Chapter 688: The Witch and the Magic Tower (2)
’Tatiana Chiglet, one of the Five Flame Pillars of Blaiver Magic Tower.
A Warmage renowned for her artillery spells on the Central Front, and a veteran wizard who has survived countless battlefields.’
Even with the shocking news that such a Witch of Conflagration was now fleeing the Magic Tower, Lennok wasn’t particularly surprised.
He had known for quite some time that she had grown disillusioned with the Magic Tower’s affairs and had been trying to leave its ivory towers.
In fact, she had intended to resign as a Flame Pillar but, by command of her master, the Magic Tower Lord, she was thrown away as a sacrificial pawn in the Well of the Codex operation.
During that process, she was captured by Seina, the high priestess of the Guido Cult, and nearly became an Apostle.
Lennok had subtly observed these events from his position as Victor of Pandemonium.
Though never openly expressed, the rift between her and the Magic Tower must have deepened to an irreversible extent.
Therefore, Lennok was naturally more interested in the item Tatiana had fled with than the fact she had left the Magic Tower.
‘The Phoenix Hall of the previous Magic Tower Lord, huh…’
The Phoenix Hall. Moreover, an item belonging to a previous Magic Tower Lord.
Even at a glance, it clearly seemed to be an extraordinary and precious artifact.
If Tatiana was fleeing with it and being pursued, it must undoubtedly possess immense value.
However, Lennok’s expression was ambiguous as he quickly scanned her appearance.
‘…I don’t sense anything special.’
Whoever the previous Lord of the Blaiver Magic Tower was, he too must have been a monster who transcended Hierarchy and reached a realm beyond Level 8.
It would be natural for an item left behind by such a great wizard to constantly leak undeniable magical power or aura.
But nowhere on Tatiana, as she wearily leaned against an empty seat, was there any trace of such an aura.
Of course, Tatiana, being a wizard who had completed her Hierarchy, might have some talent for concealing her magic, but at this distance, she couldn’t evade Lennok’s Mana Sensitivity.
If Lennok’s Mana Sensitivity couldn’t detect it, it either meant she didn’t have it to begin with, or the method of concealment itself transcended common sense.
And in Lennok’s opinion, the latter seemed more likely.
‘To conceal a powerful artifact, a procedure closer to sealing than mere concealment is required. If Tatiana is being pursued, she wouldn’t have that much leeway.’
“Van, that…”
Jenny, too, seemed to notice the people subtly moving around Tatiana and quickly spoke to Lennok.
But Lennok, knowing this, simply nodded quietly.
“Let’s wait a moment.”
“Someone you know?”
“…First, we need to know why they came here.”
From a distance that could be gauged within Jenny’s bar, Lennok could intervene immediately, no matter what happened.
If those approaching from all directions, having perceived Tatiana’s presence, were sane, they wouldn’t attempt a fight.
Meanwhile, Tatiana placed a simple order with Jordan and began to drink the glass she received.
Those approaching her did not rashly surround her; instead, they simply took seats at a distance and observed.
At that moment, one of the young men chatting at the next table very naturally moved to sit opposite her.
“Ma’am, do you have a moment?”
Tatiana lifted her red eyes through her disheveled hair.
The young man, ignoring her indifferent reaction, pulled out a small photograph from his pocket.
“It’s a satellite factory secretly being built by Tentacion Corporation. There’s a large reward for stealing the satellite’s engine component specifications.”
“…”
“We need a wizard. Want to come along?”
Ordering another whiskey and sipping it casually, the young man grinned.
“Me? I may not look it, but I’m ex-military. I can tell just by looking. You’ve been in a war zone for a long time, haven’t you?”
“…”
“Warmages are respected everywhere. They’re familiar with operational concepts, adapted to organizational activities, and have incredibly fast situational judgment.”
He pulled out a platinum-gleaming coin from his pocket and whispered.
“They’re the best personnel for such operations. We were looking for someone like you, ma’am. We’ll give you a generous cut, so let’s work together.”
A quick and simple explanation of the operation, and a bold attitude of offering an advance payment without hesitation.
It was an impeccable proposal, even in this street filled with swindlers and outlaws.
If she had come to this bar looking for work, it would have been an excellent request with no reason to refuse.
But Tatiana merely continued to sip her drink, ignoring the young man’s words.
“The military dagger on your waist.”
After a long silence, as the young man patiently awaited her answer, she finally spoke.
“A skull with three heads hanging from it. The symbol of the Cerberus Annihilation Squad, isn’t it?”
“…!!”
“An unofficial special unit exclusively deployed for slaughter and looting operations. It’s not a famous group, but its emblem is unusual, so I remember it.”
Tatiana wearily rubbed her temples and waved her hand.
Her red eyes glinted darkly.
“I’ve personally caught and killed a few of them.”
“…It seems there’s some misunderstanding.”
The young man quickly glanced around and retorted.
“I’m no longer part of the unit, and I haven’t participated in many operations. I’m a bit different from what you think, ma’am.”
“…”
“They say the newly manufactured satellite uses Vulcan’s anti-gravity technology to its absolute limit. Aren’t you interested, ma’am?”
The young man revealed some information that should only have been disclosed after joining the operation, all to persuade her.
Such an act would be impossible if he didn’t sense great potential in the red-haired wizard sitting before him.
But Tatiana merely offered a cold sneer in response to his words.
Instead, she looked at the skull emblem on the dagger, specifically its three glowing red eyes, and spoke.
“They say they add a red kill mark to the skull for every 100 people you kill.”
“…”
“To display it so proudly, that trend is long past even on the battlefield. Did you know that?”
Evidence of slaughtering at least 300 people on the battlefield.
But what made the Cerberus Annihilation Squad particularly vile was that they cut off the heads of those they killed to count them.
Even in war zones, where all sorts of depravity and death ran rampant, murderers who cut off others’ heads for their own notoriety were always treated as garbage.
She was subtly ridiculing him, implying he was deeply involved with such a unit.
“…Hehe.”
The silent young man suddenly let out a low laugh.
His smiling expression seemed to twist and collapse for a moment.
He spoke in a suddenly subdued voice.
“There aren’t many who know so much about us.”
“…”
“Ma’am, you’re from the Central Front after all.”
At the same time, the young man wiped his hand, and the dagger fell onto the table like lightning.
Clang!!
The blade of the dagger, impaled diagonally in front of the woman’s discarded glass, trembled violently.
“Alright, choose. Are you refusing?”
The young man’s eyes glinted, as if not permitting any answer other than acceptance.
It wasn’t merely that he wanted to work with her; he desired something more.
But she, ignoring his murderous gaze, tilted her glass towards the table.
“Hey, do you know what I used to do on the battlefield?”
Pouring sound!
Flames rose from the alcohol flowing across the table, coiling around the dagger like a fiery tail.
Whoosh!!
The woman grinned, watching the dagger melt away on the spot.
“I found it quite fun to cleanly incinerate trash like you.”
The young man’s face twitched. Almost simultaneously, both of them drew upon their magic.
Other customers in the bar, who had been chatting, also turned their gazes, looking somewhat surprised.
Between the two, with a single table separating them, the atmosphere became highly volatile, ready to erupt at any moment.
“One bourbon whiskey, as you ordered.”
Someone, who had approached the table unnoticed, shook the glass in their hand.
Thud!!
As the glass was placed in front of the woman, the magic drawn by the young man and the woman miraculously dissipated and vanished on the spot.
“…!!”
The young man twitched, his magic forcibly suppressed and vanished, not by his will, but by some unknown will-thought.
Lennok, who had casually sat down next to the woman, smiled and said,
“On the rocks.”
“…Adamant Thunder.”
The young man, recognizing his opponent, clenched his teeth and struggled to control his expression.
With a forced smile, the young man quietly said,
“We were still talking among ourselves, you know.”
“So?”
“…I’ll order another snack, so could you give us some space for a moment?”
At Lennok’s words, the young man’s fingers twitched slightly.
Lennok looked at him and quietly tilted his head forward.
“Is that all you have to say after drawing a weapon in my establishment?”
“…Right…”
The young man agreed with difficulty.
“Drawing a weapon in the bar was a mistake. I apologize. I’ll make sure to compensate you later.”
“Be gone.”
“But Van, I still have something to…”
Thump!
The moment Lennok tapped his cane once, the young man fell silent.
Lennok looked at him and said,
“I think I’ve said all I need to say.”
“…”
The young man said nothing more.
He had realized, belatedly, that he had tried to persuade a wizard with an even more bizarre reputation than the Central Front’s Annihilation Squad.
If Lennok had suddenly blown the young man’s head off right then, nothing would have changed.
It would have only increased the number of people clucking their tongues, saying Adamant Thunder had added another strange exploit to his record.
It was nothing short of a miracle that he had managed to have a conversation with a madman who could explode at any moment.
Realizing this, the young man picked up his half-melted dagger and silently stood up.
He and his companions, who appeared to be sitting at the next table, got up and immediately left the bar.
The bar fell into an uncharacteristic silence.
Soon, as others lost interest and began their own conversations, it quickly became boisterous again.
As Lennok watched this, he heard a quiet laugh beside him.
The red-haired woman, her face slightly flushed from drink, was tilting her head, looking at Lennok.
“You’ve been watching from the beginning?”
“…”
“You weren’t like this before. Has that much time really passed?”
At the woman’s words, as she held and shook her glass, Lennok finally replied to her.
“A lot has happened.”
“Yes, it must have… I can tell just by looking at you now.”
Saying that, the woman lightly drew upon her magic, making the glass in her hand bounce and slide forward.
“It’s been quite some time since I mentioned it… I never thought you’d come at a time like this.”
Lennok’s eyes sharpened as he looked at the red-haired woman.
“Tatiana Chiglet. Have you decided?”
Lennok called Jenny over and introduced her to Tatiana.
“Van, how long has it been since you brought a customer? Have you finally decided to help our bar’s sales?”
Jenny, throwing out a light remark, offered a handshake.
“Call me Jenny. Van’s friend?”
“To be precise, a friend of a friend.”
Tatiana smiled and lightly clasped Jenny’s outstretched hand.
Jenny briefly held her hand and nodded.
“Ex-military. Warmage?”
“…Oh, you can tell right away?”
“Your aura, and the way you shake hands without revealing the back of your hand, it’s famous in this business.”
Jenny replied nonchalantly, setting down the bottle she had brought.
“Don’t worry, it’s not because of calluses.”
“Heh… You’re quite amusing.”
Tatiana grinned and turned her gaze to Lennok.
“If you’re a broker, you must be well-versed in outside news. Have you heard about me?”
Jenny nodded.
“I know you’re a wizard who made a name on the Central Front. They call you the Witch of Conflagration, right? Van briefly explained it to me once…”
“I met her briefly while dealing with matters related to the Blaiver Magic Tower.”
Lennok explained simply to Jenny, keeping his gaze fixed on Tatiana.
“It was around the time I went on an external assignment to help the Agents… Chronologically, it was right after I dealt with Parden McQueen.”
Hadn’t he investigated the Blaiver Magic Tower West Continent Branch with Evelyn and then dealt with Turan the White Lion and Gionys?
Because the elders of the West Continent Branch Magic Tower had died in that process, Tatiana was dispatched later to clean up the mess.
At the time, Lennok, sensing that Tatiana was disillusioned with the Magic Tower’s affairs, had told her to come to him if she wanted new work.
Tatiana, who had been quietly listening to Lennok’s words, smiled.
“You have a good memory. You remember it in such detail?”
“Why the sudden surprise?”
Lennok, holding a glass, leaned lightly against the garden wall and stared at her.
“What do you want to say? Or have you truly decided to collaborate with me now?”
“…”
Tatiana took a long drink of her whiskey and slowly nodded.
“Yes… Since I’ve come this far, I should be honest. I need help.”
“What is it?”
“Do you know anyone among the Magic Tower’s high-ranking officials?”
“…Magic Tower high-ranking officials, you say?”
Tatiana turned her gaze to Jenny.
“I heard you’re an excellent broker. Even through your connections, it doesn’t matter. I need to secretly contact a wizard of the Magic Tower’s leadership.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not our area of expertise to begin with.”
Jenny scratched her cheek.
“Frankly, you’d be more familiar with the Magic Tower’s connections than we are.”
“If I use my own channels or contacts, it’ll leave a trace.”
Tatiana replied with a slightly subdued expression.
“I need an unofficial channel. At least, if I can directly contact a wizard qualified to succeed the Magic Tower Lord…”
“A wizard qualified to succeed the Magic Tower Lord, what are you talking about?”
Jenny laughed and shook her head.
“It’s easier said than done, you know how strict the academic world is with the conditions for the Magic Tower’s preservation. Shouldn’t you know better?”
“…”
“The profound depth to found one’s own sect, recognition from at least three Magic Towers, and undeniable, clear legitimacy… Wasn’t that industry as particular about lineage as the great nobles of the Empire?”
“That’s right.”
Tatiana nodded.
“But among the Magic Tower’s high-ranking officials, there’s definitely someone who wants the item that proves that legitimacy.”
“…”
“Those who have the ability to establish a new ivory tower but lack various conditions and are waiting for their moment.”
Only then did Jenny’s expression slightly harden, understanding Tatiana’s words.
“…This is a bit dangerous. If we mess up, we could antagonize major Magic Towers collectively.”
Tatiana didn’t reply. Jenny’s gaze became notably sharper.
“No, you’ve already antagonized them and come here, haven’t you?”
With just a few words of dialogue, she pieced together the situation without fully knowing the context.
Jenny seemed to grasp and react to the situation more adeptly than Lennok, who had heard Hylaea’s message.
“Van, what are you going to do?”
Jenny, who had been looking at Tatiana with narrowed eyes, glanced at Lennok.
“In my experience, situations like these usually escalate very quickly. If you refuse, things could get bigger.”
“…”
Instead of answering, Lennok was silent for a moment.
Perhaps taking his silence as an answer, Jenny sighed softly and reached for her laptop.
“Alright. I’ll find out if there are any unofficial channels for wizards currently qualified as Magic Tower successors. However, you’ll have to make contact alone.”
“I will.”
“Phew, no matter how many people I know, how am I supposed to secretly contact a Magic Tower high official…”
“I have some names I know. Could you please investigate those first?”
“Write down the list. Affiliated Magic Tower, Hierarchy, gender, age. Oh, and place of origin too.”
“J-just a moment… I’m not used to computers… This is tough…”
Tatiana, sweating profusely, awkwardly pressed the keyboard with her index finger, while Jenny beside her rapidly demanded the information she wanted.
“Speaking of which, something just occurred to me.”
Lennok, who had been silently watching from behind, opened his mouth.
“I received approval for the establishment of a Magic Tower from the Central Council’s Senate three days ago. Would that work?”
At that moment, Jenny and Tatiana’s voices, which had been exchanging opinions while typing on the laptop, abruptly stopped.
Clink!!
The glass slipped from Tatiana’s hand and shattered, spilling whiskey onto the keyboard, but Jenny didn’t get angry.
Like people who had heard an utterly absurd lie, both of them stared blankly at Lennok.