Chapter 188 : Chapter 188
Chapter 188 - The Calm Before the Storm
A blue bird entered its nest.
Its wings, which had been unconsciously tensed in the East, finally relaxed.
The blue bird flew a little further after entering the West and arrived at Wisdom's main headquarters, 'Majia'.
The birthplace of Wisdom's pure magic and the cradle of all pure mages.
This place, where a thousand years of wisdom breathed, was always warm and full of life.
Various fruits always grew on the trees, and the richly colored flowers gave off a fragrance with just a brush.
If there was a paradise, wouldn't it be a place like this?
Even in such an earthly paradise, the blue bird approached a tower that seemed to pierce the sky and landed.
Ttudeudeudeuk─ Ttudeuk─
With the sound of bones twisting, the wings gradually shrank, and the beak disappeared.
Bare skin was revealed instead of feathers, and a large robe was put on over it.
It was a robe with the emblem of Wisdom, a staff and a wand crossed diagonally over a magic circle, largely drawn on it.
A mage with the emblem of Wisdom on their back was, of course, no ordinary mage.
“Wh-white family robe. Paras! Congratulations on your safe return!”
At the appearance of the robe that only the family's messengers wore, the guards of the Magic Tower quickly made way.
“P-Paras. You've returned. Congratulations on your safe return.”
“I was sure that our last meeting would be the last.”
“Congratulations on your safe return. You must have had a hard time dealing with those barbaric Easterners.”
The countless intellectuals studying in the Magic Tower today.
Those gathered under the ideology of finding the noble purity that magic held did not stop their discussions.
“With you all waiting for me and Wisdom waiting for me, how could I end my life in a place like the East?”
“As expected of Paras.”
“I saw you returning for a moment, and it seems you've made further progress in polymorph magic. I'm so envious.”
“If you have confidence in yourselves, you all can do it too.”
Warm greetings and welcomes from everyone he met.
Paras advanced through the welcome and headed for the top of the tower. The way to climb the tower was simple.
Three elevators were prepared in the center of the tower. Right before his eyes, countless mages went up and down the elevators.
However, not everyone could go to the top.
In the super-high-rise tower with 101 floors, some could go up to the 34th floor, and some could go up to the 89th floor.
“Isn't it Paras? You've returned safely.”
“Yes. Fortunately.”
“Then you'll be going to the top now. I wonder when I'll get to see the top.”
“What floor are you on now?”
“I'm stuck on the 56th floor.”
“The 50th-floor problems are called the devil of the middle floors, aren't they? You've already solved half of the problems that everyone calls difficult, so the next ones will be easy for you.”
The mage sighed but then nodded.
“Thank you. I've held up a precious person for too long. Please go on ahead.”
“See you again.”
Paras passed the mage and got on the elevator.
Hwoooooooooooong─
Soon, the circular elevator ascended to the 101st floor. As it went up, the number of people seen gradually decreased.
To climb the floors, one had to solve the problem that symbolized each floor, and only then could one covet the knowledge of that floor.
Realizing one's talent as a mage, entering the Magic Tower, and solving problems until death.
The floor number right before death was the record, that person's life, and the result.
If you died while solving the 3rd-floor problem, you were a 3rd-floor mage. If you died while solving the 99th-floor problem, you were a 99th-floor mage.
The hierarchy among mages divided by floor number was not a pretty sight, but it could not be ignored.
It was a culture of the Magic Tower that had continued for a thousand years, so it had to be respected.
Deolkeong─
The elevator stopped at the 100th floor, the highest it could go.
The remaining floor had to be climbed by stairs, and they were not stairs that were permitted to just anyone. Not even to the messenger.
“Family Head. Messenger Paras reports his return.”
“It took you longer than I thought.”
A voice from the upper floor leading to the stairs. The messenger knelt before the stairs.
“I was delayed because I was choosing my path, in case I was being followed.”
“Alright. I heard the main points in a dream, are there any other details?”
The messenger took a moment to catch his breath. Details certainly existed, and in fact, they could be called major branches.
“Sein of the Ice Chain was captured as a prisoner by the Fifth Son. It seems all the teleportation work that Sein was carrying out has also been exposed.”
“……”
The Family Head was silent, but he didn't seem surprised or worried.
Only the sentiment that what was bound to happen had happened was felt from above.
“No one had high expectations for him. He's the type to get into trouble because he can't distinguish between when to speak up and when to be quiet.”
However, to say that it was something that was bound to happen was definitely not the case. As much as Sein had shown himself, this was a highly plausible operation.
On the surface, send a messenger to put them at ease, and underneath, draw a magic circle in the neutral zone.
Compared to the vast neutral zone, the teleportation magic circle was barely noticeable. It would be difficult to find even if one set out to do so.
But the Fifth Son of Millesdusk went out to the neutral zone in one go and captured Sein.
Moreover, Sein was a skilled mage who wielded ice, a dragon's attribute.
The Family Head organized his thoughts in silence and then asked the messenger.
“What floor mage was he?”
“I remember Sein being on the 64th floor.”
“64th floor… a fitting number for him. Ambiguous.”
However, considering the overall distribution of pure mages, he was strictly in the top 10%.
Furthermore, even though he was a collateral branch of Wisdom, the Fifth Son alone took down such a mage?
“Counting age is meaningless, but that Sein guy. He must be begging a ten-year-old for his life.”
“Are you going to request the return of the prisoner from Millesdusk?”
“Return? What for.”
The Family Head of Wisdom, who had snorted softly, continued.
“Let them do as they please, whether they kill him or let him live. We will prepare the teleportation magic circle.”
“Are you dispatching troops?”
“It's still too early for the main force. There's an order to things.”
The Family Head's voice cut off again. He was deliberating, like in chess, to make the perfect next move.
After long deliberation comes a bad move, but such a thing never happened to Wisdom and its Family Head.
A moderate amount of deliberation would surely bring a meaningful result, and that would return as a result now or in the future.
“Have the golem mages on standby. Engrave as many miniature teleportation magic circles as possible on the golems' outer shells.”
“Understood. Also, there is something I must tell you. It's about the Dark Elixir.”
At the mention of the Dark Elixir, an uncomfortable silence fell.
The thing that greatly disturbed the Family Head's mood had become impossible to negotiate because of Sein.
Without Josephine, analysis would take a considerable amount of time, but already more news had piled up.
“What is it?”
“They say the Dark Elixir has succeeded in its 2nd process.”
“…2nd process.”
“That's right. Even from my perspective, it looked far superior in terms of completeness compared to what we have acquired.”
He still remembered the fake Elixir the Youngest Son had placed next to the real Elixir.
It was a fake at the opposite pole of the real one and scattered a cold aura.
It was a chilling object, like the black sun that had been above his head.
“We can't ignore the possibility that it's just a trick. If they really succeeded in something called the 2nd process, why would they show it so openly?”
“I did not fail to anticipate that possibility either, but the Fifth Son did not seem to be lying.”
“That's not for us to judge now. If there are any other unusual matters, speak and then withdraw.”
Paras hesitated to speak but finally opened his mouth.
“Josephine, in the end, could not come with me.”
“What's so unusual about that? Enough, you may leave.”
“…Yes.”
Still, unlike me, Josephine is your real daughter.
The Family Head was indifferent, and the messenger went down the elevator again. On the way, his sister, with whom he had parted as an enemy, kept coming to mind.
Were my words too harsh back then? They were still stuck in his throat like a thorn.
The thought of wanting to apologize the next time they met was now uncertain.
Because no one knew what would happen next, or how they would meet.
All he could do now was pray.
That the next place they would meet would be her room in Wisdom. That the topic of conversation would be today's lunch.
***
The Family Head of Millesdusk summoned the young blood relatives.
Not only the young blood relatives but also the heads of the family's institutions, the ten elders, and all their schools were summoned.
Those who could be said to be the entirety of Millesdusk gathered in one place. The pressure was difficult to express in words.
The place where such people could be gathered was also by no means ordinary.
The circular conference hall had four floors, and each floor was at a different height. The entrance to each floor was also different.
On the outermost and highest floor were the young blood relatives of the family.
On the floor below were the collateral blood relatives.
On the next floor were the family elders and institution heads. And on the lowest floor were the family sorcerers.
Furthermore, above this ceiling sat the lord of all gathered here and the ruler of the East.
“Everyone, please pay attention.”
The Family Head's messenger, who appeared treading on air, silenced the noise.
“Except for the Fifth Son, who is unable to attend due to unavoidable circumstances, it seems everyone is present, so we will now proceed.”
What unavoidable circumstances could be so severe as to miss a summons from the Family Head?
The family sorcerers flinched for a moment, but neither the blood relatives, the collateral branches, nor the elders expressed any complaints.
So the Fifth Son's absence was naturally passed over. Ransis continued.
“The reason we have gathered here today is to respond to the unjust invasion of Wisdom.”
The Family Head's messenger began with an overview.
“The reason for the invasion is the Dark Elixir. On the grounds that the Dark Elixir resembles the Elixir and defiles their purity, they have infringed upon freedom, the symbol of the East.”
Noise filled the hall. The sorcerers were enraged, and those present here were the elite of the elite.
The natural magic reacted to the vortex of countless emotions, vibrating even the outer walls.
Her snow-white hand pointed to the ceiling.
“Therefore, the Family Head has sworn not to take their absurd words lightly any longer and never to yield.”
After the overview and the justification comes the purpose.
What is the purpose of us, Millesdusk, gathered here, in going to war?
“The Family Head has spoken. Millesdusk will subjugate Wisdom and make it subordinate to the East.”
“…!!”
“……!!”
After anger came astonishment.
To be honest, it wouldn't end easily. They had expected that. But they didn't know it would be to this extent.
“Is it a war of annihilation?”
A voice came from the elders' floor. The owner of the voice was Elder Graham, the chief elder among the elders.
“I would like to ask clearly in this place if what the Family Head wants is a war of annihilation.”
A war of annihilation. A war to exterminate every single seed of the great family designated as an enemy.
Ransis did not answer and looked up at the ceiling. The elder who had asked the question did the same. Everyone's eyes did.
The Family Head gave his answer.
[The blade will be aimed at the waist. Those who kneel and touch their heads to the ground will live, and those who do not will die. That is all.]
Elder Graham was silent for a moment and then nodded.
“The Family Head's will. I understand it well.”
With the Family Head's confirmation, the path Millesdusk had to take and the future it would advance towards became clear.
Spare those who submit, but kill those who do not.
The former will be used by Millesdusk as the undead under its feet, and the latter will live and enjoy glory with Millesdusk.
“Must we take the second move?”
A voice echoed from above the elders.
Buried in the shadows, what the owner of the voice revealed was a gray blade reflected in the faint light.
“My youngest brother and I will strike first. With the dragon's speed, we can arrive in a week, so we'll get there first and pave the way.”