Chapter 108

“Our company’s service remains steadfast even if the heavens collapse and the earth splits. How about it, have you reconsidered your stance?”

Cnemon nodded. The idea of bringing everything they possessed under his control wasn’t just a simple destruction—it was truly an enticing proposition.

‘Even from the perspective of getting back what I’ve lost….’

The Proper Tower that had crushed Cnemon’s Magic Tower had taken everything that should have been his. Just as Ortes had explained—returning in equal measure—now Cnemon would be able to claim their glory and wealth.

Springing to his feet, Cnemon was eager to begin the task entrusted to him without delay.

‘The list of artifacts hidden by the magic towers. It certainly resembles the data I once investigated.’

Though he no longer directly worshipped the old gods, using their empowered relics was a long-standing gray area. He had gathered information with the thought of possibly inciting division among the magic towers through this gray area.

During the years he’d spent secluded, away from the latest developments, his knowledge had grown outdated. But the materials he’d amassed in the past were unlikely to have changed drastically.

‘Artifacts, including relics, are the trump cards of magic towers. They aren’t items easily bought or sold.’

Since such things rarely circulate openly, public attention is highly concentrated when they do come to light.

By supplementing his old records with the list of relics traded at auctions over the past few years, he believed he could produce a fairly usable result.

Ortes’ voice came from behind.

“Ah. If you need manpower or equipment for your investigation, consult Director Arabel. Mention that the Chief Inspector sent you, and she’ll treat you accordingly.”

…No matter what one thinks, it all falls within Ortes’ grasp. Though chilling, it was fortunate.

For better or worse, since they were now on the same boat, the stronger their allies, the better.

***

Carisia slowly read through the board members’ report. The propulsion body development project entrusted to Bertrand was proceeding smoothly enough.

“So, what was the compensation your friend requested?”

“Yes. Originally, he wanted us to destroy an entire Proper Tower. That’s obviously not feasible in the current situation, so I managed to negotiate it down.”

A request to destroy a magic tower. Carisia understood the sentiment. Wasn’t she herself covertly working to destroy Baegwang?

On the other hand, Ortes’ claim of “negotiating it down” puzzled her. Revenge isn’t something that easily fades. Wouldn’t clumsy persuasion only fuel the flames of vengeance?

“What did you say to convince him?”

“Ah. Not much. I asked if he really wanted to just blow it up after enduring so many hardships, or if he’d rather take the tower for himself. Something like that?”

Carisia sighed.

She could already picture the scene. Ortes occasionally—and to be honest, quite frequently—made remarks that were suspicious to the point of being absurd.

Pointing these out one by one was meaningless. Ortes considered his way of speaking a form of respect to avoid raising suspicion, and besides, the main cause of suspicion lay in his peculiar presence itself.

It was pointless to dwell on this. Resigned inwardly, Carisia looked up at Ortes. Purely in terms of facial structure, there was nothing to criticize, but his usual half-closed eyes were still problematic.

“Hmph.”

Shaking off her wandering thoughts with a sigh, Carisia began contemplating the compensation for Cnemon.

“Could you explain why acquiring the tower is considered cheaper than destroying it?”

“Yes. Destruction yields no direct benefit to us, but it does create significant upheaval. If a Proper Tower suddenly collapsed, it would surely attract the attention of the Ten Towers, requiring considerable time and resources to manage.”

“But wouldn’t the simplicity of the process outweigh the inconvenience of cleanup?”

“Chairman, surely you’re not thinking of sending me alone on a field trip?”

“You could do it, couldn’t you?”

Carisia gave Ortes a sidelong glance as if to ask where his theatrics were coming from. Ortes shrugged.

“You overestimate me too much, Chairman. What have I done?”

You’ve done plenty. Carisia recalled Ortes’ deeds since she’d opened her eyes in this world.

Realizing that discussing this further would only worsen his position, Ortes quickly continued.

“The simplicity of the process and the inconvenience of cleanup might balance each other out. However, the aftermath differs greatly.”

Destroying a magic tower would yield no added value afterward. While selling off its ruins might generate some profit, it would pale in comparison to the benefits of a functioning tower.

“But if we install Cnemon as the Tower Master, instead of cleanup costs, we can calculate future gains. Even if the process becomes more complicated, it will allow us to secure profits more reliably.”

“True, the Ten Towers don’t pay much attention to succession wars between towers. Assassinations among mages vying for the Tower Master position aren’t exactly new.”

Carisia nodded. She hadn’t genuinely intended to oppose Ortes’ plan. She merely wanted to lightly review its validity.

“In that case, let’s start with the basics. Which tower should we assign to Cnemon?”

“The Amimone Magic Tower.”

Amimone Magic Tower. Carisia felt a sense of déjà vu. Was it related to Baegwang, which had given birth to her?

No. It wasn’t that ancient a memory. It must have been recent…

“It’s the root of the Lernian Tower, isn’t it?”

Amimone Magic Tower was the original source of the building currently owned by Hydra Corp, the Lernian Tower.

However, this didn’t mean that the Lernian Tower was a branch of the Amimone Tower. On the contrary, it was closer to the opposite.

The Lernian Tower was established by those expelled from the Amimone Tower.

“A curious coincidence. I didn’t expect history to weave together like this.”

“Coincidence.”

While she knew it was all coincidental, would Cnemon see it the same way?

“Our company has no official ties to the Lernian Tower. Even if something happens to the Amimone Tower, there’s no risk of us being implicated.”

“That confidence makes it sound like you’ve already planned everything out.”

“Not a grand plan, per se.”

Ortes combined the leads Cnemon had initially provided. Since the Amimone Tower was the one Cnemon harbored the deepest grudge against, it was also the one he had most thoroughly investigated.

“The Amimone Tower has a solid foundation and formidable power, not just in direct magical combat ability but also politically, by placing their own magicians in key positions within organizations like Argos.”

Even though Cnemon’s tower was only a medium-sized regional entity, swallowing it entirely without any legal issues was nearly impossible. This was thanks to the extensive network of connections held by the Proper Tower.

Ortes focused on this network.

“Isn’t it true that Blasphemia’s Rank L13 has received a special order to uncover internal collaborators with Argeyirion within Argos?”

Ortes’ lips curled upward.

In principle, members of Panoptes should not belong to any specific magic tower to ensure impartial judgment free from group interests.

But this is only theoretical. Naturally, having prior experience in a certain tower before joining Panoptes often biases one toward favoring it.

“Raising suspicions of collaboration with Argeyirion among Argos agents originating from the Amimone Tower will spread influence back to the Amimone Tower itself. We plan to start by filing reports about the concealment of sacred artifacts.”

This is just the beginning.

“Have you explained the plan to Mr. Cnemon?”

“Of course. I made sure to clarify that we’re still in the early stages to prevent any disappointment. Please feel free to suggest any improvements.”

Carisia often wondered if Ortes underestimated the weight of his own words.

Today, it seemed he had significantly misjudged them.

***

Inspector General Salmosia of Blasphemia was recently in a foul mood.

The authority to pursue Argeyirion had ultimately been revoked from Blasphemia.

Of course, she understood the reason. It was a practical decision that Blasphemia couldn’t face an organization capable of assassinating elders of the Ten Towers alone.

‘It’s undoubtedly reasonable to deploy not just part, but all of Panoptes. But…’

How many spies of Argeyirion were lurking within Argos, the largest subset of Panoptes?

Anxiety—and though unspoken, envy—swirled around Salmosia.

At that moment, a message appeared on the direct line accessible only to inspectors.

The sender was Rank L13.

Seeing the name, Salmosia felt a sudden surge of anticipation.