Chapter 222

#222 Chapter: The Tin Knight and the Tower of Greed (2)

The dwelling place of the North Witch wasn’t fixed.

To be precise, it was more accurate to say she alternated between several mansions that existed within each tower’s ruling domain.

This wasn’t because the North Witch was extravagant, but rather for political reasons.

She was a figure of considerable symbolism in the Magical Kingdom, and having such an individual associated with a specific tower for too long could upset the balance among the towers.

If the North Witch were to say, “I don’t care about that!” in frustration, or strongly insist on living freely, it would have been a different story. But unfortunately, the kind witch lacked the disposition to refuse invitations mixed with goodwill.

Of course, that didn’t mean the towers tried to manipulate the North Witch at will.

Take the mansion prepared by the Tower of Guardian, for instance. They had respected the North Witch’s desire to avoid contact with others, so it was built in a secluded and quiet area.

A luxurious mansion fully equipped with various conveniences, nestled deep in the forest.

The value of the building, adorned with the special magical devices from the Tower of Guardian that affluent individuals across the continent would pay handsomely for but struggle to acquire, was beyond mere monetary evaluation. But in truth, the North Witch felt uneasy staying there.

“Ah, Rot, Rot. Why did you do such a thing? Why?”

A deep sigh escaped the lips of the North Witch, Olin.

Even though she appeared as a young girl, she was a great witch and sage who had lived for centuries.

Thus, she could discern that the evidence brought by Dorothea and her group was genuine, and she understood all too well how much harm her acknowledgment of that truth would bring to the Tower of Control.

Ideally, she didn’t want to cause harm to her old apprentice and their descendants.

But knowing the tragedy suffered by Adelheid and Friedel’s knights, she could not turn a blind eye to their pain.

Unable to decisively cut either side, the kind witch suffered in solitude.

After wallowing in her frustrating dilemma for a while, Olin’s eyes suddenly caught something.

It was a skull slightly larger than a fist.

The object delivered by the East Witch’s apprentice, saying it was meant to be handed over by her master.

The Queen of the Undead. The most notorious Necromancer on the continent.

Since such a person entrusted the delivery to her apprentice, the skull must possess some sort of special power…

…which it didn’t.

“What could it mean?”

Resting her chin on her hand, Olin stared intently at the skull she received from Dorothea.

But no matter how she examined it from this angle and that, the skull bore no discernible magic or power.

It had undergone some basic preservation processing to avoid damage from external stimuli, but that could easily be done by an ordinary wizard, not just the Queen of the Undead.

The East Witch wouldn’t send something to the North Witch via a courier for no reason.

If she thought it was simply a prank or a cruel joke, the East Witch, despite her eccentric personality, wouldn’t engage in meaningless actions.

So, could it be interpreted that the object itself has no meaning, but the person delivering it does?

Could the very act of Dorothea’s team meeting the North Witch carry significance?

“Should I just ask directly? …Hmm?”

At that moment, Olin sensed something.

The mansion where Olin was staying was practically a gift basket of all conveniences, but surprisingly, its security was barely set up.

Not because the Tower of Guardian wasn’t concerned about Olin’s safety, but because no matter how hard they tried, it was impossible to establish defenses superior to what Olin could manage herself.

To put it bluntly, the more they interfered, the weaker the defenses protecting Olin became.

Originally, a barrier is similar to construction; it is usually stronger and sturdier when built by a professional from the start rather than repairing half-heartedly by someone inexperienced. If there were barriers prepared by the Tower of Guardian, Olin would just let them be, even if they interfered with her own magic.

Thus, all the barriers surrounding the mansion were set up by Olin herself, and their effectiveness was such that she could prevent even the smallest fly from entering if she wanted.

And just now, someone had contacted her from just outside that barrier.

It wasn’t anyone from the Tower of Guardian. Gale wasn’t involved either.

“Rot?”

Indeed.

Her old apprentice, who had once been a young boy but was now a complete old man, was calling her from beyond the barrier.

Olin instinctively tried to dash out to greet her apprentice, but her remaining wariness, however thin, held her back.

If this were an official visit, the Tower of Guardian would have informed her about it in some way.

However, she had received no communication, meaning this visit was a unilateral action that hadn’t gone through any consultation between the towers.

No matter how diminished Olin’s judgment might be compared to usual, she couldn’t help but feel the oddity of this situation.

Just as she was about to reach for the magical devices left by the Tower Master and Gale, who had said to call her whenever needed…

《Master… no, Olin-sensei. You can hear me, right?》

She flinched as her body shivered.

《I know you’re deeply disheartened. That too is my fault as a foolish apprentice. I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart.》

Her former apprentice, now a thoroughly old man, spoke to her in a youthful tone.

《For a time, I was blinded. Under the pretense of reviving my bloodline, I wronged myself, all in a bid to leave my children with as much as I could.》

Olin’s eyes widened.

The goodness remaining inside her stirred.

《I know it may sound like an excuse. You must be bewildered by my sudden arrival. However, I had to do this because if this becomes known to others, they will go to great lengths to block both you and me from meeting.》

Even now, if she reached out a little further, she knew she could contact others, but Olin quietly withdrew her hand.

Meanwhile, her aged apprentice continued his lament.

《Sensei. I humbly ask of you. Please help me. I am responsible for my sins, but if this continues, innocent children who have not sinned will be swept up in this as well. I need your help to prevent that from happening. Please, grant me just one opportunity.》

After saying that, he hung his head, looking somber and awaiting her response.

Olin hesitated for a long time but ultimately opened a portion of the barrier to create a passage for her apprentice.

He expressed his gratitude and walked toward the mansion where she lived.

Olin kept a wary eye, checking for any followers who might be trailing him, but knowing Rotbart had genuinely come alone eased her tension a bit.

“Thank you, Sensei. You trusted me.”

“What happened, Rot? What on earth occurred?”

Rotbart sighed deeply.

“I know that anything I say will sound like an excuse. My sins cannot be forgiven.”

“Rot.”

“I want to apologize to that girl, to the family of Friedel.”

Rotbart lowered himself and knelt.

“I am the one responsible for this incident, so please redirect your wrath solely onto me. My children only followed orders, so I implore you to show them mercy.”

“…It won’t be easy. The girl’s rage and sorrow are immense.”

“I understand. That’s why I’m turning to you, Sensei. Please, could you at least prepare a place for an apology?”

Tears welled up in the corners of Rotbart’s eyes.

Looking at her apprentice’s wrinkled face, feelings of compassion and sorrow surged within Olin.

Eventually, she nodded.

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do. I don’t know whether that girl will forgive you, but I’ll at least try to create a space for you to seek that forgiveness face-to-face.”

“Thank you, Sensei.”

“There’s no need for thanks. Ugh, how should I handle this matter?”

Olin shook her head, feeling overwhelmed by the numerous tasks ahead.

While she couldn’t bring back the deceased, at the very least, she could provide some compensation to the bereaved, and she believed that was within her ability.

As she contemplated the future, for a moment, she completely let down her guard around the apprentice standing before her.

Suddenly.

A sharp something pierced through Olin’s back.

A turquoise blade flashed alluringly as it glimmered between the North Witch’s ribs.

No blood flowed.

After all, to her, who unconsciously had various defensive spells wrapped around her, a physical ambush held no real significance.

Thus, it wasn’t her body that the emerald blade pierced.

It was her heart.

The seal that had confined the wicked witch within her shattered, leaving a gaping hole.

Inside, someone began to crawl out, scattering madness.

“No, I have to say this over and over. Thank you so much, Sensei. ─For trusting me.”

Rotbart’s tone hadn’t changed.

Now that he had achieved his objective, revealing his true colors shouldn’t pose a problem.

He could scoff at her foolishness or flaunt his acting as he revealed the truth.

Yet, Rotbart maintained his respectful demeanor, remaining calm and composed.

That, more than any criticism, insult, or ridicule, jabbed deeply at Olin’s heart.

This was because it meant that even while betraying his teacher and stabbing her, the apprentice felt no ripple of disturbance in his heart.

Olin squeezed out one last question.

“Why?”

Rotbart Lognir.

Once her disciple, now a gray-haired man walking a different path, simply answered.

“You are a great teacher. However, I have a different master who is ‘helpful’ to me. That’s all there is to it.”

That cold denial became Olin’s final memory.

Deeply, deeply.

She fell into the bottomless darkness.

“─Hahaha.”

And thus, another North Witch opened her eyes.