Chapter 379: Mr. Farmer

A farm built by tearing off pieces of both the sky and the earth before stacking them layer by layer inside a building.

There is no overwhelming grandeur or unfathomable Arcane to be felt here.

The idea of bringing farmland inside a structure itself is novel, but the soil and light themselves are real.

However, the sheer obsession behind it all is palpable.

Humanity’s relentless will to dissect and reconstruct the world purely for its own benefit is deeply embedded in the artificial fields within the Lightning Tower.

And surely, this is not the only farm.

These artificial farms are important, but whoever built them must have extended their influence to other facilities as well—throughout all of Claudia.

But something feels off.

I can’t quite put it into words, but there’s an odd sense of discord nagging at me.

“You mean you, the Thunderarch, built all of this yourself?”

“Of course, I obviously didn’t do it alone. No matter how skilled I may be, I only have two hands.”

That’s a fair point.

No matter how extraordinary a person is, they can’t do everything by themselves.

Judging from what I read from her thoughts, the Thunderarch is telling the truth.

But the Thunderarch I glimpsed in my readings was a wielder of lightning.

She wasn’t the one who originally thought to harness it.

There must have been someone who first conceived this idea.

So why is there no trace of them?

Does even the Thunderarch even know?

I can read thoughts, but that doesn’t mean I know everything about a person.

My knowledge is limited to what the other person knows.

Given that the current Thunderarch was raised by the previous Thunderarch, there’s a chance she doesn’t know everything either.

Hmm.

Maybe I should probe a little more.

“I got a bit confused for a moment—wasn’t it the First Thunderarch who returned the stolen lightning to the sky?”

“Yes.”

“Then who built this Lightning Tower? The Lightning Thief? Or the First Thunderarch?”

“The First Thunderarch, of course.”

The Thunderarch answered so matter-of-factly that I almost felt embarrassed for asking.

Right.

The Lightning Tower is a structure, after all.

There’s no way a thief could have built something like this. Someone must have constructed it.

But if we’re talking about pure functionality…

Isn’t the Lightning Tower essentially a tool for stealing lightning?

The lightning currently being used to cultivate these fields—is that not stolen from the sky?

If not, does that mean they’re generating their own lightning?

“The First Thunderarch must have been a truly remarkable person, making such good use of the lightning that a thief once stole.”

“He was remarkable, as remarkable as I am, but what exactly are you getting at?”

Did I push too far?

She’s starting to get suspicious.

A foreigner suddenly asking about the Lightning Thief and the First Thunderarch… it makes sense that she’d be wary.

At times like this, protesting my innocence would be a mistake.

As an outsider, I’m naturally suspicious.

The best approach here is to reveal just enough of my intentions to seem transparent.

“Haha, it’s just simple curiosity. This kind of technology is a blessing to humanity, don’t you think? Given my profession, I can’t help but take an interest when I come across something groundbreaking.”

Fortunately, the Thunderarch seemed to infer my intentions and smiled.

｢Hmmm… He did come from the Military State after all. As expected, you’re here to dig up information. Well, I did expect this when I brought you here.｣

“Even if you learned anything, it would be useless. This miracle is only possible here in Claudia, where clouds and lightning flow down to the earth. If this were achievable anywhere, Maximilien wouldn’t have fled to the Military State—he would have created it himself long ago.”

“Ah, Maximilien.”

There’s no need to mention that I was the one who half-killed him and chased him out.

Now, how should I proceed?

There are two ways to use Mind Reading.

One is to read someone’s thoughts and respond accordingly, blending into the background so they don’t actively notice you.

The other is to stand out on purpose, forcing them to focus on you.

Depending on the situation, either could work.

But considering the Thunderarch’s arrogance, the best approach would be to linger just enough to pique her interest.

“Thunderarch, if Mr. Shei truly kills the Thunder God, Claudia will become much more peaceful, won’t it? The aggressive lightning storms will stop, making it easier to focus on other matters. The city will rise above its dangers and thrive even more. So…”

“You want Claudia’s knowledge in exchange?”

The Thunderarch responded as if it were obvious.

I scratched my head awkwardly and forced a sheepish smile.

“Well, if you put it in less political terms… yes. Since we’re allies now, perhaps you could share a little of the First Thunderarch’s legacy with us.”

“Alright.”

“…Really?”

“I do not go back on my word. If you truly slay the Thunder God… if you ensure that its apostles never return to Claudia… I am willing to reward you with everything I have.”

Don’t phrase it like that!

It sounds way too suggestive.

Still, this helped me understand why the Regressor liked the Thunderarch.

If we complete the quest of slaying the Thunder God, we’ll earn her absolute trust.

It’s the kind of simple and direct transaction that the Regressor would appreciate.

“But that reward is meant for the one who kills the Thunder God. I have no reason to give it to you.”

“Mr. Shei is our comrade.”

“Then ask him yourself later. If he really kills the Thunder God and if he wants that reward,  he can decide to share it with you—then you’ll receive it.”

In other words, I wouldn’t be getting anything personally.

I clicked my tongue in feigned disappointment.

“I understand your stance, Thunderarch. I’ll ask again another time.”

“It’s good that you understand now. I don’t have the patience to explain it again.”

“Tch.”

As I deliberately showed a hint of frustration, the Thunderarch actually seemed reassured.

｢The First Thunderarch’s legacy… His intent is so blatant that I feel more at ease. Not that I’ll ever reveal it.｣

I, too, felt reassured.

Because, as I had suspected, she had dismissed me.

And in doing so, she inadvertently revealed what I needed to know.

The First Thunderarch’s legacy is buried beneath this Lightning Tower—something even the current Thunderarch has yet to fully comprehend.

The Thunder God had merely retreated without being defeated completely, yet the people of Claudia remained unbothered.

This was the City of Clouds ruled by the Thunderarch.

Multiple contingency measures were always in place to deal with lightning.

A little turbulence was nothing they couldn’t handle.

Besides, living beings are designed to stop fearing things they frequently see and experience—familiarity proves harmlessness.

If something were truly dangerous, they wouldn’t even get the chance to grow accustomed to it before perishing.

A few quick-witted individuals subtly spread the news.

“Did you hear? There’s a rumor among the Guardians that the Thunderarch is planning a campaign to hunt down the Thunder God.”

“Didn’t the Thunderarch personally head out not too long ago? Something about an invasion?”

“Not sure about the details, but it must’ve been related to this. They say if the hunt succeeds, the Thunder God will be completely destroyed.”

“Really? That’s good news, but… kinda feels like a shame. I’ve gotten used to it.”

“Are you serious? How many people have died from the Thunder God’s lightning?”

“Those people were loitering outside the Lightning Tower’s protection.”

“Tsk. Watch your mouth.”

“Well, I’m sure the Thunderarch will handle it. What could possibly go wrong?”

It wasn’t a leak—rather, the information was intentionally trickled down to the disciples to subtly ease the citizens into it.

Warning them before would lessen any psychological shock.

Though, with how much faith they had in the Thunderarch, it didn’t seem particularly necessary.

Still, I had to admit her governance was impressively methodical.

She had every right to be proud of it.

I passed by the nonchalant townsfolk and returned to my lodging.

Inside, the Regressor and Azzy were still there.

The Regressor was swinging Chun-aeng, now heavily soaked in clouds and glowing white.

Every time she did, Jizan, resting on the floor, crackled with residual lightning.

Azzy’s fur bristled in response.

“Oh, you’re back? Welcome.”

The Regressor… greeted me?

She must be feeling unusually good.

Curious about her upbeat mood, I asked.

“Mr. Shei, you seem to be in a good mood?”

“Well, I guess?”

She didn’t snap at my question.

She really must be in high spirits.

“The Golden Lord is gone, I met the Thunderarch, and once everything’s settled, the war should come to an end. Everything’s going smoothly. It’s all new, yet strangely, I haven’t wandered off track or suffered any unexpected accidents.”

｢Normally, at this point, something ridiculous would happen to mess up everything!｣

She had no idea.

The only reason things were going smoothly was because I was secretly patching up the holes she missed.

Not that I could complain—I’d benefited from her presence, too.

“Once we defeat the Thunder God, this problem will be practically solved! We’ve got Tyrkanzyaka handling the Duchy of Mist and the Military State is staying quiet—there’s nothing left that can go wrong!”

… Why did her excitement suddenly make me anxious?

Despite my concerns, the Regressor grinned like a child.

“Hehe! This is progress! I can see hope!”

“Mr. Shei, don’t get too ahead of yourself. I’ve been around a lot of gambling tables, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the moment you feel most confident is when you lose the biggest.”

“And knowing that, you still gambled?”

“Because I was the one inflating the gamblers’ confidence. I’d build them up with just the right amount of wind until they bet their entire fortune—then bam—they’d lose it all. In simple terms, I was a shill.”

“…You just admitted to running rigged gambling.”

“It wasn’t a fraud! The games themselves were perfectly fair, no tricks involved.”

It was just perfectly legitimate Mind Reading mind you.

Not your average scam.

“More importantly, when are you planning to kill the Thunder God?”

“The sea breeze comes during the day. The clouds of the Cloud Waterfall move the same way. Tomorrow, when the sea breeze blows in, the Thunder God will return. The Thunderarch will tell us the exact timing.”

“If we’re hunting the  Thunder God tomorrow, Claudia will probably be a bit chaotic, huh?”

“Most likely. To prevent any accidents, a state of emergency will be declared across Claudia tomorrow. The Thunderarch will gather her subordinates and disciples to clean up the Thunder God’s remnants.”

“You’re well-informed.”

“I heard it from the Thunderarch.”

You fool.

You didn’t hear that in this timeline.

You just act before thinking.

But that wasn’t the main issue. I got to the real point.

“I don’t have to be there to watch, do I?”

“…Huh? Watch?”

“Yeah. As you know, I’m terrified of lightning. No matter how well you handle it, I’d rather not risk my life unnecessarily.”

“It’ll be over in no time. It’s not really a threat.”

She sounded slightly disappointed.

Does she really want me to watch her fight?

“Not like my presence would make any difference, right?”

“…That’s true.”

“But?”

“But still, it’s just that… Hmm.”

｢It’s strange. Whenever you’re around, things just mysteriously go well. There are some suspicious aspects to it, but it’s undeniable that everything flows more smoothly. Ugh, for some reason it feels comfortable when you’re there.｣

…Oh?

She noticed?

That’s kinda touching. I always assumed she was too focused on herself to care.

She does appreciate me.

“You relied on me that much? Hah, I guess I have no choice. If you insist, I’ll stick around and lend a hand.”

I was being generous, yet the Regressor immediately bristled.

“Hah? It’s not that much! Besides, you’re not even useful in a fight. Your role is negotiation, not combat!”

“Negotiation? That was my role?”

“What else did you think? You talk all fancy, seduce women, and manipulate people, but you don’t actually contribute in a battle.”

Wow, that’s harsh!

I’ve survived countless near-death experiences!

Just because I usually leave it to her and Tyr doesn’t mean I can’t hold my own weight!

“Tch. Fine then, enjoy your Thunder God hunt alone. I’ll just relax here and watch through the window.”

“Hmph. That was your plan all along.”

Great.

Now I have my alibi. I could move as planned while everyone was occupied.

As I stomped towards my room, the Regressor muttered something in a barely audible voice.

“…Still, I do rely on you.”

“What was that?”

“A-Ah! Nothing!”

｢Damn it, how did he hear that?! It was just a mumble!｣

A mumble is still something you say out loud.