After returning to Etna City, Carisia was having a private meeting with Orthes.
This time, Orthes was the one who sought out Carisia first, which was rare. He had come to report on the Divine Cult, Blasphemia, and Argyrion’s tripartite struggle.
“I’ve gathered information from both the Divine Cult and Blasphemia, and created a channel to disseminate it. Hydra Corporation has secured a position where it can somewhat influence the movements of the three factions.”
This result exceeded Carisia’s expectations. It was as if they had placed spies within Blasphemia and the Divine Cult.
The most remarkable part was that the spies were unaware that they were acting as spies while providing information.
From their perspective, Orthes was on their side.
Although she was somewhat aware through rough reports from Elysion that Orthes had done something, this was…
“So, you did this with Kine accompanying you?”
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to persuade the priest just with words, so I prepared a backup. When I actually showed my Divine Power, it was easy to deceive them.”
‘Is it a little odd to say you easily deceived them?’
Carisia withheld her words, considering her aide’s intentions. It wasn’t the first time Orthes had come up with and executed such an outlandish plan.
“Now, boss. Have you come up with a strategy for taking down the Ten Towers?”
The Ten Towers. Carisia considered only the White Light Tower as her enemy, but if they waged a full-scale war against them, reinforcements from the other towers would certainly arrive.
“If we start a fight under the pretext of succession, the other towers won’t interfere. However…”
“Once we start destroying the Ten Commandments, the term succession will hold no meaning. If the White Light’s Ten Commandments disappears, they’ll engage in battles to either take revenge or protect their own Ten Commandments.”
Carisia twirled a strand of her long hair around her right finger. After wrapping it a few times, she suddenly opened her mouth.
“About that tripartite struggle, you know there are issues, right?”
“Yes. While I created a battleground among Argyrion, Blasphemia, and the Divine Cult, there are those who could overturn the entire game.”
Ultimately, it was the Ten Towers. It was the powerful asymmetric force of the Ten Commandments that kept her constantly troubled.
“For now, accelerating the Divine Investigation seems like the most rational course of action.”
If the Artificial Ten Commandments were completed, Etna City would become an impregnable battlefield for the Ten Towers’ expeditionary forces.
“A first line of defense using the city’s outer wall. A second line of defense centered around Geryon and Kaicle’s Mage Towers, and the final line of defense to be set up around Mount Etna. Even if aerial assaults are made using airships, it would be hard to break through.”
Orthes’s evaluation was not exaggerated. Etna City, which was undergoing destruction and redevelopment every day, was transforming closer to a planned fortress city while replacing the disordered underworld and the dilapidated outer walls.
Of course, being advantageous against the Ten Towers only applied to defensive battles.
“There have been cases where even a Tower was replaced after losing in a succession battle, so we can’t just feel safe about being in a defensive position. Ultimately, we need to go on the offensive.”
A means to conquer the White Light. They would need to devise a separate strategy to clash the White Light’s magic barrier with the magic barrier of the Artificial Ten Commandments. Carisia felt that several new tasks had been added to her plate.
A solution suddenly popped into Carisia’s mind.
‘What if I just shut my eyes and make Orthes do everything…?’
No, that wouldn’t work. Carisia shook her head. Even though Orthes seemed omnipotent and had succeeded in most tasks he’s been involved in until now, that didn’t mean he was truly omnipotent.
‘Specific instances of failure, like….’
Ah. Friends.
“Speaking of which, have you been in regular contact with your friend?”
“No. We haven’t been in touch for years. Fortunately, they seem to remember me well.”
Orthes spoke fondly of his friend, as if he was genuinely thrilled to have met him after a long time.
“I once mentioned that I heard, ‘I’ll betray you before you can betray me!’ The only one who sided with me back then was Lampades.”
“Quite discerning, aren’t they?”
Carisia replied with a hint of skepticism. Was it really true that he hadn’t betrayed him? Wasn’t it more out of fear that he couldn’t?
“My friend is quite capable.”
A spontaneous display of friend pride. Carisia’s mood began to sour. It was clear that Orthes wasn’t truly omnipotent. His social skills, after all, might be his weakness.
‘That friend of yours seems to see you as something monstrous rather than a friend.’
“Is that friend of yours the only one you have?”
“Haha, boss. Even though I may have little social interaction, it’s not nonexistent. Just look at how diligently I have worked on the frontlines of the extra-dimensional world.”
Carisia nearly blurted out, ‘How many times were you betrayed working hard in that very place?’ but managed to bite her tongue.
“Speaking of Lampades’ Mage Tower, have you heard anything from Kine?”
Carisia decided to shift topics before her self-control reached its limit.
“Are you talking about Kine? Isn’t it your responsibility to handle the details of the corporate scholarship student’s conditions and labor contracts after Musaeon?”
Orthes seemed unaware that Kine hadn’t said anything to him.
“I heard that the child from Lampades’ tower, Astraphe, has seen you? Or should I say has heard of you?”
*
‘Heard’… What does that even mean?
“Did that friend from Lampades mention me?”
“They said you saved them from being sold as a slave. Don’t you have any idea?”
Oh?
The only slave trader I’ve diligently hunted down recently was one, and it’s even more certain now that it’s connected to Astraphe.
A faction of the Torres Tower I was trading with had a person named Taknia as the head.
But didn’t the same Taknia deny knowing anyone like that when I directly interrogated him?
In actuality, the Astraphe I’ve met hasn’t been mechanized. If the Torres Faction had their hands on her, her entire body would have been modified with enchantments, except for her brain.
‘…Was Astraphe among the people who had just been captured and were waiting in storage on that day?’
What a ridiculous coincidence. Astraphe was hiding somewhere among the crowd I was inciting by distributing Magic Imprint Drives.
It wasn’t a bad thing that Astraphe remembered me. For one, the number of titans opposing the Mage King has decreased.
My goal was to destroy only the White Light without clashing with the Mage King, but the affairs of the world don’t always flow as planned.
If I think of it as a positive outcome that I’ve reduced the number of potential enemies, that works.
‘But simply leaving a good impression feels a bit insecure. I need a more concrete way to ensure Astraphe and Lampades will actively cooperate with Hydra Corp.’
I decided on the means to have Lampades and Astraphe actively work with Hydra Corp.
Too many things to refuse.
*
Carisia recalled the words Kine had said to her when conveying this news.
‘I was scared because I didn’t know where Orthes’s plan started and ended.’
“It’s a good thing. Astraphe is an excellent mage like Kine. If they become close friends at Musaeon, that’ll be great.”
Orthes, who had saved Astraphe, seemed to not think much of it at all. At that moment, he added,
“Seeing Lampades come directly to rescue Astraphe seems to indicate how special he considers her as a disciple. If Astraphe has a good impression of me, let’s utilize that to plan contact.”
Orthes had saved Astraphe a few months ago. Afterwards, Astraphe had joined Lampades’ Mage Tower, and Lampades’s technical prowess was necessary for Hydra Corp’s purposes.
Under this situation where, for some reason, Lampades hadn’t confirmed their alliance, it was very lucky that Astraphe remembered Orthes’s kindness…
“Isn’t it just a coincidence?”
“Yes? Ah. It’s a coincidence.”
While Orthes stroked his chin and pondered something, he spoke up.
“I believe Lampades considers Astraphe’s lightning magic essential for the ultimate completion of the extra-dimensional detection magic, especially regarding electro-magnetic wave manipulation.”
Carisia nodded. It was clear that while Lampades was relatively ethical among the Tower Masters, he wouldn’t jump into a city infested with terrorists purely out of goodwill to rescue Astraphe.
“Considering that Lampades is also an outstanding mage and that Astraphe’s admission to Musaeon is a foregone conclusion, it’s unlikely Lampades would be swayed just by saying he would support Astraphe’s studies.”
“Right. Moreover, as a qualifying Tower Master, he must be financially well-off.”
“But I happen to know of a place that would likely have artifacts suitable for her.”
Carisia rubbed her temples. It was a habit she had picked up from Orthes.
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