Chapter 242

#242 The Tin Knight and the Strange Resort

“Hear ye, wizards and citizens of the Magical Kingdom.”

“I am Teur Lognir, the new Master of the Tower of Control. It’s a great honor to be here, but I can’t help but feel a twinge of regret and guilt as I stand before you to share some truths that are, frankly, a bit embarrassing to admit. However, to hide these matters would lead to even greater shame, so here I go.”

“What we claimed in the past about betraying Grandmaster Olin and trying to usurp his power at the Tower of Guardian? Not true! That dishonor belongs to the previous Master of the Tower of Control, Rotbart Lognir. The Grandmaster who called us out was actually a fraud impersonating him.”

“Also, the thief incident that started all this? That was orchestrated in cahoots with Duke Lenart’s family from the Empire, making the innocent Friedel Territory soldiers mere victims of a nasty scheme.”

“I know that fully atoning for past sins is quite a task, but not even attempting to make things right? That’s an even bigger crime. I sincerely apologize to the Tower of Guardian, Friedel Territory, and all the lords who have suffered due to this incident, and I swear on my name, Teur Lognir, that proper compensation will be provided. This also goes for those who were indirectly affected from other towers—”

“Wow, you’re really begging for mercy, huh?”

The Master of the Tower of Annihilation, Prandol Hertate, let out a remark that was equal parts admiration and sarcasm, while resting his heels on the table with a loud thunk.

When she snapped her fingers, the magical device mimicking Teur Lognir’s voice quieted down.

“Even a wilting flower has its charm. But throwing away one’s honor for a couple of favors? Might as well roll in the mud and lose even those tiny remnants of pride. Is this guy really so pathetic?”

“He’s more about practicality than pride, I guess.”

The Master of the Tower of Prophecy, Medir Geldnir, replied to Prandol’s jab.

“Sure, the Tower of Control will fall hard because of this, but it wasn’t exactly gathering people based on its charm or reputation. People flocked to it because it fulfilled their twisted desires to trample over others. Of course, considering how massive this incident is, a few decades of suffering seems inevitable…”

“But as long as they avoid total ruin, they could dream of a comeback someday, right?”

“Exactly. Just look at you; it’s unlikely you’d throw a punch at someone like him when he’s humbled like this, right?”

“Hmph.”

Despite Prandol’s dissatisfied expression, she didn’t refute Medir’s words.

Teur’s apology wasn’t just directed at the upper echelons of the tower, but the entire Magical Kingdom, including wizards and even common folk.

Considering the positions of the towers and wizards in the Magical Kingdom, it was as if a prince was bowing and directly asking for forgiveness from commoners.

While those within the Tower of Control blamed the new master for leading them to ruin and selling out his pride, many other wizards and unaffected commoners looked at Teur with sympathy and compassion.

If Prandol and Medir, representing their towers, started tearing at the Control’s authority, it would raise quite a few eyebrows.

“Tsk, looks like I’ll just have to accept a pat on the back and pretend I didn’t hear the obvious lies,”

“Well, isn’t that how it goes? We’d have nothing to gain from airing the dirty laundry between the Grandmaster and Witch Mombi.”

The significance of “the North Witch being gravely wounded by her apprentice’s betrayal, letting a fake run amok” is entirely different from “the Grandmaster going on a rampant spree resulting in countless victims in the Magical Kingdom.”

Of course, the former would cause some damage to their reputation, but it would be nothing compared to the latter’s effect on the legitimacy of the Magical Kingdom itself.

After a few final adjustments, the two tower masters boarded the carriage heading to the sphere of Control with their elite wizards.

To wrap up this chaotic situation that shook the entire Magical Kingdom, it was essential for the heads of the four towers to gather in one place.

Looking out the window at the ruins of Aeolia’s ancient capital, Prandol muttered to herself,

“By the way… I’m really curious about how those lion fellows will react…”

***

“Those dumb lions are flailing about like there’s no tomorrow because they’re ticked off.”

In the Lydia Empire’s royal palace.

The empress, lauded as the most noble lady in the empire, erupted with laughter, her youthful appearance betraying her regal title.

After the Ironblood Emperor, her husband, passed on, her biggest political rival became the Lenart family. Now that their fame was taking a nosedive, it felt like a spring picnic to her.

She had no hand in this drama, yet her enemies managed to trip all over themselves. What a bonanza!

Seeing the empress clutch her belly with mirth made Glinda Goodwitch, her friend and political ally, sigh.

“Please keep your composure.”

“But there are only two of us! So, what? How much damage do you think this will cause Lenart?”

“…There won’t be any immediate noticeable losses. There’s no evidence backing up the Control’s claims, and to begin with, the empire and Magical Kingdom are in a state of hostile relations. Spreading slander from the Magical Kingdom won’t go far; there’ll be plenty of backlash before anyone even starts questioning the truth.”

Even as Glinda’s words dashed her hopes, the empress could not wipe the grin off her face.

“It’s not about the present; the future’s where the trouble will brew. Am I making sense?”

“If the Control had condemned Lenart while still standing, it would have been dismissed as baseless slander from an enemy nation. But now that Control is in ruins, they’re out in the open bragging about how it all happened. It’s a bit hard to brush this off as mere self-constructed spectacle…”

“Right? Breaking one’s own leg to add some credence to a rumor is just plain nonsensical. Why stir up trouble with false information? The longer this drags on, the more skeptics will appear.”

Silence enveloped them for a moment.

As the empress idly stirred her tea with a teaspoon, she suddenly seemed to have an epiphany.

“Oh, was it Friedel Territory they mentioned? We should send them some support.”

“What are you up to?”

“Well, hardly anyone in the empire knows where Friedel Territory is, right? With the Lenart family suppressing rumors, even less so. Conversely, having people show interest would undoubtedly discomfort the Lenart family.”

“But that’s no solid reason.”

“A reason can be crafted. It’ll be perfect! The soldiers and the feudal lord who died there were said to have saved some of our people. We can present that as a repayment. If we get someone related to the late lord to represent us, that’s even better. Plus, if your plans pan out, those adventurers will be a dagger in Lenart’s side, right? It only makes sense to buy favors!”

Glinda seemed to ponder for a moment before eventually nodding.

“Well, as long as they manage to hold on to their beliefs and pride, it’s a stellar strategy to buy some goodwill—especially to mend any past grievances.”

“Grievances? Ah— the ruins? Or Maximilian? If it’s the latter, should we make him bend the knee? He’s already been rendered useless by the last incident.”

“That’ll only provoke more backlash; let’s avoid that. The ruins have started a trade, so maintaining a cooperative relationship while gaining support for experiments would yield better returns.”

“It’s a shock to see the empire’s esteemed wizard worried about what a bunch of adventurers might think— the world would flip! Well, why poke a bear when you’ve got competent madmen who’ve blown towers without batting an eye? Just because they have greed doesn’t disqualify them as trading partners.”

As they continued their lighthearted banter while concocting grand schemes that would send tremors throughout the empire, the empress suddenly asked,

“By the way, where are those adventurers now? Aren’t they supposed to be lying low ‘til they’re ready, as per your instructions?”

Glinda chuckled, jarringly amused.

Seeing her usually composed friend act so lively made the empress tilt her head in confusion.

“Oh, them? They’ve been on quite the busy journey. I’ve pointed them toward a warm, serene island up north for a good vacation.”

“Oh, is there such a place?”

“Not many know about it, but it’s absolutely a gem for relaxation. Yes.”

Glinda added with a slightly mischievous grin,

“So exquisite, in fact, that it draws quite the variety of guests.”

***

In the northern part of the continent.

At the coast of an unnamed island, after a three to four-hour boat ride.

“Found you, Vampire!! The Sea King demands your liver! Come quietly, and there’ll be no bloodshed!”

A sea creature that looked like a bizarre mix between a human and a turtle pointed a spear toward Sophia.

The group, busy enjoying the beach for Adelheid’s mental health, stared at the merfolk, wide-eyed, thinking, “What on earth is this?”

Dorothea, clad in a snug black swimsuit that left little to the imagination, facepalmed with a deep sigh before turning to her knight who was in the midst of barbecue preparations.

“Hey, handle this.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ stands in awe of the marine monster for an outstanding arrangement by the beach!]

[The ‘Tin Knight’ vows to take on the challenge of the turtle soup!]

“What the heck are you?! Do you dare challenge me, the greatest warrior of the sea— Ah! Oof! Argh!”

What began as a beach outing ended up taking quite a while to resolve.