Chapter 108 – Outbreak of War

“That little witch?”

“I couldn’t quite make a judgment. When I informed her of what Kane had done and asked for her help, she refused immediately. It was unexpected.”

“Ah, I see what you mean.”

“What did she do back then?”

“Well… it was half-and-half. Sometimes she stood on Kane’s side, and other times she helped stop Kane.”

“What is the deciding factor?”

“We don’t know. However, if the relationship between the two falls apart, she will certainly stand on the opposite side. Because there is probably no one in this world who can tolerate what Kane is doing. At most, Zodiac would be all.”

Rashid suddenly had this question.

“Why does Kane keep that child with him? Is it simply because she is competent?”

There were many competent talents other than that child.

If he looked, there would surely be plenty.

Yet, it was a mystery why he kept only that child in particular.

“There is a story involved.”

Kaiser told that story to Rashid.

“Was there such a story? That’s something I completely didn’t know.”

“Yes, so it is ambiguous to say that Kane has absolutely no affection for that child, yet it is also ambiguous to say he does.”

“It’s likely he has none. Since his plan would include that child as well.”

“That would be true. That is why it wouldn’t be very strange even if the relationship between the two fell apart.”

“Hmm… It is ambiguous.”

“It might be easier on your mind to just watch, and if you think it’s not working, get rid of her. She isn’t a particularly important person.”

“Probably.”

Pondering the story, Rashid asked.

“But didn’t you say that story was a secret? Then why is that teaching assistant obsessed with Kane?”

“That is because the person who has sponsored her until now is none other than Kane. It was Kane who paid for all those high tuition fees from the academy to the Magic Tower Academy.”

“Kane is a funny fellow, too.”

“We don’t need to know his circumstances. Anyway, that must be the issue. I wonder if she would have gone out of her way to take Kane’s side if it weren’t for that.”

A satisfying answer did not come out, but.

He got a grasp of the overall situation.

“It is better to watch for now. Since she won’t be able to take Kane’s side anyway.”

“She didn’t take Kane’s side when I progressed either. However, the problem is that we can’t conclude it will always be the case.”

“By the way, did Kane contact you separately?”

“No, there was no such thing, but…”

Seeing him trail off, it seemed he had something else to say.

“Do you have something to say?”

“That… Divine Primordial Matter. The Tears of God I gave you.”

“You gave that to me, didn’t you?”

“Since Kane was looking for it, I told him I handed it over to you. I roughly glossed it over, saying it was taken by the Order.”

“Is that so?”

“So Kane might target you. I saw the newspaper article that Kane attempted to seize the Magic Tower. The timing was quite fast.”

“I benefited from Veronica. That woman brought the data on the Humanity Equivalent Exchange Plan. I didn’t expect this.”

“She caught a big fish. No wonder the progression was fast. Anyway, once the takeover of the Magic Tower is finished, you are the next target. To be precise, it will be the Divine Primordial Matter. Since it is the core element of the plan.”

“Then they will target me together with Zodiac. Since the Immortal Heart that Zodiac is aiming for is also with me right now.”

“You’re going to be a popular guy.”

Thinking of the next step, Kaiser gave a warning.

“I’m saying this just in case, but you must prevent even the Face Changer from being recruited in the process of them taking over the Magic Tower. Zodiac is also a variable, but if even the Face Changer stands on Kane’s side, things might become difficult.”

“Face Changer…”

“The best we can think of is to prevent them from standing on Kane’s side as much as possible. If we can’t have them, we shouldn’t give them to the other side either.”

“I was roughly planning to do that. If we can’t bring them over, we must make them part ways with that side as well.”

“If Kane has printed some money through gold alchemy, he would be able to recruit the Face Changer without any problem.”

“That won’t happen. I interfered with that in the middle.”

“Oh! Then their budget might run short.”

“Right. If the budget runs short, hiring the Face Changer would be impossible. Building the tower right now will require a non-negligible amount of funds.”

Kaiser, who suddenly thought of something, spoke.

“Oh, and I sent a gift. It was sent via quick delivery, so it will arrive soon.”

“A gift?”

“Aren’t they starting to be distributed around this time? It’s a portable communicator. It’s similar to a cell phone, but its form is a bracelet or an accessory.”

“Ah, has that already come out?”

“It was about time. In a world where cars roll around, wouldn’t a portable communicator come out? I have entered my number, so you can contact me whenever it is convenient. Likewise, I will contact you when it is convenient.”

Just in time, the mansion’s caretaker delivered the item that arrived by quick delivery to Rashid.

“It just arrived.”

“It has already arrived? That was fast.”

Looking at the contents, it was a communicator in the form of a bracelet.

“But why is the color gold? And the mana stone seems needlessly too large? Was your concern for me this great?”

“Pardon? The one I sent should be white.”

“Then what is this?”

“The one I sent is just a communicator. That doesn’t seem to be a communicator.”

Had the item been switched on the way?

Just as such a question arose,

a call came from somewhere else.

“I’ll contact you next time. I’m getting a call from somewhere else.”

The person who contacted him after Kaiser was Akard, the Vice Commander of the Order.

“I was very sorry that I only said thank you in words last time. So I sent a gift.”

“By any chance, are you the one who sent this golden communicator?”

“It seems you have already received it. Yes, I sent it. They call it a mana-absorbing communicator at the Celestial Pole Workshop.”

Akard kindly explained how to use the communicator, but since he already knew everything, it was somewhat boring from Rashid’s perspective.

“And it even has an armory function. Besides, it is equipped with a mana-absorbing core function similar to Hyeonjo, so it will be quite useful.”

“So this was the mana-absorbing core. No wonder I thought the size of the mana stone was rather large.”

“They said that even though the size is small, its performance is similar to Hyeonjo, the Class 2 mana armor.”

He would have been disappointed if it were a simple communicator.

“This will be quite useful. I’ll make good use of it.”

“I am still grateful about Her Majesty. But did you quit being an inquisitor? I heard at the Inquisition Bureau that you took a leave of absence.”

“I was busy. I didn’t quit, and I will return to the Inquisition Bureau when the time comes.”

“I see.”

Rashid suddenly became curious about matters related to the Empress.

“More than that, how is Her Majesty doing?”

“We are serving Her Majesty well.”

“Her movements must be very uncomfortable due to the potion of blindness?”

“We resolved that problem with the power of magic. Deep Sight and Red Thermal Sight, they are methods knights use in the field, but they are the best magics for Her Majesty right now.”

“Did she learn that already?”

Although it was possible for a player to learn magic in an instant,

she was not a player.

“It is only because Her Majesty had no interest until now; her talent is unmatched. Recently, she has also become very interested in the academics of knights. I don’t know the reason, but it seems she felt a lot that day. She seems to have felt a lot of helplessness on the day the demonstrators came to the imperial palace.”

“Is that so?”

“Although it might be impossible right now, considering the previous late Emperors, she might catch up to us in no time. Moreover, if she inherits the memories of the late Emperors, she will easily overtake us and more. It is nothing special. Since all late Emperors did so.”

He had forgotten.

Another power of the Empress hidden beneath her authority.

“And many of the knights who were in the Imperial Guard have also crossed over to our side. So the knighthood has become quite bloated compared to before.”

The Night of Revolution.

It seemed all the surviving Imperial Guard knights had been absorbed into the Holy Order’s knighthood.

“Well… if they are Imperial Guard knights, that is the only place they could go. Since it is the place where Her Majesty is, anyway.”

“Indeed. Thus, we have become a bit busy lately.”

Rashid thought about her for a moment.

Would it be a problem?

‘Although I am concerned, it will probably be difficult.’

Simply because she became stronger through force, it would be difficult to take back the current regime controlled by the military.

In the end, she would need the power of authority, but since he held that, it should be fine.

‘How fascinating. I didn’t know it would turn out like that.’

In the first place, a world where she survived was a first.

“I see. I will contact you again sometime.”

“Let’s have dinner together sometime soon. My treat.”

“Yes, I will visit you soon. It is nearby anyway.”

“Just contact me in advance.”

What was certain

was that periodic tracking and observation were necessary.

* * *

[Professor Kane, ‘Unrelated to the Humanity Equivalent Exchange Plan’… Completely Denies Related Suspicions -Sky Island Newspaper-]

[Controversy Over Professor Kane Shaking the Magic Tower… Conflict Becomes Full-Blown -Sky Island Newspaper-]

The Magic Tower became extremely chaotic because of Professor Kane, and

[Allied Kingdom Declares War on Empire… War Begins -Capital Dispatch-]

[The Blade of the Allied Kingdom Points Toward the Empire… War Breaks Out -Imperial Daily-]

the Empire was in turmoil due to the war with the Allied Kingdom.

Shortly after the outbreak of the war, Rashid met with her at a cafe, having been called out by her.

The reason was obvious without even looking.

“They told me to come to the battlefield immediately.”

“Did the Commander call you?”

She could not deny it.

“You already know, don’t you? My going to the Inquisition Bureau was also under his orders. And telling me to come to the battlefield this time is also his order.”

There was nothing to be disappointed about.

Although Kaiser had mentioned it,

the Empire must not lose in this Twilight War.

“More than that, what about the Professor?”

She asked worriedly.

The immediate war was a problem, but it was also important to stop the professor who had the crazy idea of the Humanity Equivalent Exchange Plan.

“I will take care of the Professor. Go and win the war.”

Since there was nothing more to say,

Rashid stood up from his seat.

She also stood up, and to her, Rashid continued speaking.

“Will you go back to the Inspection Bureau when the war is over?”

“That… I don’t know. But do you think the war will end quickly?”

“Since the circumstances are better than before. At least the Guild Federation will support with all their might.”

“I still have lingering regrets about the Professor.”

“Stop worrying about the Professor and worry about the war right now.”

She spoke, recalling her memories of being with him.

“At that fortune teller’s shop, they said ill fortune had attached itself to me… I wonder if this is it.”

“Do you still believe that? You can just let it slide. She was an old woman who couldn’t even read my fortune. That place is just a witch introduction agency.”

He didn’t know since when,

but she was also speaking comfortably with him.

Since such a person was a first since Ryden,

“Are we friends?”

she asked one last time before leaving.

Rashid replied in an indifferent tone.

“If you come to the Inquisition Bureau, we would be about colleagues. Then, I wish you good luck in battle.”

It was Rashid who left without lingering regrets.

She watched him leave for a moment, then boarded her official vehicle parked in front.

Ring ring~

Heading home, Rashid heard a beep from his mana-absorbing communicator.

Operating it lightly, the Director’s office number appeared.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Is that you, Rashid? Come to the Inquisition Bureau right away.”

“I’m on a leave of absence, though?”

“Someone from the Magic Tower came to find us. It’s the Witch Leader of the Purgatory Coven. It’s about the Professor you mentioned.”

What was bound to come had come.

Rashid responded immediately.

“I’ll be there soon. I was nearby anyway.”