“You’re calling it that pathetic…? Care to say that again, you son of a bitch?”
The man’s voice turned harsh.
After finally discovering a new vessel so rare he couldn’t be sure he’d ever find another like it across all of humanity, he had reached out through every channel imaginable, but the bastard hadn’t budged.
And now, only after he had failed, did that bastard finally show up.
If he had stepped in earlier, things might’ve turned out differently.
But despite the man’s outburst, the other responded nonchalantly.
“Have you forgotten what you did when we were away and you took matters into your own hands?”
“You think this is the same situation, you bastard?”
“Such lack of respect.”
“Hah… seriously…”
If he could, he’d rip apart the space that made up that bastard’s body and fling it across the continent.
But unfortunately, he didn’t even have the strength left for that.
He had truly pushed himself to the limit this time.
Perhaps realizing this, the other man tilted his head slightly.
“Was there really someone worth breaking the ‘rules’ for to that extent?”
“You son of a bitch. Did you not even read the request I sent?”
“I didn’t. I had no time for such things.”
“…Wow.”
He seriously considered throwing everything away and just killing the bastard.
The urge surged up in an instant, but he barely held it back. Instead, he hurled the hip flask he was holding.
The other man casually caught it, popped open the lid, and took a sip.
“Hmm. Not bad. Not quite as good as what His Majesty once bestowed upon me, but drinkable.”
“Cut the crap and hand it over.”
“As you wish.”
With that, the other man found a spot on one of the surrounding crystals and sat down.
Maybe it was the dark crimson uniform he wore, but the way his image reflected in the mirror-like crystals around them cast a faint gloom over the space.
“So then. What exactly happened?”
“You damn bastard, what do you think?”
Seeing him spout bullshit with such a serious face made his blood pressure spike again, but the man soon shook his head.
“Aden. I got done in by that old man. On top of that, I’m also paying the price for breaking the ‘rules’.”
“Sword Soul Aden? He’s a human with some decent skills. If we had met in the past, he might’ve been capable of threatening my position back then. But was it really necessary for you to face him personally?”
“A few of the operations I’d been working on behind the scenes fell apart. Especially the scheme targeting the imperial members….it all blew up in an instant.”
“That must’ve hurt.”
“Not only that, but the research on spirit berserk has also been heavily delayed.”
“So you panicked and decided to move yourself?”
At that, the man in the uniform frowned slightly and asked,
“What’s got you so worked up?”
The man in front of him wasn’t usually one to act rashly.
Hadn’t he already waited patiently for centuries?
And now suddenly, he was acting this hastily?
The man in the uniform couldn’t quite make sense of it.
“You could call it a gut feeling.”
“A gut feeling, huh.”
The answer sounded absurdly vague, almost empty.
But the man in the uniform didn’t dismiss it lightly.
“If it’s you, someone from beyond this world, I suppose that makes some sense.”
“Exactly. Even if I hadn’t moved directly, I think the imperial family was already starting to catch on to our presence.”
“And the reason?”
“Let’s just say… because of a certain mage.”
“A mage?”
At the reaction of the man who clearly had no idea, his counterpart glanced around for something to throw but found nothing.
“The new vessel, you son of a bitch! How many times do you think I sent you information about him?!”
“Don’t get so worked up. We’ve got our own things going on over here, too. You know that.”
“Which is exactly why I moved alone.”
“And you failed.”
“You bastard.”
“Don’t talk down to loyal dogs.”
“Fine, then I’ll just call you a piece of shit.”
“Hmm.”
With that, the man in the uniform fell silent, seemingly lost in thought, before finally speaking again.
“In any case, the fallout from your failure isn’t minor. We’ll have to accelerate our operations on this end as well.”
“Go right ahead. Maybe you’ll crash and burn just like I did.”
“I’m not like you.”
“Hah.”
Really? Was he?
Thinking from the organization’s perspective, this was something that absolutely had to succeed.
But judging by the man in front of him… he didn’t feel like rooting for him at all.
“Anyway, take care of yourself. There’s still a lot that needs doing.”
“Haah… I don’t even have the energy to curse anymore.”
“Good. Then before I go, I’ll ask one last thing. What’s the name of the new vessel?”
.
“Jun. He’s the human leading the White Whale Mercenaries.”
“I’ll remember that.”
With those final words, the man in the uniform vanished without a trace.
Left alone, the other man closed his eyes with a weary sigh.
“Still… I guess it wasn’t a total failure, so that’s something.”
It had been a painful outcome, full of losses. But at least he’d come away with some worthwhile research results.
Satisfied with that, the man slowly closed his eyes.
***
Laness.
The Laness Jun had seen in the game was, in many ways, a bold and hearty woman.
He used to think, maybe this is what Eleanor will be like once she’s older and gains more life experience.
“So you’re the mage I’ve heard so much about.”
And now, here she was showing up without any warning.
Accompanied by her student, Velles.
“…It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Laness, Master of the Magic Tower.”
“Hmm…”
Just as Jun took a moment to observe Laness—
Laness too was sizing up Jun.
But unlike Jun, she was blatantly direct, looking him over from top to bottom without hesitation.
Then, she turned to the person standing at her side.
“He’s an excellent mage, Master.”
“I can see that. Now go wait outside for a moment.”
“Huh?”
What? After going through the trouble of guiding her all the way here, she was kicking him out right away?
That felt a bit harsh. But Velles didn’t dare say that out loud to his master.
In the end, Velles simply bowed his head deeply and stepped out of the room.
Laness, meanwhile, casually approached a chair and sat down.
“.……!”
But in that brief moment, Jun sensed a wave of magic spreading around him.
It was so subtle and natural that, if not for his [Mana Body], it would have been nearly impossible to notice.
“Have a seat.”
“…Yes.”
“Now that I see you in person, I understand. It’s different from just reading the report.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s been a while. You’re Damian’s student, aren’t you?”
“…!!”
For a moment, Jun froze.
It had truly been a long time since he had lost control of his emotions like this.
“Well, judging by that reaction, it doesn’t look like things ended well between you two. Then again, anyone could tell just by looking at what’s hanging around your neck.”
“You know about my master’s seal spell?”
“Of course I do. That spell reeks of his foul personality.”
“….…”
“There’s no need to be so tense, child. Velles, Shylock… quite a few of us owe you. There’s no reason I’d go around blabbing.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. That includes your… unique constitution.”
If Jun hadn’t already known about Laness from the game,
He might have seen her as an enemy in this very moment.
“Judging by your condition, you’ve had quite a rough time. Well, that would explain why someone with your skills is still considered an outsider to the Tower.”
“What brings you here today?”
Jun had decided to acknowledge and respect this woman, Laness.
But that didn’t mean he was interested in dwelling on such unpleasant topics.
Though he made no effort to hide his attempt to change the subject, Laness didn’t seem inclined to follow his lead.
“An intriguing mage will always catch my interest. Velles wouldn’t stop raving about you.”
“…He’s helped me a lot, too.”
“He’s still lacking compared to you. But he’s far better than most of the other idiots. He does cling to some baffling preconceptions, but at times, he manages to see the world with an open mind.”
“That does seem to be the case.”
At first, he’d picked a ridiculous fight with Jun, accusing him of lacking dignity or whatever.
But the moment he lost, he accepted the result without complaint and had followed Jun around ever since.
In many ways, he was simply unforgettable.
“But he’s still no match for you.”
“That’s a bit sudden…”
“He’s certainly talented and morally sound, better than most mages out there… But child, compared to you, he’s a firefly before the sun.”
“I heard he’s your cherished student. Isn’t that a bit of a harsh assessment?”
Honestly, if Velles had heard that, he might have burst into tears on the spot.
“I’m simply stating the truth. I’m not forcing praise, nor am I trying to belittle the boy.”
“…I see.”
Jun had been quietly looking forward to meeting Laness—
But for some reason, the more they talked, the more exhausted he felt.
Maybe it was because the earlier conversation had drained all his mental energy.
“Have you truly no intention of joining the Magic Tower?”
“No. You know about my condition.”
“I could be your shade.”
“I already have enough shade.”
“I see. You’re a wildflower, then.”
Laness fell silent for a moment, lost in thought, then continued.
“Still, I heard you’ve had some free time lately. Why not follow me for a while and learn?”
“Even that feels like too much of a burden.”
Though some traditional mages claimed that Laness’s Tower lacked dignity,
The truth was that most of those mages couldn’t even come close to matching her skill.
That she had come in person was in line with her character. She had a fondness for talented mages.
But taking someone under her wing personally? That was something else entirely.
As a battle mage, she was a strict master.
She was thorough and methodical in training her disciples before sending them into real combat.
Even if there were variations depending on skill level, she had never once broken that process.
And now she was offering to personally take Jun around with her?
It was only natural that the mage community would take an interest in him.
“You’re afraid, aren’t you?”
“….…”
And Laness saw right through Jun’s guarded mind.
“Despite the path you’ve walked, you’re being very cautious about this. Is there a reason?”
“You already know without needing to ask.”
Jun tapped lightly on the choker around his neck as he spoke.
“My so-called master went for my heart. The Volcatornic Tower was no different.”
“Oh?”
But Laness’s interest only deepened.
The two towers Jun mentioned were both ones that had collapsed.
Which meant a single mage had brought down not one, but two mage towers.
Of course, neither of them held a candle to the Laness Tower in terms of prestige—
But it still meant Jun had been guarding his secret all this time.
He might even hold some hostility toward me.
Had she approached him too abruptly? Regret crept in, albeit a bit late.
Even her own disciples had warned her before.
That someday, her bullheaded ways would come back to bite her.
She had scoffed, saying someone like her who didn’t even care about the Imperial court’s gaze had nothing to worry about.
But the mage standing in front of her now was proving her wrong.
“I suppose I came on too strong. I apologize.”
“……”
The one thing she could be relieved about was that, at the very least, he didn’t seem hostile…yet.
Laness, despite her decisiveness, wasn’t oblivious.
In fact, she was quite perceptive when it mattered.
After all, she had survived the brutal War for the Throne and gone on to build a tower of her own.
It’s not that he dislikes my personality… it’s just that his past and his condition make it hard for him to open up.
In fact, it almost felt like he was only giving her the time of day because of her direct approach.
Which meant there was no reason for her to change her stance now.
Laness continued.
“What would it take for you to come with me?”
She must have caught him off guard. Jun’s eyes widened slightly at the words of an eighth-circle archmage.
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