Under the dim, yellow sky, Rhodes strolled down the rough cobblestone path with his maid at his side.
This was still within the Clock Tower's territory, even closer to its heart than the shabby courtyard the Yggdmillennia Clan had once "gifted" him. Here, both the protection and constraints of the Clock Tower were absolute.
The estate, sprawling across a full square kilometer, had been presented to him as a congratulatory gift for the opening of Rhodes's Arcane Garden.
It came from the Edelfelt family. Quite a few of their magi had already joined Rhodes's Arcane Garden, bolstering the foundation he lacked, while at the same time keeping an eye on this prodigious youth and drawing closer ties between them.
Edelfelt, Valualeta, even the aristocratic Sophia-Ri family, renowned for their noble ideology, had all reached out to speak with him several times.
Yet each of their little schemes had ended in failure. Once the families realized Rhodes' principles, they could only feel disappointment—and wait to see the "tragedy" of this Clock Tower upstart.
By rejecting most of the Clock Tower's invitations, Rhodes had already offended the proudest of them. The rest withheld support, some even fanning the flames. Among the rootless apprentice magi, rumors spread that "Rhodes will pay the price for his arrogance sooner or later."
But Rhodes wasn't the fool they hoped for. In each of those countless negotiations, he had left a strong impression—and more than that, he'd forged deals of mutual benefit. Enough to secure partial support from a surprising number of families.
Of course, every single one of them questioned his identity. To them, Rhodes couldn't possibly be an ordinary sixteen-year-old. He had to be some ancient monster in disguise.
"Master…" As they arrived before the gilded gates of the estate, RyuZU hesitated, reaching out a hand as if to stop him.
"What is it? You don't need to hold back with me." Rhodes chuckled, genuinely pleased that—for once—she hadn't led with her usual biting tongue.
"Hah?" RyuZU's lips curved into the faintest smile, but her gem-bright eyes glimmered with contempt. "You said the same thing last night, when you were doing those disgusting things to me. Is that also part of your fetish? Though, I suppose I don't hate a hopeless Master like you…"
"As expected, hoping you'd drop that sharp tongue of yours was wishful thinking." Rhodes shrugged. After all, he had been the one to design her with that personality. Responsibility was his.
"Oh? You call this sharp-tongued? I'd say it's a benevolent scourge. Very useful for correcting your perversions. At the very least, you haven't touched those disgusting little toys in the past few nights."
Her delicate face wore a teasing smile, but her pale cheeks tinged pink, her long legs drawing closer together. Clearly, some unpleasant memory had risen to the surface.
"Scourges like that only work on perverts, don't they? I'm still more or less a normal human—probably." Rhodes chuckled, mocking himself. "So? Enough circling around. What are you really trying to say, RyuZU?"
"It's simple…" The childish pretense faded from her demeanor. Her voice turned thoughtful. "Why sell Mystic Codes to the Valualeta, one of the Twelve Lords? We're not short on funds. Won't we eventually turn against the Clock Tower? What you're doing now is feeding the enemy."
"That's exactly why it's sad you don't understand politics, RyuZU." Rhodes's voice was tinged with melancholy. "No country ever sells its latest weapons. They offload simplified versions—or obsolete junk—to third-world nations at a profit. I'm doing the same. Nothing more."
"But—" She tried to press, only for Rhodes's finger to rest gently against her pale lips.
"Hold that thought. Let me show you what real power looks like."
◇◇◇
The estate, gifted by one of the Clock Tower's most prominent families, had been completely remodeled. Its ancient architecture now bristled with modernized defenses. From simple laser tripwires to fully automated anti-air cannons, it radiated a brutal, industrial flair—reminiscent of a certain country's trademark methods. After all, only that place would think to execute prisoners with flak guns.
Surveillance cameras filled every corner. Golems and Automatons disguised as decorations lurked in the shadows. Every shining suit of armor concealed a ferocious Iron Golem. Behind each stately painting lay the deadly maw of an M18A1 Claymore mine. Every weapon, every trap, was layered with Magecraft—making them both more concealed and infinitely deadlier.
Outwardly, the estate was elegant. In truth, it had become one of the most impregnable fortresses in the world. Not even an entire infantry battalion could storm it. They'd be chewed apart by its cruel defenses and left in the dust.
Beneath the grounds, accessible by elevator, lay a space where eight squads of mercenaries—twelve men each, ninety-six in total—stood waiting.
They were fully armed, their bodies gleaming with steel and mana. Each had the physique of a bodybuilder, drilled with the discipline of a modern army.
On the high platform above them, Rhodes wrapped an arm around RyuZU's slender waist, grinning with the pride of a commander reviewing his troops.
"These men were once ordinary mortals. Kairi Shishigou recruited them out of that miserable place we call the Middle East. I remade them into flesh-and-blood Golems. Reinforced bones, enhanced regeneration—they could go toe-to-toe with Wolverine, or mow down armies with 60mm cannons. And their loyalty? Absolute."
"You used Arcane Magic to implant suggestions into them, didn't you?" RyuZU murmured softly, eyes fixed on their slightly vacant stares. "That's… excessive."
"But I pay them the highest wages in the world. Work for me one year, and they earn tens of thousands of pounds." Rhodes's tone was righteous—until RyuZU's fingers dug mercilessly into his waist.
"I told you, when you put your hand on my waist, don't try to slip it in!"