Chapter 149. The Imperial Magic Tower
Knock, knock, knock.
"Family head, it's me," Fayle said.
"...Come on in," Halo answered.
This was Halo's office within Azureocean Castle; Fayle stepped inside, his expression grim. The air in the office felt heavier than ever.
Fayle quickly studied his father's face. Halo had a slightly stiff expression. However, since it was hard to read his emotions, Fayle couldn't help but keep a cautious stance.
"Sit," Halo said.
"Yes, my Lord," Fayle said as he sat down.
"...It'd be better if you call me Father for now. This is an unofficial matter, not an official one," Halo said.
"Is that so?" Fayle asked.
"It has to be. This cannot become an official issue," Halo answered with a sigh.
As soon as he sat down, he poured himself a glass of water and took a sip. Letting out a deep sigh, he fixed his gaze on Fayle and said, "I assume Heinrich told you some of the details."
At that, Fayle recalled Heinrich's earlier words.
"I believe the Young Master has spoken with the head of the house. That's all I know."
Once again, this involved Caron.
Fayle thought back to the schedule, thinking that Caron was supposed to be giving a special lecture at the capital's academy right about now.
Don't tell me he's gotten into trouble again, Fayle thought, wondering if his father had summoned him to reprimand him on Caron's behalf. Fayle swallowed nervously, his eyes steady on his father.
"Thirty minutes ago, Caron contacted me through the communication orb," Halo said.
"I guess the special lecture must be over, then. I gave you a full report on the lecture last time, Father," Fayle replied.
"The lecture was postponed, Fayle," Halo added.
"...Is something wrong?" Fayle asked.
"There was an attempted terrorist attack on the academy. Fortunately, Caron identified the threat in advance and prevented it with minimal losses," Halo answered.
From the result alone, it was a commendable deed. But Fayle instinctively knew this wasn't the end of it. If Caron had merely done well, his father's expression wouldn't have remained so complicated.
"After extracting information from the terrorist, Caron immediately pursued the organization behind them. He managed to capture their handler alive. The real problem lies with... who they are," Halo explained.
"A faction loyal to the fallen Malevolent Emperor—known as the Revanchists—has finally surfaced. According to Caron, their influence has already spread throughout the political realm," Halo continued as he looked at Fayle with a serious expression.
"What do the other advisors think?" Fayle asked.
"They agree with Caron's assessment. Otherwise, no one would dare modify maw worms in the heart of the capital," Halo replied.
Fayle's brow furrowed as memories of the creature stirred in his mind. He had learned about it when he was younger—a parasite once used to restrain slaves. Its cruelty had been so famous that it was eradicated from the empire long ago.
"Under the current law, merely handling maw worms is punishable by death, isn't it?" Fayle asked.
Halo nodded and answered, "Yes. According to the reports, this mutated version increases aggression in its hosts, turning them into something akin to a necromancer's zombies. In other words, it's been weaponized into a biological threat."
"Then how is it any different from a zombie?" Fayle questioned.
"It's almost impossible to detect with magic—that alone makes a significant difference," Halo answered.
Fayle considered the societal upheaval such a mutated maw worm could unleash. He didn't need to think for too long. He muttered, "That's horrifying."
"I agree," Halo admitted.
The implications were undoubtedly disastrous. The fact that those responsible were loyalists to the Malevolent Emperor, the Revanchists, only amplified the danger.
"The man Caron captured is named Nur, one of the Malevolent Emperor's servants. The moment I led my knights into the Imperial Palace back then, he fled without even glancing behind him. Caron intends to transfer him to Azureocean Castle using a teleportation circle," Halo explained.
"That's a wise decision. Considering how far their reach might extend, there's no safer place than here," Fayle agreed.
From the sound of it, Caron hadn't done anything wrong this time. But the next words from Halo turned Fayle's complexion even paler.
"Caron said something to me," Halo continued, his tone dry. "He asked why I handled the situation this way. If I had lost my mind."
Fayle choked on air and exclaimed, "Pardon?"
"He contacted me out of the blue and immediately began berating me," Halo replied.
Insulting the family head was a grave offense. As a member of the household, publicly criticizing the family head wasn't something resolved with a mere reprimand. In the worst case, it was possible to be cast out of the family.
However, Halo's expression didn't seem severe enough to suggest genuine anger. If he had been furious, Caron would already be back here facing consequences.
"I apologize, Father. It's my fault for raising Caron so poorly," Fayle said.
Due to the recent events, Caron's reputation within the family had been reduced to that of an uncontrollable mad dog. If this incident escalated further, even Caron could find himself unable to withstand the fallout.
For now, I need to lay low, Fayle thought.
He couldn't stand by while his son faced such ruin. As a parent, he had a duty to shoulder the blame. That was why he had come back to Azureocean Castle.
"This isn't your fault, Fayle," Halo said; his words carried a tinge of bitterness as he continued, "Caron didn't say anything wrong. He was right. This is my fault too."
"What do you mean, Father?" Fayle asked.
"Caron berated me for one reason. Fifty years ago, I failed to eradicate the remnants of the Malevolent Emperor's forces. Caron's criticism was justified," Halo explained.
He slowly rose and walked to the window. Dark clouds loomed over the horizon, as if it was going to rain soon.
"Maw worms. The Malevolent Emperor..." Halo chuckled ruefully. "Funny, isn't it? Caron knows things even my sons don't."
His mind drifted to his youngest grandson, Caron, whose actions had been unpredictable ever since he set foot in Azureocean Castle. This time was no different. Without Caron's swift judgment, the capital would already have been bathed in blood.
"He always sees the core of things," Halo murmured. "That boy berated me thoroughly, then asked a question."
"What question?" Fayle inquired cautiously.
"He asked if I really killed the Malevolent Emperor fifty years ago. Even I was startled by his insight," Halo answered.
At those words, Fayle slowly rose to his feet. He slowly began, "Father... You don't mean...Is what I'm thinking really true?"
Halo couldn't deny Fayle's insight.
"Yes," Halo said in a low, solemn tone, turning to face his son.
"I called you here because I think at least you deserve to know. Caron was right. And so are your thoughts right now. I could not kill the Malevolent Emperor fifty years ago," Halo continued with a grave nod, then closed his eyes.
"Why not?" Fayle asked quietly.
"Because it was impossible," Halo replied.
What followed was a tale of secrets that had been kept since that day, and Fayle could only listen in silence as his father recounted the hidden truth.
***
Rumors that Caron had saved the academy spread across the entire capital in the blink of an eye. The feats of a rising hero were more than enough to stir the city once again.
But Caron himself was exasperated. He grumbled, "I beat a professor to a pulp in front of the students. Why isn't my infamy spreading?"
"They say you even set up a curtain afterward, to protect the students' mental health," someone replied.
"Well, I couldn't exactly let all the students see me stabbing and impaling someone with a sword," Caron said.
"You're surprisingly considerate, aren't you?" the person in front of him replied.
"Ugh."
Caron sighed deeply as he sat at a quiet roadside café in the capital, a look of irritation on his face as he sipped his coffee. Across from him sat Amy, now a fully commissioned Imperial Guard.
Amy stirred her coffee with a teaspoon and glanced at him before speaking carefully. "At this point, maybe you should give up trying to be a troublemaker... Just embrace the whole hero thing?"
"Amy, do you know how annoying it is to be a hero?" Caron asked.
"Why is it annoying?" Amy replied.
"You have to care about what people think. Me? I don't even care about what my parents think. Not even my grandfather. I don't want to worry about other people's opinions just because I've got a hero's title hanging over my head," Caron explained. He chomped down on an ice cube from his drink and let out a heavy sigh.
"If you've got any good ideas, spill them. I even let you skip out on your duty hours to hang out with me," Caron said.
"I'm pretty sure you didn't listen to my suggestions earlier..." Amy replied.
"Do you think guarding VIPs is easy? Tsk tsk. Kids these days just want everything handed to them," Caron said.
"You do know I'm older than you, right?" Amy asked.
"What? I can't hear you well because it's coming from a 5-Star knight," Caron said jokingly.
"Sigh."
Whether it was in the past or now, Amy thought Caron was still a young master who couldn't be reasoned with.
Caron chuckled softly as he looked at Amy, who was frowning delicately. He said, "But you've grown a lot."
At the age of twenty-one, Amy was nearing the pinnacle of 5-Star—a remarkable achievement by any standard, especially without any external help.
"After that incident, Drogol and Count Kian's household didn't give you any more trouble, did they?" Caron asked.
"Drogol came to our house every day for two years, begging my parents for forgiveness. The Kian family even forgave a huge portion of our debt. Who would've guessed that spoiled brat would turn into a philanthropist?" Amy said.
"People tend to change after a brush with death," Caron replied.
"Anyway, what's your plan for today?" Amy asked.
Caron had successfully handed Nur over to Azureocean Castle. He'd even paid a hefty price to use a teleportation circle. Not that money mattered—he could always bill his father later.
"I'm going to get some rest," Caron answered.
He intended to stay in the capital for a while. The attempted terror attack had led to a one-week closure of the academy. However, the special lecture hadn't been canceled. He felt guilty about spilling blood in front of the students, so he planned to finish the lecture before leaving.
But most importantly...
Things aren't fully settled yet, Caron thought.
He had heard a shocking truth from Halo.
"The Malevolent Emperor is alive."
Caron had suspected as much since his encounter with Nur, but hearing Halo confirm it had cemented his resolve. Now, he needed to gather information about this new revelation. He had no clear idea how far the Malevolent Emperor's influence had spread. Plus, if the Malevolent Emperor was indeed alive, tracking his movements would become a top priority.
"I'm also planning to stop by the Magic Tower later," Caron said.
"Why the Magic Tower all of a sudden?" Amy asked.
"Need to do some shopping. Oh, and I'll head to the academy in the afternoon. You should come with me—I promised to introduce you to Professor Ulysses, remember?" Caron suggested.
In the empire, even speaking the name of the Malevolent Emperor was taboo. The only place where research into his traces persisted was within the academy's history department. Caron fully intended to get the information he needed from Ulysses.
"Owner, why are you so excited?" Guillotine's voice dripped with disdain.
Caron chuckled as he took another sip of coffee. He replied, "I've got a clear goal now. Why wouldn't I be excited? It means I get to slice that bastard's head off."
Amy, sitting across from him, widened her eyes in alarm at Caron's words. She asked, "Excuse me?"
"I wasn't talking to you. You can drink your coffee," Caron said.
The thought of exacting revenge—there was no greater thrill.
Caron's grin deepened as he nodded to himself. There were plenty of things he would need to prepare, but he didn't plan to make things overly complicated.
I just need to grow stronger, he thought.
If he could become powerful enough to rip apart anything that stood in his way, vengeance would take care of itself.
"Oh, right," Caron said as he pulled a small vial from his pocket. The bottle held a clear liquid, and he slid it across the table toward Amy. He said, "This is a gift from one of your relatives."
"...A relative?" Amy asked.
"Yes, a dim-witted one," Caron said.
He had recently heard an amusing story from Kerra.
"Commander, my family changed our name from Acht to Altura. They must've wanted to erase all traces of me from the family records since I was once a knight of the Malevolent Emperor. I get it."
Apparently, Amy was a relative of Kerra's. Although they were only distant relatives, Caron still found this situation amusing.
Kerra had wanted to stay with Cain Latorre until the very end, and Amy steadfastly followed in Cain's footsteps. Perhaps it was because they were from the same family, but there was a sense that their paths were somehow similar.
Thinking about how Halo had readily supported Amy, it was possible that Halo had already known about Amy's family a long time ago.
"Anyway, this is a gift from an elder in your family. No need to feel burdened—just drink it," Caron said.
"What is it?" Amy asked.
"The Dew of the World Tree," Caron answered.
Amy's hand slipped, and her cup toppled over. She exclaimed in shock, "The D-Dew of the World Tree?!"
"Why are you so shocked?" Caron asked.
"This is... Why would you give me something so valuable? Wait... Is this a bribe? Are you trying to recruit me into the Oceanwolf Knight Order? I can't accept something like this—" Amy replied, flustered.
Caron chuckled, thinking Amy's response was cute. He then thought back to Kerra's words.
"I hear they're not exactly living in luxury. If you ever get the chance, Commander, please do look after them. I feel guilty, considering they had to change the family name because of me."
I'll grant your request, Kerra. But everyone has to earn their keep, Caron thought.
Once Amy drank that elixir, she'd be bound to him—practically for life. The Dew of the World Tree was that rare and precious.
Satisfied, Caron gave her an encouraging nod and said, "Why don't you drink it first and think about it later?"
"Even so..." Amy said.
"Don't tell me you don't know how incredible this stuff is," Caron said.
"I do! But this is too much—" Amy protested.
"Ah-ah. How are you supposed to grow strong enough to become Commander of the Imperial Guards if you don't take it? You do want to follow Cain Latorre's example, don't you?" Caron interrupted.
"...I guess that's true," Amy admitted.
"Exactly," Caron said.
And when you're Commander of the Imperial Guards, they'll be right in the palm of my hand as well, he thought.
He smiled with satisfaction. One task on his capital to-do list was complete. Next up was the Magic Tower.
Those mages were the richest of the rich. It was time to bleed them dry.