✦ Chapter 77 – Suspicious Couple (3) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
Meanwhile, at the Black Magic Tower… a storm was brewing.
“Tower Master~ Just what are you thinking?”
The one openly criticizing the Black Tower Master was none other than her secretary, Teddy Divine. The girl, with her youthful appearance, clutched a teddy bear as always.
The Black Tower Master tried to maintain her composure, but her annoyance was evident.
‘Has she lost her mind?’
The Black Tower was different from typical magic towers in terms of hierarchy.
With its mix of mages and demons, and its embrace of demonic culture, it was perhaps the most rigidly hierarchical tower in the entire world.
Thus, insubordination was unthinkable.
Yet, here was Teddy Divine, outright reprimanding the Black Tower Master, despite her rank as just a secretary.
One of the other senior members voiced out.
“You opposed the destruction of the bridge till the end and even suggested bringing them here! What are you thinking, Black Tower Master?”
Other voices joined the chorus of dissent.
“Exactly! Are you planning to hand over the entire Black Tower to them?”
The insults and disrespect were becoming unbearable.
Wearing a tall witch-like hat, the Black Tower Master was about to rebuke them, but someone beat him to it.
“Now, now, everyone! Calm down! Let’s hear her out, shall we?”
“But… Even you must see how absurd this is, Teddy!”
“This is the Black Tower. We must respect the hierarchy, right?”
The scene of everyone surprisingly complying with Teddy’s words was peculiar; the Black Tower Master watched the scene unfold, a flicker of unease in her eyes.
Teddy’s intervention, at least, had restored a semblance of order. She turned to the Black Tower Master, her gaze sharp.
“So, Tower Master~ What exactly are you thinking?”
“Ultimately, the Imperial Magic Tower is the most prestigious.”
Teddy burst into laughter at the reply.
“Wow~ That’s rich!”
Hugging her teddy bear tightly, she continued,
“You haven’t suddenly gone senile, have you? Why the change of heart? You’re behaving like a toothless beast. Or is it something else, hmm?”
Teddy suddenly held the teddy bear’s mouth close to her ear, her eyes widening in mock surprise.
“Oh my! Are you saying that the Black Tower Master is colluding with the Imperial Magic Tower?! No, no, no! We can’t be saying such things!”
She playfully smacked the teddy bear’s head, her tone dripping with sarcasm. But the Black Tower Master, unfazed, continued.
“My children, the situation at the Imperial Magic Tower… it’s not as simple as it seems.”
Ribbit—!
A frog perched atop the Black Tower Master’s hat croaked ominously.
“The Second Princess, who’d been in the Celestial Realm, has suddenly returned, and the Inspector has been visiting the Imperial Palace quite often. He also played a significant role in the recent Ruiple incident. So…”
The Black Tower Master nodded slightly.
“Do try to understand. Now is not the time to act rashly.”
“We’ve waited years for this!”
“Are you suddenly getting cold feet, right before the execution?”
“Coward! The Black Tower Master is a coward!”
The meeting room erupted into chaos; the room was now divided.
On one side stood the Black Tower Master. On the other side… stood everyone else.
“Now, now~ Let’s all calm down~”
Teddy tried to placate the agitated crowd.
“Alright, alright. I understand being cautious. It’s like… checking the bridge before you cross it~”
“Indeed,” the Black Tower Master agreed.
“But you also opposed asking the Imperial Magic Tower to place the demonic sword on the altar? Why?”
Teddy shrugged.
“You were the only one who opposed it. You do realize that, right~?”
“…Yes, I’m aware.”
The Black Tower Master nodded calmly.
“I allowed Teddy’s… pranks at the beginning, but I didn’t expect things to go this far. You know what will happen when the demonic sword is placed on the altar.”
When the demonic sword is placed on the altar, purification would begin.
Purification.
While it sounded positive, even righteous. But the reality was far from pleasant. Once the purification starts, the demonic sword would release all the fear it had absorbed.
Simply put, anyone from the Imperial Magic Tower nearby would undoubtedly find themselves in grave danger.
Teddy widened her eyes, feigning innocence.
“Ooh, Black Tower Master, saying it like that makes it sound like I’m playing pranks just for fun and to vent my frustration. But that’s not the case at all!”
“It’s not?”
“Of course not! I just want the Imperial Magic Tower, which has oppressed the Black Tower for so long, to finally get what they deserve! And for our tower to rise above them! Yes, yes!”
The Black Tower Master remained silent, but her mind was deep in thought.
‘This is troublesome. They’re all consumed by fury.’
She didn’t deny that they genuinely cared about the Black Magic Tower. But their feelings had become twisted, corrupted by years of resentment.
Discriminated against for their use of dark magic, for the presence of demons among them…
They’d been oppressed for so long that they wanted others to experience the same pain, even if it meant unleashing a catastrophic disaster.
Teddy Divine spoke again.
“So, why are you so eager to invite the Imperial Magic Tower here?” Teddy asked, her tone mocking.
“To adhere to the spirit of the exchange meeting, it’s imperative that the Imperial Magic Tower participates smoothly.”
“The spirit of the exchange meeting?”
“Precisely.”
The Black Tower Master nodded.
“Once they participate, we can present the magic we’ve prepared and gain recognition at the exchange meeting. It’s an ideal way to elevate our status.”
“You’re still clinging to such naive ideals~”
Teddy Divine scoffed openly.
“So, if the Imperial Magic Tower changes its mind, you’ll just… obey them? Follow their orders like an obedient dog?”
“…If we’re honest, it’s not entirely unreasonable. We did dabble in dark magic, which is forbidden across the continent. And our… research on corpses… we went too far.”
“You don’t get it, do you? Even thinking like that proves you’ve become the Empire’s lapdog! Why should we, who have mastered dark magic, care about what others think?!”
Teddy’s grip on her teddy bear tightened.
‘You’re too soft.’
It had been over ten years since the Black Tower had begun to meekly obey the Imperial Magic Tower, even though the Imperial Magic Tower was clearly losing its edge, stalling for time, making excuses. Everyone in the Black Tower, except the Tower Master, was tired of this charade. It was time to act.
“Black Tower Master, we’ve waited long enough, haven’t we?”
The Black Tower Master shook her head.
“This isn’t about waiting. We need time until the Empire truly trusts our Black Tower.”
“But…”
“If it were the past, I might have agreed with this… aggressive approach. But you know as well as I do…”
The Black Tower Master’s voice lowered.
“Things are different now. We’re on the verge of completing our secret technique, and I have something worth protecting. We can’t afford to start something so dangerous indiscriminately. It’s rejected.”
“Ah! The secret technique you won’t tell us about~”
Teddy sneered, her eyes narrowed.
“…That’s right.”
“You keep telling us it’s being developed, but you refuse to share any details… that sounds awfully familiar… doesn’t it? You’re acting just like the Imperial Magic Tower!”
The Black Tower Master silently fiddled with her tall hat.
‘I can’t tell you, not when you’re consumed by anger.’
If she were to share it now, and they used it solely to vent their anger, who could predict the disaster that would follow? For now, focusing on its completion quietly was the best course of action.
“It’s nearing completion. I’ll share it with you all as soon as it’s finished. There’s no need to be—“
“Oh, forget it! I’m done with this nonsense!”
Teddy grinned mischievously.
”The first principle of the Black Tower… the one with the most support becomes the Tower Master. That still holds true, right?”
“…That’s correct, but—“
“Oh~ In that case~!”
Teddy grinned mischievously.
“It seems the Black Tower might have a new master very soon~ Because everyone, except for one person, seems to agree with me!”
The Black Tower Master’s eye twitched.
Teddy’s statement was an open challenge.
But a direct confrontation… was out of the question.
If she’d been at full strength, she’d have easily defeated Teddy. But she’d poured all her energy into completing the secret technique.
“It seems our current Tower Master is too afraid of the Imperial Magic Tower to act! But the Black Tower doesn’t tolerate cowards! We have plenty of brave souls… like me~”
“It’s not the Imperial Magic Tower I fear. It’s just that the new Inspector from the Imperial Magic Tower seems unusual….”
“The Inspector? Yes! He’s the cause of all this!”
Teddy clapped her hands together, a sharp, almost manic, glee in her eyes.
“Great! Then let’s focus on this Inspector. If someone can defeat the Inspector, whom even the Black Tower Master fears, they’d certainly gain support and be seen as more competent than the Tower Master!”
“Ha…”
The Black Tower Master could only laugh bitterly.
At this point, logic held no sway.
They were blinded by rage, consumed by the desire for revenge. The Black Tower Master’s attempt to reason appeared as nothing more than a thorn in their side.
They no longer cared about right or wrong. All they needed was a reason… an excuse… to depose her and unleash their fury on the Imperial Magic Tower.
Teddy grinned wider.
“It seems our dear Tower Master has become a bit too… timid after spending so much time stirring cauldrons in her little workshop~”
“………….”
“Don’t worry! It’s time for you to retire! We’ve become much stronger, much bolder, in your absence~”
“Just get to the point,” the Black Tower Master said, her voice dangerously sharp.
“Fine, fine. It’s simple~ As soon as the Imperial Magic Tower folks enter the Black Tower’s domain, I’ll take care of them myself!”
“You will?”
“Yes! I’m sure they’ll be struggling with that demonic sword… so I’ll just offer them a helping hand! Think of the prestige it would bring the Black Tower!”
Teddy grinned, her eyes gleaming with malice.
“Of course~ a few of them might… die along the way! I can’t promise to save everyone!”
The Black Tower Master shook her head in exasperation.
“You say you want the Black Tower to prosper, yet you’re willing to trigger a war between Magic Towers? You lack foresight!”
“How far ahead did you see to behave like the Imperial Magic Tower’s lackey for over ten years? Hmm?”
“Even if you get what you want, it won’t bring happiness to the Black Tower.”
“You’re wrong. No matter what happens, it can’t be more miserable than this~”
Their opinions clashed, an impasse of opposing wills.
Ribbit—
The frog perched on the Black Tower Master’s hat croaked once more. And just then…
“Then let’s do this,” the Black Tower Master declared, her voice firm. “Neither of us is going to back down, so it’s pointless to try and reach a compromise. It’s better to set conditions.”
“What conditions?”
“Do as you wish. I will step down as the Tower Master.”
The Black Tower Master stated this plainly.
“But in exchange,” she continued, “even if things go wrong for you, I will not share my secret technique with you. Don’t expect any help from me.”
A shocking declaration.
The senior members quickly voiced their opinions.
“But… we’ve waited for so long—“
“Perhaps the current Tower Master doesn’t need to completely go—“
Just then, a single voice cut through the whispers.
“Sure~ Fine! Get lost immediately!”
Teddy shouted gleefully.
“T-Teddy!”
“Lady Teddy Divine!”
But Teddy ignored all the protests.
“Get out~ get out~ move along~”
She even shoved the Black Tower Master towards the exit, hurrying her out of the meeting room. It was an act of unimaginable disrespect, unthinkable just moments ago.
Naturally, the other senior members voiced their concerns.
“Teddy Divine, are you sure about this?”
“We should have at least gotten the secret technique—“
“That thing nobody knows anything about? The one that might not even be real?”
Teddy turned to face them, her gaze cold.
“Are you still buying into her lies? Hmm?”
“We’re just…”
“Pathetic~ Pathetic~ You’re all so pathetic!”
Standing in the center of the meeting room, Teddy addressed them.
“Remember all the years you’ve been oppressed, discriminated against because you’re not human, and punished because you practiced dark magic… every single day!”
“……………”
“For how long are you going to live like this? Is it wrong for us to rise up? Is it so terrible?!”
Gradually, their eyes began to burn with a feverish intensity.
Confusion and worry… they were fleeting emotions.
Yes, how long had they endured such harsh times?
…Now was the time to unleash their anger.
“Now, now~ There’s no need to worry~ I’ll teach those Imperial Magic Tower folks a lesson they won’t forget.”
They probably wouldn’t even make it to the Black Tower. They’d be stuck struggling to cross the ravaged landscape, all the bridges destroyed. They wouldn’t even set foot in the surrounding domain.
That was what Teddy thought… until…
—Lady Teddy Divine!—
A frantic voice called out to her through telepathy.
“Hmm?” Teddy replied, listening intently.
—What is it? Don’t shout, you’re hurting my ears!—
—The Imperial—the Imperial Magic Tower!—
—Yeah? What about them?—
What was all the fuss about?
Teddy yawned.
The Imperial Magic Tower being unable to arrive?
That was a given.
But…
The message she received… was the opposite of what she expected.
—They’ve entered our domain!—
“…….…?”
It was… impossible.
Teddy’s head tilted in confusion.