Ch.168The Chronicles of a Divided Realm (1)

Though not widely known to the public, Panoptes is divided into three main branches.

First is Argos, commonly known as the law enforcement agency; then Blasphemia, which regulates followers of superstition.

And finally Eidolon, the watchers of other dimensions. Since Argos had the largest numbers among them, the power structure naturally favored them.

Until Ortes intervened.

Ortes performed major surgery on Panoptes. Through the series of incidents at the Amymone Tower, he suppressed Argos’s credibility and expanded Blasphemia’s authority.

The list of suspected Argyrion collaborators received from Salmoxia served as an excellent means to pressure Argos. Most high-ranking officials of Argyrion knew that investigators captured by Blasphemia could be used to “fabricate” testimonies.

They could fight against these fabricated testimonies, but the mere existence of such a weapon that could force the expenditure of political resources was problematic.

As a result, among the three departments of Panoptes, Blasphemia had secured the greatest influence at present.

The momentum of Argos, which had dominated due to the most primitive power structure of having the largest number of members, was broken. Blasphemia ultimately became the final victor. However, this was a victory on the playing field prepared by Ortes.

A victory that maximized the influence of L13, known for elevating Blasphemia to its current position.

With Salmoxia virtually commanding Blasphemia in place of the reclusive director, and Niobe, the most important confidant beneath her, supporting L13, Ortes was able to exert dominant influence without ever showing his face at Blasphemia headquarters.

Argos’s influence was castrated, and Blasphemia’s power came to follow Ortes’s will. In a situation where Ortes had effectively seized control of Panoptes…

There was one department over which Ortes could exert no influence.

Eidolon (εἴδωλον).

The reason Ortes couldn’t interfere with them was simple. Exclusivity.

Even more closed off than Blasphemia, which was already a secret organization within Panoptes, Eidolon had little interest in power struggles from the beginning.

Due to the nature of their extra-dimensional observation duties, they had no reason to project power externally. Ortes kept a close eye on their movements, but the result was always silence.

But today was different. Eidolon moved. More precisely, the Ten Towers had summoned them.

The agenda that called Eidolon from their long silence was the Ten Towers’ expedition to other dimensions.

The question was, ‘How much force would be needed?’

It was an order to gauge the magical power and level of mages needed to stabilize the space to the Argyrion headquarters. The answer from the head of Eidolon, the Astronomical Officer, was simple.

‘Everyone available must participate.’

As with the previous inquiry from the Ten Towers¹, there was a significant possibility that the thought of a Magic King or an equivalent entity existed behind Argyrion, so they must subjugate it with all available forces.

Moreover, the movements in other dimensions were concerning. Since they couldn’t drag the Ten Realms into the chaos beyond those dimensions, high-level mages were needed to forcibly stabilize the spatial instability.

Excluding the ancient elders who lived like shadows of the Ten Realms themselves rather than pledging loyalty to the Ten Towers, naturally, the number one person in each tower could only be the Tower Master.

The Tower Masters of the Ten Towers did not ignore Eidolon’s recommendation, but they didn’t fully accept it either.

They too recognized the risk that a succession war might break out. A subtle psychological battle unfolded among the Tower Masters.

Naturally, towers where the Tower Masters remained would be less likely to face challenges.

After a brief but intense power struggle, three Tower Masters were ultimately chosen to remain.

First was the Tower Master of the Yellow Thunder Tower. He had suffered severe injuries in the battle against superstition followers, and these injuries were irreversibly worsened by an assassin’s attack. The Yellow Thunder Tower Master was essentially using the Ten Realms as a life support system. Deployment was impossible.

Since he was a force that couldn’t be deployed for the extra-dimensional expedition from the beginning, there were no particular objections to his remaining.

The second was Green Wood. There was no special reason. With Earthen handling the terraforming of the extra-dimensional zone, and Silver Iron taking charge of forming protective barriers against possible attacks, the tasks that the Green Wood Tower could handle were covered by other towers.

They naturally became part of the remaining group due to their lack of presence.

The last was White Light.

The reason was simple. Obviously, the purpose of the Ten Towers expedition force was not to die together. Their mission objective included returning after subjugation.

However, returning to the original world from beyond other dimensions without any markers was nearly impossible. Unless some transcendent being like an extra-dimensional entity intervened.

But with the power of the Ten Towers and the Ten Realms, they could create markers beyond the dimensional wall. A magical lighthouse illuminating other dimensions, if you will.

The number of mages who could take on the core role of constructing and maintaining ultra-wide-area formulas that affect across dimensional walls was very limited.

It was an appropriate role for the oldest of the Ten Towers, which had never been defeated in succession wars and had passed down Tower Masters internally.

In other words, some say they forcibly silenced opposing opinions through authority derived from experience.

Thus, the final personnel selection was completed. An unprecedented large-scale extra-dimensional expedition. A vacuum that would cause massive ripples in the magical society.

Of course, even in the Ten Towers where Tower Masters were leaving, elders were left behind to suppress succession wars. Though they couldn’t utilize both the magical power and wisdom of the Ten Realms like the Tower Masters, they could certainly suppress succession wars with grand magic using vast magical power.

It was a sensible judgment by common sense.

***

“All Tower Masters except for three towers are scheduled to deploy.”

News came in from Kinero and was cross-verified through Niobe.

I reported to Carisia while considering who to summon for the meeting.

The directors of Hydra Company, Caecus and Geryon, and Old Man Hector. Except for the old man, these people had become quite familiar with each other. I suppose they had become a relatively stable combination.

Knemon could also participate via video call. I hadn’t shared the plan with Lampades yet. I was planning to bring it up during the visit for the meeting about emitting interference waves to disrupt their exploration of Argyrion headquarters right before the Ten Towers’ deployment.

“As a result, seven Tower Masters will be absent. We will incite the entire magical society to replace the rulers of the seven towers before the deployed Tower Masters return.”

“What about the three who remain?”

“It’s not certain yet… but a mage capable of handling multi-dimensional interference magic who can lead the return from other dimensions. At the same time, a tower that can overwhelm other Ten Towers with authority—only one such place exists.”

“So it’s White Light after all.”

“…Yes.”

It was a difficult task. Even the Magic King in the original work had postponed the retrieval of White Light until the very end.

This fact meant one thing.

White Light was currently the strongest of the Ten Towers.

“In place of the White Light Tower Master, a considerable number of elders have been assigned to the expedition force. The Tower Master himself will need to borrow the power of the Ten Realms to construct the lighthouse formula. The current White Light is simultaneously the strongest of the current Ten Towers and the weakest White Light in history.”

As wisdom accumulates in the Ten Realms over time, the combat power of the Ten Towers always trends upward if there are no drastic changes in Tower Masters through succession wars.

Currently, shackles have been placed on both the Ten Realms and the elders. The assessment of being both strongest and weakest was a literal statement of fact.

Nevertheless, the name White Light carried weight. I observed Carisia’s expression.

“Good.”

She was smiling.

I could feel the emotion boiling within her. The tower that created her. The source of her existence and the enemy of her life.

Memories from the escape through the desert to the founding of Hydra Company until now. All the journeys she had taken with me swirled in Carisia’s eyes.

I realized she felt no fear.

She was waiting for the coming battle, the final confrontation with White Light.

“Ortes, is this our best chance?”

“We’ve made all possible preparations. Now we must wait for heaven’s will.”

Carisia shook her head. A denial mixed with a smile and expectation.

“Heaven has always been theirs. There’s no point in waiting for White Light’s will.”

Carisia declared boldly.

“The time has come to break the heavens.”

I recalled the company name.

Hydra. It is said that the magical beast possessed a poison that inflicted eternal pain. A poison so extreme that even immortals would beg for death.

Until now, Carisia had spread poison throughout the magical society. Poison to bring down the immortal Ten Towers.

Now it was time to coat arrows with that poison and shoot the Ten Towers.

“Well then, President.”

Let’s begin.