Chapter 121 – Disappearance

Disappearance

Once Professor Kane was summarily judged and the Magic Tower Academy collapsed due to the Arcane Flower,

related articles plastered the newspaper pages for nearly a week.

[Suspicion of Revolutionary Army Involvement ‘Arcane Flower’… Order: “Summary Judgment Acknowledged, Terror is Separate” -Imperial Daily-]

[Collapsed Magic Tower Academy, Remaining Magic Traces ‘Arcane Flower’ in the Ashes… Battle over Responsibility Escalates -Imperial Capital Press-]

[Order: “Professor Kane is a Blasphemer”… Emphasizing ‘No Relation’ to the Magic Tower Academy Explosion -Order Daily-]

[Supposed Revolutionary Army Involvement, Why Rush Kane’s Execution… ‘Arcane Flower’ Suspicions Grow -Sky Island Newspaper-]

In this way, in the early days of the Magic Tower Academy’s collapse, the battle over responsibility intensified, and suspicions to find the culprit poured out.

However, in the Revolutionary Army, the actual owner of the Arcane Flower, a frenzy broke out over a different matter.

It was the mysterious disappearance of their party representative.

[Golden Age Party Leader, Missing from Baiman Direct Territory Headquarters -Imperial Daily-]

[Possible Iron Blood Party Involvement Mentioned… Golden Age Party Leader’s Disappearance Remains a Mystery -Imperial Capital Press-]

[Rumors of Connection Between Magic Tower Academy Collapse and Golden Age Party Spread… “Lack of Evidence” Pointed Out -Sky Island Newspaper-]

If the collapse of the Magic Tower Academy shook the world for a week,

the disappearance of the party leader remained a hot topic for nearly a month.

Exactly one month after Kaiser went missing.

Rashid met with the new representative of the Golden Age Party who came to see him.

It was Brandon, the Chief of Propaganda, whom Kaiser had praised as his right-hand man.

“By any chance… have you heard nothing at all about the missing party leader?”

Brandon asked with a low, sunken expression.

Rashid, who had seated him in the reception area, had an equally dark expression.

“Regarding the disappeared party leader… I also do not know anything in particular. Is there still no news in the party?”

“Yes. The Iron Blood Party is being pointed to as the mastermind, but it is not certain. They are also fighting back, calling it a despicable political plot.”

Kaiser’s disappearance was a mystery to Rashid as well.

He only had a solid guess that it was related to Zodiac.

Since he himself did not know the whereabouts of Kaiser, whose news had been completely missing for a whole month.

Leaving Brandon sitting in the reception area,

Rashid’s expression of deep thought grew heavier.

‘Is he… dead?’

After the collapse of the Magic Tower Academy, he had been frantic because of that matter.

Although the Magic Tower did not say much about the summary judgment of Professor Kane, they seemed to view the collapse of the academy as a serious matter, running wild to find a connection with the Order.

However, in the first place, what collapsed the Magic Tower building was the Arcane Flower, which the Revolutionary Army was said to possess.

Thus, the Magic Tower, which had tried to find a connection with the Order, eventually had no choice but to fold its intentions, and just when it seemed to quiet down,

the representative of the Golden Age Party suddenly went missing.

“Since the party leader disappeared, our influence has definitely waned. The atmosphere within the party is also shaking greatly. I am trying my best to persuade the agitated revolutionary comrades, but… honestly, it is not easy.”

“I understand. The atmosphere in the party must be very chaotic. After all, was he not the one who led the Golden Age Party until now?”

“But it is a mystery. We have never held a grudge against the Magic Tower, so why were the Magic Tower buildings terrorized by the Arcane Flower, which the party leader managed himself? Do you happen to know anything?”

“I have nothing to say about that. Isn’t the Arcane Flower a weapon of the Revolutionary Army that has nothing to do with us?”

“That is true.”

Rashid wished for the suspicions against him to disappear,

and made sure to say this.

“But I heard that the one who developed the Arcane Flower was Professor Kane.”

“We know that as well. But for Professor Kane to have collapsed all the magic towers…”

“He was a blasphemer who committed the ridiculous and insane act called the Human Equivalent Exchange Plan. He was out of his mind, so it wouldn’t be particularly strange if he did it.”

“Indeed. In the end, the final suspicion turned toward Professor Kane. It is the same for us, and the Magic Tower is in that kind of mood lately. Since he was a crazy professor in the first place, it wouldn’t be strange at all if he did it.”

In this way, the two events, which seemed separate,

were falling into a labyrinth, leaving behind only various suspicions.

“Anyway, thank you for making time. Though we will still have to search more for the party leader.”

He seemed heavily resigned.

“He is probably dead. Even if the connection to the Iron Blood Party is weak, if the party leader disappears like this, they would be the ones to benefit the most. Then, I will see you again next time.”

Brandon, having finished the meeting, departed.

Rashid remained in his seat, and he too suffered from a headache thinking about the missing Kaiser.

‘What a headache.’

Kaiser’s disappearance was not entirely meaningless to him either.

‘Setting aside my retirement plan that has flown away for now.’

There were a few problems that could only be solved if he was present.

Among them, the most serious issue was related to the Empress who had sought asylum in the Order.

She was in a state where she had verbally agreed with Kaiser to peacefully sit on the imperial throne instead of laying down all power after approving the Magna Carta.

However, if Kaiser disappeared in this manner, the imperial throne she desired would vanish.

Her stance was the throne itself.

Because only the imperial throne was the reason she existed and her entire life.

‘It is certain. That woman will never give up on sitting on the imperial throne again. If the Magna Carta falls through, the likely scenario would be a reclaim by force. Authority might not even be needed here.’

A reasonable amount of time had passed since receiving the news that the Empress was building up her military power.

If she were simply a human Empress, remarkable growth in this short period would be absolutely impossible, no matter how outstanding her talent was.

But she was not a human; she was a vampire.

The sole successor of the imperial family with the most noble and powerful blood even among such vampires.

According to information collected through Deputy Commander Akard, the Empress’s growth went beyond normal standards.

If she had even completed the ‘Blood Succession Ceremony’ that linked the memories of all the former emperors.

‘Perhaps she could be even more than Raiden.’

For the Blood Empress, her authority had been the issue until now, but the potential she possessed was an unknown territory that no one knew of.

However, looking at the precedents of the former emperors, it was fully possible to guess that her martial power would surpass Raiden’s.

Knock, knock!

The one who revealed herself after the knock was Aria.

“Chief Inquisitor.”

She went and sat next to him, who was still remaining in the reception seat.

“I think you can tell me now?”

“What do you want me to tell you?”

She smiled and continued speaking.

“I was curious, but I held it in. Since a month has passed now, I think you can speak comfortably? It seems the media has quieted down, and the suspicion has remained just a suspicion.”

“Do you mean the Magic Tower Academy?”

“Yes, how on earth did you blow up the academy? The Arcane Flower is definitely a weapon of the Revolutionary Army, right?”

“Then the Revolutionary Army must have blown it up.”

She grabbed his wrist and emphasized her smile once more.

“We are not in that kind of relationship, are we?”

In his relationship with her, Rashid

felt his own secrets gradually disappearing.

This was somewhat intended.

It was too much to face disaster-class villains alone, and he needed a reliable ally anyway.

Also, he judged that it was practically impossible to make excuses like “You don’t need to know” or “Don’t question it” to her, who had questions every time.

Moreover, she was someone who had condoned his secrets despite knowing them until now.

In other words, trust had developed before he knew it.

“You already know, don’t you? I blew it up.”

“How did you blow it up? The Arcane Flower is supposed to be a weapon held by the Revolutionary Army, right? I also heard the party leader specially manages it. Did you get it from that party leader in advance?”

“That is not it. I had one in my possession.”

“Something you already possessed?”

Rashid had one Arcane Flower in his possession, which Lion had failed to use to blow up the Papal Court in the past.

What blew up the Magic Tower Academy was the Arcane Flower he had secured back then.

“In the past, the Papal Court almost blew up due to a magic bomb. I retrieved it and held onto it back then. I blew it up with that.”

Once the mystery was solved,

the smile she wore transformed into a genuine smile.

“Ah, so that is what happened. But why did you use that? Since you are close with the party leader, couldn’t you just get a new magic bomb and use that instead?”

“Then Kaiser would also know that I am the culprit. How would I know if that guy would use that to torment me?”

“You two are friends, right?”

“We are friends, indeed. But some level of keeping each other in check is necessary. A moderate amount, that is.”

As if convinced, she asked something else.

This was also something she had been curious about.

“By the way, what happened to your friend?”

“I do not know either. There is a guy named Zodiac, and he might have been killed by him.”

“Zodiac?”

Rashid told her about the matters related to Zodiac.

“I have never heard such a story before.”

“It is a story only we know. Since we are living in a world we have already experienced.”

“A Player is truly fascinating. Is that why you also know about the future?”

Rashid’s gaze suddenly turned toward her.

“The one I find fascinating is you. Why do you stay quiet despite knowing my secrets? It has been a question for me all this time. Can’t you tell me now?”

Keeping her smile,

she shared an extremely obvious reason.

“Because it is helpful to me, of course.”

“Helpful… I suppose it is. But you must know how the people of the world view us, right?”

“Yes, I am not unaware. The perception itself is no different from a witch. It is the worst.”

“Then why do you not care?”

“They say Players are like disasters, right? Even if you are a disaster-like person, Chief Inquisitor, I am someone who can stand on your side if our goals align.”

“Even if I were trash like Kane? I do not think I could do that.”

“I can. You might not be able to do that, Chief Inquisitor, but I am someone who can.”

He did not understand, but

since she said so, he had no choice but to let it go.

Rather, because of the vanished Kaiser, Rashid expressed some regret.

“If I had known he would go missing like this, I should have received more Arcane Flowers. I only had one…”

Rashid’s gaze had turned to his wrist before he knew it.

She was lightly caressing her own wrist, exactly as she had grabbed it earlier.

Just as he was about to ask what she was doing,

the absorption communicator worn on his wrist rang.

When he answered, it was Akard, the Deputy Knight Commander.

“Are you at the Inquisition Department?”

As Rashid cast his gaze toward her sitting next to him, she stood up quietly.

In tandem with her departure, Rashid asked.

“Yes, what is the matter?”

“Her Majesty is requesting to see you. She seems to have something to say.”

“To me?”

The reason could be guessed.

It was likely what he had been thinking about earlier.

“Is it perhaps related to the missing party leader?”

“I do not know about that either. At any rate, I plan to visit accompanied by Her Majesty, is that possible? I think we will arrive within an hour.”

It was not an opponent he could refuse.

It was virtually compulsory.

“Yes, I will be waiting.”