Crash!
Knemon’s confession left Lampades in a state of shock.
‘Orthes, that crazy guy. Is he really planning to add a destruction weapon to this chaotic world?’
There was no doubt that Orthes, who would be behind Argyrion’s active movements, was the instigator of the current turmoil in the magical society.
Bam!
Whatever tricks he pulled off, he had informed his rookies to topple the elders of the Ten Towers, creating rifts in the trust of the Ten Towers. The absolute fear attached to the authority of the Ten Towers was cracking.
Pop!
What if that Bubble of Silence added to the mix?
Lampades imagined a scenario where one of Argyrion’s soldiers used the Bubble of Silence. In any urban area, quietly blowing a bubble only to have an entire Mage Tower vanish without a trace.
Whoosh!
Since there was no magic power felt, mages wouldn’t even begin to guess what kind of force caused such destruction.
Clack!
‘Can that extra-dimensional object harm the Ten Towers?’
Lampades mulled it over and soon realized, ‘That doesn’t matter.’
Even if it couldn’t harm the Ten Towers directly, merely causing the downfall of other Mage Towers could gather both fear and reverence. Whether it was the Great Magic of the Ten Towers or an extra-dimensional artifact, both were equally outside the understanding of ordinary Mage Towers.
Thud!
The unparalleled “incomprehensible power” was the Ten Towers’ most powerful authority. That same authority was now granted to Argyrion.
Wham!
“Authority through power” had been passed down from the Cult to the Mage King. It was a symbolic event announcing the collapse of the mythological age.
That authority could also shift from the Ten Towers back to Argyrion.
Drip… drip…
It was indeed a terrifying plan. The scale and audacity of the plan that shook the very structure of magical society, but what was truly fearsome was Orthes himself, the planner.
The only being who could connect Argyrion to Orthes was Lampades himself.
No one else in this world would suspect Orthes lurking behind Argyrion’s advance.
Even Lampades himself would have remained oblivious to the connection had Orthes not shown himself in Elysion, making it all the more understandable that others wouldn’t have even heard the name Orthes.
Blink!
Lampades’ eyes wavered as he looked at the Bubble of Silence.
He had no idea what kind of outcomes would come from bringing this to Orthes. It was a choice made to protect the members of the Mage Tower, but what good would it do if the very society the Mage Tower belonged to collapsed?
Sigh…
Knemon, sensing Lampades’ hesitation, spoke up.
“Orthes is a type even the Doomsday Cultists can’t comprehend. He’s like someone from a completely different world. I don’t know what he plans to do with this artifact, but it won’t be good for society, that’s for sure.”
Chuckles!
“Wow, didn’t expect you to say that,” Lampades replied, hinting at Knemon’s previous ties to the Doomsday Cult. Knemon nodded.
“I’ve retired from that. I was scared of the future that faceless guy would bring.”
Hmm…
Lampades’ hesitation deepened. He rubbed his forehead in despair and let out a brief, “Ah.”
“There was one more thing for you to deliver.”
“To Orthes?”
“He said it was regrettable about what happened before.”
Gasp!
Why did Orthes want this message delivered? Was it a hint about the usage of the Bubble of Silence?
Lampades attempted to gauge Orthes’ intentions from Knemon’s reaction. If there was an implication regarding how Orthes would use that bubble, Knemon would surely be able to grasp that plan.
Heavy thud…
‘If Orthes intends to use that bubble to completely collapse the magical society…’
A gamble had to be made.
In a world where order was broken, there was no guarantee the Mage Tower family members would survive, let alone live happily ever after.
“Was there no other message?”
Knemon asked after a brief silence. Although he had accompanied Orthes on his extra-dimensional explorations for a long time, this message was too unexpected. He needed more context.
Snaps fingers!
“I already talked about the compensation.”
“Well, apparently, he mentioned he used too much Bubble of Silence and that the remainder is all yours. He also said that caused a rift between you two.”
Hmm…
It was at that moment that Knemon realized Orthes’ hint.
‘He shifted the reason for our separation solely to the bubble’s distribution…?’
Moreover, he drew a clear line declaring that he no longer held ownership over the bubbles. Knemon felt he understood what Orthes meant.
The true reason Knemon had fled was to bury his fear of Orthes’ obsession with acquiring a more powerful artifact.
This also suggested that Orthes didn’t place great significance on the bubbles. The reason Orthes was appealing to Knemon was likely because he had found that “powerful artifact” he could not locate back then.
Boom!
An invitation to participate in a plan that would turn the world upside down.
Knemon couldn’t even fathom a relic more dangerous than the Bubble of Silence. Unless it was an exceptional Ten Commandment.
“Hahaha….”
A hollow laugh escaped him. Until now, he had run away with the Bubble of Silence out of fear that Orthes might destroy the world.
But now Orthes was calling him to say that he had found something even more powerful.
Thud…
‘Whether I accept this invitation or not, the world will flip regardless.’
No matter what desperate measures Knemon took, Orthes’ doomsday plan would be steadfastly moving forward. A deep shade of despair draped over Knemon.
Rumble!
“Let’s go.”
“What?”
“To that faceless guy. The moment I showed him the extra-dimensional research records, I made a wrong choice.”
Whisper…
Knemon mumbled to himself with his eyes closed. Orthes surely had obtained something that could cause the world’s demise by endlessly exploring the extra-dimensional contaminated zones even after his departure.
‘Facing that catastrophe may be the bare minimum of responsibility I have left.’
The only choice available to the one who provided the spark for total destruction. Not turning away from his mistakes.
*
Footsteps!
“I’ve brought him.”
“…?”
I stared at the face of Knemon, whom Lampades had brought, without understanding the situation. How did he bring him here so quickly?
It hadn’t even been a week since the story was shared, right?
Is there a group chat in the troubleshooter industry without me? How on earth did he get him here this fast?
“Long time no see.”
“Yes. Long time no see, Knemon. How have you been?”
Even though it was bewildering, I still had to play my part. I extended my hand with a greeting that had become a habit. Knemon, wearing a strangely fatigued expression, clasped my hand and shook it.
“Haha. Lampades. I didn’t expect you to handle this so quickly. How can I possibly thank you?”
Smirk!
“I’m curious about what you are planning to delegate to Knemon. Can you tell me?”
“Excuse me?”
That was an unexpected reaction. If he had asked me for artifacts or to increase the investment fund, I would gladly fulfill such requests.
What I had intended to ask Knemon was for a list of Mage Towers that secretly housed ancient relics. At a time like this, it was bound to look like I was planning to use it for smear campaigns and fabrications.
Knemon had always been publicly shouting, “I’ll topple this rotten magic power disparity society!” so he wouldn’t find it very strange if I made such a request.
But in front of a Mage Tower Master who built himself up in that “magic power disparity society,” saying “Haha, I’m trying to find weaknesses of the other Mage Towers for various things,” was simply out of the question.
Even if I claimed I was looking for items to steal instead of threats, it would be the same either way.
Depending on the friends, there were things that could and couldn’t be said, and this was definitely closer to the latter upon reflection.
“Haha, it’s a personal matter. It won’t be very interesting to you.”
I attempted to divert the topic with suitable words.
“No. I’m also a party to this matter. I surely deserve to hear it, don’t I?”
Glimmer!
But Lampades was adamant.
My head was throbbing. If this was merely a personal matter, I might be able to swallow it and speak, but it was also related to the Hydra Corporation’s divine investigation.
In other words, the details I wanted to ask Knemon for were also company secrets. This couldn’t be handled carelessly…
Gulp!
Business confidentiality, huh?
“…This isn’t something I can decide on. I’ll report to the boss first and then get back to you.”
I found an escape using Carisia’s position.
*
Lampades and Knemon couldn’t help but be astonished by Orthes’ reaction.
They knew Orthes was plotting something large-scale using Knemon, but he was reporting to someone and taking orders?
Crack!
While Knemon was shocked to discover there was someone else pulling the strings behind Orthes, Lampades, having directly faced Carisia, could develop more specific questions.
‘He wasn’t just a mere decoy to distract public attention?’
At first, he had viewed Carisia as a scapegoat for Orthes.
Then he thought maybe she was an ambitious person using Orthes despite knowing his true nature.
And now, he was left wondering…
What is going on?
An inexplicability that couldn’t be explained by any inference or hypothesis. A heavy shadow seemed to loom over Carisia and the Hydra Corporation.
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