Chapter 217

“The Tin Knight and the Singing Bone.”

Even as the Tin Knight and his crew moved off in the distance, the wizards dared not chase after them.

It wasn’t that they were frozen in fear; rather, it was a different kind of tension.

True, the enemies were strong, but they weren’t overwhelmingly so.

There were plenty of wizards loyal to the Tower of Control, magical power was abundant, and even at this very moment, reinforcements were trickling in.

If they continued to fight, it was only a matter of time before they’d have no choice but to win.

That is, if the fight dragged on.

It would happen if someone kept pushing them to do so.

But the ones who needed to give orders—Skoll and Harty—were currently collapsed under an unknown mass, totally exhausted.

“……”

People stared in disbelief at the pooling red blood slowly spreading across the ground.

Even if the Lognir royal family had fallen from being the sole rulers of Aeolia to one of four towers, that blood was still deemed noble.

Especially within the Tower of Control, many perceived them to be of royal blood.

And what they imagined about royal deaths, well, it involved something far more dramatic and noble.

A grand battlefield, a dignified duel, a tragic last words. Or at least an execution before a watching crowd. You know, that sort of stuff.

No one could have anticipated such a sudden and absurdly meaningless death, like some accident.

In a way, it was as shocking as watching a person die after stepping on an ant they were toying with.

They were oblivious to the fury of the ant.

In the giant chess game of those with power and authority, they were unaware of the sorrow of those dying without any understanding.

The girl who came to realize this sorrow didn’t know that she was kindhearted but not indecisive.

Truth be told, it didn’t matter whether she knew or not.

She would have to find out soon enough, whether she liked it or not.

***

The Magical Kingdom was one nation, but in reality, it was a federation of four nations, with each tower housing figures akin to diplomats sent from other towers.

And right now, the diplomats from the Tower of Control were darting around as if the sky was falling.

The Tower of Prophecy.

“It seems your territory has been quite chaotic lately.”

“Thank you for your concern, Master Geldnir. However, rest assured, despite the emerging rumors from unidentified malicious individuals, our elite from the Tower of Control will capture them all and uncover the mastermind behind this incident.”

“Oh? Is that so? I thought it was merely a rumor, but seeing how seriously you’re reacting, it seems the incident is larger than I thought.”

“It’s not that big. However, it’s better to act swiftly and forcefully to quell an incident rather than neglect the small ones and let them grow.”

“Can’t argue with that. But if you need any assistance from our side, don’t hesitate to let me know. Regardless of how good your fighting skills are, we’d likely be better at searching for and investigating things.”

“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, but this is our problem, so there’s no need to trouble your tower.”

“Hmm. Well, I’ll take that as you prefer to keep it that way. After all, if we go poking around, we might end up with some odd information that would cause trouble.”

“… Surely, that won’t be the case. We have nothing to hide.”

‘What? How much do they know?’

After finishing the pressure interview with Master Geldnir of the Tower of Prophecy, the diplomat felt an eerie discomfort looking at the elderly man who, beyond his appearance, was almost unreadable, but honestly, this was a piece of cake compared to what other towers had to deal with.

And for good reason: The diplomat sent to the Tower of Annihilation had a hard time just getting a word in.

“─Explain.”

Usually, the master of the tower can have appearances that don’t match their age, but Prandol Hertate, the master of the Tower of Annihilation, was genuinely a young tower master.

And also the absolute madman of the Tower of Annihilation.

She leaned back on the couch, legs crossed on the table, which was seriously rude diplomatically.

But instead of addressing it, the anxious diplomat forced his dry mouth to speak.

“E-everything is a misunderstanding. The specifics are currently under investigation, but once we catch the perpetrator, the truth will surely be revealed.”

“Misunderstanding, you say.”

Prandol cracked his neck left and right, making sounds as he did so.

His actions resembled those of a gang leader rather than that of a nation’s leader, and yet, this only stirred a more primal fear.

“Alright, for now, I will choose to believe you. But if your words turn out to be false, let’s just say it won’t be fun for either of us, or your tower. The price for making fools of us will not be cheap.”

This was a straight-to-the-point declaration, devoid of any diplomatic niceties.

And to prove that his words were no idle threats, three spirit birds guarding the city raised their cries, amping up their magical might.

The diplomat cursed his fate to be stationed here, but even the challenges he faced were only intermediate level in comparison.

The true high levels lay elsewhere.

***

Rewinding the clock a bit before the Tin Knight’s crew landed on the island.

“T-those guys! If they make it into the island, who knows what those wicked necromancers might do; we need to stop them here!”

“Hmmm.”

At the words of the diplomat from the Tower of Control, the Captain of the Guards seemed deep in thought, chewing over something.

His demeanor showed no signs of urgency, prompting the diplomat to press him again.

“What are you doing! We need to attack before they land—”

“-I appreciate your concern regarding our tower’s major issue, but the authority to move troops lies solely with me. There’s no need for you to interfere. Or do you think our tower sees you as one of our subordinates?”

“That’s not it, but…”

The diplomat cursed in his mind.

His role from the Tower of Control was essentially insurance.

If by any chance the perpetrators broke through the encirclement and crossed over, the Tower of Guardian would be set to clash with them.

Moreover, part of his orders included ‘prompt the Tower of Guardian to launch a preemptive strike’ as well.

If the criminals turned against the Tower of Guardian and fought back, the conflict would naturally escalate, weakening their voice regardless of what they said afterward.

Of course, as with most insurances, it was best if it was never needed.

But there was no guarantee that the Tower of Guardian would act just as they pleased.

Sure enough, instead of launching a preemptive strike as the diplomat had suggested, the Captain of the Guards projected his voice towards those who had come across on rafts using a spell.

“To the travelers over there! You are currently under suspicion of various charges, including the murder of a tower wizard! If you willingly disarm and submit to investigation, we will treat you according to the law, but should you refuse, we will engage in combat!”

“Wait! If you do that, and they pull some weird trick, we could suffer huge losses!”

Ignoring the diplomat’s plea, the Captain of the Guards responded with silence this time.

The diplomat gritted his teeth.

It seemed the perpetrators were whispering among themselves, and one of them began to step forward slowly.

The green-haired woman, without showing any fear towards the arrows aimed at her, smiled softly and placed something she was holding on the ground.

Immediately, the object she placed down—a flute rich with magical energy—began to sing with vigor.

《O, friends! Please lend me your ears to hear my story, to hear my tale!


The truths that the oppressors tried to hide, you must know this tale they wished to keep secret!


The ones called sinners are no sinners at all, and the ones shouting they’re victims are not victims either!


Everything was a prepared script, and they continue to use the innocent on their stage!


O friends, don’t be fooled!


O friends, do not let yourselves be used!


O friends, summon forth the wisest of witches!


For the great master who created the tower will verify the truth of my words!》

Her voice was comical, yet the content was venomous.

Feeling the growing judgment from the audience, the diplomat desperately raised his voice.

“This is slander! As part of this Magical Kingdom, are you really planning to believe the words of those unknown individuals instead of our long-time blood pact?!”

“Well, you sure do talk a lot.”

While rolling his eyes dismissively at the diplomat, the Captain of the Guards remained vigilant towards the green-haired woman—Sophia.

After all, the diplomat’s words weren’t entirely incorrect.

“I understand what you’re trying to say. However, this is a matter of procedure. If you peacefully comply with the arrest, I’ll gladly hear you out afterward, so please follow instruction for now.”

“So, you can’t directly allow me to meet the North Witch; that’s what you mean?”

“No one has the authority to dictate who she meets. Once you hear her out, she will decide for herself.”

“Indeed.”

Sophia smiled quietly.

Unbeknownst to the Captain, his words and demeanor implied that ‘the North Witch is indeed here in the Tower of Guardian,’ and because Sophia naturally implied, “You guys already know the North Witch is here,” the Captain thought, ‘Oh, so they know she’s here,’ even though that was a possibility at best.

And while Sophia was stalling for time, Dorothea and the other companions quietly watched for the perfect moment to take off.

While they had no intention of actively fighting the Tower of Guardian, they also didn’t want to simply submit to disarmament requests, fearing that the Tower of Control might send assassins their way at any moment.

Of course, if they rashly killed a suspect captured by another tower, the repercussions would be nothing to sneeze at, but when people are cornered, they can do anything.

The crew began to plot from the back.

“The encirclement is quite solid. The soldiers’ armor and weapons look like magical devices.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ says he can just bulldoze them down!]

“I think it’s best if we avoid hurting those not involved.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists he’ll blow them away with pressure instead of blunt force!]

“Alright, then let’s break through the encirclement, dart around the island while blasting the flute, and when they can’t touch us anymore, we’ll assess the situation and renegotiate—”

Just then, amidst their chatter, Adelheid’s eyes went wide as she pointed towards the sea.

Dorothea, worried about whether trackers from the Tower of Control were coming, turned around swiftly, only to stare in shock.

A jet-black hull. Golden sails. A pirate emblem adorned with jewels.

No matter how you looked at it, the flamboyant pirate ship had come close to the shore.

At the ship’s bow, Captain Bill shouted to the crew, holding a girl bound with ropes in one hand.

“Oh! My dear friends! I’ve eagerly awaited to meet you! You better not think about running away like last time! If you do, this lady will become shark food!”

“S-sorry…!”

Everyone gathered on the shore froze.

There was no way such a ship could have appeared so suddenly with ordinary sailing speed; the unnatural crew on the ship looked more like something out of a fantasy, and the girl with the long, messy hair was unmistakably one of their temporary companions from back when they traveled together.

Sure, her hair color had changed from blonde to a reddish-brown thanks to some potion Dorothea had given her, but it was undoubtedly the same girl they had once traveled with. Captain Bill must have remembered her and taken her hostage.

Facing a sudden crisis that hadn’t been part of their plans, Dorothea opened her mouth.

“Go ahead; do as you please. I’m not her babysitter, anyway.”

“Huh.”

“Uh.”

Both the hostage and the kidnapper expressed their bewilderment simultaneously.