all that money go?'
He didn't gamble or indulge in pleasures.
He lived like the wind, but lately, even that was tied to the Magic Tower.
Still, he hadn't begged his disciple Damian for money. He retained that much pride.
"...I trust you, disciple."
Ezekiel handed over a letter of authorization bearing his name. Processed with magic, it couldn't be forged or altered.
"Of course."
Grab. Ezekiel clutched Damian's forearm. It meant he trusted not just the operation's success, but the extra income too.
* * *
With the letter in hand, Damian headed straight to Hameln, the city near the Magic Tower.
Though not under the Tower's direct rule, its location meant it handled various Tower-related affairs.
Hilton Trading House's warehouse was here too.
They'd secured a large quantity of magic stones for full-scale production, but a mysterious explosion had destroyed a significant amount.
"Magic stones in large quantities are unstable, but Hilton Trading House wouldn't overlook that. As you said, Damian, it's definitely sabotage."
Agnes had naturally joined him. Damian hadn't specifically asked. She'd just grabbed her sword after hearing the situation.
When asked why—
-This concerns you, Lady Anya, and Mr. Dillon. So it's my concern too.
She'd given that succinct answer.
Her combat prowess wasn't crucial for this operation, but there was no reason to refuse the help.
"No casualties is a miracle in itself."
Clunk. A remnant of an exploded magic stone caught at Damian's foot.
A massive warehouse had once stood here, but now it was filled only with a bluish mist.
Contamination from the magic stone explosion. The entire area was completely sealed off.
Damian could enter only because of Ezekiel's letter of authorization.
"But what are you looking for here, Damian?"
A mage in a gas mask asked.
He was the on-site supervisor, tasked with guiding Damian to the explosion's epicenter.
Agnes was curious about that too.
They already knew Grisha and Leon were the targets. But those two were still in the Magic Tower.
What meaning could the already-incident site hold?
"This the epicenter?"
"It's our current estimate. We can't determine the exact cause until cleanup's done, but spontaneous combustion seems likely."
That was the normal judgment.
If it were intentional, the perpetrator wouldn't have survived the blast.
"And these are all the personnel dispatched from the Tower?"
"Pardon? Y-yes, that's all of us. Security's provided by Hameln City, and cleanup's handled by us from the Tower."
"Round them all up."
"...Yes, sir."
He couldn't see the expression through the gas mask, but the displeasure was palpable.
Being conscripted for cleanup was stressful enough, and now this abrupt order—it was infuriating.
But he had no choice but to comply.
Not only did Damian have Ezekiel's authorization, but Damian himself was a major factor.
The Emperor's illegitimate child, drawing attention across the Empire, not just the Tower.
Even with a guardian's aid, he'd taken down a Tower councilor.
And recently, he'd wiped out eastern demon worshippers alongside his half-siblings.
No reason to make an enemy of such a man.
"Everyone's assembled, Damian."
The other mages were just as flustered.
The female mages regretted not seeing Damian's face, hidden by their gas masks.
*Ahem.*
Damian pulled out the letter of authorization again.
"In the name of Magic Tower Councilor Ezekiel."
Maybe he's here to hand out rewards? Hilton was close to Ezekiel and Damian, so it wasn't impossible.
"All personnel here are under arrest."
"Y-yes? Yes!?"
Only Agnes, who'd come with him, cried out. The other mages fell silent, unsure how to react.