NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 20
The interview drags on a bit. Vicada tries hard to hide his anxiety.
Hoo, he doesn’t look like someone with that kind of stature…
High-ranking Mages often take their apprentices, or experimental subjects as they call them, on a whim. If it’s a shabby traveling troupe like this, a non-consensual abduction doesn’t even make the list of his crimes.
Surely they wouldn’t try to take Niobe as an apprentice. She was a newbie, just recently joined, but she was surprisingly competent with various tasks.
If they were to sell her off, it wouldn’t be a coercive deal with a high-ranking Mage; they’d have to auction her off for her true value.
While Vicada anxiously circled near the door, Orthes stepped out. Vicada glanced inside to check Niobe’s condition. She seemed a bit tense but had no expression out of the ordinary.
“Miss Niobe is innocent. Hm, she seems to have quite a talent for magic, so I mistakenly thought she might be Geryon’s contact.”
“Y-yes! Our troupe is innocent!”
Orthes’s words about her talent filled Vicada with rising tension. But Orthes didn’t express any intent to take Niobe; he quietly proceeded to the next room.
*
“…This is the investigation report of the Vicada Traveling Troupe.”
Orthes presented the following investigation findings at the board meeting.
1. A worship ritual similar to that of Bacchus was conducted by the Vicada Traveling Troupe.
2. However, it was so crude that it lacked proper ceremonial procedures to be considered a genuine ritual.
3. There were no relics or priests with Divine Power; it seemed to be mere superstition unworthy of a religion.
“It seems like they might have passed down a distorted form of a ritual that brings good fortune, or they might have come across remnants of an old cult that secretly circulated among the wanderers.”
The board members sensed the subtle tension between the boss and Orthes. This was clearly Orthes reporting his first failure.
It didn’t significantly damage the company’s grand ambitions; it was merely a minor delay, but a failure was still a failure. The board members, who had watched Orthes fervently worship Carisia until now, thought he might genuinely beg her for forgiveness with a sorrowful face.
Failing a mission assigned by an object of worship is not something a fanatic can ignore.
“Boss, we have no leads to gain from the Vicada Troupe.”
Yet, why did Orthes greet Carisia with a perpetual smile instead of sorrow?
“Is that so? Then let’s conclude the meeting here.”
The board members began to move, fulfilling their roles in the war theater. However, Carisia’s voice stopped them.
“Ah. Director Arabella and Director Divius, please stay for a moment.”
The other six board members couldn’t guess why only those two remained. If it were Arabella from the Information Guild, that would make sense, but why Divius, the body modifier?
Divius fiddled with a dentist-style drill stuck in his medieval helmet and nodded.
“Wrap it up quickly. I have a surgery booking.”
*
To Divius, the Hydra Corporation’s boss and his lover were completely mad.
Well, okay, stabbing and blasting isn’t odd, but…
The next steps were the problem. Simply ruling over Etna City for wealth and honor—
No, if it’s dominance over Pythos Tower, then fine, but there’s no honor in the Underworld.
If they aimed for wealth, they’d be somewhat understandable figures. But Carisia and Orthes made an entirely different choice.
They toppled Lernian Tower and unified the Underworld. Then, by capturing Geryon, they seemed to brainwash Kaicle into swearing absolute obedience.
Generally, possessing all the Mage Towers in a city means gaining power that lasts throughout one’s lifetime. Most people’s ambitions stop there or aim to become a new member of the Apex Towers based on that capability.
But those two wanted to become new “kings.”
The title of Ten Towers is given to those who possess the Ten Commandments. In ancient times, before the power of the Ten Towers became as solid as it is now, there were even succession battles for the Ten Commandments, and the title of Ten Towers has been passed down before.
However, talking about a Ten Commandment succession battle now is nearly a nominal, dead law. Anyone can challenge it, but no one dares.
That’s how massive the presence and fear of the Ten Towers are.
Yet those two were looking to create a new throne while evading a war against the Ten Towers through bizarre means.
What kind of life had they lived to harbor such thoughts, such ambitions?
They didn’t appear like rookies or fools challenging without knowing the true powers of the Ten Towers. The incredible resourcefulness needed to wrap the entire city around their fingers isn’t something the ignorant could possess.
“Divius.”
Carisia looked at him with an intimidating aura reminiscent of the former high-ranking Mages from the Ten Towers who once employed her.
Carisia’s head subtly shook. The one reacting to that gesture was, of course, Orthes.
“The boss is asking whether Director Divius still remembers the body modification methods of Blasphemia.”
An utterly unexpected word pierced in at an unexpected moment. Divius felt a phantom pain as if stabbed in the gut.
“Blasphemia? The execution unit of the Ten Towers? Why is that name suddenly—”
Before Divius could continue, Arabella spoke up. She wore an expression of not understanding why that word was directed at Divius.
…But then she made an “ah” sound, her eyes lighting up.
“Wait, you were the one responsible for the reconstruction of Blasphemia’s body? No wonder your skills seem remarkable. It’s no surprise that your background isn’t known. When you entered Blasphemia, your tracks probably got erased.”
Divius raised his hand and scratched his helmet. Old clients probably wouldn’t recognize him.
He reflected on the time he disguised himself and escaped from Blasphemia. At that time, Blasphemia was in such dire straits that they couldn’t waste resources on trivial matters like life or death.
So how did Carisia know that?
If she recognized Divius as an individual, then she must have been a member of Blasphemia or staff in the Ten Towers—
Divius recalled the light attribute magic, synonymous with Carisia. The five beams released in compressed form through her gauntlets.
The unique combat method using light attribute magic, typically specialized for long-range projection, in close combat is preferred by certain Mages who apply the vividly flashy light attribute to assassination.
“Boss. You didn’t come out of the Ten Towers, did you?”
Carisia smiled. It was a chilling smile, different from the one directed at Orthes.
“Did I come from the Ten Towers? Hmmm, should I say I was abandoned?”
The Ten Towers possess countless armed forces in addition to Blasphemia. It’s rare to find a force that the entire Ten Towers shares, but there are, of course, powers to check each other and maintain internal order.
“…I see. Now I understand. You were the heads and subordinates of an abandoned armed force? You must’ve been swept away in the power struggles among the elders, causing the entire force to vanish?”
“Haha, if you want to believe that, go ahead. But, Director, you should first answer the boss’s question, don’t you think?”
That was Orthes providing an answer that wasn’t really an answer. Divius frowned and nodded.
“The two Directors were called for a different matter reported by Orthes before the meeting.”
Carisia snapped her fingers. A three-dimensional hologram of Niobe appeared in the center of the meeting room.
“She’s a member of Blasphemia who was infiltrating the Vicada Traveling Troupe. It seems she goes by the name Niobe.”
“To be caught so carelessly. I guess the rumors are true, that hurried staff replacements after that incident a few years ago lowered the standards.”
Arabella swallowed the unspoken words that she hesitated to bring up. Or perhaps Orthes is a former member with such a deep connection to Blasphemia that he could recognize them instantly.
“Head of the Divine Investigation Office Orthes is scheduled to investigate the Blasphemia branch in a few days through Niobe. Under the pretext of returning a missing Blasphemia agent. Is it possible to create artificial skin similar to their enhanced muscles to avoid detection by Blasphemia?”
“It’s been too long since I’ve done that. I don’t have a holder of special Magic Power to engrave the Ten Towers’ seal.”
“I will handle that. Director Divius’s response should focus on whether you can create the artificial skin or not.”
Divius thought it was fortunate to be wearing a helmet covering his entire face. A high-ranking Mage capable of engraving the Ten Towers’ seal?
If nothing else, Carisia clearly held a high position within the Ten Towers. Perhaps she was the head of the fallen faction.
Orthes might just be a guardian protecting the faction’s direct line. Divius had heard rumors about engineered humans created to serve a particular bloodline.
Indeed, that level of status is needed to explain this trust…
As Divius quietly nodded, Arabella expressed her doubts.
“Um, couldn’t you have just called Divius to bypass Blasphemia’s skin recognition checks? Why me?”
“Ah, Director Arabella, I’ll need to borrow a drone from you. I might have to hack the Blasphemia branch’s database.”
This damn guy. Arabella’s anger soared toward Orthes, who casually assigned such absurd tasks.