Ch.20Bikada Traveling Troupe (3)

The interview was dragging on longer than expected. Bikada tried hard to hide his anxiety.

‘Sigh, he doesn’t seem like the type, but…’

High-ranking mages often seek out apprentices—or rather, test subjects—whenever they get bored. For a humble traveling troupe like theirs, abduction without consent wouldn’t even qualify as an outrage.

Surely he wasn’t trying to take Niobe as his apprentice? Though she was a newcomer, she was quite useful, skilled at various odd jobs.

If he were to sell her off, it shouldn’t be through a coercive deal with a high-ranking mage, but rather at an auction house where she could fetch her proper value.

While Bikada paced anxiously in front of the door, Ortes emerged. Bikada peered inside to check on Niobe’s condition. She looked somewhat tense, but her expression wasn’t much different from usual.

“Miss Niobe is innocent. Hmm, she seemed quite talented in magic, so I was mistaken. I thought she might be Geryon’s contact.”

“Y-yes, that’s what I’ve been saying! Our troupe is innocent!”

Ortes’s comment about Niobe having “talent for magic” filled Bikada with tension. However, Ortes simply headed to the next room without any indication that he wanted to take Niobe.

***

“…That concludes my investigation of the Bikada Traveling Troupe.”

Ortes presented the following findings at the board meeting:

1. Something “resembling” Bacchus worship rituals was performed at the Bikada Traveling Troupe.

2. However, it was too crude to be considered a proper worship ritual, lacking proper ceremonial procedures.

3. No sacred objects with divine power or priests were found, suggesting it was merely superstition that hadn’t reached the level of religion.

“It seems they either heard about some distorted form of ritual meant to bring good fortune, or encountered fragments of an ancient cult that circulates secretly among wanderers.”

The board members sensed the subtle tension flowing between the CEO and Ortes. This was clearly a moment when Ortes was reporting his first failure.

While it wasn’t significant enough to harm the company’s main objectives—merely a minor delay—it was still undeniably a failure. The board members, having witnessed Ortes’s fanatical devotion to Karisia, expected him to beg for forgiveness with a truly miserable expression.

Failure in a task assigned by the object of worship is not something a fanatic can tolerate.

“Madam CEO, there are no clues to be gained from the Bikada Troupe.”

Yet, why was Ortes still addressing Karisia with his usual smile rather than showing distress?

“I see. Then, let’s conclude this meeting.”

The board members were about to disperse to fulfill their respective roles in the war play when Karisia’s voice stopped them.

“Ah. Director Arabel and Director Divius, please stay behind for a moment.”

The other six directors couldn’t guess why only these two were asked to remain. Arabel from the Information Broker Association, whom Ortes had been frequently visiting, made sense, but why Divius, the body modifier?

Divius nodded while fiddling with a dentist-like drill attached to his medieval-style helmet.

“Make it quick. I have a surgery appointment.”

***

In Divius’s eyes, Hydra Company’s CEO and her lover were completely insane.

‘Well, I can understand the fighting with swords and beams, but…’

Their next move was the problem. If they simply wanted to rule Etna City for wealth and honor—

‘No. If it were for control of the Phythos Magic Tower, maybe, but there’s no honor in the underworld.’

If they had been seeking wealth, they would have been somewhat understandable human beings. But Karisia and Ortes had made an entirely different choice.

They toppled the Lernian Magic Tower and unified the underworld. Then they captured Geryon and somehow brainwashed him, making Kaikel swear absolute loyalty.

Generally, gaining control of all magic towers in a city meant securing power that would last a lifetime. Most people’s ambitions would stop there, or at becoming new members of the legitimate magic towers based on that power.

But these two wanted to become new “kings.”

The title of the Ten Towers belongs to those who possess the Ten Commandments. In ancient times, before the Ten Towers’ power was consolidated as it is now, succession battles for the Ten Commandments occurred, and the title of the Ten Towers was actually transferred.

But now, the succession battle for the Ten Commandments was practically an obsolete law. Anyone had the right to challenge, but no one did.

That’s how immense the presence and fear of the Ten Towers had become.

Yet these two were trying to create a new throne while avoiding war with the Ten Towers through some outlandish method.

What kind of lives had they lived to conceive such an idea, such ambition?

They didn’t seem like novices or fools challenging without knowing the Ten Towers’ true capabilities. Their formidable skill in controlling an entire city wasn’t something that people ignorant of the world could possess.

“Director Divius.”

Karisia looked at him with an intimidating presence reminiscent of the high-ranking mages of the Ten Towers who had once been his employers.

Karisia’s head shook slightly. As always, Ortes responded to her gesture.

“The CEO is asking if Director Divius still remembers the body modification methods for Blasphemia.”

An unexpected word stabbed into him at an unexpected moment. Divius felt a phantom pain as if a blade had pierced his lungs.

“Blasphemia? The Ten Towers’ execution squad? Why bring up that name suddenly?”

It was Arabel who spoke first. She couldn’t understand why that question was being directed at Divius.

But then her eyes lit up with an “ah” of realization.

“You were the body reconstruction specialist for Blasphemia? No wonder your skills seemed extraordinary. It makes sense that your educational background remained unknown. Your records would have been erased when you joined Blasphemia.”

Divius scratched his helmet vigorously. Even his former clients shouldn’t know his identity.

He reflected on when he escaped from Blasphemia by faking his death. At that time, Blasphemia was in such a desperate situation that they couldn’t waste resources on trivial matters like his life or death.

So how could Karisia possibly know about this?

If she recognized him as an individual, she must have been a member of Blasphemia, or part of the Ten Towers—

Divius recalled Karisia’s signature light attribute magic. Five heat rays emitted in a compressed form through her gauntlet.

This unique combat style of using light attribute magic—typically specialized for long-range projection—in close combat was preferred by certain mages who employed the inherently flashy light magic for assassinations.

“CEO. Did you come from the Ten Towers?”

Karisia smiled. It was a cold smile, different from the one she gave Ortes.

“Come from the Ten Towers? Hmm, should I say I was discarded?”

The Ten Towers possess numerous military forces besides Blasphemia. While units shared by all Ten Towers like Blasphemia are rare, forces to check each other and govern internally naturally exist.

“…I see. Now I understand. You were the leader and subordinate of a discarded military force? Was your entire unit wiped out in a power struggle between the elders?”

“Haha, believe that if you wish. But Director, shouldn’t you answer the CEO’s question first?”

It was Ortes who gave the non-answer. Divius frowned and nodded.

“I called both directors because of another matter Ortes reported before the meeting.”

Karisia snapped her fingers. A three-dimensional image of Niobe appeared in the center of the conference room.

“She’s a member of Blasphemia who infiltrated the Bikada Traveling Troupe. She goes by the name Niobe.”

“To be identified so easily. I guess the rumors are true that their standards have dropped after hastily recruiting new personnel following the incident a few years ago.”

Arabel swallowed the unspoken implication: ‘Or perhaps Ortes has deep connections with Blasphemia to recognize them instantly.’

“Religious Investigation Director Ortes plans to spy on the Blasphemia branch through Niobe in a few days. Under the pretext of a missing Blasphemia agent returning. Would it be possible to create artificial skin similar to their enhanced muscles to avoid detection at Blasphemia’s checkpoints?”

“It’s been too long since I did that work. And we don’t have a special magic power holder who can engrave the Ten Towers’ seal.”

“I’ll handle that part. What Director Divius needs to answer is whether you can create the artificial skin or not.”

Divius was truly grateful for his full-face helmet. A high-ranking mage capable of engraving the Ten Towers’ seal?

Karisia must have held a high position within the Ten Towers. Probably the head of a fallen faction.

And Ortes? Perhaps a guard protecting the direct line of the faction. Divius had heard rumors of artificial humans created to serve a single bloodline for life.

‘Indeed, that would explain this level of trust relationship…’

As Divius silently nodded, Arabel expressed her confusion.

“If it’s just about passing Blasphemia’s skin recognition checkpoint, you could have just called Director Divius. Why am I here?”

“Ah. Director Arabel, we’ll need to borrow one of your drones. We’ll need to hack into Blasphemia’s database.”

This damn guy. Arabel felt anger rising toward Ortes, who was once again calmly trying to assign her an absurd task.