Chapter 303 - Retreating Steps (2)
The Magic Tower of the Volcanic Island, and the Larrian Magic Tower, had very close ties with the autonomous territory of Midros.
The disputes of the surrounding nations, and the demi-humans, who grew more dangerous by the day.
Amidst that, the autonomous territory of Midros suffered. In exchange for granting its independence, there was a mutual deal, promising shares in the territory and cooperation.
First, the two Magic Towers established branches.
Beneath lofty spires, under the pretext of protecting the city, they pocketed no small amount of money each year.
Whenever they needed anything for magical research, they received active assistance, and likewise, businesses that served as the Magic Tower's financiers thrived as well.
They even secured demi-human corpses without cost or procedure, bypassing the Adventurer's Guild.
Expanding their influence went smoothly.
At times, the two towers had minor discord, but it was mere noise.
Without fighting bloody wars over profits, they had settled firmly in the autonomous territory and laid down deep roots.
Then one day, a threatening competitor, the Magic Tower of Bohemirn, suddenly reached out a hand. But… to be frank, it was no issue now.
While Bohemirn Tower was distracted by several grand events in the Western Continent, they made their move.
They rallied those hostile to Bohemirn Tower, covertly supported them, and cut away and pulled out the roots of the unwanted guest.
Victory, in truth, was all but certain.
Yet it collapsed.
"To think Ezra, Molly, the branch head, and the entire upper echelon, sent to keep Bohemirn Tower in check, would all be slaughtered overnight. The lord of the autonomous territory is missing, but… it is reasonable to assume he's dead."
"Indeed. And the lord of the autonomous territory was young, without heirs. His parents died early, and he has no relatives. The lordship has been left floating. The line of the family we've been dealing with has ended. A grave pity."
"In short, we were struck hard. This cannot be mere coincidence."
At the peak of the Midros mountain range.
Two Magi, seated atop, looked down upon the city as they spoke. Their voices were calm, despite the gravity of the situation.
They admitted there was a blow.
But for the Magic Tower as a whole, it was not enough to panic. And the two above, were those permitted to gauge the perspective of the tower.
In the meantime, two investigators arrived.
They had each been dispatched from the Volcanic Island Magic Tower, and the Larrian Magic Tower.
"As you ordered, we brought the corpses."
One investigator opened a spatial bag.
He neatly laid out chunks of meat, frozen and severed, onto the floor, then stepped back.
The bodies of mages, cut apart and dead.
"Hmm, struck down by a sharp and swift sword aura. It seems they could barely resist."
"On site, traces of 5th-tier magic,
"So it seems. What do you think, Tilen?"
"Is it not obvious, Melconi? It was, of course, an ambush. Had they time to calculate their spells, the entire space would have been blown away. And if it was 5th-tier magic, then the only ones who realized late and tried to resist were Ezra and Molly… A swordsman who could commit such slaughter in such short time."
They considered, but no clear suspect came to mind.
"What of Kendras's side?"
"We attempted contact, but there was no response."
"Then they are dead. Once the lord of the autonomous territory was abducted, the rest was inevitable."
"Give the word, and I will search Wells Town immediately."
"No need. It would only stir up trouble."
The culprit could only be Bohemirn Tower.
No evidence, but the conviction was as good as certainty.
Who else but they, would devastate the autonomous territory, and deliberately single out Kendras's band for destruction?
Direct clashes with Bohemirn Tower had to be avoided.
Otherwise, the damage would be catastrophic.
That was why they had hired Kendras in the first place, and worked to keep their ties hidden.
No response to an urgent signal meant one thing, death.
In that case, there was no reason to expose themselves by seeking them.
"I thought they had no leisure to concern themselves with the Eastern Continent, yet they came with such violence."
"Balrog Bessias, tower master of Bohemirn, is renowned for mage supremacy, yet he sent a swordsman… Did he hire one from outside?"
"Perhaps. To leave not a single trace, he must be extraordinary. Investigator, were there no other peculiarities?"
"…There are two more."
The investigator continued.
Melconi and Tilen, listening, clicked their tongues.
"Traces left after the incident, and from reports so far, it is certain this was the work of that one called Asher."
"The question is, why?"
The king of the underworld, caught between Bohemirn Tower and the two Magic Towers, Asher.
They considered countless possibilities, yet could not comprehend his presence or actions.
Why appear in the autonomous territory of Midros now?
And why track the lord of the territory, using back-alley powers?
"If he were a lackey of Bohemirn Tower… the sequence doesn't add up. It makes no sense he would storm the castle after the fact."
"Speculating further won't yield answers. Once we interrogate, we'll know."
The ruler of Roafra.
They had heard his infamous name, yet they were not ones to shrink from such.
Elder of the Volcanic Island Magic Tower.
One of Andranov, Melconi Blaud.
From the Larrian Magic Tower committee.
One of the Five Colors, bearer of Blue, Tilen Haugen.
They were part of the tower's forces, above 6th-tier.
Their mission, if Bohemirn Tower was deeply involved, was to secretly gather evidence, and return to the Magic Tower without harm.
If not, depending on the situation, eliminate all related parties.
If they so willed, devastating the autonomous territory of Midros would be no difficult task.
"And the last peculiarity?"
"T-that is…"
Hesitating, the investigator spoke, and Melconi and Tilen blinked.
"…What? If they want answers, we must go to them in person?"
"…"
"Ha, unbelievable. Never in my life have I seen this. Instead of groveling, they straighten their backs? What nerve is this?"
"One of two things. They look down upon the Magic Tower, or they have grounds to treat us as such."
The two let out a dry laugh, as if dumbfounded.
Yet there was no displeasure. Rather, curiosity stirred.
What could they possibly have, to dare summon investigators of the two Magic Towers?
"Grant them what they want."
Tilen gave his leave.
"We will be watching from here."
The sapphire on his necklace glimmered.
***
An ominous mansion of the autonomous territory.
The two investigators walked nervously down the corridor, following a terrified guide. The dilapidated sights everywhere were wretched, and utterly unpleasant.
Soon, the two stepped inside, and faced the mansion's master.
"…!"
And felt a flash of surprise.
A robe and accessories of dazzling platinum brilliance.
By no means ordinary, no matter how one looked.
Both worked for the Magic Tower, and thus possessed equipment finer than most, their eyes sharper than others. Yet even they could not estimate its worth.
Especially that robe—
What grated on them was one more thing.
'His level of mastery… cannot be felt?'
Even after probing his presence, nothing could be sensed. It meant detection had completely failed.
That could only mean one of three things.
Either the opponent had not yet awakened magic power, or he was blocking it with some kind of magic item, or he was on a level similar to themselves.
Judging by his appearance, the first possibility was unlikely.
From the rumors, he was certainly a mage.
'Then, either he is of similar mastery, or it is due to a magic item.'
A higher level was not even considered.
The face before them was that of a young man without a single wrinkle. To think he could possibly be above them, was absurd. That he might be a 5th-tier Magus was already shocking enough.
It was a judgment based on common sense.
"If you want to know what I desire, then come yourself… Quite the arrogant invitation, from such a green youth."
"Hmph, for one so young to be the ruler of the underworld, arrogance is only natural."
The two investigators sat in the chairs prepared for them.
They did so naturally, as if Verden's permission was unnecessary.
"Now then, show us what you have."
An endlessly arrogant tone.
Facing a man who used the very diction soaked with the Magic Tower's sense of superiority and mage supremacy, was something Verden had not done in a long time.
It was familiar, and so he paid it no mind.
Verden looked at the investigators and spoke.
"If that is what you want, then so be it."
"…!!"
At the indifferent tone, devoid of even a shred of respect, the investigators' tempers twisted.
But before they could spit out their anger, the door opened, and two people dressed in ragged rags, Mashi and Devoni, were dragged in. Though treated, their wounds still showed clearly.
One investigator, staring closely at their faces, reacted.
"…Clowns?"
"Hm? Clowns, what are you on about?"
"Aldamia's Clowns. Don't you remember? I heard back when they were hunted as international criminals, their leader Aldamia and a few close aides broke through the encirclement and escaped…"
Why on earth would they be here?
Suddenly, the massive fire that broke out in the slums of the autonomous territory came to mind.
"Are these the arsonists?"
"I caught them myself."
One investigator smirked.
"So, you were harboring the perpetrators of the incident. But this alone is insufficient. You stormed the scene, you know well enough. It wasn't this trash that killed the branch heads of the Magic Tower. In that sense, let me ask you. Why did you head to the castle at the time of the incident?"
"I had an appointment with the lord of the territory that day. Yet despite the great fire, the castle gave no response."
"So you went there? That alone is insufficient. Especially considering you had already ordered back-alley gangs to track the lord beforehand."
Still unsatisfied.
The investigator drew up his magic power.
"So cooperate quietly."
"The instigators of the incident were the Clowns. Interrogate those two, and it should be enough."
"Dare you hinder the Magic Tower's affairs? A mere underworld boss? Whatever the case, you, too, are a subject of investigation."
A threat.
The Magic Tower preferred force over persuasion.
That was the most rational, most efficient way. Investigators dispatched from the Tower knew well that coercion worked better than coaxing.
Moreover, not just a branch head, but even Magi dispatched from the Tower had been killed.
If they let it pass quietly, it would disgrace them.
The name of the Magic Tower had to be upheld, and that meant thorough investigation, and retribution. That was not only the way of the Tower, but the way of all ruling powers.
But Verden too, was a ruler.
"Subjects of investigation, you say. As I know it, the Magic Tower has no right to arbitrarily interrogate nobles of another nation."
"You wretch, what nonsense—"
Verden drew forth a certificate, and a medal.
With
***
The sharp shield was the emblem of the Kingdom of Estiria.
Feigning composure, the two investigators rolled their eyes, checking the authenticity of the medal and certificate.
The conclusion, genuine.
In other words, the man before them was not only the ruler of Roafra, but also an Honorary Baron of the Kingdom of Estiria.
In Estiria, an honorary baron was not a mere baron.
It was the highest title practically grantable to an outsider.
Whether land came with it or not was immaterial. The title itself meant the Royal Family of Estiria regarded him with utmost importance.
'Why would the royal family…?'
Roafra was the shadows, the underworld of the kingdom.
That there were ties with the Royal Family of Estiria was obvious, even without digging. But only ever in darkness.
For it to be revealed that the Royal Family joined hands with the underworld, would bring grave diplomatic harm. There was no reason to endure such a burden, just to bestow a title.
'No, this man is not Grond.'
He was the usurper, who had taken Grond's place.
Which meant…
'Could it be that this Asher, was ordered by the Royal Family of Estiria, to take Roafra from Grond?'
Yes, highly possible.
Otherwise, they would never have granted an official title.
The investigator carefully set down the certificate and medal.
Only after Verden retrieved them, did they speak slowly.
"…For what business does the Baron have, here in the autonomous territory of Midros."
Their tone had softened.
And their wariness was evident.
"Do I owe the Magic Tower a report?"
"The lord of the territory has been kidnapped, the upper echelon slaughtered. This is most grave. You cannot think silence will pass for enough!"
"So I merely stood by?"
Verden propped his chin with one hand.
"I suppressed the great fire, and I caught the culprits who caused it. And I did not kill them, but am handing them to you. What more must I do?"
"So then…"
"You have no grounds, to detain or interrogate me."
Normally, the Magic Tower would have suppressed him by force.
But Verden was a noble of the Kingdom of Estiria in name and deed. And he had even captured Aldamia's Clowns, and was handing them over.
Through interrogation, they could learn the details of the Clowns' backers.
Of course, there remained parts that did not sit well.
Where had he gone after the incident? Why had he tracked the lord of the territory? But there was no way to force the answers out.
A noble was a noble.
"If you wish to lodge complaint, then do so formally, to the Royal Family of Estiria."
His words were not aimed only at the investigators.
They were a spike, driven toward the two Magic Towers, watching the mansion from the mountains beyond the city.
Verden was speaking.
Withdraw quietly.
Or descend and confront me.
But of course, the choice was already made.
The greater the numbers, the more thoughts arise, the more there is to lose, the greater the hesitation.
Especially so, for the lower-ranked towers.
You can read more chapters in organised way on my website:- https://revengernovel.com