Please, Just Read It

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Please, just read this!

Chapter 59

Final Move (2)

For the past few decades, Yukria and the Irantes Magic Tower have competed for supremacy over the Magic Towers.

In the midst of frequent clashes, they were bound to tear at each other.

Still, everything has its ‘line’.

Even with disputes, it never turned into actual combat.

Conflicts tended to end at mere arguments.

Why, you ask?

Because the Five Great Towers formed a single fence.

This fence acted as both a shield for one another and a watchtower.

Thus, the Five Great Towers never touched a member of another Tower under any circumstances.

This had been an unwritten rule in the magical world for centuries.

However, the Irantes Magic Tower broke this rule for the first time.

By killing Rozelia Duncan, a key figure of the Yukria Magic Tower.

“Of course, that assassination was executed very secretly.”

“…….”

“After a persistent investigation lasting 11 years, the whole truth has come to light, so I suppose I don’t need to explain how meticulously that assassination was planned?”

But, as the saying goes, if a tail is long, it will eventually be stepped on.

Continuing their investigation, the Yukria Magic Tower was able to unravel Irantes’ misdeeds one after another.

Hidden truths began to surface.

Deaths disguised as accidents.

Buried within them were countless slanders.

“And among the victims was Sharon.”

“…….”

[…….]

Becky sighed, overwhelmed with mixed feelings, and continued speaking.

“Turns out the Irantes Magic Tower had put a spell on the Stone Golem.”

“…….”

“They had planned to kill Sharon from the very beginning. The official from the Irantes Magic Tower received that order and stood by while Sharon was killed.”

As expected, Sharon’s death was not simply an accident.

She had met her end due to the cunning scheme of the Irantes Magic Tower.

“The reason Irantes killed Sharon is simple.”

“…….”

“They just wanted to remove Garon Theobalt, the ‘Empire’s Greatest Shield,’ from the western front.”

Fifty years ago.

The demon tribes began invading the Empire’s western territories.

Caught in the peace they had maintained for so long, the Empire was defenseless against this invasion.

-Kraaaaak!

-P-please spare me……!

The western front began to collapse at an alarming rate.

Rumble──.

Amidst this crisis…….

The magician who would later be known as the ‘Empire’s Greatest Shield’, Garon Edward von Theobalt, emerged.

Kwaaaah!

-L-Lord Garon Theobalt has arrived……!

-Woooah!

Garon Theobalt defended the western front with only basic troops, without any special support.

Using wind-based magic for his rock-solid defense, it had remained impenetrable for decades.

Perhaps because of that?

Despite being a frequent battlefield, many nations and cities located in the Empire’s west were able to achieve stability and prosperity.

Time passed.

The fear of war had dissipated long ago.

As long as Garon Theobalt was holding the western front, the Empire’s citizens viewed the demon tribes’ invasion as a far-off tale.

“But when Sharon died, that situation changed entirely.”

Garon Theobalt hadn’t defended the western front out of patriotism.

He had been solely motivated by the desire to protect his family, especially his granddaughter, for decades.

In this context, Sharon’s death was enough to topple Garon Theobalt.

The purpose of his life was shattered.

The “Shimmer” also found its way to Garon Theobalt.

In the end, consumed by shock and confusion, he had no choice but to choose retirement.

“With Theobalt’s retirement, the western front slowly began to falter.”

“…….”

“Once again, the threat of death returned to the citizens of the Empire who had long been lulled into peace.”

A nervous atmosphere gripped the western Empire, as it was uncertain when the demon tribes might strike.

And that anxiety was enough to awaken a primal fear of ‘death’ within the people.

“In this situation, the nobles of the western Empire turned their eyes to the Immortal Spell.”

“…….”

“Because the Immortal Spell was the only means to avoid death.”

Thus, the nobles of the western Empire became a solid support base for the Irantes Magic Tower.

“Everything went according to the plans of those Irantes bastards.”

“…….”

[…….]

Sharon’s death was used as a cornerstone in the plans of the Irantes Magic Tower.

“Now, Elder.”

“…….”

“It’s your turn to speak.”

Having finished all her explanations, Becky turned her head towards Garon Theobalt.

Then, Garon Theobalt continued with a low, somber voice.

“I was unaware of the underlying circumstances.”

Of course, he wouldn’t know.

As a soldier who had defended the western front for decades, Garon Theobalt’s focus would have been solely on repelling the demon tribes.

It was unreasonable to expect him to be well-informed about the Empire’s political situation.

“After my retirement, I wandered around various regions of the Empire. Living a vagrant life with no purpose.”

“…….”

“During this time, I came to hear a rumor.”

Swish.

Garon Theobalt directed his gaze towards Becky.

“My granddaughter’s death was attributed to the emergence of a murderer named ‘Rebecca Duncan’.”

“…….”

[…….]

Already lost and wandering after his granddaughter’s death,

Instead, hearing such news that a killer had sullied her name ignited nothing but rage within Garon Theobalt.

“So, I resolved to take revenge.”

“…….”

“I made up my mind to personally kill the murderer who dishonored my granddaughter.”

Of course, it wasn’t a rational decision.

In a situation where it was impossible to punish the Five Great Towers for the death of Sharon during the Selection Test, Garon Theobalt’s anger simply turned towards Becky.

But that didn’t matter.

For him, who had lost the purpose of life, the figure of Rebecca Duncan became a new spark.

Garon Theobalt endured day by day, fueled by the hope that one day he could execute the killer who defiled his granddaughter’s honor.

-So now there are only two left.

-…….

-It’s an honor. To get to face Lord Garon Theobalt one-on-one.

Thus, at last.

Garon Theobalt faced Rebecca Duncan in the second test.

“But just as I was about to kill Rebecca Duncan.”

“…….”

“She showed me an illusion.”

Two seconds.

Just a brief two seconds.

Paradoxically, that fleeting moment was enough to change Garon Theobalt’s heart.

“If one uses illusion magic, this two seconds can be extended infinitely.”

“…….”

“Rebecca Duncan used this magical property to reveal all the truths to me.”

The misdeeds of Irantes.

And the grand scheme to topple such creatures.

All these stories unfolded within the “World of Illusions” that Becky had created to evade the watchful eyes of the Irantes Magic Tower overseeing the Selection Test.

“And that’s how we ended up in our current situation.”

“…….”

[…….]

The tale of Becky and Garon Theobalt reached its conclusion.

After hearing everything, Riley remained silent for a while as she organized her thoughts.

“Still…….”

After about thirty seconds of silence, Riley carefully opened her mouth.

“Still, this fact hasn’t been publicly disclosed yet, has it?”

Upon hearing those words, Garon Theobalt slowly nodded.

“That’s right.”

“…….”

“Only Becky, myself, and some high-ranking officials from the ‘Three Great Powers’ know this.”

Here, the ‘Three Great Powers’ referred to the Imperial family, the Senate, and the Five Great Towers.

“And now you’ve learned this fact as well.”

“…….”

[…….]

In summary, it was confidential.

It seemed they believed it wasn’t yet time for Yukria Magic Tower to publicize this incident.

Well, truthfully, that was a wise choice.

If this matter were to become public, the Irantes Magic Tower wouldn’t just sit idly by.

They would surely attempt some form of defense.

Yukria Magic Tower planned to launch a powerful counterstrike right from the beginning for this reason.

To prevent the Irantes Magic Tower from rising again.

So, the timing of that initial strike would be critical…….

I had Riley inquire about when they planned to make these truths public.

“So when are you planning to disclose this truth?”

Garon Theobalt immediately provided an answer.

“In three months.”

“…….”

“Exactly three months from now, the whole world will learn of the Irantes Magic Tower’s atrocities.”

Three months, huh…….

That was earlier than I expected.

Was there any particular reason for wanting to announce this incident at that specific time?

Before we could even voice such questions, Garon Theobalt answered first.

“That’s when a roundtable meeting will be held in Wilhelm.”

“…….”

[…….]

Roundtable meeting.

This was an important assembly held in Wilhelm whenever significant issues arose in the Empire.

The Five Great Towers,
The Senate,
And even the Imperial family.

As it dealt with crucial matters, the ‘Three Great Powers’ attended as central members of the Empire.

“This meeting will discuss whether to promote Jan Irantes to Archmage.”

And the agenda for this meeting would be to decide on Jan Irantes’s promotion to the title of Archmage.

As already mentioned,

Becoming an Archmage was not merely a matter of skill.

To ascend to Archmage, one required a certain degree of political backing.

Thus, the title of Archmage was not solely a concept of magical prowess.

It was an honorable rank granted only to those wizards who had shone in their era.

Only one wizard could hold the title of Archmage in a given time.

Therefore, the path to becoming an Archmage was fraught with challenges.

And the roundtable meeting was regarded as the final hurdle in that daunting path.

[However, I doubt the meeting will proceed smoothly.]

‘…Uh, why?’

[You ask why?]

It’s simple.

Because, as I mentioned earlier, the ‘Three Great Powers’ will be attending this roundtable meeting.

Among the Five Great Towers, the Senate, and the Imperial family, there is not a single entity that maintains friendly ties with the Irantes Magic Tower.

This means that all three forces attending the meeting have turned their backs on the Irantes Magic Tower.

[Given this situation, what are the chances of Jan Irantes being recognized as an Archmage?]

‘Ah….’

Upon hearing those words, Riley fell into a moment of contemplation.

Soon after, she cautiously spoke to Garon Theobalt.

“This roundtable meeting isn’t originally meant to determine whether Jan Irantes qualifies to be an Archmage, is it?”

Silence fell.

Garon Theobalt offered no response.

It was easy to catch on that his silence was an unspoken affirmation.

“Then, could it be…?”

“…….”

“Is this meeting meant to create a justification for the execution of Jan Irantes?”

Slowly, Garon Theobalt nodded.

“That’s right.”

“…….”

[…….]

Suddenly, the words Garon Theobalt had said to us just a few hours ago flashed through my mind.

-A war will break out.

-…….

-And I can assure you, when that war is over, the Irantes Magic Tower will no longer exist on the map of the Empire.

“…….”

[…….]

Yes.

War.

The coming roundtable meeting in three months will be just the start of that ‘war.’