Chapter 119: Lude Tower’s Plea

“……?”

“……?”

At Graxios’s exclamation, Balversa and Sdrin wore puzzled expressions.

What report could make him exclaim again?

Soon, Graxios set down the report and said to the two.

“Lord Gaon has dealt with those in the Tower of Wind who converted to the demon world forces.”

“The Tower of Wind?”

“Lord Gaon?”

At Graxios’s words, Balversa and Sdrin retorted.

“Yes, now the only archmage left in the Tower of Wind is Tower Master Winder, it seems.”

And at Graxios’s following words, the two couldn’t help but be shocked.

“Only the Tower Master?”

“Hah, just how many converted…”

The Tower of Wind wasn’t one of the Ten Great Towers.

But that wasn’t because it lacked in number of archmages.

It was smaller in scale, but its number of archmages didn’t fall short compared to the Ten Great Towers.

Yet now, the only archmage remaining in the Tower of Wind was Winder?

It was right then.

Creak —

The door opened, and Parsha entered.

Parsha quietly approached Graxios and reported.

“Hmm…….”

And Graxios let out a low groan, wearing a subtle expression.

Balversa and Sdrin focused on Graxios.

What report had come in this time?

However, unlike before, Graxios didn’t satisfy their curiosity.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll step out for a moment.”

Rising from his seat, Graxios asked for understanding from the two and left the conference hall with Parsha.

And upon leaving the conference hall, Graxios headed to a secret safe house near the central tower.

Arriving at the safe house, Graxios could meet a man.

“What brings the intelligence chief of Lude Tower all the way here?”

The man’s identity was Silpia, the intelligence chief of Lude Tower, which was at war with Gardion Tower.

To Silpia, Gardion Tower was as good as enemy territory.

So he was curious.

What reason did Silpia have for coming in person?

“I greet the Vice Tower Master.”

At Graxios’s question, Silpia smiled brightly and greeted him.

Then he took out a letter from his bosom and handed it over.

“This is a letter from our Tower Master.”

Graxios was slightly surprised.

He had thought it wasn’t ordinary business when Silpia came.

But to bring a letter from Lude Tower’s Tower Master Mild?

Graxios accepted the letter and unfolded it.

“……!”

And he was surprised once more.

The contents of the letter were extremely shocking.

Soon, having read the entire letter, Graxios set it down and asked.

“Why include the story about the betrayers in the letter?”

Surprisingly, the letter mentioned that there were those in Lude Tower who had betrayed humanity.

Of course, there had been betrayers in the Tower of Fire and the Tower of Wind as well.

There had even been some in Gardion right away.

In other words, having betrayers wasn’t strange.

But mentioning it like this in a letter was dangerous.

Because it became evidence.

If Graxios made the letter public right now?

Lude Tower would become a public enemy of the human alliance.

So he was curious.

Silpia, and of course Mild, must know that leaving it in a letter was risky, so why had they done so?

“It’s to show our sincerity.”

“Sincerity?”

“Yes, as you know, our tower isn’t structured with power concentrated on the Tower Master. The four factions hold roughly equal power.”

Graxios nodded silently.

Lude Tower’s Tower Master had distinctly less influence compared to other towers.

“Our Tower Master opposed the war with Gardion. He was forced to declare war because the other factions united.”

“Hmm…….”

“Of course, with Gardion’s intelligence capabilities, you probably know this. But we can’t just brush it off with words. So we’re offering our weakness…….”

“Enough with the preamble.”

Graxios cut him off.

“What do you want?”

There were two key points written in the letter.

That there were those who had betrayed humanity, and that they wanted to end the war but couldn’t, which was truly regrettable.

There was no specific mention of what they hoped would be done.

Graxios was curious what Mild wanted.

“……We’ve heard that Lord Gaon has returned.”

Silpia spoke cautiously, glancing at him.

“And we’ve also heard that Lord Gaon cleaned up the fools who betrayed humanity in the Tower of Fire. Could Lord Gaon perhaps personally visit our Lude Tower and punish those fools? If so, it would give us the opportunity to immediately stop the war — to surrender.”

Silpia finished speaking.

And Graxios smiled faintly.

He had wondered what they wanted, and it was “cleaning up inside Lude Tower.”

So it irked him.

Because it meant using Gaon.

But he had no intention of refusing just because it irked him.

Killing the betrayers.

And ending the war.

It was something that needed to be done.

And to begin with, it wasn’t for Graxios to decide.

Whether to accept or refuse was for Gaon to decide.

“I’ll report to Lord Gaon for now.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Thanks? It’s not like we’re doing it for nothing.”

“Of course. I’ll speak well to the Tower Master.”

“Then take care on your way.”

Graxios ended the conversation and left the safe house.

And as soon as he left the safe house, he said to Parsha.

“Clean up the safe house.”

It was a safe house that had already been used once.

It no longer held value as a safe house.

“Yes.”

Hearing Parsha’s reply, Graxios strode toward the conference hall.

And the moment he arrived at the conference hall, Graxios could see the two looking at him.

Graxios told the two about the meeting with Silpia and the contents of the letter from Lude Tower’s Tower Master Mild.

“I’m planning to report to Lord Gaon right now — what do you think?”

After conveying everything, Graxios asked.

“That seems best.”

“It doesn’t seem like something for us to decide.”

“That’s all.”

Graxios’s report ended.

“Hmm…….”

***

And Gaon let out a groan, sinking into thought.

Should I move it up a bit?

He had planned to visit soon anyway.

But hearing the situation, it seemed he needed to advance the timing a little.

If he proceeded as scheduled, the chance of troublesome events occurring in Lude Tower before his visit seemed extremely high.

Having made his decision, Gaon ended his thoughts and opened his mouth.

“I’ll stop by Alter Tower to handle one matter and go right away.”

Currently, Gaon was en route to Alter Tower after finishing the cleanup of the demon world forces.

The matter at Lude Tower was urgent, but so was the one at Alter Tower.

“It probably won’t take long, but if it does, I’ll contact you.”

The task at Alter Tower was deciphering the array.

The issue was that it was an array left by a dragon.

Though Gaon was deeply versed in arrays, deciphering it might take a long time.

-Yes, understood.

-Is there anything we should prepare separately?

“I plan to invite Alter Tower to the alliance, and for Lude Tower…….”

Gaon trailed off, thought for a moment, and continued.

“I’ll collect the price for starting the war. Discuss what to take.”

-Yes, understood.

Graxios replied, and Gaon ended the communication.

Then he stored the crystal in his pocket and resumed flying.

The destination was the distant Alter Tower beyond the city wall.

Before long, Gaon arrived at the city wall entrance.

And upon arrival, Gaon handed the token Pianus had given him to the mage guarding the entrance and said.

“I’ve come to meet Vice Tower Master Pianus.”

“……!”

At Gaon’s words, the mage looked at the token with a surprised expression.

And surprised once more, he swallowed hard and said.

“I’ll escort you inside.”

At the mage’s words, Gaon nodded.

And he passed through the city wall with the mage and entered the interior.

Upon entering, Gaon expanded his senses.

Oh.

And he couldn’t help but be surprised.

There was something even Gaon’s senses couldn’t accurately grasp.

It wasn’t a living being.

It was probably the “array” left by the dragon that Pianus had requested to decipher.

Soon, Gaon arrived at the central tower and could meet Pianus.

“Thank you for coming.”

Pianus bowed his head in greeting.

And Gaon responded to the greeting with a slight nod of his head, then asked.

“Is that the thing underground?”

“……You noticed.”

Pianus replied in a slightly surprised voice.

As expected, the “something” Gaon couldn’t accurately grasp was the array left by the dragon.

“I’d like to see it right away.”

“Ah, about that…….”

Pianus wore a troubled expression.

“……?”

Gaon wore a puzzled expression at Pianus’s reaction.

And Pianus hurriedly continued.

“The Tower Master said he really wants to meet you, Lord Gaon. He has something to say about the array — no misunderstanding…….”

“Ah.”

Gaon nodded as if he understood.

And at Gaon’s reaction, Pianus wore a much more relaxed expression and opened his mouth.

“I’ll escort you right away.”

Thus, Pianus began guiding him.

And soon after, arriving at the top floor, Gaon could meet Alter Tower’s Tower Master “Bladi.”

Oh?

Seeing Bladi, Gaon was slightly surprised.

He had already known through his senses that he was 7th Circle.

And quite a high level at that.

But seeing him in person, he was on the verge of 8th Circle.

It wouldn’t be strange if he entered 8th Circle right now.

Why isn’t he entering?

He was curious.

Why on earth was he staying at 7th Circle instead of entering 8th Circle.

“Then, please have your discussion.”

Pianus bowed in greeting and left the office.

And Bladi smiled and greeted him.

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Gaon responded to the greeting and immediately got to the point.

“I heard you have something to say about the array.”

“Yes, first, the array is one left by Lord Askra, the leader of the Silver Clan.”

“……!”

Gaon couldn’t help but be surprised.

That Askra?

And rightly so, as Askra was a dragon Gaon knew.

Not just by name.

He had met him in person at Ferbeng’s request.

The reason for meeting was arrays.

Gaon had taught Askra about arrays.

At the time, Askra had been prickly despite being the learner.

He looked down on humans as a species.

Yet Askra had left an array here?

“What kind of array?”

“It’s a warp.”

“……Warp? To where?”

“It’s not certain, but we believe it’s near Dragonia.”

“But why do you need it deciphered?”

Gaon tilted his head.

If it was a warp array, there was nothing to decipher.

“He sent something, and due to that something, the array twisted, distorting the space as well. Approaching it is utterly impossible.”

“Ah…….”

Gaon nodded as if he understood.

It was right then.

Knock knock.

“I’m here. Master.”

A knock sounded along with a voice.

Judging by the “master,” it was clearly Bladi’s disciple.

Bladi asked Gaon.

“May I let him in briefly?”

“Well, it’s your office.”

Gaon nodded as if it didn’t matter.

“Thank you. Come in.”

Bladi expressed thanks and spoke to his disciple.

Creak —

Then the door opened, and Bladi’s disciple entered.

It was a woman with blue hair and blue eyes that evoked the blue sea.

And seeing the woman, Gaon couldn’t help but be slightly surprised.

And rightly so, as in the woman’s eyes, an unidentified energy — not mana — was concentrated.

Just like Gaon’s “eyes.”

And the woman, meeting Gaon’s eyes, flinched.

At that moment, the energy in the woman’s eyes surged.

Could it be…….

Gaon wore an intrigued expression at the thought that came to mind.

After entering Alter Tower, Gaon had seen numerous people.

Surprisingly, not a single one had the seal.

He had thought Abyss hadn’t extended its reach.

But what if that wasn’t the case?

What if the woman’s eyes were like Gaon’s?

Gaon asked the woman outright.

“Can you see?”