Chapter 16

The sudden act of Carisia placing a hat on me caused an immediate headache to surge.

Damn it. I can happily steal my salary even when handed an empty plate, but here we are.

It seems Chairman has decided I need to do some work!

I went through all the trouble of bringing Caike here, and now they want me to prepare a plan for the future within five minutes. That, I understand.

Though the false war using Geryon was part of your plan, Carisia, the idea to utilize Caike and the Artificial Tenth Rank was mine.

Setting aside that it’s borrowed from the original narrative,

how exactly we use the Artificial Tenth Rank moving forward. You already know everything—how we dangle the bait of Ascension before the Board Members and steer their impulses as we see fit.

And yet, after all I’ve done, this is the thanks I get? Extra work! How could you treat me like this?

I unloaded all my complaints onto Carisia.

All in my imagination, of course.

If I voiced these grievances to the real Carisia, the only thing I’d get back would be more work. She’d flash her menacing smile at me while politely insisting, “Do as you’re told.”

I should probably draft a few proposals before bed.

Tomorrow’s a holiday, after all. It’d be best to finish everything today so I don’t get called in on my day off.

***

Carisia was reading a direct report sent by Ortes just past midnight.

It detailed the potential uses of the space Caike had created beneath Mount Etna.

According to Ortes’ analysis, the location where the Artificial Tenth Rank was placed was a type of Ethereal Space.

Ethereal Spaces are semi-realistic realms, existing between the material and non-material worlds.

Typically, mages who wish to connect to Ethereal Space aim toward it from the non-material world.

Meditation-based astral projection is the most common method. Physical access is generally avoided for two main reasons:

Firstly, the danger.

Most astral projections, if they fail, merely require a few days of rest, but physical connection always carries the risk of brain death. Even neural terminal connections, one of the most common methods of physical access, can fry your brain if something goes wrong.

Secondly, accessibility.

Astral projection can be achieved without any equipment, simply through meditation.

In contrast, physical access requires not only a modified body with neural terminals but also additional facilities.

Without such devices, fully connecting the entire body to Ethereal Space is extremely rare.

What is commonly referred to as a full dive into Ethereal Space involves a method where all five senses are engaged. Neural terminal connections typically fall under this category.

Going a step further than full dive, there’s a method that connects the entire physical body: Eleusis.

To successfully achieve Eleusis, the Ethereal Space being accessed must be very stable.

This is because it needs to overcome the inherent instability between reality and unreality.

While Caike’s constructed Ethereal Space wasn’t perfect, it compensated for its structural flaws with an immense amount of magical power.

An Ethereal Space that uses Mount Etna itself as a backup power source. The reason Ortes and Caike were able to enter physically was due to the overwhelming magic power.

Ortes’ proposal suggested repurposing that space as a kind of shelter.

A refuge in case the White Light Tower unleashes city-wide devastating magic during a full-scale battle.

True to form, Ortes was always concerned about Carisia first. Feeling a faint sense of satisfaction, Carisia sent a brief reply.

“Denied. Modifying it into a shelter may reduce the efficiency of the Artificial Tenth Rank’s explosive potential.”

She hadn’t abandoned her dream of creating the largest-ever magical bomb.

***

The short message sent by Carisia was enough to make the back of my neck itch. Why does she love explosions so much?

I’ve given all the advice I can as her subordinate. Beyond that, I’m out.

Tomorrow’s a holiday. With how busy things have been lately, I really need to get some sleep.

“Excuse me, could you look at me?”

Oh no, Chairman.

Why are you in my room?

***

I woke up in the early hours of the morning—a holiday morning, no less.

Feeling suspicious noises in my room, I cautiously lifted my eyelids just a fraction. Opening them fully would reveal too much, and that could lead to trouble. Such caution is necessary these days.

What appeared in my carefully secured vision was a pair of golden eyes glowing brilliantly even in the dark.

It was Carisia.

“Isn’t today supposed to be a holiday?”

I clutched my throbbing head and looked at Carisia.

Despite my long experience navigating this magic-stratified society, having the boss barge into an employee’s room on a holiday morning isn’t something you see every day.

“So what? Do we have any plans?”

What do you mean “so what”? Did you personally come here because you don’t like me taking a day off? I haven’t done anything to upset you recently, have I?

“No, we don’t. Chairman, why don’t you follow the grand will of the Wizard King and take some rest?”

I referenced one of this world’s myths—the origin of the calendar created by the Wizard King.

He meditated for ten days to grasp the principles of magic and upon opening his eyes, mastered the ten primary attributes of modern magic represented by the Ten Sages.

The first day he began his meditation and the tenth day he completed it are regarded as special holidays.

Indeed, in this world, a week consists of ten days, with each month made up of three weeks, making date calculations rather convenient.

But the convenience of calculation couldn’t justify the horror of it all.

Two holidays in a ten-day week. Three weeks in a month.

That means there are only six days of rest in a month!

I didn’t want to spend my precious holiday with my boss.

“I came to rest, didn’t I?”

Carisia sat casually on the edge of my bed, right next to me.

Suppressing the urge to sigh, I shifted slightly to make room for her.

“What do you think of the Board Members?”

Carisia asked as she lay down beside me.

“Our company, Hydra Corp, was founded last month, wasn’t it? During the first week of the Month of Light, right? We’ve only been operating for a month; how can we possibly know everyone inside out?”

“By the calendar, it’s been 30 days already. Come on, tell me.”

Do you think I’m some kind of auditor? Keeping my eyes closed, I started reciting whatever came to mind.

Surely she won’t criticize me for lack of preparation at this hour.

“The slave trade business of Kreton could attract unwanted attention from other Magic Towers, so I dealt with it preemptively. His personal influence has weakened since his income sources were removed. When the city redevelopment begins, we’ll need brute force and magic power in construction. Deploy him then, and use it as leverage to put him on a leash.”

***

Carisia was half-asleep, listening to Ortes’ whispers.

In truth, for her, her will and Ortes’ will were one and the same.

There was no need to reconfirm the blueprint of the future that Ortes had envisioned. If she wanted, he would prepare it for her.

“Arabel is clever, and Bertrand is steadfast. Neither of them is likely to cause major problems. However, the contraction of the Miner’s Guild is concerning, but involving Caike mitigates the risks for now.”

Still, the reason she visited Ortes’ room was…

“The Beastmaster Demedes is somewhat dangerous. His beasts crave blood. Let him chase after the fugitives of the Magic Tower under the guise of Holy Investigations to sate his desires.”

It was literally for ‘rest.’

“The mutant overseer Taros at the magic waste disposal plant poses little threat. Though he commands a group of mutants, their organization’s strength lies solely in survival. As long as they’re treated equally, they’ll gradually become more cooperative.”

A single person who could reassure her that she hadn’t lost her way in her long journey of vengeance.

“Hunters like Neuro and illegal human modification expert Divius both have their own agendas. But for now, they’re still loyal to Chairman’s authority, and we haven’t fully uncovered their true intentions. Further investigation is needed.”

Listening to Ortes’ vision of the future gave Carisia confidence that she was on the right path.

“…Perhaps not.”

The right path might not exist. The White Light Tower is akin to a massive nation, and when it falls, countless innocents will inevitably be caught in the aftermath.

Nevertheless, this path of vengeance was what she truly desired.

“The demispirit Mecoonion…”

Only Ortes could provide her with such reassurance. The one who stood by her side, asking for nothing in return, ever since escaping from the White Light Tower’s research facility.

“Chairman?”

“Employer?”

“Carisia?”

“…Hey, you’re actually asleep.”

Hearing the voice of the only person she could completely relax around, Carisia drifted off into a peaceful slumber.