Chapter 302 - Retreating Step (1)
Balrog's mind domination is classified information.
The existence of a forced magic circle, or the fact that humans are used as magical test subjects, is the same. Verden does not want the unofficial experiments of the Bohemirn Magic Tower to be revealed.
Rumors without evidence.
Truth that exists only as suspicion, would only cause noisy chaos.
At the same time, the Bohemirn Magic Tower, though not outwardly showing it, would secretly try to identify the source of the disturbance.
One misstep, and the shadow would be stepped on.
At worst, even the survival of Verden and Adrian could be exposed.
And the side that Balrog is thoroughly hiding.
Though they claim to understand the essence, nature, and magical abilities of that madness, which is not known to the world, in the end it is only a fraction.
'I do not know Balrog's full power.'
In the first place, it would be the same for anyone.
Even disciples and the elders of the Magic Tower… perhaps only Dahit, the leader of Black Hour, who had personally engaged in magical combat, might know.
Even that is not certain.
'Nor can I know exactly what decisions Balrog will make in various situations.'
At most, all one can do is understand perspective through experience, and make guesses.
In other words, the more variables there are, the harder it becomes to predict Balrog's behavior.
The concealment of information is essential, at least for now.
Thus, Adrian's true identity is hidden.
He would have liked to conceal even his outward appearance, but since his bare face had already been exposed in Wells Town, there was no way to undo it.
The course of action was decided.
That was why.
"…And yet, you're alive and moving, with that body?"
Rebecca, arms crossed, glared at Adrian.
A gaze full of hostility.
For her, it was a natural reaction.
Adrian was an inspector dispatched from the Bohemirn Magic Tower.
The Society, being opposed to the Magic Tower, is in an antagonistic relationship. He had even committed massacres in the city of the territory and in Wells Town.
At times, he had even swung his blade at the residents.
There was room for leniency, since he had been under mind domination and not in his right mind, but the two before him had no way of knowing that.
"..."
Ethan's eyes were no gentler.
Feigning calm, he was nonetheless on edge. His right hand, with the back turned outward, hid something inside the unseen palm.
Its nature unknown, but he seemed ready to activate it at any moment.
How should he resolve the misunderstanding?
'The answer is simple.'
Respond with silence, consistently.
The Society, especially Ethan, is trying to show him goodwill. Therefore, they would not probe too closely.
Sometimes, silence is wisdom.
Yet, it is true that words often carry more than silence. As they do now.
Facing Rebecca, Adrian opened his mouth.
"Thanks to you, disaster was avoided. I give you my gratitude."
"…?"
It was thanks for saving the child.
When his solemn voice brushed her ears, Ethan's hand twitched with interest, and Rebecca's eyes widened.
Their surprise was natural.
The madman who had swung his blade in Wells Town, and the Adrian now, were like two sides of the same coin.
"D-did I mishear that?"
"You heard correctly. Goodness, I was rather tense inside, but this is wholly different from what I had expected. Don't you think so, Rebecca?"
Ethan gave a small laugh.
The object in his palm disappeared into his sleeve. The vigilance that had accompanied it also lessened, compared to just moments before.
But at the same time, the transparent gem set in his bracelet reflected Adrian. Sinisterly.
"…Hmph."
Rebecca remained the same.
As though not convinced by a few words, she suspiciously fixed her eyes on Adrian's sword and hands. Blatantly so.
The difference in their personalities was clear.
"Perhaps something happened while we were away. I am very curious, but… I doubt you would be willing to tell us. So, I will not ask."
Ethan's narrowed eyes curved into a smile.
"Instead, could you spare a little time for me?"
He wished to talk.
In a place with no outsiders.
"So be it."
Verden nodded.
It was what he had wanted anyway.
***
Adrian returned to the cave, and took a deep rest.
For shattered bones to fully mend, absolute stability is needed. If they healed in misalignment, the effort to correct them would be tremendous.
Leaves fallen, branches laid bare.
In the barren forest stood only three, Verden, Ethan, and Rebecca.
"The Society."
The opening was abrupt.
Like Ethan's attitude, which had changed to goodwill after their talk in the underground waterways and mansion of the territory.
"The Society may oppose the Magic Tower's system, but it does not deny the achievements the Tower has built. Without their power and knowledge, this age would not have come to pass."
The Magic Tower had greatly contributed to the advancement of the world.
They enabled the protection of more citizens from threats like demi-humans and abnormal species, and overall, the standard of living became more prosperous.
Listing them all would surpass ten fingers, easily.
"Yet stagnant water, eventually rots. The current Magic Tower has lost its direction."
"Direction?"
"Do you know of the First Magic Tower?"
Of course he did.
No mage who had studied the history of the Magic Tower could not know.
In a distant age, when mages were exceedingly rare.
The one that first introduced the classification of tiers, and began the systematic training of mages, was the First Magic Tower.
"Indeed. The purpose of the First Magic Tower's foundation was for the people. Noble mages gathered together, delved into the mysteries of magic, researched them, and sought to overcome the hardships of the era. Inspired by their power, effort, and resolve, others established more towers, which became the beginning of the tower system."
Ethan slowly stepped forward, strolling nearby.
"But the long ages have been cruel. In the present day, the Magic Tower has forgotten the mindset it should rightfully uphold…"
A mage is a human who pursues knowledge.
Altruism is born of ego, twisted into part of the process, and as a result, has produced selflessness.
That was why the foundation of the Magic Tower was noble.
But now it is no longer so.
Most of the Magic Towers pursue only the mind of the mage.
This place is the same.
The disputes between the towers, in the city of Midros and in Wells Town. What altruism can be found there?
In both process and purpose, there is nothing but selfishness.
"..."
Verden listened attentively to Ethan's words.
Indeed, what he said was not wrong. In truth, Verden and Adrian themselves were the very product of the selfishness of the Magic Tower.
Ethan drew a steady breath, and continued.
"That is why the Society is grounded in the reform of the age."
"To revive past glory, then?"
"That is only part of the process. We do not remain trapped, but aim to move forward. To learn from the past, to act in the present, and to build a better future."
Ethan stopped walking.
"Is that not the very essence of magic?"
In his words, the weight of years was carried.
This was not some fleeting illusion. It was a conclusion reached through the blending and weaving of many thoughts and much knowledge.
The mysterious organization called the Society.
Attention had been drawn only to the peculiarity that it opposed the Magic Tower, but what they sought was far more than Verden had anticipated.
He found himself intrigued.
As a mage, it was pure curiosity.
"…Sir Asher, I believe you can already guess what we are about to say. Therefore, let me be direct in offering a proposal."
Though the tone was different, it was inevitably familiar.
For Verden had already faced a similar situation.
The Listener of the Ark.
The conversation and promise exchanged with him still remained vividly in memory.
"Would you consider joining the Society?"
Sincerity was carried in his tone.
Ethan and Rebecca looked at Verden with eyes carrying expectation, though only slightly so.
Eyes that already knew what his answer would be.
"I refuse."
"Ah, Ethan, I knew this would happen───"
"Still, I would like to have a deeper conversation."
Rebecca blinked in shock.
Beside her, Ethan's narrowed eyes revealed blue-gray pupils.
They had known the proposal would not be accepted.
Thus, what they had hoped for was to leave room for a positive relationship… but this was an answer beyond their expectations.
Ethan gestured quickly.
At once, Rebecca pulled out from inside her robe a coin-sized mark, engraved with an inverted triangle and a circle within, and handed it to Verden.
"When you activate this mark, the magic stone embedded inside will release magic power, convert it into a unique mana wavelength, and spread it in all directions. Unless a mage is especially sensitive, they will hardly detect it, and even if they do, they will not know where the wave began."
"This is a one-time-use mark that the Society employs. If you activate it in a city, before long, the Society will attempt contact. There are other procedures, of course, but they won't be overly troublesome."
"You're saying I should decide when to meet."
"Wouldn't that be more convenient for you?"
That was true.
Verden reached out his hand.
The moment his fingertips touched, the mark vanished into subspace.
Yet, a question arose.
"What if it is used on another continent?"
"Another continent… The Society is indeed known to operate in the Eastern Continent. The Magic Towers also believe this. But, is that truly the reality?"
"…!"
"The world is steeped in secrets. Ours, and yours as well, Sir Asher."
Ethan smiled.
"Then, we shall await your contact."
The conversation ended there.
As Verden offered his farewell, he watched Ethan and Rebecca's backs as they departed.
'There really is no shortage of secret organizations.'
The Ark, wishing to guide humanity.
Gluttony, seeking to annihilate the old humanity and create the new.
The Glory of the Dead, a black mage group desiring an immortal world.
The Society, seeking the reformation of the magic era.
Even counting roughly, there were this many.
Verden once more realized how vast the world was.
Not that he had much to say about it.
To be honest, if Verden himself were to build a power, that too would surely be regarded as a secret organization in the eyes of the world.
He soon abandoned the thought, and brushed his hair back.
'In any case, one matter is now dealt with.'
But he still could not leave yet.
It was nearly time for those people to arrive in the territory.
Only after dealing with that, could he take Adrian and move on to another region.
There was no option to ignore it.
Doing so would surely cause trouble later.
For that is what the Magic Towers are.
***
Verden returned to the Midros Territory.
Even before entering the mansion, the main gate burst open, and Padreld came running out.
"You have finally returned, Sir Asher!"
His face was full of relief and joy.
Especially the former, which dominated his expression.
It was not because of the value of the smuggled Faver, nor the payment for information. The cold sweat pouring from him, as though a blade was at his throat, told the truth.
"Has the Magic Tower come?"
"Yes, a notice has been issued that investigators will soon be dispatched, requiring all related parties to surrender… Ah? You already knew?"
"Of course I did."
The lord of the territory had disappeared.
On top of that, the mage dispatched from the Magic Tower, and the leadership of the territorial branch, had been slaughtered. And this, within the castle of the territory itself.
Could such an incident possibly be smoothed over as if nothing had happened?
'Impossible.'
The Larrian Magic Tower.
The Magic Tower of the Volcanic Island.
Both, holding great shares in the territory, would not sit idly by.
To uncover the truth of the incident, and to see if their dealings with Kendras had surfaced, they would send high-ranking mages.
Anyone even slightly connected would be rooted out.
Even the back-alley forces, like the Mamentus Merchant Guild and the Rainbow-hued Inn, that had been investigated, would not be spared. Using pretexts, they might even attempt ruthless purges.
One wrong step, and blood would flow through the city.
Not only that, but the pursuit would likely continue, until it reached Verden himself.
Therefore, it must be severed here.
"The Clowns of Aldamia. Are the two of them alive?"
"…! Yes, they are alive."
Though vengeance was taken, they were not killed.
Padreld and the back-alley forces had not ignored Verden's warning.
"Then make sure they are treated well. It would be a waste if they died along the way."
They were terrorists, mass murderers.
And mercenaries sent by the Bohemirn Magic Tower.
From the start, there had been no intention of showing mercy.
Even if they later died and became corpses, it would be enough. That was why he had handed them over. But if they still lived, the process could be made smoother.
Verden spoke.
"When the investigators from the two towers arrive in the Midros Territory, tell them this. If they wish to know what they want, they should come to the mansion themselves."
"Th-that means…"
"I will settle this."
As it began, so too would the conclusion be Verden's to handle.
Padreld inhaled sharply with wide eyes, then bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Sir Asher."
Saved.
A sigh of relief spread across his face.
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