Chapter 99

“Yes. Did the auditors already leave? Already?”

“Since we granted maximum access to the magic core of the Magic Tower and even disclosed confidential documents from the Ethereal Space, they just formally reported and left.”

“Hmm. It’s not right to handle things so carelessly.”

Ortes shook his head slowly.

‘These days, agents aren’t what they used to be. When I used to play hide-and-seek with them, Blasphemia was so diligent and passionate about their work.’

If the Panoptes agents had known what Ortes was thinking, they would have collapsed on the spot with hypertension from such a statement.

Currently, 90% of the increased workload is directly connected to Ortes, and if you look closely, 90% of the remaining 10% also stems from the butterfly effect he created.

It wouldn’t be strange for a passing Panoptes agent to lunge at him shouting, “If I eliminate you, the world will return to normal!”

But such a future was impossible.

Even Ortes himself doesn’t fully understand the consequences of his own actions.

How could others hold a grudge against the butterfly that unknowingly caused the storm?

All Ortes knows is that each word he speaks increases the individual workload of Panoptes personnel today.

“Ah, Chairman. Perhaps it’s time we effectively utilize Geryon for divine investigations. For detailed scheduling, it would be good to entrust it to Director Arabel, who now has some free time since the auditors left early.”

And Arabel as well.

***

After some time passed, when Lampades returned to the reception room, he mentioned a few requests.

“Could you possibly relocate our quarters in the tower? From what I’ve heard, the conflict here in Etna City is still ongoing. Somewhere safer, please.”

On reflection, that made sense. Rebuilding after destruction has become almost routine in Etna City, and though there’s a semblance of calm, outsiders might perceive things differently.

Caught in a war between magic towers, one could die suddenly—or be kidnapped by an enemy tower while being a guest of Hydra Corp, only to be used as a hostage.

There are countless ominous futures possible in conflicts between magic towers.

‘Hmm… Could it be that the Panoptes agents conducted a cursory inspection for this reason?’

If they understood that the pre-inspection was to avoid false accusations from rival towers, then it was understandable why their checks were loose.

A classic tactic in disputes between magic towers involves accusing the opponent to tie their hands and feet before seizing control of the situation.

Though this method is now too classical to be effective, exceptions arise when the Ten Towers reveal their fangs.

From the perspective of the Panoptes agents, it would be logical to think, ‘These guys are too busy fighting each other to commit treason, so let’s quickly finish here and search elsewhere.’

“Unexpected…”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Just talking to myself. Of course, we can relocate you. Please wait a moment.”

Hydra Corp headquarters has quite a few vacant rooms. Even just the uppermost floors where Nana and Carisia reside have several empty rooms.

Back in the Lernian Tower days, the building housed dozens, sometimes over a hundred people—including test subjects.

Now, the only permanent residents at Hydra Corp headquarters are Carisia and me.

Oh, conditionally speaking, Arabel too? Poor thing—Carisia works her overtime like crazy.

Except for rare cases like Arabel, most sacred investigation tasks are handled within the directors’ personal organizations. The Hydra headquarters is mainly visited for comprehensive reports or meetings.

‘The top floors are out of the question. Carisia doesn’t like having others in her personal space.’

The middle floors wouldn’t satisfy Lampades’ request for safety—they’re inconvenient for escape both up and down. So naturally, the basement remains.

“No issues, right?”

“No. We’ll relocate your quarters to the basement of Hydra Corp headquarters… more specifically, to a kind of shelter.”

“A shelter, huh.”

“It offers excellent protection and amenities. I’ll provide you with the master key for the underground area.”

***

Ortes took a card key from his pocket and handed it to Lampades with a light gesture.

Lampades read the heavy meaning behind that light gesture.

The authority to freely manage Hydra Corp headquarters without even reporting to the chairman suggests either Ortes is trusted immensely by the chairman or the chairman is merely Ortes’ puppet.

He recalls their conversation in Elysion. When told Ortes isn’t as good a person as one might think, the chairman responded, “I already know.”

Does she truly trust Ortes despite knowing his darker side? Or is she so skillfully manipulated that she hasn’t noticed his overreach?

“Just note that starting from the third basement level, it’s Hydra Corp’s warehouse, unsuitable for residential use. The items stored there are quite sensitive to environmental changes, so please try to avoid going there.”

“Understood. Thank you.”

Lampades carefully considered how to gradually draw Cnemon out. Where should he start looking for traces of him? Is he still using his original name?

Finding him within ten days is essential to ensuring the safety of his family.

***

Kine finally met Ortes face-to-face after a long time.

Ever since Ortes’ plan to enroll Kine in Museion fell through, Ortes had been incredibly busy.

Despite practicing magic during spare moments, it was hard to shake off the feeling of being a lifeless scarecrow.

Then today, a sudden new mission was assigned.

“Do you remember Astrape from our last meeting in Elysion? You two are around the same age, so maybe you could chat a bit.”

Regardless of the reason, Kine faithfully followed Ortes’ orders. They hadn’t yet recovered any bodies of the cult members.

Perhaps diligent work like this would hasten the day their souls find peace.

After praying with a mix of curses and wishes to Bacchus, Kine diligently engaged in conversation with Astrape.

In truth, calling it a mission felt somewhat juvenile.

What started as a classic and ancient debate—”What is the strongest magical attribute?”—quickly escalated into a heated argument over pride between lightning and darkness magic.

“I couldn’t believe how sensitive I reacted to the belittling of dark magic! But magic is ultimately just a means of vengeance.”

“Learning magic is fun, though.”

Sent to build a friendship, Kine returned after wasting time arguing about who was stronger. How would Ortes react to this report?

With a mix of tension and fear, Kine began speaking.

“Not really a serious fight, right?”

“Well… it was just a playful discussion that got a little intense.”

Ortes’ reaction was far from what Kine expected. Instead of criticism for doing so little, Ortes merely inquired about the conversation.

“That’s good. While Astrape is here, please remain good friends.”

Kine’s mind became confused. What exactly is this man thinking?

It couldn’t just be because they’re around the same age that he sent them to befriend each other, right?

Feeling lost in a labyrinth of thoughts, Kine asked again.

“What exactly am I supposed to do?”

“Eh? Do you really need to do anything specific to be friends? If you’re seriously asking, I don’t know much about making friends either.”

“…Who asked how to make friends?!”

“Oh, sorry?”

That sly smile always raises Kine’s blood pressure. After a deep sigh, Kine replied weakly.

“The main point of the mission was originally entering Museion, right? That way, we could free the Bacchus Cult members.”

“Releasing them isn’t contingent upon completing the mission but rather on Kine’s magical skills reaching a level capable of properly liberating souls.”

“Yeah, yeah. But now I can’t enter Museion, and I don’t know what to do.”

Ortes stroked his chin. His slightly narrowed eyes pierced Kine with a steely gaze.

“My initial expectation for Kine was indeed enrollment in Museion.”

For the first time, Ortes began explaining his grand strategy.

***

I began patiently explaining various matters to Kine.

Starting with how talented she is, and how with such talent, she’d undoubtedly receive an initiation offer from the Black Rock Tower.

Furthermore, methods for advancing within the Black Rock Tower by achieving research success and climbing the ranks.

“Ultimately, the role I expect from you is to steal the Spartoi from the Black Rock Tower.”

“The soldiers made from priests’ souls we saw in Elysion, right?”

“Yes. Given your background, you should be adept at handling priestly spirits better than anyone else in the Black Rock Tower. However…”

“There’s no rule saying you must enter the Ten Towers through Museion, right?”