Ch.106Solicitation (1)

When Knemon and Lampades exited the door, Ortes greeted them with his still suspicious expression.

“Well, has your curiosity been satisfied?”

Of course, their curiosity had been resolved. It’s just that anxiety had begun to grow in the empty space where curiosity once resided.

They didn’t even have the energy to respond to Ortes’s snickering. They simply nodded once and trudged toward their assigned lodgings.

Knemon was the first to speak.

“Did you figure it out?”

“What?”

“That person who came in during the middle, the one called a ‘temple acolyte.'”

“…It must be Kaikel.”

‘You’re not surprised?’ Knemon was puzzled by Lampades’s seemingly nonchalant reaction. While Lampades wasn’t a timid person—someone without courage couldn’t work as a troubleshooter on the front lines—he shouldn’t have been able to predict this situation.

Lampades’s thoughts were simple: ‘I truly don’t understand anything anymore.’

Clearly, from his perspective, Karisia initially didn’t seem like the same type of person as Ortes.

‘…Was what I saw then just an act?’

What about today? Ortes had bowed his head to her, and the deep schemes she subtly revealed seemed profound enough to devour the world.

The power to refer to a Tower Master who had been in seclusion for decades as a mere ‘temple acolyte.’

The term ‘temple acolyte’ carried layered implications. The confidence that even someone like Kaikel was no different from any ordinary mage before her.

A declaration that even if they told the world they had seen Kaikel here, no one would believe them. Whether this was due to Hydra Company’s information warfare capabilities that had kept them hidden from the Ten Towers’ eyes until now, or a threat that they would be directly dealt with if they tried to speak—it was unclear.

‘Probably both.’

While Lampades was confused by the true face of Karisia he had finally witnessed, Knemon realized his inner self had become somewhat more at ease.

He had been living like he was being chased all this time.

Though no one was actually pursuing him, he had lived in constant anxiety, fearing that Ortes might reveal his claws from beyond the shadows at any moment.

Even when he finally gathered the courage to return to his hometown, that anxiety never disappeared.

Beyond that window, in the darkness of the alley, perhaps inside the walls. He never knew when or where Ortes would come to collect payment for the artifact.

That long-standing anxiety was now broken. By being dragged to Ortes and facing the great evil to whom he pledged loyalty.

When his most feared situation became reality, there was nothing left to fear. It was a strange sense of relief born from resignation.

‘Come to think of it, it’s like some kind of pyramid scheme.’

Following Lampades to meet Ortes, then following Ortes to meet Karisia. It felt like climbing to the top of a pyramid.

“Do you really intend to tell us?”

“Are you planning to keep following Ortes’s orders?”

The two former troubleshooters walked together, feeling a strange bond from having survived the line of death together. They might be on the road to hell, but at least they weren’t alone.

***

While Lampades and Knemon were commiserating together, Ortes had been summoned before Karisia.

“Ortes.”

“Yes, boss.”

“Where were you and what were you doing?”

“Pardon?”

Karisia took a strand of her hair and began twirling it. It was a habit when she had much to say but couldn’t organize her thoughts properly.

“I mean, you said you’d guard outside my office, but you weren’t there at all. Then suddenly Kaikel walked in. If you had been at your post, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Ortes let out a sigh. In that brief moment he stepped away because of a sudden call!

“It was quite difficult to cover up.”

“How did you explain it?”

“I just said he was an employee of our company.”

“With all due respect, boss. Neither Lampades nor Knemon have such poor eyesight.”

Karisia shrugged her shoulders.

“If I say he’s not, what could they possibly do about it?”

“Oh my goodness, boss…!”

Karisia hadn’t recklessly claimed to be a temple acolyte without thinking. It was a logical conclusion—she knew that if she claimed to be an acolyte, neither Knemon nor Lampades could refute it.

Sometimes, great power becomes persuasive in itself. Isn’t persuasive power a type of power too?

Ortes pressed his forehead.

Though it was his mistake for leaving his post, couldn’t Karisia’s brilliant mind have come up with a better solution?

“When you say things like that, it makes our company sound like some clandestine organization plotting to overthrow the world. It’s essentially the same as saying ‘he was the weakest among us.'”

“What are you talking about? We are a clandestine organization plotting to overthrow the world, aren’t we?”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, they were. The founding purpose of Hydra Company was the destruction of the White Light. Ortes quickly changed the subject.

“We should start considering when to reveal the company’s true purpose to the directors.”

“I think it would be appropriate to announce it when the Artificial Ten Commandments are completed.”

“Since we can’t know exactly when that will be at this point.”

Karisia was nodding at Ortes’s words when she suddenly looked up.

“So. Why were you away from your post?”

“It was a call from the Divine Light Cult. Besides expressing gratitude for our previous assistance, they were fishing to find out how I managed to defeat the Elder.”

Karisia stroked her chin. Indeed, excluding herself, the Divine Light Cult was the only group that knew Ortes was the one who had defeated a Ten Towers Elder.

“The fact that they’re contacting you like this—does it mean they need you again? I wonder if they’re becoming too dependent on an outsider.”

Karisia didn’t press further about the Divine Light Cult’s contact. If support was needed, Ortes would report it himself.

If not, he would perform his duties as magically as always and then complain, “Today was really tough,” as usual.

A vision Karisia had seen during the Talo incident flashed through her mind. Ten Towers Elder’s’ coming to capture Ortes.

Even for Ortes, winning against multiple Elders without injury would be nearly impossible. Karisia took out a crystal she had been keeping and tossed it to him.

“Boss?”

“Take this if you need to go somewhere. I don’t want you getting into dangerous situations like last time.”

Ortes shook his head and returned the crystal to Karisia’s palm.

“We haven’t even set a specific date to meet with the Divine Light Cult yet.”

As Karisia reluctantly put the crystal away, Ortes shrugged his shoulders.

“So what did you tell those two?”

“The truth. But I said most of it was my idea. You’re just a pitiful sales employee who had to mobilize your friend’s connections because of your eccentric boss’s orders.”

Ortes quietly marveled. To think Karisia would be generous enough to take the blame for her subordinate.

“Oh. I forgot to discuss what to offer Mr. Knemon. Please ask him once he starts working.”

Ortes nodded.

That was why he had confronted Knemon as soon as he opened his guest room door that morning.

***

“Gah?!”

“Haha, why so surprised?”

Ortes put on what he thought was a friendly smile as he joked.

“By the way, you’re quite disciplined. Waking up this early, just like in your troubleshooter days.”

“What brings you here?”

“Haha, have we become the kind of acquaintances who only meet for business?”

Knemon kept his mouth shut. What was the intention behind bringing up their old friendship now? Was it a reproach for having run away?

“But well. You’re right that I’m here on business. Could you spare me some time?”

After looking at Ortes’s face once, Knemon nodded. He realized there was no point in refusing.

Walking through Hydra Company’s corridors, they arrived at the employee cafeteria. Ortes had prepared this setting because he felt it would be a shame if their first proper conversation after so long was just a dry discussion about compensation.

Though confused, Knemon took a tray.

“Please listen while you eat.”

Just as Knemon was beginning to wonder if this was really just a meal invitation, Ortes spoke.

“Our boss is truly a fair person.”

“Fair?”

“Yes. I brought you here appealing to our old friendship, but this is still business. So the boss said she would match whatever compensation you desire, as much as possible.”

“Compensation…”

If your plan succeeds, there won’t be any money or anything left anyway, Knemon swallowed his true thoughts.

“I don’t particularly want anything.”

“Come now, don’t be like that. Have you ever known me to lie?”

Suddenly, a scene from the past flashed through Knemon’s mind. The Justice Tower faction that had ruthlessly trampled his tower.

‘If the world is going to be turned upside down anyway, wouldn’t it be okay to fulfill one selfish desire?’

With a mindset close to resignation, Knemon opened his mouth.

“There’s one magic tower I’d like to settle the score with.”