Chapter 127

“There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

Before I could even finish speaking, Hwi Someong answered first.

“Oh, of course I’ll leave Evan’s custody entirely to the ‘Great Cataclysm Emergency Committee.’ I may have captured him… but I don’t think I have the right to claim any authority. In truth, I couldn’t have caught him without that person’s help. Evan is… dangerous, you see.”

Hwi Someong gestured toward Monggu, who was lying on a makeshift bed.

The ‘Water Mage’ Hwi Someong’s answer left my mind in turmoil.

At first… I felt glad.

Actually, I’d been planning to offer her appropriate compensation in exchange for Evan’s full custody. So her offering him for free was certainly welcome.

But regardless of that decision, I couldn’t stop thinking about Monggu.

When I turned my head upon sensing a sudden movement of mana, I saw something Evan had summoned. Should I call this magic? Mana moved, but the magical powers remained quiet. Why? Magical powers would stir at even a single natural lightning strike… so why would they remain silent during such commotion? No, how was mana moving so freely on its own in the first place? Wasn’t it only the command of magical power that could move mana?

My mind couldn’t comprehend the situation, and the beam of light shooting from the darkness was overwhelmingly powerful. My legs froze stiff. As bitter as it was to admit, it was clearly “fear.” Fortunately, I had almost subdued Beatrice at that point…

But somehow, I don’t know how he did it, Monggu blocked it.

I owed him my life.

It was complicated.

Really complicated.

Monggu’s growth was astonishing,

The fact that I owed him my life was conflicting,

And seeing him unconscious and bedridden made my heart heavy.

But what made my head ache even more was that what I actually wanted to ask Hwi Someong wasn’t related to Evan’s custody at all.

‘Ah, I need to ask about the spirit… but is now the right time to bring that up? Should I just call her later with [Simulation] and ask then? But since she’s a Mage, I’d probably only be able to simulate for about 2 minutes with all my magical power… what should I do?’

It’s complicated. So complicated.

What should I ask first in this situation?

I stood there blankly, unable to decide either way… and meanwhile, Hwi Someong was chatting with my other companions. She had excellent social skills.

“You must be Erina?”

At Hwi Someong’s identification, Erina’s eyes widened.

“A mage with the most powerful Gift! Not only your mastery but also your research on your Gift [Wish] will yield tremendous results! I hear such things often.”

“People talk about me a lot?”

“Of course! In our Truth Tower, you’re a star among stars! Do you know how many mages talk about you every day? There’s even a fan club!”

As Hwi Someong spoke with sparkling eyes, Erina blushed.

That wasn’t the end of it.

“Lytol. You know you’re always a beloved popular figure, right? I know you’ve had many disheartening experiences lately… but stay strong. Everyone is rooting for you.”

“Ah, yes…? Is that so? Thank you.”

She patted Lytol’s shoulder, and then,

“Mage of Refinement! I admire you! It’s such an honor to meet you!”

She grabbed Oh Si-jin’s hand and shook it vigorously.

She even recognized Hwarin and Fel, leaving them with brief words of encouragement.

“I… didn’t think you would know me.”

Fel said in surprise, and Hwi Someong smiled gently.

“I know all excellent mages.”

Finally, she faced Yuria.

Her pupils trembled slightly.

“Lady Yuria… no, you’re a 3rd Circle now, aren’t you? What is your title?”

She had simply called Lytol and Erina, both 5th Circle mages, by their names, yet she was asking Yuria for her title. In terms of address, this was treatment on par with Refinement Oh Si-jin.

“Well… I received the title ‘Mage of Penetration.'”

“Ah! ‘The mage who penetrates the essence…’ It truly fits your name! Mage of Penetration. The magic you showed today was… truly beautiful.”

There are people like that.

Some people give compliments that make you think, ‘Why is this person flattering me so much?’ and make you uncomfortable, while others make you think, ‘Ah… this person is truly showing sincerity’ and naturally draw your favor. Hwi Someong was the ultimate evolution of the latter. She had such persuasive power that even I, standing nearby, was moved listening to her. Even Yuria turned her head slightly out of embarrassment. Normally, she would have shown off in return.

“Thank you all for being so amazing. I, Hwi Someong, have had my eyes truly opened today. As a token of gratitude, I’d like to help in whatever small way I can.”

After politely bowing her head, she rolled up her sleeves and began healing the wounded. Because of this, I completely missed my chance to ask her about spirits. How could I interrupt the treatment of the wounded to discuss my secret techniques?

Yet this wasn’t bad in its own way. Her healing magic was on an entirely different level from anything I’d seen before.

She easily healed even seriously wounded patients, and for 5th Circle or higher mages who had lost limbs, she attached magical prosthetic arms and legs on the spot that were indistinguishable from real ones.

The sleeves of her robe must have had space expansion magic cast on them, as smooth arms and legs kept popping out one after another. When she attached limbs, the mages would stand up on the spot, completely recovered. It was a top-tier technique that didn’t even require rehabilitation time.

“As expected of the Princess of Truth Tower! Her healing magic skills live up to her reputation!”

Everyone stuck out their tongues in amazement at Hwi Someong’s skills.

I kept my eyes wide open, trying not to miss any of her techniques.

Though I thought I was being discreet, she seemed to notice my stare.

“Hehe. I’m so flattered that the Divine Mage is showing interest in my techniques. Oh, you know? The reason I haven’t been chatting with you like I did with the other mages is because I’m not worthy to address someone like you. Actually… it’s truly an honor to meet you like this. Oh, my heart is pounding.”

And instead, she smiled brightly and generously taught me her healing spell secrets.

…What’s going on? Is Truth Tower an organization full of angels? Or is this person just unusual? Somehow, they seem even more generous with knowledge sharing than the Academy… why are they so friendly?

I wasn’t the only one having such thoughts.

“I… I’ve never seen someone so bright and holy-looking before… What? Why do people call Truth Tower mages fanatics? Shouldn’t they be called archangels?”

Yuria whispered as she approached between me and Lytol.

I nodded in agreement, and Lytol smiled faintly and gestured with his chin.

“Just watch.”

In the direction Lytol pointed was Pan-Dalus. After finishing her healing and wiping away her sweat, Hwi Someong approached Pan-Dalus, who expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you. For helping us so much when we aren’t even subjects of the Magic Emperor… I will surely repay this favor.”

To this, Hwi Someong smiled sweetly.

“Hehe. What are you saying? We are all subjects of His Majesty! Just as claiming to be His Majesty’s subject doesn’t make one so, denying it doesn’t make one not a subject. Don’t worry about such things. Whatever you say, His Majesty is infinitely generous to his subjects.”

She spoke utter nonsense with such a refreshingly sweet face.

Whether we acknowledged it or not, the idea that I, you, all of us were already subjects of the Magic Emperor, meaning mages of Truth Tower, was preposterous nonsense.

“Ah… she’s holy but insane…”

At Yuria’s words, which came out like a groan, Lytol chuckled.

* * *

“The situation at the 70th floor is so dire, I must go now.”

“Wait just a—”

“Divine Mage? Please come visit us sometime.”

Hwi Someong, who had appeared suddenly, disappeared just as abruptly.

I never got to ask her about spirits.

-Why didn’t you ask! The smell of water was so strong! Why didn’t you ask?!

Sorry. The timing wasn’t right. …It also seemed like she deliberately avoided giving me the opportunity.

-Waaah! It was definitely one of our kind! Waaah!

I had trouble comforting Ari, who was uncharacteristically throwing a tantrum, but I truly couldn’t help it. As soon as she finished her business, it was literally sudden—there was a flash of light without her even chanting a spell, and she simply vanished. A magical phenomenon without using a Circle. She either used an exceptional magical device… or a spirit.

…

Fine! I admit it.

What does timing have to do with anything? If I wanted to hear her story, I could have found a way.

I felt uneasy. If the power Hwi Someong used was truly spirit power, then she must have noticed Ari’s existence too. Yet she didn’t say a word about it? And this wasn’t even the first time Ari had caught the scent of a spirit! Perhaps…?

It was just an uncomfortable premonition. It felt like she kept probing me while I knew nothing about her.

If I approached carelessly, I might end up only revealing my own information.

Society’s Hedric was nothing to worry about, and Hwi Someong seemed far more frightening than Ragnarok’s Beatrice. The fanaticism hidden behind her angelic smile and her unknown secret techniques were unfathomable.

Truth Tower.

I really need to learn more about them.

That evening,

For the first time in a while, all the executives of the ‘Great Cataclysm Emergency Committee’ gathered for a meeting.

I arrived early and took my seat, and the Mage of Illusion Hedric came and sat beside me. I had been informed beforehand that he would continue working with us, but I pretended not to know and asked with wide eyes,

“Hedric…? Your contract is over, aren’t you going back?”

“Ahem… ahem! I… I’ve decided to stay and work together a bit longer.”

“Why? Before, you were crying and saying you wanted to escape.”

“When did I ever cry!! Ahem…! Anyway, I’ve come to think that extinction is a much more substantial danger than I expected. You must have heard the news? The 70th floor of the Tower of Covenant has fallen. The territory of humanity… of mages is shrinking. Meanwhile, the ‘Great Cataclysm Emergency Committee’ is the only group that has raised the banner of resolving the impending cataclysm. I’ve judged it worth investing in.”

Hedric’s answer was exemplary. His serious expression, as if contemplating humanity’s future, was nearly perfect. But this couldn’t be the whole truth. Hedric preferred certain immediate benefits to uncertain long-term gains.

Let me probe a bit?

“Wow… are you diving into uncertainty for humanity’s future? I’m impressed. That’s a relief. I was worried I’d have to pass on my magic to you. I’ll be too busy to spare any time going forward.”

“…Hmm? Are you that busy…?”

“Yes. I have various other things to do.”

“Other… things to do?”

Hedric’s eyes wavered anxiously. He seemed to be trying to act calm, but it was completely transparent.

Just as I thought.

All that talk about preparing for extinction was just for show. What Hedric really wanted was to stay near me and learn new magical theories. As for extinction, it wasn’t his concern. He was living with the thought, ‘Someone will probably handle it.’ Like everyone else.

Of course, people like me and Pan-Dalus, who are actually determined to stop extinction, couldn’t appreciate Hedric’s half-hearted attitude. But I didn’t show it.

“Yes. By the way, I’m glad. I may have misjudged you, Hedric. I thought you were a self-interested opportunist who only cared about immediate gain regardless of extinction… I apologize. Let’s work well together going forward.”

“Y-yes. Looking forward to it.”

When I extended my hand with a sweet smile, Hedric reluctantly shook it. Being young has its advantages in situations like this. Even when I put barbs in my words, he hesitates—’Is he sincere? Is he subtly warning me? Or is he just young?’—and ultimately lets it pass with lingering discomfort.

Yes. This is how I should begin.

As a group grows larger, the differences in the members’ thoughts also grow. Expecting them all to share my beliefs would be not just greedy but recklessly presumptuous. But at least they can pretend to share the same beliefs, right? Perhaps such pretense is the beginning of trust? If they keep pretending… perhaps they’ll actually become somewhat similar eventually.

By now, the grand hall of Azure Magic School was filled with people.

More than 200 executives were gathered here. Major executives who commanded over 100 people and mid-level executives who had led nomads of fewer than 10 people were all present.

In terms of composition, about 60% were mages from the Academy, about 30% were mages absorbed from Society and Magic Tower, and the remaining 10% were free mages who had wandered from cities and stairs, along with those who had joined individually.

Step. Step.

Pan-Dalus ascended to the platform.

The grand hall, which had been noisy with the chatter of over 200 people, fell silent.

Pan-Dalus looked around the meeting hall without saying a word. His eyes were burning with passion more than ever before. Some of the faint-hearted unconsciously averted their gaze.

After observing everyone for a while, Pan-Dalus finally spoke.

Today we achieved a great victory.

We captured and killed all 50 of Ragnarok’s senior inquisitors and three elders, and captured the Saint.

We killed 237 knights and captured the Knight Order’s heir, Evan.

Meanwhile, our casualties were limited to 4 5th Circle mages, 37 4th Circle mages, and 217 3rd Circle mages. Once today’s news spreads, we’ll be able to replenish those numbers several times over. It was a victory that will go down in history.

But Pan-Dalus mentioned none of this.

Instead, he moved directly to the main agenda.

“From now on, we will discuss the agenda regarding the independence of the ‘Great Cataclysm Emergency Committee.'”

It wasn’t just me, right?

Didn’t everyone feel chills run down their spines?

Look,

All the magical powers are watching us too.

1,000 years ago, the Druids broke away from the Academy.

500 years ago, Magic Tower split off,

300 years ago, Society separated.

And now, it’s our turn.

I, who had always been chased and forced to run, am now standing at the center of history.