Chapter 213 – Leaving the Seat

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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I am scared.

So scared.

As expected, humans are the most terrifying of all, aren’t they?

Scribble.

On the desk.

The Chief Mage’s work piled up in heaps.

Even as I scribbled with my quill pen, I could hardly calm my startled heart. It could not be helped. Because I could not have imagined that everything was acting from the very beginning.

‘So to put it simply.’

The Tower Master’s acting was meant for the consciousnesses dwelling within the pointed hat.

It was acting to deceive the former Archmages…!

In that sense, the Tower Master was not the Tower Master for nothing.

Just like how the Tower Master had scanned Jesse’s memories.

The Archmages would also be able to examine the memory of the Tower Master conversing with me.

‘If one only looks at the words the Tower Master spat out with his mouth…’

There was not a single room for suspicion.

So that was why he had been so abrasive.

Thanks to that method acting, they would not be able to notice any signs.

Even me, who had been facing him directly to begin with.

-Stop the Archmages’ Conspiracy. (Ongoing)

If the quest window had not flashed.

I would not have noticed the hidden meaning behind his words.

That does not mean I lack tact, though.

Telling me to become his accomplice out of the blue!

Anyone would inevitably misunderstand that, right?

‘It means he is not a figure respected by Marcelo for nothing.’

The system window, which is the exclusive property of players.

Therefore, the former Archmages could not notice it.

To think he would convey the details of the incident to me by utilizing the system window, which was a blind spot.

‘That means he understands the system.’

Just as players could not easily understand 『Magic』, to Arcanians, the [System] was a concept that was not easily accepted.

As can be seen just by the great Marcelo struggling with Anomaly.

I spoke calmly.

“As expected, he did not rise to the position of Tower Master for nothing.”

Somehow, it does not seem like words that someone who took the Chief Mage position via connections should say… Even so, wouldn’t it be enough to puff up my chest a bit when it comes to Anomaly at least?

‘Anyway.’

Ultimately, the Tower Master seemed to have weighed me out until the end.

Whether he could trust me or not.

Thinking about the quest contents, I thought it could not be helped.

‘Just how many sly snakes do I have to deal with here?’

It was not an Archmage’s conspiracy.

It was a quest to stop the conspiracy of the Archmage’s’.

The Tower Master had been carrying out such an extremely difficult quest all by himself. Even while sharing all his senses with those very enemies.

‘I am starting to slowly understand it.’

Why the Tower Master had let Jesse enter the Mage Tower.

The Tower Master must have chosen Jesse.

As an ally to fight off the Archmages’ conspiracy together.

To speak like the days when Arcana was merely a game.

That would be the storyline of the Archmage Class Quest.

-“Master and disciple… There might have been one or two who thought like that, but. Well, including me, the majority probably did not.”

To think he would say such a thing when he was the master himself.

Well, it must have been acting meant to deceive even himself.

This was not the time to nitpick that the Tower Master lied.

What was more important than anything else was exactly what those Archmages’ conspiracy was.

Just what kind of conspiracy did the Tower Master find out about.

To resort to the gamble of forcefully separating his body and consciousness, entering the tiger’s den that is the pointed hat, and handing over the Archmage seat to Jesse…?

‘In the end, is that damned truth the problem?’

Speaking of truth, there was one person who naturally came to mind.

‘Karimzeva.’

The underground of the Mage Tower.

Unlike the two Elder Mages who collapsed in The Infinite.

Karimzeva did not bend her desire for the true truth even while freezing from Absolute Zero.

What such Karimzeva did to reach the true truth was none other than resurrecting the Greater Demon Kings…

As expected, it smelled foul no matter how much I thought about it.

I was the one who encountered Gamigin, one of the Greater Demon Kings, at the end of the Demon King Succession Battle.

Thanks to that, I had personally confirmed the extraordinariness of a Greater Demon King.

For a start, even words could not get through to a Greater Demon King.

-“□□.”

Let’s make a hypothesis, though.

The ‘true truth’ Karimzeva spoke of.

And if the Archmages’ destination, ‘the absolute limit of magic’, were equated…

‘Does Anomaly become the true truth?’

Through the conversation I shared with the Tower Master, I figured out that the absolute limit of magic was Anomaly. No, beyond figuring it out, I proudly blabbered that I was the creator of Anomaly.

Since I spat it out with my own mouth.

Not just the Tower Master.

The other Archmages must have realized that fact as well.

‘As expected, I earn beatings with my mouth.’

If a personality of another Archmage, and not the Tower Master, were to pop out, I felt like things would get significantly bothersome. I should just pray that Jesse would not suffer from magic power exhaustion.

Even swallowing my sigh was brief.

At the end of my thoughts.

I came up with one possibility.

‘Wait, what if the Greater Demon Kings are entities within the realm of Anomaly.’

If I laid out such a premise.

There was one doubt that unwound at once.

That was right.

That meant I found the reason why Gamigin could resist [『Anomaly』]!

Anomaly literally possessed anomalous effects.

The fact that Karimzeva, who was called the Fire Dragon, was defeated by my past self, who was incomparably feeble compared to now, was because she lacked resistance to Anomaly.

However, Gamigin was the only exception.

Recalling once again the battle with Gamigin. Had the Akshan seniors not helped, even if I manifested Anomaly, I would not have been able to shove Gamigin into Hell.

If so, the conclusion was out.

Greater Demon Kings.

They were also beings who, like me, had entered the ‘realm of Anomaly’.

Thinking like that, I understood why the Greater Demon Kings possessed such overwhelming abilities. Because it was an anomalous power, no one could resist it.

I whispered.

“Is that it.”

Yes, it wasn’t just me and Marcelo running towards Anomaly? Not only Greater Demon Kings but also Archmages were heading towards Anomaly.

But hey.

Keep this in mind, everyone.

Know your place.

“However, do not even think about standing at the same eye level as me.”

As long as my dark history keeps its eyes open menacingly.

I had the confidence to reach Anomaly before anyone else.

It was not just words either.

Now that he knew Greater Demon Kings and demons were related to Anomaly.

Granfel could not help but get even more serious.

Scribble scribble-!

…No, you don’t have to be serious about this kind of thing, though.

Somehow, the speed of moving the quill pen was becoming even swifter.

From there, I could realize it once again.

Oops.

Somehow, dealing with this path of suffering.

Felt more wide open than the path heading to Anomaly.

-Stop the Archmages’ Conspiracy. (Ongoing)

-Face the Tower Master’s body. (Ongoing)

However, every journey begins with a single step.

If it was the Tower Master’s body, it would be floating inside the magic power sphere at the top floor of the Mage Tower. Everything is always according to procedure. Visiting the top floor would come next, only after finishing the Chief Mage’s duties.

And like always.

“Disqualified. Banshee William.”

Scribble-!

*

Yusra Kingdom.

The new commander of the Golden Palace guards was the Lionheart Knights’ number three, Enoch Lauren.

Enoch suddenly thought of Jesica.

Why had Jesica been so terrified?

“Yaaawn-”

There was so little to do that yawns were coming out.

-“Commander, I want to join the Zero Mountain Range expedition.”

Jesica’s declaration.

To think Jesica would step up and take my place on the highly dangerous Zero Mountain Range expedition. Enoch had no reason to oppose it.

Under Harkon’s approval, today was exactly the day Jesica and Enoch switched duties.

That did not mean guarding the Golden Palace was an easy mission at all.

However.

“…I feel strangely relieved.”

It could not be helped.

Who on earth would dare wander around the Golden Palace with impure intentions? It was none other than the place where Commander Lee Ho-yeol visited every single day.

Of course, since the Commander was a very busy person. He did not guard the place indefinitely. Then, were there people aiming for his absence, you might ask?

No, that’s nonsense from someone who doesn’t know anything.

‘There is another mountain waiting beyond the mountain.’

That was right.

In the annex of the Golden Palace, there was Elsidor.

A bloodless and tearless elf glaring with wide eyes.

He didn’t know how Commander Lee Ho-yeol made such an elf submit but…

Indeed, it must all be Commander Lee Ho-yeol’s ability.

“How long has it been since I had such a sweet time?”

And added thanks to Jesica, who refused this sweet time.

However, Enoch was mistaken.

That the duties of the Golden Palace Guard had not even begun yet.

The sun rose high in the sky, and the moment the clock hands precisely passed noon.

“…W- What?”

Rumble-

As if they had coordinated it.

People began swarming like clouds in front of the Golden Palace.

It was none other than the reporters rushing to cover Ho-yeol.

An unexpected crowd.

Enoch reflexively shouted.

“Halt. Commander Lee Ho-yeol has not returned yet!”

Then, a marvelous thing happened.

Wasn’t this massive crowd, which should have been impossible to control, perfectly aligning their ranks and files neatly as if choreographed again? Without anyone ordering them, voluntarily.

“Rock, paper, scissors!”

“Great! Our VBC goes first.”

“No way, Director Yoon. Did you do nothing but practice rock-paper-scissors all day long?”

Also, there seemed to exist their own procedure for deciding the order.

Enoch could intuitively feel it.

That this too was all thanks to Commander Lee Ho-yeol.

Well, rumors had been widespread even within the Lionheart Knights.

-“They say whenever the Commander opens his mouth, the surroundings turn dead silent like a mouse’s death?”

-“Actually, I also heard something from a Mage Tower mage.”

-“What, what did you hear from the Mage Tower?!”

-“According to the rumors, the Commander seems to be of a very noble bloodline in this world. Because even the arrogant Mage Tower mages said to that extent.”

-“Did they also say there’s a prayer like Homen?”

Just Homen.

…Is this the right way to do it?

As Enoch murmured inwardly.

Clip clop-

The sound of horse hooves echoing out of nowhere.

At the same time.

Sighs erupted from the reporters.

“Phew.”

It was Skal, arriving on his beloved horse, Alexander.

Wasn’t Skal the one who had clung to mysticism all this while?

The reason why the reporters, who should be cheering at such Skal’s appearance, were apathetic was simple.

“Geez, did he come again?”

“It’s more tiring than welcoming now, really.”

“Is Liu Ouzhunchun not worried at all? They’re only 1 level apart?”

Being surprised and shoving cameras in his face only lasts a day or two!

Just what business did he have with Ho-yeol anyway?

Making his past mysticism pointless.

Skal chased after Ho-yeol too clingily.

Chasing after Ho-yeol to the Mage Tower and the Yusra Kingdom.

And scurrying around the Zero Mountain Range.

“This time, it is genuinely, crazily urgent.”

“What, is it an exclusive scoop material this time too, Mr. Skal?”

“Of course, if it gets resolved, I will hold an official press conference.”

Not only that, Skal would smoothly push his way to the very front using the same excuse every time. Skal, who tried to grab Jesica and appeal to her as always, flinched.

“…Where is Sir Jesica Bright?”

“She left for the Zero Mountain Range expedition. Starting today, the Commander of the Golden Palace Guard is me, Enoch Lauren.”

“Ah, is that so. Mr. Enoch.”

“…?”

Jesica was a Sir, so why was he a Mister?

It was strangely annoying, but it seemed too petty to argue over.

Moreover, the opponent was Skal.

‘The Dragon Knight, Skal.’

One of the few adventurers whose fame resonated even from the Empire before the Cataclysm. Since Enoch was also a knight, it meant he could not be unaware of the Dragon Knight Skal’s existence.

But for such a great adventurer like Skal.

“No. More importantly, it is an emergency, Enoch!”

Fidgeting.

He could hardly calm down.

“Unlike normally, there is an absolute story I must pass on!”

He was throwing a fit, saying he absolutely had to meet Ho-yeol.

Only then could Enoch understand Jesica, who had looked disgusted.

So she had been tormented by Skal like this every day, Jesica…

Unlike the firm Jesica, Enoch had a soft heart.

“If the Commander returns, I will deliver your message.”

Besides, Skal’s voice was exceedingly appealing.

But more than anything.

Skal said he had a matter he absolutely had to deliver to Ho-yeol.

“The lines are a bit different from normal today?”

The whispering reporters’ prodding also played a part there.

However, unfortunately.

Skal could not accomplish his goal this time either.

“By the way, what time is it now?”

“Eh? Wait a minute, the time has passed a lot?”

“No way, Mr. Ho-yeol isn’t the type to be late like this?”

“Could it be that some incident occurred?”

“…Don’t tell me?! Ah, oh no!”

Lee Ho-yeol, who had never broken his daily routine for even a single day.

He, exceptionally.

Did not appear in the Golden Palace today of all days.

.

.

.

The top floor of the Mage Tower.

The drenched floor told what had happened.

Flinch-

The Elder Mage who witnessed the sight.

“…Chief Lee Ho-yeol?”

Yugweed barely connected her words.

“May I ask what in the world happened here?”

The terribly shattered magic power sphere.

The essence of magic power that had poured onto the floor from inside.

The Tower Master had disappeared.