There were two reasons why Ortes furrowed his brow.
First, the fact that a magician was showing interest in Hydra Corp came as an unexpected event. Hydra Corp had always operated under the radar of mainstream magic circles, using every means possible to avoid attention. Although this policy might change slightly following the upcoming Amimone Magic Tower Head Decision Battle, there shouldn’t yet be any forces aware of Hydra Corp’s true nature.
In other words, neither Hydra Corp nor its investment in Cnemon should have been well-known candidates. They were supposed to be inconspicuous and drop out midway without much notice.
‘There’s no reason for them to approach now.’
Unless they were trying to make connections with the influential candidates and their sponsors at a later point when things became ripe within the mage community, it was strange for anyone to focus on Hydra Corp at this moment.
Approaching despite lacking a clear reason suggested that the other party had some hidden agenda. That was the first reason.
The second reason:
‘Divine power?’
Ortes could sense divine power emanating from the magicians supporting the candidates. To be precise, these individuals weren’t magicians but priests who should be called as such.
‘Unless they’re like Kine, practicing dual roles…’
However, from Ortes’ perspective, their capabilities as magicians weren’t noteworthy. The numerous artifacts they wore were indeed impressive, but conversely, it indicated that they relied on these artifacts to create the illusion of casting spells.
The priests posing as magicians hadn’t neglected concealing their divine power, but Ortes’ eyes were exceptionally perceptive.
The patrons standing behind the partition were two women. Dressed in gowns befitting the mage community gathering, they possessed refined beauty that anyone would readily acknowledge. Their elegant charm could typically win over others based solely on appearance.
But the timing and place were unfavorable. Everyone present knew this venue was a battleground for inheritance among magicians, and other participants had also prepared their own forms of allure as weapons. Their beauty was unsuitable as a weapon here.
Ortes made a quick assessment.
‘Carisia would look good even if she dressed up like that.’
While he thought it fortunate that their beauty didn’t draw undue attention due to the high aesthetic standards of the mage community gathering, their pace quickened slightly.
Their approach was subtle yet relentless. They moved quietly, avoiding drawing attention, bypassing other groups without a glance.
Ortes exchanged a glance with Carisia.
Carisia briefly nodded, delegating full authority to Ortes.
Ortes stepped forward, raising his hand. A waiter bustling around the grand banquet hall noticed the empty glass in Ortes’ hand and promptly refilled it with champagne. Naturally, Carisia and the rest of the group positioned themselves behind Ortes.
This way, when the suspicious group approached the Hydra Corp delegation, Ortes could casually block their path a few steps ahead.
The distance was ambiguous enough to prevent involving anyone else in the conversation, which was Ortes’ intention.
Ortes attempted to probe their identities using both his extraordinary sight and the data prepared by Arabel through a sleepless night—information detailing factions interested in the remnants of the Amimone Magic Tower.
However, there was no mention of any connection to priests wielding divine power. With a familiar smile masking his caution, Ortes proceeded.
His opening line was as follows:
“Oh, hello. You must be the branch head from L’brac City.”
The man walking ahead of the priests flinched momentarily but quickly regained his composure, responding:
“Ah, what an honor. To recognize our small branch so easily. Are you the head of Tabning Branch?”
Ortes shook his head.
“I am Ortes, the representative of Hydra Corp contracted with Mr. Cnemon. For this occasion, I’ve been entrusted with external cooperation authority.”
The business card Ortes pulled from his pocket and politely presented bore the title of Secretary General of Hydra Corp, an external designation.
The branch head from L’brac City gleaned significant information: either Hydra Corp’s collaboration with the Tabning Branch was more solid than expected or they had completely taken it over.
Having full external cooperation authority—including social and political negotiations—indicated that the Tabning Branch placed deep trust in or had strong control over Hydra Corp.
The branch head himself clearly belonged to the latter category. A voice labeled “Patron” echoed in his mind, delivering a message intended for Hydra Corp’s secretary general.
“Haha. In charge of external cooperation, eh? Do you see us as approaching for that purpose?”
It was a probing question, suggesting they had come to unify candidates or establish non-aggression pacts during the competition phase.
“Haha. Our two employers believe that socializing is the foundation of all cooperation,” Ortes replied, subtly hinting further. By referring to “two employers” without specifying Carisia or Cnemon, Ortes implied their equal power.
Of course, that wasn’t necessarily true, but Ortes saw no need to reveal the truth to suspicious individuals.
The phrase “socializing is the foundation of all cooperation” was a polite packaging of a direct message: ‘Since your intentions are obvious, let’s get down to practical matters.’ It meant wasting time on formalities at such an event was unnecessary.
“You’re straightforward.”
Carisia observed Ortes conversing with the approaching magicians. Kine seemed uneasy, clutching her dress.
Smiling softly down at Kine, Carisia spoke.
“Mr. Cnemon.”
“Hmm.”
“We don’t object to how you approach this competition. Harvest victory in whatever manner you prefer.”
“Harvest, huh.”
‘To them, even selecting the successor of the Proper Tower is nothing more than a mechanical process.’
True. Besides the chairman, Ortes himself was present, after all. Cnemon had personally experienced Ortes’ astonishing abilities multiple times.
Optimized for assassination tactics that other candidates might seriously consider, Ortes was the kind of person who could reduce the number of candidates by half overnight if Cnemon merely mentioned there were too many.
Still, Cnemon had no intention of seeking help from Hydra Corp just yet. First, he had heard there was another reason Carisia hadn’t detailed regarding her presence.
‘Ortes is likely necessary manpower for Hydra Corp’s events and can’t be borrowed freely.’
Secondly, there was an emotional, somewhat irrational issue.
This was the final stage for Cnemon to conclude his revenge against the fallen Magic Tower. He wanted to achieve closure without relying on others.
“If things truly turn dire, I won’t hesitate to ask for help. Until then, I’ll do my best.”
Carisia had anticipated this response. It matched the character traits she predicted based on anecdotes from Ortes and movements within Hydra Corp’s building.
“Wishing you luck.”
After giving a brief reply, Carisia walked toward Ortes. Somehow, the branch head from L’brac City had retreated behind the two beauties, and Ortes appeared to be engaged in pleasant conversation—at least outwardly.
Carisia naturally inserted herself into the dialogue. Cnemon felt a slight awkwardness.
‘It’s strange. Wasn’t the plan just to leave everything to Ortes to extract all the information?’
Given it was something Carisia initiated, there must have been deeper meaning. Meanwhile, he ordered chocolates for the slightly uncomfortable young guard left alone and took a sip of his drink.
As Carisia approached, the suspicious group unexpectedly withdrew quickly. Perhaps they thought the employer herself had come to cut the conversation short.
I raised my champagne glass in a toast with Carisia.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”
“Where are people who enjoy their work, Chairman?”
Carisia shrugged, pointing at herself with the hand not holding her glass. At the level of chairman, work supposedly becomes enjoyable. It was a sentiment I could never understand.
And within that simple gesture lay an intricate magic—a highly simplified hand seal to cast a soundproofing spell preventing voices from leaking.
“What kind of person were they?”
I stroked my jawline.
“Hmm… I’m not sure if they were human.”
*
…
Ortes kept his distance from the two beauties as they contemplated silently. There was no need to voice the thoughts swirling in their minds; they already understood each other perfectly.
To be precise, they shared one thought, one contemplation.
A certain multi-layered mental entity existing across several humans pondered:
‘What kind of person is he?’
Isn’t he human?
Human or not?
