Carisia observed the dark elf that Orthes introduced as a ‘friend.’
The horizontal scar etched across the bridge of his nose and the elf’s signature long ears cut and attached with blade-like antennas were peculiar, but what truly stood out was the introduction as Orthes’ friend.
‘Compared to the introduction…’
He seemed to be scared.
With a puzzled tilt of her head, Carisia decided to engage in conversation. Before being a ‘friend of Orthes,’ wasn’t he someone who needed to be recruited to aid the ‘purpose of Hydra Corporation’?
“Nice to meet you, Lampades. I’m Carisia, the boss of Hydra Corporation.”
Lampades suddenly turned pale and looked up at Orthes.
It was a reaction that Carisia found incomprehensible.
“Ah, I guess I do sound a bit similar to how I used to speak in my active days. Being together for a long time makes us resemble each other.”
Orthes joked. Upon hearing that, Lampades swallowed hard. He tried to hide it, but the clear signs of tension were evident.
“Uh… Nice to meet you too, Ms. Carisia. I’m Lampades from the Mage Tower.”
“Using the name of the Mage Tower to stake your own name, you’re quite confident.”
It was a light-hearted joke, but Lampades didn’t react that way. He briefly cast a tense look towards Orthes, using a method of gauging emotions that warriors typically employed to judge the distance to an ambushing enemy.
Carisia awaited an explanation from Orthes.
“Haha. He was kind enough to comply with my request. I asked him to make it easy to find a name for the day I succeed and can treat him to a meal.”
Lampades nodded.
“Yes, I didn’t expect this friend to really come.”
Carisia thought to herself, ‘This doesn’t feel like the tension between friends…?’
*
Lampades felt Orthes’ deep shadow at Carisia’s first words. It came closer to a realization of horror.
Having spent so much time together, they resembled each other? What a funny notion.
Orthes had not changed one bit. Therefore, the one who had changed must only be that person named Carisia.
I swear by the Ten Commandments and the great Mage King, Lampades had never met anyone who could engage Orthes in such a friendly manner.
Beneath Orthes’ calm respect, there was a coldness that seemed to draw boundary lines between people. Yet astonishingly, there was also a sense of intimacy when speaking to Carisia.
Lampades knew the factors that could cause such drastic changes. People who have families, who give birth to children, can sometimes become completely different from who they once were.
But he couldn’t imagine Orthes as someone capable of creating a family.
‘Then the answer is…’
An ideological heir.
Carisia might be Orthes’ successor, a second Orthes.
‘The most convincing hypothesis about Orthes’ identity during his active days was…’
A Doomsday Cultist.
There are many branches of doomsday theories, but if one had to choose the most widely known, it would be the one based on extra-dimensional catastrophes.
Doomsday Cultists extended from that terminology.
They believed in a theory that one day, the Mage Tower would reach a critical point to stop an overflow of extra-dimensions when inevitable doom would come.
And beyond believing in the theory, there were those who worshipped it, the Doomsday Cultists.
They acted as if doom was their guiding principle in life, beings who yearned for the world’s destruction while not being Eroders.
Orthes had chosen to undertake requests that brought him closer to the deep recesses of extra-dimensions even at the front lines. It was only natural for people to view him as a Doomsday Cultist captivated by extra-dimensions.
Yet, it couldn’t be openly stated. What if he participated in a request like the one he had, for some day, he might not return?
That day, it would end there. Lampades could name at least three troubleshooters who had died participating in requests alongside Orthes.
‘Is it possible that the faceless Orthes has truly found his successor?’
How could this be in Hydra Corporation, the organization with a collective at the company level?
Lampades’ mind spun faster than ever before. Hydra Corporation. The disappearance of five troubleshooters, including Orthes.
‘So, Orthes could have been seen as a risk by the Mage Tower, leading them to conspire a false request. The real request was likely to eliminate Orthes that would be communicated solely to the four participants excluding him…!’
But the request had failed. Instead of eliminating Orthes, four troubleshooters were taken down.
‘But Orthes, too, was wounded and secluded for a long time. He must have realized his own limits and decided to build an organization of Doomsday Cultists…’
Thus, Hydra Corporation must have been formed. The name in mythology feared even by the gods was likely a naming aimed at the Ten Towers and this world.
Lampades drew a breath.
Right now, he was standing before the head of a secret society aiming for the world’s destruction and its dark underbelly!
Within Lampades’ heart, fear and a sense of duty rose in equal measure. Just when he was about to say something,
“Boss, let me explain this friend’s research area.”
“Wait a moment.”
Orthes spoke up before Lampades could get a word in.
“As you can see, Lampades has a deep affection for ‘machines.’ He believes that machine measurements are far more precise and detailed than the senses of existing mages in analyzing the mana in the atmosphere.”
*
There were scientists on Earth who, while trying to resolve noise coming into antennas, discovered evidence of the Big Bang. The remnants of the Big Bang were drifting through space in the form of electromagnetic waves, thanks to being detected by antennas.
Lampades’ methodology was similar. He postulated that in the micro-dimensional noise that mages could not measure, there would be traces of various extra-dimensions.
Extra-dimensions are a treacherous risk of erosion, yet they also contain an immense amount of mana, the golden land.
Finding safe extra-dimensions by classifying micro-dimensional noise. And establishing a connection pathway with those dimensions to herald a golden age surpassing the reign of the Mage King was Lampades’ dream.
I focused on analyzing this micro-dimensional noise.
To analyze this noise, one must filter out existing disturbing factors including the divine power within the Ten Commandments, leaving only the noise caused by extra-dimensions.
This meant that a filter must exist on a technical basis to detect and filter divine power.
It was an incredibly useful ability for divine investigation.
It would not be strange for Elysion to have its eyes and ears everywhere. Thus, while I omitted any detail directly related to divine investigation in my explanation to Carisia, she understood my intent nonetheless.
“Oh. The technology of Lampades’ Mage Tower will be a great help to our company’s endeavors.”
“Thank you for your kind words. However, our tower’s technology is still incomplete…”
That guy. He has always rated himself strangely low. At times like this, he could afford to be more confident.
I added a word for my friend.
“Don’t worry, Lampades. I guarantee your skills.”
*
Stop it.
Don’t guarantee it.
Lampades felt cold sweat trickling down.
He desperately tried to shift the conversation.
“Uh, did you come here for the listing? You’ve completed the application?”
Carisia shook her head.
“I did apply for the listing review, but I’m not trying to take this opportunity. I came here to observe while applying for a corporate scholarship for one of our students.”
‘They even sent spies into Museion…!’
It was far beyond merely sending spies. It could be a means to stealthily incorporate talented individuals from the magical world.
Lampades trembled in fear, yet there was nothing he could do. There was no evidence to back up his reasoning.
‘At least, I have to warn our scholar….’
“Sounds incredibly talented! One of our tower’s scholars is also scheduled to transfer to Museion, so it’d be nice for them to become friends. What’s their name?”
“Kine. Her name is Kine.”
*
Kine was showcasing a simple magic trick in front of the transfer coordinator at Museion. Since Hydra Corporation had just registered as a new company this year, it made it challenging to fully trust the records on Kine.
What raised suspicion for the transfer coordinator was the condition of her prosthetic limb. Her left prosthetic arm attached to her right arm.
If it were a proper company, they would have provided a new prosthetic at the sight of a poorly implanted one. If that was evidence of child abuse, it should be reported up immediately.
Kine looked at her prosthetic.
This was proof of her memories.
Though it had been a life of poverty, the love from the Bacchus Cult people contained in this hand.
At the same time, it was also a testament to loss.
The sole fragment of the happy times that would never return.
As she became aware of the conflicting emotions, dark magic power surged forth. A mage’s strong emotions acted as the most efficient magic catalyst. Her prosthetic limb was a conduit for her emotions.
The output was unimaginable for a child. Just as the coordinator was about to shout “Enough!” fearing a magical rampage, Kine completed her spell quicker.
Dim stars twinkled faintly against the dark sky engulfed in thick darkness. It was a large-scale illusion magic manifested with darkness attribute magic.
“Oooh!” The coordinator marveled, unable to believe such remarkable quality could come from a young girl. He cautiously asked,
“If you don’t mind my asking, why do you keep that prosthetic?”
“…It’s a keepsake.”
A response loaded with deep emotions. The coordinator apologized for stepping in and accepted the paperwork.
A pair of eyes watched Kine quietly answering. The golden-haired child who was a scholar from Lampades’ Mage Tower.
It was Astraphe.
*
Lampades, who had managed to buy time against Orthes trying to promptly establish a technical partnership, sighed.
‘I have to make sure Astraphe doesn’t associate with Kine.’
No. I should just tell the people from our Mage Tower to be wary of Hydra Corporation.
As Lampades tried to hastily retreat, Orthes approached him.
“For this listing review, try to stretch the time as much as possible or finish the test quickly.”
“What?”
“Just a friendly suggestion. Either drag the time to conserve your magic power or finish early to secure time for recovery.”
“Are you telling me to intentionally fail the exam?”
“I mean to leave room for self-defense.”
Orthes donned an unreadable smile.
“No. It’s the power to protect the family of the tower. If it feels too overwhelming, seek out Hydra Corporation.”
Leaving those words, Orthes departed.
Lampades, having heard those ominous prophecies, shook his head and headed towards the listing review room.
Right now, he had to focus on his own work.
Although he felt a push from Orthes, he knew clearly that founding the Mage Tower was his dream.
*
‘How could this…?!’
One hour later, a terrorist organization carrying the banner of anti-Ten Towers assaulted Elysion.
‘Did they know about the terror? No.’
Impossible.
Could the mastermind behind the terror be…!
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