Ch.92The Final Stratagem – 5

Tower Masters are individuals who have reached the pinnacle in their respective fields. To gather such people into an association, simply saying “we have excellent magic” would be insufficient.

That’s why I prepared a formula for healing magic. I enclosed the healing magic formula in letters, claiming it was a new magical formula.

However, I revealed only the outline while removing all the crucial parts that would make it function as healing magic. I calculated that this would be enough for them to recognize it as new magic.

The result was, needless to say, a tremendous success. Not only did it bring all the Tower Masters to the association, but it also made them tolerate my informal speech from our first meeting, content to just observe what I was doing.

“My arms have both been cut off! Heal me first!”

“Nonsense! Both my legs are gone too, so I should be first!”

“Get out of my way! I’ve torn out 2/3 of my heart! I’ll bleed to death in one minute!”

In other words, I had even anticipated the heartwarming sight of magicians who had torn parts from their own bodies fighting over who would receive treatment first in a sea of blood.

When asked if anyone wanted to experience it, the magicians who cut off their left arms without hesitation—all 53 gathered here—realized they all had the same idea and immediately began competing over who had injured themselves more severely.

“Everyone move aside! I’ve torn off my wings and tail too, so that’s three more body parts gone! If you don’t have at least that many missing, shut up and get behind me!”

“Ugh…! Why wasn’t I born as a mutant with two extra pairs of limbs…?!”

‘Wait, didn’t they say maintaining dragon transformation would kill them?’

Even the magician I met at the entrance, who had lamented that maintaining dragon transformation would cause their body to explode within 30 seconds, was now roaring with wings and tail torn off, determined to secure an earlier spot in line.

Beside them, other magicians were despairing over why they weren’t born as mutants with extra limbs.

They were all lunatics, honestly.

“I can heal everyone at once, so could you please stop fighting?”

Fearing someone might actually die if this continued, I laid a healing magic formation across the entire presentation hall.

As green light enveloped and rose around their bodies, the magicians squealed with delight, twisting their bodies in ecstasy as they savored the healing magic with all their might.

‘I thought they were having adverse reactions.’

Regardless of my bewilderment, the healing magic dutifully completed its task. The presentation hall, which had resembled a slasher movie scene, returned to normal.

“Ohhhhh! My arm has been restored!”

“This is a revolution! A revolution! Evolutiooooon!!!!!!”

“Now we can advance beyond magic! A new horizon has opened!”

The magicians abandoned all dignity, clutching their restored limbs and jumping up and down. For a group with an average age of 90, they were enjoying themselves a bit too much.

I couldn’t help but frown at their embarrassing display. I had expected this, but seeing it unfold before my eyes was truly something else.

“Kyaaaah!”

A scream of joy came from somewhere. Wondering what it was now, I turned my head. It was the female magician who had claimed first place for tearing off both arms, both legs, wings, and tail.

“My, my dragon transformation is healed! It’s healed!”

At the mention of healed dragon transformation, the magicians paused their celebrations and rushed over.

“It’s true…! Even the Grand Magician could only suppress the symptoms at best…!”

“To think suppressing dragon blood was actually possible…!”

After marveling, admiring, and being astonished, they all turned their gazes toward me simultaneously, as if they had planned it. I could feel the burning desire and determination in their eyes.

The desire to know the formula for healing magic, and the determination to discover it by any means necessary.

“What do we need to complete this magic? Tell us whatever you need! Funding? Money? Research grants?”

A rather young-looking man stood up abruptly and shouted loudly. Before I could answer, another magician pulled out a communication magical tool.

“It’s me. Cut off all funding for the new project immediately. I’m redirecting it elsewhere.”

—What?! But it’s just days away from completion!

“Do as I say! Since when do you question my orders!”

The magician ended his outburst by throwing and smashing the communication tool. Then he looked at me, intensely appealing with his gaze. Similar sounds could be heard from all around.

“The formula is already complete, so no further research is needed? Just continue what you were doing. What are you doing to someone who says they’re days away from completion?”

“It’s me. Put the funding back into that project. I’ll support as much as you want.”

—What?! You just berated me and said to cut the funding!

Another cry of despair echoed from beyond the magical communication tool. The magician smashed the newly restored tool again. The same scene repeated throughout the hall.

I felt sorry for their subordinates.

“Everyone be quiet. I’ll do the talking, so just listen.”

All the magicians fell silent. The lecture hall became as quiet as a grave. Some magicians even sealed their lower jaws completely.

“Hmm, it’s a bit awkward to speak standing. I’d appreciate if someone could bring me a chair.”

Immediately, someone rushed over and prostrated behind me. It was the female magician who had cut off my arm earlier.

The female magician knelt on the floor, half-prostrate with her hands on the ground, arching her back slightly to emphasize her buttocks and chest in a seductive pose as she looked up at me.

“What are you doing?”

“You asked for a chair, right? Here it is—a chair with soft, plush texture, complete with automatic posture adjustment. It can even keep you company when you’re bored—a premium chair.”

“……”

As I froze in place from sheer disbelief, other female magicians began to approach stealthily, mistaking my reaction for approval.

Their increasingly revealing attire was an added bonus.

The male magicians either clutched their heads in self-reproach, wondering why they weren’t women, or picked up communication tools again, declaring they would create magic to become female from now on.

“I said bring a chair, a chair. Not something weird.”

“…Here.”

I quickly resolved the situation before it escalated further. The female magician who had risen brought over the chair she had been sitting on and unfolded it.

The approaching scantily-clad female magicians and the male magicians who had been questioning their gender identity stopped what they were doing when they saw this. I was truly relieved.

Sitting in the chair, I looked around at the Tower Masters with an arrogant expression and opened my mouth.

“Raise your hand if you have a problem with me speaking informally.”

No one raised their hand. Even the three Grand Magicians hiding among them were no exception.

Whether this was simply for show or because they genuinely didn’t mind me speaking informally, I couldn’t tell.

“Good. This will make things faster. As you just experienced, that was ‘healing magic.’ Some call it treatment magic or recovery magic, but what you call it is up to you.”

When I officially confirmed it was healing magic, the magicians collectively gasped in shock. Some were already having difficulty breathing, panting as they tried to catch their breath.

“As you can see, its effect is similar to or greater than divine healing. Since it’s a hierarchical magic, the highest tier would probably be several times more effective than divine healing.”

“So, so! What should we do?! What must we do to receive your teachings?!”

Someone asked in an extremely urgent voice. Since they were the ones in a hurry, not me, I answered in a deliberately leisurely voice to make them more anxious.

“I’d like to tell you… but unfortunately, I’m currently detained on charges of treason. What can I do as a traitor but keep my mouth shut and behave? Right?”

“Then we shall remove those charges!”

Another magician shouted. I raised my index finger and wagged it left and right.

“No, not remove the charges, but eliminate the allegations entirely. Because the treason allegations were fabricated by that Igor person against us. We were innocent from the beginning.”

“Hmm…! I understand!”

“I have three preconditions to offer.”

I held up my right index finger that had been wagging.

“First, the treason charges against Laura Ercarencia, Crown Prince Crescenne von Uperantis Bellium, and Mira Crate were fabricated by the deposed Prince Igor and his faction. Think about it logically. Why would someone who will ascend to the imperial throne in at most ten years conspire with demons?”

I finished speaking and raised my middle finger. My index finger remained raised, so I wasn’t making a rude gesture. Even if I had been cursing, they wouldn’t have cared in their current state.

“Second, the one who actually conspired with demons is Igor. The deposed prince himself and all his supporters are enthralled by succubi. Whether nobles or knights, no exceptions.”

There was a slight stir. While the deposed prince had been exiled for his depravity, the implication that nobles and knights were also enthralled meant demons had infiltrated the imperial capital.

Finally, I raised my ring finger.

“Third, the Starlight Order is also enthralled by succubi. From the Pope and high priests down to the lowest acolyte, the entire order is acting as demons’ pawns while under succubus control. You’ve all heard about the incident where they tried to take the Holy Maiden candidate and failed, and when they tried to kill the Hero but failed, right?”

“……!!!!!!”

A commotion far greater than before spread through the hall. I waited for the agitation to subside before continuing.

“Now I’ll tell you what you need to do. Track down Igor and his faction, deal with everyone enthralled by succubi, and uproot the Starlight Order completely. You’ll probably need to attack the Order in a coordinated effort. If you attack just one target, the other will try to destroy evidence.”

Despite all their past atrocities, the Starlight Order had remained intact solely because of divine healing—the only means to heal wounds in real-time on the battlefield.

But with healing magic? There would no longer be a need to rely on divine healing for real-time recovery, naturally eliminating the need to kowtow to the Starlight Order.

Recognizing this fact, several magicians’ eyes grew remarkably sharp. They seemed to have accumulated many grievances against the Order.

“Oh, and the Holy Maiden candidate has no connection to demons and is 100% innocent, so you can exclude her from your list. But the nuns assigned as her guards are not innocent, so deal with them as you see fit.”

I leaned back in the chair.

“How you deal with them is up to you, but I can promise you one thing: the faster you complete this task, the sooner I can teach you healing magic.”

No sooner had I finished speaking than a section of the building exploded with a thunderous noise. Beyond it, the azure sky and endless horizon became visible. It was the trace of magicians who had destroyed the building as they flew off to their respective towers.

Ignoring teleportation magic and destroying a perfectly good building to fly away—they were lunatics until the very end.

‘That’s what makes them useful, though.’

Even a Tower Master alone is a magician so powerful that they have no equal within their domain. Add to that three Grand Magicians, and the outcome was predictable.

‘Let them run around all they want.’

Not that they could stop what was coming anyway.

Thinking it was a shame I couldn’t see Astaroth’s expression when he received the report, I made my way back to Laura’s room.