◈ Episode 213. Stepping Away

Scary.

I’m scared.

After all, people are the scariest?

seuseuseug─

On the desk.

A pile of chief’s work.

I flicked my quill, unable to calm my panic, because I hadn’t realized it was all an act to begin with.

‘In other words.’

Tower Master acting is in a conical hat.

It was an act to fool the archmages of the previous generation……!

In that sense, Tower Master wasn’t Tower Master for nothing.

Just as Tower Master looked through Jesse’s memories.

The Archmages would be able to look through the memories of Tower Master’s conversations with me.

‘If you just look at the words the tower master said…….’

There was no room for doubt.

So that’s why he came off so harshly.

The method acting made it impossible for me to notice.

Even with me, who was face to face in the first place.

─Stop the conspiracy of the Archmages. (Ongoing)

If the quest window hadn’t been flashing.

I wouldn’t have recognized the meaning behind those words.

That doesn’t mean I’m not clueless.

How dare you make me an accomplice!

Everyone is bound to misunderstand, right?

‘Marcelo is not someone I respect for nothing.’

A system window that belongs to the player.

It’s a blind spot for even for squadron archmages.

I can’t believe you’re using a blind spot to tell me what happened.

‘That means you understand the system.’

Just as players don’t easily understand “magic,” the concept of “system” is not easily accepted by the Arcanians.

I could tell by the way Marcelo was struggling with it.

I said nonchalantly.

“Indeed, you didn’t ascend to the position of Tower Master for nothing.”

That doesn’t seem like the kind of thing someone who parachuted into the top spot would say……. Still, wouldn’t it be enough to give Anomaly a little more strength on the shoulders?

‘By the way.’

In the end, it seemed that Tower Master had been sizing me up all along.

To trust me or not to trust me.

Considering the content of the quest, I suppose it’s inevitable.

‘How many snake serpents do I have to deal with?’

It’s not the Archmage’s plot.

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

Because Tower Master was carrying out this extremely difficult quest alone. Even sharing all the senses with those enemies.

‘It’s starting to make sense.’

Why Tower Master had chosen Jesse to join him.

He must have chosen her.

An ally to help stop the Archmage’s conspiracy.

Back when Arcana was just a game, so to speak.

That’s the storyline of the Archmage class quest.

-“Master and Disciple……. I’m sure there were one or two people who thought that way, but I don’t think it was the majority, myself included.”

I can’t believe you’re saying that when you’re the master.

I mean, he had to fool even himself.

This isn’t the time to criticize Tower Master for lying.

More importantly, what is the plot of the archmages?

And what plot did Tower Master recognize?

Had he forcibly separated his body from his consciousness, walked into the tiger’s den, and gambled that Jesse would take over as Archmage……?

‘In the end, is it the damn truth?’

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

‘Karimzeva.’

The basement of the Magic Tower.

Unlike the two elder mages who had fallen in the Void.

Karimzeva’s desire for the real truth was unwavering, even as he was frozen in absolute zero.

What Karimzeba did to reach the true truth was none other than the resurrection of a high-ranking demon king…….

Again, it stinks to high heaven.

I had encountered Gamigin, one of the high-ranking demon kings, at the end of the Battle for the Demon Kings.

I was able to see firsthand that they are not normal.

First of all, I couldn’t speak to him at all.

-“□□.”

But suppose.

Karimzeva’s “real truth”.

And if you equate the destination of the Archmages with the ‘The limit of magic’…….

‘Does this mean that anomaly becomes real truth?’

I understood from my conversation with Tower Master that The limit of magic is anomaly. No, I didn’t just figure it out, I proudly proclaimed that I was the founder of Anomaly.

I said it out loud.

And not just from Tower Master.

The other archmages must have noticed.

‘As expected, you earn a beating with your mouth.’

It would be quite troublesome if the personality of another archmage other than Tower Master popped up. Hopefully, Jesse wouldn’t suffer from magic exhaustion.

I swallow a sigh.

At the end of my thoughts.

I thought of a possibility.

‘Wait, what if the High Ranking Demon King is a being in the Realm of Anomaly.’

If we go with that premise.

One question was answered once and for all.

It was.

We’ve found the reason why Gamigin was able to resist [『Anomaly』]!

Anomaly had a literally strange effect.

The reason Karimzeva, who had been called a fire dragon, had been defeated by me in the past, when I was far weaker than I am now, was because he had no resistance to it.

But Gamigin was the only one.

The battle with Gamigin, I recall once again. Without the help of the Akshan seniors, even if I had manifested Anomaly, I wouldn’t have been able to send Gamigin to hell.

The conclusion, then.

High Ranking Demon King.

That they, like me, had entered the realm of anomaly.

Once I realized that, I understood why the High Ranking Demon Kings had such overwhelming power. It was a anomaly power that no one could resist.

I murmured.

“I see.”

So, it wasn’t just me and Marcelo who were rushing toward anomaly? The High Ranking Demon King and the Archmages were rushing toward Anomaly as well.

But, you know.

Keep that in mind.

Stay on topic.

“However, don’t think about standing on the same level as me.”

As long as I have my eyes wide open to my black history.

I was going to get to the anomaly before anyone else.

It wasn’t just words.

Now that I know that a high-ranking demon king or demon is involved in anomaly.

Granfell has no choice but to become more sincere.

Seusyasyasyag─!

……No, it doesn’t have to be this serious.

Somehow, the speed at which I mocked the feather pen became faster and faster.

There, I realized something else.

Oops.

Than the road to Anomaly.

The hard road seems to be more open.

─Stop the conspiracy of the Archmages. (Ongoing)

─Meet the physical body of the Tower Master. (Ongoing)

But all roads begin with a single step.

If it’s the body of the Tower Master, it’s on the top floor of the tower, floating in a sphere of magic. Everything is always done according to procedure. Finding the top floor comes after the Chief’s work is done.

And as always.

“Failed. Bensch William.”

Swoosh─!

*

Kingdom of Yusra.

The new captain of the Golden Palace’s guards was Enoch Loren, the third in command of the Knights of the Lionheart.

Suddenly, Enoch remembered Yessica.

Why was she so frightened?

“heuaam─”

A yawn escaped his lips.

-“Chief, I want to join your expedition to the Zero Mountains.”

Yessica’s declaration.

I hadn’t expected Yessica to take my place on a dangerous expedition to the Zero Mountains. I had no reason to argue with Enoch.

Today was the day that Yessica and Enoch, with Harkon’s approval, switched duties.

That’s not to say that defending the Golden Palace is an easy task.

But.

“……It’s a strange relief.”

It had to be.

I mean, who in their right mind would go near the Golden Palace with impure intentions? It’s a place that Commander in Chief Lee Hoyeol visits every day.

Of course, he’s a busy man, and he doesn’t stay around forever. So, aren’t there people who would take advantage of his absence?

No, you don’t know anything.

‘Beyond the mountain is another mountain.’

Indeed.

In a private room of the Golden Palace was Elsidor.

An elf with no blood or tears in his eyes.

I don’t know how he got that elf to submit, but…….

Well, I suppose it’s all in the hands of Commander Lee Hoyeol.

“How long has this been honey?”

Also, the virtue of Yessica for refusing such honey is also added.

But Enoch was mistaken.

The work of the Golden Palace Guard had not yet begun.

The sun was high in the sky, and the clock struck exactly noon.

“……What, what?”

Urrrr.

It was like a sum game.

A cloud of people began to gather in front of the Golden Palace.

It was the press, who had gathered to cover Hoyeol.

A crowd from nowhere.

Enoch reflexively shouted.

“Stop. Commander Lee Hoyeol hasn’t returned yet!”

Then, a strange thing happened.

The uncontrollable crowd seemed to have organized themselves again, and this time, they were doing it in an orderly fashion, spontaneously, without anyone telling them to.

“Rock, paper, scissors!”

“Cheer up! Our VBC comes first.”

“No, Mr. Yoon. Did you just eat and practice rock-paper-scissors?”

Apparently, they have their own procedures for ordering things.

Enoch had a hunch.

And he knew it was all thanks to Commander Lee Hoyeol.

Why, rumors had been flying around the Knights of the Lionheart.

-“You know I heard that whenever the commander opens his mouth, the surroundings become completely quiet?”

-“Actually, I heard something from a mage in the tower.”

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

-“According to rumors, the commander-in-chief seems to be from a very noble family in this world. Because even the arrogant magic tower mage would say that.”

-“Even something like Homen. You said there was a prayer like that too, right?”

Just Homen.

…… Is this how it’s done?

Enoch muttered to himself.

Dag-dag.

The sound of hooves coming from nowhere.

At the same time.

A sigh came from the reporters.

“Ugh.”

Alas, it was Skal riding Alexander.

Wasn’t this the same Skal who had always been mysterious?

The reason why the reporters, who should have been thrilled by the arrival of the Skal, were dumbfounded was simple.

“No, he’s here again. Is that him?”

“Now I’m more bored than excited, really.”

“He’s not worried about Liu Zunqun, he’s a first-level character?”

Surprise, surprise, the cameras are out!

What on earth does Hoyeol have to do?

After all that mysteriousness.

In front of Hoyeol, Skal was too much of a slouch.

He followed Hoyeol to the Tower and the Kingdom of Yusra.

And the Zero Mountains.

“This time it’s really, really urgent.”

“What, you have a scoop again, Mr. Skal?”

“Sure. I’ll call a formal press conference when it’s resolved.”

As if that weren’t enough, Mr. Skal made the same excuse every time, sneaking to the front of the line. As usual, Skal tried to hold onto the Yessica and appeal to her.

” ……Where is Sir Yessica Bright?”

“She has left on an expedition to the Zero Mountains. As of today, the captain of the Golden Palace’s guard is me, Enoch Loren.”

“Ah, I see, Mr. Enoch.”

“……?”

Why was Yessica addressed as Sir, and he as Mr.?

It was strangely annoying, but then again, it seemed cheesy.

Besides, this was Skal.

‘Skal the Dragon Knight.’

One of the few adventurers with a reputation in the Empire before the Cataclysm. Enoch was a knight himself, so it was impossible not to recognize him.

And yet, such a great adventurer.

“No. It’s more urgent than that, Enoch!”

Enoch fidgeted.

He was having trouble calming down.

“I have a story that I must tell, and not in the usual way!”

He was desperate to see Hoyeol.

Only then did Enoch understand Yessica, whom he hated.

So this is what it’s like to be tormented by Skal every day, Yessica…….

Unlike the stern Yessica, Enoch was gentle.

“I will deliver a message when my lord returns.”

Besides, Skal’s voice was so appealing.

But most of all.

Skal had a story to tell Hoyeol that must be told.

“Your lines are a little different than usual today.”

The screaming reporters had a lot to do with it.

But alas.

Skal didn’t get his way this time.

“But what time is it, now?”

“What? Wait a minute, it’s already late.”

“No, Mr. Hoyeol wouldn’t do that.”

“Could it be that something happened?”

“……No?! Oh, no!”

Lee Hoyeol never broke his routine.

He was unusual.

Since he didn’t show up at the Golden Palace today.

.

.

.

The top floor of the Magic Tower.

The damp floor tells of what happened.

Halt─

The elder mage who witnessed the scene.

“…… Chief Lee Hoyeol?”

Yugweed barely manages to speak.

“May I ask what happened?”

The sphere of magic was shattered.

The essence of magical power poured down onto the floor.

The Tower Master is gone.