Chapter 294 – Encounter (2)
"What? Revenge? You said revenge? Kahahahahahahaha!"
Kendras slapped his knee with his palm as he burst into laughter.
His breathing had grown rough, his shoulders shook ceaselessly. He laughed so hard that his fierce face flushed crimson.
There hadn't been a slip of the tongue anywhere in the conversation, so what in the world triggered him? Not knowing the reason made it less confusing than outright unpleasant.
Verdan twitched the corner of his eye slightly, and placed his left hand on the table.
"What's so funny?"
"You're seriously asking because you don't know? Kahaha! So, the so-called King of the Underworld turns out to be a mage ignorant of the ways of the world!"
Kendras unconsciously stroked his scar.
Even after all these years, it still jabbed at him from time to time. The pain made the moment his throat had been half torn apart by magic flash vividly in his mind.
"Revenge… against a magic tower, and no less than the Bohemirn Magic Tower at that."
The ten magic towers that reigned over the world were themselves forces of power and deterrence.
Even the lowest-ranked among them was no exception.
They were places where renowned mages from all across the world had gathered and developed their craft and tactics for countless years.
And the magic circles, unique spells, and mana operation methods that only the core members of a magic tower could master elevated their stature even further.
Among them, the Bohemirn Magic Tower stood second in martial ranking.
Especially the direct divisions under Tower Master Balrog Bessias, who were on another level entirely.
They wielded elemental magic with annihilating force, responded adeptly to various situations through magic circles, and even possessed high-speed flight mobility.
Kendras, once a member of the Followers of the Three Eyes, had firsthand experience of that group's destructive power.
The precise magical bombardments pouring from the skies were sheer terror.
Before overwhelming might, resistance meant nothing. Mage or warrior, it didn't matter—everything was erased without even leaving corpses behind.
The only reason Kendras survived was because he threw his comrades of the same organization as bait, followed by sheer luck.
"After what I went through to survive, you think I'd waste the rest of my life on something as petty as a grudge? Besides, in this day and age, who would be such an idiot to throw away time, money, and their neck for something so worthless?"
His tone was grating.
"…Then why provoke the Bohemirn Magic Tower? By your own words, it would make more sense to live quietly."
"Of course it would. But this is the Eastern Continent, and behind me stand the Magic Tower of the Volcanic Island and the Magic Tower of Larrian. Those bastards are desperate to erase Bohemirn's influence. So… this is business."
"Business?"
"Yes, business."
Kendras clenched his fist.
"The magic towers boast of their achievements and successes, preaching about noble competition. But in truth, just like the Autonomous Territory of Midros, they don't hesitate to tear each other apart beneath the surface whenever the chance arises. We've simply been hired as their vanguard. Think of it as mercenary corps participating in a war. Of course, the profits don't compare."
"Hearing that makes it all the harder to understand. Knowing the danger of a magic tower, and yet you ally with them? Do you really think those two towers will let you live once you've served your purpose?"
A hunting dog that has outlived its usefulness is always put down.
Left alone, it becomes a nuisance, or worse, may turn and bite its master.
"You certainly understand the nature of magic towers well. Could it be you're from one yourself?"
"Stop dodging the question."
"Kahaha, touchy, aren't you? Well, you're right, the chances are high. But that's only in the usual case. Things are different now. The Bohemirn Magic Tower is at war with Black Hour."
Kendras tapped the armrest with his finger.
"The omnipotent Balrog Bessias. The Dark Moon, Dahit Wethroel. A full-scale war between factions led by none other than Transcendents. Objectively, Bohemirn Magic Tower has the higher odds, but no one can say for certain. What is certain is that no one will escape that war unscathed… especially not Bohemirn Magic Tower, which has lost its power source."
The power source's rampage was a concealed fact.
The rumor wasn't yet known to the world, but Kendras was confident.
He must have obtained the information through either the Magic Tower of the Volcanic Island or the Larrian Magic Tower.
"..."
Verdan kept silent.
At that attitude, Kendras twisted his lips into a smirk.
"Oh? Not surprised even at the mention of the power source, are you? Then you already knew. So, the King of the Underworld does live up to his name? Or maybe you really are from a magic tower. Perhaps even affiliated."
"So, what's your point?"
"My point is, the Bohemirn Magic Tower has gone from hunter to hunted."
Restoring the power source was not even a possibility.
That much was obvious. If it were possible to engineer an infinite mana aggregate through design, the world would already be brimming with magic tower power sources.
And to recover the damaged force would take decades at the very least.
Meanwhile, other towers would continue to develop, while Bohemirn Magic Tower would naturally regress. It was obvious they'd soon plunge down to the lowest rank.
Which of the two sides would claim victory?
It didn't matter. The loser would lose everything, and the victor would lose as well.
"The moment the war ends, Bohemirn Magic Tower's steep decline begins. The other towers will invade its domain without mercy, and seizing that opportunity as a foothold, I, we, will rise. When the time comes, we might even leave the Eastern Continent behind and return to the beloved Central Continent."
Kendras licked his lips.
"And once it's all over, will the two towers dispose of us? Hah, I wonder. No matter how much they're collapsing, it's still the Bohemirn Magic Tower. That process will take at least fifteen years."
Kendras had once shaken off the pursuit of Bohemirn Magic Tower.
If he were given such a long span of fifteen years, he could surely devise several methods to slip free from the grasp of the two towers.
"Of course, some degree of risk must be taken. But isn't that how the world works? Even adventurers stake their lives to carry out subjugations."
"..."
"I suppose that's enough of an answer, right? Anyway, this has gone on long, but I still haven't heard why you sought me out. Hmm… maybe it doesn't matter. My business is what's important, after all."
"Business?"
"You thought I let you in here just because I was bored? Well, not entirely untrue, but the main reason lies elsewhere. In that title of yours, King of the Underworld."
His brown eyes fixed on the blue ones.
"Asher, how about joining under me?"
***
In the underground of Wells Town, banquets were held often.
The magic tower and the lord of the autonomous territory supplied them endlessly with money, goods, equipment, and everything else a faction could need. Squandering another's wealth like running water was, in itself, a pleasure.
There was never a shortage of liquor and meat.
If there was ever the slightest sign of running out, they could simply obtain more through the lord of the territory. A feast without lack was always brimming with tedious delight.
The end of the banquet came abruptly.
Kugugugu.
A heavy door opened.
The lively noise stopped, countless gazes concentrated on the entrance.
"…Who's that?"
Someone asked, but no answer came.
Disorderly murmurs spread.
Adrian, who had suddenly entered, his face hidden behind a metal mask, moved his sky-blue eyes.
His gaze caught two men.
Sedwordy and Palin, two of the three leaders of the faction. Their appearance matched exactly the description the lord of the territory had uttered under interrogation.
Palin downed his ale.
He wiped his mouth and lifted his chin.
"Never seen you before… what are you? Did Kendras send you?"
"..."
Adrian did not reply.
Instead, he placed his hand on the rusted hilt of his sword.
His sharp senses seized the space.
Dozens of men stood watchfully before him, and even several floors below, he detected groups of enemies. Among them lurked a "strange existence", one he could not even gauge as dangerous.
'They all must die.'
A group made up of mages and warriors.
Numerically, they held overwhelming superiority, yet there was no reason to hesitate or fear.
───Even when surrounded by enemies, do not be afraid. So long as you can deceive their perception, not a single hair of yours will be touched. Adrian, what I will teach you today, is that movement.
A voice he had heard in his childhood.
The teachings of his master were engraved upon his soul.
Kiiiiiik.
The doors of the banquet hall slowly closed.
And in that last visible gap, Adrian's figure vanished.
***
"Asher, how about joining under me?"
Kendras's proposal was unexpected.
Seeing the faint shift in Verden's expression, Kendras leisurely continued.
"Until recently, I had no interest in Roafra. Since I had settled in the territory, there was no reason to trouble myself with the Kingdom of Estiria. But when its ruler comes right up to me, my thoughts naturally begin to change."
Roafra was a haven of crime.
The market formed within that vast underground city was immense. Even if tobacco frowned upon by the Church of Luas was hard to obtain, everything else could be had at will.
At times, even artifacts appeared as goods at the underworld's auction houses. Compared to that, the underground of Wells Town was narrow and barren.
Verden spoke.
"So, what you want is to use me to establish Roafra as your base?"
"If that were possible, nothing could be better. And it wouldn't be bad for you either. You, the master of the largest underworld in the Eastern Continent, and I, supported by magic towers and working as their mercenary. Even hearing this, do you still not see the picture?"
"Not in the least. In the first place, what could I possibly gain by joining under you?"
"What else, your very life."
Kendras gripped the mace lying beside his chair.
"I know well that you are quite a strong mage. You bear the title of king, after all. But compared to the Central Continent, crawling with countless monsters, you are nothing."
The Central Continent.
The largest of the three divided continents.
"Ruler of Roafra? King of the Underworld? That kind of empty title only frightens the weak-minded. Still, your notoriety, I do like it. The fact you could swallow an entire great city, that too. And bringing Faver here means you can bring in the same amount again, later."
Kuung!
He struck the ground with the mace.
The door burst open, and Happen along with other mages surrounded Verden on all sides.
"Asher, they say you killed that man Grond and usurped his seat, didn't you? Then choose. Will you let me take that title from you, or will you bow beneath me?"
There was no longer conversation.
Force-laden intimidation pressed toward Verden, Kendras forcing obedience with the tip of a blade.
Tok, tok, tok.
Verden tapped the table with his fingers.
"…I thought you might be useful, but this was a waste of time."
Kendras was an opportunist, a shadowy schemer.
He didn't even harbor true vengeance toward the Bohemirn Magic Tower. He moved solely in pursuit of gain.
He was not the kind of man Verden was searching for.
That such a person was one of the leaders of this faction… he had thought to meet the others and judge them in person, but all expectation was now gone.
Irritation welled up in him.
'Coming to the Autonomous Territory of Midros was a mistake. A pointless trip───'
At that moment, his senses jolted.
"…?"
Verden instinctively lifted his head.
Because of the mana-blocking devices filling the underground,
Kendras, too, noticed the strange flow.
"What is it?"
And the moment he voiced his doubt, a massive tremor shook the underground.
A thunderous roar of unknown cause repeated from above.
Then.
Kwaaaaaaang!
The ceiling collapsed.
Blood and fragments of corpses rained down.
Amidst the shower, a storm of violet sword energy poured down, as someone cloaked their appearance and swung a blade with deadly force.
Technique, New Moon.
A violet crescent surged forth.
Aimed precisely at Verden.
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