Chapter 196

#196 Prandol Hertate and the Crossroads of Sword and Magic (6)

Inside the Tower of Annihilation, in the reception room.

“I’ll fetch a reply, so please wait here for a bit. If you need anything, just let the golem beside you know.”

With those words, the wizard left.

It wasn’t the friendliest of tones, but still…

“…More moderate than I expected?”

“Yes, indeed.”

Rather than keeping us waiting indefinitely outside or treating us with hostile glares upon entering, the treatment we received was not too shabby.

The reception room was tidy, if not lavish, and none of the wizards we encountered showed blatant animosity.

Clunk, clunk.

A golem made entirely of wood, about the size of Adelheid’s chest, busily moved around to bring us refreshments. Honestly, it was even cute.

Adel gently patted the golem’s cylindrical head, reveling in its remarkably soft and fluffy texture.

After a moment of enjoying that sensation, she withdrew her hand, feeling awkward under the golem’s earnest stare, as if asking if she needed anything.

“The taste is quite excellent.”

Seeing Sophia casually pop a cookie into her mouth, Adel was about to ask, ‘Is it okay to eat that?’ but quickly realized how silly that question was.

She had been taught repeatedly by Dorothea about not eating food and drinks from unfamiliar places, but nobody was better suited for the poison-checking job than Sophia.

With the oppressive weight that had been pressing down on us since entering the tower now lifted, the two could converse comfortably.

“What do you think caused the tower’s sudden change in attitude?”

“Well, I suppose we could speculate on various reasons, but the most immediate one is probably because we came in ‘officially’ as messengers. If someone were to collapse outside without even entering the tower, that’s their problem, but if there’s a danger to our safety inside, then the tower would hold some responsibility.”

“Political risk, then?”

“Exactly.”

“Probably, we won’t face any more threats. Once we get the reply and head back, that should be the end of it. We need to be cautious on the way back, though.”

With a sigh of relief, Adelheid exhaled.

‘In the City of Scales, I ultimately had to rely on others, but this time I feel like I can handle it on my own. Thank goodness… Thank goodness?’

Adelheid’s intuition rang alarm bells.

When reflecting on past experiences, it always seemed that just when things appeared to be wrapping up, something unexpected would pop up.

In the words of the Tin Knight, ‘There’s no good in rashly waving flags.’

Just as she was reaffirming her resolve to be ready for any eventuality, the reception room door burst open without a knock, and someone strode in.

A woman with a tall stature surpassing that of an average man and elegantly extended limbs, adorned with somewhat sharp and fierce beauty, flopped onto the empty sofa.

“Master of the Tower of Annihilation. Prandol Hertate.”

“…”

Despite being thrown into such a sudden situation, Adel was momentarily stunned, but Sophia was, of course, Sophia.

She calmly brushed off the woman introducing herself as the tower master and introduced herself instead.

“It’s an honor to meet the strongest spear of the Magical Kingdom. I’m Sophia. This is Lady Adelheid.”

“Hmph, looks like that little one doesn’t have a tongue?”

“Well, please understand that your swift actions have startled her.”

Prandol scoffed at the insinuation that she barged in without so much as a greeting.

“I read your letter. I was skeptical if that old man from the dojo had lost his marbles.”

“We are merely messengers, so we are unaware of the contents of the letter.”

“They want to hold an exchange. The dojo would teach us martial arts, and we would teach them magic. I came rushing here after reading that baffling proposal.”

“…”

Sophia only smiled wryly, choosing not to refute it.

Even she thought it was a rather absurd suggestion.

Adel, who was a little slow to regain her senses, exchanged anxious glances with the silently contemplating Sophia, but soon realized it wasn’t necessary.

If their objective was something like ‘establishing negotiations,’ that would have been problematic, but they were merely messengers.

Regardless of the answer, simply returning with a response meant their job was complete.

However, there was one thing.

“─Considering you just recently charged through the eastern continent, you should put aside your reckless rampaging and officially acknowledge and apologize for that before engaging in such tricks, and relay that to that old man, Norman.”

Prandol’s words stripped Adel of any remaining calm.

Before rational thought could kick in, words spilled forth.

“W-wait! Can you elaborate on that?”

“What?”

“About the invasion from the east.”

Perhaps feeling the confusion, panic, and urgency in Adel’s voice, Prandol stared at her with a puzzled expression.

It was as if she was appraising the girl in front of her rather than merely relaying her words.

Prandol’s gaze flickered between Adel’s hair and eyes, altered by Dorothea’s medicine.

After determining that Adel was not a member of the Lion Duke’s Bloodline but rather a disciple, Prandol shrugged.

“It seems the duke’s household isn’t providing proper training for its disciples? Well, fine. I’ll show a little mercy.”

With an air of condescension, the Master of the Tower began her explanation.

“About a year ago, various crime incidents began to spike in the territory controlled by the Tower of Control. Upon investigation, it was determined that bandits had flooded in from the lawless lands in the eastern continent, seeking fertile land. The Tower of Control dispatched troops to hunt the bandits down. ─And suffered near annihilation.”

A chill radiated from the tower master’s face.

“We initially thought they were mere bandits, but they turned out to be elite troops of considerable fame. Not to mention there were ambushers that hadn’t been detected during prior scouting. It was essentially a trap. Had their plan gone off without a hitch, the extermination force could have been wiped out, and who knows? The Tower of Control itself might have fallen.”

Her words conveyed a hypothetical situation.

Which meant, conversely, that such a scenario had not occurred.

“However, despite their siege, some members of the extermination squad returned alive and reported back, allowing the Tower of Control to barely manage a regroup. While a portion of the territory burned, they ultimately dealt with the bandits. But when they removed the helmet of the commander who had been hiding his face, a blond-haired guy popped out.”

Adel’s hands trembling in her lap couldn’t help but shake.

“We obviously pressed the Empire for answers. The leader of the bandit group wreaking havoc domestically was a member of the Lion Duke’s Bloodline, and we received intelligence about troop movements near the imperial borders. Yet the Empire denied it.”

What did they say?

– “We never issued such orders.”

– “It was merely a unilateral act by a branch that has no great ties to the main family.”

“Longing for revenge, the Tower of Control and us split into factions, and after several rounds of negotiation, it ended with the phrase ‘an unfortunate misunderstanding between the two parties.’ They all seemed so half-hearted about it.”

“Unfortunate… misunderstanding…”

Adel hung her head low.

It seemed she interpreted that as a shame for the ‘petty actions of her dojo,’ as the tower master spoke in a slightly gentler tone.

“Seems the Empire completely fabricated different details about the incident, or perhaps even concealed the incident itself. If you’re thinking about leaving where you are now, you’d be welcome to join us ‘Annihilation’ side. Unlike the tight-lipped psychics, I don’t care if one isn’t a wizard as long as they’re capable. Anyone who can endure the pressure of the three spirits and come to me has a place to serve.”

Instead of Adel, Sophia answered.

“Thank you for your kind and detailed explanation, Master of the Tower of Annihilation. However, from how you speak, it seems you have not directly experienced or witnessed that battle?”

“I’d love to fly there the moment I heard the news, but our front line is down in the southwest. With a lion curled up in the castle of Nemea, I can’t carelessly shift forces.”

“Oh, I see. So you received the story from others?”

“It’s based on what I heard from the Tower of Control, supplemented with additional investigations.”

“Understood. It was a beneficial time. Well then, we shall take our leave. We’ll give your suggestion serious thought.”

Sophia’s last statement seemed to leave the tower master somewhat satisfied, leading her to respond without any further prickly demeanor.

The letter, hastily penned using flames rather than ink on a suitable parchment, constituted a valid reply. It was sufficient proof that they had fulfilled their role.

As they walked away from the tower.

Click, clack!

The bone mouse, seemingly concerned about the silent Adel, clacked its teeth or perched above her head to draw out a response, but it proved useless.

The bone mouse looked to Sophia, as if questioning what to do, but she quietly shook her head.

It was as if she was indicating it was time to wait until Adel spoke first.

So, how much time passed?

“Sophia.”

“Yes?”

“Was what we just heard true?”

Adel’s voice carried a tone of hopeful expectancy.

Knowing that, Sophia responded flatly.

“Could be true, or could not.”

“…”

“One of the most important points to remember when reading a book is not to blindly believe that everything within it is absolutely correct. Conversations with people are no different. The Master of the Tower of Annihilation could have lied to deceive Adel, she could have misconstrued something, and ─everything could be true.”

Her tone was slightly more serious and a bit heavier than usual.

Like an adult teaching a child how to distrust others.

“The one thing I can definitely tell you, Lady Adel, is that there’s no need to rush into making judgments.”

Slowly.

With a deliberate motion, Adel nodded her head.

That was enough for now, it seemed, as Sophia gave Adel’s head a gentle pat.

“Well then, should we head back for now? Or—”

“—Let’s go to the dojo. I have some questions I want to ask there too.”

At Adel’s words, Sophia nodded in agreement.

The bone mouse, looking somewhat displeased, ultimately retreated back into Adelheid’s hair as if resigned.

The front door of Lenart Dojo.

Dong- dong- dong—

The sound of the bell rang, light and heavy as usual, and a young man appeared once more, one they had encountered before.

Upon seeing the parchment that Sophia held, the young man’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Goodness. You actually succeeded! Nobody, including myself, has managed to do that; you’re truly amazing.”

“Thank you for the kind words. Is the head instructor here?”

“He is. He is, but, um…”

The young man hesitated for a moment, then explained the situation.

“While you were away, someone from the Lenart family came looking for you. A whole bunch of them came. The instructor is currently attending to them, so it might be a bit difficult to see him immediately like last time. Could you wait a little?”

Perhaps because they knew Adelheid had transcended into a realm of competency beyond three tokens.

Even with her hiding her lineage with her looks, the young man’s demeanor was very respectful.

Just as the two nodded in acknowledgment.

“─Ah, it’s you?”

Right behind them.

A voice rang out so close it felt like they could feel the breath of the speaker, and the instinct honed through training with the Tin Knight surged forth before rational thought could react.

Clang!

As swords clashed, sparks flew.

Realizing that overpowering Adel’s strike was out of her reach, the sudden intruder adeptly redirected the force and created distance.

Her beautiful golden hair had disheveled.

Her deep purple eyes, similar to those of Adel, sparkled with exhilaration.

The unknown girl of the Lion Duke’s Bloodline grinned and remarked.

“─You struck first?”

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