“What does that mean?”
“If you stand out somewhere else, I may consider accepting you as an apprentice to the tower depending on the situation.”
“Are you saying there’s another way besides the elite course through Museion?”
“There are limits to the Ten Towers. Not in the magical abilities of the Tower Master, but in the overall processing capacity of the tower. The Ten Towers are very busy even now, and I plan to make them even busier.”
‘Is Orthes already thinking of another way to utilize me? Is building a friendship with Astraphe part of that?’
Kine’s expression was one of deep contemplation. I shrugged. Honestly, building friendships with both Kine and Astraphe was more about preemptively recruiting allies for the Mage King than weakening the tower’s power.
I couldn’t just say that outright, so I only offered some plausible-sounding reasons. If Kine manages to take a Spartan toy and shout, “I have control!” like in the original, that would be beneficial for me.
But that’s just a bonus. Simply not working beside the Mage King would already mean my plan was successful.
It would be great if I could join the Ten Towers and provide internal information, but is that really easy to achieve?
There are limited ways to enter the Ten Towers without a Museion diploma. Either accumulate long service years at Panoptes or achieve some magical accomplishments worthy of attention from the Ten Towers. Maybe release a revolutionary paper that flips the academic paradigm, or achieve some combat accomplishments in resolving an extra-dimensional contaminated zone.
In a situation like the current one, even a solo extermination of a Hydra Corporation executive might work.
However, such achievements are far too difficult for a child to accomplish. Just not attacking the Hydra Corporation from the Mage King’s side is already satisfactory.
I handed Kine an ice cream for employee welfare, and stepped outside. I had left some work to Lampades, so I should be able to find Knemon within a month or three.
‘What I need to do now…’
Reconstruct the extra-dimensional radar that Lampades brought into a sacred artifact detection device for divine investigations. I left that to Bertrand and the currently underserved Geryon.
Actually using the artifact detection device for a divine investigation… Well, the timing isn’t good. Now, with the Ten Towers glaring, it isn’t the right phase to actively pursue divine investigation.
Will I just have to sit around doing nothing until I find Knemon?
Do I really not have to do anything?
*
Orthes felt bored, realizing he had nothing to do. He would never admit it, though.
Reading through the business records of the Hydra Corporation’s Ether Space once was also an act of boredom.
“There really is nothing to do…”
Orthes muttered bitterly. How could I have nothing to do inside the company?
Do I have to waste the months until I meet Knemon like this?
‘No. It’s not a waste. I might get a cooperation request from Blasphemia or the Divine Cult at any time. To put it bluntly, it’s on standby.’
At that moment, a flash of light lit up in Orthes’s mind.
‘The Divine Cult? Blasphemia?’
…External cooperation partners!
‘It’s not like there’s nothing to do within Hydra Corporation.’
I had been thinking about it wrong.
‘My status is pretty diverse.’
Orthes was entangled in three organizations: Hydra Corporation, the Divine Cult, and Blasphemia.
Among them, the organization he pledged loyalty to was Hydra Corporation, specifically to Carisia, but there’s no rule against getting work from other organizations!
Perform various “external tasks” to benefit Hydra Corporation. Orthes began to devise creative disruptions he could execute under the identity of L13.
“I was already assigned by Blasphemia to find Argyrion spies within Argos.”
While Argyrion had lost the opportunity to scatter propaganda and fabrications like lists of Mage Towers supporting them, Orthes had the list of suspected spies in Argos, which he received from Salmosia, the Auditor General of Blasphemia.
Now, under the name Panoptes, Argos and Blasphemia worked together, creating a larger bomb about to explode.
Orthes chuckled softly.
“Yeah. I shouldn’t rely solely on my friend’s abilities. I need to create an environment where I can focus on work before Knemon arrives.”
There were people who witnessed the moment his smile deepened.
Junior staff tasked with office work sent from Hydra Corporation.
They had come barging into the office unexpectedly and couldn’t dare to defy the Head of the Divine Investigation Office who was examining the business record.
In the dark room, Orthes grinned while projecting some unknown holographic image…
No matter how positively one might view it, it looked just unsettling and scary.
The staff trembled at the unexpected bad omen.
‘About a month should be enough time to lay the groundwork, right?’
Before Knemon arrives, I will divert Panoptes’ attention to create an environment favorable for retrieving sacred artifacts.
And when Knemon arrives, based on the information he has, I will steal, no—retrieve the ancient artifacts.
With a smile, Orthes began searching for each name on the list he received from Salmosia.
*
Lampades acted swiftly.
‘The official schedule only involves demonstrating the extra-dimensional radar.’
They would rest on the first day due to travel fatigue. On the second day, they would have technical demonstrations and provide prototype supplies.
After that, they would only stay to perform repairs whenever errors occurred while using the product.
If it were for repairs alone, other mages in the Mage Tower could manage it just fine too.
Lampades fully trusted his family’s abilities and focused on tracking Knemon.
He needed to find Knemon within the next ten days to guarantee the safety of the Mage Tower.
Though there were many complexities in his heart, Lampades tried not to lose his composure. He had told his people in the Mage Tower that he would be temporarily away for a few days, so they shouldn’t worry too much.
‘I had subtly asked my connections from the Troubleshooter days, but there’s no active Troubleshooter matching Knemon’s description. Either they’ve changed their appearance or have distanced themselves from being a Troubleshooter.’
He probably had a high chance of quitting being a Troubleshooter. He likely hid from Orthes.
‘The saying “It’s darkest under the lamp” holds true; living as a Troubleshooter while changing one’s face has too many uncertainties. He must have had a falling out with Orthes. First, I should begin tracking from Knemon’s hometown….’
*
“By the way, Orthes. How many friends are you introducing to me?”
This was after Orthes had hinted that ‘a new friend would benefit the Hydra Corporation’s business.’ The fact that another friend after Lampades, who developed the extra-dimensional explorer, could help with his objectives was baffling.
Just what kind of friends are causing such ridiculous coincidences?
‘Are they really friends…?’
Carisia recalled how Orthes had referred to Lampades as ‘friend’ while Lampades had acted like a leader in front of a lion. Fearful and daunting, yet seemingly willing to sacrifice for the group’s well-being.
“Haha, I don’t really have that many acquaintances. Including Lampades, it’s about three.”
“Lampades is the Tower Master, and the other two?”
“The one who seems helpful for our work now is Knemon. He’s a revolutionary type of friend who dreamed of social reform.”
“A revolutionary?”
Carisia could think of several horrific possibilities that could emerge from that short word. After all, wasn’t she also opposed to the Ten Towers system herself?
Going further could lead to a doomsday cultist who believes the world needs to end first. While Carisia trusted Orthes in many aspects, not in human relationships.
Her hand instinctively caressed her temple.
“I was so busy trying to scrape by that I probably brushed him off pretty harshly. If we meet again, I’ll apologize.”
Orthes thought of Lampades as just a friend, yet what would Knemon’s reaction be if he and Orthes did meet again after being ‘brushed off’?
Orthes interpreted Carisia’s expression filled with doubt and waved it off.
“I haven’t mentioned anything about inviting him like Lampades, but… if I contact him, I won’t treat him poorly.”
Meeting with Lampades inspired Orthes with a thought.
‘While there aren’t trustworthy folks among Troubleshooters or mercenaries, I can trust the character of my friends!’
Even if there are self-interested reasons, how many mages are willing to risk themselves to find a newcomer at the Mage Tower? Orthes realized that his judgment of friends was accurate.
‘That guy also had a pretty good personality. He would definitely refuse any requests about fighting the Ten Towers, but for something simple like finding artifacts, he would help.’
*
“Uh, the faceless messenger of Orthes!!”
Knemon exclaimed in shock before shooting back.
Lampades’ face crumpled at the absurd accusation.
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