〈 Chapter 319 〉 The Ashen Tower (2)
*
There is an individual named Krenbel Elenoa.
Originally, he was one of the six elders of the Ashen Tower, but now, he is no longer bound by the title of elder. He is an elder, not an elder. He is like the de facto master of the Ashen Tower.
It can’t be helped.
Krenbel possesses the skills and achievements sufficient to sit in the master’s seat. He is fully qualified but has rejected the position of master himself.
“The seat of the Ashen Master is not a place for someone like me, a mediocre. If there’s someone who qualifies to sit here, that person must be extraordinary and different from others.”
He does not belong here.
There must be someone more suited than him.
For that reason, Krenbel has continuously refused the seat of the master, but… although he hasn’t taken power, he has shouldered all the duties and responsibilities as master. It’s a hassle, a nuisance, and something no one benefits from, which is why everyone rejects it.
It is because Krenbel has carried this burden for a long time that the wizards honorably refer to him as Elder.
Elder of the Ashen Tower.
There is a fitting reason for him to have such a name.
*
Click clack.
The path leading to the top floor of the Ashen Tower.
The sound of high heels echoed down the long corridor. The series of clicking sounds is urgent, their intervals getting shorter.
The owner of those steps is Resti Elenoa.
Her violet hair flutters.
The robe she wears as the prospective master of the tower flaps noisily. Recently, Resti has been regarded as the Iron Blood, a being like an emotionless doll. Yet, she is panting as she runs down the corridors of the tower.
Her secretary, following her, can only be flustered. However, considering Resti’s background and her relationship with the Elder, it isn’t too strange.
Resti was taken under the wing of Krenbel Elenoa.
Krenbel is Resti’s adoptive father and teacher, a figure akin to a mentor for her. He was the first to recognize her talents and support her.
Now, that figure has risen from his sickbed.
After several years.
Click clack, click clack.
Running while making the sound of heels, Resti felt it was fortunate that she was the one leading the way. No one should see her face right now.
Thud.
How long has it been? Resti stopped in front of a half-open door and slowly caught her breath. The room where the Elder resides. And, for the past few years, a sickroom.
She pushed the half-open door wide.
Inside is an elderly man, sitting against the bed. He slowly turned his head from the window to look at Resti as she entered.
“Oh, Resti.”
The old man smiled kindly.
“You’ve grown so much since I last saw you.”
For a moment, Resti gasped.
She imagined this moment several times a day. Meeting the Elder after he has risen from his sickbed, exchanging greetings.
How would she act, what expressions would she have, and what would she say when the moment truly arrives?
In her imagination, she faced the Elder as a suitable master, appearing perfectly composed so that he wouldn’t worry upon seeing him again.
She had imagined it so often that Resti thought she could do it perfectly in reality.
“···Ah.”
However, as always.
Imagination and reality are very different.
Slowly raising her arms, Resti wiped her face. Far from being perfect, it was hard just to manage her expression. No matter how much she tries to appear grown, in front of a parent, a child remains a child.
“Yes, Elder.”
Resti managed to squeeze out her voice.
“It’s really been a long time.”
She awkwardly smiled and said so.
2.
“The Elder has risen from his sickbed, huh?”
At Rosel’s words, Raniel blinked.
The only individual he refers to as Elder is Krenbel. Raniel asked Rosel.
“Krenbel, right?”
Rosel nodded.
Krenbel Elenoa.
The Elder who had been bedridden for a long time has opened his eyes. He has risen from his sickbed, and his health is rapidly recovering. Rosel summarized the news briefly and…
“That’s impossible, though?”
Raniel murmured briefly.
“What do you mean?”
“If my memory serves me right, the illness the Elder had… isn’t something that can be cured, is it?”
She pressed her hand against her chest.
“You know, they say the soul is sick.”
There is a saying that the soul is sick.
It primarily occurs among wizards and is a disease that can arise from walking the path of magic over a long time. It is a disease with unknown causes and no known cure.
“I believe the Elder was in that condition too.”
“That’s right.”
“But, you say he has risen from his sickbed?”
“That’s what they say.”
“Hmm…”
Raniel rubbed her chin.
‘Something’s…’
It must be good news.
Krenbel Elenoa, the Elder, is one of the few individuals Raniel personally respects. He shows no distinction in background or status and faithfully adheres to the essence of being a wizard.
Since that person has risen from his sickbed, it must be good news indeed, but…
‘Something feels off.’
Strangely, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.
Recently, the incident that Kalt handled, and the timing of it all has led Raniel to think something strange is going on.
“So, I was thinking of going to the Ashen Tower now. Are you going to come with me?”
“Um, I’ll go separately later.”
“Okay. Understood.”
After Rosel left for a while.
Raniel slowly got up from her seat. Then she too headed towards the Ashen Tower, heading not upwards, but downwards.
*
Underground waterways flowing beneath the Ashen Tower.
“I have brought him as requested.”
Kalt had brought the Dark Mage to kneel before Raniel.
“I’m still investigating, but nothing has been revealed yet. They’re quite thorough folks…”
“Really?”
Raniel glanced sideways at the Dark Mage.
His arms hung limply, and a gag was in his mouth. It seemed precautions had been taken to prevent him from casting spells.
‘They even tied his fingers.’
As expected, they knew how to handle mages. Raniel let out a short sigh and gestured to Kalt.
“At least take off the gag. He needs to speak.”
Kalt removed the gag without a word.
After all, it was just a precaution against unexpected circumstances. As long as the Ashen Mage is present, no matter how much the Dark Mage tries to act tough, it would be impossible for him to create variables through magical means.
“Dirty, filthy star’s slaves!”
As soon as the gag was removed, the mage yelled out.
“The end! The promised end is coming. You star worshipers will be powerless before the end. You…”
Pointing a finger at him, Raniel chuckled.
“Wow, how is his script so predictable?”
“Indeed. It hasn’t changed in years. The end, stars, that guy’s demise. With this, it seems like there’s a predetermined script.”
From the perspective of the Dark Mage, it would be a fancy sentence crafted with seemingly impressive words, but for Raniel and Kalt, who have dealt with various doomsayers, it was just the same old story.
“Hey.”
Raniel lightly nudged the Dark Mage with her toe.
“I’m not particularly talented at interrogation or anything. I can’t make things complicated or do any fancy tricks.”
Muttering, Raniel knelt down to meet the Dark Mage’s gaze. Usually, if she just intimidates them like this, Dark Mages tend to spill everything out of fear.
The Ashen Mage, Raniel van Trias.
How he deals with traitors is quite famous among Dark Mages. Raniel thought this would be similar and, without much thought, began to tap the Dark Mage’s shoulder.
“You just need to answer well…”
“You little girl only has a big mouth.”
The Dark Mage smirked.
And then, spat out blood-tainted saliva. Though the saliva didn’t hit Raniel, the act of spitting itself held significance for the Dark Mage.
Twitch, Raniel’s eyebrows moved.
“What did you just say?”
“Are your ears deaf?”
The Dark Mage raised his voice and repeated.
“I said ‘big-mouthed little girl.’ You’re not talented at intimidation? Can’t interrogate? Ha! What arrogance…”
Raniel exclaimed, “Wow.”
“Are you crazy, or what?”
Just what kind of guts does he have to act like this?
Muttering, Raniel pulled her gloves up, while Kalt subtly shifted his gaze aside. Ever since she was young, Raniel has been infamous for her lack of talent in interrogation.
Interrogation is about extracting information from the other party.
What Raniel does is closer to torture. And, as Kalt well knows, in most cases, before the information comes out, the other person winds up half-dead.
‘This interrogation is doomed too.’
While Kalt thought this.
Crack!
The Dark Mage’s head snapped around.
Some of his teeth flew out into the air.
3.
The Dark Mage Jakel blinked.
What just happened?
He felt no sensation on his cheek. There was no pain, but looking down, he saw blood-tainted saliva flowing. Where was it leading?
‘My mouth.’
Blood-tainted saliva was dripping from his own mouth.
His lips had split, and moving his jaw felt strange and unsettling. He finally noticed that several of his teeth had broken and were rattling around in his mouth.
Thunk, someone grabbed Jakel’s hair.
“Lift your head.”
And he was forced to look up.
Jakel gazed again into the eyes of the girl before him. She looked like a noble lady. Her tone and gestures resembled an imitation of a sturdy man, which made her appear ridiculous.
When he first saw her, Jakel thought that the girl had just joined the Hounds or was there for a tour. Her demeanor was too unrefined to be a Hound.
However…
“I’m not going to say much.”
Jakel met the girl’s gaze.
“Say why you chose this place, what you did here, and when you started.”
Her icy blue eyes gleamed.
“Explain.”
From the chilling blue eyes, Jakel felt instinctive fear. Even as his jaw trembled, he sensed he shouldn’t prolong the situation.
He slowly moved his tied-up fingers.
It was a final spell he had been saving, but made hazy by fear, Jakel instinctively tried to cast it. Just as he aimed his fingers at the ground.
Crack!
“AAAHHH!”
Raniel’s high heel stomped on Jakel’s finger.
Not stopping there, she ground her heel against the floor. Jakel’s fingers twisted painfully along with it.
“Ugh, ugh!”
As Jakel groaned and bowed his head, the girl once again grabbed his hair to force his gaze upon her.
“Don’t make foolish moves.”
Jakel gritted his teeth.
Amid the fiery pain in front of him, he turned his tongue. With nothing left to lose, Jakel steeled himself.
‘Rather than get tortured and spill information…’
He would rather take his own life.
Thunk, Jakel bit down on his tongue. That was a signal, and the engraved spell began to glow.
“Star’s… slaves…”
Jakel’s eyes widened, and he sneered.
The circuit engraved on his tongue flickered. Light burst forth from Jakel’s eyes and ears, and just as the flash was about to explode, he prepared his last words.
“The Great Prophet’s Hammer…”
However, those words never reached their ending.
“You’re making a fuss.”
Thunk, Raniel’s hand grasped Jakel’s jaw and mouth, forcing it shut. Then with a swift motion, she slammed Jakel’s head against the ground.
Boom!
The impact that shook his head caused Jakel’s vision to blink and when it returned to normal, he realized the spell had been snatched away.
“All the methods are the same. It’s as if you’re hiding something, and when it gets tough, you try to bite your own tongue and die.”
She pointed at her palm.
There, gathered was the mana Jakel had just prepared to use for his suicide. With a sharp squeeze, Raniel nullified the spell.
“You think that’s gonna work?”
The spell dissipated.
“Do you think it’s possible?”
Raniel let out a short sigh.
The last morsel of mana he had been preparing for his own death had vanished. Jakel knew what that meant.
“You can’t die.”
She looked directly at Jakel.
Her blue eyes turned crescent.
“Not until I burn it all.”
It was a gaze akin to a nightmare.
*
