Orthes sensed that half of Carisia’s emotion was a joke. The other half, as he suspected, was mixed with anger.
But it wasn’t the kind of anger he expected.
“What the heck is this?”
It was supposed to be a promise to call each other if things looked dangerous.
As soon as Carisia sensed the surging magic from afar, she dropped everything and rushed toward the epicenter of the explosion.
When she arrived, the sight that greeted her was Orthes covered in debris, grinning like a fool. Despite his usual appearance being somewhat calming, it also sparked annoyance.
“You said to call if it looked dangerous, didn’t you?”
He appeared to have no serious injuries—just a few scrapes, at most. However, even though he was lucky to have avoided the explosion’s range, the attack could have easily resulted in serious injury.
“Oh. Don’t worry. I caused the explosion myself.”
Orthes offered a flimsy excuse. Carisia was able to deduce the truth from that one line he threw out to save himself.
“So, you made the explosion. Since you can’t use magic, there must have been a mage around who could. I can sense echoes of multiple attributes, so several mages gathered just to chase after you.”
‘Oh no.’
This was a disaster. Orthes grumbled internally about how inconvenient it was to work under a perceptive superior.
“Boss. Before we talk, let’s change locations. The fact that Algoth City, still under preparation against extra-dimensional threats, was chosen as a testing ground suggests that the Ten Towers are implying ‘feel free to kill each other if necessary,’ but it wouldn’t bode well to have people witness us like this on the day of the summons before the actual test even started.”
Carisia stared at Orthes for a moment before nodding in agreement.
They had taken a more aggressive approach to force Argyrion to appear, but tonight yielded little fruit. If Argyrion had shown up, all the attention from the Ten Towers would have shifted to them, but now was not the time.
Orthes and Carisia returned to their lodging on the outskirts of Algoth City, grumbling at each other.
The place they had reserved was in shambles. Wizards lay groaning beneath a half-destroyed ceiling, looking like they’d barely escaped death.
*
“That’s how you communicate?!”
Kine shouted in frustration. She was trying to grab me by the collar, but after failing because of our height difference, she became childish and pounced to hold onto my clothes.
“It was a raid.”
This wasn’t unexpected. I had initially kept Kine there to prepare for such a situation. Yet at the same time, it exceeded expectations. Attacking so early before the trial’s format was even announced?
“This is strange. They shouldn’t be the type to move so quickly….”
When Kine caught my muttering, she looked up and met my gaze.
“You and the boss were turning Algoth City upside down, remember?”
“No. Am I ‘you’ and is the boss ‘sir’?”
Kine ignored my timid complaint. I mean, if Carisia is the highest-ranking individual, it seems the rumor about kids being perceptive was indeed true.
“Well, the boss was being reckless one way or another.”
“Exactly. Whoever it is, they must have thought, ‘If she’s causing that much noise, we can’t lag behind.’ We’re relatively unknown.”
Kine muttered about how the weak ones were the first to be bitten in such chaos, revealing experience that belied her age. It seemed to be a real-life experience from her time wandering as a follower of Bacchus.
“Well done. Dark attribute magic without the catalyst for using Necromancy isn’t suitable for direct combat. But you seem to have used curses quite effectively.”
“About that….”
Kine trailed off and gestured toward me. Leaning down, she whispered.
“I used Bacchus’s Holy Power to confuse their minds and suppress them, but I’m not sure if that Knemon guy caught on.”
Bacchus’s Holy Power, which bewitched people. It really seemed to complement the mind-eating curse well. I admired the linkage of magic and Holy Power and responded to Kine.
“It’s fine.”
“Hmm?”
“It doesn’t matter if he caught on or not. Actually, it would be better if he did.”
“What?”
“After all, I was going to have to tell him soon anyway.”
I had intended to call some people from the Divine Cult, but I couldn’t hide it forever.
“He isn’t the type to obediently comply with the system, so he might even be pleased.”
*
Knemon’s expression was grim.
“You have quite the skill in managing people.”
Carisia offered no response. She merely observed the scene with a brief ‘hmm,’ unsure whether it was a sigh or a gasp of admiration.
“I can see that you’re trying to take control of the Tower’s decision-making process yourself, which is understandable, but…”
Knemon glared at Kine.
“That girl is one trained by Hydra Corporation, isn’t she? Leaving such a child on a battlefield is a bit too harsh for a test, don’t you think?”
Carisia turned her head to look at Knemon.
Many thoughts swirled in her mind. Truth and lies. Which response would be the easiest to control this individual?
‘Saying that all of this is a test planned by Hydra Corporation, as Knemon mistakenly believes, would be the most effective strategy.’
But…
She could see Orthes talking with Kine behind Knemon.
Whatever she said, Orthes would likely cause greater chaos with just one more comment. Carisia, bolstered by that confidence, decided to be completely honest.
“To tell the truth, I did not anticipate such events. I was too focused on finding the enemies that I didn’t pay attention to our side. I apologize.”
“Don’t spout nonsense. I know the abilities of your subordinate Orthes. Not just him; the fact that you’re involved means you couldn’t have failed to prevent even a single raid.”
“But Orthes was the one who was attacked.”
“What?…”
“For a detailed explanation, he will tell you.”
Carisia extended her arm towards Orthes, who slowly began to walk over as he noticed her gesture.
*
“Mr. Knemon.”
Orthes arrived and surveyed the area. The attackers had been adequately dealt with, and none were conscious. There were no magical tools present to monitor this location either.
Since there was some leeway for honesty now.
“Actually, the situation in the city is quite complicated right now.”
“Complicated?”
“Well, you see, a suspicious life form that has existed for a very long time sneaked into the Tower Master decision-making event.”
That was nonsensical. Knemon suspected that the ‘suspicious life form that has existed for a very long time’ was a description of Orthes himself.
“In fact, that poses a significant risk. Even for me, there’s no guarantee I can catch it with borrowed water bubbles.”
That was shocking. Knemon knew the scale of destruction Orthes could bring by using water bubbles. For Orthes not to be able to handle such vitality? It raised doubts about whether it could even be called a living entity.
“So, you had no time to pay attention to this side because you were dealing with that?”
“Well, I tried to charm them with words, but they ended up completely ignoring me.”
Knemon instinctively sensed the wisdom of that life form. The fact that it detected the hidden toxicity behind Orthes’s words and completely severed it was no small feat. An entity with such wisdom would undoubtedly be a formidable rival.
“That’s why I called in a pest control company with specialized experience in dealing with it…”
That was a rather peculiar expression. A company that hunts beings dangerous enough to survive against Orthes?
It had been a long time since he had left the troubleshooter industry, but if there were groups of such powerful troubleshooters, they certainly wouldn’t have reached Knemon’s ears. If it were factional, they’d already be part of the Armimone Tower’s decision-making process.
“They have some public responsibilities that make it difficult for them to operate…”
“…Could it be?”
Dangerous names flicked through Knemon’s mind. If they had plans to set the world ablaze, it was only natural they’d be entwined with social pariahs.
“They are known as the Divine Cult. Formally, they are considered the strongest of the priests often referred to as followers of superstition.”
Knemon’s vision went dark. Things were starting to make sense.
‘Come to think of it, there was an incident where Argyrion killed one of the elders of the Ten Towers.’
The Ten Towers had cited the evil methods of the followers of superstition as the reason Argyrion could kill an elder. And now Orthes claimed he would call upon the strongest priests to defeat the suspicious life form.
It implied that the suspicious life form that even Orthes struggled against might just be an elder from the Ten Towers.
“Well, if it’s an elder, Orthes should at least be able to get away from him.”
A strange understanding.
‘And the fact that he’s telling me this means…’
It must indicate that Knemon had successfully passed a trial. Now he would officially become part of a plan to set the world ablaze.
“I understand. I will do my utmost to cooperate.”
“Just as I thought! I knew Mr. Knemon would be on the same wavelength as me.”
Orthes laughed heartily, patting Knemon on the shoulder while Carisia watched the scene, unwrapping chocolates for Kine.
‘Right now, I didn’t lie at all…’
How can people be so easily deceived?
I’m not sure whether to sigh or laugh.
