Ch.97Unexpected Visit (2)

Lampades’ “soon” was closer to a ceremonial rhetoric. Visiting the domain where the faceless Ortes lurked required considerable resolve.

Since it was a matter connected to Astrape’s future, he had planned to prepare more thoroughly before visiting.

The message he had sent was like a quarterly business report saying, “We are conducting such research, have achieved these results, and please refer to the attached documents for the status of funding expenditures.” It was far from preliminary work for an official meeting.

However, the situation changed drastically.

An elder of the Silver Iron Tower had been murdered. It wasn’t internal power struggles within the Ten Towers, nor was it a case of evaporating soul and all while attempting an incomplete ascension.

An elder of the Ten Towers had been murdered by Argyrion.

Everyone thought it was nonsense. No matter how bizarre the power of the Corruptors might be, the power of the Ten Towers, built over thousands of years, was even more strange and unpredictable.

How could an elder at the top of the Ten Towers’ hierarchy be killed by a mere Corruptor?

Even rumors have their limits. Such an absurd rumor would likely backfire. The majority of “rational” judgments deemed it an overreach by Argyrion attempting to shake the authority of the Ten Towers.

But the world wasn’t rational.

Photos of a silver giant were uploaded across the Ether Network. Though anonymous, mages could detect Argyrion’s shadow behind that anonymity.

Several Formal Towers closely connected to the Silver Iron Tower testified that Elder Talo had disappeared.

The eyes of many mages focused on the Ether Network.

If the Ten Towers officially deleted those rumors and suppressed the news, it would be tantamount to acknowledging the elder’s defeat.

The Ten Towers had a simple way to quell the strange rumors: show Talo directly to demonstrate his well-being.

But Talo never appeared after the rumors of his death began circulating. After several days of ominous silence…

The Ten Towers, in a rare move, issued an official statement.

The announcement began with the shocking admission that the elder of the Silver Iron Tower had been killed in an attack by Argyrion.

They revealed that Argyrion had colluded with followers of ancient superstitions and declared they would no longer treat Argyrion as merely a dissident group.

It was a declaration that Argyrion and all its collaborators would be treated as enemies of the magical society.

The Ten Towers acknowledged Talo’s death because suppressing facts would only breed greater suspicion. However, they couldn’t allow Argyrion to claim the achievement of defeating an elder alone.

That’s why they assigned Argyrion the new charge of allying with superstition followers. By adding the evil schemes of heretics continuing from ancient times, they reduced the weight of defeat and increased the necessity of eradicating Argyrion.

Simultaneously, this provided justification for the extensive investigation the Ten Towers would conduct. Not only the towers on Argyrion’s exposure list but all groups possessing relics would become targets of inspection.

Whatever ancient relic one possessed, they could create charges like “Could this be a relic originating from superstition followers?” or “Is this an artifact supported by Argyrion?”

The Ten Towers now held a trump card they could wield against all towers in magical society.

Lampades’ blood pressure rose sharply upon hearing this news.

The Thunder Pearl that Ortes had half-forcibly passed on incorporated Argyrion’s technology.

In fact, it wasn’t just incorporation—it was made by completely melting down the monster that gave birth to Argyrion’s silver gifts. Though not apparent from the outside, what if it were caught in a deep audit by the Ten Towers?

Lampades’ lifelong aspiration, his tower, would evaporate entirely.

Tearing at his hair, Lampades muttered dejectedly:

“What kind of situation is this…?”

No matter how he thought about it, if the Ten Towers caught him with the Thunder Pearl now, Lampades’ tower would be finished.

Fortunately, the timing of Panoptes’ personnel dispatch for tower audits was somewhat predictable. The best strategy would be to entrust the Thunder Pearl back to Hydra Company until after the audit, then retrieve it.

However, Astrape, the recipient of the Thunder Pearl, intervened here. As soon as she heard about the visit to Hydra Company, she actively expressed her desire to go along.

Lampades’ thoughts became complicated.

‘The accuracy of the extra-dimensional radar technology demonstration would certainly increase with Astrape present. I don’t know what Ortes is trying to search for in other dimensions, but if I have Astrape with me, he won’t dismiss us easily.’

Returning only the Thunder Pearl might be seen from Ortes’ perspective as a sign of “refusing further cooperation.”

The Museion admission procedure had been somewhat delayed due to the Elysion terror. Perhaps attaching a pretext like tower study abroad and evacuating both Astrape and the Thunder Pearl together might be a good choice…

After much deliberation, Lampades permitted Astrape to accompany him.

***

Ortes personally greeted Lampades and his research team. After assigning each their accommodations and explaining again the schedule previously delivered in writing…

He requested a private meeting with Lampades.

‘Here it comes…’

Lampades steeled himself.

Ortes was a being from whom any statement wouldn’t be surprising.

Hadn’t he thoroughly hidden Hydra Company’s existence while manipulating Argyrion to ultimately kill a Ten Towers elder? Lampades wouldn’t be surprised if Ortes suddenly produced sacred objects from old orders and said something like “This time, the Ten Towers got it right.”

After all, wasn’t Ortes known as the most dangerous among doomsayers? There were even rumors that other doomsayers who once shared his path had fled in terror.

What kind of conversation had he called him for?

‘Perhaps he’ll have a constructive dialogue about exchange plans for the academic advancement of the two children, Kine and Astrape.’

Lampades couldn’t help but laugh to himself. As if.

It would be more likely that he’d demand participation in a plan to overthrow the Ten Towers system. Even if his suspicion about Astrape and Ortes having a blood relationship was correct, Ortes didn’t seem like someone who would easily abandon his plans.

‘Right. Unless he’s offering to build an ark that can survive after destroying magical society…’

Suppressing his emotions, Lampades headed to the reception room where Ortes was waiting.

“Ah, Mr. Lampades. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

What was he going to say? The heavy tension gradually built up.

Ortes brought two cups of coffee, handed one to Lampades, and broached the subject.

“Do you happen to have contact information for old friends?”

“What?”

You have friends?

…was what almost reflexively came out, but Lampades succeeded in paralyzing his nerves with electricity to stop his tongue from moving with superhuman quickness. Ortes, seemingly unaware of Lampades’ bewilderment, continued.

“Haha. All the friends from my troubleshooter days seem to have changed their contact information, as I haven’t heard from them. It’s shameless of me, but I need their help.”

Lampades recalled rumors about Ortes from his troubleshooter days.

The word “friend” didn’t suit him. Even viewed charitably, he was suicidal, pushing himself into the most dangerous missions at the frontlines of extra-dimensional borders as if possessed.

Viewed negatively, or objectively, he was a doomsayer.

Lampades knew there were groups following Ortes, knowingly or unknowingly. People better described as “followers” than friends. But even such groups had disappeared at some point.

“Knemon, you remember him, right?”

Of course I remember. A doomsayer known to everyone in the troubleshooter industry.

The legitimate heir of a tower that collapsed after having its magic patent stolen by a Formal Tower. It was a common story among those who turned to the troubleshooter industry, but instead of trying to reclaim the patent or honing his magic, he came to wish the world would end.

It was, in a sense, a natural conclusion for Knemon, who had a dangerous obsession with other dimensions, to be drawn to Ortes, who roamed the borders of extra-dimensional realms…

But even Knemon had been missing for a long time. Had he been recruited into Ortes’ secret organization or eliminated by him?

“I have something to ask him. He was an expert on extra-dimensional matters.”

‘Did Knemon flee to escape Ortes…!’

Just as Lampades was about to answer that he had never contacted Knemon and didn’t know him…

Ortes began a phone call with someone.

“Ah. Yes, sir. Panoptes agents have visited, you say? I see. Yes. We don’t have any items that could be suspicious, do we? That’s why we volunteered for purity verification. It’s more convenient to finish quickly.”

News that Panoptes’ tower audit officials had barged in.

The assertion that “on our side” there couldn’t possibly be any suspicions. Originally, the auditors dispatched from Panoptes would only search Hydra Company, which had volunteered for the audit, and move on.

But what if Ortes reported that the visiting external mage at our tower was suspicious?

It was an indirect threat.

Since Ortes himself searching for Knemon would only make him hide deeper, Lampades should find him and bring him before Ortes.