Like a panicked chick, the Purple Tower Master spun repeatedly in place. Her eyes whirled, and just watching her made me a bit dizzy.
“Wh-Where did we go wrong…?”
“You shouldn’t have gotten caught in the first place.”
The Second Prince Irid let out a heavy sigh.
“I know there wasn’t…. Any ill intent. There wasn’t…. right?”
“Yes, there wasn’t any ill intent. Our Yuna just gets lonely very easily. Yuna, come here.”
“E-Euuuu….”
I hugged the Tower Master and patted her on the back. It’s not as if she wanted to incite a rebellion at Crownhall. She just wanted to go on a date with me.
But seriously, how did we get caught? It’s not like I’ve slacked off on my Mana Detection… Was it some kind of bluff?
“Uh, Prince. I believe…. that’s a lie. They’re trying to gauge your reaction. It’s not like they have evidence, do they?”“They don’t have evidence?”
“Yes. Well, I can’t detect our Tower Master. And if I can’t, I don’t think anyone else can.”
The Second Prince looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, “Why are geniuses like this?” However, I was merely stating the truth. If I can’t do it, chances are no one else can.
And even if, by a one-in-a-million chance, they were able to see the Tower Master, her leaving evidence was a whole other story. As long as the Tower Master didn’t let herself be filmed, she couldn’t even appear in a picture.
The Second Prince stroked his chin, and spoke after a brief pause.
“If that is the truth, then I can probably cover this up. Since it will just end up being a battle of swaying public opinion. However…”
“However?”
“Once the Purple Tower Master officially reveals herself, there would be backlash. Obviously, at that point, the opposition will have justifiable cause.”
Does that mean we just have to avoid getting caught?
“It just means she can’t use too much power. If she showed her subliminal level power at Crownhall, there would be no way to refute that evidence.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
I felt like this was going to be quite a huge restriction. We were chasing the traitor of the Purple Magic Tower, and a significant part of our pursuit efforts relied on the Tower Master’s strength.
I had believed that no matter what we faced, the Tower Master would handle it, so I could charge in without any real plans.
But the situation had changed. If the Tower Master used all her power and the suspicion that ‘The Purple Tower Master snuck into Crownhall’ became a reality, the Second Prince’s faction would face severe political repercussions.
I might have to seriously consider giving up pursuing this.
Of course, we could act like bullies disregard what happens to the Second Prince. But in the long term, that would undermine our goal of capturing the traitor.
As long as we cooperated with the Second Prince, we could get help from the spy organization, the Imperial Defence Bureau. Moreover, it would put the Pink-Haired Lesbian in a rough spot. If shit hits the fan for her, just because she made the wrong friend...
“Tower Master, let’s take a break. Pink-Haired Lesbian is injured too.”
“......Are we going to stop chasing?”
“If we’re not careful, the Purple Magic Tower could be negatively affected. Next time…. There will definitely be another opportunity, so don’t be too disappointed.”
We had already gained more than enough. Confirming that there was a traitor in the Purple Magic Tower was an achievement in itself. We could now prepare accordingly.
“Then I’ll handle it as such.”
The Second Prince Irid quietly stood up from his seat and opened a cabinet. It was filled to the brim with communication crystal balls.
He spread the crystal balls out on the table, and began working swiftly.
“First, spread the message to dismiss the baseless slander. Also confirm that the Capital’s Knight Order did not permit the Tower Master to enter, but even if she was here, she had no intention of causing trouble.”
Clarification (not).
“Is Redburn using Baron Parret as his trumpeter? His puppet? That I am planning to incite a rebellion using the Purple Magic Tower? Convene a cabinet meeting. There are scandals that I’ve been collecting. Ask the public why such a great intelligence organization couldn't discover his wife’s affair.”
Turning the trumpeter attacking the Second Prince into a laughingstock.
“The merchant guild that Redburn has been ignoring…. Golden Tangerine Merchant Guild, was it? Tell them to withdraw. This is a gesture of reconciliation.”
Calming down Duke Redburn, who had been stirred up.
“We had a spy already prepared, right? Spread counterintelligence. We really don’t know anything about this incident.”
Spreading misinformation via spies.
“Send a letter to my sister. Request her to release a statement that the competition for the throne should be conducted fairly without crossing a line. The outside world believes my sister and I to be at odds; they would assume this is her warning me in a roundabout way. Then, hide your movements. Make it appear as if we heeded the warning and refrained.”
Implying that he never intended to cheat or that he was no longer in a position to do so.
Other orders, big and small.
For ten minutes, he issued a flurry of commands, then adjusted his posture. The Tower Master and I had to close our eyes while applauding in admiration. The future of the empire was so bright that we could hardly bear to look directly at it.
The Second Prince Irid looked especially cool today. He stylishly opened his collar and gazed down at us as he spoke.
“Let’s go to the interrogation room.”
“With us?”
“....We need to extract information out of the Black Wizard you captured.”
===============================================================
The interrogation room was in a soundproofed and secluded basement as expected. When we followed the Second Prince into the room, the Defence Bureau agents saluted us.
“Oh, Your Highness.”
An agent, seemingly high-ranking, approached us. Judging from his worried expression, it looked like things weren't going well.
“Is there a problem?”
“The magic within his head is too sophisticated for us to handle. Currently, we have frozen him with 『Flash Freeze』, but we don’t know if it’s possible to extract information….”
“That’s why I brought a specialist. Thaw him.”
“Yes, Your Highness. 『Defrost』”
The Black Wizard’s body, frozen as if he had been left in an ice age, slowly thawed with a warm steam. I rolled up my sleeves and stepped forward confidently.
“......Why isn’t the Purple Tower Master stepping forward?”
“Oh, um, this kind of thing…. Eung. This kid does it better, Y-Your Highness…”
Let’s try attacking from multiple angles. On one side, I’ll show him illusions within a dream to make him confess, and on the other, work on the constraint within his mental barrier.
As soon as there was external stimulus, the self-destruct countdown began ticking down. Ten seconds. The trigger activated immediately, even though I didn't directly approach it. This was extremely well-crafted.
No wonder the agents couldn’t extract any information.
Whoever implanted this was a veteran illusion magician. And it was just a guess, but it was probably the same person who created 『Big Brother』. I recognized the special structure.
Nine seconds.
Can I pause the self-destruct countdown?
Nope. It was filled with killing intent. Some parts weren't illusion magic but a different type... Curses embedded directly in the brain cells. To lift it would require several well-researched healer wizards.
In that case, I just had to pull out all the information before time ran out. I had plenty of time and mana. I just needed to think quickly.
"『Extract Image』."
I connected with the outside world. As I projected the Black Wizard’s mind into the air, the agents prepared to document with video recorders and notes.
Hissss.
Broken sound. Faint images.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall. What information do you want to hide the most of all?
Images flew by rapidly: caves, clothing stores, hidden spaces within sewers... like roots appearing when you pull a stem, the Black Wizard’s hideouts were revealed one by one.
Four seconds.
“How about information regarding the Purple Magic Tower?”
Hisssss!!
The image shook wildly, and I felt a massive pushback from the brain. I must have triggered another defense mechanism.
It was silent when revealing all the hideouts but acted up when asked about the Purple Magic Tower. What are you hiding?
Three seconds.
I won’t let you escape. Even if you die, you’ll have to reveal everything you know. I tried overwhelming his mind, then forcefully pried it open
As I drilled a hole with mana, the fading image suddenly became clear.
A dark hallway. The Black Wizard hid within the doorframe, and was eavesdropping on someone’s conversation. Through the slight crack of the door, I could see four figures.
A woman with dyed green hair.
A nude woman, covering herself with long hair that dragged on the floor.
A gigantic man who covered his face with a hood.
Finally, a person with a masked face.
-『Lamb』, Is this really necessary?
-Yes, if we succeed…. We will have a puppet of the sublimation stage on our hands. For 『Noose』 who is in charge of Crownhall, I would have to ask for some leeway.
-If you fail, you know what I’m going to do to you.
-I understand. However, this is a proven method…..
And then, the masked figure named 『Lamb』 drew a shape with his fingers. A cross marked with the sign of sacrifice. This is Yuna’s…
Crack.
The image shattered.
Bang.
The Black Wizard’s head became a butterfly and exploded.
I quickly turned my head toward the surge of mana I felt beside me. The Purple Tower Master looked at the spot where the image had been, her eyes vacant, gathering mana from her entire body.
Clang!
The nearby agents drew their weapons and stood in front of the Second Prince. Tensions peaked, and a cold silence spread through the room.
Yuna spoke quietly.
“Hey, looks like there are still some stains I haven’t been able to erase.”
“...I’m listening.”
“Erase it. I have to erase it. I’m sorry. I-I know it’s dangerous. I know it’s troublesome….. But I have to do it. I have to erase it.”
This wasn’t a conversation. Yuna was talking to herself.
I saw in Yuna the figure of a little girl holding a gun. I raised both hands, trying to calm her down. She was panicking. Let’s approach this carefully.
“Don’t be so extreme. Here, take a deep breath.”
“.....Haaah.”
She can hear me. That means…
“Breathe in, breathe in…..”
“Haaah…..”
“Breathe in…..”
“Heaaa….?!”
Yuna’s blank, empty eyes filled with confusion, as if asking, ‘How much longer do I have to breathe in?!’ The eyes of a regular human being returned, albeit a little.
NOW!
Tackle!
“Euat?!”
I hugged the soft and squishy explosive, shouting toward the Second Prince.
“Your Highness! I’ve caught the rebel who was attempting to assassinate a royal!”
“E-Euuuht….?!”
“I’ll hand over the Tower Master, so please spare me….!!”
“Huehk?!”
Successfully suppressed the situation with humor.
What do you mean 'huuhh'? I stretched the Tower Master’s cheeks. The Second Prince must have sensed the situation was over, as the tension left his shoulders. Afterward, I apologized like crazy.
The Second Prince must have realized the danger of the words ‘I will make a puppet from the Sublimation Realm,’ and he allowed the Purple Tower Master to continue the investigation.
Rather than avoiding the accusation that he smuggled a nuke into the capital, he decided that it was more important to prevent a nuclear bomb from blasting at the capital.
Thus, the stay at Crownhall was prolonged.
===============================================================
Duke Redburn’s mansion, a giant five story mansion decorated with red lights.
Head of the House Redburn, Maximus, was playing chess with a masked person.
The Duke favored aggressive tactics. The masked person preferred setting traps with sacrificial pawns. It was an intense game.
Tap. Tap.
The Duke spoke.
“Is this really necessary, 『Lamb』?”
“『Noose』, what are you talking about?”
“I lost Viscount Dompel because of this. He wasn’t even worth calling a pawn, but a loss is a loss. More importantly, I lost the hypnosis information network I had in Crownhall.”
“I’m the one who created that for you. Since it wasn’t originally yours, don’t worry about losing it.”
Tap.
The duke’s pawn was taken.
“I don’t see why….. We need to go to such lengths to kill him. My investigation shows he is a genius. He seems to have a talent in teaching as well. However, he’s just a novice who hasn’t even reached Metamorphosis.”
“Aha.”
“To make matters worse….. He’s from the Purple Magic Tower. Illusion magic has clear limitations. Efforts to address the lack of physical attack led to the creation of the Purple Tower Master, but ultimately, it’s her and her alone.”
“『Noose』, he will eventually reach Sublimation.”
Tap. The masked one’s bishop was captured. The Duke furrowed his brow.
“Sublimation isn't something you can talk about so easily.”
Even within this vast continent, there were only a handful in that realm. It wasn't something you can talk about like you would a pawn or a knight.
However, the masked person was confident.
“I am certain. He is a genius who will reach sublimation even without pain or despair in his life. We must kill him now.”
“Is that why…. You even involved the Purple Tower Master.”
“The Purple Tower Master is very protective of him. They are very rarely apart. To target him, we must separate them physically.”
That’s why the clues were given on purpose. The black wizard was supposed to get caught from the beginning, and the Purple Tower Master’s trauma was planted in his mind.
All this, to eliminate the genius of the Purple Magic Tower.
The Black Wizards’ plots were spreading through the shadows.
***
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