Ch.127Social Interactions and Cults (2)

Ortes frowned for two reasons.

First, the very fact that there was a magician showing interest in Hydra Company was an unexpected development.

Hydra Company had been using every means possible to avoid drawing attention from the mainstream magical community. While that policy would change somewhat starting with this Anemone Tower Master selection competition, there shouldn’t be any faction yet that knew Hydra Company’s true nature.

In other words, Hydra Company, and Knemon whom they had invested in, were not well-known candidates. Just candidates who would be eliminated in the middle without making much of an impression.

‘There’s no reason for anyone to approach us at this stage.’

It would make sense after the social gathering had matured and people were trying to make impressions on powerful candidates and their sponsors, but taking notice of Hydra Company at this point was strange.

Approaching without necessity indicated that the other party had some hidden agenda. That was the first reason.

The second reason.

‘Divine power?’

He could sense divine power from the magicians behind the candidate. So to be precise, they should be called priests rather than magicians.

‘Unless they’re dual-practitioners like Kine.’

However, in Ortes’s view, their capabilities as magicians were not particularly noteworthy. The numerous artifacts they wore were impressive, but conversely, this suggested they could only perform magic through these artifacts.

The priests posing as magicians hadn’t been careless about concealing their divine power. It was just that Ortes’s eyes were exceptionally unfair.

Two women stood in formation behind the branch leader. Both wore elegant dresses befitting the social gathering, and possessed beauty that anyone would readily acknowledge. Normally, their appearance alone would be enough to gain the goodwill of others—sophisticated beauties.

However, the timing and place were not ideal. Everyone knew this venue was a battlefield for magicians competing for inheritance, and other participants had also come prepared with beauty as a weapon. Their appearance was inadequate as a weapon in this setting.

Ortes made a simple assessment.

‘Karisia would look good dressed like that too.’

Fortunately, thanks to the elevated aesthetic standards within the social hall, people’s gazes weren’t drawn to them as the group’s footsteps quickened slightly.

Their approach was subtle yet uninhibited. They made no sound as if not wanting to attract others’ attention, yet they approached without sparing a glance at any other group.

Ortes exchanged a look with Karisia.

Karisia nodded briefly. She was entrusting Ortes with full authority.

Ortes stepped forward and raised his hand. A waiter bustling around the grand hall noticed Ortes’s empty glass and refilled it with champagne. Naturally, Karisia and the others positioned themselves behind Ortes.

Thus, when the suspicious group approached Hydra Company’s party, Ortes was able to naturally block their path from three or four steps ahead.

It was an awkward distance to draw any other member of the party into conversation—exactly as Ortes had intended.

Ortes tried to explore their identity using both his eye ability and the power of the documents Arabel had stayed up all night preparing—a list of factions interested in the remains of Anemone Magic Tower.

However, there was no mention of anyone associated with priests who wielded divine power. Ortes stepped forward, covering his wariness with a familiar smile.

His first words were:

“Oh. Pleased to meet you. You’re the branch leader from the city of Lebrac.”

The man walking ahead of the priests flinched. But he quickly regained his composure and asked:

“What an honor. To think you’d recognize a small branch like ours at a glance. Are you the head of the Tabning branch?”

Ortes shook his head.

“I am Ortes, representative of Hydra Company, contracted with Mr. Knemon. I’ve been delegated external cooperation authority for this matter.”

The business card he respectfully handed over from his inner pocket showed his public position as Chief of Secretariat of Hydra Company.

The Lebrac branch leader could deduce quite a bit from this. The organization called Hydra Company either had solid cooperation with the Tabning branch or had completely taken control of it.

External cooperation—in other words, having full authority over socializing and by extension political negotiations—was only possible if the Tabning branch had deep trust in Hydra Company or was on a tight leash.

The Lebrac branch leader himself was clearly in the latter category. In his mind, the voice of his “sponsor” rang out, inputting what to say to Hydra Company’s Chief of Secretariat.

“Haha. External cooperation representative. Do you think we approached with such intentions?”

It was a probe asking if they thought he had come to negotiate candidate consolidation or a non-aggression pact for later competitive stages.

“Haha. It’s just that both of our employers believe socializing is the foundation of all cooperation.”

Ortes responded to this probe with a simple hint. By referring to “both employers” collectively without specifically mentioning Karisia or Knemon, he implied their power was equal.

Of course, that wasn’t actually the case, but Ortes saw no need to reveal the truth to suspicious individuals.

The following statement that “socializing is the foundation of cooperation” was a polite packaging of the direct message: “Since your intentions are obvious from approaching at a venue like this, let’s just get down to business.” It meant there was no time to waste on the formalities of the social gathering.

“How forthright of you.”

***

Karisia captured the image of Ortes conversing with the approaching magicians in her eyes. Kine, seeming somewhat anxious, grabbed the hem of her dress.

Looking down at Kine with a gentle smile, Karisia then spoke.

“Mr. Knemon.”

“Hmm.”

“We have no objections to whatever approach you take in the competition. Secure your victory however you wish.”

“Secure, you say.”

‘To them, even determining the successor of a proper magic tower is just a mechanical task.’

Well, after all, not only the president herself but even Ortes was attending this gathering. Knemon had experienced Ortes’s astonishing abilities firsthand several times.

Ortes was a human optimized for assassination tactics that other candidates were likely seriously considering. It wouldn’t be strange if the number of candidates were halved the day after Knemon merely mentioned to Ortes that “there are many candidates.”

However, Knemon had no intention of asking Hydra Company for help right now. First, he had heard there was “another reason” Karisia had accompanied him, though she hadn’t shared the details.

‘Ortes must also be necessary personnel for Hydra Company’s events, so I can’t borrow him carelessly.’

And second was a somewhat irrational, emotional issue.

This venue was where he would finalize his revenge for the vanished magic tower. He wanted to handle the final moment without borrowing others’ hands.

“If things truly turn unfavorable, I’ll seek help without hesitation. But until then, I’ll do my best on my own.”

Karisia had anticipated Knemon’s response. It was exactly as she had predicted based on anecdotes from Ortes and his behavior at the Hydra Company building.

“I wish you luck.”

After this brief reply, Karisia moved toward Ortes. Somehow, the Lebrac branch leader had retreated behind the two beauties, and Ortes was smiling—at least outwardly—engaged in pleasant conversation.

Karisia naturally inserted herself into that conversation. Knemon felt something slightly off.

‘Strange. Wasn’t the plan to let Ortes handle it and extract all the information?’

Since it was Karisia’s action, there must be some deeper meaning. He called a waiter to order chocolate for the young guard who was left awkwardly alone with him, then took a drink.

***

When Karisia swooped in, the suspicious group retreated surprisingly quickly. Perhaps they thought the employer had come to cut the conversation short because it was dragging on.

I could see the champagne glass in her hand. I clinked glasses with Karisia.

“You looked like you were enjoying yourself.”

“What person enjoys work, Madam President?”

Karisia shrugged and pointed to herself with the hand not holding a glass. At the president level, work becomes enjoyable, she seemed to say. It was a sentiment I would never understand.

And that simple gesture contained sophisticated magic—an extremely simplified hand seal. It was a sound-blocking spell to prevent voices from leaking out.

“What kind of people were they?”

I stroked my chin.

“Well, I’m not sure they were people at all.”

***

“…”

The two beauties, now at a distance from Ortes, were in deep contemplation. There was no need to voice the thoughts circling in their minds. They already knew each other’s thoughts.

To be precise, they were sharing a single thought, a single contemplation.

A certain multi-layered mental entity existing across several humans thought:

‘What kind of being is that?’

Not human?