Chapter 143. I Am the Master of the Tower
In the dead of night.
A suffocating tension swept through Lortel’s castle.
While the knights who had arrived early stood there dazed, still unable to grasp what was happening, those who joined later sucked in a blank breath at the scene before their eyes.
“Sir Zeke…?”
“No, isn’t that Sir Hamelan?”
“How can those two…?”
They were questions flung at those already present, seeking answers—but there was no one who could respond clearly.
In the midst of that—
Zeke tightened his grip and clutched the sword.
Gigeuk, geuk.
The blade’s tip digging into his skin scraped bone, but he didn’t care. This kind of pain was familiar to him.
That was when Hamelan, the First Sword, asked,
“You truly won’t let go? Surely you’re not trying to defend an intruder in Lortel?”
“That man is not an intruder.”
“Then?”
“……”
Zeke pressed his lips shut.
It was because of the Head of House’s order to keep it discreet.
No matter that the other party was Hamelan, the leader of the Ten Swords—this was something that had to be kept.
That was when Hamelan’s eyes gleamed with meaning. But only briefly.
Hamelan opened his mouth again.
“If you don’t answer, then I have no way of knowing. Is that alright?”
Zeke realized this was the moment he had to steel his resolve.
‘It can’t be helped.’
Hamelan had made up his mind.
Now, even if that crazy mage withdrew his aura, Sir Hamelan would surely try to take the mage’s head.
If so…
‘We have no choice but to fight.’
His mission was only one thing.
To bring that mage to the Head of House.
‘My right hand is expendable.’
That was the resolve.
So, as he tried to draw his sword with his unfamiliar left hand, a voice reached his ear at that moment.
“Move aside.”
“…?”
The owner of the voice was Aster.
“That’s enough. If you saved me from dying once, it’s not like I’m going to have a restless night over it.”
“What are you— hnng!”
Zeke cried out in shock.
Aster had seized the sword without retreating even a step.
If it were just an ordinary sword, it wouldn’t be surprising, but right now, Hamelan’s blade seethed with dreadful Aether.
Zeke himself was pouring out Aether of his own to block it.
A single misstep, and the collision of the two Aethers could tear flesh and limbs to shreds!
“It’s dangerous—let go at once—!”
Zeke tried to warn him, belatedly—
Tzzzz—
A clear, cool mana drilled into the blade.
And that wasn’t all.
Kkudeudeuk, kkudeuk.
‘It’s… pushing my Aether out?’
On top of that, it was even driving Zeke’s Aether away!
It was impossible.
Mana is inherently weak in cohesion.
And yet, to push out Aether with mana? Even an expert at the same realm couldn’t do that!
Of course, Aster wasn’t unscathed either.
“…Damn it, you monsters.”
Hurk.
Red blood poured from the corner of his mouth like a waterfall.
I hadn’t planned to step in.
Didn’t Zeke say it earlier?
That crossing blades between the Ten Swords without permission was forbidden by house law. So I’d thought there was no way he’d really cut Zeke’s hand…
‘This old man was serious.’
So, what now?
The one who tied the knot has to untie it.
At this point, there was no breaking through the situation with half measures. No—if I’d been the sort to act with half measures, I wouldn’t have come to Lortel in the first place, but anyway.
So Aster steadied his mind and focused his concentration.
The aura he’d scattered in all directions had vanished without a trace. He was concentrating every nerve on blocking Hamelan’s Aether.
Zeke snapped back to himself at the sight.
‘It’s dangerous.’
He was barely holding on, that’s all.
So Zeke tried to join the contest of aura again, but—
That was when a monstrous wave of Aether surged up through Zeke’s grip on the blade and invaded.
“Keogh!”
Zeke staggered back from the sudden impact.
With a serious internal injury, he spat blood with a heave.
Hamelan’s voice came immediately after.
“Third Sword, step aside now. Didn’t the man himself say it? Since he saved you once, it’s not something to lose sleep over.”
But Zeke didn’t yield.
“That can’t—”
It was then.
“Sir Zeke, I’m sorry.”
Captain Ekst, who had been watching in silence, stepped forward.
And as the injured Zeke was subdued and dragged away by Ekst and the other knights—
Only then did the center of the scene hold just two men: Aster and Hamelan.
Hamelan flicked his gaze over Zeke and then grinned.
“Thanks. Because of you, I avoided an awkward situation. But… are you alright? You look like you’re having quite a hard time.”
“I’m not alright, and yes, it’s hard.”
“For someone saying that, you seem calm.”
“As if. I want to die right now.”
“It would’ve been better to hide behind Sir Zeke’s back.”
“I’m regretting it already. I didn’t know you’d be this much of a monster.”
“Ha.”
Hamelan finally let out a laugh.
“Talking must be hard too, but you’re a stubborn one.”
“Am I admirable?”
“Hmm…?”
“If I’m admirable, I was thinking you might go easy on me. I’m clearly a fresh, green junior.”
“Wha—!”
Hamelan burst out laughing again.
It was louder than before.
“You lunatic! Ha—there’s no doubt you’re thoroughly insane! Even in the old wars, there weren’t many like you!”
It was… strangely enjoyable.
I’d thought it was already insane enough to scatter my aura in every direction in the heart of Lortel.
This was beyond imagination.
But that enjoyment only lasted a moment.
Hamelan abruptly stopped laughing, and his eyes shone coldly.
Enjoyment was enjoyment, but what needed to be done didn’t change.
“In payment for saving the young lord’s sword’s hand, I won’t take your head. Destroying your core should be an appropriate level.”
Hamelan increased the force of his Aether.
His intent was to drive Aster’s mana out in one go, push into his body, and crush his core.
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa—!
Like that, Aether like a raging storm raced along the blade.
Sturdy mana blocked its path, but the violent Aether shattered everything and surged onward.
That was when a fountain of blood burst from Aster’s mouth.
Puheok!
But then—
‘…?’
At the very instant Hamelan sensed the end—
He saw it clearly.
Even as blood sprayed, the mage’s lip curled upward, just slightly.
Was it the meaningless grin of a madman? No—something was different. Those clear eyes were the eyes of a beast waiting for an opening!
As Hamelan sensed something wrong—
Jjeo-eong—!
“…!”
A vortex of mana swirling around the mage.
A final struggle? No—if it were, then…
‘Danger!’
Following the scream of instinct, Hamelan immediately recalled his Aether. Then he expelled it outward at once, wrapping it around his body.
An indescribable heat slammed over Hamelan right after.
Kwarorororor!
‘W-what is—!’
Hamelan’s hair stood on end at a vicious heat he’d never felt in his life.
And just before the flames seized his entire view, he saw it clearly.
The mage was smiling.
A pillar of fire that erupted without warning lit up Lortel’s darkness.
And beneath it, the knights stared up at the sky in stunned silence.
No one opened their mouth.
Everyone could feel it.
Geugeugeugeuk—
The flow of mana churning within that dreadful pillar of flame. The mana in the air trembling in response.
It was a wondrous sight.
So much so that even knights who knew nothing of magic had their souls stolen away.
But the ecstasy didn’t last long.
“What are you doing! Will you not come to your senses!”
A roar that stabbed into their minds.
At Captain Ekst’s shout, the knights snapped back.
“T-this…!”
“S-Sir Hamelan!”
“P-put the fire out… someone, bring a mage!”
Shocked cries burst out from all around.
Someone screamed the name of the First Sword trapped in the sea of fire, and someone else searched for a mage employed by the house.
But the chaos didn’t last.
“All of you, stop moving! Regain your composure!”
At the voice laden with Aether, the knights who had been scrambling froze instantly. And when even their “hup”—their exhaled breath—stilled—
Captain Ekst looked over the knights gathered there and spoke.
“Sir Hamelan is safe. Do you truly think he is someone who would fall to that sort of magic?”
“…No!”
“Then what is it that we must do?”
A voice like a drawn blade.
A sound heavy with Aether drilled into the knights’ minds.
Yes. Lortel’s First Sword does not yield to such trifling magic. Then what must they do?
Only one thing.
“……”
Kill the mage who had crept into Lortel and tried to harm the First Sword.
Tzzzz—
Killing intent bloomed in every direction. One strand, then another—sharp, honed like drawn treasured blades.
And of course, the direction that killing intent pointed was—
The mage standing before the pillar of fire, vomiting blood in a gush.
Srrrng—
Sgeuk.
Without anyone needing to say who was first, swords slid free, and the killing intent they drew out grew even sharper.
And just as the knights readied themselves to fire like nocked arrows—
The mage, who had been coughing up blood, straightened his body.
The knights froze in that instant.
“…!”
“…!”
Tzuz, tzuzjeuk—
A moment of stiffened air. No—what hardened wasn’t the air.
Rather… yes.
Mana (Mana).
The mana of the entire area froze.
It wasn’t that some physical force had restrained the knights’ actions.
The reason they couldn’t move was… instinct. Without anyone telling them, they understood.
This place had been seized.
So—
‘If we move… we die.’
Gulp.
As everyone held their breath, and only the sound of swallowing echoed—
That was when the pillar of fire the mage created flared violently once.
Was the magic changing?
That thought flickered through the knights’ minds.
But no.
Seogeok—!
A single slicing sound.
The pillar of fire that had shot straight up to the heavens split vertically.
The flames that had seemed like they would never go out died down immediately after.
And in the place where the flames vanished—
“……”
Lortel’s First Sword, Hamelan, took in what lay ahead. No—more precisely, the unidentified mage.
With an expression somehow light, and eyes sharper than anything, he asked,
“Who are you? You don’t look like an ordinary rat.”
For the first time, Hamelan directly asked his identity.
That was how striking the mage’s authority had been.
And it wasn’t only Hamelan who wanted to know the mage’s identity.
Every knight present strained their ears toward the mage.
In the midst of that—
The mage answered.
“I am the Master of the Tower.”
“…Tower?”
Hamelan tilted his head at the hard-to-guess answer, and then—
Kugugugugugu—!
The mana (Mana) in the air surged violently at that moment.
“…Hup!”
Even Hamelan stopped breathing for an instant—then a brief silence. And…
In the quiet, the mage’s voice cleaved through the air.
“Is this how Lortel treats its guests?”
At this moment, no one saw him as a mere “mage.”
“Bring the Head of House.”
He was a great archmage.
He was the Master of the Tower.
