“I believe I’ve covered most of the three-letter names. There is one I haven’t mentioned, but it’s so obscure around here that let’s just skip it. Now for the four-letter ones. Though calling this a real name doesn’t quite sit right with me…”
Even so, if I had to pick the thing in this world closest to an actual ‘name,’ it would be this. It was a title I’d chosen for myself.
“Ortes. My friends call me by this name. There were times when I used five or six-letter names too—”
Since the request was to list them in order of length, I started with the name Utes, only to soon realize there was no one left to hear the next name.
Danao had his eyes closed. His consciousness flickered faintly, his body finally giving up its fight to cling to life.
“Hmph…”
Things turned out very differently from what I expected, but at least it’s over.
d*mn Argeyirion. Who would have thought that borrowing relics from Cnemon under pleas and promises would end up wasting them on dealing with those things.
Initially, the plan was to secretly stash the extraplanar artifact in a hidden storage room and then socially ostracize the Tower Master. But Argeyirion suddenly interfered, forcing me to improvise entirely.
“First…”
I need to head back to the Tower Master’s office and restore the severed communication relay of the magic core.
The insiders who witnessed the illusion will testify that Danao was one of their own, making it not too difficult to create the situation we desired.
After the news spread that one of the elders of the Ten Towers had been murdered, the flow of events in the mage community remained consistent.
This doesn’t mean it was calm. All other news was swept away by the raging current of the Ten Towers’ collective wrath, leaving no room for other topics.
But now, another storm has hit the magical society.
Traitors aligned with Argeyirion were nothing new, but this time the scale was different.
The Proper Tower’s Tower Master betrayed them.
Several Argos agents trained by the Amimone Magic Tower, along with the Amimone Tower Master himself.
That’s where the common rumors ended. However, among those in higher positions within the towers, individuals familiar with some secrets of the magical society, whispers began spreading that Blasphemia had uncovered this grand conspiracy. This shifted the internal political struggle within Panoptes.
Salmosia clapped her hands in delight at the unexpected boon orchestrated by L13.
“So, what did he ask for? Supplies like enchanted gear or maintenance of relics aren’t necessary?”
“He didn’t ask for anything. He merely requested a fair competition after compiling a temporary candidate list for the position of Amimone Tower Master from the uncorrupted faction.”
Niobe continued her report while hiding her sense of futility. Her senior had wrapped everything up before reinforcements even arrived, leaving behind the aftermath for someone else to handle.
While Salmosia praised him as “a true model of an inspector,” Niobe felt something was off.
It wasn’t noble motives like professional duty or a sense of mission; rather, she sensed a more mundane and tangible weariness.
‘Being…’
chased. She could feel a certain urgency beneath his smiles, something that couldn’t be fully explained by animosity towards Argeyirion alone. To Niobe, this seemed different from how her senior had pursued Argeyirion before.
‘d*mn.’
As soon as the extraplanar storm subsided and the wide-area communication network was restored, my gauntlet terminal flooded with dozens of alerts.
They were messages from Carisia, asking why she hadn’t heard from me.
Cnemon met Ortes, who looked unusually fatigued. Cnemon knew full well that the man standing before him was responsible for the catastrophic event in Algus City.
Cnemon recognized Danao. Not embodying all the greed in the world, but certainly the sum of all greed in Algus City, combined with an even greater self-interest.
Thus, Danao always targeted weaker magic towers. Slowly growing stronger through safe and sure hunts was Danao’s style.
There was no way Danao would team up with Argeyirion. A man who prioritized risk versus return, closer to a merchant than a mage.
Yet, the world believed Danao had conspired with Argeyirion.
The prize Cnemon could obtain from Ortes was a tower. But could a tower accused of such blatant collaboration with Argeyirion remain intact?
Thanks only to his position as Tower Master of the Proper Tower, Amimone Magic Tower hadn’t yet disintegrated, but it was as good as sentenced to d*ath.
“Haha, Mr. Cnemon, I apologize.”
Contrary to Cnemon’s expectations, the conversation began with an apology.
“Huh?”
“I owe you many apologies… first, remember those soap bubbles? I used them once.”
“What?”
Ever since Ortes borrowed the soap bubbles claiming they were needed to take over the Amimone Magic Tower, Cnemon had abandoned hope of ever getting them back.
After all, items borrowed with the promise of “I’ll return it later” rarely come back.
Cnemon held up the vial he had unexpectedly received. The contents had slightly diminished when held up to the light from the ceiling.
“My original plan was to use this as leverage to depose the Amimone Tower Master, secretly siphon off the actual item, and eventually return it to you. But things got complicated, so I had to use it once. If there’s ever anything I can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Well, alright.”
Cnemon trailed off. He assumed Ortes wanted the soap bubbles back because they could serve as an effective weapon should Hydra Corp ever turn against him—a preemptive measure against any rebellion.
With the same nonchalant attitude he displayed when throwing the soap bubbles at Cnemon during the extraplanar contamination incident, Ortes returned the dangerous relic.
“And about the matter of becoming the Amimone Tower Master…”
Cnemon almost choked on his thanks. Wasn’t this the tower Ortes himself had rendered irreparable? The position of Tower Master of a tower destined for dissolution and redistribution held no meaning.
“This is also regrettable. I originally intended to have your certification as Tower Master sent upon my return, but it seems things will proceed differently.”
“Huh?”
“The Amimone Magic Tower won’t be dismantled. I’ve arranged some favors with Blasphemia.”
Calmly revealing his control over one of Panoptes’ pillars, Ortes dropped an even more shocking statement.
“Mr. Cnemon, you are now part of one of the branches of the Amimone Magic Tower and will participate in the selection competition for the new Tower Master. Best of luck.”
Confused, Cnemon pressed Ortes for a detailed explanation, which went as follows:
Completely purging the Proper Towers would cause significant backlash. Those gray-area figures who unknowingly dealt with Argeyirion and were caught off guard when their true nature was revealed.
If all records of the Proper Towers were erased, every magic tower that had ever done business with Argeyirion would lose all hope of recovery.
“—Therefore, keeping the name ‘Amimone Magic Tower’ signifies our willingness to ‘grant mercy.’ If we replace just the Tower Master, the tower can continue to function. Beheading the traitorous Tower Master implies that even betrayal can be forgiven with proper retribution.”
“No, what I’m curious about is how you managed to get me onto the list of candidates for Amimone Tower Master.”
“Haha. Isn’t Amimone’s octopus-like expansion famous? We crush the towers that resist until the end, but for those that submit willingly, we allow them to exist in branch form. Among these absorbed branches, I prepared documentation stating that your tower is one of them.”
Finally, Cnemon understood Ortes’ intention.
This was a test: “I’ll give you the opportunity to become Tower Master; prove your worth.” Likely checking if Cnemon’s skills, long absent from active duty, still meet the standards.
Simultaneously, the reward was incredibly sweet. This official selection process for the new Amimone Tower Master, certified by the Ten Towers, meant…
An opportunity to permanently etch into the history of the magical society that his lost tower had, in fact, swallowed the Amimone Magic Tower.
“Once again, I deeply apologize for the inconvenience.”
By now, even Ortes’ suspicious smile seemed welcome. That insidious expression demanding proof of ability now felt gratifying to accept.
“…I’ll do my best.”
*
Fortunately, Cnemon understood the situation. But the relief was short-lived.
“Hmm.”
It was due to the Chairman standing before me. Although I managed to evade earlier using Cnemon as an excuse upon my return, now there was no avoiding a private meeting.
“It’s been a while.”
