Chapter 231: The Tin Knight and The Witch of Heaven’s Change (1)
Turning back the clock hands, around the time when news of Balascamb’s fall had spread to even the lowest ranks of the Tower of Protection.
As if to prove that the world’s happiness and unhappiness was a zero-sum game, the atmosphere on the Tower of Protection’s side was almost like a festival.
“Hiya, they’re real monsters. No, how did they attack that fortress?”
“They’re the Witch of the East’s top apprentice, aren’t they? With Lady Gale there too, what can’t they do?”
“Lady Gale? Laaaady? Oh ho, look at this guy. Wasn’t it you who always gossiped about how she only played with dolls and brought shame to the tower? Now you’re talking like this?”
“Ahem! Don’t say things that others might misunderstand! I’ve respected her from the beginning!”
In fact, in the early stages of the war, morale on the Tower of Protection’s side was close to rock bottom.
The story about Orin and Mombi was known only to the top echelons of the four towers and Gale, her direct mentee. To ordinary mages who didn’t know the detailed situation, this situation was unreasonable in itself.
The Witch of the North they had been serving suddenly betrayed them and joined the Control side, and they were suddenly branded as “evil ones who tried to use the Magic State’s great teacher as a puppet” by those around them.
They were just going along with the atmosphere, muttering, “Uh huh,” because they would lose their heads if they didn’t fight right away. In a situation that couldn’t be called active even in empty words, the war situation was even the worst.
On top of this, there were Control’s agents inside the tower subtly spreading doubts about the upper echelons and dissatisfaction with the war. It would have been strange if morale was high with this.
If not for Tower Head Hermina’s reputation, the Tower of Protection might have collapsed without even fighting properly.